etraya | un: shadowheart

I'll meet you in front of the cafe. [She definitely isn't comfortable hanging out in a church right now.]

see you there!

[ When she arrives, Shadowheart will see a woman who may or may not look familiar, depending on how well she remembers her dream: brown hair in a ribboned plait, a pink dress, and sharp, green eyes.

Aerith waves when she sees someone approach, brightening. ]

Hey there! Are you "shadowheart?" [ There's a little tilt of the head and a knowing smile before she adds: ] That color looks just as good on you during the day.

[ Hair color, that is. ]

[Shadowheart isn't quite sure what to expect other than, apparently, a 'local florist.' She's rather surprised to see the young woman from her dream, the one who positively radiated sincerity.

For her part, she's dressed in full armour, and carrying an ornate spear strapped to her back. A dog with scruffy white fur is trailing after her, periodically stopping to sniff the ground before trotting to catch up.

A slight but genuine smile steals across her face at the compliment. She's had a little more time to process everything that's happened to her, and while she still isn't quite certain of, well, anything, really, she is better used to the new hair colour.]

Thank you. It has rather grown on me.

[Her memory of the dream is a little vague. It was a dream, after all. But she's fairly certain of one thing.]

I never did get your name.

[ Lots of people in full armor these days. She's not judging, but she is thinking about helping Barnabas navigate the local store in an attempt to find him "something more civilian" to wear. ]

Glad to hear it! I meant it when I said it suits you. [ Her own smile grows, arms moving to link behind her back. ] Oh - I'm Aerith. Don't think I got yours either, right?

[ There'd been a lot of talking, a lot of contemplation, but no introductions. Or...if there were, her own memories of the exchange are hazy enough that she isn't sure. What she can picture is the light of the moon in the sky, on the water. In this woman's bright hair. ]

And you have a friend! [ Aerith nearly rises to the tips of her toes to peer around Shadowheart to wave at Scratch. ] Did he arrive with you, or...?

Shadowheart.

[Scratch senses the attention directed his way and curiously approaches Aerith, sniffing at her hand before excitedly barking and wagging his tail at her, tongue lolling out.]

I requested him. I thought he might be safer here than at home. [That's partially true. She can keep a close eye on him here, and there are no cultists of the Dead Three or shapeshifting Chosen of Bhaal to endanger him. It's more than that, though. It's absurdly self-indulgent, she knows, the sort of foolish sentimentality she shouldn't waste her time on – is that really what she thinks, or just what Mother Superior taught her to think? – but she wants a pet. An animal she can care for and shower with affection. And now that she's finally free of the cloister, she can have one.

But Scratch isn't the reason she's here.]

You're a healer. Can you remove parasites?

Ah! Guess that explains the display name. [ She does wonder briefly if it's an alias, but refrains from asking. For now. ] And what about your friend?

[ It'd be rude not to ask about the dog, after all. ]

"Requested"...? - Oh! Gotcha. [ There's a nod of understanding, and she looks from Scratch back to Shadowheart. ] I know somebody who did the same. For me, what I-...requested, I guess, was a place: the church I mentioned. [ Then, because it's come up a few times with others: ] It's not really a religious place. More...spiritual, I guess? In a personal way.

[ She definitely doesn't want to give people the wrong impression, particularly since it's so important to Aerith herself.

When the original request resurfaces, in more detail, her brows lift in surprise. ]

A parasite? Hmm... [ There's a moment as she considers her skill set, tapping her chin thoughtfully. ] ...I can help with poison, being paralyzed or petrified...even get people back to normal if they've been turned into a frog. [ Don't ask. Or do? ] So...truth is, I'm not sure I have a one-to-one. But it's magic, so I don't think there's harm in trying. That is, if you're open to it.

[ There's a beat, then she adds: ] Promise it won't involve needles, or touching your eyes.

His name is Scratch.

[Shadowheart falls very quiet as Aerith speaks of her church. Religious, spiritual... A church is a god's dwelling place, no matter what words anyone chooses to describe it, and she's found herself uncomfortable with gods since learning the truth about Shar.

But Scratch provides a good distraction from her silence, eager for pets from Aerith, who he seems to have taken an immediate liking to. Shadowheart will take that as a good sign; she trusts his judgement more than that of many people she's met.

She'd hoped for a bit better than 'no harm in trying.' With things like illithid, she worries that there might, in fact, be some harm. But at least Aerith seems more level-headed than Volo, though that's a low bar to clear.]

You should know that this particular parasite is protected by magic. Netherese, apparently. [If that means anything to Aerith.] And, [she adds hurriedly,] it's quite powerful in its own right. Would you take it, as payment, were you able to extract it for me?

[Setting out the temptation as bait, seeing if Aerith walks into the trap.

If Aerith says that she wants the tadpole, Shadowheart will be on her way; she can't trust anyone who shows a glimmer of interest in the tadpole's power.

If Aerith says that she doesn't want it, Shadowheart will at least feel reassured that Aerith won't try to use its power for ill, whatever else happens.]

Hey, Scratch! Who's a good boy? [ Aerith immediately occupies herself with attending to the dog when he approaches, squatting immediately and offering scritches to the goodest boy.

When Shadowheart begins speaking, Aerith looks up, still smiling from the dog's delightful influence. As the other woman continues, the smile fades a bit, replaced by a mingled curiosity and confusion. ]

Gotta be honest: I'm not sure what "Netherese" is. [ It's...very weird to be offered a parasite as payment for the help (maybe even a little gross), and so, with knit brows, she shakes her head pretty quickly after the question is posed. ]

Um, I...appreciate it? But you can keep it. I'm not asking for payment. [ At this point she rises again, brushing off the front of her dress. ] If it's protected, or as powerful as you say, I may not be able to do anything about it after all. But we'll find a way, 'kay? Even if it's not using my magic. There's gotta be something around here that'll work.

[ Particularly in this city, where there are so many different kinds of people with so many diverse abilities. ]

[Scratch knows he's a good boy, and he accepts all his well-deserved scritches with his tail wagging fiercely and his tongue lolling out.

Aerith continues to surprise Shadowheart by being both relentlessly pleasant and unfailingly optimistic. She's not sure whether she pities the girl (Shadowheart assumes she must have little experience of the world's cruelty, and something will come along to hurt her eventually) or resents her (there are days that Shadowheart wishes she herself could be so optimistic) or is simply glad of her company (the strangest possibility).]

Mmm. Or die, trying I suppose. Some days, I fear that seems the more likely outcome.

[At least Aerith doesn't want the tadpole. That makes it easier to ask her next question.]

Will you at least try to get it out, then? Powerful as it is, I'd take an uncertain chance of getting rid of it over the rather gruesome eventually fatal certainty of leaving it in.

If what they say is true, then even if you die here, it's...not forever.

[ A weird, almost unnerving prospect. Aerith's not about to test it herself, and hopes it never comes to that, but she's heard stories of people who didn't make it in the labyrinth. And then...who came back.

She does wonder if they came back...right, though. It seems like a complicated thing to do, even with all the combined magic and abilities within this world. ]

But - yeah, happy to give it a try. I'll be careful, promise. [ There's an encouraging little smile as she retrieves the silver rod from her side and clutches it in her hands. ] Just stay still for a minute, okay?

[ There's a quick burst of light - white and pale pink and violent - which resonates from Aerith herself in a small ring around her. Spectral butterflies fade in and out of existence, flitting through the air and between realities. Eyes closed in concentration, Aerith seems to channel a spell - Esuna, which, in her world, typically removes unusual status effects. Then, in another small flash, the wave of magic jumps to wash over Shadowheart, and the light show dies down.

Aerith lowers her weapon, brows knit in concern. ]

Feel any different?

[Shadowheart has seen plenty of magic; she's a healer herself, and a relatively powerful one. She knows what it looks like and what it feels like. And yet Aerith's magic catches her by surprise, the beautiful burst of light and butterflies, and then the soothing feeling of it washing over her. It feels similar to the restoration spells she knows, yet different in a way she can't quite pinpoint.

The unfortunate side effect of the spell is that the tadpole seems to recognize an attempt to banish it, and for a moment, Shadowheart grits her teeth, feeling it writhe behind her eye.

But soon enough the tadpole settles, and the feeling passes.

She shakes her head.]

I think the best that can be said is that I don't feel any worse.

Damn. [ There's a sigh as she lowers the staff, looking disappointed, but not defeated. ] Well, I'm obviously glad it didn't make it worse or anything, but I'm not giving up. If I hear about anything that could help, I'll pass it your way, 'kay?

[ Shadowheart will soon learn: once Aerith has an idea in her head and is committed to it, there's not a lot that can shake her off. ]

I won't ask about the details, [ She begins, looking back to meet the other woman's eyes. ] but...is it getting worse?

[ "Is there a time limit?" Because if it's supposed to be terminal, then...well. She'll make it a priority. ]

[Shadowheart had been expecting, at best, that Aerith would give it a try, it wouldn't work, and they would go their separate ways. She hadn't expected Aerith to want to keep helping.]

You'd do that?

[It's so shockingly kind that Shadowheart finds herself answering Aerith's question without any of her usual distrust or caginess.]

It's held in stasis. For now. But should that stasis end, it will kill me.

Of course. What are friends for?

[ If it's presumptive to call Shadowheart a friend after so short a time, she isn't apologizing for it. Instead, she maintains that determined expression, offering the other woman a small smile. ]

Gotcha. Hmm... I've never heard of anything like that before, but I'm glad whatever's keeping it at bay is working. And in the meantime, we'll figure something out. [ There's a thoughtful pause, and then: ] D'you mind if I ask around for ideas, as long as I don't mention your name or any other details?

[Friends.

The concept is still new to her. She's got a few back home, and realizing that they had crossed from 'allies of convenience' to 'people she actually cared for' had been as stunning then as it is now to hear Aerith use that word.

Aerith... wants to be friends? With her?

She barely hears the rest of what Aerith's saying, momentarily overwhelmed by how touched she is.]

Yes, of course.

[She pauses, feeling like more is owed.]

Thank you. No one's ever done anything like that for me.

You don't have to thank me. Haven't done much yet, after all.

[ She's smiling, though, hands behind her back. ]

I just think...we're all in the same situation, right? Keeping each other at arm's length'll just make everything harder. [ Her smile fades a touch as she brows come together in a slightly more darkened expression, though it's full of determination, too. ] And I don't believe that only some worlds can be saved. If they have the power to save some, we'll find a way to save them all.

[ Another big vow, but one that she believes all the same. Otherwise - to believe differently, to think they'd be better off pitted against each other - it'd be too much to bear. ]

But...one thing at a time. We all need to be in tip-top shape to be able to save all these worlds, after all, and you're part of that group!

[Once, Shadowheart might have dubbed Aerith a naive optimist. She still might. Hells, she's not even convinced Aurora's told them the truth about this world-destroying business. But there's something almost endearing about Aerith's belief that they'll figure everything out and save everybody in the end, and her pledge to keep everyone in 'tip-top shape.'.]

I'd say that's awfully pragmatic of you, but there are others who would be less inclined to help strangers, and they'd call that pragmatism too.

[Even if it is rooted in pragmatism, every encounter she's shared with Aerith thus far as demonstrated the other girl's kindness.]

It's... nice. To be part of the group. [It's all she's ever wanted, really. To belong.]

Edited 2024-09-08 04:29 (UTC)

Well I appreciate it, though that might be giving me more credit than I deserve, considering I don't exactly have a concrete plan yet... [ There's a pause, then a sigh. ] Doesn't matter, though. We'll figure it out.

[ Eventually. Together.

At the second comment, her smile reppears. ]

I know what you mean. It just makes everything better. [ She'd lived with Elmyra before joining up with the others, of course, but it wasn't the same as traveling the world with Cloud, Tifa, and the others. ] If nothing else, it's way more interesting!

[ They're...all unique people, that's for sure... ]

'Interesting' is certainly the word I'd use. [To think, she all too easily could have found herself making the journey to Baldur's Gate alone. No githyanki zaith'isk and subsequent confrontation with Vlaakith herself, no scrounging in abandoned forges for infernal iron and ending up in a phase spider's nest, no kidnapped Dukes, no monster hunters on their tail, no threat of imminently blowing up, none of it.

And no one to help her during the inevitable attacks from goblins or undead, no one to share the long nights with around the campfire. No one to sit with her when she reached her lowest point. How differently might things have gone if she'd walked into the Shadowfell alone?]

I never thought I'd feel this way, but I miss the people I was traveling with. Back home.

[ At that, Aerith's expression softens. It's a knowing look, and a sympathetic one. ]

Know what you mean. I have some people here with me from back home, but...not all of them. Maybe that's greedy. [ Red, Barret, Tifa, Cait, Cid...and her mom. She knows - believes - she'll see them all someday (most of them, at least), but...it's been too long. ] What're they like? The people back home.

[ It helps to talk about them, at least in Aerith's experience. In the end, everyone is a story, after all. Telling those stories keeps them close. ]

Now that's a question that could fill a book. It's quite the disparate group, given that we were brought together by circumstances rather than choice. On the whole they're insufferable, oftentimes. Stubborn. Loud.

[One of the few nice things about being here is that she no longer has to listen to the incessant grinding sound of Lae'zel sharpening her sword at every hour of the night and day. But she finds herself missing even Lae'zel, awful noises and all.]

Some of them are the sort of person I wouldn't trust with anything more important than a copper piece, others have all the common sense of a glob of mud. Some of them are the best people I've ever known.

[Perhaps that doesn't mean much, given that, in a way, they're the only people she's ever known, but she struggles to imagine anyone as righteous as Wyll or as big-hearted – metaphorically – as Karlach.]

But once you've saved someone's life and they've saved yours, none of that seems to matter very much, I've found.

Know what you mean. [ Aerith laughs lightly as Shadowheart's description of her group easily elicits memories - loud, fun, chaotic - of her own companions. ] No matter how the personalities clash, once you've been through certain things, you're pretty much bonded forever. Whether you like it or not, I guess.

[ Shadowheart had said "insufferable," after all. ]

Well, if one of them shows up, you have to introduce me, 'kay? Now that you've told me a little about them, I need to see how the reality holds up to the story.

[ There's another grin at that, and she links her hands behind her back. ]

...I should probably get going, but - seriously, stay in touch, alright? I'm not going to forget about helping you. So, if I learn anything, I'll reach out right away.

un: shadowheart | text

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