(Untitled)

[forever_last]

Who: Vincent Valentine & Aerith Gainsborough
When: A few short hours after Vincent speaks with Sephiroth.
Where: Her church.
Rating: G, more than likely.
Summary: Vincent goes for a walk around the town/city and ends up at the church. Deep in his thoughts he doesn't think of who he possibly may run into, and thusly does just that.

Comments

[onegil]

In all honesty, Aerith had needed a break. She needed to get away if it were even possible, and no matter how much she wanted to avoid it the church was where she ended up time and time again. Thinking back on everything wasn't doing her any good here, though. She still hadn't spoken to Tseng since... that, Cloud was still away, and where would she even get started on her forever-missing Holy materia? There was too much to handle at once.

Sighing to the empty church, the flower girl was on her way out the doors when suddenly they opened in front of her. "Oh!" And Vincent Valentine was the last person she expected to see standing before her, towering as he always did because gods he was too tall and she felt a little too short next to him. "Vincent!" But she greeted him with a smile nonetheless, more out of habit than anything. Without a smile, she just didn't feel right.

"So you aren't avoiding me. I'm relieved."

[forever_last]

Vincent does a good job not telegraphing the surprise he felt at seeing Aerith's smiling face looking up at him. Well then, this was certainly not something he had been expecting. How foolish of him to not keep in mind that the flower girl would likely be in this sort of place at any given time.

"I have no reason to do so." He replies, the ribbon he wore in her memory tied snugly around his arm. Out of all of them, he may have the least amount of reasons to avoid her.

That's what made him want to keep to himself even more.

[onegil]

"Hm, but it didn't sound like you wanted to be found," she continued, hands folding together behind her back. Things were simpler when she could tease and joke, because then nobody asked questions. Out of all of AVALANCHE, she supposed Vincent was the least likely to search out her troubles and might have understood the best what she felt at times.

Aerith leaned to the side a little, peeking around him to make sure nobody had come with him. "Alone?" It didn't need to be asked, she'd seen for herself, and she straightened back up as the smile dipped from her lips. "I guess it's expected." Her gaze was drawn to the ribbon he wore and she almost reached out to touch it, but restrained and instead looked back up at him with curiosity.

"What's that for?"

[forever_last]

Expected and assumed, when it came to him--especially him. He feels slight relief at the question about the ribbon, taking it as a chance to not have to respond to her teasing. He knew it was her way of doing things, and was one of her more endearing qualities.

It was never done in an annoying manner like Yuffie, or Cid, or someone like that. His gaze lowers to the ribbon in question, so easily seen where it was. Would it bother her once she knew? Him wearing it, not hiding it?

"It is..was in memory of you."

[onegil]

She didn't say anything at first, simply allowing the silence to fall over the pair as she thought on that. So, after her death even he chose to keep her memory alive. It was touching, she had to admit, and Aerith lowered her gaze again.

"I'm sorry it had to happen." And it did have to happen. She may not have lived through the act, but she knew in her heart it was the only way. There was no way to make sense of it, how she knew these things, but as it were there was no point in trying to explain it either.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, fidgeting uncomfortably before returning to her ever pleasant smile. "Have you found someplace to stay?" A change of subject would do them good.

[forever_last]

She had already asked him that before over the NOC earlier. He saw it for what it was though, a change of topic for their conversation. Fortunately for her, he was the sort to go with this sort of thing--at least, for her.

"I have." She seemed uncomfortable, even when she smiled. He lifts a brow ever-so-slightly, questioning her silently.

[onegil]

Again, the silence that followed made her shift and she shook her head a little. "That's too bad." She had been hoping he would have changed his mind, but on the other hand she knew the place she was staying at now with Tifa, Yuffie, and previously Cloud was maybe too small to house all of AVALANCHE as the members showed. "If we all stay close to each other, we might be safer."

Then again, if there was another building collapse, they could all be in danger, too.

"Maybe, if you want to be closer," oh but when did he ever want to be closer? "We can figure something out so that we can all stay together." Why yes, she was certainly avoiding that look he was giving her.

[forever_last]

He sees that, listening to her, studying her to see what she did and didn't do. Avoiding his questioning gaze was one of them. The ex-Turk and fellow AVALANCHE member looks thoughtful for a moment, then shakes his head.

"That would not be best." He replies, moving past her to go further into the church. Had she been taking care of any plants in here as well? He had seen for himself her work in the old beat up church in Midgar, but had only seen it one time. She was even there, or it seemed so--her image had flickered away so quickly upon entering.

If Aerith noticed, she would realize that Vincent didn't exactly say he didn't want to be closer. A subject for her to pounce on to push away the previous moment.

[onegil]

The brunette turned as he passed her, watching his back with a small tilt of her head. For a man with little to say, every move he made spoke volumes.

"Oh?" Soft thuds from her boots neared until she stood beside him, looking ahead at the front of the church. Empty, barren, a little unnerving for what it was meant to be, but she had always been drawn to it since her arrival even if it didn't house her missed garden. "It's lonely here," she spoke quietly so as not to echo.

"You don't want to be alone, do you?" If Aerith was good at anything, it was observing the little things, what was said and what wasn't, but she had her own way of approaching these things as well.

[forever_last]

So she did, but loneliness was often times an oddly comforting thing. At least for him it was. He doesn't respond too quickly, taking in the sight of the church. Did he want to be alone though? No, not if he were to answer honestly. Was it the best for everyone if he were? Including himself?

Yes.

Before he starts giving her any real answers though, he has a question for Aerith. "Is it because you can't hear this Planet?" He watches her just out of the corner of his eye, waiting for an answer.

[onegil]

There was no hiding the look of surprise she gave him at the question, eyes wide for a moment before she collected herself and glanced away again. So he was more observant than she gave him credit for, and she often gave him more than she admitted aloud. "You can tell?" It was the only way she had been certain this wasn't their home world.

That wasn't to say she didn't try, however. Unfortunately, her efforts got her nothing and this Planet never answered her.

"I got used to it after we left Midgar. Everything quieted down and I could hear her when I listened. It's silly, but now that it's gone I don't feel so special anymore." Aerith didn't want to stand out, she didn't want to be 'special', but she had also felt useful and now she couldn't even heal her friends. "It's hard to figure out," she finished with a small laugh.

[forever_last]

He wasn't able to tell; he was, however, able to assume through what she said. Feeling lonely when the likes of Tifa and Cloud were around logically led him to that conclusion. "Hmm..."

Vincent looks down and off to the side thoughtfully. "I'm sure you will figure something out."

[onegil]

"I hope so." With that she turned to face him, hands resting on her hips.

"And what about you? I'm sure you have some things you need to figure out." The fact that he'd mentioned Lucrecia on his arrival wasn't something she missed, but hadn't questioned at the time. Now, with nobody to listen in, she could ask about it. "Are you still looking for her?"

[forever_last]

He always had things he needed to figure out, but often never did. Some things he felt were best left alone, like most situations dealing with Sephiroth. He had a few things he could tell him, but how many twists and turns could that man be taken on before he just snapped all over again? His amnesiac state clearly left his mind fragile once again.

"For...Lucrecia." He states, not needing to question it. A shake of his head follows. "No, she would have said something by now to any one person. She likely isn't here." Probably never would.

"Is there a way to the roof?"

[onegil]

She didn't know the scientist herself, only what she heard from Vincent, so she couldn't very well tell him whether he was wrong or right. She would have liked to think this woman he thought so highly of was around for his sake, maybe it would bring a smile to his lips as she had never seen so much as a flicker of happiness in her short time of knowing him. Or, maybe it would bring more grief. She couldn't decide without having been in the situation herself.

"The roof?" So he was changing the subject. Smooth, she thought, and lifted her head to look up at the ceiling. "I'm sure there's a way through the back," there had been back home, but her church also had a rather sizable hole in the roof caused by two well-built men crashing through it. That seemed to help with getting to the top.

"Did you want to look?"

[forever_last]

"I am tempted to." Vincent takes a couple of steps forward, then realizes that when he opened the door, Aerith had looked like she was on her way out. "If you had something to do, then you may go do it. Do not let me keep you."

It wasn't his intention anyway.