There were two kinds of fireworks one could experience in Midgar, segregated, like so many things in that metropolis, by class- articulated more specifically by where one found oneself living in relation to the plate.
Aerith was one of the few who had seen, and more importantly, enjoyed both.
Under the plate, there wasn't much sky to speak of. Any of the bright, bursting stars of light that rocketed up into the air were a fire hazard for not only the slums below, but the trains and the wiring between and above. Filling this night sky with color would look more like a terrorist attack than a light-hearted celebration. Down in the lower city, if you didn't want any trouble, sparklers and snakes, those flashy sorts of crackling flares that rushed with fire and popped along the ground, were a fixture of children's summer celebrations.
Elmira would allow her daughter to purchase just two (one for each of them) each Midsummer's Day. They were careful to keep the sparks from reaching the garden. Aerith jumped and giggling, delighted by a one with a greenish glow. Something about that light seemed familiar. It resonated with memories buried deep in her blood.
The larger fireworks, nearly perfected to the degree of being able to spell out the name of the Shinra Company in the sky, were a frequent extravagance on the upper plate. Aerith had seen them in the company of Tseng. She had been frightened at first by the size of the sound. It reminded her of gunshots.
"It must sound muted beneath the plate," Tseng mused, squeezing her hand to calm her, "Look up, Aerith."
Her wide eyes dashed to the sky and her lips parted in awe at the show painted there. It was as if the homey sparklers were puddles and this overpowered bonanza was the ocean. "It's part of the official celebration of the president's son's birthday."
"It's beautiful," Aerith gaped. But all the wonder that the Shinra Company could engineer did nothing to diminish her joy in the semi-legal neighborhood poppers.
FILLED - Different Sorts of Beauty
Aerith was one of the few who had seen, and more importantly, enjoyed both.
Under the plate, there wasn't much sky to speak of. Any of the bright, bursting stars of light that rocketed up into the air were a fire hazard for not only the slums below, but the trains and the wiring between and above. Filling this night sky with color would look more like a terrorist attack than a light-hearted celebration. Down in the lower city, if you didn't want any trouble, sparklers and snakes, those flashy sorts of crackling flares that rushed with fire and popped along the ground, were a fixture of children's summer celebrations.
Elmira would allow her daughter to purchase just two (one for each of them) each Midsummer's Day. They were careful to keep the sparks from reaching the garden. Aerith jumped and giggling, delighted by a one with a greenish glow. Something about that light seemed familiar. It resonated with memories buried deep in her blood.
The larger fireworks, nearly perfected to the degree of being able to spell out the name of the Shinra Company in the sky, were a frequent extravagance on the upper plate. Aerith had seen them in the company of Tseng. She had been frightened at first by the size of the sound. It reminded her of gunshots.
"It must sound muted beneath the plate," Tseng mused, squeezing her hand to calm her, "Look up, Aerith."
Her wide eyes dashed to the sky and her lips parted in awe at the show painted there. It was as if the homey sparklers were puddles and this overpowered bonanza was the ocean. "It's part of the official celebration of the president's son's birthday."
"It's beautiful," Aerith gaped. But all the wonder that the Shinra Company could engineer did nothing to diminish her joy in the semi-legal neighborhood poppers.