[ she lets him sleep. it's not like he's in any danger here, and aerith wants to light a few candles, anyway. it's a ritualistic habit, and she's got an hour to kill before she's supposed to be anywhere, so an easy calmness wades its way into the church while a boy sleeps and dreams of a world he's supposed to have never seen. and while minato dreams, a young woman lights a punk stick, standing before rows and rows of long extinguished candles. she clasps her hands tightly together, a perfect recreation of a prayer pose, and does what she always does. she prays— perfectly, even, as she's been taught to do.
a collision is made; a body hits the floor, the sound echoing in the emptiness of holy grounds, and aerith whips around to catch the tail end of his new injury being made. ]
Finally awake, are we? [ with long, languid steps and her hands behind her back, she approaches, finally, just to stand very helpfully over him. ] That sounded like it really stung. I'll take a look at it. [ stand up, boy!! ]
[ Neither of them are strangers to this church, so it's not too odd to see her here. But people rarely dropped by this late into the evening. It's why Minato selected it as tonight's napping spot.
He stands up obediently, sliding his headphones off his ears before dropping his hands back to his sides. Faint music filters through the silver discs now around his neck. ]
It's okay. I'll put ice on it when I'm home.
[ Never mind that he's here trying to avoid returning there. And despite Minato's early protests, he bows his head a bit so Aerith can get a better look at the newly-forming welt. ]
You should be home. [ her fingers ghost the growing bump, recoiling into her fist when she feels it, fear that it might sting at her touch overwhelming her expression for a moment. as aerith continues to lean forward, she lingers, features smoothed over in an passive show of poorly hidden concern. ]
What's got you out so late, anyway? I bet Sha-Ming's texting everyone in town about you already. You know he loves you too much to not get worried immediately.
[ ...yeah, Sha-Ming's almost certainly worried. After all, there'd been that one time when he'd disappeared one day, and even though a storm rolled in Sha-Ming waited for him outside the whole time.
That's why it's easier to tell Aerith certain things compared to Sha-Ming. ]
...I didn't want to go home yet. Not until --
[ How to go about explaining this...? ]
I keep seeing things around town that make me feel... weird.
[ He glances down at both their feet, away from Aerith's concerned expression. ]
...Sha-Ming will know something's wrong as soon as he sees me.
[ The idea had been to wander and nap until the uneasiness went away, but instead he'd just been plagued with bizarre dreams. ]
[ for a moment, she's quiet, listening to minato speak. aerith sits in the pew across from him, facing minato, and rubbing the tips of her fingers together in a loose, contemplative fist.
he always leaves just enough out for you to fill in gaps as you please— even now, he does not elaborate on what he saw that made him feel weird. thankfully, aerith only nods in silent understanding, her own recollections tossing her back in a gnawing feeling of misery in the pit of her belly. flashes of things, flashes of nothings. ]
I know. [ it's a very gentle admission. he doesn't need to say anything more. it's much, much easier to hold it in. but then, she shakes her head, and looks to the tall, grand windows of the church. ] But that's his job, you know? As your big brother. Family makes sure you're okay.
And you will be. I promise. [ there's an encouraging slope to her lips, a warm smile she hopes is enough to convince him.
a beat passes wherein she considers the options before her. ]
He knows, and that's why he's here tonight instead of being home. It's why Sha-Ming asked him that question on their way home that day, wasn't it? It's why he thought they should take a trip outside of Aldrip someday, and it's why Sha-Ming asked him what he wanted to do after graduation.
For some reason, Aerith's reassurances settle properly within him compared to any of Sha-Ming's. He knows Sha-Ming's being genuine when he says they'll figure out a way to make it through each day. But there are times when he feels like Aerith understands him better compared to his brother. He's never able to grasp onto the reason; each time he's almost wrapped his fingers around it, the thought jettisons away from him like a startled squid.
Weird.
Minato nods. Even if he's not, he can at least appreciate Aerith's attempts to make him feel better. ]
...okay. Thanks, Aerith.
[ Yeah. Maybe spending the night at Aerith's place would be the best course of action. A rare, wry smile makes its way onto his face. ]
A sleepover without Sha-Ming, then.
[ ...it'll be fine. Sha-Ming won't be too worried about him being at Aerith's place, probably. ]
[ she's sure of one thing: that minato could call her out on this, and insist that there's never been a charge before. he'd be right, of course, but this time's special. she wants him to tell her— ]
It's not like you fall like that in the pews. We both know that much, don't we? So, c'mon... what happened? Something crawled right up your butt, didn't it?
[ he's implied as much. this is not a revelation, but she proposes this like it is, smiling cheekily, mischief dancing in her gaze as she looks at him. the familiarity is not forced, but there's something more beneath the surface, like staring at the coral at the bottom of the ocean. you know it's there, but the you might not be able to spot it, might be unable to point it out if asked.
but it is there. something. something rears it's head before being forced back to being a slumbering giant. the elephant in the room, asleep and waiting. ]
[ And Aerith's right; Minato does recall there's never been a fee for crashing on Aerith's couch. He doesn't actually mind, but the fact that Aerith's pointing out that he's been acting a little odd does make him frown. She's cornering him, albeit playfully. He's familiar with that tactic of hers, but he plays along anyways. ]
I... kept seeing things around town. I don't remember any of them, but it's like I've seen them in a dream before.
[ There's a brief pause as he collects his thoughts, as though using a pair of fragile tweezers to arrange them into place. ]
Seeing them made me feel like something terrible was going to happen. ...and then I had a bad dream, that's all.
[ His gaze is distant, clouded, as he tries to recall the details. ]
I was on a rooftop, but I don't... remember why, or what I was doing there.
[ It's probably the most sentences he's said at once to Aerith. He's trying to remember, trying to really remember because Aerith's the one asking. The details are all hazy though, like shadows blending into each other.
He raises a hand, brushing his fingertips against his right temple. ]
My head hurt here all day too. ...it's gone now though.
[ Another pause. ]
You're not going to tell Sha-Ming, are you?
[ He knows how much his brother worries about him. ]
You know he's going to get hurt if he finds out I knew before him. [ it's the most gentle chastising she can offer him, but it isn't her saying she won't. rather, it's confirmation: his secret's safe with her, and they'll both have t weather his temper. such a crybaby, that man. all he ever wants is to be held. ]
I had a vision, too. [ this is an easier topic, somehow, than sha-ming. guilt is a fickle, selfish thing. ] I thought it was just me, but now I'm not so sure... Did you feel like— you were protecting something...? Or someone?
[ so she won't tell sha-ming. but she certainly can't not tell minato this much. the wind rustles her hair, a breeze welcomed in from the open double doors just beyond the pair. it does not help the warm, needling sensation at the base of her spine that eggs her on, tells her to hurry up. ]
[ ...yeah, Sha-Ming will definitely feel wounded if he finds out. Clearly, the solution is for him to never discover their little secret.
And as Aerith shares that she's had her own set of visions, Minato can only blink. Did it feel like he was protecting something or someone? His lips part with surprise. ]
...how did you know?
[ It's a confession, a confirmation. ]
I think there was someone on that rooftop. I don't know who it was, but -- yeah.
[ And that same feeling came up in other instances too. He's on a rooftop again, different from the one in his dream, but the feeling remains the same. ]
Really? [ Incredulity filters into her voice like sunlight through a window, illuminating her confusion. Not aimed at him, no. ] That's weird, [ Aerith offers softly, thoughtfully, looking away, and into the pews as she considers this image. ]
I can't remember anything like a rooftop or images, actually. Just a feeling. Really... an overwhelming sense of trying to protect people. [ A pause falls over her now, before her gaze slips back to him, through the corner of her eye. She feels bad, suddenly, laying her own problem at his feet.
[ It sure is pretty weird. Minato's not about to deny that. But it seems like they've definitely experienced different things, given Aerith defining the feeling as an overwhelming sense of trying to protect others. He'd felt that too, but there'd been something else trying to devour him too.
Fear. He remembers feeling terrified, backed into a corner despite his desire to save others. ]
I don't know.
[ He can't recall. Not exactly, anyways. ]
I don't think it was the only time though. I think there were other times too, so... maybe I did.
[ Minato glances back at Aerith, head canted a bit with a pensive frown. She probably won't tell Sha-Ming about that bizarre feeling, he thinks. And if that's the case, that makes two of them, doesn't it? ]
[ It takes two to tango, and it's undeniable that Minato and Aerith are locked in some kind of dance. Whatever it is, three's a crowd, and burdening someone else with the steps would be an unkindness. Perhaps it speaks to their characters more than anything, this unwillingness to share the weight of a hallucination.
Then again, neither of them are normal enough to assume that's all it is. ]
Yeah... I don't think that the only time I felt like that. Somehow... [ An inherent feeling? The whisper of something more? She's not sure. She just knows it like she knows her prayer book. ] It'll be okay, though. You know that much, right?
[ He doesn't know that for sure. He doesn't know if it'll be okay. But somehow, Minato gets the sense that it has to be okay, and if it's not, he'll find a way to make it so.
So he nods. ]
Yeah. It'll be okay.
[ And that's why there's no need to share with Sha-Ming. It'll be okay, but even if it wasn't, it doesn't feel like either of them would share that with Sha-Ming either.
They can't burden him with that.
Minato glances out over the empty pews, a quiet smile taking shape on his features. ]
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expiationlogs2024-03-09 08:37 am
iii
a collision is made; a body hits the floor, the sound echoing in the emptiness of holy grounds, and aerith whips around to catch the tail end of his new injury being made. ]
Finally awake, are we? [ with long, languid steps and her hands behind her back, she approaches, finally, just to stand very helpfully over him. ] That sounded like it really stung. I'll take a look at it. [ stand up, boy!! ]
no subject
Aerith?
[ Neither of them are strangers to this church, so it's not too odd to see her here. But people rarely dropped by this late into the evening. It's why Minato selected it as tonight's napping spot.
He stands up obediently, sliding his headphones off his ears before dropping his hands back to his sides. Faint music filters through the silver discs now around his neck. ]
It's okay. I'll put ice on it when I'm home.
[ Never mind that he's here trying to avoid returning there. And despite Minato's early protests, he bows his head a bit so Aerith can get a better look at the newly-forming welt. ]
no subject
What's got you out so late, anyway? I bet Sha-Ming's texting everyone in town about you already. You know he loves you too much to not get worried immediately.
no subject
That's why it's easier to tell Aerith certain things compared to Sha-Ming. ]
...I didn't want to go home yet. Not until --
[ How to go about explaining this...? ]
I keep seeing things around town that make me feel... weird.
[ He glances down at both their feet, away from Aerith's concerned expression. ]
...Sha-Ming will know something's wrong as soon as he sees me.
[ The idea had been to wander and nap until the uneasiness went away, but instead he'd just been plagued with bizarre dreams. ]
no subject
he always leaves just enough out for you to fill in gaps as you please— even now, he does not elaborate on what he saw that made him feel weird. thankfully, aerith only nods in silent understanding, her own recollections tossing her back in a gnawing feeling of misery in the pit of her belly. flashes of things, flashes of nothings. ]
I know. [ it's a very gentle admission. he doesn't need to say anything more. it's much, much easier to hold it in. but then, she shakes her head, and looks to the tall, grand windows of the church. ] But that's his job, you know? As your big brother. Family makes sure you're okay.
And you will be. I promise. [ there's an encouraging slope to her lips, a warm smile she hopes is enough to convince him.
a beat passes wherein she considers the options before her. ]
How 'bout... you crash on my couch tonight?
no subject
He knows, and that's why he's here tonight instead of being home. It's why Sha-Ming asked him that question on their way home that day, wasn't it? It's why he thought they should take a trip outside of Aldrip someday, and it's why Sha-Ming asked him what he wanted to do after graduation.
For some reason, Aerith's reassurances settle properly within him compared to any of Sha-Ming's. He knows Sha-Ming's being genuine when he says they'll figure out a way to make it through each day. But there are times when he feels like Aerith understands him better compared to his brother. He's never able to grasp onto the reason; each time he's almost wrapped his fingers around it, the thought jettisons away from him like a startled squid.
Weird.
Minato nods. Even if he's not, he can at least appreciate Aerith's attempts to make him feel better. ]
...okay. Thanks, Aerith.
[ Yeah. Maybe spending the night at Aerith's place would be the best course of action. A rare, wry smile makes its way onto his face. ]
A sleepover without Sha-Ming, then.
[ ...it'll be fine. Sha-Ming won't be too worried about him being at Aerith's place, probably. ]
no subject
[ she's sure of one thing: that minato could call her out on this, and insist that there's never been a charge before. he'd be right, of course, but this time's special. she wants him to tell her— ]
It's not like you fall like that in the pews. We both know that much, don't we? So, c'mon... what happened? Something crawled right up your butt, didn't it?
[ he's implied as much. this is not a revelation, but she proposes this like it is, smiling cheekily, mischief dancing in her gaze as she looks at him. the familiarity is not forced, but there's something more beneath the surface, like staring at the coral at the bottom of the ocean. you know it's there, but the you might not be able to spot it, might be unable to point it out if asked.
but it is there. something. something rears it's head before being forced back to being a slumbering giant. the elephant in the room, asleep and waiting. ]
no subject
I... kept seeing things around town. I don't remember any of them, but it's like I've seen them in a dream before.
[ There's a brief pause as he collects his thoughts, as though using a pair of fragile tweezers to arrange them into place. ]
Seeing them made me feel like something terrible was going to happen. ...and then I had a bad dream, that's all.
[ His gaze is distant, clouded, as he tries to recall the details. ]
I was on a rooftop, but I don't... remember why, or what I was doing there.
[ It's probably the most sentences he's said at once to Aerith. He's trying to remember, trying to really remember because Aerith's the one asking. The details are all hazy though, like shadows blending into each other.
He raises a hand, brushing his fingertips against his right temple. ]
My head hurt here all day too. ...it's gone now though.
[ Another pause. ]
You're not going to tell Sha-Ming, are you?
[ He knows how much his brother worries about him. ]
no subject
I had a vision, too. [ this is an easier topic, somehow, than sha-ming. guilt is a fickle, selfish thing. ] I thought it was just me, but now I'm not so sure... Did you feel like— you were protecting something...? Or someone?
[ so she won't tell sha-ming. but she certainly can't not tell minato this much. the wind rustles her hair, a breeze welcomed in from the open double doors just beyond the pair. it does not help the warm, needling sensation at the base of her spine that eggs her on, tells her to hurry up. ]
no subject
And as Aerith shares that she's had her own set of visions, Minato can only blink. Did it feel like he was protecting something or someone? His lips part with surprise. ]
...how did you know?
[ It's a confession, a confirmation. ]
I think there was someone on that rooftop. I don't know who it was, but -- yeah.
[ And that same feeling came up in other instances too. He's on a rooftop again, different from the one in his dream, but the feeling remains the same. ]
no subject
I can't remember anything like a rooftop or images, actually. Just a feeling. Really... an overwhelming sense of trying to protect people. [ A pause falls over her now, before her gaze slips back to him, through the corner of her eye. She feels bad, suddenly, laying her own problem at his feet.
Then again, it is Minato. ]
Did you save them?
no subject
Fear. He remembers feeling terrified, backed into a corner despite his desire to save others. ]
I don't know.
[ He can't recall. Not exactly, anyways. ]
I don't think it was the only time though. I think there were other times too, so... maybe I did.
[ Minato glances back at Aerith, head canted a bit with a pensive frown. She probably won't tell Sha-Ming about that bizarre feeling, he thinks. And if that's the case, that makes two of them, doesn't it? ]
no subject
Then again, neither of them are normal enough to assume that's all it is. ]
Yeah... I don't think that the only time I felt like that. Somehow... [ An inherent feeling? The whisper of something more? She's not sure. She just knows it like she knows her prayer book. ] It'll be okay, though. You know that much, right?
no subject
So he nods. ]
Yeah. It'll be okay.
[ And that's why there's no need to share with Sha-Ming. It'll be okay, but even if it wasn't, it doesn't feel like either of them would share that with Sha-Ming either.
They can't burden him with that.
Minato glances out over the empty pews, a quiet smile taking shape on his features. ]
Tomorrow will happen, and it'll be okay.
[ Life goes on, with or without them. ]