Post by ladylionhart on Oct 16, 2012 3:29:25 GMT -5
Audition - Aerith Gainsborough
OOC Notes: Hi there! I just wanted to say that I based this scene on the part where the group has arrived at Cosmo Canyon, and they sit around the bonfire. I haven't played the game in a while, so any mistakes/inconsistencies is because of that - for example, I couldn't exactly remember who you've already met by then.. But I'm pretty sure I have it right.
Also, English is not my first language, so please excuse any grammar/punctuation/vocabulary mistakes I may have made. I always try very hard not to let these things happen, but I'm not perfect.
Finally, I've never roleplayed as Aerith, and this was my first shot at writing her. So I hope its good!
~ ❤ ~
The great bowl of the sky seemed even larger and deeper from here – as though it spanned even farther than usual into the endless horizons of fading pink and orange. The first spattering of stars was starting to wink from their swathe of inky-blue heavens, beckoning her glance to study them. How bright they were! She’d never seen a sky like this before… It was as though she might reach out and scatter the stars with her fingertips; that’s how close they were – as though she could taste the strawberry-red sunset...
To think that once upon a time, she had been so afraid of the sky! A soft chuckle escaped the young woman’s lips as she slowly shook her head at herself. That she’d been afraid was … silly – but, she still felt as though it might swallow her up. Not because she was still afraid of it, but because it was more beautiful than a thousand lilies… Who wouldn’t want to fall into such a magical ocean of sky? It was impossible not to be drawn and mesmerized by its glory.
Aerith felt a tiny smile tug at her lips. If only Zack could see her now… Sitting here, amongst friends – new friends! – under an open sky, atop a canyon. She was sure that he’d be proud… and that playful smile of his would grace his lips as he would tease her about her ungrounded fears of the past. The young woman’s eyes dropped down to her lap, where her staff was resting safely against her right leg. What would he think about the fact that she was now carrying a staff around? Aerith grinned to herself, her green eyes again returning to the heavens.
Zack… I miss you.
She could feel the sting of tears at the back of her eyes, but she didn’t cry. There was no reason to be unhappy – not when she was on this journey more amazing than she could ever have imagined. Of course, there were dangers… but her friends were there to protect her.
Aerith turned her gaze so that it fell upon Yuffie, whom was sitting at right side. The girl was half-asleep, clutching a glowing orb of materia protectively against her chest. Aerith couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled from her lips. Yuffie was an endless source of entertainment and peculiarity to Aerith – she’d never met anyone like the little ninja before. But, besides the many laughs that the young girl could bring to their party of misfits – Aerith held a deep-rooted sense of admiration towards her. She was a warrior, and worthy of respect.
Then, Aerith’s gaze shifted towards Cait Sith – the large moogle doll was off to one side, and only the talking ‘cat’ was curled up next to the fire. Aerith truly didn’t know what to think about Cait – or, the person behind the weird little doll. She sometimes felt as though the ‘cat’ had a personality of its own – why else would it switch between accents like it did? Even so, she couldn’t help but feel a little mistrusting towards whoever was manipulating the strings behind the scenes, so to speak. They were from Shinra – that in itself was enough reason for mistrust. And, they had already once betrayed the small group of Avalanche members.
Next was Barret. Aerith smiled – inwardly, she always thought of Barret as a bear. Protective and terrifying when the need-be, but also surprisingly warm and caring towards the ones he loves. Perhaps he didn’t have the best leadership abilities, but Aerith thought that that depended on how you looked at it. Sure, he was a hot-head, but underneath that cold exterior was a big heart – where all of them, each one of their little band of misfits, could fit in. She was sure of it. And besides that, he was brave and strong beyond anything that Aerith had ever witnessed. There was no ‘holding back’ with Barret – it was all or nothing – and she respected him greatly for that.
Lastly, Aerith let her green eyes drift to the brunette at her left. Tifa… Perhaps the one who had gotten closest to Aerith’s heart out of all of her new friends. There was just something about the other young woman that brought a sense of hope to Aerith – maybe it was because Tifa was, in a lot of ways, the glue that kept all of them together – but it was also more than that. She was kinder, and more warm-hearted than anyone the Cetra had ever known. There was nothing that Tifa wouldn’t do for her friends… she was brave and loyal beyond words. She was an inspiration to all of them. And she was like the sister that Aerith had never had.
Again, the sting of tears tickled at the back of the Cetra’s eyes – but they were tears of joy. She was so blessed to have found these people, to have made these wonderful friends… to be on this amazing journey.
“Aerith? Are you alright?”
Cloud.
Aerith looked up, the silhouette of her spikey-haired friend filling her gaze. Red was at his side, watching Aerith with his one amber eye. They must have just returned from their talk with Red’s grandfather.
“I… am more than alright,” she answered with a half-smile, but her heart felt as though it might burst with the sudden whirlwind of emotions. She patted the ground beside her, a silent invitation for Cloud to sit down beside her. He did.
Aerith could hardly spare him a glance for fear of letting her tears finally spill from her eyes. The way he walked… how he talked… how he sometimes tipped his head to look at her…. It reminded her so much… too much… of Zack. Especially on nights like these, when the black-haired SOLDIER had already been on her mind.
“You know that I… that we’re here for you.. Right, Aerith?” Cloud murmured, so that only Aerith could hear what he said. She didn’t miss the correction in his sentence. How could she, when she studied his every detail, listened intently to his every word… hoping to perhaps catch another glimpse of the one she really wished to see.
“I know,” she replied, letting her green eyes finally settle upon his face, her trade-mark smile upon her rosy lips. Slowly, she reached over to pat his hand.
“Thank you… for everything. I am just a little… nostalgic tonight.”
~ ❤ ~