[There is a long pause as he considers her question and how to answer it. Would she be an enemy if she was still alive? She had saved him- well, everyone- something he will always be indebted to her for.]
We've made peace. Not friends but we work together towards a common goal.
As promised she turns up at Jolly Nice the following afternoon, deciding to leave the horse and wagon at home in favor of a big basket bursting with an array of flowers from the garden she's been so meticulously tending. Her retainer Lorcan tails her from a distance, familiar enough with Aerith's routine to know that it won't be long before he's left minding the flowers while she has her regular midday ice cream.
She speeds up after spotting Rufus, and gives the man a little wave, smirking to herself as she approaches when she realizes even here, dressed like this, he still looks exactly like himself, weird coat or no.
"Have you been here before? It's like they have every flavor."
There really was no reason to give the butler the slip today other than he was tired of being trailed and it had been a while since Rufus had the fun of successfully being able to escape supervision on purpose.
At least Tseng wasn't here to have the satisfaction of Rufus using a cane since here it was a fashion statement, not because of him having a foot that never really healed right. But everything about his appearance is impeccable but instead of white on black, he has elected for white on dark blue, just to change things up a little here.
"I haven't, what do you recommend?" He's never been to an ice cream store before, everything about this entirely new for him but he'll let her take the lead as they go inside.
Rufus is surprised when she takes his arm, tensing, but even though his first instinct is to pull away, he doesn't. Instead, he follows her gaze to look at the list.
He's surprised by the variety, even more so to find his own particular favorite kind of ice cream he hadn't had in years. "You could just get both," he suggests as he glances at her.
"Mm, no, since you're buying today I want to try your favorite flavor." Did he know he was buying? Never mind, he does now! Aerith gives Rufus a sunny smile and lets his arm go, stepping closer to the case of ice cream as she waits for their turn to order.
"I wonder if I'll ever get used to seeing you around like this," she muses quietly, looking over her shoulder at him. "It's weird - thinking of you like a regular guy."
"Ordinary- that is strange, isn't it? It's still surreal." Even when the world thought he was dead and hidden away Rufus definitely didn't live any kind of normal life.
But now he was just someone else, not the most hated person who was to blame for the ruin and disease that came after Meteorfall.
"Are you sure? What if I like something terribly awful?" he can't help but tease a little.
"Surreal in a good way?" Because if there's one thing living in Andovale has made very clear, it's that there are a lot of different ways a thing can be surreal. Take this conversation, for example.
"If you like something awful, I'll probably make fun of you, and then make you eat my cone too." Aerith's eyes narrow at him, her chin tipping up in feigned defiance.
"As far as surreal experiences go, it's not that bad." There had been so many surreal moments in his life after Meteorfall that Rufus had just decided to take things as they came the best he could.
"Make fun all you want, that's more for me. But I'll play nice and warn you that it's pretty bitter and tart." It was the least he could do before they get to the counter.
"Am I? Oh good," Rufus chuckles, not at all deterred by her judgment. It's been years since he's had this and it's a surprise that this place serves something that wasn't particularly popular even in Midger.
"Alright, I warned you, you can't say I didn't. What do you want?"
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post event, text.
Date: 2023-06-30 10:17 pm (UTC)text.
Date: 2023-06-30 10:20 pm (UTC)How bad was your hangover?
no subject
Date: 2023-06-30 10:21 pm (UTC)Made me happy my healing materia still works here, that's for sure.
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Date: 2023-06-30 10:24 pm (UTC)That's fortunate- I should have brought some with me. I'll make sure not to forget the next time I'm brought to a new world.
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Date: 2023-06-30 10:27 pm (UTC)So, in the future, are we enemies still?
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Date: 2023-06-30 10:33 pm (UTC)[There is a long pause as he considers her question and how to answer it. Would she be an enemy if she was still alive? She had saved him- well, everyone- something he will always be indebted to her for.]
We've made peace. Not friends but we work together towards a common goal.
no subject
Date: 2023-06-30 10:38 pm (UTC)Are we going to be friends here?
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Date: 2023-06-30 10:49 pm (UTC)You did a decent job with the flower braids, I don't see why not.
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Date: 2023-06-30 10:50 pm (UTC)Did I? You fired me!
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Date: 2023-06-30 11:08 pm (UTC)I've had to do some significant corporate reorganization and downsizing but perhaps I can find something for you.
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Date: 2023-07-01 12:00 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2023-07-01 01:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-07-01 01:23 am (UTC)action!
Date: 2023-07-01 01:52 am (UTC)She speeds up after spotting Rufus, and gives the man a little wave, smirking to herself as she approaches when she realizes even here, dressed like this, he still looks exactly like himself, weird coat or no.
"Have you been here before? It's like they have every flavor."
no subject
Date: 2023-07-01 04:12 am (UTC)At least Tseng wasn't here to have the satisfaction of Rufus using a cane since here it was a fashion statement, not because of him having a foot that never really healed right. But everything about his appearance is impeccable but instead of white on black, he has elected for white on dark blue, just to change things up a little here.
"I haven't, what do you recommend?" He's never been to an ice cream store before, everything about this entirely new for him but he'll let her take the lead as they go inside.
no subject
Date: 2023-07-10 07:50 pm (UTC)"But I like..." Aerith trails off, drumming her fingers on her chin as she examines the varieties on offer in the shop today.
"Lavender honeycomb, or the very chocolate one." There are varying degrees of chocolate!
no subject
Date: 2023-07-11 05:46 am (UTC)He's surprised by the variety, even more so to find his own particular favorite kind of ice cream he hadn't had in years. "You could just get both," he suggests as he glances at her.
no subject
Date: 2023-07-11 03:58 pm (UTC)"I wonder if I'll ever get used to seeing you around like this," she muses quietly, looking over her shoulder at him. "It's weird - thinking of you like a regular guy."
no subject
Date: 2023-07-11 09:48 pm (UTC)But now he was just someone else, not the most hated person who was to blame for the ruin and disease that came after Meteorfall.
"Are you sure? What if I like something terribly awful?" he can't help but tease a little.
no subject
Date: 2023-07-12 01:20 am (UTC)"If you like something awful, I'll probably make fun of you, and then make you eat my cone too." Aerith's eyes narrow at him, her chin tipping up in feigned defiance.
no subject
Date: 2023-07-12 05:17 am (UTC)"Make fun all you want, that's more for me. But I'll play nice and warn you that it's pretty bitter and tart." It was the least he could do before they get to the counter.
no subject
Date: 2023-07-13 12:21 am (UTC)"Come on, the suspense is killing me, I have to try this horrible flavor of yours."
no subject
Date: 2023-07-14 05:49 am (UTC)"Alright, I warned you, you can't say I didn't. What do you want?"