Memories

[cetrary]

[ Aerith is in her garden tending to leaves when a few of them fall down. Memories. Well, she kinda expected it'd happen to her eventually too. So, she's not...entirely surprised. Still...the memories distract her enough to get caught up in the garden and her thoughts. ]

Bodyguard hiring is in session.

Hojo is a psycho. He's gross, disgusting, and a terrible person. Talks about dissecting her mother and just being generally creepy.

Aerith in a dress and Cloud is a loser.

Childhood captivity with Shinra. Content warning: attempted murder of a child.

Comments

[gadaboutdetective]

Think nothing of it, Aerith. Besides, you offer everyone more than magic, just by uh- being around. [ He smiled a little in an encouraging tone. Having been with Rhy for as long as he had, he was rather quick to point out that people had more strengths to them, regardless of their magic. ] And you’ve clearly accomplished a lot with everyone.

[mostlycloudy]

[Instead of arguing further, he just let it pass. Aerith kept her secrets close and her sadness closer, and no one was going to learn about it until she was ready.]

So, all those guys with the weird tattoos...they're people you sent to Mako locations?

[cetrary]

[ Well, now her heart has melted. ] Whenever I looked into your eyes I always felt like the sky wasn't that scary after all. Like nothing was really quite as scary.

[cetrary]

Now I have to thank you again!

[cetrary]

[ She pauses and then shrugs her shoulders. ]

Some of them might be. Now though? I think....they're all connected to him.

[heavenlyhonour]

It takes only one good hit to take someone down. And if there's five of you, just be careful.

[Sephiroth could more than take them all out. But Angeal was only going to offer encouragement here.]

[heartofalion]

You can?

[There's some disbelief in his voice, but this is the Aerith that he doesn't know.]

[legacy_blade]

[Well, that makes his heart melt a lot.]

Really? I'm glad. The sky is pretty awesome, and I wish I'd gotten to show you it.

Though I meant really like home. They remind me of the forests of Gongaga. Makes me feel welcome and comforted.

[cetrary]

Yup! I can use a variety of offensive magic. It takes a bit to cast but I can blow someone away.

[cetrary]

We will. I know what's at stake and how dangerous he is. Everyone else does too now that we've faced him once.

[cetrary]

I...really wish you had too. Bet it wouldn't have been scary at all with you there.

[ She giggled ] Oh. That's a pretty nice compliment though! I'd have liked to have seen Gongaga.

[mostlycloudy]

[His brow lowered at that.]

To Sephiroth.

[So many unanswered questions.]

But how? What does mako poisoning have to do with him?

[gadaboutdetective]

You certainly don’t have to, but you’re welcome, Aerith.

[cetrary]

Sephiroth is like a poison. He poisons the planet and everything he touches. [ Everything. Everything everywhere. ]

[legacy_blade]

I don’t know. I feel like it still would have been scary. But it would have been easier to deal with how scary it was.

[He’s seen there is a lot more to fear out there in the world, and coming to accept how uncomfortable the sky made Aerith had only come to make sense. He’d grown a bit more leery over it while he was trying to get back to her.]

Maybe Cloud will take you. And you can see my home. And meet my parents. I sent them letters about you, you know.

[heavenlyhonour]

[He let out a long sigh.]

Good idea he's not one that should ever be underestimated.

[heartofalion]

[Leon smirked]

I think I'd like to see that, as long as it isn't real combat.

[cetrary]

Maybe we could go to the coliseum here together sometime?

[cetrary]

Nope, wouldn't have been scary at all with you.

[ Alright, it still would have been terrifying. But...she's going to go with it wouldn't have been. Mostly because she doesn't want to admit all the ways it could still be scary. There were a lot of them. ]

Did you? I'd have liked to have met them. I mean, I'm assume you sent them really great things about how awesome I am, right?

[heartofalion]

[Leon isn't sure he's ready for that but he nods anyhow.]

Just et me know when you're up for it.

[mostlycloudy]

Wait. [He's really trying to understand this, Aerith. Really.]

...So Mako poisoning is Sephiroth's fault?

[cetrary]

No, but I think it has something to do with letting him control them. [ Why is this so difficult? It's not as though she has all the answers, she has some, but some things are hidden even to her. Even more so now that they'd actually fought fate and destroyed it. Now she didn't even have those clues. It all felt so overwhelming, so very much. ]

I think he can control people like them. Take them over completely and make them puppets. And...[ he can do that with you. But is that really her place to say? Does it matter here? Was it even fair for her to decide that for him? ] you too. I think he wants to do that to you too.

[mostlycloudy]

[He doesn't say anything for a moment, crossing his arms and looking down. He remembers the feeling, the searing pain in his head, the voice, seeing him even when no one else could.

And he remembers shoving him out.]

He tried. More than once. [He pauses again, wheels turning, connecting pieces that hadn't quite fit before.] That's what Hojo did to me, isn't it?

...I'm not a SOLDIER. He made me like him.

[cetrary]

I thought he was. [ But she hadn't been sure if she should say anything or not. Or how you say anything. How did someone say anything at all about something like that? ] I'm glad you fought back.

[ Her head dropped down at that and then she slowly nods. ] I think so. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

[legacy_blade]

[Maybe it would have, maybe it wouldn't have? But he wished he had been there with her when she had seen it.]

Oh yeah, only the greatest things. Like your garden, and how you helped out people like Bruno, and all of that. I think my Mom was REALLY excited to meet you. She even mentioned it to Cissnei apparently.