Inbox

[ambitiousblond]

please leave a message

[ Action ]

[ Text ]

[ Voice ]

[ Video ]

code by

Comments

post event, text.

[floresco]

Are you still alive?

text.

[ambitiousblond]

Last I checked at least.

How bad was your hangover?

[floresco]

Nice work!

Made me happy my healing materia still works here, that's for sure.

[ambitiousblond]

Thank you! I'm rather proud of it.

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.

[floresco]

Not all of mine work, but at least a few important ones do if you ever need healing.

So, in the future, are we enemies still?

[ambitiousblond]

I'll take you up on that the next time.

[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.

[floresco]

A common goal? Either I had a huge change of heart, or you did!

Are we going to be friends here?

[ambitiousblond]

I would tell you but reputation is everything and I can't have mine as the worst person on the planet ruined, even here.

You did a decent job with the flower braids, I don't see why not.

[floresco]

Nice try, but we both know you're no Hojo.

Did I? You fired me!

[ambitiousblond]

I can't deny that at least.

I've had to do some significant corporate reorganization and downsizing but perhaps I can find something for you.

[floresco]

You're going to have to make me a pretty good offer!

[ambitiousblond]

Name your price, I'm sure we can work something out.

[floresco]

How about we start with you getting me ice cream in town sometime?

[ambitiousblond]

I accept- name the time and place.

[floresco]

Jolly Nice in the Trade Quarter, I'm working my way through every flavor. Tomorrow, I get there with my wagon about noon.

[ambitiousblond]

It's a date.

[floresco]

Is it? Wow! Tell a guy he's not as bad as Hojo and he just throws himself at you!

[ambitiousblond]

What can I say, I'm easy and you swept me off my feet with that.

[floresco]

And I was sure it was the drunk hair braiding that was going to seal the deal!

[ambitiousblond]

If that doesn't make us friends already I'm not sure what will.

[floresco]

You buying me ice cream of course!

[ambitiousblond]

I suppose it's the least I can do, especially after your impressive hair braiding.

action!

[floresco]

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."

[ambitiousblond]

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.

[floresco]

"The raspberry liquor one is pretty good," she says, taking his arm as they meander through the door of the ice cream shop.

"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!

[ambitiousblond]

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.

[floresco]

"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."

[ambitiousblond]

"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.

[floresco]

"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.

[ambitiousblond]

"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.

[floresco]

"You're really selling it, Rufus!" Aerith sounds so sincere when she says it, it's almost hard to tell she's poking fun at him.

"Come on, the suspense is killing me, I have to try this horrible flavor of yours."

[ambitiousblond]

"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?"