❀ i. (video, but she will respond with voice and text)

[evanescent]

[For a moment, there is a close-up of what looks like one very bright green eye, then an "oh! sorry!" muffled from somewhere, and the image pans out some to reveal a young woman. She's perched on the edge of a bed in a room with a growing collection of potted plants, her long hair pinned back in a messy bun.

She waves! And smiles.]

This network sure is lively! I didn't expect to see so much open discussion... [Especially concerning the topics, is the implication here, but it's said so cheerfully it's hard to tell if she's being insulting or not.] but that's good, isn't it? It's nice to see so many people getting along, even if they're from different places. It encouraged me to use it too.

For those of you I haven't met, my name is Aerith. For those of you I have, thank you if you helped me, and I hope you're all settling in alright. It's been a big adjustment for me, but I think I'm finding my way around things. It's hard to say! I guess I won't know until something big happens.

More to the point...I wanted to talk about something. Where I'm from, I used to grow a little garden in a church. I've got something of a green thumb, you see. [:)] I've been doing work into finding out what grows here locally, and I was thinking of expanding some. A community garden...that'd be nice, wouldn't it? I've never grown anything with other people. I suppose I'm a little shy about it. [:))] And as I'm learning, it would take Chroma...

But new places are all about expanding your horizons, right? Let's work together. If you've never planted anything before, once I've got everything set up, I can show you how.

So!

What sort of plants would you all like to see? Something edible? Floral? Anything from home? [She fistpumps.] I can try my best to grow it!

Oh, and —

Can anyone tell me more about the plant life here? I want to learn as much as I can.

Comments

[evanescent]

Excuse me? I'm not complaining. If anything, it sounds like you're complaining...

Do you want to do it, or do you feel obligated? Those are two different things, you know.

[fashionicon]

I don't complain.

[ Mmm. ]

And I'm aware they are two different things, but it benefits you so why does it matter?

[evanescent]

Yeesh... Whatever you say.

[What a character.]

It isn't about what benefits me. The offer was made for other people to enjoy a garden together. I can grow flowers with or without a group. So it does matter to me, that people are enjoying their time with it. Without that, there's no point in calling it a community-anything.

[fashionicon]

[ What's that malarkey. ]

A community means that it has to be enjoyed?

[evanescent]

My idea of it means that it should be enjoyed.

[A drawn out sigh, almost a huff.]

Look, all I'm saying is, there's no point in helping me with this if you don't want to and if you won't enjoy it. It's not meant to be an obligation. It's just...for fun!

...

Do you have fun?

[fashionicon]

Hn.

[ Though, an interesting question. Does he have fun? Not really. He never does anything because it might be fun. Certainly, he has his dry jokes from time to time, but those are a spur rather than anything planned. Fighting is "enjoyable" but he would not call it "fun" as only bloodthirsty lunatics consider it that.

When he watched Rin and Kohaku take time to enjoy themselves ... that was not fun. However, he feels at ease in watching them laugh. It is the same ease anyone feels in watching those he cares for feel safe and able to play without worry. So, going through his thoughts, he can say to the best of his knowledge: ]

No. I do not nor have I ever had fun.

[evanescent]

That's...so sad. Why not?

[She says this sincerely. Is he joking though??? She has no idea, this guy is like a stone wall.

After a moment:]

Do you...want to have fun? There's room for you to, if you were interested.

[fashionicon]

There is nothing sad about it.

[ Just . . . what? ]

Why not? Because I do not. There is no deep reason for it beyond I am not a child that requires to be constantly entertained.

[ Huffy sigh. ] I am already coming to assist, but I will not have fun doing it.

[evanescent]

Oh, you're one of those guys. You know, having fun isn't the worst thing that could happen.

Thank you for your help...I think? Maybe you'll end up surprised!

[...]

What's your name?

[fashionicon]

Those guys? A daiyoukai?

[ ... ] Mmn.

[ That is as much of a "you're welcome" with an added "probably won't end up surprised and I will have no fun, so there's that." ]

Sesshomaru. [ A beat. ] And you're Aerith, correct?

[evanescent]

I don't know what that is!

[She sounds so bubbly saying that.] Are you going to tell me?

And Sesshoumaru. [She pronounces each syllable with the careful diction of someone unused to such a name.] That's right; I'm Aerith. It's good to meet you.

[Is it though...is she just being smart.]

[fashionicon]

[ Huff. ]

Very well. To ensure you do not remain ignorant, it means [ Essentially.] "greater demon."

Mn. [ The sound of someone appreciating his name being pronounced right. ] It is a meeting.

[ This is as polite as he gets. ]

[evanescent]

[He can't see her eyebrows raise, but they're definitely in the region of her forehead right about now.] ...You must be very strong then.

You're right; it is! I hope to have another meeting soon.

[fashionicon]

Correct. I am.

[ What an arrogant response. ]

This entire work is beneath me, so be grateful for it. [ "Thanks for being kind to Konoha." ]

[evanescent]

[Yikes.] I've been growing flowers since I was a kid, so I'm sure I can handle it myself! In fact, I'm positive. [:))))] But of course, I would never refuse the help of a great demon.

I'll save a spot just for you.

[fashionicon]

Mmn.

[ .......... hold on. ]

You grew them because that is fun?

And you continue to grow them now?

Will it never stop being fun?

[evanescent]

Yes, that's part of why. I grew them because I enjoyed it, and it made me happy.

I don't think it'll ever stop being fun for me.

[fashionicon]

Why?

[evanescent]

Why?

[It's never something she'd thought about.]

...There's a lot of reasons. I suppose the biggest one is that it's always helped me feel connected to the world around me. It's peaceful. And it makes other people happy too — at least it did where I'm from. It was a city where not a lot could grow, and seeing how excited everyone else was to have flowers made me want to grow more of them.

[fashionicon]

[ .....................? ]

Then, you're feeling disconnected here?

[ Well, that makes sense. ]

[evanescent]

[...Not a conversation she was expecting.

She seems a little more subdued, when she responds.]

Maybe. I mean —

Well, I was very connected to my home, you could say. Here I feel a little like I don't quite fit yet. I guess you could say... that doing this is a way to feel at home.

[fashionicon]

It will only be a temporary fix.

[ A beat. ]

There is no reason to force yourself to attempt to fit here.

[evanescent]

Just because something is temporary doesn't mean it isn't worth doing. Most things are like that.

[...]

I'm not forcing anything. I'm adapting.

[fashionicon]

Hmph.

[ A longer pause. ]

This place will never be like home, and you'll only end up lying to yourself in adapting.

[evanescent]

Oh, come on. Greater demon or not, you don't have to be such a buzzkill! I know it's temporary and we'll go back to —

To wherever we were before, but until then, I'm going to make the best of a really strange situation, and you can't stop me by being a stick in the mud.