A Casa of Flowers
by Whitelight - Fluffy
in Cloud's POV
First Chapter - Sanctuary
In which Cloud rents the Casa from Rufus Shinra and meets a young flower girl.
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My friend, Rufus, got me to rent his seaside casa in Costa del Sol. Said it's good for retreats. So I took the offer.
Now, why would I want a quiet retreat?
Well… I don't want to talk about it, but…
She broke up with me. Hah. We've been together for months. We've been close for years. We've been childhood friends since forever. But, we fell apart. Just like that.
Tifa...
Oh, how did we... fall apart?
I don't... want to talk about it... right now.
So, back to my friend's casa.
It's beautiful.
Shall I describe it?
Well, it's by the sea. Oh, not exactly adjacent. It's atop a small hill overlooking the sea. And from here you can see all sorts of things.
A garden. The calm sea, cool cerulean in color. White sand.
Serene place, all in all.
Hmmm. Casa looks kinda old. Antique, with all those red bricks and wooden windows. Two levels. The first level's made of brick walls. Very sturdy foundation. Hah. And it's cool here. Bet I can even convert this area into a wine cellar. Then by climbing the stairs one reaches the second floor. Mahogany panels make up this level. The furniture's wooden, too. Victorian-style. Windows are open, lets the saffron sunset light waft inside. Wow. And there's the master's bedroom. Very big. King-size bed. Frame's wooden as well. Even has a silk canopy. Oh, and there's a dresser. High-quality timber. Embossed with gold. Ornate mirror.
Wait. What's that smell?
Flowers?
It's coming from that room. The smaller bedroom.
Sweet aroma. Rose. Dandelion. Lily. Orchid. Bougainvillea. And all sorts.
So I peered inside that room.
Oh, there's another dresser. Yeah, I can see it. Room's door is ajar, so I can catch a glimpse inside.
Well, looks the same as the other dresser. Only, it's adorned with silver.
Wait. There's something else.
Someone, actually.
Pink dress, red blazer. Long chocolate tresses. Pale skin. Nice lips.
But what gets my attention most?
The eyes.
Jewel-green. Emerald.
And… I dunno… her aura?
Well, it gets me, alright. It's impalpable… Nostalgic? Melancholic? Wistful? Or simply sad?
Mysterious, if you'd ask me.
Who's the girl?
Rufus Shinra, if this is your idea of a joke… hooking me up with this chick…
Oh, snap. Rufus did tell me that he'll be leaving some people behind. Caretakers.
So she must be one, right?
I make my way towards the room.
But she has already left, her pink dress trailing after her.
I think she saw me. Well, she shot a quick glance before she made her exit.
And the scent of flowers follows her.
Oh. So she must be the gardener. What else? She smells of flowers.
Hmmm… 'Gardener' sounds so run-down.
Flower girl, maybe?
Flower girl…
Has a ring to it. I like that.
Flower girl.
Disclaimer: I tried to do my best, but I still don't own Aeris. Nor any other FF7 Stuff.
But I do own this plot. AU, yeah?
OMG I'm a Cloris!
And nice ice cream for those who could guess the catch here!