jikan_rpg | Catch-All

Entry tags:

Catch-All

⌛ Who: Prompto Argentum, Aerith Gainsborough, Duo Maxwell, Xie Lian, Rude and you, maybe?
⌛ What: Shenanigans. Permanent catch-all.
⌛ When: Anytime.
⌛ Where: All over.
⌛ Warnings: R. Language.

✽ Xie Lian

Cooking With Xie Lian

Busking Adventures

Event: Trial of the Soul

Event: Waterpark Waves

✽ Prompto Argentum

Chocochicks!

Travelling Cameraman

Event: Trial of the Soul

Event: Waterpark Waves

✽ Rude

Event: Trial of the Soul

Event: Waterpark Waves

✽ Duo Maxwell

Lovers Tiff [Closed to Wufei]

Event: Trial of the Soul

I Can Explain! [Closed To Wufei]

✽ Aerith Gainsborough

Rock Garden

Event: Trial of the Soul

Event: Waterpark Waves

Gems In The Making [Closed to Maglor]

[WILDCARD] Have another idea? Want to plot something out? Catch me on

JustAnotherUsername | Theo#4816 ]

CHARACTER INBOXES:
✦ Xie Lian Inbox
✦ Duo Maxwell Inbox
✦ Aerith Gainsborough Inbox
✦ Rude Inbox
✦ Prompto Argentum Inbox

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[hey hey, he laughs and shies away from the poking]

Aww, don't tease me like that! I wanna know!

[he genuinely wants to know, but it doesn't hurt to tease her a little too. It's a shame they can't figure out what her soul flower does just yet, but he's adamant that it doesn't mean she's boring - it's just the opposite.

Zack steps back and spreads his arms] Looks like. I'm ready when you are.

[And just like that, Aerith's smile softens.]

I suppose it depends... if you want to know about our world... or the one I lived on before here.

[As she spoke she stepped closer and reached up a hand toward Zack's chest. She was calm, she was smiling, and she called out his name as she envisioned wrapping her hand around something and pulling, tugging it free from whatever bound it to her friends soul.]

Zack!

[Zack's expression softens, too]

I want to hear about everything I missed. [five years, plus whatever time Aerith spent in another world, he wants to hear about all of it if Aerith wants to tell him.

He stands still and closes his eyes - albeit cracks one open to watch. He can feel something tugging in his chest and he really shouldn't be surprised that Aerith got it on the first go. It's smaller than the flower, but he still staggers for a moment as the bright light caused by drawing out his artifact fades to reveal—. . .

A smaller version of this, small enough that it could be ~~equipped~~ attached to something like a bracer]

. . . eh?

[After the light faded Aerith immediately takes a step closer and reaches out her free arm to hook around Zack's waist, just in case he felt a little weak in the knee as she had when it had happened to her! If not then there wasn't any harm in a half hug!

Only then did she actually look at what was in her hand... and she cocked her head to the side, not sure what it was.]

Just what is this, Zack? I don't think I've ever seen something like this before.

[he puts an arm around her shoulder just in case; not that he would let himself fall, because Zack wouldn't want to accidentally tug her down with him. But half-hugs are more than acceptable and 120% welcome!

Once he's certain he's steady, he leans in to peer at it. It looks a little familiar, but he just can't place why]

I . . . think it's some kind of shield? Only smaller.

[...]

I was honestly expecting a sword.

[Aerith glanced up at Zack and then back to the shield in her hand. Delicately she brushed her thumb over the surface.]

I like it...

[But then she laughed.]

See? A sword would have been cooler, right? Now you know how I felt!

It isn't bad . . .

[it is a pretty cool little shield. But like with Aerith's flower, he has no idea what, exactly, it would do power-wise. Protection?? Would they both have one like that?]

Yeah, wow. [despite the pout, he's laughing] Geez, I can't believe neither of us had a soul sword.

You know, if Cloud got a sword, I'm going to be angry!

[Because that just wouldn't be fair. He needed to get some random artefact too! Like a coin or... a magical necklace! Actually no, that last one could be kind of cool.]

They should come with instruction manuals to tell us what they actually do, if anything.

You know, I bet he did get a sword, but it'd suit him, too.

[and he would absolutely be jealous of it! But a shield isn't . . . bad . . . as long as he can figure out what it does, eventually]

That's what I think! Or at least a hint. [he glances over his shoulder towards the oni] Think they'll give us one?

It would... and that makes it worse somehow!

[She pouted. But she didn't quite realise that she had been gently stroking the little shield in her hand. There was a smooth part that she had slowly began running her thumb along. While she might have been silly over the idea of their artefacts not being swords, she did like Zacks. A little shield, what else could it be used for than to protect?

Aerith half turned and looked toward the Oni with a thoughtful expression.]

Do you think they'd even know? These things are unique to us. It wouldn't hurt to ask though? Unless you just want to try and stab me and see what happens?

Only a little worse!

[Zack laughs, though his attention is drawn down to the shield, briefly. He still has her soul flower, and he twirls it between his fingers, careful and thoughtful. It couldn't hurt to ask the Oni; what's the worst they'll say, no? Figure it out yourselves?]

—whoa, whoa, no stabbing! [Aerith please] I'll go ask and see what they've got to say, okay? Hang on.

[and off he goes to question one of the youkai]

[She pouted.]

I didn't mean kill me! Just, you know, see if it reacted to danger? Maybe?

[Aerith shrugged and waved Zack off to go and chat to the Oni while she turned and looked over the little shield in her hands, turning it over and over in her hands. The more she held it the more comfortable it seemed to feel. She smiled down at it. It really was kind of cute.]

[she had a point. . . . but there's no way he could do it convincingly enough to trigger some magical soul flower or shield's powers, too.

He isn't surprised when the Oni tells them they have to figure it out themselves, which, y'know, is fair - and probably part of the whole bonding thing. His face scrunches up thoughtfully as he walks back over, turning the flower over in his hand again]

Looks like we gotta figure it out on our own. [...] Maybe it's some kind of boost - y'know, like some of the Materia we've got back home. Yours, I mean.

[Aerith turned when Zack spoke, finding him walking toward her. With a smile she reached out a hand for the flower he held, and as she did, as she touched one of the crystalline petals, it glowed slightly. And so she pushed a little of her magic into it, curious. It glowed a little more.]

I think you could be right about that. It reacts to my magic at least.

[he holds the flower out closer to her as the petal reacts, eyes widening a little in surprise. The start of a grin tugs at his lips]

Hey, that's not a bad start. [he looks back up at her and laughs a little] Is that the kind of magic you have? You never told me about it.

[Aerith looked surprised at that, but then her smile became just a little sad as she realised that was probably true.]

Some things we never got around to doing, hm? You know I'm an Ancient, don't you? The last of the Cetra. That's why the Turks were always around me.

But... even without Materia I'm able to do a little. Mainly healing. Mainly I work with flowers, as you've seen. [Her smile softened as she let her thumb glide across a petal of the flower in Zack's hand.] My people were said to be able to talk to the Planet. I could a little. I could sense where the Lifestream flowed. And... those within it. [She looked at Zack then, a touch more sadness in her gaze.] I felt when you died, for instance.

[Zack listens quietly, his own smile fading to something a little more bittersweet. He's been pretty good at not letting reminders of what happened back home get to him, and a large part of it is he hasn't bothered talking about it much. Because who wants to, when there's happier things to discuss]

That's what you said when I first got here. [a little quieter, and he keeps his eyes down on the flower] That you felt it.

I think it suits you, having that kind of power. I never really thought your flowers were magic, though. [he laughs a little] Just that you were really good at taking care of them.

I did. The closer I am to the person the stronger that sensation. I can... feel the pull of the Lifestream, you see? It's threads as they stretch out across the Planet. That's why the flowers were so easy to grow. I knew where it pooled. What wasn't caught up in the reactors.

[She smiled up at him then, warmer now as she reaches up with her other hand and gently cup's Zack's cheek to have her look at him.]

I was really good at taking care of them. And I kept it up even after you... Even now, you should come and see my gardens one day. I think you'll be surprised! [Especially since she'd been gifted her flowers from home. Now she could grow a patch of them just like back in her church.]

[it's kind of funny in retrospect, all the bits and pieces of information he learned along the way, coming together into some strange understanding now. About the Planet and the Lifestream and the Ancients. Stuff he didn't understand, since it wasn't his job to.

He reaches up to press his hand over hers, smiling]

The reactors are pretty troublesome, huh. I never would have guessed that's why they grew there.

[...]

I remember being pulled into it. Right after that, the door to this place showed up. [he squeezes her hand]

When we get back, I'll come see your gardens. It's a little overdue. [he owes her a visit, and not just a brief stop by to say hi]

Things had a hard time growing anywhere in Midgar, because of those reactors.

[They pulled the literal life from the surrounding area, rendering it near barren. Except for the little spots where Aerith had been able to access the Lifestream and make things grow. No matter what humans did, the Planet wanted to life and would fight with all it had to do so.

Aerith turned her hand within his, taking it and dropping them both so she could hold his hand in both of hers.]

You remember that much...? Did you... [She stopped herself, breath catching as she thought about how she had come to Nippon. Time repeating itself... Had Zack... had he died over and over again before that door opened? Aerith wanted to ask but was afraid of the answer and whether he would actually hear her heart breaking. All she could do was nod. Having Zack visit her would be nice. Though she also knew he had a new life to lead now... Both he and Cloud didn't need her so much, maybe never really had. An occasional visit would be nice though.]

I'm not surprised. Outside of it too - there's nothing for miles.

[it was different the further out you went, which - maybe that's why Zack liked going different places so much. They weren't bare and cold like Midgar could be, as much as he loved the city.

Zack knows what she's asking and - he curls his fingers around what he can of her hands and squeezes again] If I said I didn't, would you believe me?

[it isn't an answer, but he hopes she says she does. Not even for his sake, because he's come to terms with it as much as he possibly can. Aerith has moved on from it and he's happy she has, and that's how it should be.

But while maybe he doesn't need her, he wants her there - and for all that he keeps himself busy, he'll have to remind himself to make time for her like he used to]

I saw. It was so barren.

[And yet she had been overjoyed to actually see beyond the walls of Midgar! There had been a great deal of trepidation as well, but she had been with her friends and she had known that whatever was beyond those walls, so long as they were together, nothing could hurt them.

But she'd never had the chance to get further than that before she'd been pulled away. Not once but twice!

And then he replies. And she can feel her heart sinking.

It was all she could do not to just throw herself at him and hug him till he squeaked! But... she didn't. She just squeezed his hand back and slowly nodded.]

If you say so, I'll believe you...

[Except she didn't. She didn't believe Zack. And if she had known he believed she had 'moved on' from anything, she could have kicked him. His passing was still fresh for her, after all. Those years of being missing she had convinced herself that he had been off living it up being a hero SOLDIER. That theirs had been a summertime romance, puppy love, that it had been silly to fall for someone who couldn't actually stick around for her. And yet... she'd still written to him. Because even without being her boyfriend she'd hoped to have still had a friend.

And then she'd felt it. The day he'd died. Part of her had always been waiting for it, but that didn't mean it had been easy to accept.

To know that, before coming here, he would have gone through that feeling over and over again?

Aerith tilted to the side to lean against Zack's side and heaved a heavy sigh.]

I suddenly have a strange need for a drink and some very unhealthy food.

I hope you get to see somewhere a little nicer than that. The further from Midgar you go, the nicer it is.

[Zack loved Midgar, even as barren as it could be of trees or plants or flowers (excluding the ones Aerith cared for) but even he couldn't deny that places like Gongaga or Banora were much prettier, fuller and green.

But he knows Aerith doesn't believe him, however he's a little relieved that she says she is. It isn't that he wants to lie to her, but Zack doesn't want to put it all into words, either. And it's not like it isn't her business, either; one day he will tell her everything if he has the opportunity, when he finds the right way to do it. There are parts he can talk about now and proudly, like giving his all to protect Cloud. But the rest, the hows and his last words to his friend, the last thing he remembers thinking, and then experiencing it over and over . . . he doesn't know if he can say those things out loud without getting upset. He died without regrets, that he knows for sure.

But the unfortunate thing about second chances are that, for all that he's eternally grateful for the chance to see the people he cares about, it's impossible not to think of what could have been.

A part of him knows she hasn't moved on - it's only been a few months back home, right . . . ? - but the thought she might still be mourning him, in some way or another - it's not something he wants to think too deeply on, lest he end up getting upset himself.

As Aerith leans into him Zack hugs her close, breathing out a quiet, tired laugh]

That is pretty strange. [it isn't] Think there might be somewhere that offers both of those?

[Zacks hugs had always been warm and comforting and they still were now.

Briefly she closed her eyes, just to enjoy the arms about her and soak up that warmth. Just for a moment. But his laugh was what had her pulling away to look up at her friend.]

I think there's probably more than a few. Lets go and find one. My treat.

[He deserved a treat. A little looking after for how much he had been looking after her.]

Your treat?

[Zack hugs her closer, just a little bit tighter for a moment before he relaxes. He'll keep his arm around her until they get going]

Only if you'll let me treat you next time.

End here?

ancientflower - 2023-01-02 20:01 (UTC) - Expand

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Catch-All

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