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(( aerith gainsborough | special guest 🌸 ))

[ Her fifteen minutes of fame were over, almost as soon as it'd begun. No longer princess, but she felt like she was floating on a cloud. "You look lighter already!" Aerith's cheerful voice rings out. Susato could still hear it, and she could still feel the way the yellow lily felt in her hands, when she was trying to decide whether she would even gift it to him. How would she even find the words to explain...?

Turns out, when the time came, she just knew.

Doesn't take long to find Aerith's page. She's flipped past it enough times lately. ]

If you are still here to read this, thank you.

[ That's it. That's the message. ]

[ Perhaps of most interest to Susato is the fact Aerith's response splashes across the page at all, exuberant and curious as ever. She draws a little daisy in the corner, as if that's any kind of a greeting. ]

who, me? ma~~~~ybe.
so, any chance you'll fill me in on it? it being... you know!

Do I?

[ She doesn't kiss and tell, Aerith! (But then why contact her at all...?) Susato's face does seem to light up, however, seeing her response, especially the daisy. Susato is no artist, but she will happily draw a smiley face to follow, and below that, her best approximation of a lily.

She gives it a splash of yellow color, resulting in a water-colored look, and around it, she draws little lines like a child would draw around a sun. Did you know your lilies glow, Aerith? ]

[ They do not... back home, she notes. She immediately clues into what Susato is communicating here— so then the question is... ]

o~~~h. which one of you made it glow?

[ The lily is surrounded by a flurry of question marks. It's cheeky, because she already seems to know that, if she's doodling it as vibrantly as the sun, it's associated with a fond memory. She's not a conceited person— Aerith doubts it's just the fact she gave it to Susato that makes it special. What's the tea, sis?? ]

[ A collaborated effort... or so she assumes. She would rather believe it was all because of Kazuma, because maybe that would mean that he's finally happy, but there's no way to know for sure. Maybe it was just her, and the lily became an extension of the hairpin he gave her, which worked the same way. Maybe this place has finally made her go mad.

If she could shrug, she would. It's worth mentioning too that the other flowers also glowed as part of the show, before they exploded and rained light all over the field. But they weren't important.

VERY HELPFULLY, Susato will add to the question marks around the lily. ]

Dreams are strange, aren't they? Maybe I haven't woken up yet.

[ The amount of information she gleans is... negative. She's still where she started. Their collaborative art project stares back at Aerith for a moment before she replies. Susato may not be able to see it, but her expression puckers before she writes back in long, sweeping strikes. ]

😕
i'll pinch you! then we'll know.
but it's more like you went on a dream date. that's it, isnt it?

[ She has to let out a soft laugh at the thought of being pinched, but oh no! That face! Now it feels more like a threat.

If she is totally honest, the entire experience felt more like a three-day long date, but she's too bashful to admit it. ]

We watched the flowerworks

And I did it. I gave him the lily

[ It's not a threat— it's a promise! And Aerith's promises are always painful. ]

i knew you would.

[ They always do, she muses. No one actually takes the lily without doing it. ]

hmm... sounds like i should charge you! 😇
the price? all the details! howd he react?

[ If Susato were forced to explain this in person, she might have let out a curse, and felt really bad about it. As it is, she's kind of thankful for the journal as a filter, and the opportunity to gather her ridiculous thoughts.

Not that it's helping much at the moment. Her pen seems to move furiously, almost on its own. ]

Aerith I was terrified! Do you know, I almost didn't tell him anything about what you said

[ Lovers. Reunion. None of it. ]

but then there's no way he would have understood and I don't know

[ What came over her, anyway? Too bad none of this actually answers Aerith's question, but she continues anyway, ]

I thought he deserved more than just a flower

[ Aerith has no idea, but there's another universe where she heard Susato curse; it's a good thing she doesn't know. Jealousy is unbecoming, you know! ]

i almost thought you wouldnt, susato! you were really torn up about it

a flower isnt just a flower. they communicate something. to us, to each other
theyre very important
your flower helped you convey your feelings. you should thank it!

but hm, more than just a flower, huh

[ Something more... like you? She's teasing, she's teasing. ]

[ Unfortunately (?) the teasing goes over her head for the moment. She's still frowning, though. Speaking of feeling bad: ]

That's not what I meant. They're obviously important. I just don't think he would have known how important without a little help Words are important too

[ Communication...

Though now she's wondering how Aerith would expect her to thank a flower. She is thanking Aerith, doesn't that count? ]

[ Such sweet words, Aerith thinks, are only something you can say when you know someone is dear to you. It's true, she thinks: that's why Aerith wrote to Zack. It's why she felt so lost when he never replied. ]

guess you're right about that.
so? what did he communicate back?

[ It takes a while before Susato responds. Perhaps someday, she'll tell Aerith what Kazuma actually said, but for now, she selfishly wants to keep it between just them. Maybe at least until they have a better idea what this all means.

Aerith shouldn't be disappointed with the abridged version regardless. ]

He hugged me So

[ The pause, however unintentional, perfectly mirrors that moment in between, where neither of them seemed to know what to do or say next. What was he feeling then? Could he even see her?

Susato made sure he did. ]

I kissed him

[ It's so terribly girlish, the way she explains it. Sweet, short, sincere. She's right; Aerith isn't disappointed by what she's given at all. Inwardly, she thinks to herself it might be a bit much a bit fast, but if it works for them...? Perhaps this has been a long, on-going thing.

Maybe Susato has been waiting a long time in her own right. ]

that's great!!!
see? you followed your heart. and he reciprocated, didnt he?

[ Six months since waking up here in Reverein, give or take. Six months she's been dancing around like this, knowing yet not knowing. Probably feels like a lot longer, though. And let's not get into Kazuma and his baggage he's had to carry all alone for years. ]

He did

[ How can she feel so embarrassed and yet still regret nothing? Thank god for the journals, yet again. ]

I'm still waiting for you to pinch me.

[ About this being over journals... ]

where are you?

[ She's totally willing to pinch Susato. Eager to, in fact— it's fun seeing her, but she also thinks she's missing out a little bit by not seeing her right now. Is there anything cuter than a friend blushing? ]

[ . . . ]

The Wild Harvest

[ Which is... technically! Not a lie. (It's Kazuma's house.) She wonders if word of mouth about their restaurant has reached Aerith, and whether or not they did a good enough job between the three of them, passing out the cookies. Her, Kazuma, and Solider 76.

Either way... ]

We were closed for the festival, but I could show you?

[ Hard work doesn't go unnoticed by Aerith. It had been a quaint way of drumming up interests, and things like cookies aren't all that common in the slums. People get by, doing what they can to survive. It's the sort of life that bleeds you dry. Still, she misses it. (The sky, in truth, haunts her a little here.) ]

i think i remember some cookies being handed out with that name on them. was that you?!
i'll be right over. i could help you open up if you like!

Guilty ☀ But don't worry, we won't be open yet. Consider it a private tour of sorts. Here:

[ What follows is a quickly-drawn, yet accurate map of the Residential Area, even taking into account all of Reverein's changes this month. The Wild Harvest is marked with a yellow sun and some arrows. She has no idea where Aerith is, but hopefully that helps! ]

By the way, are you afraid of snakes?

[ Ooh, thinks Aerith, gathering up her journal and moving immediately. A private tour of a local restaurant. Susato sure knows how to sell something. ]

got it, give me two shakes!
as for snakes... well, it's me they should be afraid of 👊
do you keep one as a pet?

[ AERITH, PLEASE DON'T PUNCH HER FRIENDS THE SNEKS...

Susato laughs, before committing pen to journal again. ]

We have a few in our garden. They don't bite. [ ...Well, unless you threaten or try to hurt Kazuma. (Or herself...? But definitely Kazuma.) Please don't do that either. ]

[ A promise will be made that no snakes were harmed in Aerith's presence, by her hand or another's. ]

pest control! you must have really nice tomatoes thanks to their full bellies
can i see your garden?
wait sorry i'm leaving now

[ Indeed, about fifteen minutes later, Susato will hear a familiar voice calling out from outside The Wild Harvest. ]

Hello? Anyone home? Maybe I should have tried a back door...

[ Of course she can see the garden. That's part of the tour!

She'll quickly fire off a message to acknowledge as such, but immediately she'll realize that she is not ready for... well, anything. She looks down at herself, but then shakes her head, moving as if she's running late for school. ]

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