Elmyra pushed open the front door. Would Aeris be home? Cloud was gone – this was fine. But Aeris was missing too, and it was not impossible the SOLDIER had ignored her request and allowed Aeris to tag along to Sector Seven. She snorted. Allowed. As if Aeris could wait for permission. She tried her best to prevent a repeat of the past. Aeris had made her own choice.
A creak upstairs. Aeris. Maybe. She checked the door. No sign of force and she had locked it before heading out for the day. Another creak – this one from her bedroom. And a different creak elsewhere on the upper floor. Two persons. Wait. Cloud? Burglars? What happened to going to Sector Seven?
A chill. Unless; Turks? Tseng no longer keeping his distance and no longer playing acolyte to Aeris – or whatever strange messianic ideas he had about her daughter. And what else could have prompted such a dramatic change in his behaviour? Aeris bringing a SOLDIER home. Aeris getting involved with yet another SOLDIER.
Elmyra sighed.
Time to kick some people out. She fetched her old staff from under the stairs. A few moments to limber up, stretching, working out the kinks. A long time since she last used a staff. Long time since Aeris's self-defence drills. Okay.
Boots off, padding up the stairs quietly. Footsteps crossed the hall, quick, light and into her room. The door to Aeris's room stood ajar; not ransacked per se; a lot of the drawers in the dresser pulled out, clothing tumbled onto the floor. Her cupboard was open to, the hangers all swept to one side.
Not expected. But someone was in her room. Two persons.
Murmurs of conversation, a protest.
And Aeris. "Okay. This one. This one suits you."
Elmyra pushed the door open. Cloud Strife stared up in a panic. Stood there in what might have been a pair of Aeris's underwear, one of her bras – the cups padded out with socks – and nothing else. He was holding one of her dresses. Aeris whirled on her heels. She-
She was wearing her fancy dress; the one she bought at seventeen after scrimping and saving on flower sales for over six months. Deep red, ruffled and with a plunging neckline. "Mom! Is it that late already?" She cast about the room looking for the clock. "We're running out of time."
Elmyra opened her mouth; Aeris kept talking. "We'll go with this one. There was a tailor back there who we can get to do alterations." Her words shook Cloud and he stepped into the dress and zipped it up. And paused. "Shoes! Go get your boots on." Elmyra moved out of the way and Cloud hurried downstairs. "Sorry. Got to go. Um-" She bit her lip. "He's exploring another side to himself It's a long story. I'll tell you later, but for now gotta run before the-" She snapped her mouth shut. "Don't worry about dinner, I'll get something. And I'll be back tonight.
"Okay." Elmyra's voice came out weakly. Aeris shot her a grin and hurried back downstairs; the front door slammed and the couple's feet sounded on the gravel. Elmyra blinked slowly. Clearly Aeris's relationship to the new SOLDIER was more complicated than her assumption. Or maybe it was basic interest. Maybe she discovered she was a lesbian and Cloud discovered she was a woman?
She shook her head and headed back downstairs.