[Incomplete]

[effervescingly]

Who: Yazoo, Aerith
When: Sometime today, while Kadaj, Zack and Rikku are with Naminé.
Where: Near the school.
Rating: PG.
Warnings: TBA?
Summary: Zack asks Yazoo to search for Aerith, as she's been MIA since her death by the Joker. Yazoo bullies talks her into telling him where she is.

Comments

[verraily]

Back upon Gaia, the only thing that had bothered Aerith on the subject of her own death was how many people it would upset. It wasn't the pain she would go through beforehand, or what she would lose, or what would happen to her afterwards-she just didn't like the thought of anyone being hurt over it; she didn't want to think about people mourning her, of being yet another scar on someone's mentality.

But one didn't have to worry about that in Purgatorium, did they? Because people died and they were back within a few hours, physically good as new. Aerith had seen people who completely wrote death off because of that, laughing at the subject more than any reckless individual she'd ever known on Gaia before.

She thought, though, that the price of a death in Purgatorium was so much more than it was on any other world. That was what bothered her here. The memories that death took, that one piece of yourself which could turn out to be so vital and she'd been so worried, always worried, not just with herself but with others, and she'd thought if she ever-

It was the memory loss that had caused Aerith to hide away, once she had come to after her experience with the Joker. It hadn't taken a genius at all to figure out that whatever the flower girl had lost had been vital, because it had messed up... so much in her mind. Going over her memories, there came a point wherein everything became blurry and stopped making sense, and even her memories in Purgatorium were more than just a bit fuzzy in some areas...

... but one didn't lose Purgatorium memories, right? She distinctly recalled Zack (--Zack; she hadn't forgotten him, thank goodness) telling her that. And so she thought maybe if what she forgot on Gaia was somehow connected with the haziness she experienced in regards to the city of redemption, then-certainly, with time and a bit of effort, she could figure it out on her own, right? She could figure it out and then determine how it was best to proceed from there, how she could cause the least amount of pain so that-

And she hadn't wanted to see anyone during that time, either. Whilst she was figuring things out. She'd even taken to sitting around outside of the school (going in? no, she knew better), because it was the last place anyone was likely to look for her. Aerith had been fine just staying there, unnoticed and unheard from, until she had a better grip on things.

Of course, it couldn't work out that way, could it? Because Yazoo had been looking for her. And Aerith had tried simply posting to her own journal, reassuring people that she was all right, but it hadn’t done much good, had it? Talking to Yazoo, she had started to feel... so incredibly guilty. Bad, for making people worry about her when she knew there was other things to worry about and-

So, in the end, Aerith had agreed to meet with the silver-haired teenager. She had refused, of course, to speak to Naminé and find out what she was missing, and too she planned on refusing to go back with Yazoo, as he would undoubtedly try to convince her, but-she could meet with him at least, couldn't she? Until she was ready to go back, until she had gathered herself enough to do so.

... and maybe, too, he could help her figure out what it was she had lost...

She heard him approaching; it broke Aerith from her train of thought, those footfalls. The brunette might have stiffened involuntarily at first, but a quick glimpse told her that it was who she was expecting (well, she was expecting two people, but that was another matter entirely) and so she forced herself to relax as much as possible.

"... Yazoo~" she said, tone somehow light even then as she pulled herself up to standing. Aerith brushed off her dress briefly, straightening it before she allowed her gaze to move up to his. "It's nice to see you again."

[effervescingly]

Had it been just any girl, oh, Yazoo would have been sorely tempted to backhand her for acting so casual when people had been concerned by her absence. But she wasn't just any girl. She was Aerith and so Yazoo displayed a surprising amount of sympathy and patience when dealing with her.

He did sigh in mild exasperation, folding his arms across her chest and tilting his head to give her an expression that clearly stated his annoyance at the entire situation. Really, did all the women in his life have to be so difficult?

"Is it really," he replied dully, moving closer still and then allowed his arms to drop to his sides, stood there a moment, and offered a hand out to beckon her closer. "Come. You must be tired and I wish to take you back to my place if you do not want to return to your own. You will be safe there." Oh, because Gods forbid that Yazoo leave her there and something happen to her. Not only would he be furious with her and himself, but surely Zack would have something to say about it in the form of a fist to Yazoo's face.

[verraily]

Green eyes slid down to the hand that was being offered to her before her gaze traveled back upwards to meet Yazoo's once more. She had no interest in going, though-hadn't she stated as much before?-and instead of following, Aerith only turned away a moment later, wordless. She was grateful for his offer, of course, and had no doubt that he would keep any further harm from befalling her, but...

Her hands moved to wrap around her stomach, hugging herself tightly as she took a few steps away. It wasn't meant to actually leave Yazoo, though; she only wanted some movement, because it helped her restlessness and she didn't feel quite so awkward and weighed down as opposed to when she was just standing there, both idle and useless.

"I'm not so very tired," Aerith replied finally, still uncertain of what to say or do or-well, at least she could respond to that, right? No, not so very tired at all, because... there was just too much on her mind, wasn't there? And, besides, it wasn’t like she hadn't gotten some rest when-yes. "... I'm sorry for worrying you all, though."

[effervescingly]

The remnant eyed her, head tilting further. No, he didn't believe her, not for a moment and yet - well, could he argue? If she didn't want to sleep, then he could do nothing for that unless he wanted to knock her unconscious. Tempting as it would have been with anyone else, it would not have been an appropriate way to deal with Aerith, as far as he was concerned.

"It happens," he found himself saying awkwardly, folding his arms stiffly across his chest and averting his gaze. Awkward and comfortable, all at once. He couldn't explain it, never would be able to. He wondered if Kadaj felt the same around her, around Namine, around... anyone. That nervous little feeling that came with things inside of him suddenly quieting down so much. The constant tug and pull of Jenova cells, of Sephiroth and -- it all went away when he was near her or the little blonde that Kadaj spend so much of his time with.

One shoulder lifted in a shrug. "At any rate, come along. Tired or not, we should go elsewhere."

[verraily]

Aerith's gaze slid back to Yazoo at that, sideways and uncertain. There were, of course, a million and one protests lingering on the edge of her tongue. She was fine where she was, or at least as fine as she could be, given the situation. And here was a place where she wasn't likely to be found, where she didn't have to worry about encounters she might not have wanted or questions or sorrowful glances or-

"I don't want to see anyone else," she found herself stipulating, voice calmer and with more of that strength that Aerith tended to carry. She would be very certain of this; if Yazoo couldn't guarantee her that (when was it she had started trusting him?), then she wasn't going to go anywhere. "Not right now."