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

[residentflorist]

Mmhm. [which is one less thing to worry about, at least.] Nothing seems too dangerous so far, but it's only been a day. It's...better that we found everything now before something changes.

[she's optimistic but she's not stupid, something about this town truly feels very wrong here.]

[residentmerc]

Mm. Seems more like we were given them back than we found them.

[ because the boxes just... suddenly appeared. ]

There wasn't anything else in your box, right?

[ did they miss some obnoxious message or something. ]

[residentflorist]

[she just smacks her box with her staff. not enough to break it but enough to jar anything loose.]

Looks that way. So unless there's another box in the bottom of the swamp we're missing...this might be all we're getting for now.

[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.