(Untitled)

[revenio]

Who: Aerith, Lapis WEAPON
Status: Closed
When: About 6:00AM
Where: Seventh Heaven and right outside it.
What: Aerith wakes up and isn't in the best of moods.

Comments

[epitaph_weapon]

It had woken up feeling far more refreshed than before, and had long ago slipped out of Cloud’s shop and began to wander the streets again. The return of the rain didn’t bother it, and the WEAPON found it a comforting gesture as each drop continued to fall down onto the Planet. It had walked aimlessly to begin with, first scouting around the area that it had previously been held captive in, before wandering out further into the city.

The water splashed beneath each footfall, but the dragon held no care, for it was more than well aware of the fact that no human would be out to spot it - not with this weather. It was why the creature found itself walking out from the alleyway without a care as the bar finally came into sight. Slowing down to a stop on the alleyway’s edge, the WEAPON sat itself down on the ground while its head rose up to glance at the building that currently housed the Cetra.

[revenio]

Rain had a tendency to make people lose themselves in their thoughts. Either the water itself or the constant sound of the rain hitting the roof made it very easy to drift away. Aerith began to plan her day in her mind. Maybe talk to Tifa first--she knew the woman would be able to understand her a little better than Barret would when it came to her concern over how the remaining members of AVALANCHE would react to her resurrection. Cloud's reaction alone, while expected, worried her...

Leaning against the side of the window, Aerith closed her eyes for a moment. They felt heavy. Getting more sleep sounded nice, but she doubted she could. It was too easy an escape. Opening her eyes, she fixed the blanket around her shoulders, and glanced out the window once more.

This time, there was something else there in the rain. She froze before she recognized the shape. It was the dragon. Unsure what to do (especially after last night), she cautiously raised a hand--and gave a tiny wave. And hoped Cloud wasn't around.

[epitaph_weapon]

Dragging its gaze over the building in front of it, the WEAPON found its attention drifting up to the window where another stood. Recognition flashed through the beasts red eyes as it rumbled off a small growl in response to the Cetra. Pushing itself up to stand, the dragon took a few steps further out onto the streets before its attention swayed over towards the building just opposite her window.

Within the next moment it was off. Muscles flexing without strain, the dragon effortlessly climbed up the side of the wall before disappearing onto the rooftop of the adjacent building. Walking over to the edge, it leapt effortlessly over to the side of the outside wall of Tifa’s bar. Claws digging into the area, it skilfully began to climb the surface just as it would any other and made its way over towards the window it had seen the Cetra.

Poking its head down from the top of the window pane, curious crimson eyes gazed into the room as it gave an inquisitive rumble in response.

[revenio]

Aerith made a sound of surprise when the dragon was in motion. Her fear was not that it was coming closer, but that the others would hear the commotion and wake up. She physically winced as it left considerable marks on the outside of the bar. How was she supposed to explain that to Tifa?

"Shh!" Aerith said, raising a finger to her lips, fully aware the creature might not understand or hear it. Pausing, she listened. The bar was still quiet, as far as she could tell.

The dragon was just another thing to worry about. "Stay. I'll go outside," she said, not finding it odd at all that she was speaking to some strange thing or that she was about to go out into the rain to... apparently talk to it more.

Tightening the blanket around her once more, Aerith quickly and quietly made her way away from the window, through the bar, and to the front door.

[epitaph_weapon]

When the figure on the other side of the window moved, it tilted its head to one side in confusion before they disappeared. Sounding a slight noise of distress at their disappearance, the WEAPON whined softly before sensing movement within the bar. It was instantly on the move after that, and clawed its way along the side of the building until it got to the very edge.

Peering around the corner, it looked around a few times before its attention was stolen by the opening door. Stepping around the side of the building, it clung there for a few more moments before leaping down from its side and landing down on the pavement with a loud thud. Water splashing everywhere from the effort, it shook its frame to relax its muscles before it half circled on the spot to face the front door.

[revenio]

Having made it outside without incident, Aerith quickly shut the front door and braced herself against the cold. It did occur to her that going out to the cold when her body was still adjusting to her own pulse was probably not a good idea, but she wanted to see how the creature was. It didn't occur to her that it wasn't wise to go outside alone, though. She felt that the dragon wouldn't harm her, even after its reaction to Cloud.

Lifting the blanket over her head, Aerith took a few steps forward, watching the dragon carefully. It had been there when she and Zack had found themselves alive again. It had to hold some answers, capable of speech or not.

"I guess you don't mind the rain," she said lightly, glad it had decided to visit under the cover of the showers. "You still need to be quiet, though! If you're much louder, everyone is going to wake up." And that would not be the ideal situation.

[epitaph_weapon]

Lowering the front of its body down, its long neck drooped down to almost touching the floor as it chortled and watched the Cetra pull the blanket over her head. Feeling the rain against its scales, the WEAPON’s stance returned to normal a few moments afterwards as those soft words slipped past the rain. Tilting its head and then back again, it looked up into the cloudy sky shortly before its attention dropped back down onto Aerith.

The words weren’t understood, and instead, the dragon closed the remaining distance between them and moved to position itself beside the Cetra. Pushing itself up to stand on its hind legs, it stretched out its left wing to cover her from the rain as its head craned around to regard Aerith’s profile.

Their scent was heavy on the air, and the calming sense of the Ancients caused the dragon to move its snout in closer as it went to smell the blanket covering her shoulder.

[revenio]

For a moment, Aerith's heart stopped. But her instinct was correct. It meant no harm, and Aerith was amazed to see it shielding her from the rain. Her face brightened. "Thank you," she said, not minding that the words weren't understood. She meant them.

"You don't mean any harm, do you?" It had also accompanied she and Zack to the bar during the storm. It had only shown aggressiveness when Zack looked ready to attack and when it had seen Cloud. "Cloud just... I don't know. I wish I did."

Slowly, Aerith held out a hand to the creature's snout. "I wish you could help us figure this out."

[epitaph_weapon]

Rumbling a soft series of grunts, the WEAPON keenly observed the change in mood as the Cetra’s face brightened. It wasn’t certain what had caused such a reaction, and the creature simply didn’t care either. As the words continued to come out, its eyes focused on the tune of their sound, but found them far too quick to pick up anything familiar.

Switching its attention as the hand rose up, its gaze dropped down to the offered limb before it turned the direction of its snout over towards the palm of her hand. Pressing its nose up against the soft flesh, it inhaled a number of deep breaths while its strong sense of smell found the same scent as the Cetra. That was no surprise to the WEAPON for it had known it would be there.

Its warm breath blew out across the delicate hand as it exhaled, and shortly afterwards it pulled its head back as it quietly observed Aerith.

[revenio]

Aerith laughed a little at the feeling of the creature's snout against her palm. It tickled, and it was an odd sensation that she hadn't felt in ages. The lifestream was an plane of mind, not body. The creature felt different and foreign under her hand, but gentle and non-threatening all the same.

She kept eye contact with it, green eyes meeting red. She tried to figure out why Cloud had reacted so strongly to it, and why it had to him--though that was a little easier to hypothesize.

Aerith puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. If only it could speak! She didn't like the uncertainty. If anything, in her previous life, she had been certain. She knew her task. It was hers, and hers alone. The planet let her know what to do. This time, there was nothing. And she hated not having any answers for her friends.

[epitaph_weapon]

Chortling softly, the sound tapered off into silence as it caught the sense of frustration in the air. It remained observing Aerith for a few moments longer, before it lowered its head and nudges the side of her shoulder a few times. Stretching out the extended wing slightly in response, it released a long and drawn out rumble.

Rising its head up just far enough past her shoulder, it moved to rest its chin on top of the area while its glinting gaze watched the Cetra intently.

Protect.

[revenio]

"Hm?" Aerith snapped out of her thoughts as the creature nudged her. It movements seemed comforting, intentional or not. She reached out a hand to rest it on the dragon's head, carefully petting it like one might a chocobo. She smiled. If anything, it seemed she had gained a new ally out of all of the madness.

And then it hit her, stronger than it had before in the church. Protect.

"No, you aren't here to harm us... you're... looking out for me, aren't you?" If that were indeed the case, she didn't know what to think. Protect her from what?

[epitaph_weapon]

There was no sense of understanding the words Aerith spoke, but the same sense of protection was continually emitting from out of the WEAPON as it watched her. Eventually its outstretched wing had no choice but to fold back up against its side as it pulled back unable to maintain that balance any longer. Falling back down onto the ground, the creature shook its body slightly to relax its muscles before its attention returned back onto the Cetra.

As the morning rain continued to shower down around them, the dragon growled softly in the back of its throat while it began to butt his head against her thigh - urging her to return back under cover.

[revenio]

The feeling of rain on the already damp blanket made Aerith shiver. But knowing that this creature was on her side made her feel better--she still wasn't sure what it was, or why it wanted to protect her, but she didn't have a place to find those answers just yet.

"Hey, I know, I know. Probably not a good idea to stay out here and catch a cold." Aerith took a step back towards the bar, glancing at it and almost expecting to see someone gaping at the sight of her with the dragon. "So... I'll be going now."

She paused in mid turn. "Umm... you should probably go for now, too. Go on," she made a weak, feeble flapping motion with her arms. She wasn't just going to leave it standing outside of the bar.

[epitaph_weapon]

Watching quietly as Aerith returned back into the bar, the WEAPON remained where it was until there was a hand gesturing towards it. Tilting its head to one side in curiosity, it sounded a soft chortled rumble before taking one step, and then another, back and away from the Cetra. Within the next moment the dragon was off and disappeared back around the corner, before slipping down the alleyway it had originally come from.

[revenio]

Once in, Aerith peeked back outside. The rain made seeing difficult, but the dragon had gone, and with it whatever momentary calm had replaced Aerith's worries.

Returning to the bedroom, Aerith draped the wet blanket over a chair and let herself fall back onto the bed. She didn't fall back asleep, but imagining where her new friend had gone off to was something better than worrying.