Digitalis Old English folklore said that foxes wore the flowers on their paws to silence movement and stealthily stalk prey. Healing, pain, insincerity, insecurity
[can we all just agree leeches are bad? leeches are bad! and because everyone seems to have been dealing with these bloodsuckers just to retrieve their things (okay, everyone except aerith maybe because thank you cloud) it means aerith has decided it's probably a good idea to head off through town again to check in on some of the people she met yesterday. she's changed back into her original outfit, hair tied back into its braid with her pink ribbon, and she's mostly keeping to herself as she observes the area around her.
does this stop her from approaching when she sees someone familiar? no, not really. they still don't know much about their situation, so it can't hurt to regroup.]
[ This header so cute... but also yeah leeches are bad.
Daan has obtained his clothes... which aren't in a much better state honestly. But he did his best to give them a wash and rinse in the tub and he does look a bit better in his nice shirt, silk vest, and his infamous checkered pants everyone likes to point out.
Goodbye flower on a string. Hello, eyepatch. He appears to be carefully deconstructing his robe into strips with a scalpel in hand, though it's more he makes a cut and then starts ripping. He isn't going to dull his blade this early on. ]
[ Post-NPC shenanigans, of course. Guess who's got the damn wine in the refectory. It's him! This is barely doing the job but he'll take it over nothing right now.
He's got the worst thousand yard stare going on. ]
[aerith is being nosy and she's been roaming around checking out the names on all of the mailboxes trying to figure out where everybody is, and this is probably how she runs into daan this time. whether he's leaving or he's returning to the cabin, he will find her staring at the list with her arms folded behind her back. depending on which way he's coming, it may be difficult to see what word plagues her arm now.
[ He can be leaving, a couple of rags in hand. They look like more robe cloth, although it's not the ones Daan and Aerith spent making. The rag... nasty... looks like he's been doing some cleaning. ]
...Good morning.
[ He glances back at the cabin, and then to her. ]
Lots of things to complain about, but this one, probably the least. Needs a good amount of work put into it though.
[she's just beelining around looking for daan because she's probably heard by now about what the body in the church looked like, and yes, it's death, but YOU HAVE TO SEE WITH YOUR OWN EYES. anyway she probably still smells like smoke, and when she catches sight of him she does throw an arm up to get his attention.]
Daan! [her voice sound fucking awful. thank you, smoke inhalation. zoooooooms.] Are you okay? Where were you last night?
[that is perfectly fair. anyway she's here and she looks a little perturbed and lost in thought, but upon being addressed she pushes that aside and looks back at daan with a half-smile.]
I'm okay. This was...a shock, but at the same time it wasn't. [she's not going to have a mental breakdown at least, but she does seem to be caught up in her own thinking.] Some of us had a little bit of a warning of what might happen today, but the chainsaw was a surprise.
[new locations are nice. if anyone thought aerith wouldn't immediately throw herself through the door in the woods idk what to tell them, but she has. and when daan inevitably makes his way through, he'll find her in an open patch of flowers on the island. she's crouched down, hands on her knees and sitting still but she seems to be very much talking to the plants. it's a little hard to hear what she's saying, but it seems to be a positive conversation judging by the tone.
a little breeze blows, turning the flowers in daan's direction and it means aerith's eyes follow until she spots him.]
[ Wow. Not what he expected to see on this island, but it is nice to see. He's observing from a distance, letting Aerith have a moment with her flowers while he debates whether to interrupt her or let her be... but it looks like she's found him first. ]
Are they, now...? I've never been one with a green thumb, so I'll take your word for it.
Yeah. Karma got her face pretty good, but she kept her eyes so that's a win. Cloud took her back to try and calm her down. [sigh. aerith was there for a time, but she did step out again once it seemed like things were okay.] It sounded like this has been going on for a little while. Pretty dangerous power to give somebody.
[ I'm sorry for the turbo boring opener but he's just somewhere after execution, looking at a couple of papers in his hands, folding things and drawing lines here and there. His expression still kind of has an overall dimmed energy -- he can't be described as sad, or mad, or really anything.
He will at least glance up if it's Aerith though. ]
in all seriousness, she's going to come over and just stand at his side. or sit next to him. whatever he's doing, she's joining him and keeping her hands folded behind her, giving the papers a curious look.]
[oh this is actually somehow so much worse but also fits the puzzle pieces of what aerith's deduced. she doesn't get to greet him, and instead she watches in silence. everything happens quickly, and there's a series of emotions she's all too familiar with. wanting to be with someone but separated by military duty. waiting for the day you could be together again. finding that that day will never come. losing someone important, because of things others have done to them and things you couldn't stop. being left alone in a cold, empty world.
they aren't all emotions or experiences she's felt in that order, but it's enough to sort of understand why, exactly, daan reacts and behaves in the way that he does.
when there's nothing left...and even when you try to find answers, you find yourself falling into a trap. she recognizes the name of the city as the one he's told her about, the one he was heading to before he was pulled into a situation not entirely unlike this one.
and when the memory finally fades, she's left looking at him in equal parts sympathy, curiosity, and a little understanding.]
...sometimes when it happens all at once, you can't even really know how to feel. Can you?
[ It's been a while, hasn't it. Daan is standing at the Lakeview Hotel, near the... well, lake, because gods be damned they said I could make my blue James Sunderland joke ICly and so I WILL!!!
But yeah, the nostalgia and melancholy of a loved one lost. He feels it, absently rubbing at the space just under his collarbone where he used to have scars from all the beatings he'd been taking these past few weeks. ]
Too bad you can't see past a few feet or so. It'd be nice to be free of the fog.
[it sure has been a while, and it's why when she comes across daan she stands next to him with her hands folded behind her back to look out to the fog and water. her own feelings are...surprisingly quieter than her usual sunny disposition. it's calm, something soft and little threads of sadness burrowed under flickers of happiness and relief that he's able to stand here next to her.
never mind her own melancholy.]
Yeah. Cloud and I were thinking of having a picnic lakeside, but I missed the sun too much to stay for long. It seems like it'd be nice though. We didn't have a lot of big bodies of water like this in Midgar.
[hewwo doctah daan...cloud definitely baptized her in the springs and at her request brought her home instead of going to the hospital.
so she is at her apartment! cloud is out doing cloud things (probably checking on the baby chocobo or grabbing things for her) but it means that he can knock on the door and find that it's easy to open! welcome. here isthe general view, though the bed is obviously bigger and there are a few more bookshelves filled with crystals and books and plants. there's also what looks like a large cozy sitting chair and a small table.
all of that aside, she's awake! she's curled up on the bed, and her wounds look closed so all of her blood is now inside blood. however she also looks unnaturally pale, and when she looks at him her eyes are glowing a little. she's also keeping her eyes only halfway open. light sensitive...of note, daan might also notice that she's wearing a new cute black choker! little bit of gold on it...circuit-like detailing. there's also a preserved black flower in a small vase on the windowsill by the bed.
her emotions upon seeing him are a little conflicted, like she's not sure what to think, but they're wrestling with worry and fondness and stress as she tries to open her eyes wider.]
That was...extremely not fun. [so the answer is no, everything is bad, but it's fine. we can cope.] Sorry for the extra work from all of us.
[she's at least a little more connected to reality today, and she should go back and rest but she wanted to get out and stretch for a little bit. so today she is out, wandering a little. where are we? she's probably getting a drink at jamba juice, actually. she's still extremely pale and her eyes are glowing, and she's still wearing the choker, but it's fine. she offers him a little smile.]
...the others probably told you this already, but usually we all get together Saturday mornings to watch the trial. [this is kind of like a hello, but you know.]
[let's just stay in the bar, honestly. by now the trial's ended and people have scattered, but at some point aerith's returned. maybe to help clean up the kigu piles. maybe to decompress. eventually, of course, to make a drink because she hadn't in the trial itself and goddamn.
goddamn.
she's no long bloodless in appearance and her eyes aren't glowing, and she's changed out of the kigu into regular clothes. whether daan is already here or he walks in, she does look up at him and hum in thought.]
How did it feel for your first trial on this side?
[ All y'all really decided staying in the bar is best. Yeah Daan is just cleaning up after everyone slowly starts filtering out, after he took Izutsumi to get dindin.
He glances up at her when she enters. ]
Hate to say it, but still would rather be here than in the thick of it.
[today she is hiding out in the jazz bar, but she seems to be studying a book of mixology while seated at a table. the emotional feedback is...anxious, sort of, but mostly calm and a little curious.]
Final week...how're you feeling, Daan? [knowing things are coming to a close, she means.]
[ Hello Aerith... Daan is wearing... a hoodie... the hood is up, and the emotionshare is just. So much hate. Not like, being a hateful person but just a broad sense of hate. There is a bit of lumpiness up top so it's really quite obvious he's hiding something. ]
Daan is just going to sit down after all of that, feeling uh, confused to say the least because who wouldn't be after they just dealt with the strangest horniest new godling in the universe. Also he actually hated his stupid nat20 seduction roll he really didn't want to be weirdly loved on by more gods.
...
He just. Fishes out a cigarette while staring off into the whatever. He needs a thousand year nap. ]
[honestly that is such a good question. she's going to approach him and come to hang out, not bothered by the cigarette and keeping her hands folded behind her back.]
...let's hope we never have to deal with something like that anytime soon, hm?
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weekend zero, saturday
does this stop her from approaching when she sees someone familiar? no, not really. they still don't know much about their situation, so it can't hurt to regroup.]
Hey there. How're you doing?
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Daan has obtained his clothes... which aren't in a much better state honestly. But he did his best to give them a wash and rinse in the tub and he does look a bit better in his nice shirt, silk vest, and his infamous checkered pants everyone likes to point out.
Goodbye flower on a string. Hello, eyepatch. He appears to be carefully deconstructing his robe into strips with a scalpel in hand, though it's more he makes a cut and then starts ripping. He isn't going to dull his blade this early on. ]
Hey.
...
Still not that great, but it's already morning...
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WKND0, sunday
He's got the worst thousand yard stare going on. ]
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About what you were actually expecting?
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w0 monday
but she does smile at him once she sees him.]
Lucky you, getting a bed and all.
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...Good morning.
[ He glances back at the cabin, and then to her. ]
Lots of things to complain about, but this one, probably the least. Needs a good amount of work put into it though.
[ Holding up the rag as if to make a point. ]
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w0 friday
Daan! [her voice sound fucking awful. thank you, smoke inhalation. zoooooooms.] Are you okay? Where were you last night?
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[ It's mild, but it's relieved. ]
Where were you last night? We were in the cabin, and all the windows and doors -- they were magically shut.
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W0, sunday
Ms. Gainsborough, I hope you're doing alright.
[ The bar for 'alright' being understandably low, like not having a mental breakdown right now. ]
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I'm okay. This was...a shock, but at the same time it wasn't. [she's not going to have a mental breakdown at least, but she does seem to be caught up in her own thinking.] Some of us had a little bit of a warning of what might happen today, but the chainsaw was a surprise.
How are you holding up?
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w1 monday
a little breeze blows, turning the flowers in daan's direction and it means aerith's eyes follow until she spots him.]
They're saying hello.
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Are they, now...? I've never been one with a green thumb, so I'll take your word for it.
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W1, tuesday
Is Yuffie alright? What a mess...
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Yeah. Karma got her face pretty good, but she kept her eyes so that's a win. Cloud took her back to try and calm her down. [sigh. aerith was there for a time, but she did step out again once it seemed like things were okay.] It sounded like this has been going on for a little while. Pretty dangerous power to give somebody.
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W1, sunday
He will at least glance up if it's Aerith though. ]
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in all seriousness, she's going to come over and just stand at his side. or sit next to him. whatever he's doing, she's joining him and keeping her hands folded behind her, giving the papers a curious look.]
Keeping busy?
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W2, monday
Anyway, hi Aerith. He would have given her a decent greeting, but the shadows can get their asses and show her a pretty long-winded memory. ]
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they aren't all emotions or experiences she's felt in that order, but it's enough to sort of understand why, exactly, daan reacts and behaves in the way that he does.
when there's nothing left...and even when you try to find answers, you find yourself falling into a trap. she recognizes the name of the city as the one he's told her about, the one he was heading to before he was pulled into a situation not entirely unlike this one.
and when the memory finally fades, she's left looking at him in equal parts sympathy, curiosity, and a little understanding.]
...sometimes when it happens all at once, you can't even really know how to feel. Can you?
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W5, monday
But yeah, the nostalgia and melancholy of a loved one lost. He feels it, absently rubbing at the space just under his collarbone where he used to have scars from all the beatings he'd been taking these past few weeks. ]
Too bad you can't see past a few feet or so. It'd be nice to be free of the fog.
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never mind her own melancholy.]
Yeah. Cloud and I were thinking of having a picnic lakeside, but I missed the sun too much to stay for long. It seems like it'd be nice though. We didn't have a lot of big bodies of water like this in Midgar.
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W5, thursday
No really, he's coming by. Did she go to the springs or? Either way he's here. ]
Aerith? Are you doing alright...?
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so she is at her apartment! cloud is out doing cloud things (probably checking on the baby chocobo or grabbing things for her) but it means that he can knock on the door and find that it's easy to open! welcome. here is the general view, though the bed is obviously bigger and there are a few more bookshelves filled with crystals and books and plants. there's also what looks like a large cozy sitting chair and a small table.
all of that aside, she's awake! she's curled up on the bed, and her wounds look closed so all of her blood is now inside blood. however she also looks unnaturally pale, and when she looks at him her eyes are glowing a little. she's also keeping her eyes only halfway open. light sensitive...of note, daan might also notice that she's wearing a new cute black choker! little bit of gold on it...circuit-like detailing. there's also a preserved black flower in a small vase on the windowsill by the bed.
her emotions upon seeing him are a little conflicted, like she's not sure what to think, but they're wrestling with worry and fondness and stress as she tries to open her eyes wider.]
That was...extremely not fun. [so the answer is no, everything is bad, but it's fine. we can cope.] Sorry for the extra work from all of us.
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w5 friday
...the others probably told you this already, but usually we all get together Saturday mornings to watch the trial. [this is kind of like a hello, but you know.]
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Don't suppose I have anything better to do on a Saturday, do I?
[ He got so used to it being... trials... even though I, Lowe, will be asleep. ]
Doing better?
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w5 saturday
goddamn.
she's no long bloodless in appearance and her eyes aren't glowing, and she's changed out of the kigu into regular clothes. whether daan is already here or he walks in, she does look up at him and hum in thought.]
How did it feel for your first trial on this side?
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He glances up at her when she enters. ]
Hate to say it, but still would rather be here than in the thick of it.
I'm no good for detective work...
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w7 monday
Final week...how're you feeling, Daan? [knowing things are coming to a close, she means.]
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It was fine. Now it's bad.
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W7, saturday
Daan is just going to sit down after all of that, feeling uh, confused to say the least because who wouldn't be after they just dealt with the strangest horniest new godling in the universe. Also he actually hated his stupid nat20 seduction roll he really didn't want to be weirdly loved on by more gods.
...
He just. Fishes out a cigarette while staring off into the whatever. He needs a thousand year nap. ]
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...let's hope we never have to deal with something like that anytime soon, hm?
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