( she's said it once, to someone, though she isn't entirely sure she believed it at the time: that the places in the horizon feel more like safety than being in the welcome confines of solvunn's territory, as though it's a place where she can get lost or hide away, a place where she doesn't have to show her best face if she doesn't want to. wandering through domains, finding little pockets of interest or beautiful sceneries encouraged by the memories of the owner? it's like traveling without having to really go anywhere at all, and it sates her vivacious curiosity in some ways, as though it allows her to do things without worrying about putting herself, or anyone else, in danger. this domain that she's found, in particular, looks lush and beautiful, almost like a city in and of itself--it's so different from her own domain that she's drawn to it in the same way that the skies of midgar draw her in, terrifying but somehow beautiful in the same way.
getting to the double doors isn't difficult, but it does take some time--when she finally works her way through, walking carefully in her muddied boots as though she's worried about tracking dirt through the walkways, her eyes are drawn upward; at first, she thinks that the creature there, perched on a tree, might be some sort of warning device, the sort of animal that will immediately screech and squawk and duck down to attack any intruders. she stares at it, brows knitted together, as though they're both locked into a staring match--but it's the little dragon-like creature that yelps first, a melodic sort of trill as it edges down to a lower branch, and aerith laughs, bright and pleased. a friend, then, which is precisely what she wanted: standing up on her toes, she stretches one arm towards the creature, urging it down another branch as it tentatively sticks its neck out. )
Are you hungry? ( there's no one else that she can see to talk to but the creature, so she does--her lips press together, thoughtful, though it doesn't look like there's much to give it, and after all, what might she give it? does it eat meat? fruit? flowers? apologetically, she runs her fingertips down the neck of the creature. ) I'm sorry, I'll find something...
( what she finds, instead, is the beautiful courtyard, her eyes taking in all the details as she stands there, trying to read the spines of the books on the shelves from a distance. there are places to sit and read, she figures, as well as places to lounge, and: there's some sort of curious board game set up on a table, which draws her attention as she approaches. the board is checkered, and the pieces look to be done up in the style of...well, she can't quite tell. curious, she picks up a pawn piece, twisting it in her fingertips.
the creature, back at the doors, lets out a trill of announcement: aerith doesn't know what it means, but she figures it might mean the owner of this place is back; hurriedly, she sets the piece back on the board, but her knee knocks into it, and a few of the pieces topple over, falling to the ground--she quickly crouches, her dress fluffing over her legs, desperate to scramble up the pieces so that she can put them back where they belong. )
A
getting to the double doors isn't difficult, but it does take some time--when she finally works her way through, walking carefully in her muddied boots as though she's worried about tracking dirt through the walkways, her eyes are drawn upward; at first, she thinks that the creature there, perched on a tree, might be some sort of warning device, the sort of animal that will immediately screech and squawk and duck down to attack any intruders. she stares at it, brows knitted together, as though they're both locked into a staring match--but it's the little dragon-like creature that yelps first, a melodic sort of trill as it edges down to a lower branch, and aerith laughs, bright and pleased. a friend, then, which is precisely what she wanted: standing up on her toes, she stretches one arm towards the creature, urging it down another branch as it tentatively sticks its neck out. )
Are you hungry? ( there's no one else that she can see to talk to but the creature, so she does--her lips press together, thoughtful, though it doesn't look like there's much to give it, and after all, what might she give it? does it eat meat? fruit? flowers? apologetically, she runs her fingertips down the neck of the creature. ) I'm sorry, I'll find something...
( what she finds, instead, is the beautiful courtyard, her eyes taking in all the details as she stands there, trying to read the spines of the books on the shelves from a distance. there are places to sit and read, she figures, as well as places to lounge, and: there's some sort of curious board game set up on a table, which draws her attention as she approaches. the board is checkered, and the pieces look to be done up in the style of...well, she can't quite tell. curious, she picks up a pawn piece, twisting it in her fingertips.
the creature, back at the doors, lets out a trill of announcement: aerith doesn't know what it means, but she figures it might mean the owner of this place is back; hurriedly, she sets the piece back on the board, but her knee knocks into it, and a few of the pieces topple over, falling to the ground--she quickly crouches, her dress fluffing over her legs, desperate to scramble up the pieces so that she can put them back where they belong. )