Yaugur System Mingle

[padadin]

Who: EVERYONE
Broadcast: If you want!
Action: Of course
When: 6/23 to 8/5.

[Welcome to the Yaugur System, where everyone will want to join the most important activity here:



KITE FLYING!

...what do you mean, there's something more important to do? Oh yeah, the mist. Sure, have fun with your despair hallucinations, I guess.]

Comments

[asphodels]

Hmm.

[ Aerith's face goes a little more serious as she walks along the birds, looking at them all. It isn't until one sticks it's head out to try and nose at her hand that she stops, smiling. ]

This one.

[wingenvy]

This guy? Hmm... I like it! He has a good face.

[A face that's already leaning in to wark at them. He gives it a friendly pat on the beak and steps aside as the handler gets it saddled up and ready for them, and once that's finished Zack moves behind Aerith to lift her up onto its back.]

Up we go! I think we can follow the back trail, might be good practice until we get a feel for riding it.

[asphodels]

A good face?

[ She lifts her hand to pet him again, considering. He does look good, she supposes, though her experience with actual chocobo is limited at best. She's content to let Zack take care of the rest until his arms are around her, then she's helping settle herself on the bird's back with a smile. ]

That sounds like a good idea. Do you think he'll enjoy it?

[wingenvy]

It's kinda his job, so I hope so! But if he starts getting fussy, we can just ride him back and see if another bird wants to try.

[With a quick salute to the handler and a moment to get the reins in hand and hopefully remember how to do this correctly, he turns the chocobo's head and leads them off towards the trail. It sure feels like riding a chocobo.]

[asphodels]

[ Aerith shifts, leaning back and settling against Zack's chest - not too much that it'll throw him off balance, she hopes. ]

Do you like this planet?

[wingenvy]

Huh... good question. It's kind of a mixed bag, isn't it? Like, the floating islands are cool, and seeing chocobos again is great. Plus there's some crazy stuff hiding in the mist that might be good for a tussle or two.

[He gives his cheek a little scratch, brows furrowing.]

I could live without the mist, though. And having to wear masks all over the place.

[Masks remind him of tanks, and bubbling green liquid, and- well, he doesn't need hallucinatory mist monsters to remind him of the Bad Shit We Don't Talk About.]

What about you?

[asphodels]

It's quiet. That's different, I think.

[ Aerith has been wary about communing with any planets since the one that spent most of its hours screaming in her ears, desperate for any kind of contact with anyone. She'd rather keep her distance and not go through it again. ]

I think it's nice to see something that reminds me of home.

[wingenvy]

[He's happier if it's quiet for her, or that at least she's not trying to connect directly with the planet- that one that had upset her so greatly was worrisome, and he'd hated to watch her suffer, especially when there'd been nothing he could do.]

It's pretty rare, isn't it. Once or twice a year we might get something, but chocobos are different. Feels more real, in a way.

[asphodels]

[ It makes her miss home, miss the Planet that had been whispering to her since she was very young, and there's a sadness in her that won't go away. There's no Lifestream here, nothing familiar that calls to her... But maybe that's for the best. Maybe that's how it should be. ]

Even if they're not really chocobos. [ She hums. ] I wish we could keep one, but I'm sure they'd be miserable.

[wingenvy]

Yeah, probably. Cooped up in a little ship stall for days at a time, all by his lonesome aside from a bunch of strange humans...

[Zack gives the bird a little scruff through his feathers.]

Better off here, where he can run around properly.

[asphodels]

At least we get to spend time with them now.

[ She pauses, though, before she tilts her head up to look at Zack. ]

We could get a pet, one day.

[wingenvy]

You want a pet?

[He's a little surprised, mostly because it's never come up before.]

[asphodels]

Don't you think it would be nice? I like taking care of things.

[ Flowers, friends, children... ]

[wingenvy]

Huh... what kind of pet, do you think?

[asphodels]

Something we both like. [ She hums, leaning back into him. ] Something small.

[wingenvy]

I don't know how much attention somebody like me is gonna give to a pet, Aerith.

[This "we" business. If she wants it, she should pick it. With how easily distracted he is she ought to guess that she'll be doing the bulk of the caring.]

[asphodels]

I know. I’m not going to get something you and Cloud don’t like, though!

[ That would just be ridiculous. ]

[wingenvy]

Well, I can't think of any animal I don't like, if that helps. Except frogs. Don't get a frog.

[fuck frogs. or Touch Mes in particular.]

[asphodels]

I won’t get a frog. [ She laughs. ] They’re a little boring, aren’t they?

[wingenvy]

Babe, if you grew up in Gongaga there's a lot of ways you'd describe frogs, but boring ain't one of them.

[asphodels]

I went to Gongaga! It wasn't that bad.

[wingenvy]

...Okay, seriously, why did you go to Gongaga? There's nothing there! Not even a reactor anymore.

[asphodels]

[ Aerith looks a little thoughtful, wondering how much she should actually say, but - ]

We were chasing rumours of Sephiroth. [ And then - ] That's when I met your parents.

[wingenvy]

[Oof.

Right.]

I... went to Gongaga, too. With Cloud, after we got out. Thought we might find someone who could help us there- maybe even help him, since I couldn't.

[The mako poisoning had run too deep; he knows now his goal should have been Mideel, but hindsight can't really do anything for anybody, now.]

The place was crawling with Turks. I couldn't even get close to my parents' place.

[asphodels]

It was a good idea. A safe place, at least, until you could find out more.

[ She sighs. Of course they'd expect Zack to go home, though, and she shakes her head, leaning back. ]

They were nice. Your parents, I mean.