Cloud

[residentflorist]

code

Lilium
Derived from Latin lilia, which may have come from a corrupted
pronunciation of a word from an extinct Eastern Mediterranean language
Humility, devotion, restored innocence after death

"Lovers used to give these when they were reunited."

Comments

[residentmerc]

[ IT SURE WAS ONE AND NOW ]

... If anyone's cute and stubborn, it's you.

[ he is managing so hard to give compliments these days ]

[residentflorist]

[cloud. she's just laughing a little.]

And you knew all of that when you agreed to date me. Wow.

[residentmerc]

Yeah, well. Pretty sure anyone would agree I've got the better end of that deal.

[residentflorist]

I'm not gonna argue with you about that. [because her argument is she lucked out with him.] ...everything's gonna work out.

[residentmerc]

... I should be the one telling you that.

[ a little tired. but mostly wry. ]

It'll work. And we'll go home.

[residentflorist]

[she looks at him for a moment.]

I think you need to hear it just as much as I do, Cloud.

[because she knows he's not nearly as optimistic as she is most days.]

But I believe that. [...] I want to go home.

[residentmerc]

[ the feeling is yeah, maybe, but he still feels guilty not being her... rock, or something. someone she can count on properly. this just goes back to all the other shit so he does not linger on it. ]

You will. I promise.

[residentflorist]

[unfortunately, she keeps talking.]

Specifically, with you. [she maybe does not have to specify, but she will.]

[residentmerc]

... I know. I'll be there.

[ she doesn't, but she did, so. he answers. ]

[residentflorist]

[it is insane to say "i do not want to be without you", except she kind of thinks it enough he can pick up on it while she's holding his hand.]

I know. Just...making sure we're clear.

[residentmerc]

[ he does think it is a little insane, but that is partially because he is not sure how long he has left with the degradation thing. they kind of never fixed that. woopsiiiiiiiiie

he just squeezes her hand ]

We are. But you're the one I'm worried about right now.

[residentflorist]

[can we not have cloud drop dead at 25 actually, she'd be so mad. and she does have her own concerns but...she also knows this isn't an argument she's gonna win right now.]

...in a way, being here was actually sort of good, I think.

[residentmerc]

[ don't worry he won't die he will just become a shell of himself or whatever. yay. ]

... If it wasn't for this place, we wouldn't have been able to fix what happened to you. But...

[ but that is like. one good thing in a sea of very bad things, like AERITH DYING 17 TIMES ]

[residentflorist]

[well. we are already starting to get there, yes.]

You're missing out on some of the other good things, too. [we're ignoring she's died so fucking often.] We got to meet other people. And we got to learn about other things. And...if we weren't here, we wouldn't be together.

[dating, she means. there's no way she would have told him for real that she wanted to be with him when so many things were happening.]

[residentmerc]

... That last one kind of goes hand in hand with what I said.

[ ofc if aerith was dead they wouldn't be together wow ....... only in his head i guess. ]

I'm not regretting those parts. But I don't think I'm ready to be grateful either.

[ is he happy with some potential results. yes. BUT ]

[residentflorist]

[christ. well, yes, okay, this is also true.]

...guess one of us has to hold the line on this and how awful this place was in other ways. [cloud's better at being a pessimist and realist than she is.]

[residentmerc]

I can make a list.

[ deadpan. he doesn't, but he can. ]

[residentflorist]

Use the energy for something else. [she knows......she knows.]

[residentmerc]

I said I could. Not that I will.

[residentflorist]

[she rolls her eyes a little, but it's okay. this at least feels normal.]

You might change your mind the closer we get to getting out of here. You never know.

[residentmerc]

Don't hold your breath.

[ :/ ]

[residentflorist]

[a quick kiss.]

Stubborn.

[residentmerc]

[ kisses... ]

Look who's talking.

[residentflorist]

Learned it from you. [SHE WAS ALWAYS LIKE THIS.]

[residentmerc]

The hell you did.