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ffvii open post

AERITH GAINSBOROUGH
JOURNAL: inheritedearth
VOICE: ★★★★★

RENO
JOURNAL: emcharge
VOICE: ★★★★✩

BIGGS
JOURNAL: leafhouse
VOICE: ★★★★★

RUFUS SHINRA
JOURNAL: shinralegacy
VOICE: ★★★✩✩

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Want to play with any of the above? Leave a comment with their name in the header and a prompt or a starter and I'll get back to you!
➝ AUs welcome! Otherwise, all characters are available from various canon points: OG, Advent Children or Remake.
➝ Some memes for ideas: caught in the rain, soulmates, body heat, otherworldly, deserted island, and of course random scenario. Feel free to make up your own! Hell, you can even just text them, they've all got phones.
➝ Other old muses (Cloud, Cid, Yuffie) in need of dusting off are tentatively available for tagging out later on!

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[ It's not unusual for Aerith to be humming to herself as she does her daily check in with the people of the Sector 5 slums.

She's been to the church already, but some days she just isn't up for being cooped up in those crumbling walls. The flowers understand - well, she hopes they do.

The sunlight filters through what cracks it can, the plate overhead half jutting out into the sky in broken, sharp edges in some spots. It's enough to encourage some greenery to grow (and yes, maybe she's the one doing the encouraging) but her main pet project has been The Leaf House.

She can never quite stop the smile that spreads when she walks up, hearing the children call out her name, looking over their brand new vegetable gardens they are so proud of. It's with this smile that she taps Biggs on the shoulder to get his attention. ]

Just your friendly neighborhood florist, here to see if you guys need a restock! [She and Biggs aren't close, and she usually deals with the woman who runs the home, but he's right here and she might have plans to encourage him to help her. ]

[He isn't here as much as he would like to be— Sector 5 is a little bit of a haul from Sector 7, and the neighborhood watch keeps him pretty on the days he's not neck-deep in AVALANCHE operations, but he's never forgotten where he came from. Every spare gil he has goes to this place, and he makes the effort to come and help out as often as he can.

The completion of the new vegetable gardens was something worth celebrating, so he'd made it a priority to come and see them— and as long as he's here, he's more than happy to help out, as always. He's on his knees taking care of some freshly transplanted tomato sprouts when he feels the tap on his shoulder, and he sits back on his feet as he looks up, offering Aerith a warm smile in greeting. They don't know each other well, but this place is important to both of them— they've crossed paths more than a few times.]

I don't think they'll ever say no to more flowers. They're great for morale. Might even be part of what's inspired some of the kids to take up gardening for themselves, in fact.

Flowers have a way of inspiring people, that's for sure. [ She glances over the fledgling veggies with a proud look before eyeing him for a moment and straightening up. ]

Well, those flowers aren't going to gather themselves are they? [ She inclines her head, indicating the path beside the home that leads to her house. ] I will need some help, obviously.

[ His help. She isn't so much asking as she is telling him to get ready to be her very own personal errand boy. ]

[He laughs a little, bracing one hand against his knee to push himself to his feet.]

I don't mind lending a couple of helping hands.

[Not that she'd been asking. He'd caught that part, alright.]

Besides, it'd be nice to see what you've done with the place since the last time I helped out.

hiraeth

[It's not often that he thinks about Nibelheim - except that is a lie he tells himself regularly, as his home invades his thoughts in those quieter moments. They are traveling to Kalm, a town that isn't too far but enough that it takes them a few days on foot.

They don't want to draw any unnecessary attention to themselves. Keeping their heads down is best, especially when their very distinctive group strolls out in the open. Cloud is preparing himself for when they actually walk into a populated area...

If the recent past is anything to go by, keeping a low profile isn't going to be on their agenda for very long.

There's the oddest sense of deja vu, a feeling that he's been down this road before. Hiding from Shinra, the Turks most likely hot on their trail. He's been keeping his ears open for that familiar sound of the helicopter blades - except, he's not been down this road before. He's not traveled from place to place, trying to outwit an army.

Clearly, he needs to sleep.

He has parked himself on the ground, his back pressed against a tree trunk as he keeps watch. It hasn't been that long since sunset, but everyone feels a little more frayed, more on edge, than they did in Midgar.

Barret bitching takes up most of their energy, too. He can see even Aerith is getting annoyed with him at times.

Speaking of which...

She's on the other side of the fire, and for what seems like the hundredth time that day he wonders what she's thinking. Not that he's going to ask. ]

[ There's a part of her always tickled when someone shows actual interest in her hobby - well, it's not so much a hobby as it is a way of life.

She's sure down the road, as she grows older, she'll become known as the local crazy flower lady (much like the crazy cat lady of yore), but she doesn't mind. It's not too worried about explaining the connection she feels to them, since that would open a can of worms she isn't interested in exploring.

Also ignoring the fact that, deep down, she knows she doesn't have much longer before Shinra forces her hand. Growing old in her home in Sector 5 isn't actually in the cards for her.

All worries for later. For now - the worry is to find the perfect combination of flowers.

With Biggs beside her, she travels the path most familiar to her. ]

Well, it's spring time now, isn't it? [ With a glance above them, she laughs a little. ] Not that it's easy to tell, but that means I've got a whole host of new flowers ready to make their debut! I've got tulips and daffodils, of course, but I've managed to grow a nice batch of purple hyacinths I think would look really nice at the Leaf House!

[He's only traveled down this particular path a couple of times in the past, for the purpose of helping with this same task, but the scene that opens up at the end of it is no less memorable for it— there's nothing like this anywhere else in the slums, not that he's seen, and while Sector 7 has unquestionably become home, he likes the idea of a place like this sitting just a stone's throw away from where he grew up.]

Is it spring?

[His smile quirks to one side as he, too, looks upwards towards what they can see of the sky— more of it peeks through here than in other sectors, though the reason for it is one he doesn't like to dwell on too long.]

It is about that time, isn't it... tends to all look and feel the same around here, but with those flowers in your care, I'm sure it's easier to tell.

[It seems like the kind of thing she would be tuned into, really.]

Bet the kids would love those— anything that brings more color into the place is always good. Everything outside is so bleak, it's good for them to have a reminder that it doesn't have to be.

This is stupid.

[he mutters it aloud, and although he thinks that it's quiet enough for only his own grievances to be aired privately, there's a moment when he looks down to the gysahl greens in his hand and then over to Aerith, a few meters anon. Cloud Strife, the merc who witnessed a hostile corporate takeover of Shinra, who managed to defy big-D Destiny, who once threatened to crush Don Corneo's manlihood... now relegated to hunting down a chocobo to make their way across a swamp infested marsh. not that he thinks this station is below him; he'd convinced himself in erring that he'd do anything for the right price, but rather, he wasn't exactly skilled at anything involving the gentler arts. the ones that required patience and an enduringly gentle soul.

he was much better off swinging a blade and being a bodyguard than herding overgrown chickens. no offense to chickens. Choco Billy had outlined it to him properly enough. equip a luring materia to grab their attention, wiggle some greens in their face, and the next thing you know? "good as done!" or... something like that.

the problem with that, of course, was Cloud was Cloud and even cats had a better sense than to hang around him. too perilous to leave one of their 9 precious lives around someone so ill-fated to reek havoc wherever he goes (which is, admittedly, not always his fault). so when the third one decides to flee like a tea kettle had went off and alarmed every chocobo in a 10 mile radius to his approach, his grip on the greens tightens and his frustration at his own failure continues to grow.

frowning in a way that solely belongs to him, he decides that maybe they're just strong enough to kill the Midgar Zolom outright. but Aerith is near, and she's become a sort of rock on which his entire reality has become built on top of lately. that encouraging smile, the way she can see a path through any rough spot.

it's just chocobos. he can practically hear her voice in his head.]

What's so funny?

At least in this part of the slums, we have a little bit of more nature growing around here. Makes it easier to at least pretend we have seasons.

[Her trips up to Sector 8 to sell flowers show her that seasons don't really seem to exist in Midgar regardless. Probably due to the reactors. They turn the corner, her house in sight and she wonders if she should hand him a basket or pull out that handy cart she's used for years.

It would make a picture, him pushing along a rickety old thing, so that's what makes her decision. Fighting a smile, she beckons him down the steps, toward the area she keeps many of our outside tools. ]

If color is what we're looking for, we're gonna need a lot of it. [ She nods her head at the wagon, which isn't in bad shape (maybe a little worn, but she's taken care of it). ]

[It's difficult not to be on edge— even Aerith has found her limits tested, though she's made an effort not to let it show more than absolutely necessary, despite the fact that Barret in particular has been grating on her nerves. It's important that they look forward, think ahead and keep their spirits up, rather than dwelling on what they've left behind.

They can't go back. That much is for certain. She wonders, not for the first time, what her mother is doing now, and is grateful that she has Marlene's company in her own absence. It's not the same, of course, she knows— but if she were to be honest with herself, she wouldn't have been able to stay much longer, anyway.

She'd always been living on borrowed time, evading her would-be captors until she had no choice but to give in. They'd managed the upper hand on her once already, and though she had escaped with the help of friends, how long until it happened again?

Barret seemed to have settled into an irate silence after they had all eaten, now dozing a few feet away from the fire, and she looks across the way to where Cloud sits with his back against the tree to keep watch. She should sleep soon, too, she knows— but instead she gets to her feet and relocates, helping herself to a seat on the ground beside Cloud's post.]

At least the view is nice.

[It seems a decent enough way to break the silence.]

You holding up okay?

[It's just so hard not to laugh, the way Cloud finds himself more and more exasperated with each loss— persistence will win out, she's sure, but even as she draws his attention, she claps a hand over her mouth to cover the worst of the laughter that tries to escape.

Right. He's frustrated. She should be sympathetic.]

I just can't believe that of anyone, you would have so much trouble befriending a chocobo. You look just alike!

[Okay, forget sympathetic.]

Relax.

[She makes her way over to join him, laying a hand against his shoulder.]

They can probably sense how frustrated you are, and that puts them on edge. Animals can pick up on these things!

[He rests a hand against his hip, letting out a low whistle when he catches a glimpse of the wagon in question.]

Think it'll make the trip in one piece?

[Not that they're going far, but in all honestly, it looks like it'll hold. He grabs hold of it, carefully turning to wheel it towards the garden proper.]

At your service, ma'am. Where do we start?

[ It was supposed to be a simple recon mission. Easy peasy. A quick in, gather some intel, plant a wire tap, and get out. Simple. Something they've done a dozen times without a hitch.

Except there'd been a hitch. A very big hitch. One that was metal and had buzzsaws for hands and a machine gun for a face and... ]

Shiiiiit, it's coming this way, move, move!

[ She shoves Biggs towards the corner they'd been racing for, hoping the walls of this place can provide enough shelter even as she hears gears whirring and that massive gun powering up behind her.

She dives for cover just as bullets start to spray at her heels. ]

I've dealt with worse.

[ Trying to be that Cool Guy again, but this time it has a ring of truth to it. His memory of his time in SOLDIER in hazy, at best, and he's loathe to try to dig for any details. Suffice it to say, keeping it short and sweet is his MO. He's not the type to drone on about the days gone by. What he does know is that life was rough, he knows it down to his very core. He doesn't need specifics to know that.

He glances over at her before turning back to the fire, folding his arms over his chest. ]

This is your first time away from home, right?

[ Look at him, learning how to Friend. ]

I'm moving!

[The shove is well-meaning but sudden, and Biggs almost trips over his own feet before righting himself, pushing himself to move faster and duck for cover, grabbing Jessie's arm in the process to pull her along. He doesn't miss the way the bullets almost graze her heels, and he grits his teeth as he quickly scans their surroundings to see what resources they might have at their disposal.

He probably could have over-planned this one a bit better.]

Too close— and we can't hide out here forever.

[He's already reaching for his assault rifle, preparing to open fire. Suppressing fire might work in their favor, but the buzzsaw hands give him some reason to doubt.]

You okay?!

It will. [ She's giving the wagon a strangely affectionate look before moving on, leading him down the path toward a patch of brightness where her newest children have grown. ]

Right here is good. I want to definitely get some of the hyacinth in here and lots of it.

[ Kneeling down, she starts pulling a few of the pink, turning to give him a grin before indicating with her head he should feel comfortable doing the same. ]

I think some of those purple would be nice, too, don't you?

Other than being chased by the Abominable Lumberjack back there?

[ She's panting and out of breath, hunched over with her hands resting on her knees for a moment as she tries to get air in her lungs. her voice is a little strained, but it's hard to tell if it's with incredulous laughter or panicked hysteria. Maybe a little of both? ]

Oh, yeah. Suuure. I'm brilliant. You take me to the nicest places, Biggs.

[ In case he missed it? That was definitely sarcasm. ]

In my defense, this place was supposed to be light on security!

[Foot soldiers, maybe some security cameras— nothing they couldn't handle with their combined tech savvy. This? Needless to say, he hadn't prepared for this. His long-standing need to overthink and plan for every eventuality had let him down, which was surprising in and of itself.

And he caught that sarcasm, thanks.]

Don't suppose you have any spare grenades in that pack of yours—!

[ Now that she'd had a moment to catch her breath, she's already digging through her pack, a set of fused wires clamped in her teeth as she goes about rigging up an emergency detonator. She hadn't come prepared for this either, but it's not like she wasn't an expert at improvising or anything. ]

It's like you don't even know me...

[ She mutters playfully from around the wires clenched between her teeth as she attaches a different fuse to one of the unrigged explosives in her pack, and then setting the fuse into one end, anchoring it in place.

She jiggles it a little until it connects and then shoots Biggs a mischievous smile. ]

Don't worry, I've got your back. But I hope you're ready to run again.

[ Because she stands up and reaches around Biggs to arrach the explosive to the wall right beside where he's standing.

...And the counter is already spiralling downwards at an alarming pace. ]

[Of course she does.]

Sorry, should have known better than to ask— shit!

[Well. How's that for warning? He curses under his breath as he realizes just how fast that counter is moving towards detonation, and he ducks down as he bolts out of cover once more, opening fire on their pursuer in the process to try and force some distance between them. Several of the bullets ricochet off the mech's armor and scatter, but others make their mark, sending sparks flying and keeping it from encroaching further— at least for the time behind.]

Jessie, make a run for it!

[He'll hold it off to give her a head start, as best he can.]

I'll follow!

Just move! It will follow and be smack in the blast radius!

[ She doesn't grab his arm - she doesn't want to get shot, not even she's that stupid - but she does take off for the far hallway and the large metal door they'd entered through a few hours before. She had to hope that was solid enough for protection. If they could just make it that far.

She starts counting under her breath, still loud enough for him to hear between the loud staccato of bullets. ]

Ten, nine, eight...

[He lets out a low growl of frustration, brief though it is— he doesn't like the idea of turning his back to this thing, not when it has plenty of guns of its own, but he doesn't have the luxury of risking being caught in the blast, either. He ceases fire at her insistance, taking one last look back before he pushes off and follows, heading down that corridor hot on her heels with his gaze fixed on the door at the far end.]

Seven, six— almost there!

[ She skids through the doorway on four, spinning around and gesturing hastily for him to cross those last few feet.

The moment he's in the corridor she slams the big metal door shut behind him, hearing the safetly locks - the ones they'd so painstakingly disabled earlier - latch back into place. ]

Two...

[ Boom!

The whole building around them shakes with the force of the explosion, dust and a little rubble raining down around their heads. She's still crouched against the door, eyes clenched tightly shut.

And praying she hadn't overdone it in her haste and brought the whole building down around their heads. ]

[He hits the ground the moment the door slams closed, and while he doubts the locks will be enough to stop their mechanical friend should things go further awry, he hopes the door will be enough to shield them from the worst of the blast. His hands cover the back of his neck as he ducks, bracing himself for the impact of the explosion— and right on cue, the entire structure shakes as if threatening to break apart. The walls surrounding them stand firm, however, and in the distance, beyond that closed door, he no longer hears the ballistic beat of gunfire— though that could just be the ringing in his ears.

For a moment, he's silent, straightening up to cautiously take in their surroundings. They both seem to be in one piece, and when he's certain that the room isn't about to collapse on them, he sits back on his heels and laughs, the sound reverberating as he reaches to rub at the back of his neck.

Shit. That had been way too close for comfort.]

Nice work, Jess.

[ She's still crouched against the door, hands clinging to the handle in a white-knuckled grip, her eyes tightly squeezed shut.

At the sound of his laugh, she slowly peeks one eye open hesitantly. ]

Are we... alive?

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ffvii open post

bigggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggs

YAYAYA

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gimme aerith - otherwordly set right after remake

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Gimme the boy

bless u for indulging me

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