[Action]

[gardeningaia]

[It's rather late in the evening to be out in the snow, but so Aerith is. Behind ch. 4, out in the forest, she's cleared the fresh-fallen snow from a small patch of earth and is now kneeling down in it, talking to Faeren.]

Wasn't it strange back then? Everyone changed so suddenly! ...Were you...a little nervous? Hm... But...people seem to be treating the forest and plants all right. Better than they do back home.

...Did I talk to you last time? No, you don't need to tell me. I'm sure I did. You don't have a voice, but still, it's less quiet when I'm talking to you.

[...and so on. In general, Aerith is just naturally chatty with spirits anyway. She'll be doing this spirit-talking for a while into the early night, roaming around the perimeter of the village to see if she can get in touch with Nala... The cold and still-falling snowflakes don't seem to deter her. This is more important.]

Comments

[wingenvy]

Kinda weird. [No point in lying. He drops his knees right into the snow, gloved fingers brushing over the dirt.] But, uh. I'm still listening! ... You sure I'm not getting in your way here, though?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[She slips her own glove back on, her smile quiet.] If you were, I'd say. It's fine. I'll get other chances to talk to her, you know how I am with flowers.

[wingenvy]

Doesn't that mean, "yes but I'm too polite to tell you to go away"? [He says it mostly in jest, but really, the last thing he wants to do is get in her way with something like this. If Ancients were all about talking to the planet and whatnot, she's probably been missing it, right?]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, you must be mixing me up with someone more polite. I can tell people when to buzz off! Remember, I asked you to come out in the first place.

[wingenvy]

Heh, can't argue with that. Alright, time to double my efforts!

[And with that, he withdraws his hands and instead flops onto his back in the soil, eyes closing.]

How's this, Faeren? Hit me with your best shot!

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[She giggles--really, Zack, how goofy.]

And you were fussing about me putting my hand on the ground! That must be cold.

[wingenvy]

Don't forget, SOLDIERs are tough! A little snow isn't going to defeat me.

[It is pretty chilly though, so he's hoping Faeren doesn't take too long.]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Hmm.

...It's okay if you can't hear her. I just wanted to share this with you.

[wingenvy]

[Zack blinks up at her, stunned into silence for a little while. Unexpected, but certainly nice to hear, especially from her. After that moment passes, he grins, arms shifting to cross behind his head, relaxing.]

I'll stay here with you until you're ready to go back inside then, how about that?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[She shifts a little at the silence, focusing on the earth again. She wanted to share this with him, because there are so many things she isn't sharing with him, hasn't shared before. And he was away for so long, and she wants him close because he gave her so much--]

[At the question, she nods.]

That sounds good.

[...Though she realizes that at the moment, she's not really hearing Faeren because she got herself stuck thinking about Zack. Oops. Let's try this again.]

[wingenvy]

[He grins, subtly watching her as he relaxes in the snow. He really did miss this- just hanging out, no commitments to anything else, just the two of them.

And Shinra can't call him to work anymore. There's no downside to this.]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[She rubs her hands together and then brings them up to her lips, puffing warm air out over them. The air is cold and crisp, feeling clean. It's a lot different from Midgar's.]

[wingenvy]

[Zack waits in the silence for a while, but eventually his horrible attention span distracts him into talking again. At least he tried though, right? >_>]

...hey, Aerith? Are you okay with living with me?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[Poor puppy. She understands.

...Is a little uneasy about that question, though. Why is Zack asking...? She looks over at him, her lips pursed in concern.]

I like staying with you. I don't want to be by myself.

Is something wrong?

[wingenvy]

No, nothing wrong. I just don't want you to stay with me if you'd rather be with Cloud and Tifa or something. [She's been with them more recently than him, after all.]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

We're all neighbors, Zack. I can see them anytime.

[wingenvy]

...Just wanted to make sure. [And maybe he's not as secure as he thinks.]

1/2

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

I know where I want to be. And it is--[flop onto the ground next to Zack]--right here--

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

--!!

[SITS BACK UP LIKE SHE JUST GOT SHOCKED]

Oh my goodness, how are you lying down on that like it's nothing? You're nuts!

[lol someone just got snow in the back of her head and neck from lying down in the wrong place. :|b Rubbing her neck and hair now.]

[wingenvy]

[Zack blinks at her sudden turnabout, then can't help it- he bursts out laughing. It's brief though, because once it trails off he sits up to brush some of the snow out of her hair.]

Maybe it's a SOLDIER thing. Or a hick thing! Cloud doesn't really get bothered by the cold, either.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

But he's from Nibelheim. You're from Gongaga. It's completely different!

[Though her pouting does get milder as he helps get snow out. But omg, so cold.]

[wingenvy]

I'm just repeating what I know. That's what he said back then, after all. [He shrugs.] Come on, let's go inside and get some hot chocolate.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Mm. We should... [She finishes fussing with her hair with a final patdown, standing up. She is getting pretty cold now, shivering lightly. But instead of rushing toward the building, she looks up at Zack.]

I don't want you to be alone, either.

[wingenvy]

[Zack glances up at her in surprise; he hadn't expected her to turn things on him. He stands up as well, scuffing a hand through his hair, snow dusting his shoulders.]

...It's okay. Everyone's here- I don't feel alone in this place. How could I?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[Aerith knows how someone can feel lonely even when they're not actually alone--and she doesn't know a way to say it that doesn't sound woebegone and stupid. For a moment she just looks Zack in the face, trying to figure out what she should say.

What needs to be said? Is it better to just... not talk about it?]

We are here, so you-- [can't be lonely] --we won't leave you alone. She turns to the apartments, thinking of letting that be that.]

... But... you can feel lonely anyway. It's all right. ...Maybe that isn't the problem, but there's a distance. If there wasn't, you wouldn't think I might want to be somewhere else.