* heroes

. . . . . . .   𝑨𝑪𝑪𝑬𝑺𝑺 𝑮𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑫 /   /

#   𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑪𝑫    /  /  indie and private multi muse featuring muses from different series such as 𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑨𝑳 𝑭𝑨𝑵𝑻𝑨𝑺𝒀 , 𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑰𝑫𝑬𝑵𝑻 𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑳 , 𝑴𝑨𝑹𝑽𝑬𝑳 , 𝑼𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑳 𝑫𝑨𝑾𝑵 , 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑸𝑼𝑨𝑹𝑹𝒀 , 𝑭𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑬𝑴𝑩𝑳𝑬𝑴 and 𝑴𝑶𝑹𝑬 .   mutually exclusive blog.   mun and muse are 21+.   personals dni.

                                  /  /            𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒏  

( doc. )

                                She had never seen a market place as busy as this, one with so many stalls with objects that she didn’t eve recognise. It was completely different to the market place in the slums, the one close to where she lived. Perhaps Leon was used to this, he didn’t seem as amazed as her by the different stalls and the amount of people that could seem to fit in one place. If it wasn’t for the busy crowd, Aerith probably would have been darting between the different stalls, looking at their wares even if there was not possibility that she would be able to afford anything that she liked. 

But with a busy crowd came the occasional shoves, the occasional elbows to the ribs that has the flower girl jumping slightly from the contact. People here didn’t seem to have any manners, or at least where so enamored by the market place they they hadn’t even considered those around them in the tight space. But then even she was tripping over other peoples feet, earning glares from them as she tried to apologise before they disappeared further into the crowd.

Emerald eyes glance over to her companion, a questioning look of where to go next. There was no point asking him with words, she would only have to shout above the noise and even then she’s not quite sure he is guaranteed to hear her. He seems to nod towards his right, signalling the direction they would have to take to get out of this crowd and she steps towards him, prepared to follow him closely.

It’s only as they push through the crowd some more, trying to make their way to the exit that she feels the small graze across her back. At first it makes her jump, even if the touch was barely there, but then she realises that he is just trying to help her get though the people to their destination. A soft breath escapes her, like a quiet laugh as she sees that he might not be a reserved as she once thought. It’s funny to think that during this whole period of him being an unofficial bodyguard, they had never touched once, not even by accident and so the Flower girl has to wonder if he even realises that he has done it. 

There’s a break in the crowd and they manage to get thought, the brunette looking up at the other with a soft smile on her features, stepping back just to reduce how close they had gotten. “ Thank you, If I didn’t have you there I don’t think I would have ever made it out of the market ”

                                As for the touch, well, she’s not going to say anything about it.

✩    ✩    ✩  

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐒   —   𝐈𝐓 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐈𝐌.         Close enough to hold just enough value,  a reminder of his past   &   who he used to be,  but distant enough to shield him should he become a liability to those he worked for.  Names could hold strong meaning,  the power felt only holding weight if it held a suitable tether.  Maybe it’s why he falters when he finds himself asking her for hers.

Flower girl was nothing if not fitting   —   maintaining a healthy boundary between them as nothing more then strangers passing on the street.  But it slips free regardless before he can take it back,  leaving him resigned as he reaches up to rub at the back of his neck when she answers.

Surprisingly,  she says it suits him of all things …   He eyes her for a moment,  a perplexed look on his face,  all before it eases into something far less conflicted,  more amused as his head cocks to the side lightly.  Like a curious cat,  she peers right back with little fear or worry tinting along her features,  nothing but interest dancing along her edges, basket in hand as she shifts again,  looking the very image of carefree.  As much as he studies her, tries to understand a bit of who she is based on first glance,  he’s come up relatively empty,  but he knows she’s doing the same right back if the smile in her eyes is anything to go by.

                                                            (   ’  Aerith …  ’   )

❝  Your name suits you too.  ❞      The gun-blader offers back with a faint shake of his head.  At the mention of her help coming at a price,  he scoffs,  but it’s little more then a soft sound,  traces of laughter edging along it’s outskirts as his lips quirk.      ❝  I knew that flower came at a price …  ❞

His words are light in their teasing as his eyes gain a more crescent-like shape,  meeting the cheeky flower girl as she promptly turns on her heel.  The peek of her face from over her shoulder past dark chestnut locks is nothing short of impish in it’s promise of mischief.  Bracing a hand against his hip as he leans to the side with an angle of his chin in silent challenge,  he waits for her to name her so-called price.  There’s a faint whispering in his mind that he should just move along,  continue on his wandering until he felt the need to go back,  but for whatever reason,  he feels content to brush it off for the moment.

&   there it is   —   words tossed out into the air between them,  like a lure cast with fresh bait along it’s hook   —   she waits with thinned green eyes,   peering back with a scythe-like curl of her lips.  Thankfully it took a lot to stun him   —   though her words catch him off guard,  it slips off his hide like water off a chocobo’s back in the grace he counters it with.  

❝  Only one?  ❞       A low snort,  a levelled stare right back.  He has half a mind to challenge that her prices seemed a bit too low,  but he keeps it to himself as he arches a brow in her direction.  Cheerfully,  she offers another option.

Maybe some of the ease in his interest came from the fact he knew he had an option here.  An option as well as an easy out should he need it.  He could leave,  pretend he didn’t see or talk to her,  move along with his life …   Or he could indulge her for the time being   &   see what happened to break the cycle.  All in harmless fun,  something he hardly ever bothered to dive into   —   new territory altogether.  He shifts to lean in the opposite direction a hand waving in gentle nonchalance.

❝  I guess I’ve got some time to spare.  Temporary Bodyguard it is.  ❞

                                                                           𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 …

                                His comment earns a small chuckle, one that escapes form the curve of her lips even as her cheeks have the slightest shade of pink cross them. He’s quite amusing and he can hold his own in the midst of all her teasing. It was funny, people seemed to think that due to her carefree and calm nature that she wouldn’t be able to hold her own when it came to teasing or perhaps a little bit of flirting. Usually it was other that came across as flustered when she did respond. Oh well, it would make their interactions slightly more amusing.

“ Well, if you’d like more than one you could always ask~ But I have a feeling you aren’t planning on staying around here for very long. ”

She turns away from him, gaze now focused on the people moving about the slums in their day to day routines. She has some time before the sun went down and should probably try to sell some more flowers. Maybe the Turks are watching her movements now, keeping an eye on who she is talking too. They weren’t always the best at being sneaky, she’s caught glance of them a few times out of the corner of her eye.

                               It’s why she might need a bodyguard.

Ah yes, the bodyguard. She turns back to face him, braid swinging slightly as she taps her finger against her chin. Even if she didn’t need him to protect her he could be helpful while she tried to sell her flowers. Aerith moves towards him, holding out the basket to him as her head tilts a little to one side.

“ First job is I need to get some more flowers, so I need you to help me by holding a basket. ” It’s more of a gentle command than a request, although she doesn’t really see it that way. She’s already planning her route to the church before she’s finished her sentence. It would meant that she gets to show him the church, the market and then probably the route to the train station as she imagines he will probably want to leave by then.

She’s turned on her heel again, already heading off in the direction of the church but making sure to take the longer route, perhaps then she could have some time to get to know him a little bit more. Maybe he will open up a little after he gets to know her better too, maybe it will make him stay just a little bit longer. Aerith quickly glances over her shoulder, hands clasped behind her back as she continues walking.

                              Perhaps it was too good to be true, to be able to go anywhere without the Turks tracking down her every move. But they were here again, awfully persistent with their chase and the hope of being able to catch her this time. It does make her wonder if there will ever be a day when she isn't running or hiding from them, or if she won't need to have someone around to protect her.

She's quick to move behind him, vibrant green eyes peering around him to assess the Turks that had come after her this time. There were at least six that she could see, possibly even more on their way or hiding amongst the shadows in the slums. The mere thought has concern crossing her features, while she knew Zack was very much capable of defending himself and others, she didn't want him to get hurt trying to stop them from taking her.

Aerith reaches forward to touch his arm gently, feeling just how tense it was from holding onto his sword so tightly. Her voice drops to something quiet, feet now getting into a position where she might have to make a run for it. " Zack, please be careful. "

                              It's not often she comes across a stranger that is this helpful, most people in Midgar seemed to find her endearing but a little bit strange. It was the first sign to her that he wasn't from around here.

" Oh, it's okay, I could have tried myself. " She replies quietly, looking over her broken flower wagon. Perhaps it was a good sign, that she had been using it so much that it had begun to wear down. Although it wasn't great that the wheel had fallen off, it meant she would have had to abandon the wagon or risk trying to pull it home while there could have been monsters lurking around the corners.

Aerith looks up at him, hands clasped behind her back as her head tilts a little to one side. Perhaps she did need the help, after all, it's not like she had the best idea on how to fix the wheel herself and it would be starting to get late pretty soon. " Thank you, it is very kind of you to stop and help me. "