🌸 one | ota.

[everblooms]

Who ⬤ aerith and you!
What ⬤ substories! i'll also be using this post as a catch-all as the month goes on.
When ⬤ let's say early march. just to be spicily unfocused.
Where ⬤ i'll specify when necessary!
Content Warnings ⬤ i'll edit this to reflect anything, so please make sure to warn in subject lines if your character brings anything up for my own reference! ❤

as a note, if you'd like to plot something personalized, i'm more than happy to chat! you can hit me up with a PM, or message me over on plurk @ hagclub.

wicked on the weekend (night parade PREP, a)

[ It takes a great deal of wrestling with a young youkai with fish's head to wrench the weapon from his grip. It had been obvious immediately, and she's already seen some similar things confiscated. For what reason, she's admittedly not very sure, and as far as she's concerned, it's not really her business. He had been carrying a staff of some sort, an unwieldy thing that collapsed into itself when handed over at Aerith's eager, chipper behest. She only needs to look busy, so the smile she wears is perhaps a dead giveaway.

She holds it up, that woody looking staff that smells slightly of river water and fish scales, inspecting it at eye level. It's dark in color, looks a bit like a twig, but is much heavier than it looks. Her fingers ghost along what feels like hard plastic when...

Hopefully you dodged, because it snaps open, a terribly sharp blade angled directly for her partner's face. Perhaps you got saddled with her of your own volition, or you thought she needed help. Maybe her light hearted approach to the situation has caught your attention, because this isn't the first time she's done this.

She immediately hands the staff back, blade still out. The youkai practically preens in response. ]

I think he can keep it.

[ Her assessment is simple. Why not, really? Maybe he'll need it. She's very, very sure of this decision, and looks to her partner with her fists upon her hips. Do you agree? Argue? Or maybe you should convince her that the two of you need the staff. (She would not disagree.) ]

can i get another amen? (night parade prep, b)

[ A case, woven from fine bamboo, is shoved into your face. The lid nearly topples off, and hangs by the neck of a bottle. It's full of them— alcohol resides inside, and they clink together enchantingly from within their bamboo-y prison. They're practically glimmering with the reflection from the neon lights. ]

Special delivery from Tamamo!

[ Her voice comes before Aerith peeks her face out from behind the case, waiting. ]

We've got more drink where that came from.

[ She waits more, still. Cat got your tongue, or maybe the bottles are just too pretty? ]

...Take it! [ This is the place that was expecting a delivery of spiked juice? ]

it's saturday night (sweet jacket)

No. [ Shaking her head, she continues in a frank tone. ] I don't think it's your jacket.

[ Aerith has a basket dangling from her elbow, stuffed with decorative flowers. Across the bridge is more businesses, and part of the parade route. A problem had presented itself to the pair of you on your way to deliver more decorations in the form of a young man wearing a rather trendy looking jacket. It certainly looks like it's Shuten's speed, from Aerith's cursory glances around the territory.

The man is unready to admit defeat to her simple, matter-of-fact statement. He shakes his head in disbelief, but it's hard to miss the crestfallen glint in his eyes. Aerith feels a twinge of regret, but better to hear it than keep believing it. Right? ]

Aaaand my lovely assistant, [ She turns to you, smiling cheekily. ] can explain to you why, can't you?

[ Her green gaze flicks to the river, where the water soaked visage of a goddess glowers at the trio of them. She gets the feeling she might have to run across this particular bridge from now on, if only by association...

Leaning in, Aerith whispers: ] Psst! Break it to him gently.

wildcard (closed prompts)

[ my ooc intro is here if you wanna plot something out more specific. i'm always happy to write a starter if someone contacts me for one, too! on the other hand, if you prefer to use my post, you're totally welcome to use this for a wildcard open. i'm also only a PM away, or contactable on plurk, listed above!

locked to nia. ]

Comments

[everblooms]

[ In kind, Aerith deflates just as much, shoulders slumping. Still, there's a glimmer of bright stubbornness in her gaze and tone, and she moves in such a way that it's clear her hands would be on her hips if they were free. ]

I'm not some delicate flower you're going to crush, Six. Trouble or not, you're acting like a giant baby. Something's on your mind.

[ Walking toward him, she eagerly shoves herself into his personal bubble, gaze narrowed and suspicious. He wants to wiggle out of her grasp, but Six is in her domain. A knowing sort of smile crosses her expression as quickly as a stone skips across water; she won't let him wiggle away. ]

Is it about the mask? You're not getting it back till you leave. Sorry! I haven't gotten sick of that cute little beauty mark on your face yet.

[ She can't help herself. ]

But, really. [ Leaning back just a bit, she still holds the futon captive in her arms. How she's managing all this without dropping it must be a testament to how much she's carried in recent weeks. ] Talk to me. I can take it.

[wray]

[ it's always so difficult to let someone in. a part of it is because six doesn't think he's worth the trouble, that he isn't all that important. he's sure aerith has far more important things to concern herself over so he'd rather not add to it when it's something he can handle by himself. if you count ignoring the problem and pretending it doesn't exist as a valid way to handle it, that is.

he makes himself focus on helping aerith set the futon down. this way, at least his hands are keeping busy, his mind isn't zeroing in on the many shadowy shapes now scattered all around this tiny apartment. they occupy the space that aerith has made for herself, dragging in a negativity that doesn't quite belong.

it's easy enough to tell just how bothered he is by what's going on when he barely reacts to aerith pointing out his beauty mark. ]

I... [ with his hands holding onto the futon, he waits until the other relaxes her grip before he tries to set it down himself. ] I think it's an effect from the drug, but I see things that I know aren't there. They're telling me things I already know, so I'm trying not to listen.

[ what he doesn't say is how much harder that is to do, given the way their voices are slowly growing louder. ]

I'm sure they'll go away once the drug has worn off.

[everblooms]

[ The futon is rolled out, and Aerith fusses with it so that it's perfect. The pair of them accomplish his much, and she laughs a little over it. ]

Maybe so! [ Her quip is accented by the knowing smile she gives him, looking up at Six through long, brown bangs. What he describes to her is not new to Aerith in any capacity, as a person who has spent her whole life sensing what isn't physically there. Life, in truth, always finds her: For that reason, she only gives him a smile, sympathetic in it's ghostly corners.

His voice carries notes of sadness, a haunting sound that she'll remember for her whole life. There is a great deal of him that is a mystery to her, she realizes. How much of it will require taking down walls, brick by brick? ]

But what are these things, Six? [ He says he already knows them, offers it up on a silver platter for her to dissect. Aerith's brows furrow in concern, though the smile is still in place. This is, she hopes, a safe place to him. She holds no judgement in her voice. ]

[wray]

Things that...

[ his voice trails off, because he was just about to say that they're things aerith shouldn't have to worry about, and he knows that she'll just call him a baby over that again. he wonders what's the simplest way he can describe it. maybe just repeating what these shadows are telling him will be enough. being honest always sounds like the easiest solution, and yet somehow the most difficult to follow through with.

he sighs quietly, gaze lowered to focus on the floor rather than her bright eyes. something tells him that she'd just see through everything if he tries to lie. ]

Things that I already know. That I'm a monster, for one thing. That I should have never been born. [ when he explains, his voice doesn't waver, as if he's recounted this more than enough times. ] What I see resembles the ones whose lives I've taken away from them so I suppose they're not too happy with me.

[ he talks about it like it's just any old story, and not one where he admits to committing murder. ]

[everblooms]

[ The simplicity of his words is not lost on her. This is a fact about himself that he has accepted, one that he cannot shake. He agrees with them. There's a twist in her gut for a moment, and no longer than that, because while Six is someone she considers a very good, dear friend already, it's his burden to make peace with. There's only so much Aerith can do— and right now, the best she can offer him is getting to know him. ]

Hmm... [ He looks away, but Aerith can't have any of that. Getting onto all fours, she shimmies closer so she can try and peer up into his eyes; those pretty pink eyes she's so curious about. You know, the longer she looks... the more she thinks of a guy who definitely doesn't like her. Finally, Aerith rests with her knees pulled up to her chest when she responds. ]

Back home, I know this guy. He's not bad, he really isn't. [ Rude definitely isn't, and Reno probably isn't, either. There's a difference between the hand and the heart in matters of the government. ] He told me once, "You're right. I'm not a bad guy, but sometimes, I have to do bad things."

[ That distinction is important to her, apparently. The heart of a person can never change, and if there's goodness in someone, she'll always find it. She wants to see it grow, and overtake all the pain in their life. ]

Those things you're seeing, Six? They're there because you think they should be.

[ A beat. ] Well, we all feel guilty. But, in the end, what we choose to do means more than what we have to do. And... maybe it sounds a little silly, but... I don't think you're a bad guy.

[ The smile she gives him is genuine, just like always. ]

So, maybe you won't remember it, but for every one that tells you you're a monster, I'll be here. To remind you of the things you want to do. Okay?

[wray]

[ aerith gets right up at this face all of a sudden that six struggles to remain upright. it catches him by surprise because he didn't expect that she would get so close to him like this, but that's why it makes little to no sense when he tries to follow after her once she pulls away. he stays put, right where he is, and looks down again.

she says that she'll remind him that he isn't a monster but he wonders if he is truly worth the trouble. ]

I've killed innocent people, you know? Children... their parents... [ when he tries to exhale, it comes out like a strangled noise. ] To be honest, there's someone here from my clan whose entire family I slaughtered. He is a constant reminder of what I've done.

[ there's more to the story that he isn't saying. they are pieces of it that he's still trying to make sense of, because he's only just learned about it before waking up here in this place. he tries to piece together what he can remember. ]

He told me that my father made me drink something as part of our clan's rite of passage. My father thought it would make the clan accept me, if I managed to surpass its effects, but in the end...

[ that's why they're all dead. that's why their blood is on six's hands.

he stares down at open palms, a quiet, forlorn look on his face. ]

With my own hands... [ defeated, he whispers quietly. ] I don't know how I'll ever make up for it.

[everblooms]

[ This is a complex subject, death. She listens to him; truthfully, Six could not choose a better person to confess these sins to. A white mage, with ties to the very life force of the planet, born from a lineage of wandering healers who split earth and stone to spread fertility into the soil like cutting open the planet's soul and feeding it medicine by hand. Assassination is a hard topic, one that perhaps she will never fully be able to explain her thoughts on. Everyone dies, though, and we all make choices that bring us closer to our demise every day. For that reason, as Six takes his confessional with the priest on duty, she wears a mask of placidity. He had already told her he killed. This changes little of her opinion of him.

She sees the anguish, though, under the layers and layers of healed scarring in his voice. ]

You can't.

[ Her voice is a breeze. She believes fully that Six, just like her, is more tied to life and death than he realizes. He can feel the anguish of those souls, still. Their lives are still sitting with him, all this time later. ]

They can't forgive you anymore. You took that from yourself. [ There is no point in coddling him, but is equally pointless to lie and tell him that he could make up for it in some way. He knows what he's lost, and that truth is something Six has lived every day. This is what he's built up in his mind. Brick by brick, he has built this wall to cage himself in from the reality of his existence. The fact he is still, despite all the agony and bloodshed, still going. Aerith cares little for the idea of taking a metaphorical hammer to this brick wall; if this is the reality he wants for himself, she'll let him have it. But she won't let herself live by it. ]

So, the only thing you can do is live. Not just for yourself, but the people who love you. We have to take care of them and the memories we make by their sides. They're precious. [ Looking at him calmly, she thinks to raise her hand to his face. To cup his cheek, gently— but she doesn't. Aerith doesn't dare cross that line, not with him like this. ] ...Those people won't leave you. So, treat them well. You're their legacy.

[ You can leave it as a sad one, she supposes. No one would blame him for it. She thinks, however, it takes more courage to pull yourself up and live. ]

[wray]

[ what aerith says isn't entirely new to him. these are things he has already told himself countless times in many different ways, but it's the first time that hearing this from someone else has a profound effect on him. there is nothing to hide the expression on his face: a troubled look, brows furrowed and lilac eyes filled with nothing but guilt and regret. he can only manage to level his gaze with aerith's for a few moments longer before he has to look away again.

it really does feel like she's just capable of exposing all his secrets, but what's more surprising is the fact that he doesn't mind. he doesn't feel any better for confessing his sins to someone else, and yet he can't deny the weight on his shoulders feel a tiny bit lighter. it's not enough to completely free him from what weighs him down, but... it'll have to do for now. ]

I'm afraid I can't promise anything concrete right now, but—

[ after all, nehan is still here. nehan exists in this world and he has claimed that he wants six to suffer. six is willing to give him that and more.

still, his voice doesn't waver when he continues to speak. ]

... I'll try.

[ he'll try to live for the sake of those who care for him. he'll try to take it day by day. it's the most he can offer for now, so he can only hope aerith is alright with it. ]

[everblooms]

[ She's hardly surprised by this. His voice wears persistence in such a way that she thinks he means it when he says he'll try. There is something terribly real and sincere and vulnerable about his person in this moment; he feels small. Of course, Six isn't small by any means.

She makes a noise of approval, smiling, and nods her head in agreement. ]

Right. You will.

[ She knows better than to expect anything more than small steps, but as long as they're steps forward, she knows it can be done. Suddenly, she shuffles aside, settling down next to the head of the futon, and pats the pillow she's set out lightly. Something like strawberries and fresh soil wafts from it, not unlike Aerith's own natural scent. ]

You know, guys always try to hide their feelings! I'll never get it. You feel way better now, don't you?

[wray]

[ they haven't known each other for that long and yet aerith has managed to lure this out of six. she just has that sort of effect on him, he supposes. not that it's a bad thing, but it's mildly terrifying in a way. he makes a mental note to himself: never get on aerith's bad side.

he does as he's encouraged to do, settling his head on the pillow. this leads him to look up at her while he's lying down. ]

I guess—? I don't feel any different...

[ the shadowy shapes are still there. they're still saying the same things, but— he's lying a tiny bit. his chest feels lighter, no longer close to suffocating like he was earlier on. ]

Is this really necessary?

[ for him to sleep, that is. ]

[everblooms]

[ A fair question he poses, she thinks. Arguably, it isn't the best idea. She gives him a thoughtful stare before tilting her head, miming a shrug. ]

You wanna stay awake?

[ She won't stop him; there's a great deal she'd love to share with Six in her apartment. Still, she thinks that it's better to sleep off any effects before risking him getting worse off. ]

casually wraps this up?!

[wray]

... Fine.

[ as it is, six has no energy to spare just to argue with her. he simply takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. maybe later on, when he wakes up again, the two of them can talk about how aerith managed to make this place feel like home.

nightmares don't visit him when he finally falls asleep. ]