residentflorist

[ putting her down in the water had felt wrong. it was the best solution, but it had felt--

he's glad aerith is unconscious and everyone else was too busy to feel the same vertigo and flash of pain he did as he put her in, visions flashing. it's not the first time he's had them, far from it, but it's... not about that right now. he just needs her to be okay now. anything else is--is-- later.

he stays in the springs with her even once she's in to hold her up so she doesn't sink, anxiously waiting to see if it works. it did for him, so... it should be fine. should be, but when the water turns red with more than just her blood (which is bad enough), it's hard to pretend there's not a flash of fear there. ]

... Aerith?

[ he's not sure why he calls when she's unconscious!! ]

[it takes time. it takes a little bit of time for everything to heal, bones mending, bruises faded, fatal wounds closing, and it means cloud is left holding her in the water as her head lists to the side in her unconscious state. she's still wearing the outfit from earlier and it billows out around her, something flowy and hiding even more damage.

but after some time...even when the water's turned red...she kind of sinks. it's water filling her nose, into her lungs, and it's stitching everything closed under a dark, murky abyss.

and suddenly there's a glow under the water when cloud calls her name, and she's sitting up with a gasp, immediately scrabbling to grab his shoulders and sit up in the water. the immediate emotion is fear, maybe. or panic. one of the two and her skin is unnaturally pale and her eyes are the same eerie glow as cloud's the week before and they're wide, rapidly filling with tears because what the hell just happened.]

[ oh thank fuck. he's quick to lift her up further out of the water, helped by how she grabs her shoulder, and he holds her as tightly as he thinks she can handle ]

It's okay. You're okay. [ he's got both arms busy so he can't touch her more than he is currently, but he's looking down at her with a mix relief and worry. ] I've got you. It's over. You guys are back.

[she's going to be useless for a few tags honestly because she's in his arms and he says "you're okay" and she's hit full force with something like grief and terror and confusion and guilt and betrayal so. having something familiar to hold onto, and being back at all, means she's kind of immediately folding like a house of cards and clinging to him with a few uneven sobs.

which is to say she's just gripping on as much as she can (not too powerful, she's still fairly weak) and crying into his shoulder and neck almost immediately.]

[ noooooooo don't cry he's useless about her tears??? he keeps trying to just repeat reassurances, dragging them both out of the springs now that she's better. it's easier to kind of hold her up with one arm to stroke her hair when she's clinging and crying into his neck, at least? this is not a good at least ]

You're okay. All of you. It's--it wasn't real. I'm here.

[ he knows that's not useful! he is aware! but he is not sure what he can say except clap your hands if you can never protect your gf worth shit AND you're not even good at comfort!!!!! FUCK. ]

[out of the springs is good. their clothes aren't wet thanks to the magic of the springs, except cloud's shirt might be now because she's busy getting tears all over it but it's fine. what's not fine is the way she's kind of, uh, hyperventilating a little, an almost overwhelming cacophony of emotions that're deeply tangled together, but just as quickly as they came everything stops. it's quiet and it's empty and she's no longer falling to pieces but she's still holding onto him like she would love to not let go.

it's a few long, painful moments before she actually says anything.]

I wanna go home.

[ he actually misses the crying, because the nothing is a little worse. a lot worse. but it's better if she's not hyperventilating, so. he'll take it. ]

... Okay. Let's go home. [ they still have bandages from cloud's own stay and the fire and a million other things, so it's fine, he'll carry her all the way back to the apartment? he's not letting her go any time soon, especially since she obviously doesn't want him to. ] ... Everyone's alright.

[ well. alright is a big word, but they were alive when they showed up, which is... what matters, maybe? he knows aerith's the kind to worry about it. ]

[it will fluctuate back to overabundance of emotions later, but right now it's just...exhaustion and dizziness and desperately wanting to not be alone. she's staying here, letting cloud pick her up to carry her back to the apartment.

she is in fact worried about the other deadzos, despairingly so, but more importantly: ]

...what about Yuffie?

... She got back to her side alright. [ alright enough, he doesn't say, but it doesn't matter right now. all he feels is concern thank you. ] She was well enough to talk. They took her to get healed. She'll be fine.

[ well enough to talk to ask for help, but whatever! she was conscious! CLOSE ENOUGH ]

Oh...good. [she sort of stops talking then and it almost looks like she's going to be sick again. she isn't, but she's quiet as she waits for the moment to pass and trying to get the sinking guilt under control.]

Anisphia too, I take it. I lost track of her during the last night, I don't know what happened to her.

[ a little worried about how sick she's looking, but he's doing his best not to jostle her while he gets to the apartment as fast as he can while. well. not jostling her. ]

Yeah. They came out together. She was fine. [ injured is still fine. ] So don't worry.

[she's just clinging, it's fine.]

Good. [still worried, but mildly less.] I lost track of Tomizawa and Izutsumi, too. But...everyone's back. So they're fine, right?

Yeah. Ichiban and Aventurine got 'em both. [ she doesn't ask about karlach so he doesn't mention her, despite a blip of curiosity, but it's fine. this is not about other people. they're at the apartment by now because he walks fast or whatever, but he pauses ] Got your key?

[she doesn't ask about karlach because she needs time to, like, process that. so she's quiet the rest of the way home until she has to think about her key.]

...um...[debatable, given how cyoas work, but given the shift and the slight jingle from her pocket it has probably manifested back there.] I think?

[digging..and key! she's trying to unlock the door, but she does in fact miss the keyhole the first time.]

I've got it.

[ he's very gentle when he moves his hand from his hold on her to cover hers and grab the key delicately so he can open the door himself. it's fine. she is allowed to struggle. but maybe she can struggle in like. a bad. where it is less terrible to be in. ]

[please let her change clothes first she doesn't want to be in fantasy france fit anymore. she may be healed but she's still in bloody clothes and they're both wet still. but cloud helps her unlock the door and that's probably for the best because her hand immediately loses its function to work and she drops the key. it's probably easy enough for him to catch it, but into the apartment.]

...can we close some of the curtains? [even the foggy light is a little much right now.]

[ he will let her change clothes first but he's letting her down gently on--a chair, when he realizes her clothes are bloody enough they might ruin the bed. ]

I've got it. Just-- wait here.

[ where would she go. he's closed the door behind them and he's quick to close the curtains at her request, too, not moving too far. he picks up the key to let it rest on a shelf somewhere, moving to the dresser to find her something comfortable to change into. ]

[where would she go.

but cloud does that, and she's sort of leaning sideways in the chair because she's bloodless and tired and upset and just wants to lay down frankly but she's aware she cannot lay in their bed covered in blood. instead, eventually her gaze drifts to a corner of the room and it stares there, eyes narrowed softly.]

[ stop hallucinating. that's his job. he's quick to gather something for her to change into. maybe she should shower too, but he's not sure she could hold herself up? he will ask at least. though he catches her stare as he comes back with them and frowns in concern. ]

... Aerith?

[nope, she's just full-on staring with her glowing eyes. the emotion vibes are...confused, and a little hopeful. and a little spooked.]

...Cloud. [she says this more like she's affirming something, and it seems like it's difficult for her to peel her eyes away to face him again. but the emotions shift to something more comforted at least.] It's just us.

[ is this what he looks like. haha. horrid. he hesitantly reaches for her hand and squeezes it lightly. ]

Yeah. It's just us. [ he glances into the corner for himself before looking back at her ] Just us.

[the way she's holding his hand suggests it'd be a vice grip if she had any of her strength, but right now it's just a sad handhold. she seems to be hearing something given the way she doesn't speak yet, but eventually she nods.]

Okay. That's good. I like us. [just...confirming.] I missed you.

... Missed you too. [ she wasn't gone that long from his pov, but he was worried, and it counts. he strokes her hand gently, wondering what it is she's hearing. ] Wanna try to shower?

[the touch is nice. kind of reaffirming that she's real and she's there and she's with him. but there's a little smile, tired and unsure.]

I should, huh? This is a mess.

... Yeah. But it can wait if you're not up for it.

[ just changing is also an option? it's not like washing bedsheets is hard. "do we have laundry" im not thinking about it

cloud is still looking at her worriedly as he continues to hold hand ]

week 5, thursday

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