﹙◌﹚𝒯he ℒast 𝒞etra,

·˚ f̲rom 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 g̷rave, ᵈᵃᶠᶠᵒᵈⁱˡˢ‎‎ ‎ ʷⁱˡˡ ‎ ‎ᵇˡᵒᵒᵐ ◌

[gainscient]

◌ unfolding flower of my memory ... leave your petals to this wind. ━━━━ a private, mutuals-only & low activity writing blog for aerith gainsborough, from square enix's final fantasy vii. canon compliant to the remake continuity, intertwined with ideas from the original game and personal headcanons. # 𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕.

Visit Original Link

    ﹙¹﹚ carrd, ﹙²﹚ prompts, ﹙³﹚ sideblog, ﹙⁴﹚ pinterest, affiliated with, @praesparo & @anoffering & @studiodrafts / @greenelight & @warplanet

an exploration in ... the last of her kind, a city mouse, death is just the beginning, silk hiding steel, flowers of femininity, the tragic heroine & the act of noble sacrifice.

   she was like a star, nothing but a beautiful echo of death.

[gainscient]

oh ... the need to bring back my multi is strong.

[gainscient]

this is a happy birthday post for my best friend in the whole world, @aratsaka / @anoffering / my beloved blythe. featuring true, real life photos of us, yes ma'am. here's to another year of you!!! i'm so grateful for our almost five years of friendship, and cannot wait to spend the rest of my life celebrating your birthday 🤍 despite living across the ocean, rude btw, you are literally my soulmate. my twin in every regard. i hope you have an amazing day, but i am sorry i couldn't be there in person to eat a spicy chicken kebab pizza with you :( it's almost been a year since i saw you last, and i'm so excited for when the time comes i get to see you again. happy birthday blythe, i love you to the moon and back. 🤍

[friendlywebs-deactivated2026050]

“   it really doesn’t sleep,   does it?  ”   wall market,  he means.  they’re well-aware there are other portions of midgar that fail to do the same.  the shadows hug the corners of technical giants built by shinra.   makes for great swinging.   doesn’t make for great mako reservation.  word has spread.   an independent vigilante bringing down shinra propaganda,  one mako siphoning site at a time.  word has it that this lone actor,  too,  has stood up against shinra soldiers.   not that peter parker would know anything of this,  of course.  he’s lucky to have escaped the shinra project before they managed to take his soul.    “   good to see you,   aerith   …   though i didn’t see you as a regular wall market consumer.  you alright?   —    i don’t mind walking you home,   or keeping you company.    ”

THE WALL MARKET THAT NEVER SLEEPS, sc. @gainscient.

[gainscient]

                        ❝ oh!   ❞ the sound escapes aerith, in a startled burst, as she nearly jumps out of her boots, shoulders jumping with the sudden approach. she hadn't been paying nearly enough attention to her surroundings ... when she really ought to, this is wall market, after all. but the moment the surprise fades, and she comes to recognise the face before her, a bright smile spreads across her features at peter.

she adjusts the wicker basket hooked over her elbow, and gives a quick nod. ❝ mhm, i'm okey-dokey!   ❞ she chirps, ❝ i thought i'd try my luck where all the crowds are, maybe try and sell more. ❞ aerith lifts the basket as proof of her grand business strategy, though the near-full contents tells a very different story. ❝ though uh, maybe they don't really enjoy flowers here. maybe they're more — ❞

a sudden crash and loud bang erupts from a nearby bar, followed by roaring of laughter and cheering as a couple of rowdy patrons stumble out into the street. aerith turns her head, blinking as she watches the spectacle. ❝ well ...   ❞ she slowly looks back to peter, her smile returning too, but a little more crooked. ❝ maybe it's just getting a little late for flower shopping.   ❞

[gainscient]

aerith ga.insborough. 🌷💐🌹🌼

[cleriseph-moved-deactivated2025]

☁️🌺

[praesparo]

"tomorrow's a big day. you should get some rest." for cloud <3

                    mako infused pupils rest over the field of flowers before him, enveloping aerith's home with colour & calm. leather digits grasp the balcony firmly, only releasing their tension at the interruption of aerith behind him. the night was silent yet her voice didn't pierce through, instead found its place amongst the serenity. it soothed him, if he could even believe it. ❛ yeah.  ❜ he acknowledges, head tilting back to meet her gaze. tomorrow was the day she escorted him back to his sector. his tenure as her bodyguard would be over. ❛ you sure you're gonna be okay taking me there? i can find my own way.  ❜

[gainscient]

                        it hadn't taken her long to find cloud — her home is not so vast to hide anyone, and there are only so many corners to check. unless ... he had left? but aerith knew with certainty that wasn't the case. standing at the balcony door, she lingers for a beat, watching him as his eyes trace the flowers that border her little home at the end of petal lane. they've only known each other a little over a day, and yet she can't deny the enjoyment his company brings — even if he were a little stubborn.

❝ c'mon, i've set you up a bed. my mom says you can take her room tonight, she won't mind.   ❞ aerith chirps, with quickening steps as she reaches cloud's side at the balcony, elbows leaning against the weathered wood. her gaze, however, is not on the garden below. ❝ of course, i wouldn't have offered otherwise. wouldn't want you getting lost now. ❞ she pokes at his arm fondly, and a playful smirk forms. ❝ must be pretty important ... what is it you need to get back to?   ❞

[aratsaka]

@gainscient sent: smoochies cheek

“ uh... thanks, pinkie. ” it surprises him, and as a result, makes his cheeks flush red as he sheepishly smiles and turns away from her. just for a moment, though. he's usually not surprised like this — people can't reach. “ what was that for? ”

[gainscient]

                        ❝ do i need a reason?   ❞ aerith teases, as she grins up at him with her newfound height, and certainly not because of the blue crate she's balancing atop of. their gazes meet almost perfectly, and she's able to stare into those cybernetic eyes with red rings.

❝ maybe ... think of it as a gift, hm? for helping me?   ❞ she rocks back and forth on the crate, the plastic wobbling beneath her as she dares gravity. ❝ you didn't have to, but you did, and i thought ... well, a reward is most certainly deserved!   ❞

[gainscient]

R.E. your headcanon about when Aerith feels someone pass to the lifestream, do you think she feels it more strongly when it's someone she cares for a lot (like Zack) and if it's someone close to someone Aerith is close to or cares for (Like Elmerya's husband)? Or does she feel everyone's passing equally?

hello friend! firstly, thank you so much for sending this in, i'm so giddy to respond! 🤍 but also, apologises for the almost three week delay in getting back to you, i'm a fraud. re: my original post, i think you've nailed it right on the head! for aerith, most people passing into the lifestream probably feels like a dull sensation that's always lingering in the bg that she's always living with but can, for the most part, not focus on. she's almost like the living embodiment of the life and death cycle, and that's something i love exploring honestly. but when it's someone close to her, or close to someone she loves, that feeling grows stronger, amplified from the emotional connection of such. with clay gains.borough she likely felt him passing more stronger than most solely due to strong connection to elmyra, despite never having met the man personally. but with her mother and with zack, that feeling was increased by tenfold. like something inside her was being torn away with them. even with the difference of being at her mother's side, versus zack being outside of midgar, distance doesn't change it. she would still feel that living presence be suddenly cut off. and on top of that, i think since she's so unpractised with her cetra abilities and understanding her own heritage, she doesn't fully understand how to control or regulate these feelings. so, she's just hit all at once with her own grief, but also physically feeling that soul rejoin the lifestream as though experiencing it herself. which could also lean into talks about how ready she felt for what she knew was coming at the forgotten city ... but i fear that's a topic for another day, hehehe.

[solanami]

sketch of Aerith

[folkpoet]

francesca has always been quite the homebody. never was it a conscious thought to avoid the gardens, but perhaps that's what she had been doing. only venturing amongst the flowers when with company. when there would be someone to catch her, to help her, if she was to fall. they're not too far from where it happened, she thinks. perhaps a few more steps to the left and they'd be right on the spot. it's a blessing and a curse that her memory of that day was so foggy. so diluted by time and age.

eyes squeeze closed as aerith works her magic. there's a flash of pain, followed by relief. a dull ache still remains but much more manageable. when eyes open there's a tear sitting in the corner, but it's swiftly wiped away. she might be the crybaby of the family, but that doesn't mean she will allow herself to break down. ❝ thank you. ❞ fingers flex. her heart rate is starting to return to normal, the twist in her stomach coming undone. ❝ much better. you seem well practiced in dealing with stings, does it happen a lot? ❞

throat clears. gaze turning to the rest of the garden. they hadn't made it too far, only to the first set of flower beds. hands tremble slightly at the thought that more might be waiting out there. francesca might be alright now, but she doesn't know what the next sting will bring. no - she cannot think like that. ❝ so, um, my mother's gardens. i hear the two of you have big plans. ❞

[gainscient]

                        ❝ you don't need to thank me, it was nothing, really. ❞ aerith continues to beam at her, in hopes to reassure and smooth away any guilt that may be taking root within miss francesca. on paper, yes, aerith has been hired by the bridgerton family to tend to their blooms, a professional arrangement, of signatures and expectations. but kindness need not be contractual. if lady bridgerton sought her out, if her hands in the soil made even the faintest impression on her, then aerith will return that trust tenfold to the family.

at francesca's question, aerith gives a small shrug firstly. ❝ not nearly as often as you may think. they're actually gentle creatures. though ... i do see why they can seem intimidating.   ❞ she tils her head, the pink ribbon in her hair swaying with the movement. eyes follow francesca's toward the sprawling flowerbed, still yet to be explored ... and she feels the way francesca's hands tremble, even still wrapped between aerith's palms.

❝ here, why don't we sit for a minute? and i can tell you all about my grand plans?   ❞ she suggests, and doesn't quite wait for an answer nor permission — despite how improper that may be. she tugs francesca along toward the nearest bench, sliding onto the wooden slats and pats the space beside her. ❝ it's such a compliment to work with your mother.   ❞ she continues, glancing sideways to her company. ❝ i used to walk past your home in london often as a little girl, just to admire the flowers. i thought they were the most beautiful things i'd ever seen.   ❞ a small blush colors her cheeks. ❝ i'm hoping to live up to that standard, and give it my very best shot.   ❞

[warplanet]

this is the greatest part of having rare visitors. showing newcomers the landscape of atlantis, the gorgeous vistas, the wide horizons, the watery distance beyond... that is what makes this worth it. @gainscient gets to experience this incredible scene for the first time, and kida, watching her gasp in awe, gets to feel a little like she did thousands of years ago. she lives through the woman's awe. she experiences it all over again, and it's incredible.

"you know you are welcome to stay, if you so wished." kida lowers down onto the stone beneath them, sitting, her legs dangling over the edge as she takes in the view and admires aerith's smile beside her. "you have been very kind to my people, and we would encourage you to visit often, or stay as long as you'd like. i know milo enjoys talking with you." her grin grows. "you are an invaluable friend to atlantis, aerith gainsborough. please know you will always have a home here."

her mind races to a new topic. "what did you think of last night's dinner?" in the atlantean palace, they were served many of the sea life found on their shore — fish, octopus, and other undersea creatures caught by atlantean fishermen. "i realize our food may be new to you, as our creatures may not exist where you come from. i do hope you enjoyed it. we have limited land to grow crops here, so much of our diet originates from the water around our city. do you eat fish back home?"

[gainscient]

                        copying kida without even thinking about it, aerith lowers herself down beside her with a soft little plop, and clasps her hands neatly in her lap, while legs swing out in cheerful little kicks. the offer is warm, and impossibly kind. under any other circumstances, aerith would seize at the chance — she'd ask if she could bring her mother too, so she wouldn't have to be alone, so they could be some place where sunlight reaches the ground. but aerith's path does not end here ... still, she smiles. ❝ i enjoying speaking to him too. i can see why you like him so much.   ❞ she teases, bumping her shoulder against kida's and giggles.

please know you will always have a home here, the queen says, and that warms aerith's chest with tender and ache all at once. her hands fidget with the fabric of her skirt — smoothing it, gathering it, releasing it again. her smile becomes a little fragile. ❝ thank you, kida. you don't know what that means to hear you say that. and i'll be sure to carry a piece of atlantis with me, always.   ❞ for atlantis has rooted itself within her heart, another means to fight, another reason to see this planet saved.

the shift in conversation is welcomed, at least, not to think of future endeavours for another moment ... and focus more precisely on the present and the memories being made. ❝ it was delicious, kida, seriously! and so fresh. we don't have anything like that!   ❞ aerith seemingly brightens back up, her nose wrinkling. ❝ nothing really grows there anymore. they've drained the soil dry, and there's no local water source. everyone comes in these little packages.   ❞ she sticks her tongue out in mild distaste. ❝ but ... maybe one day you can try my mom's soup? no fish, though, sorry. but i promise you, it'll be the best soup you've ever had!   ❞

[anoffering-a]

she took it about as well as he imagined, but he was okay with it. there would be a time for forgiveness later. for now, all they want to do is spend time with her. it had been a long three years without her, without her light and her warmth. without her, robin became a very different person than when she'd last seen them. living in hiding, alone, turned him into a monster more than a man. the fade would be less forgiving, but he could do anything with aerith at his side.

“ there... there wasn't anything left for me in the real world, not really. ” he's sure varric is devastated — but even he knew that robin belonged with aerith. he'd written a tale about them after all, one that ended quite similarly to his one. “ i'll find some way to apologize to varric. i know how he's feeling. ” their tone is a sad one, but they know they'll be able to get through it. aerith has returned to him, there's nothing that could ruin his spirits now.

he runs his thumb over her cheek again, still half disbelieving his eyes. his mind could be betraying him. even if it is, it's better than waiting to see her until he fell asleep. and even then, at least she doesn't have a sword piercing her chest here. “ yeah. ” he runs one of his hands through his much shorter locks, feeling sheepish all of a sudden. should he tell her? how he left kirkwall in agony, and cut off his nearly waist-long hair in a moment of desperation and sadness? they still remember that night well, how they stared at the unevenly cut chunk of long, black hair in their hands. how they spent the rest of the night trying to fix it.

“ it was too hard to take care of it on the run. ” he finally says, though he has a sneaking suspicion she knows he's lying. every time i looked at it, i thought of you. they want to say, but instead, robin leans in and rests their forehead against aerith's. “ i missed you. i missed you so much. ” they murmur, cupping her face in their hands again. “ i won't let us get separated again. i won't. ”

[gainscient]

                        a soft, wistful smile tugs at aerith's lips as the name varric passes her thoughts, and a pang of longing threads her chest. oh, how she has missed him ... missed all her friends. for so long, she was nothing but the breeze of a wind in their lives — able to watch, barely able to intervene, never able to reach out. now, with her hand steady against robin's cheek, she feels everything differently. and yet, she knows, as she suspects @anoffering does too, that varric has always known this is where robin needed to be.

❝ you cut your hair.   ❞ she says, sounding surprised by her own observation. their long, flowing strands once rivalled her own, perfect for endlessly braiding — now, more than half gone. aerith tilts her head, lips thinning in playful deliberation, as though weighing if she approves or not. in truth, they could do anything, change anything, and her admiration would remain unwavering. in her eyes, robin is still as beautiful as she remembers.

her mind drifts for a heartbeat, recalling the last time she saw them with panic etched into their face, tears catching at the corner of his eyes as he pleaded against the inevitable. ❝ uh-huh.   ❞ her nose scrunches, suspicion flickering. surely, there's more to the story than he's telling. but before she can press further, robin leans in, resting their forehead against hers, and she exhales softly. ❝ i've missed you too ... and i'm sorry too.   ❞ she blinks polished emeralds up to him, as rough calloused hands cradle her face. ❝ can you ever forgive me?   ❞

forgive her, for what they had witnessed, for the cruelty of kirkwall, for the moment the knight-commander meredith struck her down upon the steps of the chantry, while robin rushed in with fruitless attempt to rescue her. how could she ever explain that some things were inevitable, that she had never intended for him to see it all? yet, here they are now, amongst the most unexpected of reunions. ❝ i never wanted you to see ... not at that very moment, at least.   ❞ her fingers trace the path of tears that once fell, alongside the memory of how they had held her across his knees. ❝ ... is that why you really cut your hair?   ❞

[gainscient]

oh aerith being the opening and closing shot of fi.nal fa.ntasy 7. the game greeting you with her, then ending with her. same shot, same lightning, but with different meanings. the opening of aerith listening to the lifestream, and the closing of aerith being one with the lifestream, coming to rescue the planet, you goddamn bet!

[gainscient]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AERITH. time to cut the cake! just don't let sephiroth do it ok, i don't trust them. that diva is evil.

                        ❝ well ... he does have that super long sword. so maybe, if he just stands really far back, they could still help us out, don't you think?   ❞ she muses, as a finger tapes against her chin, her brows knitting together in display of the most seriousness of thoughts. ❝ i mean, it does look very sharp! hey, do you think sephiroth likes birthday cake?   ❞

[gainscient]

please, gather around, so we all may wish aerith ga.insborough a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!! if you do not, you shall be cursed to walk only on legos for 30 years.

[gainscient]

get to know your mutuals!

favorite color: pink! every shade of pink, it's just the best.

last song: honestly, i just had the wicked soundtrack blaring while i was at work cause i was having a bad day, so something from there.

currently reading: tusk love (of critical role fame) by thea guanzon. just call me jester lavorr.e i suppose.

currently playing: replaying resident evil 4 remake in preparation for requiem coming out next month. come home to me leon, i'm begging.

currently craving: peace & quiet. but i've just ate, so probs a nice, ice cold can of coke, oh my god.

tagged by, @warplanet, my dearest 🤍 tagging, tis up for grabs! steal away, please please please.