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Video; un: pinkmemory

Hello!

[Aerith is bright and cheerful, which seems to be the norm for her. She offers a wave, wearing a smile, her drake coiled around her ponytail and the pretty hair piece tucked into it.]

Not long after I arrived, I had this thought to open a flower shop. I haven't yet, but I have some flowers that are kind of taking over my apartment. I got these a bit ago, so some of them are younger than others, but they're all pretty hardy.

[Her camera pans over to a counter that's housing no shortage of pots with lily of the valley, larkspur, and primrose plants in a variety of colours.

Afterwards, she leans onto her counter and dips her head as she eyes her device, coming back into view.]

So I guess what I'm saying is that if you like flowers or you want something to spruce your home up, I'm happy to give you some of mine. If you don't know how to take care of them, I can help walk you through that, too. Or if you just want to come take a look at them, that'd be okay, too.

[After a pause, she continues.] Also, if you didn't know, larkspurs— [She points to the ones that stand tall with the colourful petals.] —are a favourite with King Arthur. Just in case you feel like getting on his good side.

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Sounds like it'll be perfect for them then.

[She watches his exchange with Zunyan and can't help the way her smile widens again. Maybe one day she'll have a similar relationship to Zaral-and-then-some.]

It'd be a nice little place to be cosy in. I always wanted to fall asleep in flowers myself, but I think I was afraid of damaging them. I don't think Zunyan will have to worry about that.

Oh... No, he'll probably damage them~

[ There's a strange airiness to his response, not quite a lilt to his tone, but enough to express both his exasperation and endearment. His familiar must get up to mischief, from the sounds of it. The dragon just inclines its chin, closing its eyes, waiting to be scratched beneath its little beard. They're definitely two peas in a pod. Zun's the only "person" who can consistently get a guaranteed smile from the prince off the cuff like this, and it knows it; which is part of why it sticks around so much more than others' familiars. Zuko needs the buffer. ]

Wait— They're not poisonous, are they? For dragons. Or— eh— for people, too, I guess. You can't make tea out of them, right?

[ This dawns a sudden thought. Not only does Zunyan like to eat god-knows-what, taste-testing random things he finds all over town as far as Zuko can tell, but he realizes he also can't rule out his uncle from this toxic equation, either... The man had once risked his life making tea from a poisonous plant, knowing it may well be poisonous, on the off-chance it may be a rare but delicious beverage. Scared the shit out of his poor, frenzied nephew. He's not putting anything past Iroh after that. Zun's a good buffer for many things. ]

You should definitely not make tea out of them.

[Aerith laughs weakly before she continues.] For people, touching them might bother your skin a little bit, but as long as you aren't eating it or making tea with it, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Provided Zunyan isn't eating it, they should be okay, too. I would be a little careful though. I don't think the plant will bother a dragon's skin. Dragon's are probably hardier than people are.

[Inwardly, she makes a note to probably include little notes like that. To her, it's common knowledge, but it wouldn't be to anyone else.]

I'm glad I asked... I'll tell Uncle not to experiment.

[ He says with a wry grimace, rolling his eyes, but turns once more to the little dragon on its perch. ]

You hear that, Zun? Don't eat it! Tell Zuko, too, you know he probably only listens to you...

[ He even boops the dragon on its nose to playfully scold it gingerly with one fingertip, which is chased quickly by the fast flick of a forked tongue that barely grazes his skin. Wait, though— "Tell Zuko." Isn't he Zuko? This is a peculiar dynamic between familiar and friend if there ever was one. ]

I'm glad you did, too. I didn't even think about making mention of that. I'll have to make a note to anyone else who expresses interests in them. You've been the only one so far, so I'm thankful for that.

[Leaning back onto her counter, she poises chin in the palm of her hand again.] You two get along with each other so well. I'm not really at odds with mine, but I'm pretty sure he prefers not to spend a lot of time with me. Or rather, I might not be his favourite person. [Ironic that if their familiars actually chose them voluntarily.] I hope one day we can be like you and Zun.

[ Zuko's not glad to hear he's the only person who's thought to ask if plants are poisonous. It means he's the only one with a familiar and an uncle both dumb enough to ingest things they should not ingest. ]

Zun and I are closer than most other people I know, too... I don't know why. I guess we're just friends? Even Azula and Zuk— I mean—... her dragon... don't get along like this. Actually, to be honest, I think he only likes Zunyan. He's not even that nice to Azula unless he wants to be warm. And he hates me.

[ No, he doesn't, shut up, drama prince. If Azula's dragon hated you, you wouldn't be standing here shit-talking him right now and you know it. ]

[His slip of the tongue does not go unnoticed. Aerith wonders for several long moments if 'Zuk' is meant to be Zuko. Perhaps his sister has named her familiar after her brother.

Endearing, if that's the case.]

I don't know about that. I'd find it hard to believe that anyone could hate you. You're a little too kind for that, I think.

[Except it's entirely possible to hate someone for being too kind or too thoughtful.]

Kind?

[ He's genuinely taken aback by the comment. Plenty of people could hate him; he's not too kind to hate, that's not at all how he sees himself right off. ]

Why?

[ ...he says, standing here sweet-talking his pet dragon while picking up flowers to give as a surprise to his elderly uncle.

But let him be grumpy. ]

[Her eyebrows raise and she hesitates.]

Well... You've been nothing but kind to me. If there's some other side of you that you've neglected to show me, then I wouldn't know it's there. You're always nice to me. Hard for me to think of you in any other way because of that. But if it's your reputation you're concerned about, I won't tell anyone else I think you're nice.

[ He's not quite blushing, but clearly bashful, eyes finding the floor fast. But he gives a single wry huff of a laugh after a moment, even without a smile; he's swallowed it into an awkward squiggle of a look, an uncomfortable hand searching to rub at the back of his head as he speaks. ]

...You can tell people whatever you want. I am nice, I mean— I want to be. I try to be. But I just— wasn't expecting that... Uh— Thanks?

[His response from head to toe makes her laugh. He's so... reserved about it. It's charming, in a way, but that kind of thing tends to be. The people who often don't feel they have draw tend to have the most.]

You don't need to thank me. I'm just saying it the way that I see it. If I was wrong, I'd expect you to correct me. [And that's assuming she'd even believe him.] Have no fear. I won't say anything to anyone else that you don't want me saying.

No— I'd rather my reputation be that I'm nice. Trust me. Say what you want. I'm a big believer in speaking your mind.

[ He drags that nervous hand along his neck with some self-soothing pressure before letting it drop limply at his waist, managing a crooked sheepish smirk of a smile. It's close enough. ]

Oh, good. I'm not very good at not saying what I think.

[Aerith issues a soft laugh before she continues.] I'm pretty sure that's gotten me in trouble with some people. It's the kind of charm that not everyone thinks is charming.

[Her head tips as she eyes him thoughtfully. Still mysterious. Few people are a few things only. There is probably much more to him than what she sees.] I guess the same can be said for someone being nice. Not everyone likes that either. Although I think almost everyone here is pretty nice. I've only met maybe a couple who weren't. A little surprising sometimes.

Even if people aren't nice... that's not fixed. People change. I'm a big believer in that, too.

[ Okay, so that sheepish smirk can become a passable smile, there we go. ]

I'm not really so concerned with being charming or not, though, heh.

That's true. People can change if that's what they desire. [Even the Cloud she knew back home had some slight changes in him. Subtle though they were. Subtlety was not equivalent to absence, after all.]

I think other people decide when we're charming. Not us. After all, if someone was going to ask me what I thought it meant, I'd probably not be able to answer that. But I could tell someone that I thought you were a little charming.

M-Me?! I'm not "charming!" Far from it...!

[ Oh, that makes him hitch again. Things had been going so smoothly! Now he's blanched and stammering. ]

Like you said, uh— I just— speak my mind!

[ And it's totally charming at times. It's okay he's blind to it. Part of the charm, perhaps. ]

See, I don't agree with that. I see how you act around Zun. You're gentle with him and there's this quiet affection, I think. It's pretty cute. I just happen to think cute and charm sort of go hand-in-hand.

[But she's smiling. On the verge of laughter, but trying to politely hold it back if she can.]

Usually, the people who don't think they're charming have this weird habit of being the most charming.

Well, Zun's a dragon, of course I'm gentle and affectionate with him! Should I be rough and aggressive?!

[ Aerith, why are you doing this to him, his cheeks are turning bright red. He's not cute. He knows he has his own appeal but "cute" ain't it, in his eyes. Everything is in the eye of the beholder, though. He's just gonna deflect, okay. ]

No, of course not. But he's a familiar. Not everyone here is very friendly with them. Some people just treat them like pets. Some people barely even acknowledge them. Seeing how close you and Zun are is heartwarming, and it takes more than one to make that happen.

[Aerith speaks very matter-of-fact, as if the concept of 'cute,' 'affection,' and other such related things simply aren't disputable. But that seems just like her—stubborn with good intention.

And maybe she just likes pressing his buttons a little. Or a lot.]

[ The boy and dragon glance to each other, like the other is at fault. Zun likes free food, gifts, cuddles, compliments, attention, and Zuko, in that order. Zuko's reasoning... perhaps a bit more complex. He pauses, then turns back to Aerith with a hardened look. ]

...Dragons are extinct in my world. They were hunted for glory, and disappeared in a matter of decades. I treat Zunyan with reverence because he deserves it. Not just because he's my familiar.

[ Try to have an uplifting conversation with this kid, dare you. Time how long it lasts. ]

Well, I wasn't implying that was the only reason you did it. People are more than a few traits. Rarely do we ever do something with one or two intentions in mind. That would be oversimplifying it. I think you're more complicated than that, and complication can be a good thing.

[As much as it can be a bad one.]

Nothing you've said has changed my opinion of you. If anything, the more you share about yourself, the more I just think you're a good person with good intentions. I can say plenty of people here seem good, but I just feel like you're good. You're trustworthy.

[And that's something she can't say about everyone she's met.]

[ Zuko's a bit stunned by all that. It's true he was trying to deflect from a compliment, uncomfortable being complimented often, but Aerith's insistence on her perception of him as a good trustworthy person... catches him off guard, even with his guard up. ]

Trustworthy...? You just— feel like I'm good...?

[ He parrots, then pauses. ]

...Why?

[ He doesn't say it in a dismissive way, nor is he fishing for compliments, but asks in a genuinely curious way. He doesn't understand her reasoning. But he wants to know what about him would give off such an impression. He isn't certain he's a trustworthy person, but if he's giving the impression of one, it's worth thinking about how so. That she sees him as innately good is what's most shocking to hear, and he wants to pick that apart and analyze it because he's not been "good" always. He still sees himself as a transformed bad guy in a certain sense, deep down — a vague perception that floats and haunts, not really on the forefront of his mind or articulated. But hearing he comes off as a genuine good guy, that people he's barely met see him as a mensch in particular — it all strikes a chord. ]

[That's a harder question to address and as such, Aerith doesn't have an immediate answer for him. How does she arrive at just a place? By chance? No. Rarely is anything truly up to chance where she's concerned. Maybe it's the Cetra in her? But that's unlikely too. Maybe. It's possible that can play a part.

As she leans onto her arms, she considers the best way to handle this because there's a labyrinth of complexity when it comes down to describing an individual and separating them from the shades of grey that have occurred in their life. A person can do less-than-good things and still be a good person at heart. There are way too many variables to blanket everything.]

You're coming out with the hard stuff now, aren't you? [She laughs as she tilts her head at him.] I'd like to say I know people or that I at least have a sense for these things. That's probably not always true, though. Given what you've told me, your reactions to all of this, to even something as a simple kindness, I get this feeling that you've probably been through a lot of hardship. You've probably been evaluated and judged for a variety of things you've done or things you've gone through.

[A pause and then she continues.] I don't really know how else to put it. Even in this, it's just a feeling I get. Maybe you weren't always like that, but that's how you seem to be now. The past is a great learning tool for us, but it's what we do now and tomorrow that really matters.

...Am I really so transparent...?

[ She hit the nail on the head, and he's unnerved that he shows more than he realizes. But in a good way? He just got seen by someone he barely knows. But she's stating objective facts and none of them are insulting, necessarily. Just shaking to realize more of his life and more of his self shows than he thinks he lets on. ]

Video; un: pinkmemory

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