onepassingnight | (no subject)

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[ Stained glass creates colorful rainbows of patterns on the wooded floor, beams of sunlight streaming in through the holes in the roof. Despite the decrepit nature, the church is fairly well kept, clean and free of most forms of debris (though there are more than a few shattered wood beams and pews scattered here and there); the one thing that stands out the most being a large flower garden in the center of the main area.

It's a healthy garden, growing lush and vibrant, almost sticking out like a sore thumb in its surroundings.

And Tifa is there, kneeling next to it, looking for weeds and other things that might keep the garden from growing.

It helps her feel like Aerith is really still there.

She comes here, sometimes, to clear her head, to take a break. It really is a peaceful place in what's left of Sector Five, a small private world for those who remember the flower girl who used to come here. Sometimes Tifa thought about taking some of the flowers home with her, decorating the bar with them..

But she always ended up feeling as though they were better off here, hidden away, where only those who came looking for them and knew they were here could find them. ]

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[Well, not 'here'. At his home, usually - or riding on Fenrir. Ami, of course, does nothing to correct any misconceptions. If anything, that tiny hesitation in Tifa's voice makes Ami's lips want to turn upward. She likes the idea of tension and uncertainty in the other relationships of people she wants to be closer to.

So instead, she turns back to watering the flowers, pausing to carefully snap a few dead leaves off a nearby plant.]

You came here planning to tend these flowers, right? Let's both finish that.

[The unspoken 'together' is the offer: that although she may be petty, she has no true bad intentions here.]

Mm. [ It's a non committal answer, and Tifa resumes her weeding, suddenly rather focused on the task.

She wasn't jealous, or hurt, or betrayed or anything like that.

She didn't have a claim on Cloud. If he was meeting someone else here, then he had his reasons. After all, it wasn't as though Tifa herself had done anything to make Cloud realize how she felt.

She was kind of too scared to do so. ]

[Ami simply didn't believe in a heart holding her and others. After all, there had been Tsukino-san, a girl whose heart only held the prince so that she was able to destroy and kill all of them, everyone on the planet, when considered next to him.

If she needed more proof (she hadn't) that Usagi had never cared, that was certainly a strong one.

And there's always that need to be worth it, acknowledged, better. So Ami works in rather good spirits now, as though cheered by Tifa's sudden quiet, despite having no romantic interest in Cloud.]

We'll finish quickly at this rate.

Edited 2011-07-14 04:46 (UTC)

[ There's no answer from the other woman. At least, not for a while.

It's a few minutes, but she's managed to push down those feelings, tell herself that she can't be rude to this girl; whoever she is, she must be important to Cloud, right? ]

So how did you meet?

[For a moment, she could laugh at the vision of herself Tifa suddenly seems to be: years ago, struggling against the jealousy, telling herself of course Tsukino-san would have other friends, telling herself she was the horrible one for hating those friends for taking Usagi away from her.

And she's never been kind to her past selves, when she meets her alternates, either.]

We rode together on his motorcycle, and fixed it up together. We went cliff-diving once, too.

[ Tifa wasn't going to hate this girl. The smile she gives is genuine-- if this girl makes Cloud happy, then she's happy.

That's all that matters. ] Cliff diving? I've never been... sounds exciting.

[Ami was never that good a person. Not even to start. But she has no real reason to dislike Tifa, either, so she relents.]

It is. That's why I like it. [There's a certain release in its freedom.]

I should try it some time.

Looking for excitement? [Finding the quiet life a bit dull? She...sort of understands that possibility, which may be why she assumes it. She just hasn't been able to settle into quiet and peace.]

I like to try new things.

It's the same for me. And traveling, to see new places.

Hmm.. I'm more of a home body. I don't mind travel, but coming home is always nice.

Not for me. I want to see more, and test myself. Always.

[Though she hasn't gone far: still in Tokyo, still near Mama and the shitennou. But she's had the chance to visit other places, finally.]

Testing yourself can be good.. but try not to push yourself too far. [ Sorry, Ami. It's the mom in her. ]

If you don't push yourself, you can't win. And you won't become stronger.

[It's the power-hungry darkness in her.]

[ There's something about the way she says that.. ] That's true, but.. pushing yourself to the breaking point.. that's not how you get stronger.

I won't break, either! [She's stronger than that. And she can always keep going.]

Good!

[It's one of the things Cloud understands about her that few people do: the thrill, the drive. But she turns her head, wary, at Tifa's answer.]

Good? Why should it concern you?

Because you're Cloud's.. [ And that's when Tifa realizes there's been no affirmation of her suspicions. ] Friend. He must care about you an awful lot.

[No, no Ami's quite content to let those little doubts eat away at Tifa instead; she won't lie, but she won't put it to rest, either.]

Are you saying you don't intend to look at your own feelings instead?

[ That's the problem. Tifa doesn't, not when it comes to other people. She's the type of person who puts others before herself always. ] If my friends are happy, I am, too.

[Ami knows where a life like that leads. And she knows that every time she said that, it was a lie to cover the hurt and loneliness.

When she wakes up, she won't appreciate her subconscious for the vivid reminder.]

Thinking like that, you won't get anywhere for yourself.

..I don't think that's true at all. [ Frowning, Tifa tilts her head to look at Ami. ] I wouldn't be anywhere if it wasn't for the people I care about.

[Not appreciating the reminders at all, as a matter of fact.]

My way forward is by my own power. That's all.

[There is only one person, in any world, that she trusts to be there. And even then, she assumes it will disappear some day - if their goals no longer coincide.]