[02] [open] nemesis identified

[usarinpa]

Who: Mizuki and YOU [open]
Where: The wilderness, a ways from Aldrip in an out-of-the-way little cave (Not Lorentia)
What: In which Mizuki finds out she's been alone all along.
Warnings: Spoilers for AI, IDK—will add if any become relevant.

[ There are thin tire tracks starting at the inn that head out and away from Aldrip today. Curious, isn't it? Were they there before? Have you even seen a motorbike here in Aldrip since you woke up here?

If you're keen to find out, you will follow a trail that is just long enough to make you wonder whether you should turn back. Keep with it, however, and you will find yourself at a small cave nestled in the mountains, the opening of which is surrounded by trees. ]


👁️ i. He was the Universe

[ Perhaps you'll see the bike first. It sticks out like a sore thumb. But walk a little further and inside the cave, there's Mizuki, asleep on the cave's dirt floor.

Her hair is messy with sleep. There is a hair piece that sticks out against her cyan locks, standing out almost as much as her bike does in the wilderness. In her hand is an empty, decorated box with a note attached that wouldn't look out of place in a trash can, as it is. Meager remnants of the few good things that have happened to her here, now that she can't go back.

A subtle, unpleasant odor lingers in the air, reminiscent of a wet dog or wild animal that's no longer there. Somewhere beside her sits her pipe, and at her waist, there is her holstered Evolver. ]

👁️ ii. Ought to Know

[ Alternatively, the trail is still going. Eventually, footprints start to appear in the dirt next to the tire track, suggesting that Mizuki has started walking. Catch up to her, you'll find that her back is to you and she is dragging her bike alongside her.

Why? ...Well, technology continues to be fickle, apparently.

Watch her for long enough and you'll see her stop and try to start it again. Instead, there's that all too familiar, insufferable buzz that makes her cover her ears. Her mouth opens, like she's groaning, but the noise that escapes, if there had been any, is easily swallowed up by the rustling of leaves and the buzzing of insects.

Once that passes, she can be seen pulling out a piece of parchment from her pocket—a map. ]

▶ ooc/wildcard

[ Due to trauma, Mizuki will be aphonic/unable to speak temporarily! Sorry about that. She will still be writing things in the dirt or on the back of her map, probably, and if I feel it's appropriate, I may give her back her voice midthread.

Enjoy the introduction of her shiny new bike, and please feel free to reach out via PM, on the Discord, or yammdere for plotting/ideas! Thank you! ]

Comments

BABY GIRL IS NOT OK

[usarinpa]

[ A what?

...Mizuki's frown deepens, and she turns away from her in protest. It certainly doesn't look like a restful sleep. The box that once contained cookies topples out of her hand and at last, Aerith's voice registers. Mizuki sits straight up suddenly with eyes open wide, and her hands are reaching desperately like they're looking for something.

Then she can see that it's just Aerith. What are you doing out here?

Mizuki's guard lowers once more, and her mouth moves like she's speaking, but even she is surprised when no sound comes out.

Oh, right. ]

[inemeraldfaith]

[It's a familiar box. A bit like the one that Rin brought to her, which makes her wonder if the two know each other. If they do, why not go to Rin...? Rin would have helped her without a moment's pause, after all. She can ask a later time. Right now, what's more important is making sure Mizuki's had some food and getting her somewhere safe. Who knows what the integrity of the cave's interior is like, after all.

She tries not to look too concerned, but it's impossible to keep all of that from reaching her. What's more concerning is that Mizuki seems to try speaking and can't. While she's familiar with like things back home, she gets the feeling whatever's happening here is probably not exactly the same.

Aerith moves to sit with her, careful not to encroach too much on her territory.]

Uhm. Let's try to make this easy for you. I'm gonna try to keep this to 'yes' and 'no' questions. [Drawing in a breath, she wonders how to start. The speech thing might be obvious, but better not to put Mizuki under any strain than she already is.] You didn't have somewhere safe to go? You should come stay with Cloud and me.

[usarinpa]

[ Even if she could speak... what is the point?

'Yes' or 'no' questions won't solve anything, either. She wishes Aerith would just go back to Aldrip with the others. At her suggestion, however, and coincidentally, the answer to her question, she aggressively shakes her head, and even scoots back a couple inches.

No, no, no. She can't. ]

[inemeraldfaith]

[Aerith's frown deepens, though she doesn't move any closer. Instead, she not only respects the space, she gives Mizuki even more. As she makes herself comfortable where she sits, she pulls her knees to her chest, leaning forward to dip her chin thoughtfully. It's a concerning response, no matter how she looks at it.]

...Is it Aldrip that you're avoiding? Is it... me? Did I do something to scare you?

[...Wouldn't be the first time someone was afraid of her, after all. Aerith has tried very hard to avoid letting any information about herself come to light, but it doesn't mean she hasn't inadvertently done something.]

[usarinpa]

[ Huh?

Mizuki expression visibly softens into one of confusion. Aerith has been so sickeningly sweet that she can't imagine ever being scared of her. Mizuki doesn't scare early in the first place.

...But all she does is shake her head again. Aerith should just go. ]

[inemeraldfaith]

[...There is that, at least. Of course, Mizuki may simply not say as much because it would be hard to be so honest with someone. Just because Aerith would want to know the truth doesn't mean it'd be easy for someone to share it. She recognises that.

She's quiet and thoughtful for several moments, not wanting to press too hard. Maybe... it would be better to stop grilling her.]

...Would it be okay if I just stayed with you, then? You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I won't even say anything, if you prefer that.

[Maybe Mizuki just needs the company.]

[usarinpa]

[ Aerith......

She's too kind and doesn't deserve this. She should be with all the other Chosen. Mizuki can't bring herself to shake her head, but she can't bring herself to nod either. She feels sick in a myriad of ways. At worst, it's TC-PERGE, which would explain a lot and also means she is putting Aerith and the others in danger.

At best, it's just unpleasant to be around her.

Mizuki tugs at the flower hairpiece, gifted by Aerith and nestled loosely into her hair, until she holds it in her hands. At the very least, perhaps the way she cradles it like a treasure is at least something in the way of an affirmative. ]

[inemeraldfaith]

[One could argue that Aerith has good intuition, which is what's led her to make such an offer. On the other hand, maybe she's projecting her own experiences of loneliness. She could likely be handling this in a far better way. Given the situation, and what very little she knows of it, however, she's handling it to the best of her ability. When she watches Mizuki take the hairpiece Aerith has given her, she takes it as a moment's reassurance.

She shifts how she sits, pulling her knees to her chest and she wears a smile, though it's subdued and light. Maybe there are worse companions for Mizuki.]

Then I'll stay with you for a little bit. Until you don't want me to stay anymore. Sometimes all we really need is some company. I'm not exempt from that either.

[usarinpa]

[ The hairpiece probably would have been safer in her hair, but being able to look at it makes her feel cozy in a way that she can't really describe. She feels Aerith's warmth as she sits next to her, and though Mizuki doesn't quite lean on the girl, it almost feels natural to do so. Her head is heavier by the second, but she resists.

Her lips twitch just short of a smile. She remembers how she felt, that night she spent at the Sagans after she found her mother, dead. She thinks it was a little like this. ]

......Thanks. [ Her voice is just a mumble. Was it a fluke? She doesn't seem to have noticed. ]

[inemeraldfaith]

[Aerith isn't sure she can remember the last time she sat like this. Maybe when Tifa and Cloud found her in the train graveyard. Before that? She can't say. She wouldn't mind doing it more often, even in cold caves that probably aren't meant for such heartfelt and reflective moments.

She hears Mizuki speak up and for just a moment, she pauses. She decides that it is best not to draw attention to it. Others would probably not have that courtesy. They might be inclined to press her for information and answers that she just isn't ready to give. It would be better to only open the chapters to that if and when Mizuki ever decides to do so of her own volition.

That, Aerith concludes, is the right way to handle this.]

Here, may I? [She offers her hand for the hairpiece in question. The unspoken continuation of that is that she'd like to tuck it back carefully into Mizuki's hair.]

[usarinpa]

[ The continuation of that isn't obvious to Mizuki as she is now. She stares at the offered hand for a moment, not really knowing what to make of it, but then she looks at the hairpiece and at least is able to figure out what she's asking for. It was hers to begin with, wasn't it? So there's really no reason for her not to give it back.

She gently places the hairpiece in Aerith's hand. ]

[inemeraldfaith]

[It rests in Aerith's palm for a moment and she adjusts how she sit, so she can cautiously reach over to Mizuki. With a great deal of care and reverence, not wanting to frighten her or otherwise cause her to back away, Aerith dips her chin a little as she uses a hand to carefully adjust the way Mizuki's hair falls. It's about as soft as she's thought it might be in passing. She doesn't disrupt it too much. Just enough to not completely hide Mizuki's pretty face.

With her other hand, finds where Mizuki's hair is mostly pulled back and she tucks the hairpiece right back in, trying to make it a little less conspicuous. She hasn't forgotten that it might be a little ostentatious for her liking.]

There we go! It's not pulling or anything, right?

[usarinpa]

[ Mizuki just kind of lets it happen, though she might have twitched or jerked at points out of reflex. She is really not a fan of feeling vulnerable, and it was the whole reason she'd clung to her superstrength in the first place. Fat load of good that's doing her now.

She feels like she should say something, but even now, she only brings herself to shake her head.

She does, however, lift a hand up to push back some of the hair that obscures the hairpiece. God, her hair is probably a hot mess right now. ]

[inemeraldfaith]

[It's a touching, wordless exchange on Mizuki's part. That she doesn't want to completely hide it is a compliment in its own way. She's not completely ashamed of having it. It might not have anything to do with whether she likes it or not, and it may be a case of simply appreciating that it came from Aerith. Sometimes that's where the real value of a gift comes into play.

The thought. The intention. From the hands in which it comes into being. The memories that are created by that.]

Looks real nice! I'll have to find you some more that aren't so gaudy, I think. Should go out together and see what we can find. I don't know enough about what you like, after all.

[usarinpa]

[ Gaudy. Somehow, when Aerith puts it that way, she thinks it should suit her perfectly. What better word to describe Mizuki? Just a gaudy freak no one was ready for, not even her mother. ]

You don't... really know me at all.

[ She has to wonder if Aerith would still be here if she did. ]

[inemeraldfaith]

Hm…

[That’s not exactly wrong either, though Aerith isn’t inclined to say it like that. There are plenty of people she’s known of that she’s pretty quickly come to conclusion over. Call that intuition or observance, or just Aerith drowning herself in hope.]

I know enough to know that I like being around you. Isn’t that all that matters? We all have things in our past. We all have our secrets. That doesn’t make us necessarily good or bad. It just makes us what we are.

[She smiles.]

People.

[usarinpa]

[ People.

If she didn't love people, she wouldn't be doing what she does, though there are some that make her question her entire world view. For a while she continues to frown, and still doesn't feel inclined to say much, but she adds in a low voice, ]

People can be shitty.

[inemeraldfaith]

[Before she can even stop it, Aerith looses a soft laugh.]

They sure can be.

[Rocking a little back and forth in a somewhat gentle sort of fashion, her smile grows. Mizuki’s right on with that assessment. As much as Aerith wants to believe there’s hope in everyone, the fact of the matter is that it’s just not true. Some people aren’t redeemable and that has been a very hard life lesson to learn.]

But not everyone is. I don’t think you are. I’m pretty sure I’m not. But who knows. Maybe someone out there thinks I am.

[usarinpa]

[ At the very least, shifting the subject off Mizuki seems to subtly pique her curiosity. It is easier to fall back on the silence, of course, to return to that dark hole that was the center of the carousel, but instead, she finds herself looking to meet Aerith's eyes.

There may be some scrutiny behind it, like she's trying to find a tell, and when she speaks, she can't bite back the suspicion in her voice. ]

What makes you say that?

[inemeraldfaith]

Hm… Well.

[Shifting the way she’s seated, Aerith retains that soft expression that falls across her face. She doesn’t seem offended by the notion, nor does she seem like she feels she must compromise who she is.]

Because everyone has their own heart. Their own thoughts and feelings. It’s not possible to be liked by everyone, though it might be nice to be. It makes sense that eventually someone would meet me and not like me very much for whatever reason. What’s important is that we find the people we can be honest and open with. Those people matter more. Wherever you go, someone won’t like you, Mizuki, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just keep being you.

[usarinpa]

[ It sounds like a speech a teacher would give. As she listens, she can almost picture Ms Sagan, which would probably explain why it feels like her tongue is a little less stiff now. Subtly, her lips twitch, like she is attempting to smile, although...

...... ]

It was never about... getting people to like me.

[inemeraldfaith]

Hm... no? Not even a little?

[Or maybe Aerith's projecting. Whether she's younger or the Aerith she is at this moment, in these breaths, at Mizuki's side, she knows that she would have wanted others to like her. It's easy to step back and say that having the friendship of everyone just isn't possible. But she doesn't doubt that in whatever just toppled out of her mouth, there's a fair bit of thought that should really be applied to her own experiences.]

No. Maybe not. You don't seem to care too much what others think of you. Well, no more than you need to, anyway. That's a pretty cool skill to have. Not many do.

[usarinpa]

[ Heh. Well that tells Mizuki that she's convincing enough at least. Maybe Aerith is just humoring her, though. She seems like the type, especially since she so brilliantly picked up on the fact that Mizuki is upset. ]

Caring is exhausting. You care, and then...

And then people just leave, and you find out they were never there for you in the first place.

[inemeraldfaith]

[Sometimes it's better not to make others feel as thought they have nothing to hide behind. That's not really Aerith's style. She can push and press and pry, but... She doesn't want to go overboard.]

That... certainly can happen.

[No sense in lying about it, right? No matter how much Aerith may seem an infinite optimist, she understands where realism is important.]

But it doesn't always happen. Sometimes that's the risk one has to take. If you think everyone is like that, you'll miss out on something that might be truly special. Things won't always work out the way we want them to or expect them to. That's okay, though. It won't feel like it, but it really is.

[usarinpa]

[ How does she know?

She can't bring herself to say it aloud, but continues to stew in the bitterness and resentment. How can she say that with such confidence? Maybe there's a part of her that can't accept the act, but until she's given a reason to do so otherwise, she just mutters noncommittally, ]

Maybe.

[ Until then, she still doesn't know what she's supposed to do. She needs to find a new place to live that's preferably not the inn, though she may not have a choice otherwise for a while. ]

Did you have something special with anyone? [ This Cloud person, maybe? ]