Voice & Action

[gardeningaia]

[ There's a fib of a Feather under the shade of the barracks after noon; she's got the sundress on, but Aerith is undoubtedly not new. She knows where she is, and after she gets past the jolt of terror that strikes when that last painful blow is remembered, she knows why she is there. She's plenty upset, and she's also angry and tense as she returns to house #41, keeping near the side of the street and under the cover of buildings for the brisk walk. She'll stop if a friend calls to her, but otherwise make a quick excuse and keep going; she really, really wants to go back to what's become her home here.

After stopping in at the house and checking in with her housemates--and letting herself have a good cry to help get it out--she goes and makes a journal post from her bedroom.

She takes a big, deep breath, first. ]

I'm back... this is Aerith. I hope no one [ else ] was worried, but it's... better now. I'm back. I'm not hurt.

...Is it...normal to see nothing when you die? Like you just stop... I'm sorry, ignore that. What a stupid thing to talk about!

[ ...It doesn't help to keep thinking about it right now. As she handles any responses that come, Aerith goes and does something extremely mundane and calming for her. She checks on all the flowers, at home, at the flower shop, and at the memorial garden, with the wolf Daisy close by her side. He's being more protective than usual right now. ]

Comments

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

...Aerith.

[ just her name; sad. ]

[ voice ]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

I got back late.

[ She's not exactly sure what to say. After seeing how it was at home... it hurt everyone she considers a friend, and that doesn't help on top of her own memory of what happened. ]

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

Are you...?

Uhm, I never know what to say.

action

[samurinjathief.livejournal.com]

[These days, whenever this samurai is on the move, he never has his journal open. With her voice-message having therefore been missed, he does not know what mood he can expect to find her in when he comes across her by the memorial garden. He is wary of the presence of the wolf nearby - a friend to her, he surmises - but his expression of face and body language betrays any sense of tension that may be climbing up his backbone.] ...

Re: action

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ It probably doesn't help that this isn't a normal wolf. Like the residents, the grey wolf is also winged; unlike them, only one is small, while the other wing looks actually capable of flight once Daisy raises it--which he does upon noticing the stranger, his posture defensive. Aerith starts at his movement, turning around quickly, and sighs when she sees who it is. She pats Daisy on the head. ]

It's okay. He's just visiting too. [ The wolf sits back down, but its eyes don't stray from Goemon. Aerith smiles at him, but it's much more strained than normal. ] Hello again.

action

[samurinjathief.livejournal.com]

[The wanness of her smile does not escape his notice as he approaches her - but he doesn't remark upon it, thinking it best not to pry. He remains a respectful distance from her, aware that they are only acquaintances still.]

Autumn will soon arrive... [He states almost arbitrarily after a long silence, while gazing at the flowers in bloom.] ...And these flowers will wither and die; it is the way it must be. But, with the coming of spring, there will be new life once more.

[Voice]

[originaljackass]

It ain't normal. It only happens here. [Yeah, he's answering her question. This blankness of dying here is just unnatural.]

It's good to have you back.

[Voice]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

It's nice to be back...? [ She shakes her head emphatically to herself. ] No it's not. But it's better than that.

[Voice]

[originaljackass]

[That doesn't sound like a happy answer. Not at all like his post-death reaction.]

You going to be alright?

[Action]

[goldenglasses]

[Vash hasn't checked his journal in a bit. He's a little busy checking on the flowers at the shop and making sure they're all watered as they should be. So he's a little surprised when he sees who walks in.]

Aerith! You're back! Uh, I mean... are you alright?

[Action]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ She shakes her head quickly. She doesn't want things being awkward around her, she just wants it to be normal. ]

No, you got it right the first time. I'm back.

[Voice]

[no-use-running.livejournal.com]

Aerith. [She's relieved.] I'm glad. Are you feeling alright?

[She has so much to say about death; but that will take a moment to be ready for.]

[Voice]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

I'm fine, Ami. It could be a lot worse, you know?

[video]

[paladinlost]

...I think it's not. Or at least, it'd not be in my world. The dead can know when we need their support, so they must see...

[But he cannot even be certain of that.]

[video]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

That's how it is in my world, too.

[thestormishere]

[ Did someone say Aerith's finally coming home? Because Lightning's definitely been waiting- almost counting out the hours since the last time she saw her friend out on the impromptu battlefield.

She practically jumps out of her skin when someone opens the front door - if it's just a New Feather thinking they can wander in wherever they please, she'll kill them - but when she sees who it is-- ]

-- Aerith.

[ She's off the couch and on her feet in a flash, an odd, stricken expression on her face-- but bizarrely relieved, too. Lightning's got stewing in guilt down pretty good, and just guess at what she's been doing this last week or so...? ]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ It didn't help that Aerith opened the door abruptly--still unhappy and anxious. Part of the tension in her relaxes when she sees Light, though. Without thinking to question the odd expression (her last moments with Light were on the battlefield, and for her they weren't long ago; tension isn't out of place), she rushes forward, arms reaching to hug. ]

Light, you're here...! [ So she couldn't have died. She'd gotten through the draft okay. ] Where's Hope?

[action]

[wise_maiden]

[She hasn't listened to the journal's yet today, as she's been making a few rounds of the village herself for errands. But Aerith will find the flower shop in good condition when she returns, of course; she might even come across Raine still in the process of finishing up the watering and tending for the day, fairly caught up in the routine and humming a soft melody.]

[action]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ Aerith pauses when she sees Raine, unsure what to say--and then she simply steps forward, kneeling within the woman's peripheral vision to check the flowers herself.

After a cursory check, she looks up to see if she can catch Raine's eye and says: ]

They're looking well. They're happy.

[Voice]

[chaotic-dirge.livejournal.com]

Aerith...?

[He thinks quietly on this for the moment, he's tempted to discuss her question further.]

[Voice]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ She freezes a bit. Because she has no idea what he's questioning--her strange question, the other things she's said? Or--oh, no--what if he wasn't even aware she was dead in the first place? She doesn't even know if anyone found her, strangely horrifying as it is to think about. ]

...Yeees?

[voice] AM I LATE??

[bocchi.livejournal.com]

[voice] COME ON IN

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

I don't think people really want to think about it right now, though.

[Action] /FLIES IN LIKE A VERY LATE ROCKET

[wingenvy]

[When she reaches the house, Zack is outside already, tossing a ball for Baldr and trying to use the dog as an example of how to play catch for Daisy, who's watching with disinterest as usual. Why, oh why, did Lightning get the playful puppy when he's got the most lineface animal in the village? Good grief.

Aerith's approach does make Daisy perk up, however, catching Zack's attention at once. And he quickly follows suit, straightening up to hurry over to meet her.]

You're back! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Did you lose anything? What happened!?

[Hope you're prepared for 20 questions...]

[Action] /EDITS LIKE...AN EDITOR?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ Zack's playing with the dogs--as much as anyone can ever be said to be playing with Daisy, anyway. It kind of makes it feel even more unreal--to her mind she just died, and it seems odd that it's so normal here, she almost questions if she really... maybe it was just a dream...?

As much as she'd like to think that, though, she's nearly instantly jerked out of that idea by Zack's reaction. She tenses up more than she was before, trying to keep up with the questions. ]

U, um--nothing's hurt, did I lose something? I don't really know... Can we go inside? [ She's moving that direction already, actually. ]