[ It doesn't require strenuous effort on Clive's part to be attentive. Genuinely, he's interested in the things that make the natural world around them tick, having been so beholden to crystals and magick from such a young age. It doesn't hurt that he's grown attached to his teacher, though that's the sort of thing that'll require more unpacking on his own time.
Weeds go in one pile, herbs in another. The bowl is getting crowded－ he'll offer to carry it wherever Aerith needs, later. ]
If I went to the infirmary for every bump and bruise, I think I would never leave.
[ He has a rather nasty bruise now, in the shape of the side of a rock that he bumped against when he was chasing coeurls in the Dhalmek desert; he hadn't bothered to tell Tarja, because it seemed too trivial. ]
[Aerith laughs, lifting her head from where she's been plucking weeds. On her hands, she shifts to the last plant waiting for her care and she shakes her head.]
Maybe don't go to her that often. I'm sure she'd like to do something else with her time, as much as I'm sure she doesn't mind seeing you. [Maybe for better reasons, though. It's probably tiresome to see him for injuries.] But hopefully you won't have to endure any stitches anytime soon.
[That said, sometimes even if Clive isn't looking for trouble, trouble finds him.]
How are you doing over there? Feeling confident if I come over and give it the third degree? I won't hold back, you know.
[Not true. To a degree, she just might. Imagining Aerith as anything more than a little gentle is difficult. She's not yielding and she can be firm, but she'd rather not be if she doesn't have to be.]
[ Clive is the trouble, some might say. Flitting left and right, sword in hand, destroying centuries of a well-established world order. A few bumps and scrapes and scars are suitable recompense for the chaos he's caused, and continues to cause.
He doesn't say that, though. He can anticipate the pushback against it, and he doesn't want this to be a matter of self-flagellation, either. ]
You should have seen when I tried to stitch myself together, once. I thought Tarja might kill me herself.
[ He didn't think his work was that shoddy... but alas. A half-chuckle as he remembers the verbal lashing he got, and he pivots to give Aerith more room beside him again if she cares to inspect his progress. He's fairly certain that he's been able to correctly separate the weeds from the herbs, though there's one outlier that may or may not be missorted. ]
I don't know that I'd blame her. Unless you've suddenly decided you'd be more fitting with a needle and thread.
[Aerith raises her eyebrows, a coy smile taking her mouth. As amusing as the imagery is, she just can't see it, and maybe that's because the first time she saw him, he had a sword in hand. She doesn't know much about combat at all, but when she thinks back to that and any other time she's seen him like so, it almost looks like he was made to hold a sword.
Shaking her head at him once more, she followed it up with a quiet mirthful snort.
When he invites her over, Aerith meanders her way back over to him, leaning over to get a good look at what he's done.]
What makes you think it's gonna be an earful? [If she were braver, she'd probably playfully bonk his head like surely Torgal must from time to time. Somehow, she resists the temptation.] Hm... [In her quiet, she examines. Scrutinises. Ruminates. As if she's considering just how analytical she should be.]
I don't think this looks bad at all, actually. Considering I'm pretty sure you don't spend a lot of time with plants. Of course, if you come out here more often, you could get even better.
[ Hardly good for anything besides holding a sword... and sorting through herbs, apparently! Clive waits for Aerith's verdict with the patience of a dog being told to heel before its bowl of food is brought to it, and once it's delivered, settles into his contentment like the same dog now happily sticking its nose in its food.
She really is so sweet. There are precious few who manage to be so playful with him― Gav, certainly, and Mid, when she's around. It makes him feel fifteen again, a boy who grew up slightly awkward around the raucous humor of soldiers in barracks.
Theatrically, he places his palm over his heart. ]
I thank my lady for her generosity in her assessment.
[ Perfectly princely. ]
And eventually, I should hope that you whip me into shape enough that I might change my moniker from 'Cid the Outlaw' to 'Cid the Plant-tamer'.
[Watching him, pleased that he's willing to humour her, Aerith grins from ear to ear. There he goes again. That 'my lady.' It's so perfectly him. It really reminds her of how different their ageing up must have been. Maybe. Maybe not, considering it sure seems like they might feel similarly on some certain things.
One day, she'll ask him for more details. When she's brave enough to do so.
Dipping down next to him again, she reaches for the bowl they've successfully filled with their garden plunder. Tipping her head, she's still sporting that amused expression, like she's trying to hold back any additional laughter that could potentially leak through. As she speaks, she's sorting through what they've picked, trying to organise it so when it goes to the mess, it's a little easier to go through.]
I thought it was other people who gave you the nickname and you were just leaning into it. [Pausing a moment, deliberately removing some extra dirt from roots, she scoots to better face Clive, sits up a little more and without much warning at all, her hands lift with the intention to press her fingertips right over his cheeks in an effort to playfully mark him with some of the 'fruits' of their proverbial labour.] If you wanna come across as a plant-tamer, then we need to make you look like a plant-tamer, no?
[ More doglike inclinations: he tilts into that touch, letting fingertips smear dirt along his skin. He doesn't mind wearing what he's done, and earth is far preferable than the acrid splashback of blood. ]
Not exactly. I assumed the moniker myself.
[ No one asked him to― he'd wanted to. Everything around him is Cid's legacy, not his own. He's just borrowed it, kept it going. All of this was Cid's idea, and Clive would rather it be attributed to the lionhearted man who fought on and on for the right for broken things to be broken instead of discarded.
[That too, sounds like Clive. Cid was formative to Clive. As he was to many. Isn't that kind of why they're all here now? That man has saved so many people. Even under Clive's leadership, it keeps happening. And it's all begun with a rather cheeky man who still carries influence even after his noble sacrifice.
Aerith can only smile softly at the notion as she admires Clive in all of his gardening glory. Cid the Outlaw, huh. Except he only looks like Clive to her now.
When he preens, or what she decides to interpret as preening, she's grinning all over again.]
You look... very dirty. [She replies with a laugh, but just as quickly she follows it up by rubbing the same hands across her face.] What do you think? Now, we match.
[In suffering and joys alike, Aerith likes the idea of matching. She isn't sure she'd like to picture it in any other way.]
Well, that's unfair. [ His head angles to the side, as Clive takes in the sight of her. Mud-streaked, and still impossibly lovely. ] You wear it better than I do, I think.
[ For all that they've just spoken about monikers, he, too, feels like Just Clive. The sort of man he might have been if he hadn't been a prince, if he hadn't been a Dominant, if he hadn't been anything. Just flesh and blood and sentiment, which he has in spades.
His gaze warms; affection smooths across his angles, and makes him look softer for it. Younger. Boyish, even. ]
I expect the others will be surprised if they saw us in this state. They might think we fought.
[Isn't he? Maybe... he's not? It's just dirt. How can anyone wear it well? It occurs to her that as she's thinking about it, that familiar tint of colour is touching her again. Whether he's serious or not, Aerith's grin softens into a warm, sincere, and rather girlish smile.
She casts a look around just in case she sees any immediate prying eyes. Prying ears. Would it really matter if anyone saw the two of them together? Well. Considering Aerith's behaviour and how she carries herself, maybe they'd come to expect that of her. It's possible that Clive playing along would be more of an unexpected outcome.
Aerith likes it when he plays along, though. She hopes he'll do it more. Gesturing to the bowl at her side, she dramatically clears her throat.]
I dunno. This makes it look pretty obvious, right? [But then she leans forward onto her palms as she studies him, appreciates the way his features have shifted. He's very handsome, isn't he. Dirt or no dirt, doesn't matter.] But I can pretend that we were fighting, if you want. I'm pretty good at pretending. I can say it was one-sided and you let me win.
[ He is, and he isn't. Teasing, that is. But he's not sure how well it'd go if he spoke that reality into existence, if he said something as blunt as no, I really do think you're quite stunning, and so―
―he keeps it to himself for now, and thanks Aerith internally for moving along. Even if she smiles at him in a way that makes his pulse flutter, and his blood feel just a bit hotter under his skin. It's a strange, pleasant thing to be sure that his presence is welcome, and to have it telegraphed with such vibrant honesty.
Already, he's forgotten that he literally has dirt on his face. Preoccupied with the gentle presence next to him, and his inclination to help her in whatever way he can. ]
No one would believe that I 'let' you.
[ Slightly playful, but mostly honest. Straightening, he reaches for the bowl with the sort of gentle authority that says that he'll carry it for her. ]
If we ever fought, I doubt I could win. [ Verbally, that is. He'd never fight her physically; would never lift a finger to harm her. ]
What are you talking about—everyone would believe that you let me.
[Her smile blooms all over again, not unlike the flowers she's been growing in the hideaway. When he reaches for the bowl she's neatly organised, her head tilts.]
You don't have to do that, you know. I could do it.
[She usually does, but it's a very nice and refreshing change of pace. Aerith suspects that he'll offer to take it anyway and that little flutter at the mere theoretical comes right back up, tempting her to grin in that slightly flustered way she sometimes does.
Very idly, Aerith throws some rather unimpressive, halfhearted punches in the air. It's evident close-quarters-combat is not at all her area of expertise.]
As fortune would have it, I can't envision a moment in which I'd ever want to fight with you. I like it much more when we smile at each other. Play fighting, though. I could do play fighting. It'd look really silly, though. I don't really know how to fight at all.
I don't, [ about the bowl, ] but you'd not deny me the pleasure.
[ Twin helpfulness, dancing their careful dance. If Clive is imagining the slight dusting of red on Aerith's cheeks, well― he likes where his imagination is going, for once. A smile, and he balances the bowl in one hand while he thumbs off a bit of that dirt on her face. Not enough that it ruins the matching, mind.
The formless punching is enough to elicit a full-throated laugh, as he starts to move away from the gardens and towards the kitchens. ]
It's my hope that you'll never have to learn. [ How to fight, obviously. An idealistic way to think― even without magick or aether or crystals, humans will be humans― but still. He thinks he can't be faulted for wishing. ] But if ever we run into a situation where we need to convince others of your fierceness, I'll gladly play my part.
Aerith trails after her, darkening just a shade more when he fixes—adjusts—the dirt marking her. They really do probably look like they got into a scuffle. But if he doesn't mind, she doesn't either. Inevitably, people may talk, but it wouldn't be the first time she was a conversation topic. It probably, whether she wants it or not, won't be the last time.
Rubbing her hands together and trying to remove some of the dirt she's acquired from working (and playing alike) in the gardens, she stays near his side.]
It'd be nice if none of us had to rely on fighting to survive. [Aerith begins and after a moment, she looks almost apologetic, though for whom is anyone's guess.] Life, in general, is precious. I don't necessarily always understand or agree with why swords have to be taken up to begin with. Or why magic has to be used to conquer instead of purely just to protect.
[She shakes her head slowly.] I know that's not the way of the world. But in my world, in my ideal world, no one would have to do that. One day, maybe no one will. [And yet that seems so against human nature.]
[ If the others do talk, it'll likely be a lot of young men very angry at Clive for hogging Aerith's attention, he's sure. He'll probably be dragged towards the bar at some point and surrounded by tankards of ale, accosted by Cursebreakers and civilians alone about what he talks about with her, what makes Aerith smile.
Oh well. That's for future Clive to contend with. A gaggle of children pass by them on their way to their destination, and he smiles as they giggle and chirp Cid's gotten all dirty with Aerith! as they scatter. ]
...When we get rid of the crystals, and we get rid of magick, my hope is that we can get closer to the world you're envisioning. All of us made equal, with the same choices and opportunities to live and thrive.
[ No Bearers, no Branded, no arbitrary guidelines used to punish arbitrary groups of people. An ideal, but a goal nevertheless. ]
[Aerith's green gaze passes over the children and their laughter is infectious. She can't resist laughing either. Maybe she should set aside some time to play with them, too. A bunch of small hands in the garden sounds like it would be nice. If they can grow with peace in their hearts, perhaps their future can be a far brighter one. It's only when they're so far ahead of her view that she returns her attention onto Clive.
...When we get rid of the crystals, and we get rid of magick...
Yes. Maybe... that's all true. Maybe the crystals and magick is all to blame for this. But what does that mean for someone like her? Perhaps nothing good and maybe that part doesn't matter. Idly, she finds herself eyeing one of her hands. For the sliver of a moment, her expression shifts. Serious. A little more sombre. But it's only a beat of time, though it feels so much longer for her. The beat passes, no greater than the blink of an eye, and Aerith is back to... Aerith.]
All of us made equal. With the same choices and opportunities to live and thrive. [Her features soften.] What a beautiful world that could be.
[At his question, she shakes her head.] No. Of course not. I just wish you didn't have to. I wish no one here had to. I wish Cid never had to. People wouldn't have had to sacrifice themselves. Families wouldn't be split. Children wouldn't be without their parents. [Eyeing him thoughtfully, she continues.] You're fighting to make the world a better place, Clive. Seeing you fight so hard, it makes me want to do the same thing.
[ He watches, and for a moment, the world seems to dilate around Aerith; for a heartbeat, she seems miles away, sequestered in a place that seems impossible to reach.
There and gone again. She repeats his words back at him, steady and sure, and her smile brightens the green of her eyes. A trick of the light? It's hard for Clive to tell, even when he's so close to her in physical distance, just within arm's reach.
The grief of someone who lost much because of the world, he tries to reason. There's something under Aerith's skin that sings of melancholy, and maybe it's because of it that she's so gentle, that she holds her wishes like sunlight in her palms. ]
...I fight, but I also kill. I wouldn't wish that on you.
[ Bloodstained hands, dirtied by sin. He flexes the one that isn't holding the bowl, feeling his fingers furl and unfurl. ]
You do more than enough, just being alive. Seeing all of this through to the end. I'd dare not ask more.
[It is possible—likely, even—that she already kills. Inadvertent killing is still killing. Unintentional killing is still killing. Not that she feels either should be happening. If there could be only one sacrifice, wouldn't it make sense for it to be someone who would only add to the plight affecting countless others? Just the thought causes a sliver of ache to ripple atop her heart in a place unseen, but prominently felt.
She'll have to answer that, one day. Sooner, rather than later. It's a terribly selfish thing otherwise.
Watching Clive curl his free hand up and release, she reaches over and as gently as she can muster, as if she could even be anything but gentle, her fingertips touch his palm and eventually hers presses to his. She is warm, as she often is. Soft. Brimming with the churning, living force of aether beneath her carefully crafted exterior.]
You also protect. You save lives.
[After a moment's consideration, Aerith draws her gaze down from him in the direction she'd seen the children disappear into.] You saved mine. You and Cid. If neither of you had found me, I get the feeling it's not something I could have talked myself out of. [Founders know she had certainly tried, more than once.]
You do a great many things and all with purpose.
[Her insides reeled, turning the rest of his words over. It's a hard thing, then, wanting to squeeze his hand. Contemplating the truth in what he says. Knowing he can say it all so easily without knowing the cost for her to do those things.
But he carries so many burdens already. Which is why—]
The aren't really other settlements, are there? Like the one here, I mean.
[ Protection comes at a cost. For all the lives he's saved, he's had to cut down others; for all the relief he's tried to give, he's had to cause pain. He can equivocate all he wants, try to balance the moral scale, but he has to accept his wrongs. If only for the ones who grieve over them, whose hurts should also be validated.
It is what it is. His gaze flits down to where Aerith is touching him, hand to ungloved hand, and he manages to look grateful for the contact before he furthers it with the loose curl of his fingers, his featherlight grip. ]
It was more Cid than me, [ regarding saving her, ] but either way― I'm glad you're here with us.
[ It makes life bearable, seeing her smile. ]
...And no, I haven't heard of anyone else mad enough to set up an operation quite like ours. There may be a few hidden safehouses scattered throughout the Twins, but none as large in scale as this one.
[Aerith quiets, almost as if she might be able to determine where his mind goes. She can't, of course. It's all just theory based on wordless assessment. And what she knows about Clive already. She's beginning to feel a little more confident in how he might approach various things, and what he thinks of himself.
He isn't really wrong when he mentions Cid. He is the one who really instigated that rescue. Although she suspects that Clive would not have argued or done things differently. When it came to her, it's hard for her to imagine they weren't sharing the same intention at the time.
His hand soothes her. Just a little. But that small little fracture remains. Or maybe it's been there all along and she has tried to pretend it wasn't. That seems almost more accurate.]
This... Storm, I think it's called, right? [She rarely ever hears anyone in the hideaway refer to the continent itself.] It's so big. I haven't seen most of it. Except on maps. Paintings maybe. It's always hard for me to envision everything.
[ A full-spirited gentling, here, when Aerith talks about Storm. It'd been the case that Cid came from beyond the Twins, but spoke nothing of it― Clive himself had been confined to Rosalith for most of his childhood, and all of his travels while he was still an Imperial Bearer gave him no room for sightseeing.
There are still so many things he doesn't know. So many things he hasn't seen. Him and her, they're equals in that regard. ]
Perhaps when this is all over, we can explore more of what this world has to offer.
[ A general 'we'. Like Aerith, Clive won't specify, though he'd like to see this world through her eyes, he thinks.
A light drumming of his fingers along the back of her hand, and Clive lets her go. They're moving towards a more densely-populated part of the hideaway, and he wants to spare her any teasing that might happen. ]
Wouldn't that be nice? Aerith tries not to cling too hard to it, however. There may not be such a thing for her. It's something she always has to keep in consideration. Not because that's what she wants, but because false hope is... exactly that. And if she becomes too attached, that would only be troublesome.
He snags her attention when he releases her hand and it's such a strange thing, that she feels a little cold when he does.]
I'd like that, Clive.
[With hand freed, she slides it behind her back to eventually join with the other one.]
Until then, we'll just have to be satisfied with what we've got available to us. Don't think I've forgotten about your offer to take me with you next time. I'll make sure I'm on very good behaviour, of course. I won't get in the way or anything.
[ Good of her to remember his offer, and good that this time spent with him hasn't made her reconsider it. There are more than a few things that he could think of to do with her away from this lake and its uncomplicated comforts, as long as she's keen to do them with him. ]
And I'll make sure not to embroil you in anything unsavory. [ Hm. ] ...Hopefully.
[ Best not to make promises he can't keep; trouble finds him everywhere. A simple errand to go pick flowers usually ends with him fighting for his life against a monster five times his size, so. He'll have to protect Aerith, wherever they go. (Not such a daunting prospect, that.)
The men and women manning the kitchen look up when Clive and Aerith approach. Delivery, Clive announces, and one of them wipes her hand on her apron, bright eyes looking the both of them up and down.
[It's a good thing Aerith has no intention to start holding him to promises like that, though as far as she's concerned, if he's not using the word 'promise' it's not one. Nothing to hold him to, as it were. And she knows better anyway. Besides, who's to say that he's the one who'll get them into trouble?
She's not said it, but there are reasons Aerith doesn't travel out often. The last thing she wants is for a piece of her past to catch up to her. But it's been... some years, hasn't it? And those years for Aerith have been surprisingly quiet. Each time she goes out, however, it's a risk to take.
...She should say something to Clive. After some moments of thought, she concludes that she has to. So she will. When they're setting out.
Her thoughts turn when he announces their delivery and the moment they're assessed, she grins from ear to ear, looking pleased.]
Yes, we are. [She says, seeming extremely proud. Casting a look up to Clive, it's only a beat before it returns to a set of eyes that could quite possibly rival her own.] 'Cid' did a really good job. I'm trying to talk him into helping out in the gardens more often. I'll have more for you in a couple of days. If there's something you want us to grow in particular, we might be able to get it for you, so don't be afraid to ask.
[It might be a long shot, but there's never any harm in anything. She offers a hopeful look to Clive.]
[ Oh. Clive is poised with the bowl, handing it over to helpful hands that'll turn the fruit and herbs into something palatable for the others, when Aerith starts speaking.
And, well― ] ―It's as she says. A joint effort, on both of our parts.
[ To that, Molly finally sidles up to them from where she'd been busy tending to her stews, and delightedly clasps her hands in front of her. Just nosy enough to telegraph curiosity, but just mindful enough not to push too hard for details.
"Is that right? I'll have to take a look at my recipes, then― see if I can't get you two to fetch me something interesting."
She winks; it goes a bit over Clive's head, and he tips his head to the side. ]
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flamebrand) wrote2023-10-31 01:24 am
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Weeds go in one pile, herbs in another. The bowl is getting crowded－ he'll offer to carry it wherever Aerith needs, later. ]
If I went to the infirmary for every bump and bruise, I think I would never leave.
[ He has a rather nasty bruise now, in the shape of the side of a rock that he bumped against when he was chasing coeurls in the Dhalmek desert; he hadn't bothered to tell Tarja, because it seemed too trivial. ]
I'll go to her if I need anything sewed shut.
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Maybe don't go to her that often. I'm sure she'd like to do something else with her time, as much as I'm sure she doesn't mind seeing you. [Maybe for better reasons, though. It's probably tiresome to see him for injuries.] But hopefully you won't have to endure any stitches anytime soon.
[That said, sometimes even if Clive isn't looking for trouble, trouble finds him.]
How are you doing over there? Feeling confident if I come over and give it the third degree? I won't hold back, you know.
[Not true. To a degree, she just might. Imagining Aerith as anything more than a little gentle is difficult. She's not yielding and she can be firm, but she'd rather not be if she doesn't have to be.]
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He doesn't say that, though. He can anticipate the pushback against it, and he doesn't want this to be a matter of self-flagellation, either. ]
You should have seen when I tried to stitch myself together, once. I thought Tarja might kill me herself.
[ He didn't think his work was that shoddy... but alas. A half-chuckle as he remembers the verbal lashing he got, and he pivots to give Aerith more room beside him again if she cares to inspect his progress. He's fairly certain that he's been able to correctly separate the weeds from the herbs, though there's one outlier that may or may not be missorted. ]
Speaking of. Alright, come give me your earful.
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[Aerith raises her eyebrows, a coy smile taking her mouth. As amusing as the imagery is, she just can't see it, and maybe that's because the first time she saw him, he had a sword in hand. She doesn't know much about combat at all, but when she thinks back to that and any other time she's seen him like so, it almost looks like he was made to hold a sword.
Shaking her head at him once more, she followed it up with a quiet mirthful snort.
When he invites her over, Aerith meanders her way back over to him, leaning over to get a good look at what he's done.]
What makes you think it's gonna be an earful? [If she were braver, she'd probably playfully bonk his head like surely Torgal must from time to time. Somehow, she resists the temptation.] Hm... [In her quiet, she examines. Scrutinises. Ruminates. As if she's considering just how analytical she should be.]
I don't think this looks bad at all, actually. Considering I'm pretty sure you don't spend a lot of time with plants. Of course, if you come out here more often, you could get even better.
[Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. She's so smooth.]
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She really is so sweet. There are precious few who manage to be so playful with him― Gav, certainly, and Mid, when she's around. It makes him feel fifteen again, a boy who grew up slightly awkward around the raucous humor of soldiers in barracks.
Theatrically, he places his palm over his heart. ]
I thank my lady for her generosity in her assessment.
[ Perfectly princely. ]
And eventually, I should hope that you whip me into shape enough that I might change my moniker from 'Cid the Outlaw' to 'Cid the Plant-tamer'.
no subject
One day, she'll ask him for more details. When she's brave enough to do so.
Dipping down next to him again, she reaches for the bowl they've successfully filled with their garden plunder. Tipping her head, she's still sporting that amused expression, like she's trying to hold back any additional laughter that could potentially leak through. As she speaks, she's sorting through what they've picked, trying to organise it so when it goes to the mess, it's a little easier to go through.]
I thought it was other people who gave you the nickname and you were just leaning into it. [Pausing a moment, deliberately removing some extra dirt from roots, she scoots to better face Clive, sits up a little more and without much warning at all, her hands lift with the intention to press her fingertips right over his cheeks in an effort to playfully mark him with some of the 'fruits' of their proverbial labour.] If you wanna come across as a plant-tamer, then we need to make you look like a plant-tamer, no?
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Not exactly. I assumed the moniker myself.
[ No one asked him to― he'd wanted to. Everything around him is Cid's legacy, not his own. He's just borrowed it, kept it going. All of this was Cid's idea, and Clive would rather it be attributed to the lionhearted man who fought on and on for the right for broken things to be broken instead of discarded.
Clive smiles, and tips his head back. ]
So? How do I look?
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Aerith can only smile softly at the notion as she admires Clive in all of his gardening glory. Cid the Outlaw, huh. Except he only looks like Clive to her now.
When he preens, or what she decides to interpret as preening, she's grinning all over again.]
You look... very dirty. [She replies with a laugh, but just as quickly she follows it up by rubbing the same hands across her face.] What do you think? Now, we match.
[In suffering and joys alike, Aerith likes the idea of matching. She isn't sure she'd like to picture it in any other way.]
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Well, that's unfair. [ His head angles to the side, as Clive takes in the sight of her. Mud-streaked, and still impossibly lovely. ] You wear it better than I do, I think.
[ For all that they've just spoken about monikers, he, too, feels like Just Clive. The sort of man he might have been if he hadn't been a prince, if he hadn't been a Dominant, if he hadn't been anything. Just flesh and blood and sentiment, which he has in spades.
His gaze warms; affection smooths across his angles, and makes him look softer for it. Younger. Boyish, even. ]
I expect the others will be surprised if they saw us in this state. They might think we fought.
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[Isn't he? Maybe... he's not? It's just dirt. How can anyone wear it well? It occurs to her that as she's thinking about it, that familiar tint of colour is touching her again. Whether he's serious or not, Aerith's grin softens into a warm, sincere, and rather girlish smile.
She casts a look around just in case she sees any immediate prying eyes. Prying ears. Would it really matter if anyone saw the two of them together? Well. Considering Aerith's behaviour and how she carries herself, maybe they'd come to expect that of her. It's possible that Clive playing along would be more of an unexpected outcome.
Aerith likes it when he plays along, though. She hopes he'll do it more. Gesturing to the bowl at her side, she dramatically clears her throat.]
I dunno. This makes it look pretty obvious, right? [But then she leans forward onto her palms as she studies him, appreciates the way his features have shifted. He's very handsome, isn't he. Dirt or no dirt, doesn't matter.] But I can pretend that we were fighting, if you want. I'm pretty good at pretending. I can say it was one-sided and you let me win.
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―he keeps it to himself for now, and thanks Aerith internally for moving along. Even if she smiles at him in a way that makes his pulse flutter, and his blood feel just a bit hotter under his skin. It's a strange, pleasant thing to be sure that his presence is welcome, and to have it telegraphed with such vibrant honesty.
Already, he's forgotten that he literally has dirt on his face. Preoccupied with the gentle presence next to him, and his inclination to help her in whatever way he can. ]
No one would believe that I 'let' you.
[ Slightly playful, but mostly honest. Straightening, he reaches for the bowl with the sort of gentle authority that says that he'll carry it for her. ]
If we ever fought, I doubt I could win. [ Verbally, that is. He'd never fight her physically; would never lift a finger to harm her. ]
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[Her smile blooms all over again, not unlike the flowers she's been growing in the hideaway. When he reaches for the bowl she's neatly organised, her head tilts.]
You don't have to do that, you know. I could do it.
[She usually does, but it's a very nice and refreshing change of pace. Aerith suspects that he'll offer to take it anyway and that little flutter at the mere theoretical comes right back up, tempting her to grin in that slightly flustered way she sometimes does.
Very idly, Aerith throws some rather unimpressive, halfhearted punches in the air. It's evident close-quarters-combat is not at all her area of expertise.]
As fortune would have it, I can't envision a moment in which I'd ever want to fight with you. I like it much more when we smile at each other. Play fighting, though. I could do play fighting. It'd look really silly, though. I don't really know how to fight at all.
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[ Twin helpfulness, dancing their careful dance. If Clive is imagining the slight dusting of red on Aerith's cheeks, well― he likes where his imagination is going, for once. A smile, and he balances the bowl in one hand while he thumbs off a bit of that dirt on her face. Not enough that it ruins the matching, mind.
The formless punching is enough to elicit a full-throated laugh, as he starts to move away from the gardens and towards the kitchens. ]
It's my hope that you'll never have to learn. [ How to fight, obviously. An idealistic way to think― even without magick or aether or crystals, humans will be humans― but still. He thinks he can't be faulted for wishing. ] But if ever we run into a situation where we need to convince others of your fierceness, I'll gladly play my part.
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Aerith trails after her, darkening just a shade more when he fixes—adjusts—the dirt marking her. They really do probably look like they got into a scuffle. But if he doesn't mind, she doesn't either. Inevitably, people may talk, but it wouldn't be the first time she was a conversation topic. It probably, whether she wants it or not, won't be the last time.
Rubbing her hands together and trying to remove some of the dirt she's acquired from working (and playing alike) in the gardens, she stays near his side.]
It'd be nice if none of us had to rely on fighting to survive. [Aerith begins and after a moment, she looks almost apologetic, though for whom is anyone's guess.] Life, in general, is precious. I don't necessarily always understand or agree with why swords have to be taken up to begin with. Or why magic has to be used to conquer instead of purely just to protect.
[She shakes her head slowly.] I know that's not the way of the world. But in my world, in my ideal world, no one would have to do that. One day, maybe no one will. [And yet that seems so against human nature.]
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Oh well. That's for future Clive to contend with. A gaggle of children pass by them on their way to their destination, and he smiles as they giggle and chirp Cid's gotten all dirty with Aerith! as they scatter. ]
...When we get rid of the crystals, and we get rid of magick, my hope is that we can get closer to the world you're envisioning. All of us made equal, with the same choices and opportunities to live and thrive.
[ No Bearers, no Branded, no arbitrary guidelines used to punish arbitrary groups of people. An ideal, but a goal nevertheless. ]
Does it bother you, that I fight?
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...When we get rid of the crystals, and we get rid of magick...
Yes. Maybe... that's all true. Maybe the crystals and magick is all to blame for this. But what does that mean for someone like her? Perhaps nothing good and maybe that part doesn't matter. Idly, she finds herself eyeing one of her hands. For the sliver of a moment, her expression shifts. Serious. A little more sombre. But it's only a beat of time, though it feels so much longer for her. The beat passes, no greater than the blink of an eye, and Aerith is back to... Aerith.]
All of us made equal. With the same choices and opportunities to live and thrive. [Her features soften.] What a beautiful world that could be.
[At his question, she shakes her head.] No. Of course not. I just wish you didn't have to. I wish no one here had to. I wish Cid never had to. People wouldn't have had to sacrifice themselves. Families wouldn't be split. Children wouldn't be without their parents. [Eyeing him thoughtfully, she continues.] You're fighting to make the world a better place, Clive. Seeing you fight so hard, it makes me want to do the same thing.
[In her own way.]
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There and gone again. She repeats his words back at him, steady and sure, and her smile brightens the green of her eyes. A trick of the light? It's hard for Clive to tell, even when he's so close to her in physical distance, just within arm's reach.
The grief of someone who lost much because of the world, he tries to reason. There's something under Aerith's skin that sings of melancholy, and maybe it's because of it that she's so gentle, that she holds her wishes like sunlight in her palms. ]
...I fight, but I also kill. I wouldn't wish that on you.
[ Bloodstained hands, dirtied by sin. He flexes the one that isn't holding the bowl, feeling his fingers furl and unfurl. ]
You do more than enough, just being alive. Seeing all of this through to the end. I'd dare not ask more.
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She'll have to answer that, one day. Sooner, rather than later. It's a terribly selfish thing otherwise.
Watching Clive curl his free hand up and release, she reaches over and as gently as she can muster, as if she could even be anything but gentle, her fingertips touch his palm and eventually hers presses to his. She is warm, as she often is. Soft. Brimming with the churning, living force of aether beneath her carefully crafted exterior.]
You also protect. You save lives.
[After a moment's consideration, Aerith draws her gaze down from him in the direction she'd seen the children disappear into.] You saved mine. You and Cid. If neither of you had found me, I get the feeling it's not something I could have talked myself out of. [Founders know she had certainly tried, more than once.]
You do a great many things and all with purpose.
[Her insides reeled, turning the rest of his words over. It's a hard thing, then, wanting to squeeze his hand. Contemplating the truth in what he says. Knowing he can say it all so easily without knowing the cost for her to do those things.
But he carries so many burdens already. Which is why—]
The aren't really other settlements, are there? Like the one here, I mean.
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It is what it is. His gaze flits down to where Aerith is touching him, hand to ungloved hand, and he manages to look grateful for the contact before he furthers it with the loose curl of his fingers, his featherlight grip. ]
It was more Cid than me, [ regarding saving her, ] but either way― I'm glad you're here with us.
[ It makes life bearable, seeing her smile. ]
...And no, I haven't heard of anyone else mad enough to set up an operation quite like ours. There may be a few hidden safehouses scattered throughout the Twins, but none as large in scale as this one.
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He isn't really wrong when he mentions Cid. He is the one who really instigated that rescue. Although she suspects that Clive would not have argued or done things differently. When it came to her, it's hard for her to imagine they weren't sharing the same intention at the time.
His hand soothes her. Just a little. But that small little fracture remains. Or maybe it's been there all along and she has tried to pretend it wasn't. That seems almost more accurate.]
This... Storm, I think it's called, right? [She rarely ever hears anyone in the hideaway refer to the continent itself.] It's so big. I haven't seen most of it. Except on maps. Paintings maybe. It's always hard for me to envision everything.
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There are still so many things he doesn't know. So many things he hasn't seen. Him and her, they're equals in that regard. ]
Perhaps when this is all over, we can explore more of what this world has to offer.
[ A general 'we'. Like Aerith, Clive won't specify, though he'd like to see this world through her eyes, he thinks.
A light drumming of his fingers along the back of her hand, and Clive lets her go. They're moving towards a more densely-populated part of the hideaway, and he wants to spare her any teasing that might happen. ]
I'd like to show you Rosaria, at least.
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Wouldn't that be nice? Aerith tries not to cling too hard to it, however. There may not be such a thing for her. It's something she always has to keep in consideration. Not because that's what she wants, but because false hope is... exactly that. And if she becomes too attached, that would only be troublesome.
He snags her attention when he releases her hand and it's such a strange thing, that she feels a little cold when he does.]
I'd like that, Clive.
[With hand freed, she slides it behind her back to eventually join with the other one.]
Until then, we'll just have to be satisfied with what we've got available to us. Don't think I've forgotten about your offer to take me with you next time. I'll make sure I'm on very good behaviour, of course. I won't get in the way or anything.
[Probably.]
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And I'll make sure not to embroil you in anything unsavory. [ Hm. ] ...Hopefully.
[ Best not to make promises he can't keep; trouble finds him everywhere. A simple errand to go pick flowers usually ends with him fighting for his life against a monster five times his size, so. He'll have to protect Aerith, wherever they go. (Not such a daunting prospect, that.)
The men and women manning the kitchen look up when Clive and Aerith approach. Delivery, Clive announces, and one of them wipes her hand on her apron, bright eyes looking the both of them up and down.
"Well, don't you two make a pretty picture!" ]
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She's not said it, but there are reasons Aerith doesn't travel out often. The last thing she wants is for a piece of her past to catch up to her. But it's been... some years, hasn't it? And those years for Aerith have been surprisingly quiet. Each time she goes out, however, it's a risk to take.
...She should say something to Clive. After some moments of thought, she concludes that she has to. So she will. When they're setting out.
Her thoughts turn when he announces their delivery and the moment they're assessed, she grins from ear to ear, looking pleased.]
Yes, we are. [She says, seeming extremely proud. Casting a look up to Clive, it's only a beat before it returns to a set of eyes that could quite possibly rival her own.] 'Cid' did a really good job. I'm trying to talk him into helping out in the gardens more often. I'll have more for you in a couple of days. If there's something you want us to grow in particular, we might be able to get it for you, so don't be afraid to ask.
[It might be a long shot, but there's never any harm in anything. She offers a hopeful look to Clive.]
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And, well― ] ―It's as she says. A joint effort, on both of our parts.
[ To that, Molly finally sidles up to them from where she'd been busy tending to her stews, and delightedly clasps her hands in front of her. Just nosy enough to telegraph curiosity, but just mindful enough not to push too hard for details.
"Is that right? I'll have to take a look at my recipes, then― see if I can't get you two to fetch me something interesting."
She winks; it goes a bit over Clive's head, and he tips his head to the side. ]
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🎀💕!