Intro Log: November & Event: Nothing to Be Drone About It

[faileas]

Intro Log: November & Event: Nothing to Be Drone About It

I. ARRIVAL Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. A moment later, you feel a tug, and you find yourself stumbling into a dark, musty room. Behind you, a mirror stands ornately decorated with reminders of home wrought in brass and wood: the faces of people you know, and symbols important to you; all things that send a pang through your chest with the desire to return to them. Touching the mirror's surface does nothing but leave the stain of your fingerprints. When you turn to survey the room, you find there are hundreds of other mirrors. None of them are as decorated as yours - they're plain and dusty, speckled with age. Then you realize a second thing: You're not alone. Distantly, the ringing bell of a clocktower can be heard. But no matter its distance, the time is clear to make out: it chimes three times, stark, resonating like a pulse of something in this mirrored hall that you and others have found yourselves in, along with... several items, perhaps even creatures scattered across the floor around other mirrors? For those familiar with magic, they might feel the power of the witching hour upon them, though it will feel different from what they're used to - in fact, everything does. You're certainly not the only ones here, however. On the first floor, with the doors wide open behind them in the foyer, is a small group headed by two individuals. As people begin to arrive, to come from the higher floor, they're waiting - and they're waiting for you, and your questions. Explore the rest of the mirrored halls you've now found yourselves in, or proceed to the foyer? Leaving the Looking-Glass House makes it obvious that the clock striking three was for 3 AM - the night sky is faintly cloudy, but the stars are dim in the face of two moons. The Looking-Glass House is rather nondescript two-story cottage made of grey brick, sitting at the edge of The Coven's courtyard; stones which glow as you step on them mark the path to and from the two buildings. While fairly small and plain on the outside, the inside has been enchanted to be the size of a large library, with hundreds upon hundreds of mirrors hanging, standing, and resting inside its walls. Some are broken, some are cracked, and some seem completely uninjured - but all of them are just as plain as the cottage itself, showing age in the silver beneath their glass and in the greening of their metals... Well, all except a character's personal mirror; to characters, one mirror - the one they came through - will be decorated lavishly with metal-and-wood-wrought reminders of home, and the surface will be as clear as a brand-new mirror.

II. THE WELCOME PARTY Whether you've decided to find a way out of the building you've arrived in, or decided to explore the rest of the Looking-Glass House - and perhaps finding a few familiar faces among the crowd - you feel a pull towards the foyer of the first floor. It's like a firm suggestion, as if to take you by the hand and draw you to where it begins, and the source of it becomes quite apparent upon finding one's way to the front room: a tall, comfortably-dressed older woman and her even taller wolfish companion, along with those which feel to resemble yourselves in a world-traversing sense: Mirrorbound, they're called. "Just a few of you this month, hm? Don't mind the junk across the floor where you came out, someone is sorting that!" The woman sets her hands on her hips, with her Bonded casting a glance at those looking confused - newly arrived - and those who may have followed them in to talk to the newest addition of their mirrorbound bunch. "About time for introductions though- this here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament and my Bonded, and I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven - but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds, winking. "The lot of you must be as tired and confused as the last batch - hullo to those who've joined us, too! - so just a moment, dearests, I'll set all you right up—" With nothing more than a wave of her hand, rows of seats are summoned; despite their wooden nature, they're all sturdy and comfortable, filling the foyer and spreading out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch. After all, they'll find this just as interesting. The Witches and Monsters that accompanied Nessie and Mhairi move to make room, and some disperse into the building itself to see if there's anyone who needs tending to. Mhairi steps forward as the chairs materialize. "Please, those who are able, join us for a moment. There are many questions that I'm sure you have - we will do our utmost best to answer them, and you may take any that we can't as a promise to find some sort of solution or answer." NOTE: If you wish to interact with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here for a handwaved, summarized answer to your character's burning questions. For those that'd like a more player-based interaction, Aefenglom has its own Welcome Wagon! These are players who've volunteered for the role, and those that didn't sign up may assist as well if they'd feel their character would -- have fun, and make friends. Additionally, those with notable injuries or sickness will be attended to ASAP by Coven-based witches, and should anyone be curious about what they are - if they have magic potential, or if they swing a different way - then this can be done during this and the general hour or so the new arrivals are within the Coven's grounds. There are ongoing classes on magic, monsters, and Bonding as well, though they take place more during the day than at night - feel free to have your characters attend them at any time!

III. THE HAVEN After an hour or two of general chaos, questions that the natives attempt to help with, and injuries tended to for those who arrive in poor condition, it's time to make a trek to where you'll be staying while Nessie and Mhairi continue to search for a solution to the situation. As you're leaving with a few Bonded for guides, peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid to test them out when they can. They can even do it as they make their way out of the Coven's courtyard and to the Haven. Formerly part of the Aristocratic District, The Haven is just as well-kept and brightly-lit as the district it hails from. The houses err on the tall and ornamental-side, large enough to fit several families (or, according to the upper class, their one family, several dozen servants, and guests), especially closest to the Aristocratic District. They become a little more modest and smaller as one gets away from the realm of high society and nearer to the Residential District proper. Newcomers are shuffled here and invited to find somewhere to live - the Coven is currently handling expenses for the houses themselves in a program implemented by the Parliament, though if your character wishes to have anything extra - like maids, chefs, and so on - they'll have to pay for them themselves with their own earned money. Much of the landscape and fixtures are the same as in the Aristocratic Districts, though it lacks formal emergency services due to its roots as part of a district that already did. Much of the housing already has furnishing due to the speed at which homeowners were relocated; they were given enough time to collect their valuables, but standard furniture such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind for those moving in. Other houses appear the same, but the dust on the floors suggest these houses were left before the new arrivals even showed up - a reminder that the Cwyld can strike just about anyone, regardless of standing. Another portion of this district has been opened up to the new arrivals: the barracks, the row of buildings pressed against the very edge of the Bright Wall. As the city's military force no longer has the same presence it previously did, the barracks have gone into disuse, and a cleanup effort has been in place since before the new arrivals came through the Looking-Glass House. For those who desire something a little less opulent, the barracks might just be the answer. The barracks can also be used for business, for a welcome center, a communal space, for anything that the residents of the Haven see fit to use it for - so long as the legality isn't questionable, on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses - and even some of the smaller ones, and the shared rooms in the barracks - the Witches put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven. For those who aren't entirely sure who they want to shack up with, they have a small survey for them to fill out and post on the board they've magicked up in the center of The Haven. The board also very helpfully reads aloud each form for everyone to hear in a cheerful, monotone voice. It isn't able to be shut up, nor is it easy to ignore, being imbued with a kind of amplification magic. It reads simply the information you've offered up yourself, or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

IV. Nothing to Be Drone About It While a handful of mirrors in the Looking Glass House at 3 am on the 15th spat out people - new Mirrorbound or perhaps returned Mirrorbound - many other mirrors poured forth items or small creatures, all on their own. The night cleaner resigns himself to a long night as he has to deal with mess and confused folk, but he isn't terribly surprised. It was around this time last year that something similar happened with the mirrors. They may not understand it, but it looks like it may be a pattern, relics of the Mirrorbound's lives reaching out to them from home as gift or curse. The night cleaner fetches Miss Nessie to handle the arrival of a handful of new Mirrorbound, and then returns to start tidying up everything else. Luckily, she assigns him some help in the form of a young Witch named Emmelie, eager to prove herself. Not wanting to crowd the Looking Glass House, in the ensuing hours, she turns to an invention of hers to sort out the stuff littering the room with the mirrors. The goal, of course, is to get each item back to its rightful owner, and she firmly believes in better living through magic innovation! Unfortunately, it becomes clear fairly soon that Emmelie's brass flying saucers, which she had hoped would effortlessly deliver each item based on magical signature matching, could use a little... fine-tuning. The big saucers complete with six segmented mechanical 'arms' to hold the cargo in place are persistent as they zip around the city, often trying to take the shortest path to their programmed destination - whether it means they bump endlessly into barriers such as walls, get stuck on rooftops or in the River Temese, or knock over people, natives and Mirrorbound alike, who happen to be in their flight path. Some of them end up at the wrong Mirrorbound, and bump incessantly into them until they take the offered item, uncaring if they're who it belongs to or not. Of course, some deliveries go smoothly, exactly as they are intended to, but... they're in the minority. By the early afternoon, Emmelie is sending out a voice message that can be heard by Mirrorbound anywhere in the city, her young voice panicked as she explains what happened with her inventions and your mementos of home, adding at the end: "Ahh, it's such a mess! Look, you've got to help me, and please don't tell Miss Nessie, she'll never trust me with anything important ever again! I'll owe all of you so much if you'll just help find and return everything to where it needs to go!"

Welcome to November's combo Intro Log and event! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs. The network system is free to use once characters have their watches as well; information on that can be found at the bottom of the Setting page, while any extra questions about it can be found in the FAQ index. Quests can be picked up as well right over here at November's Quest Pickup thread. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

IV. i hope this is okay...

[grandspark]

[There was a soft rumbling growl from the dragon after the drone hit him--as if this possibly wasn't the first time one of these annoying things had run into his large frame--but it petered out rather awkwardly once Aerith ran up to him and patted at his arm. Rude recognized that sweet voice. Always so cheerful, always so helpful. His eyes flickered to one of the flowers on the ground. Bright yellow, familiar--they had to be from home. That's what the drones were carrying, wasn't it? Items from other worlds brought here for the Mirrorbound.

Rude took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He figured Aerith hadn't immediately recognized him due to all the strange changes in his appearance. That was why she got so close to apologize. Not that he didn't expect she would--she was nice like that--but that there could have been a lot more distance between them.

The black and purple wings shifted on his back as he readjusted them carefully. An idle movement that he didn't yet realize was a tell--like a fidget of the hands, it meant he was hesitating to respond, thinking before he reacted. Something he would have to learn to control if he wanted to keep his stoic demeanor fully intact. They were still new to him--only a few weeks old.

Finally, after a few silent seconds had passed, the big dragon turned around to face Aerith. It was easier to tell it was Rude from the front angle--his sunglasses were in place over his eyes and his facial hair was still perfectly groomed, though now with a few stray down feathers trying to sneak in around the edges closest to his ears. Which, speaking of which, were covered in purple feathers with black striations to the point of which it looked like the feather pattern was his set of ears instead of having any beneath the dark plumage. He had patches of scales growing at the top of his head and down his neck with pointed spikes lined neatly down his back--under his clothes they folded down neatly but without they normally stood up naturally like the smaller ones on the back of his head. Two horns were beginning to grow out the top of his forehead as well.

The rest of him was still trying to "act normal" by hiding the rest of his changes with an Aefenglom made suit; though beneath the fine clothing he had more draconic scales and scutes that matched his head and hands. He sported fingerless gloves now much like Reno--to allow for the sharp claws that otherwise would tear easily through the leather.

Another moment of silence passed as he let Aerith get a good look at him. Then,]

Aerith. [ ... ] You're back.

totally okay!

[bloomly]

( it's certainly not that she expects to see someone she recognizes--and this city is such a strange place, made up of some strange creatures and those with features from, ah, it must be the monsters they were talking about back at the welcoming, is that it? she's seen all kinds of citizens in her gasping run through the streets, trying to keep her eyes on the drone, that she hardly thinks any of it to be confronted with what would essentially be called a dragon, she figures, though perhaps it might have another name.

normally the sight of such a thing might have her reaching right for her staff: but it seems harmless enough, quiet enough, that she doesn't feel in danger. the wings twitch, a movement that pricks at memories that she isn't sure how to comprehend, but it's only once the large thing turns that she understands her feeling: either it's rude or it's his biggest dragon fan, because those are definitely the same glasses, the same facial hair, the same deep voice.

there's just--all this extra stuff that she's left gaping at him for a moment, taking it in with warm, wide eyes that seem to brighten up at the realization that yes, this is at least someone she actually knows. nevermind that he's a turk: rude's always been one of the better ones, not a bad guy at all. )

I'm back? Oh, I'm back. ( it's almost what zack had said, in that dream--an implication that she'd been to this place before. ) And you're... Well, you're quite pointy now, aren't you?

( she lifts a hand like she might reach to touch the horns, growing out of his forehead, before she realizes it's impolite. )

Does all this stuff hurt?

\o/

[grandspark]

[His head dipped towards her slightly as she began to reach for him, but his expression turned into an admonishing frown. He was probably used to impolite gestures considering who he worked alongside but didn't tolerate them nearly as much from other sources. Still, she was Aerith and if anyone else could get away with it with nothing more than a slight frown or sigh of patience from him then it was her.

Thankfully, she stopped. She was polite. And he didn't have to brush her hand away as if it bothered him. Which, it would have--but that didn't mean he wanted to have to be mean to her in keeping up appearances.

His expression softened minutely as she asked her last question. He shook his head negatively.] No. It doesn't hurt.

[ ... ]

Some changes are more uncomfortable than others. Most of mine just took getting used to once they formed. [His wings shifted a little uncomfortably again.] ...some take longer than others.

[bloomly]

( her fingers curl back into her palm--it's a lot to take in, and she knows that it's impolite to stare, but she still can't help trying to memorize all the details she can about him, as though trying to line up her last memory of seeing rude with the creature in front of her now.

it's probably none of her business to ask so many questions; but he feels like a safe person to talk to, at the very least, and he knows what she is more than many in this strange city do. it's a relief to be able to let her curiosity out, to have it live in the tentatively safe space between them.

after all, it's not like there's a shinra in this city, right? couldn't possibly be. so there's no reason for him to want to do anything but perhaps keep half an eye on her. )

Can you...Do they work?

( her fingers pan out again, a gesture through the air to his wings--and then, suddenly, she snaps to attention like she's only just realized that-- )

Wait a minute, if you can fly, then you can catch that silly robot, can't you?

[grandspark]

[Rude did his best not to look over his shoulder back at his wings, but it was like looking down at one's shirt when it was complimented trying to remember which shirt was put on that day--he really couldn't help the motion. They shifted slightly though at least this time it was on purpose as he considered them.

He nodded at her.] They work.

[He looked up at the pesky flying disc. Could he reach it? He knew his wings worked but he hadn't practiced with them nearly enough to be confident in front of a not-stranger. It was hard to find time when Reno wouldn't turn up and laugh at him for trying to fly. Not that the harpy was faring much better but Reno was used to being flighty.

He returned his gaze to Aerith.] I could get it.

[Said with all the confidence of a consummate professional. She didn't need to know about his thoughts on the matter. He could manage it.]

[bloomly]

Oh, you'd really be my hero, Rude...

( there's a laugh at that, because it's probably a ridiculous thing to say--but it may earn a bit of humor out of him, too, and she knows that he's capable of it, that there's more beneath his stoic exterior than just the same iron quiet that he tries to put up with. so she presses both of her hands together like she's pleading with him, or like she might be able to convince him to do it just by sheer willpower alone.

then again, if that doesn't work, then she'll be forced to try another tactic: twisting her expression into one of resolute sadness, her eyes round and waiting, glancing from the sky back to his wings and then, pointedly, to his face. )

Can you? Please? I don't feel right about it ending up somewhere else, and it has flowers from home...

( can't really say no to this face, can you, rude? come on. )

[grandspark]

[A small snort of wry amusement came out of the Turk for her efforts at humor--he glanced away as if avoiding her gaze but there was something about the edges of his mouth and eyes that betrayed his true feelings. He was no hero. But he knew what she meant by it. No harm, no foul.

She didn't have to change her expression much before the big dragon shifted his stance awkwardly, a sure sign that he was about to give in, and then finally responded. Even he didn't have the stomach to deny Aerith at her most manipulative.]

...All right. I'll get it.

[He looked up again, locating the magitek robot once more, and spread his wings slowly. They were...quite large. Of course, they'd have to be in order to lift such a monstrous amount of body mass, wouldn't they. There was a moment of complete stillness from the dragon as he prepared.

Then sudden movement as he went into action. Most of his initial lift came from his powerful legs in the form of a strong leap straight up. After he was airborne the wings began to flap. It might have looked majestic--for the first three seconds or so as he simply gained altitude. But a keen eye would notice, once he started to steer his flight and try to catch up to the sporadic bot, that he wasn't really all that graceful.

It took him a lot longer than probably anticipated due to the erratic behavior of the disc. It was almost as if it didn't want to be caught. But eventually the large dragon managed to latch onto it with his claws and...chomp down on it??? It wasn't very tasty prey...

Don't look now, but Rude was embarrassed by his actions. As he glided back down to where Aerith stood waiting, he licked his lips awkwardly as if trying to eliminate an unpleasantness from around his mouth and tongued his sharp teeth as if one of them might have been injured in the bite onto hard metal. Once landed, he straighten up and put back on his stoic expression, pretending nothing unusual had happened at all.

The disc was a mangled mess in his hands, though it was still trying to move a little bit--it was mostly dying out. He disentangled the basket from its now defunct grip and held it out to her. Hopefully the basket and flowers had fared better than the poor robot had.]

[bloomly]

( she wants to reach for him, to throw her arms around him in thanks, but--but it's like she keeps having to remind herself that he's not the same person as before, that he's a monster here now, and the way his wings unfold sends a quick shiver through the air, a tremor that only intensifies when he folds them down to lift off. the rush of wind pushes at her hair, tangles her braids away from her face, and with a laugh, she pushes both of her palms in front of her eyes to shield them from the onslaught as he takes off; she wants to watch, takes a moment before she forces her eyes up to the sky to follow his movements.

it's almost amazing at first, because he seems to used to it--like he's had wings all along, like this isn't something new for him, but her keen eye notices how he fumbles a little, and that is enough to make her laugh. )

Be careful, Rude! ( she shouts, trying to be menacing, but really, does he need the warning? his teeth--or--well--yes, it must be his teeth, they close in around the robot and there's the sound of squealing metal and it's not exactly the way she envisioned it happening but, well, she can't tell a turk how to do his job. )

You've got it!

( by the time he's landed again, he's got the mangled robot in his hands--she looks from it to his face, a flush of concern as though to reassure that he hasn't hurt himself; but it's her basket that he holds out, and she reaches to take it with both hands and hug it in against her chest. )

It's not even damaged at all... You did it.

( there's such a relief to her smile that her whole body almost sags with it--and then, immediately, she perks up again, reaches into the basket and pulls out one of the white flowers, neatly cut and only missing one petal, gratefully. )

For you. A prize.

[grandspark]

[Was that flush of red there all along on his cheeks? A thrill of the hunt and exhilaration of flight? Or had her words of encouragement and offer of a prize for his work caused it to appear?

It wasn't really like him to accept silly tokens of appreciation for anything but looking down at Aerith and her flower was like looking at an eager puppy with a toy in its mouth. In other words, extremely hard to say no to.

There was something to be said for the fact that they already knew each other. Even if they were on opposite sides of life, even if they didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things, the fact that they were from the same world meant a lot. It was really good to see her.

Maybe Rude was too sentimental. He put on a good front, kept a straight face at all times, but when it really came down to it he had a soft heart and a love for romantic notions. Nobility, chivalry, honor and loyalty--these things meant something to the big Turk despite the airs he put on. They were his (not-so-)secret guilty pleasures. Ideals he romanticized and sought when he could--but things that rarely played a part in the life of a Turk.

Aerith represented these lost ideals to Rude. Not only was she kind and caring in a world that was largely unkind and unforgiving in nature, she saw the good in everyone around her. Even those that didn't deserve it. And despite her gentle nature somehow she still was no pushover. She always stood up for her beliefs and those around her. She was quite admirable.

Watching over her all these years made her something special, too. It was hard not to grow attached to someone whenever a lot of time was spent around that person. It had never been hard to want to protect her from the dangers of the world. But it wasn't always easy to be the bad guy when that was his job and she was the target.

He reached out and carefully plucked the flower from Aerith's grasp.]

Thanks.

[Rude looked at the flower for a quiet moment as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with it or say to her. There were a lot of things he might have wanted to say--but none that wanted to come out. None that probably needed to. Some things just shouldn't be said. No need to upset the scales.

He tucked the flower in his front pocket and looked back at her. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a dying sputter from the robot he'd forgotten about in his idle grasp. He frowned down at it.]

Any suggestions?

[He said as he held it out almost as if offering it to her. He wasn't, of course, but he was asking if she had any preferences on what he did with the thing. Toss it in the trash, stomp on it for good measure, return it to its owner... it was in her hands.]

[bloomly]

( for a moment, she almost worries that he won't take it--which, of course, simply won't do, but after a bit of hesitation, he reaches to to take the flower from her; and it's a smile that lights up across her face, satisfied, before she glances back down into the basket again as though confirming the rest of the treasures inside. there's nothing else from home, which is a bit of a disappointment, but there are enough flowers that she can take them home to tifa: or perhaps even offer some to cloud later, though he'll likely refuse. her fingers rustle through the cut stems, counting silent, before she looks up again.

there is still the matter of the robot to deal with, and it looks sufficiently mangled, the legs twisted and bits of the metal warped from the way he closed around it before. and though her irritation with it earlier, or at least frustration, had been obvious, she does feel a little bad for it, or for the pathetic little chirping sound it makes, as though trying to reassert itself or find a way back into the sky. )

Maybe I'll take it home. ( with her basket slung onto her arm, hanging in the crook of it, she reaches to take the silver robot with both hands, turning it this way and that as though to see if there's some kind of switch, or plug, or something. is it powered by magic, then? yes, that would make the most sense. ) I don't think it can do what it's supposed to, anymore... So maybe I can train it to help around the house.

( she's somewhat joking--obvious, when her lips curl up into a smile as she glances at rude again. )

You're not going to insist you walk me home like always, are you?

[grandspark]

[Rude watched her silently fiddle with the flowers and he was actually tempted to ask if any of them could be transplanted for future growth--or any seeds fallen to the bottom of the basket that could be planted at the appropriate time. He didn't really understand much about growing things or plants especially but that sounded mostly legit he thought. But he hesitated and lost the moment.

The matter of the robot--he was mildly surprised by Aerith's decision to keep it. Then again, her little joke at the end made it feel natural. His features softened slightly as he nodded at her joke like it was a cute thought.

And went right back to stone lined in the next instant.]

Is there a problem with that?

[If she didn't 'let' him then he would just have to follow her for a day to figure it out. There may not have been a Shinra here to give orders but that didn't mean Rude would just stop watching over Aerith. It was too ingrained. And maybe, just maybe, he wanted to keep an eye on her because he cared enough to do so.

So, yes, he absolutely might as well insist on walking her home like always. Her bringing it up just saved him the trouble of doing it himself.]

[bloomly]

Well, for starters, it would be nice to able to outrun Shinra at least somewhere...

( if there's any irritation in her voice, it's mostly feigned--after all, their involvement, the constant watch that they have over her, has become something more of a constant in her life rather than an intrusion, now, as if it's just another facet to have to deal with and smooth over. she doesn't exactly think she can get away from rude, especially not now that he can fly, and in this place, does it really matter? she doesn't necessarily feel a connection to this planet, the way she had on gaia; and that makes her mostly useless, right?

so she shakes her head a little, wrinkling her nose, but starts forward a few steps, waiting, as though to reassure that he'll follow or perhaps just to give him the option to. )

But I guess that's just a pipe dream. I found a place here. With... Tifa, actually.

( there's a teasing in her gaze, when she turns it on him, as if waiting for the words to strike some kind of emotion in his face as they walk. )

Maybe she'll be home when we get there... Wouldn't that be fun?

[grandspark]

["Useless" wouldn't have been the word Rude thought--but then again, it wasn't entirely wrong. She had no power here any more than anyone else, and less right now even due to being newly arrived and unfamiliar with whatever she had been given.

Speaking of which, should he ask? He probably should. But a part of him was fine with just assuming she'd be a witch. Didn't want to overstep whatever bounds they were already establishing. Wanted to let them both pretend everything was okay. At least for a little longer.

He left it alone. The Shinra problem was already enough as it was.

He followed her. If he was grateful for the lack of objection (or her actually waiting for him to keep in step) he didn't let it show.]

...Shinra isn't going to be a problem here.

[He began to assure her as he fell into step next to her. They'd made the deal with Zack, too. There was no point in harassing people for a company that didn't exist here and couldn't pay them to do their job. They weren't that kind of cruel. They were also fairly practical when it came to such things, he'd like to think. However, if he was going to say more it was lost as her teasing caught up to him.

The blush over his cheeks was much more obvious this time. So was the awkward shifting as he looked away and fiddled idly with bits of his suit as if it needed straightening (it didn't) and fixed his sunglasses' positioning (also not needed at the moment). He swallowed and cleared his throat.]

...Depends on if she's still angry with us or not.

[Just focus on the practicality of the situation. No need to let his fluster show (more than it already did). He had a point anyway. She'd probably want to punch him rather than offer him a drink. Not that he would blame her.]

[bloomly]

( it's obvious, the way he flushes--and she can't say that it isn't a relief to see it, as much of a relief as it is to hear that shinra won't be doing anything to get in her way, or anyone's way, here. still, she allows him a moment of fluster, walking with a petite little small on her lips, her basket hooked on her arm and her hands still clutching the broken robot like it might try to jump out and escape her grasp. )

She's probably... still a bit upset.

( it's maybe an understatement, but she doesn't want to hurt his feelings too deeply; then again, there hasn't really been a chance to talk to tifa about things beyond where are we now and what do we do, and she doesn't want to speak on her friend's behalf. instead, she walks along for another moment, solemn, before she tilts her head at rude again in curiosity. )

Is there anyone else here with you? Reno, maybe?

( she can't imagine them showing up without each other, even to another world--the thought makes her smile wider. )

I hope you haven't been too lonely, in any case...

[grandspark]

[Aerith was probably right and Rude wasn't surprised to hear the confirmation of his own thoughts into the matter. He would be more surprised if Tifa wasn't still upset. They had--

Well. Rather not think about it. It hadn't sat well with him the night it happened, it was still a sore spot.

The change in topic was easier. He hmphed softly at the latter part. She sounded sincere but it seemed silly for someone like him to worry about such matters. He had an image to keep.]

We're not glued at the hip. [ beat ] He's here. We're in an apartment in the Haven. If--

[He stopped short and looked down at her. He let the offer go unspoken. The Turks would be the last people Aerith ever needed in her life.]

[bloomly]

If?

( she repeats it, her tone implying that he should carry on--but she knows where he's going with it, or at least thinks she does anyway, as she offers him a quick smile. there's some measure of amusement to it: the idea of what her mother would think, hearing that she may have considered staying with a turk? absolutely ridiculous. but the offer is sweet, and certainly not easy for him to make: and she has the feeling that in this place, he's not making it out of a necessity to keep watch over her.

then again, maybe she's got it all wrong. she shakes her head, slowly, her bangs loose and almost sloppy around her face given all the running she'd had to do to track the little robot down. )

Tifa and I found an empty cottage. It's got room for a garden and everything, although...

( her gaze goes to the sky as they walk, her smile pinched at the edges, before she quickly looks back down again. )

Well, maybe she'll want to stay with Cloud. I'm not sure. We'll have to see what they decide, won't we?

( the broken robot in her hands makes a strange squeaking sound, which makes her laugh, running her thumbs over the head of it as though it's some sort of pet. )

Anyway, I can find my way back from here. You don't have to walk me all the way to my door, you know.

[grandspark]

[Rude stayed quiet for a moment and listened to her instead. The plus side to being the quiet type: he got to listen to others talk when he kept silent and they felt the need to fill in that silence. There was information there. Well, sometimes.]

...If you ever need anything. [Despite the long pause between his own words, her words filling in the first half of his pause, and an easy out by letting the subject change, Rude finished his train of thought. Since she asked.] Find one of us.

[Or find him specifically if she didn't want to deal with Reno's more eccentric behavior. He wouldn't blame her. Reno was a handful even being on his good side.]

You know I'm going to follow you far enough to see the cottage with my own eyes.

[No reason to beat around the bush. He told her this bluntly to be simply honest. He wanted to know where she was in case--well, in case he ever needed to know. For whatever reason.]