Aerith Gainsborough

Aerith Gainsborough
"I love the wind, don't you?"
Age	22
Species	Cetra
Sex	Female
Height	5' 3"
Weight	Oh, you'd love to know, wouldn't you.
Background
Series	Final Fantasy 7
Combat Styles	Sage
Hometown	Midgar, Sector 5
Group	Unaffiliated
Occupation/Job	Florist
Force:	Forces of Restoration
Theme Song	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRiSAeX2ioM
Quote
"I'm not fighting to cause death. I'm fighting to preserve life. Because the Planet isn't just the Lifestream, it's the people that live in it every day."
Recent Events
Waking up from another nightmare...

Profile

Born in a place without mercy and raised in a slum without light, Aerith is yet and still a cheery and upbeat young woman of twenty-two years old who works as a flower seller. In a place that doesn't have any greenery what so ever, her talent for floristry has brought her a small fortune, which she uses over half of to keep her mother from going hungry. But let her gentle demeanor fool no one, she is able to defend herself quite readily with a five foot long metal rod and her innate understanding of how to get the most out of any Materia given to her.

When her world fell to darkness, she was selling flowers in the upper city, just above the Sector 5 slums. The destruction came without warning, her senses overwhelmed with the screams of a million dying souls. Just before she fell unconcious, she felt an insidious presence overtake her, attempt to control her as it did everything else. Yet something within seemed to resist. Perhaps her bloodline, her heritage, had spared her.

By the time she awoke, she was in a city she did not recognize, and could sense no trace of Zack...

History... in her own words

Since the day I was born, I was always alone.

Yes, I had my mother for the first five years of my life, but... I was still alone. The first time I opened my eyes was in a cold, soulless laboratory in Shinra headquarters. A man with unkind eyes called me things that I didn't understand. I was poked and prodded, tested until I knew only pain and misery, and pointless work. That, and my mother's words, that I was born for something greater than this, born for a purpose that not even she could see. In that place, the Planet couldn't be heard. Too much interference, too many mistakes.

I don't blame them, they're trying to find a way to survive. But the Planet suffered because of it. If only they could hear like I did.

Like I still do.

Someone showed us kindness, though... they gave us a way out, a place no one knew existed, at the cost of their job, maybe even their life. My mother and I managed to escape, but it was a disorderly retreat. She... was shot down while we were running, by a guard lucky enough to know what was going on. To this day, I still remember the look of pain on her face as she stumbled to the train graveyard, holding me in her arms. We were found, but it was too late for her... and she gave me to someone else in the hope that her words, her lessons, would stick with me.

I was well and truly alone at that point, because I became the last of my kind.

Even when I started hearing the voices, the cries and moans and warnings, I was still alone. I could tell my surrogate mother was afraid of me, I could see into her, through her. I didn't blame her at all, she didn't understand me. I didn't understand me back then, either. But she tried, and so did I, and things were good for a while.

Then Shinra found me.

Everything came flashing back in my head, even that night my mother died. For the first time in my life I got angry. When the Turks came for me, tried to convince me, I said no. A sharp, emphatic, resounding no. And my voice echoed along the walls of the house as if it came from somwhere other than myself. It made them afraid, and that was good. Let them be afraid, let them think twice about trying to come after the last of the Cetra.

After that, we couldn't just stay there anymore. No, we had to leave. But the problem was that when you're in Midgar, you're there for a long time, probably the rest of your life. I had a plan, but in order to do it, I needed to be strong. I taught myself how to hide, how to fight when I couldn't hide anymore, how to better speak to the Planet.

I accepted what I was from the moment I told Shinra where they could stick their little hopes for a brighter future, and I guess that made things easier for me. The voices no longer filled my head all at once, no longer hurt. They told me how I could make things grow in a place where growth no longer happened, and from there I decided to make my way in the world.

Selling flowers in the upper city doesn't sound like much of a start, but... from the first time I did it, I found that I was successful. Maybe it was something else guiding me, I don't know. But every step I took, it was one step further towards leaving and finding my purpose.

Of course, that was sidelined for a while when someone smashed through the roof of the place where I grew my flowers... I was lucky he didn't smash too many with that armor of his.

His eyes were the eyes of a SOLDIER, and I knew well of them. The war had been going on for quite some time now, with Wutai, and I'd already heard of their special task forces participating in high-risk missions. This guy didn't look like someone who fought a war though... he was goofy, clumsy, a total womanizer. He was also hilarious, charming, and quite handsome to boot. His name was Zack Fair, and he was the first man I ever fell for.

Well technically, he fell for me... but that's neither here nor there.

So I kept selling my flowers, and told him of all the little things I wanted... but it all boiled down to just one. I wanted to spend more time with him and those eyes that scared me, and yet intrigued me. But... after a while, it turned out that it wasn't to be. We weren't getting any headway at all, and then... before I knew it, the voice whispered to me again.

My eyes glanced toward the sky as it started to rain on the streets of the upper city, and I suddenly felt a pain in my chest that I never would have imagined. He was gone... well and truly gone, and I wanted to scream. I might not have truly loved him, but he was a friend.

One of my only real, true friends, and he left, just like that.

I hated them even more when that happened. Somehow, I knew Shinra was behind his disappearance, too far away for me to do anything but listen to the cries of the Planet as his soul was cut off from the Lifestream, without warning.

Then I was proven wrong in the next instant as I heard the screams, the wails, the utter hopelessness. A million voices cried out at once... save us. Then I really did scream as I felt something cold and black take hold of me, squeeze my heart and try to rip it out of my chest. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move, all I could do was scream, and cry... and then the pain stopped, the voices stopped. Something had saved me, I don't know what.

No that's not true. I think I know perfectly well what saved me. Didn't spare me from the void of unconciousness, though.

When I woke up, I was in a place I didn't know, staring at a ceiling I couldn't recognize. I couldn't sense my mother, or my good friend Zack... but even worse, what I could sense chilled me to the bone. The Lifestream was dying, all but gone.

I used to hate Shinra so much. But now I can't come to hate them. I don't nurse a grudge anymore.

Because there is something greater, something more unsettling, than Shinra could ever be. I know full well they aren't the ones behind this, because that day was the first time the Lifestream cried out in such sheer pain. All at once, souls were being extinguished, snuffed out, and now the Planet is in ruins and on the dregs of its life's blood.

It hurts... it hurts so much, but why? What's causing it?

And how can I stop something this powerful...?

Personality

If one word could be summed up in all of the personality that is Aerith, it would be peaceable. Aerith is the one you turn to when you just need someone to talk to who will sit quietly and listen, yet still be entirely focused on what you're saying. Her first goal is to make the other person feel as if they are the only person on the planet, and to that end she makes them feel as welcome and comfortable around her as she can.

Energized most when she is amongst friends, she offers her full support on any endeavors her allies happen to undertake. And she is bound to have many allies indeed, since she makes and keeps freinds readily! She can get argumentative at times however, for once she has an opinion and it has been proven, she does not change her mind. Ever. Still, she doesn't hold grudges and has a great respect for all forms of life... except for those who see fit to take life instead of contribute towards it.

Then she gets angry.

She finds it inconcievable as to how anyone could be so callous and thoughtless to want to bring harm, injury, or injustice to the world. To that end, if she sees something bad happening in front of her, rest assured she will do something about it, and her fury will be righteous.

Her intuitive nature gives her an insight that makes her thought process seconds ahead of others, and it means that sometimes she can say some very strange things. It's only later, when one looks in hindsight, that her words ring true...

Aerith's disposition to Shinra is... not so friendly. They've wronged her, badly, and while she doesn't want to see them suffer as much as she used to, she will not show any favors to them in battle, either. In less hostile situations, she is completely untrusting of them, even going so far as to add a bit of snark in her speech. Tseng of the Turks is a different story. She pities him, worried about how such a noble man could be caught up in such an evil organization. She holds less enmity for him than most, and will attempt to get him to see reason, even if his loyalty lies firmly with her enemies.

Aerith has an affinity for strawberry ice cream, seeing as it's her 'feel good food' as she calls it. Whenever one sees her sitting there with a few pints of it stacked next to her, they can rest assured that it's been a bad day for the florist, and would be well-advised to leave her be until she's finished her snack.

When it comes to events outside of battle, Aerith is relaxed in any situation where there is an abundance of people involved. She loves to have a good time with her companions, and isn't afraid to wear something pretty when the occasion calls for it. Most of the time she's seen in her pink dress and red bolero jacket, complete with a pair of hiking boots, her hair in a thick braided pony tail. But put her in a more elegant setting and she lets her hair down and pulls out the finest dress she can find, displaying the exquisite figure that her more common clothing tends to hide.

Abilities

The Sage

Aerith's abilities and stats focus around high-yield, heavy-hitting magical artillery, and the most potent of healing and restorative spells, all in one package. So one could call her, as far as standard Final Fantasy fare, a Sage.

When others are doing the fighting and she is at a safe distance, she shines in one of two roles: the force of nature, the destructive spellslinger that drops magical bombs on those seeking to kill her friends, or she is the support, the backbone, the healer that keeps things from falling apart.

Sometimes she takes on both at once, and this can naturally be draining... but that's just how she is.

However when someone gets too close, she soon displays she has that metal staff for a reason, and can use it with precision and a fair amount of momentum, bringing it around with enough speed to break bones and render someone unconcious. But because it's a staff, lacking in sharp edges and pointy bits, it is incapable of delivering a killing blow. Combined with her constitution, which is not the best, she will find herself taking damage of the physical persuasion quite easily when struck.

Survival Skills

Her knowledge of flowers, which stems from her connection to the Lifestream, extends to herbs and natural remedies, and thus she excels in making potions, ethers, and other curative and status-recovery items, when the need arises. Stacked onto this is her skill with cooking, taught to her by her surrogate mother, Elmyra. The combination of these traits give her vital survival skills, making her a valuable asset when the fighting has stopped and everyone's back in camp.

Voice of the Planet

But more than just the ability to tell what's good to eat and what's likely to kill you if swallowed, her heritage gives her a sixth sense, the ability to hear voices on the wind, to feel urges within her that warn of danger to her person, or emotional pain within others, even going so far as to ascertain their physical health. This can be a boon in battle, making her able to read physical attacks heartbeats before they happen, or increasing her efficiency with healing magic.

Relationships

Allies

Name	Status	Thoughts
Pixi	Friend (+1)	You're full of surprises, aren't you?
Tifa Lockhart	Friend (+1)	We need to talk later. There's so much I want to ask...

Acquaintances

Name	Status	Thoughts
Deidra	Amicable (+0)	I'm sorry. I won't pry.
Kaydin	Amicable (+11)	I graciously accept your offer. I'll help restore Baron's honor in any way I can.
Rinoa Heartilly	Personable (+5)	Now that was impressive, facing him down like that.
Faruja Senra	Amicable (+5)	A noble knight, huh? Be careful not to be overzealous...
Rhyme	Amicable (+2)	Pure-hearted, and wise too? You sure are full of sunshine!

Enemies

Name	Status	Thoughts

Logs

Understanding	January 11th, 2014	The path to change and progress begins with one small step, and Aerith takes the first step to changing the way she thinks about things. Of course, no great journey happens without help, and who better to guide her than Chita?
Connection: Echo	December 15th, 2013	Aerith heads back to the woods near Goug after the irritating Black Friday fiasco to clear her head, and perhaps take a moment to commune with the spirits there that have been untouched by Shinra's reactors. Of course, one is never alone in places like these, and she ends up meeting a peculiar creature. And Aerith always was a sucker for cute things...
Connection: Avira	November 26th, 2013	They've run into each other far too many times for her to believe it's coincidence. Now the leader of VALKYRI and the eponymous Flower Girl of Goug have a heart-to-heart, during lunch hour at Cloud Nine. Oh, and some guy named Raine butts in too.
Beach Party!	January 29th, 2013	Impromptu beach party where a lot of people showed up - including Damien's thong.
How Aerith Got Her Groove Back, Part 2	December 11th, 2012	Aertih discovers that when Pixi said training with her would not be easy, she meant it. The difficult process of learning how to truly defend herself however merely makes her look at it like a puzzle to be solved. A very intricate and long-winded one.
How Aerith Got Her Groove Back, Part 1	December 10th, 2012	After the loss of Manhattan, Aerith is driven more than ever to improve her self-taught fighting skills into a true style worthy of defending those around her. As she goes into a light sparring session with Tifa, an opportunity arises for her to push her training to the next stage... And being the upstanding guy that he is, Kaydin offers to go along for the ride.
Not So Fun In The Sandpit	December 4th, 2012	Amidst the sands of Fluorgis, an Antlion who gorged on Heartless is rampaging towards the desert city! Can it be stopped? Will our heroes survive? Will anyone be eaten, and can they avoid massive amounts of spit? Read on to find out!
Destiny Waits For No Cetra	November 26th, 2012	Aerith, running out of supplies, decides to make her own batch of what she's missing. Naturally, as with everything else in this world, things are not so easy, and she falls into a trap she didn't know was waiting for her. In the midst of the conflict, she discovers her purpose, and something that comes with it...
Lost Soul	November 18th, 2012	After the shopping trip in Manhattan, Aerith takes the time to continue her training, this time on her own. As she and Tifa discuss the particulars, the Cetra senses something down on the street, and soon the two of them to the aid of Valencia. The Heartless they face is a special one in particular... one that is the cause of much grief for their new acquaintance.
Unlearn Everything	November 14th, 2012	Aerith and Tifa finally begin training together, in the hopes of the flower girl learning how to properly defend herself and others. She gets pointers from two very unlikely sources along the way.

Cutscenes

Bitter Work

December 14th, 2012

In the quiet of the woods, Aerith takes the time to do a few things on her own. Such a special gift from such an ancient soul needs to be prepared for, and she is not about to waste a single moment by sitting on the forest floor, doing nothing. Part of How Aerith Got Her Groove Back.