Frank Jaeger ✖ 015

[stoicism]

Who Frank Jaeger [stoicism], possible you and maybe your mother
Where Espoir, near the Church of the Roses
Style Either
Status Open

Comments

[beautifulmartyr]

It was more or less a daily occurrence now to see Aerith wandering along these particular streets. Usually with a wagon of flowers and gardening supplies being dragged behind her. She spent more time in the village than necessary when she was constantly stopping to say hi to someone, or to ask an innocent passerby if they would like to buy some of those mentioned flowers. Hey, she did good business that way.

Just as she passed the church, and made sure to take a good long look at it and the roses that surrounded it, she spotted a familiar face coming from the opposite side. Now that she thought about it she was surprised they hadn't met in person before after all those talks they had via dreamberry. Well, she was going to change that now as she started tugging the wagon over to the boy with the biggest damn smile on her face.

"Frank!" She called in an attempt to catch his attention, stopping in front of him with the wagon of flowers. "I didn't think I'd ever see you anywhere over the dreamberry at the rate we were going. How are you

[stoicism]

Frank takes an instinctive step backwards as Aerith approaches him, cautiously watching the flower girl as she makes her way towards him. Awkwardly shifting the bags in hand, he offers the woman a curt nod and acknowledgment and relaxes his posture if only slightly. This is the first time he's truly come face to face with the woman but her presence is not wholly unwelcome.

"Aerith," he replies, remaining stone-faced as his tone holds no inflection. "I am well-" he pauses only a moment before adding, "And yourself? What is your mood today?"

[beautifulmartyr]

Taking the hint; Aerith stops a few feet away, not wanting to scare the boy by being her usually all-up-in-your-face self. Though that smile does not fade in the slightest once he begins speaking. From their dreamberry conversations Aerith already knows the boy talks...oddly, without much emotion and with very blunt statements. To her it's more cute than annoying or irritating.

"That's good to hear." she was going to ask if he had just gotten back from shopping, but that much was obvious with the bags he was carrying, "My mood today? Very happy, actually. It was a good day to go and pick flowers, so I did just that. I was just admiring the roses around the church, too. They're very pretty."

[stoicism]

Although the weather had grown cold and the trees had begun to turn, Somarium's magical properties seemed to keep flowers in bloom until the first snowfall covered them. To imagine Aerith still out picking them is not something that takes any stretch of the youth's imagination (if he truly has any to begin with, of course). "Flowers remain in bloom here for extended time periods, you must feel quite elated over this knowledge," he states before his attention is diverted to the rose bushes around the church grounds once the woman makes mention of them.

"The roses? I tend to them now and again... I would like to ensure their survival for the next spring."

[gothsidekick]

Frank wasn't the only one who'd decided to head into the city, though - hands in her pockets and head ducked slightly against the chill of the air - Sam was heading toward it instead of away.

The cans Frank was carrying, though, didn't escape her attention as she neared him, and she couldn't help but loft both eyebrows at him in curiosity.

"Are you - you eat spam?"

She couldn't seem to decide if she was incredulous or a little bit grossed out.

[stoicism]

Frank silently regarded Sam as she looked at the can of "spam". He couldn't entirely determine what "spam" could be but from the female friend of Danny's tone, it seemed like something less than pleasant.

"Is there a problem?"

[gothsidekick]

Sam was full of all sorts of teenage angst and rebellion, and just looking the cans of Spam she could see pressed against the sides of the sacks was enough to make her inner vegetarian recoil in horror, but she wasn't rude, and she certainly wasn't ungrateful.

Judging by the way he was heading back to the Church, it was probably a grocery run, so she bit down any complaint.

"No, I just haven't seen any here. Didn't know it existed in this world, even. Do you need help carrying the bags?"

[stoicism]

Sam's preferences for things that consisted of not-meat was something Frank himself remained oblivious to. Perhaps it was lucky for Sam that the young soldier was aware of the dietary needs of humans and didn't intend to have everyone thrive on a diet of fries, gravy and hot dogs all winter - although, he did buy a few tins of Vienna sausages.

He didn't require assistance with the bags by any means but as the female friend of Danny's was offering, he felt it was in his best interest to accept. Civilians enjoyed being of use. "If you desire to assist me, I will not prevent you from doing so."

[phantomfenton]

*Already wearing one of last year's jackets against the cold. Clearly, Danny is not quite as tolerant (or muscled) as Frank.*

*With his hands safely jammed into pockets to fight the cold, Danny kicks the Church's gate closed behind him. Before he gets very far, he spots his friend heading towards the gate. Frank is carrying heavy grocery bags. Danny briefly raises a hand in greeting, before tucking it away again and waiting by the gate, which he opens when Frank draws near.*

Hey, Frank. What's in the bags?

[stoicism]

[With a nod, Frank regards Danny at the gate as a silent thanks to his comrade for opening it, recognizing it would have been a less than simple task in his current state of bag-carrying.]

Rations. The cupboards were growing barren - I felt it best we begin to stockpile for the winter ahead.

[phantomfenton]

Oh. Thanks for getting groceries, then.

*Lets the gate swing closed behind them. Wasn't he just on his way out? ... Eh, he'll go out again later. Meanwhile, he eyes the bags, considering what he said.*

So, if you say 'stockpile'--do you mean that we might have less food than normal this winter?

[stoicism]

[Shaking his head, Frank readjusts the bags her carries in his arms.] Negative. I am not psychic, that is information I am incapable of offering. However, this world has proven to us many times that we must prepare ourselves for whatever may come. To guarantee our survival through the winter months, a proper stockpile of food is required.

[shines_bright]

[Lightning had never come face to face with the boy, having only ever spoken over the Dreamberry. She was able to identify him easily when she saw him walking toward her though, his features and even his mannerisms engraved into her mind after their brief conversations.

She stops before him, arms folded against the cold.]

Frank. [She offers him a curt nod in greeting.] It's been a while.

[She takes note of his lack of weather appropriate clothing, then of the bags. She decides to question those instead of the clothing, since she has no doubt in her mind that the boy is capable of taking care of himself. But, she just can't deny her building curiosity.]

What have you got there?

[stoicism]

[As Lightning approaches him, Frank straightens his back and ensures his posture makes him appear presentable. He recognizes the woman easily enough and intends to regard her with all the respect from one soldier to another.]

Lightning. [He pauses a moment as she acknowledges him, his eyes never breaking from the woman's own face.] Rations, for the winter that will soon be upon us.

[shines_bright]

[Rations, huh? She catches a glimpse of the contents. Non-perishable foods, a stockpile, but one comprised of questionable choices.]

Rations for you? [She keeps her gaze locked on his, just as he keeps it on hers.] Or are they for others?

[stoicism]

Others. I am currently housed with several civilians approximately my age. Though they are capable of caring for themselves, I feel it best they recognize they are permitted to depend on me.

[fanboy]

"That's another ridiculous thing you've told me, are you seriously saying the scarecrows are hostile?"

Being in Somarium for less than 24 hours made everything difficult to sink in. There was so much he wanted to just ask, but he knew Snake wouldn't know the answers; that and he'd get more than sick of all the questions. But it was nice to be outside, walking through the streets without any real worry their safety. This wasn't like their own world at all, actually, it wasn't all that bad thus far.

Espoir however, the small village in the middle of the city? That had completely caught Otacon off guard, he didn't expect such a large city to have such a tranquil town in the center.

[stoicism]

As Frank traveled back to the church with his groceries in arm, he couldn't help but pick up the familiar gravely voice of Snake--David nearby. His curiousity as to why the older soldier was in the village piqued, he took a short detour from his course to investigate. Keeping himself concealed behind a nearby wall of cobblestone, he peers around it to make out the forms of two men walking side by each. He recognizes Snake without question but the other man remains a face he has not seen in a very long time.

The man is an associate of Snake's, one that even the youth can deem a comrade of sorts. Vanishing from this world so long ago, to see him again comes as nothing short of a surprise. Otacon, that was the name Snake called him, the name almost immediately surfacing in Frank's mind as his eyes lay fixated on the scientist. There is no danger should he reveal himself.

Stepping out from his hiding place, Frank's pace quickens only briefly as a means of closing the distance between himself and the two older men.