post palace hot pot party (week 7)

[townmusician]

[Yoon's Palace has faded away, but the fact the God of Conflict decided to show up and intervene again...

Well, that's! Not a good sign! To say the least! But there's nothing to be done about that right now, and Haruka isn't of the mind to really sit and wonder about divine conflicts and grandstanding and all of that, anyways. It's not his problem. The people who deal with that sort of thing on the regular can be in charge of all of that.

What he's in charge of (by virtue of being annoying) is... hot pot. Specifically rounding up everyone and dragging them out to a hot pot restaurant in the city.

He'll miss having money but... he'll just have to work hard to earn it back... Have fun, everyone. (Or maybe he can find a way to charge Mina for this?)]

Comments

[gardenful]

[ For a little while, Aerith was content to sit in her own silence, watching everyone else as they chatted between each other. She still feels a little bit off-kilter, and sitting and listening to everyone talk amongst themselves and enjoy the food is enough to set her back upright. It may be unusual for her to keep to herself like this, but she certainly isn't in a bad mood.

In fact, Aerith is a little bit more animated later on, enthusiastically taking helpings of meat and vegetables whenever she likes. But if she spots someone sitting in silence for even a moment, she'll plop a little piece of potato onto their plate. ]

Make sure you eat. You gotta get plenty of nutrients after everything we just went through.

[ She's checking in. Subtly. Maybe. ]

[imperiosity]

[The scare that the God of Conflict gave everyone near the end wasn't exactly a small thing. While it ultimately worked out, it didn't escape him that Aerith had been been more subdued than usual following that attack.]

Pretty sure I should be the one saying that to you. Not every day you get a near-death experience courtesy of the God of Assholes himself.

[But after saying all of that, his tone will soften slightly.]

You doing alright?

[gardenful]

[ She smiles, laughter almost bubbling up from her chest at that little nickname for their new nemesis. ]

I will be.

[ That much she's sure of, but Aerith won't lie and say that she's totally fine right this moment either. ]

Still a little shell-shocked, I guess.

[imperiosity]

Bet a couple of drinks would help with that. Nothing like an ice-cold beer to go with hot pot. What do you say?

[I swear that alcohol and girls aren’t the only things on his mind. Anywho, he will also just add a little more seafood into the hot pot while he’s at it.]

[gardenful]

[ YOU SURE ABOUT THAT FISHY? YOU SURE??? ]

I say... grab me a beer!

[ She grins, brightening up almost immediately. It's not the beer itself, not really. Rather, Aerith recognizes what this is—a kind gesture from Aaron. To be on the receiving end of this from someone who seems to generally keep their kindness close to their chest, she feels honored. ]

[imperiosity]

[look he also enjoys gambling so CHECKMATE(??????????)]

Hell yeah, now we're talking!

[Aaron, of course, can only respond to Aerith's enthusiasm with plenty of his own, turning in his seat to wave over a server. Once the orders are placed, he turns back to Aerith, fishing out a piece of squid that he dips in chili oil before popping it into his mouth.]

You ever do this kinda thing before?

[The hot pot, he means.]

[gardenful]

[ :worry:

She watches as he dips it in chili oil before grabbing a piece of potato and doing the same. It sure packs a bit of heat, but it's kind of a nice balance against her exhaustion. ]

I haven't. The undercity doesn't really have this kinda thing and we haven't had much of a chance to stop at anywhere other than random diners out on the road.

[ She looks over at Aaron. ]

What about you?

[imperiosity]

[He seems amused when he sees her try the chili oil with the potato, but he'll just leave it at that as he continues to pick out more seafood from the pot.

As for the question, well.]

You can find these places everywhere in my hometown, so I used to go with my bros whenever we felt like it. Haven't been to one since I moved to the capital, though.

[He pauses to take a gulp of water.]

You mentioned something about a metal plate blocking the sky before. That what you mean by 'undercity'?

[gardenful]

[ This is a time for new experiences! And as such, she'll follow his suit and dip a bit of seafood in it too. Why not?

She's about to ask him more about his hometown, but... well, she can't leave "undercity" unexplained either. ]

Yep. Midgar is a big city that sits on a metal plate. It's really nice and well-built. [ She takes a bite, chewing thoughtfully and swallowing before continuing. ] Lots of people call the place underneath the plate home too, though. Including me.

But Shinra doesn't really take care of that part. It's full of metal and trash and monsters. It's... not the best place to live, but I love it anyway. That's home to me.

[imperiosity]

[While they chat and eat, the server comes by to place two bottles of beer at the table, one of which Aaron slides over to Aerith. As he takes a sip, he tries to imagine what a city like that would even look like -- although even beyond that, he has plenty of questions about the whys and hows for such a place.

Still, a sense of affection for one's home is something he can understand well, regardless of how different their backgrounds appear to be.]

Guess being underneath everything doesn't do wonders for its real estate value. Is that where you grew up?

[gardenful]

[ She takes that bottle of beer and puts it to her lips, tipping it up for a small sip. It's not strong, but the warmth of the alcohol is nice nevertheless. ]

Pretty much, yeah. My mom lives in one of the only areas that gets some sunlight, so we grow flowers to sell in town. I'm sure you can imagine that flowers aren't exactly common in Midgar.

[imperiosity]

[That explains a lot about her chat username, actually. He'd just assumed it was because she liked flowers and didn't think much else of it.]

Heh. Yeah, if anything, I think they'd fetch a hefty price in your part of the city. You ever have to deal with any thieves or bandits that try to make off with your goods?

[gardenful]

All the time! But all I gotta do is give them a mean right hook and they'll leave me alone!

[ She even balls her hands into fists, like she's about to punch the air. ]

I actually have some guys watching over me all the time. I think they take care of any thieves.

[ Even if "watching over" is a bit strong for what it actually is. The tone of her voice suggests she means more "surveilled" than anything else. ]

[bloodandstars]

[ Maika's not one to rush into a conversation — especially not in a crowded venue, especially with an audience. Although the advantage of a lively atmosphere like this is that no one is really listening all that closely to anyone else at any moment.

She's settled herself on Aerith's left, the more convenient to gently nudge her with an elbow when she feels like Aerith has gone a long enough interval without reaching for food. ]

Falling asleep over there?

[gardenful]

[ That immediately catches her attention, and she turns to Maika with a bit of a sheepish look. ]

Is it that obvious?

[ That she's tired, mentally and physically. ]

[bloodandstars]

I saw your eyes closing.

[ No, she didn't. But she does mean it's obvious to her, yeah. She stretches a little and gives a quiet sigh. ]

Can't blame you. It was a long fight.

[ And, you know... the brush with death there. ]

[gardenful]

[ If she lets herself lean a little bit against Maika, well... she's tired, isn't she? It makes sense to lean against someone in that case. ]

It sure was, wasn't it? To be forced to fight us anyway, even though he didn't want to... it made it feel a lot longer.

[ And, y'know, the fact that she almost died. That too. ]

[bloodandstars]

Good to know that both those gods will go to whatever length they need to get what they want. It's not going to be as simple as trying to keep our heads and telling them to fuck off.

[ Though, well. She can't say bonds were useless. She shifts a little to accept Aerith's slight weight, giving her a look. ]

...First close call?

[ With all the things Aerith's mentioned getting up to back home, she doubts it. ]

[gardenful]

Not exactly.

[ A small rush of relief fills her when Maika easily adjusts to the way Aerith leans against her. It's such a little thing, but right now it feels monumental. ]

Remember when I told you I had... things missing? Memories? I feel like I almost remembered something back there. It slipped away before it got anywhere, but something about that moment felt strange.

[ Only to her, she's sure. There wasn't anything else strange beyond a god intervening in all of that. ]

[bloodandstars]

Something familiar? You weren't at the other fight where that god showed up, were you?

[ Because memories are tricky, slippery things like that. Maika's brow creases a little as she replays the scene in her mind. Entirely too easy to do still, thanks. ]

Being ambushed like that? Or being shielded. Either one might make a deeper impression than memory.

[gardenful]

[ She shakes her head. The death of one of their own is something she'd never forget, that's for certain, but she knows it's important to at least rule that one out. ]

Being ambushed.

[ That's probably the best way to phrase it, she thinks. Her gaze shifts to the boiling pot of soup, her voice growing quieter. ]

Something... about the sword.

[bloodandstars]

[ Maika frowns, just watching Aerith quietly for a few moments. She doesn't rush her yet, not wanting to break the momentary concentration if something is close to surfacing. ]

...Where do you feel it? Racing heart? Or like you need to run?

[gardenful]

[ And again, she shakes her head. ]

Nothing like that.

[ It isn't a tightening of her chest or a rush of adrenaline. No, it's something that roots her in place instead, fills her heart with a sort of strength that feels familiarly foreign. ]

I feel... resolve.

[ Like this is a feeling she can stand up to with no problem. ]

[bloodandstars]

[ Huh. Considering the context... Maika doesn't know if she's more reassured by that, or not. Her eyes narrow a little in thought. ]

Huh. Most memories... when they vanish, it's because your mind can't figure out how to hold them yet. But that doesn't sound like a bad one.

[ Necessarily. Maybe. She feels uneasy. ]

[gardenful]

I can't remember enough of it to know if it is... outside of those feelings, everything else is blank.

[ Her hands fall into her lap, and she clasps them together. ]

I don't like it.