Kayanni System Mingle

[spacebro]

Who: Everyone
Broadcast: It's been known to happen
Action: Kayanni System (or a ship. I'm not the boss of you)
When: July 21 – August 23



(OOC: System Info)

Comments

[asphodels]

[ But, oh... Aerith looks at the kid before she looks over at Cloud and then she's smiling, squeezing his hand before, hey, off she goes. She gets the silly little cube thing and she goes and takes it to the child, but she leans down to whisper into his ear and - the little kid stares at Cloud with big, wide eyes before waving and running off. ]

You're still a hero, hm?

[moseyin]

[Gives the kid a tiny little wave as he runs off, embarrassed that Aerith outed him.] Not there yet. Working on it. [He's got a lot to atone for before he can even be considered in the running for a 'hero' title, honestly.]

[asphodels]

[ And, gosh, all she can do is reach up to brush some hair out of his face, her fingers lingering on his cheekbones. ]

You're closer than you think you are.

[moseyin]

[Can't help but stare down at Aerith, heart up in his throat before gently reaching up to take her hand in his and lower it.] ...maybe we should talk a little bit, now.

[asphodels]

[ Somehow, she feels as though she's done something wrong, and quietly she nods, letting her hand fall away. ]

Should we go somewhere quieter?

[moseyin]

[Seeing the hurt on her face is kind of brutal, but he wouldn't be doing either of them any favors by backing out. No matter how much he'd like to just ignore the glaringly obvious problem.

Instead he nods, letting her hand slip from his before going in search of somewhere secluded.

There isn't much in a big, populated city like this, but they manage to find a small cafe with a simulated outdoor seating area. Cloud gets them a couple drinks before they head out and take a table in the back corner, further away from the bustle inside the building.] Here. [Puts her drink down in front of her]

[asphodels]

[ Aerith lets Cloud lead, lets him guide her forward as she follows quietly behind. She knows that what they need to talk about is important - it's vital for them to continue living together like this - but it doesn't make it any easier for her to handle.

Sitting in the corner, she feels very small, and very sad, but when Cloud comes back to her side she looks up and gives him a small, gentle smile. ]

Thank you.

[ But... Where do they begin? ]

[moseyin]

[HELL IF HE KNOWS. He proposed this talking thing and now he has no idea how to conduct it. Cloud drags a hand through his hair as he sinks into the chair opposite, his own drink remaining untouched in front of him.

...well, the only thing he can do is speak from the heart, right?] Aerith, I- I really like you. I like you a lot more than I probably let on. I dunno if it was just me, but that night at the Gold Saucer, I thought...y'know. I thought maybe there was something there.

[asphodels]

I like you, too, Cloud. [ Aerith's hands settle over her heart and she feels it, weighted and heavy in her chest. She doesn't know what to do, and for the first time in a long time she doesn't have the Planet to guide her. It's just herself and no one else.

I'm searching for you. ]

There was - there is. I felt the same way as you.

[moseyin]

[God, wow. He's both so, so happy to hear that and more conflicted than ever. So, she really was...well in hindsight it was obvious, but at the same time she was always so friendly with everyone, he was never positive...]

Okay. [Just........wow. Okay.] And you- I mean, you knew more than anyone, probably, how...confused I was. [Still am, sometimes.]

[asphodels]

I know. You forgot so much, and you had to learn it all again. I don't know what happened to you, Cloud, but I know it was hard.

[ Aerith bows her head, looking at her hands. ]

But I saw you. I saw your heart, and... I wanted to know the real you. That's what I was looking for, all that time.

[moseyin]

[Cloud nods slowly, fingers curling and uncurling from a fist atop the table. She'd said as much a few times, even if Cloud had no idea what she'd meant at the time. Maybe if Zack hadn't died, maybe if they'd made it to Midgar together, she could have helped him.] Yeah. I'm good now- mostly, I'm good. I'm okay. But, I wanted to ask you what this means-

[He blows out a breath.] What Zack means...to you. With him here.

[asphodels]

[ If she had survived... Perhaps things would be different. But she hadn't, and neither had Zack, and the weight on her chest feels like stone. She feels as though she is going to fall apart, and she closes her eyes as she tries to find her words. ]

I loved him. [ Turning her head up, she looks over. ] Zack was the first person that I ever loved, other than my mom, and it was different. I waited for years for him to come back to me, but he never did, and... [ She feels as though she might cry. ] I don't think I stopped waiting, until you fell through the roof of my church. I thought the Planet was giving me a second chance.

[moseyin]

[And there Cloud was, strutting about in a manner, if not identical to Zack's, pretty damn similar. Cloud can't even blame her for being interested with circumstances like that.] Because I reminded you of him.

[asphodels]

At first. [ Aerith smiles, shaking her head. ] It was like... A mirror. But I started to see you, Cloud, and I saw... You're not him, you never were, even when you thought you were. And that's the man that I... That I saw. That I wanted to stay with.

[moseyin]

That's the man that let Sephiroth kill you, [Cloud says flatly, both fists resting on the table now.] The man who couldn't even protect you from himself. You deserve way better than that, Aerith. [Way better than him.] If this is your second chance, you can't just waste it on me.

[asphodels]

You didn't! [ Aerith's hurt and her anger flare up and defeat any sadness she feels, and she's sure half the café is staring at her. ] You didn't do anything wrong! It wasn't your fault, Cloud, and you didn't let anything happen to me. It was all him. He wanted to destroy the Planet, and he had to kill me to make it happen.

[moseyin]

[Cloud opens his mouth like he's about to argue before letting out a harsh breath, leaning back in his chair and rubbing a hand over his face. Cloud knew Aerith would never blame him for this, but that doesn't mean he's blameless.] You can be your own brand of impossible too, sometimes. [You stubborn punk]

[asphodels]

So can you. [ She huffs, leaning in her chair and looking away. ] Stubborn, stubborn, so stubborn! That must be you, not what you didn't remember.

[moseyin]

Yeah, well, you wouldn't be the first to say it. [It's his only truly defining trait: stubborn as a mule.] ...I didn't want to talk about that anyway. Who's fault it is or isn't- that's not the point.

The point is that this here is your second chance. For both of you.

[asphodels]

[ And that's what it comes down to, isn't it? Zack is here and so is she and, yet, so is Cloud, and her heart is thudding in her chest as she closes her eyes. ]

And what about you? What about what I feel about you?

[moseyin]

I dunno. [Cloud doesn't want to say 'I'll live without you' or something like that, because true or not it's not a life he wants to live, and because in the end it isn't his decision on what Aerith does with her feelings.] But Zack died to save my life. If it weren't for me, he'd have made it back to you. ...I'd feel like garbage if he still loved you and I ignored that for my own sake.

[asphodels]

And what if he doesn't? [ It's not something that she and Zack had talked about, but... Aerith closes her eyes. ] I won't choose. If that's a choice I have to make then I will choose no one. I won't make anyone unhappy.

[moseyin]

That's- Aerith that's stupid, you can't just decide not to go for it because you don't want to hurt my feelings. Zack definitely still loves you, I know it, so just talk it over with him.

[asphodels]

No. [ She stares at him, frowning. ] No. I won't.