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]

[ don't tempt him to break the box it's built in his genes ]

Don't think checking for it is worth tempting the leeches. [ :T ] It's weird that no one's shown up yet.

[ to like, brag about their evil plan or whatever ]

[residentflorist]

[we gotta break the box for the mako shards cloud.]

You really didn't have to go in for both boxes, you know. [THE LEECHES.] But it is weird. We've been here a whole day now. Think they're waiting for something else to happen first?

[like maybe they're supposed to go somewhere or do some pre-determined action to move things along.]

[residentmerc]

[ the things one does to find moogle medals. but he is not trying to find them now, like a fool. he is also looking :T at the call out ]

It made sense. I've got a lot less skin showing. [ he means he wears pants but said it in the worst way possible. moving on. ] You think forty people missed walking on the pre-recorded message trigger?

[ that seems impressive... ]

[residentflorist]

[he is not allowed to look :T at the call out when it's 100% true, fool. also he says that and she's just pointedly looking at his arms. is that less somehow? whatever, anyway, moving on.]

Hard to say. Could be that the trigger is beyond where we can reach. How many times did you try walking out into the fog?

[she just decides that he tried at least once or twice and found out it would reroute you to town.]

[residentmerc]

Once was enough. You don't even get turned around, just... wind up right back where you started after taking two steps.

[ he hates the fog, actually. also he can't see her look at his arms whatever!!! ]

You must've done it too. [ IF SHE KNOWS. ]

[residentflorist]

I heard about it from enough people yesterday. [like that does not discount the entirely distinct (and correct) accusation, but just saying! wow! maybe she didn't walk off this time and just talked to people!]

[residentmerc]

And you didn't check it out for yourself?

[ DOUBT ]

[residentflorist]

[she just absently pats his arm.]

There's that cabin not far from here. Why don't we go get cleaned up and change? [she's already wandering, come on cloud.]

[residentmerc]

[ AERITH. AERITH GET BACK HERE ]

Hey...! [ FOLLOWS >:( he wants to get cleaned up but DON'T DODGE THE SUBJECT ] I'll... stand watch while you change.

[residentflorist]

[at least this feels normal doesn't it cloud. but she is at least walking at a decent enough pace that he can catch up easily, keeping her clothes and her staff close.]

Thanks. That'd be pretty embarrassing if someone came in and didn't know. [it's also easier to joke about this.] This place doesn't have much in the way of running water either. But there is that stream behind the cabin...

[are they going to have to bathe in that for however long. real questions for the ages.]

[residentmerc]

Pretty sure I saw some fish in there. [ not that this is necessarily a point against washing off in it, but it might also be worth not poisoning the local wildlife and tempting fate with the running water. ] At least it's got some running water. Better than I expected from an abandoned looking place like this.

[residentflorist]

Most of the local fauna appears to be small. Fish and rats, but no birds or anything. [which like. also weird for the record.] Guess there isn't really an easy way to improve it either. Only a few of the buildings have any sort of plumbing at all. Pretty hard to expand what isn't available.

[residentmerc]

Water must come from some kind of well, since it doesn't seem to be from the stream, but...

[ well. he's not a plumber he doesn't know how to fix that anyway??? ]

It's not like this is the slums. Things not working right could be by design, considering everything.

[residentflorist]

[it's not like the slums. at least there they could get an idea of what was and wasn't possible. so. here we are.]

It'd fit what we were talking about yesterday, too. Something meant to scare people a little more.

[residentmerc]

Yeah. Whatever the purpose of scaring people even is. [ mysterious... ] The entire scenario would freak most people out already.

[residentflorist]

People are freaking out. Even if they aren't showing it all the same way. [...] There's a lot of kids here, too.

[and that definitely makes her unhappy, actually. they already have their own teenager to take care of, but there are so many of them.]

[residentmerc]

You know what I mean. [ they aren't freaking out... as much as they could be if they were normal. but yeah, kids. he looks away ] At least none of them are that young.

[ if you can join the army at thirteen it means it's fine they are sooo old ]

[residentflorist]

[she looks at him because right, yeah, maybe she shouldn't be using him as a gauge for what's normal.]

There's also Pickles. [WHY IS THE DOG HERE.]

[residentmerc]

... Yeah. I thought maybe he was like Red, but...

[ but pickles didn't speak??? (he might now. he wouldn't know.) ]

[residentflorist]

Just a normal dog from what I can tell. But he arrived alone. [did. she ask? it's more likely than you think.

they are at the cabin though and she's stepping inside.]

...this place doesn't seem so bad. Maybe we should think about staying here tonight?

[residentmerc]

[ he actually can't judge because. he asked the dog if he had an owner so he just nods. ]

... Yeah. Probably better than staying in the church again.

[ which was perhaps a mistake but boy are we going to keep making it ]

[residentflorist]

[cloud and aerith get to pay the price for our mistakes yeah.]

Could get a little crowded if other people have the same idea...but guess that just means we'll have to share, won't we? [hehe. but she approaches one of the bedrooms, knocking softly just to make sure nobody's in there before opening the door.] I'll be right back.

[residentmerc]

I guess.

[ oh. he looks a little ! like he FORGOT before he turns around so his back is facing the door, arms crossed ]

... I'll be here... [ he feels stupid saying it. good job. ]

[residentflorist]

[he is stupid for saying it but also. maybe it helps because sometimes cloud does sort of start doing things on his own that he should not be. aerith does not get to complain because she consciously wanders off without warning. but she shuts the door with a soft click and she's taking a few moments to get redressed and re-organized. it's the rustling of cloth and kicking off the flats, and she's fixing her dress and lacing up her boots before picking up the robe, shoes, and flower crown.

she opens the door again not long after, hair still down and flower crown looped over her arm. yes she's keeping it, thank you. she does not know yet that it's a gift from the cult.]

Much better.

[residentmerc]

[ he's 5 so knowing aerith is changing is a little embarrassing, but he waits patiently until she's done. and then he stares, because the last time he saw her with her hair down, she was...

fine. she was fine, and it's fine, and everything is fine. :) ]

You're not braiding it?