[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

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Mm, a little. [But she says it as lightly as she can. They've never really talked about things like this, have they? She doesn't remember. She holds her hand out to his.] Let's have that hot chocolate.

[wingenvy]

[Zack pauses, glancing down at her hand briefly, then smiles and takes her hand, squeezing gently.] Sounds good to me.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[She squeezes back, though it takes a second after to realize...]

[Is that more a thing couples do than former-couples-turned-friends? Is she sending weird signals? Well, that's because part of her still wants to get back with him... Sigh. She can't tease Cloud about being a mixed-up boy anymore, can she? (But she probably still will when he's being one.)]

["But things are different." "I'm not seventeen anymore." She's realized she couldn't have the same relationship with Cloud...and she couldn't with Zack, either. And she doesn't want it to be exactly the same as it was then. She couldn't talk to him about some things... she still can't.]

[She's a bit quiet until they get into the apartment, thinking about this. But when they get their own privacy, she looks up at Zack with a smile.]

You should know it's not about past obligations. I never wanted you to be part of my past. That's still true. I like being able to see you and talk to you whenever. Even if you're a bit thick about it sometimes.

[...Okay she couldn't get through that much seriousness without a little teasing.]

[wingenvy]

[She's probably overthinking things- Zack is holding her hand because she offered it, and because they're technically "broken up" he's... not really expecting much to come of this, if anything. Honestly he's just glad she doesn't hate him for disappearing for so long. He listens closely, taking in what she's trying to say to him, and at the end - when she teases him - he cracks another smile. Really, they can't be serious at all, can they?]

In that case, I think you're stuck with me for a while.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[Five years gives pleeeenty of time to start overthinking things. 8|a]

What a terrible fate! [She's grinning as she says it.] For a terribly long while. [Building up on that "while"--she doesn't want him leaving Luceti anytime soon.]

[wingenvy]

Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. This is a weird place, but it beats living on the run. I kinda like it here. [Especially with the company.]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Good. It is weird, but for now, it's all right. [She peels off her gloves and shrugs off her coat, hanging it up before she heads to the kitchen. Hot chocolate~]