isleofavalon | [Catch-All] Reunions, Memories, & the Colour White

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[Catch-All] Reunions, Memories, & the Colour White

🧙 WHO: Aerith Gainsborough, You
⚔️️ WHAT: Catch-All for June / July
🕒 WHEN: June / July
🗺️ WHERE: Aerith's flower shop, Brocéliande, Camelot city proper, the Bay of Avalon
⚠️ WARNINGS: TBD

[01. Come for the Flowers]

[Little by little, Aerith's flower shop is getting put together. The walls are still a little barren, but contain some paintings done by local artists. Finally, it seems a little more put together.

There's no shortage of flowers on display in intricate arrangements. Planters hang from the ceiling. The scent lingering in the air is some combination of cinnamon and sweet floral notes. There's almost always a cup of tea (or something like it) at the front desk.

Aerith tries her best to keep herself busy, wandering from one end to the other, up the steps to the small loft up the stairs, back down again, making sure that everything seems to be perfect. She hums during the day to herself, overjoyed at being surrounded by some of the things that she likes most, even if she can't glean from them what she would back home.

Perhaps you've stopped in by mistake, maybe you're running errands, or you're here with the intention of finding something in particular. Either way, you're here now, and the little bell sound that chimes once you've come in signifies your entry. It's too late for you to leave now. (Aerith won't be chasing you down if you turn tail and flee.)

Whatever Aerith's in the middle of doing, she looks up from her task and eyes the door with a welcoming smile.]

Hi there! If you give me just a moment, I'll be right with you.

[02. How to Business 101]

Hm...

[Aerith holds a notebook protectively against herself as she wanders the streets of Camelot's business district. She stops every so often in the front of a store window, occasionally pokes her head in to get a good look at the wares and the design. She's doing business research to see what she can do to better her flower shop.

It's also a good excuse to get to speak with owners and others along the way and having never been one to shy away from conversation, Aerith is quite happy to exchange words in idle conversation.]

I wonder how they decided on prices. Did they just compare it to something local?

[A frown briefly crosses her features because she knows her own pricing has been pretty negotiable. But maybe flowers just don't work the same as drinks at a cafe or some of the other wares that Camelot provides.

Her feet start carrying her off to another store, her face is fixed on her notebook, where she's writing in small script her observations. She brushes up against a shoulder, or perhaps she walks headfirst into you, or maybe you simply found her in your way whilst you were trying to pass by. Either way, you are precisely one Aerith richer.]

Oops—Am I in your way? Sorry about that.

[03. Gone Fishing (Not Really)]

[She hasn't been here to visit since her original arrival. Aerith has lost track of time easily, and she knows why. She drowns in keeping herself busy and occupied. It gives her less time to think. The Bay of Avalon is a vivid recollection of how confusing it was to arrive in this new world, with the discovery that the world back home was frozen in time. It's still a little hard to wrap her mind around, but she's continued to adopt the idea that there's no sense in causing an uproar over it.

This is a thing she cannot affect, despite the otherworldly abilities that she may play host to.

It's a pleasant day, one that has her lifting an arm as she takes in what feels like a bay of water that stretches beyond what she can see.]

It's beautiful when you're not swimming out of it in the cold. Or being escorted out by turtles.

[There's a basket over one forearm, not even half full. Aerith has come all this way to see if there's any flowers that might be worth adding to the collection. Down in the water, there's occasional splashes of the fish and the welcoming organic ebb and flow of the water. Maybe one of these days she should consider going for a swim.]

Although it looks a little more serene when people aren't arriving, doesn't it?

[...She wonders if the Lady of the Lake sleeps when she's not bringing newly arrived.]

[04. Communing with Nature]

[Her fingertips splay against the rough bark and for several moments, Aerith remains still, listening to everything around her—the rustle of branches, the far off lilt of birds, and other things she cannot readily identify. For once, she's not out scouting for flowers. Rather, her visit to the forest sitting just outside of Camelot's town is for something more profound.

Aside from the occasional dreams she's had of home, of different times, of times that perhaps have not yet occurred, she hasn't felt the same since her arrival. Aerith hasn't had a way of discovering just how in touch she is with her Cetra abilities. It's not an easy thing to test either, considering the details of her 'abilities' have been complex.

Her touch moves over a subtle gash in the wood and after a moment's pause above it, it takes a gentle push of healing, an encouragement for it to heal. Whether it works or not, she hardly would know. Nature is more hardy than many give it credit for.]

There you are. [She says aloud, though she seems to be addressing the tree. After a beat, she turns to press her back against it before she finds her voice again.] I can't seem to hear anything, though. Even being surrounded by it all, it isn't the same. I'm not connected to you in the same way.

[She sighs, shutting her eyes as she thinks about where to go next. What to do. She's not seen anyone else hunting or searching for any of the ingredients that grow in the veil of trees just yet. But it doesn't mean they aren't there.]

So... what do you think we should do now, hmm?

[05. Wild Card]

[For everything else. If you'd like a closed starter, please let me know. You can PM Aerith's journal or PP me at ofthesky.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[To which Morgan laughs, a bright grin on his face as he leans and half-turns to gently nudge her shoulder.] Teach a man to fish, Aerith. How about I help you out to start and give you some more comprehensive lessons?

[After all, it's all about learning, life. Everything you learn advances you. It's why he went to school for this, one big reason he did start his own business, and why he goes for more classes whenever his time allows.]

Promise you, if I can learn it, the only reason you couldn't would be if I turned out to be a terrible teacher.

I'm always up for learning something new, it's true.

[And she isn't one to back down from a challenge. She suspects, however, that this is going to require more than a few sit-down lessons on the terminology. To say nothing of the actual concepts behind entrepreneurship.]

But I'll keep that in mind. If I don't get a grasp on it, it's definitely your fault, Morgan.

Then my honor and reputation are on the line. I cannot fail.

[Playful, but he's not lying. Aside from his own personal standards and his expectation that he can and needs to succeed as a teacher to grow and learn more himself, he also figures botching this will not exactly smooth the path for his flirtations.]

Considering what I actually teach is martial arts, though, you're lucky literally everything is martial arts!

[She's following along until he makes mention of martial arts. Her eyebrows knit together.]

I don't see what finances has anything to do with martial arts. One of those is numbers and the other is... is not. At least, not in the same way.

Energy. Balance. Flow. Money flows out, goods come in. [He demonstrates with his hands, long sweeping gestures as one draws close to him while the other stretches out.] Goods flow out, money comes in. The cycle repeats, and in the center there you stand, immersed in it.

[And his motions become a kata, slow rotations of his arms with gentle turns of his body.]

And so immersed, you learn to change it. A little extra money here brings in better goods, and increases the strength of the next motion, where better goods bring in more money. A change of price means more coming in but from fewer sources. And every motion you make goes to refining the next one, to achieving greater results with less effort, to bring your intention and your action into harmony.

[His motions speed up, becoming quick movements defined by their absolute precision. Not a muscle out of place, not a fraction of a second off of the underlying rhythm. Then he wraps it up suddenly by throwing both hands down to his sides, fingers spread.]

Finances are martial arts. Just like everything else.

[...Morgan is probably one of the strangest people she's ever met. She watches him quietly as he explains himself and his train of thought. But admittedly... she just can't see it the same way. This is likely a combination of not being a martial artist and of not being a finance officer. Having no background in either, she can't connect the dots.

It doesn't help that he's doing what she presumes are martial arts moves while explaining the so-called connection.

Eventually, she just bursts out laughing. It's hard to pretend it's not the slightest bit funny.]

I think you're just obsessed with martial arts and would say anything if you thought you could connect that to everything.

[Her laughter makes Morgan crack up in turn. Don't get him wrong, he means every word of what he says -- more than she can know, because magick-with-a-k means believing in something so strongly your reality takes effect over the reality imagined by every other person in the world. But that's such a crazy and egotistical concept, no matter how true, that it deserves some laughter.]

You're only wrong because I can connect it to everything! But let me try putting it another way. Tell me about a hobby of yours.

[No, this is perfect, because now he can try to learn more about the remarkably-quiet-about-herself girl.]

A... hobby of mine?

[She still doesn't get it and she's not sure she wants any hobby of hers to get connected to martial arts. Not because there's anything wrong with that, but because there's a certain magic to these things being separated. Trying to find reason, connect everything, loses some of that enigma.

But maybe she just thinks that because she's the walking embodiment of enigma.]

Well, I grow flowers. You know that already, though.

[Bazing.]

[His look is indescribable, but at least amused. Congratulations, Aerith, you've flummoxed him yet again.]

Hasn't it become more natural over time? Instead of having to think about which flower needs how much water, and which needs how much sun, you've internalized that.

[See, Morgan believes everything is connected, and that the best way to live life is to work on figuring out how. Or everything is one... the distinctions are philosophically important and practically meaningless.]

Hm...

[Aerith fiddles with her hands. On most, that might be perceived as something of a nervous tic. On her, it's just characteristic.]

Not really. I never had to really study flowers to understand them. Anything I do with them has always been natural. I was able to do that even when I was a kid.

[And she knows why. Of course she does. Although her abilities when she was younger were more disconcerting than the things she simply embraces in the present. Maybe that's the difference. Not her own ability, but her own perception of said ability.]

Then you're a magnificent woman, but that's no news to anyone who's known you for more than a second.

[Why settle for a mild compliment when you can go stupidly over-the-top? Extra isn't just a gum any more!]

Now, imagine working so that everything you did came that naturally.

What flattery.

[Magnificent? She knows he's laying it on thick right there, but he's allowed to think whatever he wants of her. She can't change that anymore than she can change her own eye colour. Which is to say, not at all.]

Part of life is having those difficulties. I can't imagine things being so convenient and even if I could, I'm not sure I'd want to. I actually value the hardship and the challenge. I think if things get too easy, it'd be equally easy to get complacent over those things.

Of course! It's a goal, it's impossible to achieve. But you strive to reach that goal, through practice and training and study, and fitting everything you learn together into one greater whole. [Behold his helpful visual display of lacing his fingers together.] There's lessons on how to throw a punch in a debate, and cultivating a flower in working your finance. Though I'll grant some of them are much harder to put together than others. Living your life each minute improved from the last, learning from everything you do and making it a part of you!

[On that last line, he delivers a dramatic spin, arms flung wide like the hills are alive with the sound of music. How DO you solve a problem like Morgan?]

Just because something's labelled a 'goal' doesn't mean it's impossible to achieve, though. That's oversimplifying it. Plenty of people meet the goals they set for themselves. In fact, it's supposed to be that one sets realistic goals because if someone tries to set a goal that they can't reach, they never get a sense of fulfilment.

[Lacking that fulfilment leads to a sense of hopelessness and feeling as if one lacks power and influence. Aerith can't abide that. In a world like the one she comes from, people have to take their joys when they can get them. More so because they're so fleeting and rare. That includes simple, minimal goals.]

That aside, I do agree that it's important that we're always bettering ourselves...

Oh, Aerith! You can do both. Aim your life to an impossible goal, building that path out of constant achievable goals! The best part about a goal of learning everything is that learning can be broken into so many goals you can reach. Like learning an instrument, or doing a five-minute mile, or opening a flower store. And you can decide from there when you're satisfied, what you want to do, and where you're going next.

I mean, come on. [He's already being melodramatic and extra, so Morgan just turns in place, like he's showing off on the catwalk.] Do I seem unfulfilled and unhappy, with my great unachievable goal as a life's work?

Hm. I still don't think it's healthy to tell people to reach for something they can't achieve. [She frowns for just a moment and then shakes her head, deciding that—nope—she definitely can't get behind it. Not the first time she and Morgan have been at odds. As long as he isn't pushing it onto anyone else.]

I think your experiences aren't everyone's and that's an important distinction to make. Just because you're happy not accomplishing your greatest desires definitely doesn't mean the same will apply to others.

Hmm, well, I look at it sort of like -- if someone's goal is to become the greatest athlete in the world, they aren't going to stop training just because they win a medal, right? Even if by every objective measure they're the best, are they going to stop, or try to exceed themselves even more?

[But he shrugs, lazily, all smiles.] But you know, some people like journey, and other people want to get to the destination. And some people like to stay where they are and make that the best place, and some people say the journey and the destination are the same thing. That's actually how Awakenings tend to work out overall, as it happens!

I think... it just comes down to personal taste.

[Although she agrees that winning something once is not usually where people tend to stop. She also wouldn't ever advise someone to stop either. There just isn't a blanket way to address everything and that's really what's got her where she is. Morgan isn't wrong by core concept, but to apply one thing to everyone isn't right either.]

It sounds like what you do works for you, though, and I think that's exactly the way it should be.

[And no, she's not adopting that finances have anything to do with martial arts. Or anything else in her life for that matter. But she... will go to Tifa later and ask her for opinion on this little discussion.]

Yup, exactly! What I do works and I'll teach anyone who wants to the best of my ability, but everyone has to find their own way.

[Everyone's Do is unique, that's a core tenet of the Akashic Brotherhood. Even Morgan, influenced as strongly as he is by his own master, sees the difference between his style and hers.]

Of course, I'd still enjoy teaching you martial arts if you ever wanted to learn. Open invite. I know you're busy.

Oh, no, no.

[Aerith shakes her head with a laugh.] I'll leave the martial arts to you and Tifa. I'm not very fond of... brutality? That's not the word. Fighting. Combat. Things like that.

[After a moment's consideration, her head tilts before she continues.] I can use a staff, though, and I'm pretty good with it, but I don't really like using it. I'd like to do it, if I didn't have to. Back home I didn't have much of a choice because a lot of the areas were kind of dangerous, but here... it's nice that I don't have to do that every time I want to go for a walk somewhere.

[Morgan has to laugh, because how many times has he told someone that martial arts is useless for fighting?]

I totally get that. Needing to do it makes you really not want to do it. I know some variants that are just for health and exercise, but you seem pretty settled on that score, if you'll forgive me for noticing!

[Aerith dips her head to look over herself.]

Oh, do I look like I get enough exercise? I'm not particularly muscular, but I bet I'd surprise someone with a left hook if I really had to.

[Or a chair. She's real good with chairs.]

I may have noticed that you are in, well, very nice shape.

[You know, to put it mildly. She might not favor outfits that reveal much of her figure, but then, she didn't need to.]

Good! If I look strong, then people won't underestimate me.

[It's not that it goes over her head or anything. She knows very well what he's actually saying. She's just, as per an Aerith Usual, ignoring it.]

[As did most people, so what else is new?]

I think you're destined to be underestimated at first blush. You're the very essence of a tranquil spring that is in reality remarkably deep. No matter how clear the water is to look at, what lies beneath it is always a surprise when you dive in!

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