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[ When the garden opens up for her, she is taken aback. A twinge of homesickness twists in Aerith's gut, the same way the drop on a tall slide blooms anxiety in your belly. It's beautiful, full of life and then some. The hissing is not lost on her, but even that seems like the hum of cicadas, or the buzzing of bees. It adds to the element, and Aerith shows for the fiftieth time in her life that she doesn't listen. She peals out into the garden, braid swinging in the light, to look into the nearest pond. Lilypads swim, bobbing along the surface of the water. She can imagine the frogs inside, groaning and ribbiting in their little bubbly voices, and smiles.

It's homely, she realizes. Would anyone notice if she snuck a sleeping bag out here? Hmm... ]

Susato! This is just heavenly. [ A light light sparks with joy in her voice. ]

You need amaranths. I can help! They're these little perennials that can be harvested for vegetables... They're so sweet. Nutty, too! And they add such a beautiful pop of color. Like flags!

[ This is it. Her element. ]

Edited (that wasnt the icon i thought it was JGHKJDHG) 2022-06-01 22:21 (UTC)

[ Susato is glancing all around them. She's expecting Yumie or Ryuji at least to poke their heads out at the new voice, but all of them really are shy on the whole. She remembers how they hid even from her, at first. If asked, she would probably say that was the first time she would ever describe them as "cute."

Oh well. She can feel their eyes on her, but she continues allowing them to observe. It doesn't feel right, like she's taking credit for something Kazuma built, but she will beam at Aerith's comments anyway. What else can she do but... accept it? ]

That sounds like a wonderful addition. I have learned a lot from Mr 76, but I will still take all the help I can get, when it comes to the growing of our crops and flowers. [ Especially if it would help her help her father with the greenhouse...! ]

Did you have amaranth at your church as well as the lilies?

[ A new name to remember, she gathers. ] 76? [ A smiles teases at her lips. If she's using "Mr.", she wonders if 76 might just be a reference to his age as well, but it is a quip she keeps to herself, thankfully. Her fingerpads grace the very surface of the lilypads. It is a gentle touch, one she nearly doesn't allow herself. ]

Church? Nope. I grew them at my house. They're actually in season soon! They stick around until it gets too cold. You can make the most lovely baked goods with it. Sounds like something you could get some inspiration with... plus, they're beautiful.

[ If she focused on it, she could probably show Susato, in truth, but settled on the warm stone with all this life around her... she just wants to soak it all in. ]

You don't do it all yourself, then. So?

[ ...Soooo. ]

[ There were some weeks where it felt like she did it all herself, because boys are dumb, whether they're old and bitter or... young and bitter, and vengeful. She smiles pleasantly, however, thinking about what it would be like to see Aerith's church or house in a dreamscape.

But she understands what she's getting at. ]

So...? I am merely fulfilling my role as his assistant, even if it is not in the way I originally envisioned. Kazuma-sama put forth the idea and makes most of the decisions, but he takes a lot of guidance from Mr 76.

As do I.

[ The church is something sacred, a special place where the only other flowers in the slums bloom away from her home. That isn't the only reason it is special to her, however: Aerith would think of a man-sized hole in the ceiling where two different men have tumbled down into her life through, and she would think of her mother's withering voice outside in Midgar, among all those people for the first time, telling her gently about a holy place she wanted to see.

She never got to.

As Aerith stares out into the greenery of Wild Harvest, she thinks her mother would have liked this place, too. ]

This Kazuma guy fellow is efficient, isn't he? [ It's a beautiful place, she thinks, looking out into the landscape, beaming sunnily still. ] He found you both a good teacher.

Can I meet him? This 76 guy.

[ She thinks him a kindred spirit, in truth, someone who sees the value of life in a flower. ]

[ Wait until she gets to tell Aerith about how he can grow plants with dreamotion. Or maybe she could show her his little room, tucked away behind the wall of colorful jars, where he maintained his own private garden. She still has to tell her all about the Dawn flowers, but all that would come in due time. ]

Of course. You simply must meet both of them. We...

[ A brief pause. Suddenly Susato is overcome with memories of her friend Leia, and the way she would dash in and out of the kitchen, nearly dropping orders on multiple occasions. There is a nostalgic smile. ]

We're actually looking for a new waitress, you know.

[ That nostalgic twist in her smile is not lost on Aerith, who turns her head to look over to Susato. The long braid her hair has been twirled into dances in the breeze— idly, she wonders if it really qualifies as a breeze. It's gentle, just like Susato's voice. She's the sort of person everyone relies on, she thinks, but Aerith wonders how often people ask her how she's doing. ]

Really? [ Her voice quirks up in pitch and she turns to lean forward, hands balled into excited fists by her side. ]

Are you asking? If not, I'm asking!

[ ...Wow! That pose totally looks familiar!

Susato wasn't sure how Aerith would react, but seeing that shakes the wistful nostalgia right out of her--or maybe it was that breeeze. Susato actually laughs. If she wasn't asking before, she definitely is now. ]

Yes! If you are interested, I am definitely asking. The only other person I haven't told you about yet is our bartender, Miss Tifa.

[ The expression slips from her face as easily as ice cream melts. The mention of Tifa is enough to wind Aerith up, and immediately she's stepping forward, excited and a bit confused. ]

You know Tifa?

[ Of course, Aerith muses, looking aside to glance at the moon shaped fruits that had held her attention moments before. She can picture her cooking up a new cocktail easily, and then it strikes for the second time in a few precious moments just how homely this place is. She thinks of little Marlene, crying beneath the bar of Seventh Heaven, over the loss of her house.

A fond smile coaxes it's way onto Aerith's lips despite herself. ] She must really like this place.

[ There is a curious tilt of her head as Susato nods. Tifa has even told her about Seventh Heaven. Despite the glow of recognition on Aerith's face and the way she closes in on her, however, it doesn't occur to her immediately that they share a home world. After all, Tifa's name was broadcast to all of Reverein.

. . . Right along with her own. ]

She helped me a lot when the men couldn't be here.

[ A pause, and Susato laughs. ]

She makes for an excellent king.

[ Of course, Aerith remembers that. A little bloom of fondness in her eyes tattles on her, but she turns back to the moon fruit, thinking of Tifa. ]

She does! She's a great friend, too. [ We found you, she'd said. Aerith remembers it: that confident, caring smile that disarmed her immediately. Somehow, she thought, Tifa knew what she needed to hear. ]

I knew that she'd like it here. [ It's only a little louder than a whisper. Still, it's confident. ] She did the drink menu, didn't she?

[ Susato smiles her agreement, but even so, she can sense something behind Aerith's words. Almost like she knows more than she is letting on, and Susato normally doesn't like that feeling, but for now, she doesn't seem to mind it. ]

Mr 76 helps, I think. We tend to change things up from month to month. [ Food and drink both. Though this is all said dismissively at best. ] You seem to know a lot about her. Being from the same world is cheating, you know.

[ She speaks in jest, but then asks more seriously: ] How did you two meet?

Ooh. [ That's a delighted little hum from her. It reminds her of her favorite places in the slums, where the people in the kitchen care more about feeding people with good, hearty meals than just the pay. ]

No fair, Susato! You've been sharing the same world with Tifa for longer, I bet. [ Even if Aerith had a jumpstart on their friendship... maybe. Secrets, secrets. ]

How'd we meet? It's kind of a long story, honestly. I guess the easiest way to say it is I went after her.

[ Aerith definitely had a jumpstart! Unfair advantage! ...Didn't she?

Honestly, it's so hard to tell. They've only known each other for a couple days, and yet it feels like... if Aerith were to talk to anyone about Susato, she might give off the same vibe. She's starting to get the sense that she's just one of those people who worms her way into your heart, and then acts like she has always been there. ]

You went after her?

[ Forgive her for repeating. ]

Where? Why? [ SO MANY QUESTIONS. ]

Like I said, long story. [ How to make this concise? With her hands behind her back, Aerith speaks lightly as she turns to face Susato head on. ]

The short version is she was trying to get in somewhere but needed backup. So, I went after her. It was me, Tifa, and a friend. [ This is a very abridged version of their adventure in Wall Market and don corneo's mansion. Extremely so. ]

[ That's fair, though in Susato's defense, she rather enjoys long stories. Normally the ones she likes involve murder and intrigue, but she doesn't think she'll be disappointed by this one. ]

Well, perhaps someday I will be regaled with the long version by one of you. I'm sure she had a very good reason for wanting to get in.

[ . . . ]

One day, over a hot meal... and tea. [ Because this dork does not drink alcohol. ~~Yet.~~ ]

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back at it again at krispy kreme

just for a little longer...!

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