[Catch-All] Making Home

[inemeraldfaith]

🧙 WHO: Aerith Gainsborough, You
⚔️️ WHAT: Catch-All
🕒 WHEN: March
🗺️ WHERE: Camelot, Everywhere We Need to Be
⚠️ WARNINGS: None, Will react accordingly.


01. It's Bunny Season

[Aerith has spent no shortage of time trying to get acquainted with the locals of Camelot and form positive relationships with them. It might not be the Midgar slums, but it's something similar in the way of a community. If she's going to be here for some time, then it stands to reason she ought to try to make it somewhat like home.

Hunting down a royal angora rabbit seems like the perfect way to go about that. At the quest board, she's loosely woven her hands together. And then she decides to get to work and make her rounds to the various bunny cafes.

There's no shortage of them.]

Oh, aren't you cute. A little pudgy, though. [She says with a grin, lifting a bunny as she's searching for particular traits of Sir Fuzzlerton the Cad. But the truth is, she doesn't know very much about rabbits and isn't wholly certain of what she's looking for.]

I can't tell if you look like a Sir Fuzzlerton or not.

[So she decides to hold up said bunny to the nearest cafe patron or visitor. Or possibly another person searching for the same rabbit.] Does this look like a Sir Fuzzlerton to you?

02. Harvest Moon: An Age of Camelot

[Aerith lifts a hand and draws wrist across her forehead as she looses a soft sigh. Being able to help with the fields is another thing that makes her think of home and the flowers that she tends there. She's been happy enough to lose herself in it, too, humming as she works in the soil.

Eventually she makes her way for the hay and the horses to lend a hand there as well. All in all, it's a constructive use of her time. Much better than doing nothing at all and a great way of keeping her from overthinking her situation.]

Hey. [She addresses the nearest to her as she points to a bale of hay.] Do you think you could help me move this? I want to bring it closer to the horses, so they can eat, but I don't think I can carry it on my own.

[Yes, she's already tried and probably looked pretty funny doing so. Bales of hay look deceptively light. Aerith has underestimated their true power.]

03. Flower Crowns

Hm...

[Aerith thumbs at her chin thoughtfully, the hint of a frown playing into her features. She's heard it repeatedly. Many of the merchants and locals of the town have voiced their inability to get to the flowers they would ordinarily use. It's springtime and the outskirts are no short of lovely, but Camelot itself looks a little plain without the variety of colour.

But dragons... That's probably not something a silver tongue can talk through. Basically, she knows she can't do it on her own. She'll need some help, so maybe she can convince an innocent (or not-so-inncoent bystander).

There's only one way to find out. Maybe you're shopping. Maybe you're training. Maybe you're just taking in the sights. Wherever you might be, there's an Aerith popping up like a daisy at your side with a smile.]

Hi there! Do you think I could borrow you for a little?

[And by a little, she has no idea if it genuinely is a little. For all she knows, this could be an all-day endeavour.]

04.Smoothies Like Jagger

[After keeping herself so occupied with the going-on's in Camelot, Aerith is overjoyed to see smoothie vendors in no short supply. Maybe it's intentional in the face of the coming equinox. It certainly seems like everyone has been keeping busy.

With a grateful exchange of the smoothie peddler she's stopped by, she becomes one Strawberry-Rose smoothie richer and takes a long moment to indulge.

It hits the spot.]

Ohhh, that's great! I hope these aren't a temporary thing. I could use a few more, honestly. Maybe I can get my hands on the recipe.

[If not for her to make it, then maybe she can find someone else to do so.]

[OOC: If the above don't strike your fancy, please feel free to PP me at ofthesky, or send me a PM. I'm happy to write closed starts for those who may be interested.]

Comments

02

[angel_of_death]

[Walter is headed for the tools rather than the hay when he is approached, but pauses when the lady speaks to him nevertheless.]

...Just the one?

[It seems a simple enough task. He's lifted heavy items on multiple occasions here already.]

[inemeraldfaith]

[Aerith pauses for a breath or two. Honestly, they'll probably need to move more. Horses have quite the appetite it seems, though she really knows very little about them and their habits.

On the other hand, saying she doesn't know how many they'll need leaves it relatively open-ended... But honesty is the best policy, right?]

How about one for now? They might need more later on, but one should be good to start with. At least over here. I saw some others further down that need food, too. I'd do it myself, but I think I underestimated how heavy they are.

[angel_of_death]

[He can understand where the idea may have come from. Hay is light, until it's been compacted as it is when it gets baled.]

We might as well take care of those, too. I have kinetic magic, so moving things like that aren't a problem for me.

[Walter has been training his magic obsessively diligently, along with training his body. He can handle a bale or two.]

3

[troubadamsel]

[ Well, that's one way to introduce yourself... and to interrupt some shopping. ]

... Pardon me?

[inemeraldfaith]

[Maribelle looks like she miiiight be a little delicate for this operation, but considering Aerith looks a bit fragile herself, it'd be very easy to underestimate her. Looks are not always representative of what lies beneath the flesh.]

Wellllll, you might not be much interested in this, but I heard the locals usually use flowers around this time and they've had some trouble getting them. I was planning to help them out, but I probably need an extra hand. Think I can convince you or is that a no-go?

[troubadamsel]

[ Maribelle frowns... but doesn't last long, and nods once. ]

Very well. It doesn't sound terribly difficult, and any distraction is a welcome distraction in this dreadful place.

1- amended/wildcard

[luciing]

[ It just so happens that he had been there when she was overlooking the lists of quests for that moment, just the same as he. Not one for such a serendipitous meeting to go to waste, the two decide to undertake the question together, which brings them to the present.

Now, they're at their second or third bunny cafe (of which, he still has little idea of what is a bunny cafe), and they've yet to locate the missing hare.

Unhelpfully, ]

...It is a rabbit.

[inemeraldfaith]

[...Somnus, ever so helpful. It's frankly a surprise she was able to get him to join her on this little misadventure at all. She doesn't recall him being terribly impressed when she mentioned chasing down bunnies for an errand of all things.]

Yes, it's a rabbit. [She confirms for him on the verge of a laugh. Excellent observation and identification skills he has.] We're looking for a specific rabbit, though. Here, I want a closer look at this one, but it's wiggling all over the place.

[Aerith offers up the furry bunny that she's holding, interested in little more than bicycle kicking and resuming its very normal life before they happened upon the scene.]

[luciing]

[ Somnus takes the rabbit as a hunter might, grasping it by the nape of its neck with one hand and supporting its weight in the palm of the other.

The rabbit is now still as stone, much like its captor. He peers down at it, running a thumb along its fur, and then his gaze lifts back to Aerith. ]

Its coat is unwashed and unkempt. Wild.

[ In other words, this is not the rabbit they're looking for, because it could not be someone's pet that's escaped so soon. ] ...Is there another rabbit cafe to seek?

Flower Crown

[whatsamada]

[Meanwhile, here Ken was, minding his own business as he was trying to figure out how to get dog food for his companion, Koromaru. As looked at the woman, he raised an eyebrow at her.]

Uh...sure? What is it that you need?

[He asked wondering if this little favor of hers would involve him getting into strange shenanigans. But then again, when was he not getting himself into trouble anyway here?]

[inemeraldfaith]

[Getting a closer look at him, she remembers Ken from the tournament. A large personality in a small package. Recognition sets in and her expression brightens considerably.]

The locals are trying to get flowers for the spring equinox, but are having trouble getting their hands on them. I wanted to help them out. I mean, they're letting us stay here and they've been nice to everyone foreign to their world. We should do something nice and help them out.

[whatsamada]

[At the same time, now that Ken got a better look at her? She was definitely someone whom he remembered from the tournament. With a smile, he nodded in agreement.]

I don't see why not. Although, is it for the dragons I heard about?

[While there was a part of him that was excited to see dragons popping up? Another part of him was wondering how dangerous this could get. Despite his worries, he couldn't deny the small smile creeping up on his face.]

4

[ofnovalue]

[ The whole concept of what a smoothie was had to be explained to her by the vendor. Slowly. But eventually she got it, feeling attracted to the Peach-Jasmine flavor, herself, as those had always been pleasant flavors in her tea.

She took a long sip. Then another. And let out a pleased hum. How refreshing! This world had so many wonders to it, but this had to be one of the most pleasant, thus far. She'd definitely have to get Agrias to try one.

Her attention turned towards Aerith. Making her own, hmm? ]

Ah, have you the mechanism, then? The one what creates these vitalizing blends?

[inemeraldfaith]

Hm...?

[Aerith's mid-sip at the question and after a moment's consideration, she grins. No. Of course she doesn't. She hasn't really been in Camelot long enough to piece herself together that much.

Well. Untrue. It's more that she's spent most of her time on plants and flowers. There's a clear priority here.]

Not exactly. But I bet I could find someone who does. They'd probably let me use it too if I asked really nicely.

[If she asked Morgan, she'd probably just have to bat her eyelashes.]

[ofnovalue]

[ So it hardly sounded like an inconvenience, to her. Ovelia smiled more brightly, nodding with some enthusiasm that she usually lacked, but felt so energized by her drink, it seemed to just bubble forth. ]

Well met! 'Twould be a lovely experience, I think, to even experiment with other flavors! There are a great many fruits in this world, after all...

03 slides in finally

[emet_sulk]

[ He has come to inspect the dragons for himself, being passing familiar with dragonkind. Even here, in Avalon, it seems the creatures share incredible similarities with those back home. Perhaps there is something in the psyche of all worlds gives them the name 'dragon', or perhaps there is something else afoot...

Either way, he's not intending to get wrapped up in gathering flowers at first, until a woman pops up near him with a smile. He startles visibly, leaning back from her. ]

Borrow me...? What for?

[inemeraldfaith]

[Emet has about the same reaction as any normal person would the moment Aerith invades personal space. Because apparently, she is just too friendly and personal space bubbles don't mean much.

He doesn't look like the sort to be interested in flowers, but... There's no harm in asking, right? Maybe she can convince him.]

You know the equinox is going on, right? A lot of the merchants and others are trying to get flowers, so I came up here because I heard these little guys were guarding some. I'd like to get some, but...

[She needs a distraction. She won't say it, but her bright grin seems to imply that that's probably what she intends to use him for.]

1 because bunnies!

[angelolatry]

Hm? Oh! Um. I'm looking too. But I'm not sure without a picture to compare how easy this is going to be to tell one rabbit apart from all of them.....

[Colette sympathizes with Aerith's struggle, going through the same thing and all. Having a name is good but she isn't sure rabbits necessarily react to their names the same way a dog might?

Look she is a Dog person. Not so much with rabbits. They're still cute. But. They are not dogs. So Colette isn't as familiar with them to tell them apart besides their size and colour perhaps. Which. Does not make this easy as she glances to Aerith's rabbit she holds up.]

[inemeraldfaith]

I was thinking the same thing.

[Aerith thumbs at her chin thoughtfully, a subtle frown lasting for only moments before it disappears.]

Honestly, I'm just using this as an excuse to touch all of them. They're pretty cute and I didn't really see many back home. And maybe they're smart enough to know their names. We could just walk into a cafe and call his name and maybe one will hop right up to us.

Flower Crowns

[madcuriosity]

[Alice looks up when Aerith is beside her and her cat familiar. The giant silver tabby seems to be grinning at the presence of the other as he sits lazily on Alice's shoulder.]

Miss Aerith! Oh- yes! I would love to help you! [Alice thought very well of Aerith, she had liked her immediately when they spoke.]

[inemeraldfaith]

[It's always nice to have some familiarity. Or rather, to be recognised. Kind of gives her than home, community sort of feeling. Back in the slums, it sure seemed like everyone knew her and that was probably because she had this habit of sticking her nose into everything.

With good intentions, naturally.

Moving her gaze onto Alice, she smiles grandly.]

I thought you might be interested. [Considering their mutual adoration and respect for flowers, of course.] Now, I have to say this upfront because I just don't feel right if I don't. I heard there were some dragons up where all the flowers are. Small ones, but dragons all the same. So it might be a little dangerous?

[But with that eerily grinning cat on her shoulder, maybe they have nothing to worry about. Aerith knows better than to count on her drake. It seems like almost all of its waking hours are spent with it curled up around her ponytail, providing little more than occasional sounds of what are probably discontent.]

harvest moon - as i arrive late. with starbucks.

[liveandforgive]

[ Funny how a little luck lends itself to nostalgia; ever since Cloud arrived here a couple months back, he'd been fortunate to find lodging in a home on the countryside with Weiss. Since then, he'd been keeping a relatively low profile, honing his newfound elemental magic and keeping a distant eye on the happenings of this once-thought utopia. Apparently...he wasn't looking close enough. Not when reality sets in and he realizes that he's finally not alone. Tifa and Nanaki both have informed him that Aerith is here. The key difference? Well, Cloud and Nanaki know of what's to become of her...

As for today, for now it's just like any other for the acerbic swordsman. Settling into this temporary(?) new life on the countryside, Cloud's hard at work in shouldering bales and working up a sweat. It's still relatively cool in the early spring, but even before he gained his mako enhancements, he's never been one to sweat the conditions.

All the work at the farm's caught up on, and Elaine asked Cloud for a favor. There's a friend of hers who could use a strong farmhand after they pulled a muscle in their back. What else was there left for Cloud to do but train? Weiss was keeping herself busy too, and he'd never been one to sit idle for long. With a nonchalant shrug, he accepted the work and was getting some good exercise out of it too. He's not as used to horses as he was the likes of chocobos, but they seemed to pay little mind. ...well. Save for the one curious horse that mistook Cloud's hair for shiny golden hay. That one got a little too close for comfort.

Bringing another load of hay over, he sets it down with a soft thud, wiping his brow with a sigh. ]

... Maybe...

[ After this is done, he can— ]

[ "Hey." ]

?!

[ —'go searching for someone', his thoughts trailed to. That wasn't going to be necessary, now was it? Not when that one word was enough to make his heart practically jump. His breath catches as he spins on heel towards the sound of that voice. Sure enough, with a wide-eyed stare, mouth slightly agape again with a sense of wonder, ]

...

[ "Do you think you could help me move this?" ]

... ....

[ It feels like his next breath is stuck in his throat all over again. Funny... You'd think that after having seen her come and go enough times in another life, that he'd have been used to this by now. But try as he might, and for all that he's forgiven with himself... It's never that easy. This would usually be the part where Cloud said her name, silently asking for that confirmation that it's really her and he's not in another dream again. But he's been caught looking like a deer caught in the headlights again, something that vaguely occurs to him as he finally clears his throat.

Well? She's asking for your help already! ]

Uh- Yeah.

[ What. No, "Aerith! I finally found you!"? Guess some things never change- even now. He runs over to close what distance remains between them. ]

I am also late. I hold work deadlines responsible.

[inemeraldfaith]

[Where Tifa and Nanaki have told him of her, no one has told her of him. As such when she's faced with him, whatever she might earnestly be thinking is hidden beneath that calm, collected and seemingly unchanging expression. As if Aerith herself is untouchable by anything that might otherwise upset her appearance of perfection.

As ever, enigmatic and not necessarily as upfront or forward as perhaps she ought to be.

It's nice to see him, regardless. Last time she did was when she was boarding an aircraft carrier and surrendering herself to Shinra for the sake of Marlene. Not that Cloud has ever been anything but capable. Hardly looks like he's changed either. Still wearing the same sullen expression. Still awful at conversation.]

Thanks!

[As if they've both been here all along and not that it's some grandiose reunion between them. But to be fair, she and Tifa weren't falling all over themselves when they met here either. But Nanaki... Well. His behaviour was a little different. Aerith can hazard a guess as to why, but there's no reason to go down that path, is there?]

I'll try not to take up too much of your time. I'm sure you have plenty to keep you busy.

1

[omnicrafter]

[Upon inspection of the quest board, the task of finding a fugitive rabbit sounds easy enough, so she starts hitting up the cafes, testing out some drinks and indulging in the furballs as she does so. She has a little experience from having been taught about them in the Black Shroud, but it's still only minimal. Enough to know how to take care of one, at least.

Such as the fact they're really hard to figure out the sex of when they're young. Much like viera, actually. Irhya takes another sip of her drink and then releases the straw from her mouth, gesturing.]

The one she's looking for should be an adult male, right? That one's a bit young, I think. It's smaller than the others.

[A pause. Another sip.]

Actually, come to think of it, if it's an angora rabbit, you'd think the quality of the fur would be a dead giveaway. Right?

Sorry for the wait!

[inemeraldfaith]

She's looking for a boy?

[Aerith has to pause in consideration, realising in hindsight that she's been looking for a rabbit that probably has a different appearance to other rabbits. Girl or boy didn't seem to ever occur to her and Aerith has to wonder if she's somehow passed over one by not properly checking...

She looks over to Irhya thoughtfully and issues a smile, though it's a bit apologetic. Or perhaps that's something closer to sheepishness. So difficult to tell when Aerith has such a rainbow of smiles.]

I don't actually know anything about 'angora' anything. But I did assume that it'd just be a rabbit that looked different from all of the other rabbits. The details might be a little more than that, though because I feel like I've looked at so many rabbits that they're all just kind of blending together.