Helianthus Named after its tendency to turn to face the sun. Helianthus comes from Greek helios, "sun" and anthos, "flower" Adoration, loyalty, and longevity
[we're in the town, but lingering near the woods! and it means aerith is lifting a hand in a wave to get his attention!]
Hey. Wanna come see what's out there? I could use an escort! [she's teasing, of course, because aerith can take care of herself...but there might not even be time for them to leave before rondo sees a time she wasn't always able to. i could not decide where to cut off so you get until 7:20, enjoy. zack's combat translated to a real person's view included in mem.]
[ well, he's smiling the second he sees aerith - an ear to ear beam, because aerith is one of his favorite people in the village, but when the memory hits, it throws him off guard. he realizes, a few moments in -
this must be zack.
rondo can't help it, really - his first impression of zack is that he's impressive - strong. that he's the kind of person that rondo wants to be. a soldier, a fighter, someone able to protect the people he cares for, and he smiles along with aerith as the memory goes, even flinches a little at his initial comment. strong like a monster? no. no way.
though he's never really had a love story in his own life, rondo can recognize one when he sees it. his heart's warm, watching them interact, but it feels a little bittersweet to know what he knows, too.
... ]
... Did he ever? [ he asks, recalling what aerith said before. ] Show you the sky.
[looking at it now, it does feel a little bittersweet. it really wasn't that long ago, but it feels so far away now. she was sixteen, and zack wasn't much older, and she'd never met someone quite like him. even if his initial introduction into her life startled her, she quickly found herself wanting to spend her time with him.
those twenty-three tiny wishes...
...when the memory clears, she doesn't quite answer. she hears him, and she knows what rondo is asking, but she's deciding how to answer. zack had made her that promise years ago, but it's only been recently she's seen the sky for the first time.
and she thinks about the question cloud asked her a while ago.
"so, this zack guy. do you still like him?" "maybe. he's never given me a reason not to."
zack gave her a lot of things. and things have changed since they last saw one another. so in the end, there's a little closed-lip smile as she shakes her head.]
Zack was...pretty busy. He used to get called away on missions a lot. Sometimes I wouldn't even know when I'd see him next. But...one day, I wrote my final letter to him. I'm still not sure if he ever got it. [she's not entirely sure what happened to zack, really, but she can only hope he's okay now.]
...I see. [ he thinks of aerith's first suggestion - that he write letters to his sister - and it all just clicks into place. for a moment, he looks into the darkness, like he could see that sky, too. maybe sometimes it's not about the trip, but having someone present you the opportunity to do so.
it's no longer affection week, but he leans over and nudges his shoulder against hers, anyway, supportive. ]
...He seemed like a pretty amazing person. Especially one to just fall out of the sky! That must've been a stroke of luck.
[she nudges back because at the end of the day she is still a touchy person, so supportive gestures are nice.]
He was. [she'll say that much, with as much sincerity as one can get.] He was a charming kind of guy, and he never liked giving up. There's a lot of times I wish I'd been able to be more like him. [there's a smile.] He built me a wagon when I first started selling flowers around sector five. It helped get me started to keep selling them around other sectors in Midgar.
[it's. not lost on her that because of zack, she met cloud.]
[ selling flowers because of a boy you met who fell into your ceiling. though... ] ... Though, maybe not one with an ending, but.... maybe one that started a new beginning, instead.
[ the smile he has to go with it is gentle. something with a little hope, mixed into that softly bittersweet sense of loss and nostalgia. ]
[she has to smile at that because...yeah, maybe. when she thinks about it, it sounds sweet and even now she'll always think of zack as her first love. he was the first person to really show her that kind of love, back in a life where she'd been fairly isolated and alone. she had never thought of herself as someone who needed a boy to come save her, but...in a sense, meeting zack did help her spread her wings.]
I think it's all a part of the same story, sometimes. Like...a chapter that's ended to start the next, but not the end of the whole book. Things would be very different without him at all.
[ just a part of the same book. for a moment, his thoughts drift to his own situation, to a chapter of his own life, and he nods. ] Like... something you can still thumb through, even if you can't relive it again.
[ well. unless it's memshare week, right. it's around now that it starts to feel hot. sticky, sweltering, oppressively hot, almost like standing in hell.
Yeah, exactly. Just because things have changed doesn't mean all of those good memories are gone. Those things still happened and shaped who we are as people.
[except then there's the memory and oh boy, there is a lot happening here! and she dislikes every single piece of it! for a long moment, there's silence as she registers the range of emotions in all of this. the adoration, the dedication, the bravery, the betrayal, and the ending...]
[ hand still resting on his heart, he nods. it's just - it's cold, now. it's hard to explain. ]
I think... if we can defeat Sir Sazantos, then... it should return. The Accursed Flame should go out. [ he thinks. he hopes. it's hard to tell. ] I'm not sure if I will be able to carry the Flame, or if I will leave hell, but... if it gets free, then hopefully, another Flameguard will be able to someday wield it.
[ because he might be an optimist, but rondo's not entirely sure that he survived this endeavor. ]
...your friends were still with you, weren't they? All of those people who stood behind you. You're not alone in this. You may not know about the Flame, but you'll all get out together. With Sazantos defeated there wouldn't be a way to keep you there for much longer, would there?
They'll be able to defeat him. They likely already have, as I've been here. They are capable and brilliant, all of them. [ rondo loves the other guardians, who are very cool and honestly way more talented than he is at all things. shoutout to richard. anyway. ]
I just... [ ... ] ...well. If I found my way here, hopefully... that means I survived it, somehow. And if I didn't, then... at least Orsterra is safe. That's all I could ask for.
Hey. [just grabbing his hand.] ...we're here now, but we won't stay here. Even if your friends defeated him without you, and Orsterra is safe...it's all the more reason getting back is what matters. This feels like a dead end sometimes, but you're right. Being here means that you survived.
[she thinks back to the first conversation she ever had with rondo where he'd asked if she was alive. she's not sure if having the context now is better or worse.]
And surviving means being able to see tomorrow. A peaceful Orsterra. [...] And if for some reason the fight hasn't happened yet, or things aren't quite finished...it'll be a second chance. Going back stronger than ever.
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w2 monday
Hey. Wanna come see what's out there? I could use an escort! [she's teasing, of course, because aerith can take care of herself...but there might not even be time for them to leave before rondo sees a time she wasn't always able to. i could not decide where to cut off so you get until 7:20, enjoy. zack's combat translated to a real person's view included in mem.]
no subject
this must be zack.
rondo can't help it, really - his first impression of zack is that he's impressive - strong. that he's the kind of person that rondo wants to be. a soldier, a fighter, someone able to protect the people he cares for, and he smiles along with aerith as the memory goes, even flinches a little at his initial comment. strong like a monster? no. no way.
though he's never really had a love story in his own life, rondo can recognize one when he sees it. his heart's warm, watching them interact, but it feels a little bittersweet to know what he knows, too.
... ]
... Did he ever? [ he asks, recalling what aerith said before. ] Show you the sky.
no subject
those twenty-three tiny wishes...
...when the memory clears, she doesn't quite answer. she hears him, and she knows what rondo is asking, but she's deciding how to answer. zack had made her that promise years ago, but it's only been recently she's seen the sky for the first time.
and she thinks about the question cloud asked her a while ago.
"so, this zack guy. do you still like him?"
"maybe. he's never given me a reason not to."
zack gave her a lot of things. and things have changed since they last saw one another. so in the end, there's a little closed-lip smile as she shakes her head.]
Zack was...pretty busy. He used to get called away on missions a lot. Sometimes I wouldn't even know when I'd see him next. But...one day, I wrote my final letter to him. I'm still not sure if he ever got it. [she's not entirely sure what happened to zack, really, but she can only hope he's okay now.]
no subject
...I see. [ he thinks of aerith's first suggestion - that he write letters to his sister - and it all just clicks into place. for a moment, he looks into the darkness, like he could see that sky, too. maybe sometimes it's not about the trip, but having someone present you the opportunity to do so.
it's no longer affection week, but he leans over and nudges his shoulder against hers, anyway, supportive. ]
...He seemed like a pretty amazing person. Especially one to just fall out of the sky! That must've been a stroke of luck.
no subject
He was. [she'll say that much, with as much sincerity as one can get.] He was a charming kind of guy, and he never liked giving up. There's a lot of times I wish I'd been able to be more like him. [there's a smile.] He built me a wagon when I first started selling flowers around sector five. It helped get me started to keep selling them around other sectors in Midgar.
[it's. not lost on her that because of zack, she met cloud.]
no subject
[ selling flowers because of a boy you met who fell into your ceiling. though... ] ... Though, maybe not one with an ending, but.... maybe one that started a new beginning, instead.
[ the smile he has to go with it is gentle. something with a little hope, mixed into that softly bittersweet sense of loss and nostalgia. ]
no subject
I think it's all a part of the same story, sometimes. Like...a chapter that's ended to start the next, but not the end of the whole book. Things would be very different without him at all.
no subject
[ just a part of the same book. for a moment, his thoughts drift to his own situation, to a chapter of his own life, and he nods. ] Like... something you can still thumb through, even if you can't relive it again.
[ well. unless it's memshare week, right. it's around now that it starts to feel hot. sticky, sweltering, oppressively hot, almost like standing in hell.
which, well... funnily enough... ]
no subject
[except then there's the memory and oh boy, there is a lot happening here! and she dislikes every single piece of it! for a long moment, there's silence as she registers the range of emotions in all of this. the adoration, the dedication, the bravery, the betrayal, and the ending...]
...Rondo, how long ago was that?
no subject
ah. well. there's a long pause. ]
...It's the last thing that I remember before I woke up here.
[ so those implications!!! are not great!!! ]
no subject
...it isn't the end. Even if it feels wrong now. There has to be a way to get the flame back.
no subject
I think... if we can defeat Sir Sazantos, then... it should return. The Accursed Flame should go out. [ he thinks. he hopes. it's hard to tell. ] I'm not sure if I will be able to carry the Flame, or if I will leave hell, but... if it gets free, then hopefully, another Flameguard will be able to someday wield it.
[ because he might be an optimist, but rondo's not entirely sure that he survived this endeavor. ]
no subject
...your friends were still with you, weren't they? All of those people who stood behind you. You're not alone in this. You may not know about the Flame, but you'll all get out together. With Sazantos defeated there wouldn't be a way to keep you there for much longer, would there?
no subject
They'll be able to defeat him. They likely already have, as I've been here. They are capable and brilliant, all of them. [ rondo loves the other guardians, who are very cool and honestly way more talented than he is at all things. shoutout to richard. anyway. ]
I just... [ ... ] ...well. If I found my way here, hopefully... that means I survived it, somehow. And if I didn't, then... at least Orsterra is safe. That's all I could ask for.
no subject
[she thinks back to the first conversation she ever had with rondo where he'd asked if she was alive. she's not sure if having the context now is better or worse.]
And surviving means being able to see tomorrow. A peaceful Orsterra. [...] And if for some reason the fight hasn't happened yet, or things aren't quite finished...it'll be a second chance. Going back stronger than ever.