Iwatooshi

[residentflorist]

code

Gladiolus
From Latin gladius, "sword", due to its sword-shaped leaves
Strength, integrity, infatuation

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weekend zero, sunday

[residentflorist]

[it's a nice day today back by the fire and thinking about how they might all be incredibly doomed. but she's here and she's reading over the posters for their four new acquaintances when she speaks up.]

So. How much do you think we can learn from them now that they've arrived?

[naginota]

[ he'd decided to come for the peaceful vibes that the fire offers, so he's not really expecting someone to talk to him here. he looks startled for just a second before glancing back into the flames, thoughtful. ]

They say they don't want us to become the sacrifices we were brought here to be. So they have no reason to hold back if we have questions, do they?

[ a bit simplistic but he's not much for nuance. ]

w0 friday

[residentflorist]

[things are bad! she's on her way back to the church, smoky and trying to clear her throat as she walks. she has people to find and things to do, and so when she sees iwatooshi she pivots and immediately darts up to him.]

Iwatooshi. [hello.] Have you heard?

[naginota]

About Aventurine-dono and Death-dono? [ a solemn nod. ] When I saw the pyre like that, I went back to look, and saw those posters.

...Are you alright, Aerith-dono?

[ your throat... ]

w1 monday

[residentflorist]

[easily glides up to wherever iwatooshi is, but i am assigning them as on the island already.]

Morning! [things have been bad, but the best they can do is try to be a little positive still.] I was thinking about checking the vegetable patches for anything edible that might be good to bring back. Wanna come?

[naginota]

Good morning, Aerith-dono!

[ it's the same for iwa, trying to maintain his usual, boisterous cheer. they can only focus on what's ahead of them. ]

Of course, of course! I've missed working in the fields!

w1 saturday

[residentflorist]

[they're both likely in the midst of wandering, because...this was a lot. they solved a lot of things, but not a lot of others. and it's for that reason she doesn't say anything immediately as they walk along side by side.

eventually though...]

Do you think we did better or worse than we could have? [this sucks, but...it had to be done, right?]

[naginota]

[ he's quite for a moment longer as he considers how to answer, face impassive. ]

I think we did better than we could have expected. There was so much overlap that I almost didn't expect to find even one of them, let alone three. And if the overseers are to believed, then granting Nona death is the best thing we can do for her right now.

We could have done better, maybe, in finding the third. But I don't want to say we did worse because we only found the two.

w2 monday

[residentflorist]

[perhaps we are at the gas station looking through a tasty (???) collection of snacks. aerith seems to be weighing her options between a bag of salty chips and a bag of sweet gummies when she holds both up to iwatooshi.]

If you had to choose, would you like salty or sweet?

[if only all choices were this easy, and yet soon iwa gets to see a different choice until 3:28:28, ray sorry it's like 8 minutes and ignore whatever's going on with zack that's not relevant.]

[naginota]

Hmmm. If I had to choose... something sweet, for Imanotsurugi.

[ not what she asked. but also, you can't just tell me to ignore zack fair, my favorite man in the whole world?

but oooughgh. this is... a lot, considering his stance on history and the talk they had not too long ago. ]

Changing fate, hm...?

[ his voice is uncharacteristically quiet, contemplative. this would be a nightmare, were it to happen in his world. there's no doubt that it would involve far more than just iwatooshi and his comrades. ]

w3 saturday

[residentflorist]

[my god. what a day. it's entirely possible she never left the cat store or she came back after everyone dispersed from the trial, but she's laying on the floor and dangling a little feather toy in front of a few kitties to engage them. but she feels the presence of someone else not long after, so she turns her head to look up at him.]

...another long, eventful day, it seems. [hello friend.]

[naginota]

[ he'd honestly left to go get his nagi because that's his security blanket and the comfort was much needed after All That, but once he sees aerith still inside the cat store, he'll carefully set the weapon down outside before entering. ]

So it was. And so tomorrow will be, as well.

[ he'll just settle down, too, but with enough distance that the kitties can play with aerith while keeping their distance from him, if they want. just in case he's too scary for them. ]

And they missed someone again.

week 4, monday

[naginota]

[ he's back in his battle gear after gacha fun times to properly explore the new areas! currently he's staring up at the canopy of roth, impassive but curious. ]

Aerith-dono. Do you recognize any of these stars?

[ they look like it, at least. ]

[residentflorist]

[hewwo, we are here, and she's staring up and up (and up) at the high sky.]

Hm...nope. But I might not be the best person to ask either. I'm still getting used to seeing stars at all. [but the light from the canopy is gorgeous, and there are starry-like sparkles in her own eyes as she looks.]

w4 saturday

[residentflorist]

[we're probably still at jamba juice cleaning up the leftovers from trial, and aerith's mostly radiating calm if not a little shellshocked while throwing out some trash.]

It's hard to say if this was a better or worse outcome. [and they weren't even close to catching kate again...]

[naginota]

[ he'll gladly help. a distraction is good, though there's still a heavy haze of emotion around him. ]

The practical one, I think. With no leads on Kate-dono, and Karlach-dono having a partner, they didn't have much choice unless they wanted to risk losing more of their number.

[ but i'm worried about her suffering like this. ]

w5 monday

[residentflorist]

[casually strolls up to iwatooshi and just takes his arm, vibes very pleasant and calm.]

Wanna see something cool? We have to go through the door to the boardwalk though!

[naginota]

[ oh! there's a blip of surprise, but it settles easily into a pleasant sense of intrigue. ]

With you, Aerith-dono? Always.

w5 thursday

[naginota]

[ shakes you he's coming to check on her at some point after healing aaaa where is she!! our girl!! ]

I heard that you were taken on one of those excursions through the fog. Are you alright?

[residentflorist]

[hi iwa!! 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, iwatooshi might also notice that she's wearing a new cute black choker! little bit of gold on it...circuit-like detailing. maybe it's like one he's seen before, actually...? there's also a preserved black flower in a small vase on the windowsill by the bed.

anyway it takes her a moment to, like, fully process that he's there so the emotional feedback is a little detached, but when she focuses it's just...full-force grief and a little bit of rage and she just outright starts crying.]

You're okay! [never mind her, she has had an experience and she's extremely glad to see him in one piece actually.]

w6 thursday

[residentflorist]

[she'd likely heard from someone else about what had happened, how iwatooshi came back with nina, and it's for that reason she darts off to seek him out as soon as she realizes. she checks the spring first to see if he's still there, and then the hospital, and finally if all else fails, she looks for his apartment.

iwa..doko....]

[naginota]

[ he'll be at his apartment! here's the quick description i threw together while lucas happens jesus fucking christ. it has a cozy, traditional japanese style to it: tatami flooring, what looks to be shoji screens for walls with intricate paintings, a shelf of books and scrolls, a folded futon in one corner, even a bonsai plants on a small table. in the center of the space is the kotatsu, with cushions to sit around. a teapot and a few cups sit unused on the tabletop next to a small, broken blade. there's a stand for his naginata, where it currently rests, unbroken, like it wasn't supposedly just with him for half the day. the only things that don't fit the aesthetic is a pin board on on the wall, displaying a variety of keychains, specifically the cabin family, minus iwatooshi himself, and the cait keychain on the kotatsu's tabletop.

anyway he'll gladly let her in! he's just vibing here in a loose yukata that, naturally, lets the titties be as free as ever so aerith can see some fresh, newly healed wounds there. his eyes are also green? and his hands are covered in something dark that kind of speckles its way up his forearms. ]

Hello, Aerith-dono! Come in, come in.

[ well. he seems fine? he's just moving a little less gracefully than usual as she comes in, keeping a close eye on whatever he's doing. he maybe shuts the door a little too hard... it slams and he looks surprised but it's fine it's just a door it isn't broken. ]

w6 saturday

[residentflorist]

[my god. what a trial. at some point later in the evening, aerith is out and sitting alone at the fountain. likely giving cloud and yuffie a moment alone, actually, but when she sees iwatooshi she does lift a hand in a little wave.]

...wanna join me for a little while?

[naginota]

[ waves back. ]

Sure. I find it's more difficult to be alone after days like today. [ sits next to her with a sigh. ] I worry how they'll be doing on the other side, though.

w7 monday

[residentflorist]

[good morning!! today, aerith is at barks & waffles and seems to be looking through a few books, but she perks up upon seeing iwatooshi.]

Looks like we're entering the final phases. How're you going, Iwatooshi?

[naginota]

It's about time we did, too. We've been waiting for long enough.

[ there's something tense in his posture because of that, probably, but he still smiles! ]

I'm trying to be ready for whatever will come now, but it's difficult to know what to expect. I still wonder if the living will tell us what they have planned. [ leans over to peer at her book... ] Did something catch your eye?

w7 friday

[residentflorist]

[at some point after anis's arrival, perhaps you are passing by the cemetery again on your way from the fountain visiting the overseers, or maybe on your way somewhere else. either way, you will find aerith here, and she appears to be...kneeling in the dirt with her eyes closed. hm.

continue?]

[naginota]

[ ↳continue

he will come to kneel in the dirt beside her, setting his naginata on the ground, silent but curious. ]

w7 saturday

[naginota]

Aerith-dono.

[ hello, he gives her a little bow as usual! he's been healed, he's cleaned up, changed clothes... it's almost like a perfectly normal, post-trial day. ]

I hope you didn't overwork yourself today.

[residentflorist]

[funny how fine everything turned out in the end, isn't it? it's almost like a normal meeting if you ignore the god's issues.

but because it's their last day...she bows back.]

I use my magic more than anybody else in our team, usually. So it's had a while to build up. [sometimes you simply have the highest mp.] I should be saying that to you though. Are you okay? It was a long day.