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

[cetrary]

Something like that. [ The tone was dismissive but upbeat. It was close enough to the truth, right? ] I don't think Shinra really cares about whether or not they do terrible things. As long as they get what they want that's all that really matters in the end to them. [ Boy does she hate them. It's hard to not though. ]

Losing to my body guard as a Turk wounded his pride. Turks are supposed to be super good at their job and he didn't even believe that Cloud was a first class soldier. [ For decent reason. ] Left a sore spot for him.

[ She laughs. ] They're supposed to be a lot of fun. But, you know, I had fun with some of the other things we did either way.

[bufubulous]

And they want you for some purpose…? [ Yusuke didn’t like the sound of that at all, really. He knew she had said she and her group had been dealing with rather serious things before she was pulled into this world… But this was a rather worrying glimpse into it. ]

So he was a sore loser, then. But they left you alone after Cloud beat them, right?

[ At least he hoped they had caught a break after that! Although, he realized how stubborn people who wanted something could be… ]

That’s a pity, although at least you found other fun things to make up for it, I suppose? Fun of some kind is a nice reward after a trying time.

[cetrary]

Yeah. Something I can't even really help with. They think I can though and I guess that's all that matters. [ Which was definitely a bit frustrating. Not that she even would help if she could. She still wouldn't just because she knew what they'd do if they ever found the Promised Land. ]

Nope. I wish. They've never left me alone for too long though. [ And she was pretty used to it, resigned even. ]

I always try to make the best of a bad situation by finding some fun in it.

[bufubulous]

That must be terribly frustrating for you, then… They sound rather frustratingly dense if you cannot help them with what they’re pursuing you for and they don’t listen. [ Not good. People like that were terrible, and should be stopped… It was at least comforting to know that Aerith had people in her corner to try to help keep her out of their grasp. ]

That is a good way to look at things, I suppose. If one can’t do anything about the situation, finding ways to make it lighter is probably most helpful to you and those with you.

[cetrary]

They're convinced I can because of what I am and they'll do anything to find what they want. Anything. [ Which...really sucked. ] Even if I knew I wouldn't try to help them.

It's how I saw the situation. A lot of bad things happened in our world and sometimes you just have to make the best of things.

[bufubulous]

People who think they’re entitled to that which they are not just because they’re in positions of power are terrible… I am sorry that you’ve had to deal with them for so long without them taking no for an answer.

[ They sounded like the absolute worst! ]

It is a good outlook to have; I think… Difficult depending on the day, perhaps, but it is admirable that you manage to do so.

[cetrary]

It's alright. I'm...well, I'm the last of my kind. Which means I'm the only one left that supposedly knows about my kind. [ At least that's what they think. What's true is well, slightly different. She knows some things and doesn't know others. ] The people after me have a special interest in learning as much about my people as they can.

Is it admirable? Thank you for saying so!

[bufubulous]

The last…? I’m sorry, I didn’t that... [ Yusuke frowned lightly. That must be… Really quite lonely, right? Especially if she had a bunch of people after her for their own reasons rather than taking her feelings into consideration. ] It seems to me that makes their pushiness with you that much more uncouth. I am glad you have friends to deter them, and that you have a break from such behavior here.

[ They seemed like people the phantom thieves def would change some hearts with, because that was awful to put someone through! ]

Of course! I believe that many might find it easier to sink to despair rather than try to keep their spirits up. Though I suppose it is also rather important to allow oneself to feel and express their emotions sometimes.

[cetrary]

It's alright. I don't talk about it too much. Besides, they've just all returned to the Planet. So, it's not really that bad. [ Or so she tells herself. Lonely was indeed a good description of how it felt most of the time. Still, she tries to smile through it and not let people know. ] It's a lot less lonely here, that's for sure. And that's definitely something I like about the place!

[ They should steal all their hearts for sure. ]

Sometimes, only if it's more healthy to do that though. And sometimes it's okay to just keep them away.

[bufubulous]

[ Yusuke wondered how try it was that it wasn’t as bad as it sounded… But perhaps there was more to it than he understood. Her comment gets a small smile, though. ] Indeed, for all the oddities about this place… It’s quite hard to feel lonely, I think. Everyone is quite friendly and looks out for one another.

[ It was nice! Odd when you spent too much time thinking about it, but nice! ]

[cetrary]

That's really true! I think we're all lucky there. I don't think there are many people here who don't get along. Which is surprising given how things usually are, you know?

[bufubulous]

Quite! it’s quite peaceful compared to what one normally sees in a place where so many different people are gathered together. It’s wonderful, of course, to see that such a community is possible… But it is strange at times, as well.

[cetrary]

Isn't weird to think of a place like this as peaceful of all things? But it really is. I wonder why it is that people seem to get along so well. Maybe they have more say in who gets brought in after all?

[bufubulous]

Exactly, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen people get along so well. Any trouble we see seems to have been born of something going wrong with the world rather than those who live here. Perhaps there is some condition that those of us brought here meet to have been pulled in by the portal?

[cetrary]

Maybe. It does seem like the people brought him all seem kind of heroic in some way.

[bufubulous]

Perhaps it’s something to keep in mind… Or maybe we’ll see someone arrive at some point who is different from those of us who have arrived before.

[cetrary]

Maybe. I kinda hope not though. I like it how it is here.

[bufubulous]

I agree... Even the situation seems somewhat unnatural. I find myself hopeful that it doesn’t change in that sense as well.

[cetrary]

We both better just do our best to keep hoping then. Maybe we'll make it come true.

[bufubulous]

That is a good point! Perhaps that makes some difference in a place such as this.

[ Stranger things happened... right?]

[cetrary]

Exactly! You never know!

[bufubulous]

And until proven otherwise, it would be best to operate on the idea that it might!