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

[thestormishere]

[ Lightning takes a loooong breath in and out before she finally looks over again at the other woman. ]

... No just pretending to be better, though.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

That's the goal. [ It's not like it's fun pretending to be okay when you're not. ]

[thestormishere]

Will you tell me what happened?

[ Yeah, sudden, and Lightning swallows right after she's said it, knowing that... yeah, that's a bad question. But it's been over a week spent beating herself up about this endlessly here, wondering what went wrong and all of that. Plus... she might as well get it out of the way, so she doesn't have to risk ruining the mood of a conversation some time later. Right...? ]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ Aerith--buries her head in the blanket at first. Wanting to ask if it's really that important for Lightning to know and knowing Lightning wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important to her. ]

There was--something strange. Flashes of light... probably some kind of magic, but I couldn't tell.

[thestormishere]

[ A sigh and Lightning shakes her head, lowering her head again as she closes her eyes. Really, it's not that she's mad at Aerith now, but... is it really as simple as it's starting to sound like it might be? ]

And... you followed them off to see what it was?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

I really didn't go far. [ Just far enough. ] And it wasn't like I was going right up to them! I wanted a better idea what they were, to make sure they weren't... something dangerous.

...No. They were just a distraction.

[ And Aerith is glad Light's not mad, she's upset with herself as it is. ]

[thestormishere]

You can't just-- [ She sighs yet again, frustrated at a dozen things, but cuts off the impending lecturing tone in favor of a softer one. ] You can't just wander off on your own, Aerith...

[ The thing is, Lightning knows there's some things she shouldn't really have to say, because if she knows Aerith, she knows the other woman will be going over them plenty herself without them needing to be brought up.

Because she isn't mad now doesn't make a promise for later, however... it might be difficult for Aerith if she ever gets assigned for a draft later, and difficult for Lightning to suppress the urge to smother her with be more careful... ]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

It wasn't wandering. ...But I should have been smarter about it. [ She can certainly agree with that, and she nods her head. ] I don't think like a soldier does... like a lot of fighters, I'd bet.

[thestormishere]

Hmn...

[ Ugh, she is just. So wound up right now, Aerith. Her energy level has been fluctuating constantly over the last week, and right now it threatens to cause an outburst of some sort, almost seeming to press against her skin from the inside. She aches to get up and do something.

She recognizes what the brunette says, and knows that most people aren't going to think like she does even in a warrior-heavy place like Luceti, but. Stress. ]

Well. It's over, now.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Oh, Light. [ The tension is pretty obvious. ] It's either been over a while or it's not over at all. Go ahead and punch something, alright? Not someone, something.

[thestormishere]

Done that already. A few times.

[ Her voice is hardly more than a mutter, but oddly enough, it's then that she finally musters what could almost pass as a slight smile- strained, one-sided, and definitely ironic, but all the same... yeah.

Her emotions are pretty weird. ]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ It gets a throaty chuckle out of Aerith and a wry: ] You might be as bad as Barret.

[ But she hugs Light with one arm, loosely, so if she really DOES have to get up and move she can do that. Softness without the warmth... yeah, she's really going to have to get used to that. ]

...I should probably change, hm. [ /DERP DERP STILL IN THE WHITE DRESS. ]

[thestormishere]

The gun arm guy?

[ Oh. Great. But, uh, whatever, and she takes the Loose Hug without protest despite it marking the second embrace in one day. Still definitely, ridiculously glad that Aerith's back home here- both as a friend and from a practical stand-point. She certainly helps even out their odd little household.

Which is also something that's kind of... changed too, since the draft. At least when it comes to the connections between two of the people occupying it.

Not that Lightning's... sure how to... bring that up. If now is even a good time and all. Concealing a reaction to that thought, she just tilts her head slightly at the dress comment, briefly glancing at the garment in question. Hey, at least it didn't rain on her in that thing like it had with Lightning. Awkward. ]

As good a 'next step' as any, I guess.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ Might want to wait just a liiiittle bit on bringing that up, Light, because it still is an odd time. Or just let her figure it out so you can be amused when she's all "Why didn't I hear about this sooner?! DID YOU GO ON A REAL DATE YET" ]

Yeah, this really isn't a good look for anyone.