Aerith Gainsborough (
inemeraldfaith) wrote in
isleofavalon2021-06-15 08:19 pm
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
[Catch-All] Reunions, Memories, & the Colour White
đź§™ WHO: Aerith Gainsborough, You
⚔️️ WHAT: Catch-All for June / July
đź•’ WHEN: June / July
🗺️ WHERE: Aerith's flower shop, Brocéliande, Camelot city proper, the Bay of Avalon
⚠️ WARNINGS: TBD
⚔️️ WHAT: Catch-All for June / July
đź•’ WHEN: June / July
🗺️ WHERE: Aerith's flower shop, Brocéliande, Camelot city proper, the Bay of Avalon
⚠️ WARNINGS: TBD
[01. Come for the Flowers]
[Little by little, Aerith's flower shop is getting put together. The walls are still a little barren, but contain some paintings done by local artists. Finally, it seems a little more put together.
There's no shortage of flowers on display in intricate arrangements. Planters hang from the ceiling. The scent lingering in the air is some combination of cinnamon and sweet floral notes. There's almost always a cup of tea (or something like it) at the front desk.
Aerith tries her best to keep herself busy, wandering from one end to the other, up the steps to the small loft up the stairs, back down again, making sure that everything seems to be perfect. She hums during the day to herself, overjoyed at being surrounded by some of the things that she likes most, even if she can't glean from them what she would back home.
Perhaps you've stopped in by mistake, maybe you're running errands, or you're here with the intention of finding something in particular. Either way, you're here now, and the little bell sound that chimes once you've come in signifies your entry. It's too late for you to leave now. (Aerith won't be chasing you down if you turn tail and flee.)
Whatever Aerith's in the middle of doing, she looks up from her task and eyes the door with a welcoming smile.]
Hi there! If you give me just a moment, I'll be right with you.[02. How to Business 101]
Hm...
[Aerith holds a notebook protectively against herself as she wanders the streets of Camelot's business district. She stops every so often in the front of a store window, occasionally pokes her head in to get a good look at the wares and the design. She's doing business research to see what she can do to better her flower shop.
It's also a good excuse to get to speak with owners and others along the way and having never been one to shy away from conversation, Aerith is quite happy to exchange words in idle conversation.]
I wonder how they decided on prices. Did they just compare it to something local?
[A frown briefly crosses her features because she knows her own pricing has been pretty negotiable. But maybe flowers just don't work the same as drinks at a cafe or some of the other wares that Camelot provides.
Her feet start carrying her off to another store, her face is fixed on her notebook, where she's writing in small script her observations. She brushes up against a shoulder, or perhaps she walks headfirst into you, or maybe you simply found her in your way whilst you were trying to pass by. Either way, you are precisely one Aerith richer.]
Oops—Am I in your way? Sorry about that.[03. Gone Fishing (Not Really)]
[She hasn't been here to visit since her original arrival. Aerith has lost track of time easily, and she knows why. She drowns in keeping herself busy and occupied. It gives her less time to think. The Bay of Avalon is a vivid recollection of how confusing it was to arrive in this new world, with the discovery that the world back home was frozen in time. It's still a little hard to wrap her mind around, but she's continued to adopt the idea that there's no sense in causing an uproar over it.
This is a thing she cannot affect, despite the otherworldly abilities that she may play host to.
It's a pleasant day, one that has her lifting an arm as she takes in what feels like a bay of water that stretches beyond what she can see.]
It's beautiful when you're not swimming out of it in the cold. Or being escorted out by turtles.
[There's a basket over one forearm, not even half full. Aerith has come all this way to see if there's any flowers that might be worth adding to the collection. Down in the water, there's occasional splashes of the fish and the welcoming organic ebb and flow of the water. Maybe one of these days she should consider going for a swim.]
Although it looks a little more serene when people aren't arriving, doesn't it?
[...She wonders if the Lady of the Lake sleeps when she's not bringing newly arrived.][04. Communing with Nature]
[Her fingertips splay against the rough bark and for several moments, Aerith remains still, listening to everything around her—the rustle of branches, the far off lilt of birds, and other things she cannot readily identify. For once, she's not out scouting for flowers. Rather, her visit to the forest sitting just outside of Camelot's town is for something more profound.
Aside from the occasional dreams she's had of home, of different times, of times that perhaps have not yet occurred, she hasn't felt the same since her arrival. Aerith hasn't had a way of discovering just how in touch she is with her Cetra abilities. It's not an easy thing to test either, considering the details of her 'abilities' have been complex.
Her touch moves over a subtle gash in the wood and after a moment's pause above it, it takes a gentle push of healing, an encouragement for it to heal. Whether it works or not, she hardly would know. Nature is more hardy than many give it credit for.]
There you are. [She says aloud, though she seems to be addressing the tree. After a beat, she turns to press her back against it before she finds her voice again.] I can't seem to hear anything, though. Even being surrounded by it all, it isn't the same. I'm not connected to you in the same way.
[She sighs, shutting her eyes as she thinks about where to go next. What to do. She's not seen anyone else hunting or searching for any of the ingredients that grow in the veil of trees just yet. But it doesn't mean they aren't there.]
So... what do you think we should do now, hmm?[05. Wild Card]
[For everything else. If you'd like a closed starter, please let me know. You can PM Aerith's journal or PP me atofthesky.]
1
It seems that he has been trying to attend to the plants she had tasked him with, but unfortunately, this little one has seen better days... ]
Hail, Healer.
[ He offers grimly, in greeting. ]
no subject
With the plant she gave him. The seeds he accompanied her to the market for. And the same day he bought the lavish hair piece she continues to wear in her hair on a daily basis. Somnus remains an... interesting and puzzling part of her daily life. She pauses for but a moment, unable to stop the smile from coming to her face, despite the status of said plant he carries.]
I was going to ask if you were shopping or just coming to see me, but I believe I have the answer.
[She gestures him over to a table off to the side with a couple of chairs for him to set the plant down.]
Let's take a look at her, shall we?
[The plant, she means. Aerith has evidently decided the plant is a 'her.']
no subject
Doing as she says, Somnus places the plant before her. His stance is, notably, a bit more subdued rather than imposing.
...Because, obviously, he's failed in taking care of this plant. ] What ails it--...her?
no subject
She gently cups her hands around the base of the flower, shutting her eyes to think and more importantly feel. And to listen. For him, she doubts he'll hear a thing. As much as she doubts he'll feel a thing, at that. To him, she may seem simply strenge.
He interrupts her process with his question and she looks up to him, leaving a gentle touch on a single leaf as she subtly filters healing magic into where she touches at a glacial pace. It won't be as effective as the green magic people like Makoto have, but it will be a temporary relief.
Perhaps just enough.]
Oh, did you decide it was a he?
[She asks him curiously, gaze imploring and patient.]
no subject
He hadn't meant to interrupt her, but it seems his comment did. ]
Nay.
[ --Is all he says, then after a moment, he volunteers: ]
...Tell me in how I have failed in caring for this flower.
[ He can't help if he doesn't know what he's doing wrong. His hands were not meant for such gentle hobbies... ]
no subject
Hm... Some flowers can be particular. Perhaps it is placement. Perhaps it feels you do not give it enough attention. Do you prune it at all?
[She motions with her free hand, implying a pair of scissors.] Trimming, I mean. It's important to maintain upkeep, so the leaves and stems don't get infected. When blooms get older, you need to remove them, too, so that it can rebloom. If you want me to care for it for a bit, I can. I don't mind.
no subject
Trimming...
[ He pauses. Before he answers her of whether or not to pass this plant onto her, he needs to know one thing first: ]
Is it too late?
no subject
No. Of course not. I can still feel it. The breath of life still exists and only seems faint. I will also lend it some of my own strength and that should help.
[Her gaze drops fondly onto the plant and with her free hand, she touches a flower with reverence.
I think he is worried about you, she thinks with a degree of admiration, though maybe her read on Somnus is wrong.]
You should name it, Somnus. This plant is as living as you and I are. They have feelings and thoughts, you know.
no subject
A healer, indeed. ]
How do you know?
no subject
[She wonders how to explain it. If she even should. Maybe she can simply stay vague.]
I can hear them. Sort of. Here, it's more like a feeling.
[So in a different way, she can connect to the plants in Camelot. It isn't the exact same, but it is similar. It is a sensation enough that she can recognise it.
Aerith looks back up to him, gesturing to the chair on the other side. He might as well sit, though she suspects he'll stay on his feet. Just in case he needs to make a hasty retreat.]
Most people can't tell, I don't think. But I can. I've been able to do that since I was a kid. I can't remember a time that I couldn't. I can't do it for everything, but if it has life in it, I can feel it. At least, I can back home. I didn't think I could here.
no subject
But his eyes lift to her, his gaze deep. ]
Do you feel when that life wanes?
no subject
I can, yes.
[Then following a beat, she continues. Pushing his plant toward him gently, her smile returns, a bit more subdued and light, but not lacking in warmth.]
Not as much here as I can back home. Like the sense itself, it isn't the same. There's a difference, but I can feel it. Sense it. Whatever one might think of it as.
no subject
A distant look grows in his eyes, until at last, he speaks up again. ]
...We are humbled by your abilities, Healer.
no subject
[Her smile grows as she looks between Somnus and the plant in question. As she leans onto an elbow, she cradles her chin in the palm of her hand.]
You're thanking me on behalf of the plant too. That's pretty cute. It must be really important to you.
no subject
It was my duty to care for this plant... I will ensure that such illness does not befall it again.
no subject
[Her smile grows. She is... How would she put it. Touched? Yes, that seems about right. She's positively touched. It was only a gift. Aerith would have been, without a doubt, a little sad had the plant died, but...
He's no plant expert and plants don't live forever.]
Do you like plants, Somnus? Or is it just because it came from me? If you ever had problems with it, you could just ask. I don't bite. [After a pause, she grins.] Well, maybe if you asked, I'd consider it. [That's a joke.]
no subject
But that he's here at all trying to help one dying one might be enough for an answer. ] What you have taught here, I will remember.
[ About pruning the plants, that is. ]
no subject
[Aerith eyes him very kindly with a characteristic patience that she seems to hold specifically for him. In truth, she's patient with most everyone, but for Somnus it's... a little special. He's definitely not in the same category as most others she's met since her arrival.]
Did you have any other questions? I'm happy to help where I can and I don't have anything else demanding my attention. I'm not exactly in high supply just yet.
no subject
Helping this plant is the only reason he's come here.
...
Yes, it's time to leave. ] There is naught else, lest you have need of me.
no subject
Need? [She asks with a grin.] Well, I wouldn't say that, but I like having you around. I want to have you around.
[She's going to guess he probably doesn't hear those things terribly often. If at all.]
no subject
Then, equally slowly, he speaks as if parsing together a puzzle that's far too complex for the likes of him. ]
You wish for my presence?
no subject
You didn't know? I thought that was pretty obvious. I don't exactly seek out everyone specifically to spend time with them. It might seem like that, but I really don't.
[Sitting up a little more proper, she folds her hands together before she continues.] If you don't have somewhere else to be, I'd be very happy to have you stick around. We can even go on a date for something to eat or whatever you might like to do.
no subject
At last, he speaks, his voice reserved: ]
I do not have anywhere else to be.
[ Not anywhere within his power, anyway. He must return to their Star, but in the meantime... he is here, and stalled. That fact overwhelms. ]
no subject
Come to think of it, as she reflects on their past encounters, it dawns on her that there's only been one time he's ever been more open and welcoming to her. It's evident that perhaps that day, it wasn't really him at all. At least, if it was, it wasn't the true him.]
Well, then why don't we let your plant rest here a bit and we can go for a walk through the business district? If you're hungry, we'll get something to eat. If you just want to walk and make conversation, I'm sure there's things we can look at.
[Or she can use it as an excuse to look for more seeds and other things for her shop.]
no subject
[ And when he's allowed a pause for her attention to turn off from walks or eating or anything else, he speaks again. ]
Choose what you wish to do.
[ As always. ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)