o9;(video)

[onegil]

[The feed flickers on from Aerith's NOC, but only the front doors of the church are visible. There is no movement otherwise, no sound, and no indication of anybody around it save for its elevation

Comments

[Audio]

[couldnotfly]

Aerith...

[As grateful as he is to see she's alive again, he stays quiet. It's not his place, after all that happened.]

...go let Tseng know you're back.

[Audio]

[onegil]

[After a second of silence and debating what to say - somewhere between an apology and asking how he is - she finally sighs softly.]

He'll be upset.

[Audio]

[couldnotfly]

[There's a wry chuckle, and he has to clear his throat.]

Aer, he already is upset. You should really let him know you're back.

[Audio]

[onegil]

Mm... I know. [But she's trying to sound less... unhappy.] And you? I...

[Audio]

[couldnotfly]

I'm...[tired, frustrated, missing his best friend like hell...] ...I'm fine. Don't worry about me, okay?

[Audio]

[onegil]

[OH SO NOT CONVINCED. She may be back-from-the-dead but she's no fool.] I always worry about you, even when... [I'm dead.] Even when you tell me not to. I think I need somebody to help me catch up on what I've missed, right? So will you talk to me?

[Audio]

[couldnotfly]

[..why does she care so much for him? Hells, he was practically the cause of her death.]

Of course. But not much happened, really. You didn't miss anything important.

[Audio]

[onegil]

I see...

[Pause.]

And how are Cloud and Tifa? And Vincent, too...

[Audio]

[couldnotfly]

Vincent was fine when he carried me to the clinic after...you know. Cloud's probably got a huge hangover right now, and Tifa...Oh, crap...

[Hang on one second, Aerith. He's trying to call her up, but...no dice.]

[Audio]

[onegil]

[That's a little relieving.] A hango-..?

[... what?] ... And Tifa?

[Audio]

[couldnotfly]

[A moment of silence, before he sighs.] She's gone, Aerith.

[Audio]

[onegil]

[There's a choked gasp, but it's cut off when she covers her mouth.]

...

She... can't be.

[Audio]

[couldnotfly]

...I'm not even getting her voicemail box.

...where are you? [Footsteps, and the shutting of a door]

[Audio]

[onegil]

[A shift of fabric and the final thump of her boots as she settles down.] Near the church... I haven't gone far, I just... [Don't know what to do...]

[Audio]

[couldnotfly]

[Church. Of course...] Stay put. I'll be right there. [Running footsteps now. He's in a hurry.]

[Audio]

[onegil]

I... I'll wait. [So she makes herself comfortable by the front doors of the church, knees drawn to her chest and her cheek resting over the top of them while she waits.]