[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

[thestormishere]

Hmn...

[ Lightning crosses her arms. Anyone can become a l'Cie too-- after all, just look at Sazh's kid! Branded, used, and then turned to crystal, and yet barely old enough to start really understanding what fal'Cie are supposed to do for Cocoon in the first place. That's not right at all.

But Aerith seems set and... how is Lightning expected to counter that? Especially when her argument boils down to... well, stubbornness, basically. She's still just trying to work out how this is supposed to work. That means... hypothetical question time! ]

... What would happen if one of those crystals was put inside someone?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Inside someone? I've never heard of anything like that. [She is from before remnants popping brightly-colored orbs into themselves, or Dirge's plot revolving around a before-unknown materia embedded in Vincent.] It shouldn't be done. It's just not right.

[thestormishere]

Well--

[ Lightning puts her hands back in her pockets suddenly, huffing so that her breath fogs in front of her face. ]

-- That's how it's done back on Cocoon. Yeah, there's AMP tech too, but if you want to start throwing around actual magic on your own? You need to get a fal'Cie to put its Brand on you. Make you a l'Cie.

[ Worded a little deceptively there, considering all of the l'Cie she knows regret being marked, and only two of them even had any initial choice in the matter. Hopefully the tone of her voice makes it clear that it's Very Bad anyway, though. ]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[So it does. And the mention of "brands" makes her pull a face--she's seen numbers on humans before, as the result of experiments.] A brand...people shouldn't be marked like that. Why would they do that? [If they're part of the natural order...]

Your world seems so different. And...not always kind.

[thestormishere]

[ Obviously they have their reasons, but damn, talk about uncomfortable. Lightning's not sure what to say at first, so she just... glares up into the sky instead. ]

I guess... it's not exactly the paradise they'd have you believe. Not by a long shot. But... it's not all bad, either.

[ That's what she has to tell herself anyway- losing hope in Cocoon's the first major step to either Cie'th-land or Ragnarok and destruction-central, after all. ]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

I believe you. It has good people, after all. I can see that right now.

[thestormishere]

[ Lightning... isn't going to refute or accept that comment. She looks at Aerith a long moment, then bows her head slightly. She's still absolutely behind her mission, but... it's hard to say if she is a good person, when the vast majority of Cocoon's entire population wants her D-E-A-D. Maybe for legitimate reasons. ]

... How long do you plan on being out here?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

What, are you still worried? [She puts her hands in front of her, flexing her fingers as if that will tell her--which it kind of does.] They're starting to stiffen up on me... guess that means not much longer!

hard for me not to take this as a zombie comment, now 8|

[thestormishere]

Hm. Anything say you actually have to freeze yourself half to death before you find these 'spirits?'

[ Also, uh. Good luck having any more success in short time after hanging around someone as unfriendly to the idea as Lightning is. ]

aerith promises not to eat light's brains. ... :9

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[She gives a short laugh at that.] I wouldn't let it go that far. [She is fairly bundled up, even if she keeps taking the gloves off.] It was kind of impulsive, coming out right now. --And what about you? You're out here too.

be careful now, Lightning takes her murdering things that come after her v. seriously

[thestormishere]

Yeah. Not for much longer.

[ Standing here for this conversation has totally ruined the warmth she did have going, dangit. She takes a step back, using it to start turning away again with hands in pockets. ]

...does that make it okay if she goes after someone else?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Hmmm--oh, okay! [Since she seems to be leaving already 8|a] Have a good night.

depends on whether or not their screams bother her 8|

[thestormishere]

[ A pause while Lightning looks just a little frustrated- she was sort of hoping Aerith would get the hint and come with her, but... she won't press it. She just inclines her head a moment and then turns to stalk walk away. ]