❀ 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

[liveandforgive]

I can't bring as good a green thumb, but if you ever need a hand...

Mm. That's what I gotta figure out.

[ The whole getting one part? That's the first hurdle. Especially if he wants custom. ]

[evanescent]

Anyone can have a green thumb if they try hard enough. That's what I've always thought, anyway.

Hm.

If you need any help...

[liveandforgive]

Then I'll just have to try harder. [ Count him in. ]

...

[ There's a part of him that feels awkward about asking her. Then again, asking for anything Chroma related was never not going to be jarring to him in a way. Moonlacing on any level...it's hard to figure out what's genuine or not.

Cloud knows one genuine feeling, dispelling any doubt in his mind. A walk down the street, hand in hand without a care in the world, for what little time they had left? ]

...you wouldn't mind?

[ He didn't need Chroma or Moonlacing to make the best with the people he cared about. ]

[evanescent]

That's the spirit!

And of course I don't mind. You're my friend.

[After a moment, she admits.]

It's an odd way to generate energy. [...] But I can't say it's a bad idea. Maybe our Planet would be better off if it was so simple. Not hurting as much.

[liveandforgive]

[ "Odd way" was one heck of an understatement. The fact that everything was tied to it though... ]

Yeah... I know what you mean. [ And he agrees, lightly shrugging as he adds, ] I'll still trade Chroma for Gil though.

[evanescent]

I don't know.

[She's been thinking about this.]

Gil, I think, was where all the problems on the Planet started. ...But that's the thing, isn't it? I think that if it were Chroma instead, people would find a way to exploit that too.

[liveandforgive]

Guess it's about taking the good with the bad. [ ...huh. When it's put like that... ] Same goes for Chroma too.

[evanescent]

I guess so. It's a shame though. It's a nice concept — money that no one would have to hurt one another over.

[liveandforgive]

Maybe we could learn a thing or two from the idea.

[ But it leaves him reminiscing a little. ]

We're on the right track anyway... Barret's been spearheading for new resources that don't rely on Mako.

[evanescent]

Has he? That's wonderful — I'm glad to hear it.

The world's in the right hands, with all of you. That's what I believe.

[liveandforgive]

[ A shame that she couldn't be there to see it the same way they could. ]

Step by step, right?