he's great at this sort of thing you guys

[carbungle]

Vianca's gone back to wherever she's from, looks like. Somehow I ended up with the key for P&P...

I'll keep an eye on it when I can, but I'll leave the door open if anyone needs a place to chill, and you can borrow books freely. Use the sign out sheet and bring it back when you're done. If you wreck anything and just leave it that way I'll kick your ass.

Who's good with flowers? I'd like them to still be here for her if she ever comes back. I do okay with my garden but idk, want to be sure.

Comments

[ancientflower]

[She moved and held out her hand, her smile becoming warmer now that she knew who she was talking to.]

Hello, Noctis. I'm Aerith. I'm still kind of new here, but I'm happy to have met you!

[carbungle]

Same to you. Hope you're settling in okay- it's not bad here, mostly.

[He takes her hand and shakes it easily, finally offering a little smile in return.]

[ancientflower]

I'm settling in well, thanks!

[The returned smile was lovely to see and her own brightened in turn.]

It's a strange place, very different from home... and I miss home. But the people here have been so nice.

[carbungle]

Yeah, I've noticed that, for the most part. There's a few to maybe watch your step around, but it's surprisingly rare.

[He's not even sure if the trouble is worth naming names. Even the ones he's wary of are more weird or uncomfortable than dangerous.]

Makes it easier to relax, anyway.

[ancientflower]

Oh? Who should I be avoiding?

[She was honestly curious if she'd met them before, because so far she'd not met a single person she'd not liked.

Those who she might have avoided had seemingly vanished, or returned home, much like Vianca.]

[carbungle]

Oh, uh.

[God he doesn't want to point fingers, he's barely talked to the people who bothered him for a while now.]

Sephiroth kind of stalked me once? So he's on the "weird" list.

[ancientflower]

Sephiroth?

[Aerith looks shocked for a moment before she bursts out laughing. She can't help herself.]

I get it. He can be... strange, I suppose. But he's been surprisingly nice to me.

It was hard to imagine. He scared me when I first came here. Back home, the time I'm from, Sephiroth is a... he's a very bad man. My friends and I fought him. But the man I see here is... [Almost childlike, in a way. Innocent in the way the world worked in so many ways, but hardened in others. Aerith grinned and stepped closer to Noctis, lowering her voice.] ... I shoved snow down the back of his pants!

[carbungle]

[Holy shit Aerith.]

You got away with that?

[Gurl have you seen that sword!? Talk about brave.]

[ancientflower]

[Her cheeks coloured slightly but she tried to hide it with a laugh and a quick turn to face the flowers again.]

I think I won that round!

[Lets just not think of how that round had ended...]

[carbungle]

Yeah, you sure did.

[Holy crap.]

But, uh. If he's so terrible in your world, how do you know it's safe? Like- what if he's faking it?

[ancientflower]

[Aerith thought about that for a moment. How did she know?]

I... I suppose you could say it's a feeling. He doesn't feel the same. It's the same face, almost the same voice. It's the same name. But he isn't the same person. The person I know, his mind was warped. He... wasn't even really a person anymore.

The man I see today is one before all of that. When he was still Sephiroth The Hero. ShinRa's star SOLDIER. [Not that Sephiroth liked either of those things, and she suspected he'd be a little annoyed with her for even giving voice to them. But the fact remained. The man she'd spoken to, the man she'd spent time with, was not the same as the man who had tried to kill herself and her friends back home.]

He'd different. He isn't a monster here.

[carbungle]

[He purses his lips at those words, listening quietly and understanding, more than he cares to admit. It's not all that different from his situation with Ardyn, from the sound of things.]

...Yeah... I get it, I really do. I'm glad he's not, you know. [He makes a vague gesture.] Crazy.

[ancientflower]

You and me both... [Aerith admitted quietly, just about able to hold back the shudder that ran through her. She wrapped an arm about herself though.]

He was terrifying. And dangerous. Lets hope he doesn't become that here.

[She kind of hoped having friends, having calming influences around him would help in that. It was... a strange thing separating the two.]

I've decided he is the Good Twin. The Bad Twin has been left behind.

[carbungle]

[That gets him to smile again.]

I like that idea. Think I'll join you in that hope for things staying as-is.

[For Sephiroth, yes... and Ardyn, too.]

[ancientflower]

[Aerith decided he had a nice smile. He should have more reasons to do that. It was sweet, it had a gentleness to it that was somewhat soothing. She echoed it with a warm one of her own.]

This is a lovely place. I think it will be even lovelier soon enough, once we help it grow.

[carbungle]

Yeah... she really made it her own.

[He gestures towards the room at the back.]

Looks like she lived here, too... I wish I'd known. Like, I figured, but... still wish I'd pushed harder to let her move into my place. For now we'll just have to do her proud instead.

[ancientflower]

[She'd actually meant Havenwell! But the same could also be said for this shop, too. Aerith smiled warmly and took a step to the side, peering around Noctis to see where he pointed.]

As places to live, this isn't too bad. It's cosy!

[carbungle]

[Close enough!]

Yeah... and thanks for offering to help out. I think it'll be okay here, for... if she ever comes back.

[ancientflower]

I think so too.

[She smiled and then held out her hand. Aerith knew when it was time to go.]

It was a pleasure meeting you, Noctis. I hope I'll see you again.

[carbungle]

[He considers her hand for a moment, then taps his against it instead of taking it, a low-five, and he smiles once more.]

Same to you. See you around, Aerith.

[ancientflower]

[Her lips parted in surprise before she laughed. All this time trying to get Cloud to high five her and this guy just does it. Aerith decided she liked him! She was grinning as she waved and backed herself out, grabbing her umbrella on the way.]

You most definitely will! Bye for now, Noctis!

[And then she was off, back out into the chocolate rain with a smile.]