isleofavalon | seventh shot ⊗ open october log

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seventh shot ⊗ open october log

🧙 WHO: Eustace and anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: various quests
🕒 WHEN: throughout October
🗺️ WHERE: various
⚠️ WARNINGS: none except depictions of death for headless horseman task and any potential violence that might happen in the combat oriented prompts

⊗ a: task - pumpkin mayhem

[It's only by chance that Eustace narrowly dodges a pumpkin that just whizzes by his head, frowning as he stares at the flying gourd. At first he thought someone recklessly threw it, but then he sees it actually stop in mid-air and fling itself back towards him. Realizing it's moving on its own, he once again rolls out of the way, unholstering his gun as he does before quickly aiming and firing a bolt of lightning. It's a perfect shot, hitting it squarely in the center to cause it to explode into smaller pieces and fall to the ground below.]

...Was it cursed?

[Somehow he wouldn't be surprised if so, but hearing some shouts as more pumpkins roll and fly about disrupts his thoughts and he heads over to try and help take care of them. He doesn't necessarily want to shoot them given the mess they can make, but he sometimes doesn't have much of a choice. So hopefully no one gets too much pumpkin splatter on them.

BONUS: When not dealing with the pumpkins, if he is managed to get dragged into a patch he may be persuaded to decorate one (though he'll be wary and suspicious if he's learned that the pumpkins might come to life from there). But if he does decorate one, it'll be dog themed.]

⊗ b: task - don't lose your head

[Hearing about the Headless Horseman prompts Eustace to head back, a trip made easier thanks to having received the Celliwig totem earlier. Since it's difficult to track its movements, Eustace takes an area to help cover.

1. Helping...Paw? Although he could just stick to a perch and be ready to snipe, it leaves a bad taste in his mouth when he could also be helping. So when someone else is on guard, he drops down to do what he can, be it just clearing out rubble and debris or transporting the dead. That includes turning into a dog and try to help sniff out or dig out any remains. It's not the most pleasant work and it would be better if there weren't any, but he's fairly immune to the sad, grisly aspect of it.

2. Fighting the Horseman. When the Horseman does arrive, should he be at his perch he'll instantly fire a few shots of lightning down at it in attempts to deal damage as well as stun it, but he can't be too sure if his lightning will have that kind of effect. Regardless, he'll provide cover fire for anyone fighting on the ground.]

⊗ c: tdm - not quite puppy parade

[It's probably not too surprising to find Eustace making a small stop to look at the adoption fair. And as an animal mage, he figures he could help out if needed.

For now, he just looks over the pens with a curious eye when one he spots one of those hamsters toddling about. It doesn't take long for him to catch up to it and pick it up. But then there's another. ...And another one.

...

At some point, Eustace has an armful of hamsters including a few that managed to climb up on top of his head and shoulders.]

...Those wings won't save you if you fall, you know.

[Just a small sigh as he carefully makes his way through the crowd to try and bring them back. Anyone want to help???]

⊗ d: wildcard

[He'll also be hunting the forests to help bring in extra meat and other resources, so could have some run ins there! Considered the Forest of Fachan prompt line but might be better as dedicated with one or two people. Can do the other quests, and it's likely he might end up getting involved in the Suns out, Guns out task in the sense of trying to intervene any unnecessary violence, so that's another option. If interested in anything else not included here, just hit me up on

laenavesse or discord and we can work something out!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah...

[Well, he's not stopping, and she isn't going to ask him to slow down because she's unsure of her ability to cast enough wind magic to help hurl them across, so... Her nails dig into his fur tighter still.]

Alright. [She shakes the doubt out of her voice and nods, lowering her body so that it's laying flat against his back.] I'm ready.

[And as soon as Eustace's feet hit the edges of the ground, he'll feel a blast from behind. It's a short, sudden spurt of air but a violent and uncontrolled one. It won't just get them all the way across, but it quite literally throws them up and then back down without much chance for either of them to rebalance themselves, with Tifa rolling from his back and breaking her fall several feet away.]

[He's using every ounce of energy he has to gain as much speed and momentum as possible, knowing full well he's depleting his magic resources by doing so. But they needed to clear it, and he lunges forward with all the strength he can muster. However, the force of Tifa's magic is surprising, legs clawing through the air as he tries to maintain some sense of balance, but in the end he falls heavily to the ground, rolling a fair bit. It's a heavy hit, but more than that he feels that magic exhaustion and on that last roll it's not a wolf, but a puppy that appears.

Dammit. He knew this would happen, but he had been hoping he would hold out a little longer. And what about Tifa? His form allowed him to withstand the fall a little better, but it would surely hurt for her as well. And that direbear—did it fall? No, he can't just lie here, he has to try and get up.

But as much as he tries, he can only muster enough strength to pull himself on his two front legs, body heaving and trembling as he gasps for air.

As for the direbear, there's at least some saving grace as it stop short of the ridge, bellowing out a frustrated roar. It seems it's not so foolish as to try and jump it and will start to retreat.]

[The fall did hurt, but that's the last thing on her mind when she tries to pull herself up from the cold, damp ground. Her first thought is did they lose the bear? And immediately after it bellows out that roar and confirms that it did work, she's searching around for a sign of Eustace, but the thick fog lining the forest floor makes it almost impossible for her to see much further in front of her.

So she scrambles to her feet, leaves and mud flying off of her, and searches around to no avail.]

Eustace!?

[So, she calls out to him instead, the panic ringing clear in her voice, and she's moving forward, then back, then to the left and right, feet trudging around in circles to find him...]

No no no...

[He hears her shouting for him and can vaguely make out her outline.

Tifa...

...Is what he tries to say, but it comes out as a small whine instead. He had forgotten that when he's in this state he can't speak. Gritting his teeth, he tries to pull himself up again, only to fall forward. Still he continues to try, hoping that maybe the noise and another low whine will get her attention.]

[It's the whining that catches her attention, tired, but smaller than she expected it to be, but by the second one, she's rushed in his direction and comes skidding down into the dirt to find... a puppy? A much smaller version of the wolf she'd just been on the back of. She reaches out to check on him, or pick him up, but hesitates for a beat, not sure if that's even what she should do... Will he turn back if she does?

What... is she supposed to do?]

Are you alright? What happened?

[Had the fall literally knocked all of the magic out of him?]

Edited 2021-10-13 02:54 (UTC)

[He manages to look up at her before the wave of exhaustion hits him. His legs wobble before he collapses back onto the ground, his breathing ragged as he tries to catch his breath. All he can do is just whine, wishing he could explain but unable to do anything more than this.]

[Tifa doesn't let him hit the ground too hard, catching him in her hands before he can completely collapse, and whether he likes it or not, she's then lifting him up to cradle in her arms, close to her for warmth as she stands. There isn't much to see, so she doesn't bother trying to peer through the fog, so she starts to walk in whatever direction it is that takes them further away from the bear and where they landed.]

Let's just find someplace safe to rest for now.

[She walks and walks and walks, wearing her own legs out beneath her as she marches over the roots and mud, carefully dodging the low-hanging branches and spiderwebs that are between them. She has no idea how long she's been wandering until she sees something not far in the distance. A faint greenish blue glow that reminds her all too much of the glow of mako, but she follows it anyway, whatever it is. Turns out it's a trail of mushrooms that leads them to the mouth of a cave...]

Here we go. This place look okay?

[She's moving towards it anyway. It's better than nothing, she supposes...]

[He doesn't protest at all, in fact his body relaxes against hers as she lifts and carries him. It's only then that his eyes completely shut and his consciousness wears out, dropping into a deep sleep. He'll only begin to rouse when she reaches the cave, her voice reaching his ears. Slowly he'll open his eyes again and look forward, and really there's nothing else they can do. At the very least he doesn't hear or smell anything inside, so it should be empty and safe for them.

He just wishes he wasn't so useless right now...

For now he just moves his head to gently bump against her.............belatedly he realized he bumped his head against her chest and stiffens for a moment before he curls back in. But at least she should know he's awake???]

[She knows, and she doesn't mind it in this case, and it only makes her hold him tighter, clutching on for whatever warmth either of them has left. He might start to feel jostled a bit as Tifa limps her way into the cave, her feet and legs and everything aching from the fall and the walk that she took to get here, but she pauses just past its entrance to look around, in awe of what she sees.

The floors, walls, and ceiling of the cave are almost covered in a greenish-blue light, the same light that led her here in the first place. Mushrooms—thousands of them—line each surface and crevice and give off enough that it isn't dark in the least.

There are small, dry patches around the cave, with grass growing out of the cracks in the ground, giving them a tiny, cushioned area to sit, and that's where Tifa takes them and lowers herself with Eustace still in her arms. And, after a moment of looking around still, she turns her attention back to the small puppy.]

How are you feeling?

[She's figured out by now that he can't speak, but at least they can communicate in other ways...?]

[He only stiffens a little more when she holds him closer to her, but when she feels hows her body is straining and limping, there's unconscious whine of concern, unable to fully relax as he once again feels frustrated at his condition. He knew it would be like this, and yet... He can only sigh as he just lifts his head to at least keep an eye and ear out for anything.

But the sight of the cave does surprise him, and he can't help but stare in wonder a little as well. It's not until Tifa sits that he turns his weary body towards her to look up at her. There's a bit of a grumbling whine and a huff, which she can probably easily imagine as one of his sighs, so he's all right for the most part, just tired. He then presses his paw against her forearm.

You?]

[The press of his paw, shockingly colder to the touch than she was expecting, comes as a small surprise to her, and she stares down at him, trying to decipher what he'd meant by all of it before she simply laughs it off with a nod, as she tends to do.

He seems to be okay, if not a bit tired, which is good. Her, though? She's had some time to think about things on the way, and although she might look physically fine on the outside, save for the minor cuts she sustained from the fall, or the limp she had in her step, there's a notable weariness that has her shoulders stiff, and her smile even stiffer.]

I'll be fine.

[Will she?

Tifa gives Eustace a small pat on the head, allowing the corner of her lips to pull upwards.]

Is this because of the magic, or the jump?

[Hard stare. Even if he's not a social person, he knows how to read body language and expressions. He can also tell when someone is forcing themselves, and Tifa is clearly doing so. There's a low rumble like a growl—which of course doesn't sound anywhere near menacing due to the whole puppy thing—as he looks at her with a disapproving, unconvinced look.

So instead of answering (not that he's really sure how he would be able to), he pushes himself higher up to her and lightly bumps his head against her chin.]

[It isn't much of an answer, but she had still asked it anyway, feeling a bit strange at the idea of talking to him any differently as a puppy than she would if he were himself. Although she does give him an acknowledging scratch on the head because how cute... She can't resist all these temptations! She's only human.

Though she knows what that growl meant, and Tifa knows even more that she's not fooling anyone, least of all herself. She is not okay, and the walk here with him in her arms, weak and tired, was more than enough proof for her to see what she had refused to acknowledge for so long.

... ]

Thank you... for all that. [She drops her head and laughs.] For saving me and all.

[There's a dissatisfied look as he huffs. Why is she thanking him for that? Of course he would, it's not like he would leave her behind.

...Speaking of, she had been injured, hadn't she? After giving her one last reproachful look for not being truthful, he gazes down at her arms and then half turns to look at her legs. Fortunately it doesn't look like she had any major cuts, but he sees the smaller ones. Really she should be taking care of herself, he'll be fine for now...

...

So as if to try and get her to change her attention to herself, he moves back down to first lick the cuts on the arm closest to him before hopping down to next to her leg. Unless she wants things to get awkward she better start tending to herself! Or he'll start licking her cuts on her legs he will do it.]

[He will not! Because as soon as he hops to stand right in front of the small cut on her leg, she picks Eustace right back up and sets him down in her lap again. She'll tend to them in a moment! They're nothing big at least, and nothing worse than what she's had to deal with before, so she isn't too worried. Besides, does she even have anything to look after them with? There's no water to wash them and... no, she's not going to let her puppy friend clean them off for her.]

I'll be fine, [she restates, her voice a little firmer this time around.] I can get these looked after when we get back to the city.

[Whenever that will be. As soon as the fog clears, they can start heading back at least.

Besides, there are wounds that are cutting much deeper than those underneath her skin, pulling at the insides of her chest. The part of her that can't help but feel like it's all her fault for some reason—that him being stuck like this, or any injuries that he got was a failure on her part to protect him while he was busy doing the same for her. She didn't have his back.]

You're always the one to come save me when I'm in a bind. Funny...

[She laughs, but it's far from being a real, genuine one. There's nothing funny about it.]

It shouldn't be. [ ... ] You weren't the one who made the promise.

[He still doesn't look satisfied and grumbles a little in protest when she picks him up, but he stops when he hears her words.

...?

He tilts his head slightly and looks up at her. What was she talking about... What does a promise have anything to do with helping an ally? ...Or in this case, a friend. However, her expression concerns him, and he realizes she must be referring to someone else. Should he press into it? But it's clearly personal...

Well, it's not like he can really do much as he is, so he just responds like he would have even if he were normal: just a silent gaze as he waits for her to either continue or leave it.]

[She considers leaving it. It would be better to just drop it and never revisit it again. It would be easier to ignore everything she's been feeling since landing in Camelot, that's only gotten worse as time went on. She's held it in, close to her heart, since she'd heard it from Aerith—he hadn't been by to see her in a long time—and she wondered: will it be the same for her, too?

They've been through so much together already. As kids, and now. They lost their home together, twice, and their friends and family. So why...

She shouldn't be so angry about this, but it's hard not to be when the thought is always there, constantly ringing its reminder in the back of her mind that she's been forgotten about. The constant pull of loneliness in her chest, and how that decade-long desire to be with Cloud is somehow fading, but not the want for... someone else? It's difficult to process.

Finally, after a longer stretch of silence—how long had it been? It felt like only a few seconds to her, but it had been minutes, she speaks in a strained voice.]

Cloud...

[And before she knows it or stop it, a sob breaks free, and she brings her hands up over her face to cover it up. It does nothing to stop it but does the opposite of that—her next one comes, bigger and louder, and tears start to pour down the sides of her buried face.]

He promised... I thought he forgot, after all this time, but he remembered...?

[Her voice strains at the question.

Had he truly remembered, or intended to keep that promise? If she was ever trapped or in trouble, he would come save her, but where was he now? She can't even fault him for it, she knows—perhaps he's moved on, or forgotten about her. They all had different memories, after all, and his could be out of sync with hers for all she knows, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. If anything, it only pains her more to think that they would be so out of sync.]

He promised he would be the one to...

[She can't even finish her sentence, her voice drowned out by her louder cries.]

[...Cloud?

The name rings a bell and image forms in his head. Fluffy...spikey...yellow... ...Bird? No that was his familiar. But before he can think further, he hears that sob and his eyes widen in shock.

—Tifa!?

Whatever he expected, it was nowhere close to this and he actually starts to feel some regret in having her go through this. However it may be for the best if she had been holding it in for so long. Even so, seeing her cry so desperately, there's a strange tightness in his chest, a scratchy feeling that refuses to be shaken off. He can hear the heartbreak in her voice, see it so clearly despite her attempts to hide her face behind her hands, feel in the wetness of her tears that drip onto his face as he looks up at her, a helpless feeling washing over him.

Briefly he's reminded of when she had opened the door when he saw her after Celliwig and how surprised he had been when she had started sobbing, but this...this felt different. For some reason it bothered him more.

A low whine escapes him as he reaches up to her, cursing the fact that he's stuck like this. Comforting people...he's already not that great at it but what can even do like this?? All he can do is softly whine again as if calling out to her and lightly bump his head against the underside of her chin, nuzzling her gently as he tries to display some kind of reassurance and comfort to her. When he feels more of those tears, he instinctively moves his head so that he can lightly lick the ones at her chin. It's all he can do, but he really wishes he could just use his damn hands. If he wasn't like this, if he was just back to normal he could...]

Edited 2021-10-19 19:54 (UTC)

[She misses him so damn much. Tifa wanted to believe with all her heart and soul that missing Cloud would get easier as the days went on, but every morning when she woke up knowing that he likely won't find her made it hurt that much more. It made her more afraid to reach out to him... to seek him out. What would she do if she ever did?

The tickle against her chin has her lowering her hands, finding Eustace's puppy eyes so dangerously close to her own, but she doesn't pull away—she only laughs quietly at his attempt to console her in whatever way he can in this form, and... well, it's enough. Enough to remind her of everything else she thought about on their way to the cave.]

You're always there for me, you know.

[She takes hold of his front paws and gently picks them up from the ground. It's odd that she feels more comfortable reaching out when he's... like this rather than himself.]

Every time I'm in a bind, you've always had my back.

[She says it as if it's such a strange thing. In a way, it is. She never thought it would be Eustace she'd be spending her time with, but for some reason, she finds herself more drawn to him than anyone else she's met in this place. Could it be because she knows she can trust him?

She sniffles again, breaking out another sob and lowering her head so that it almost bumps into the top of his.]

You don't have to be, but... you are. Even tonight. [He put himself at risk to get them both out of trouble, expending all of his magic and trusting her to take that leap across with him. A hand reaches up to wipe away another tear.] I feel like thank you isn't enough sometimes.

[Another sniffle, and she shakes her head.]

This is so stupid...

[When has crying ever gotten her anywhere?]

[He doesn't like this.

He doesn't understand why, but all he knows is he doesn't like seeing Tifa like this. That weird tight, scratchy feeling has only grown as he continues to hear her.

Yet, he also doesn't understand what she means. Always there for her...how? He's not sure what he's done any differently or special to make her think that way. Of course he's helped her when she needed it, but usually she's the one dragging him around or getting involved in his affairs. It's only recently that he's voluntarily sought her out on his own. If anything, hasn't she helped him more? Put herself more at risk for his sake?

There's another low grumbling whine as if in protest as he closes that gap between them, his forehead bumping against hers.

Even so, Eustace can sense something here—a gap that he somehow filled without either of them knowing. He doesn't know the story behind her and Cloud, or what she's really thinking of himself right now, but it's clear she's been hurting over it.

...And he really, really just doesn't like it. Doesn't like that he can't do anything more than whine and rub his head against her. He wants to tell her with words what he thinks and...to...

Just as he's making that wish, there's a burst of magic wind like a poof and suddenly he's staring wide-eyed down at Tifa, her deep red eyes reflecting his momentarily stunned face. The long bangs of his hair hanging over her face like a curtain and his nose brushing against hers, his warm breath ghosts over her lips at a dangerously close distance. Only after another heartstopping moment does he pull back a fraction, his hand slowly reaching up so that his thumb can lightly brush against her face. His expression now softened, he stares at her for another moment before he finally speaks.]

...It's not stupid. Whatever you're feeling and whatever you do about it, it's not stupid.

[He then wraps his arms around her and pulls her to him as he sits back so that he's no longer on top of her.]

So don't hold it back, it's fine. ...I'm here for you.

[It all happens faster than Tifa's capable of processing right now: that burst of wind, the itch of his hair on her face, his eyes hovering above and as wide-eyed as her own, the thumb that brushes away the hot tears, and the strong arms that pull her into him. Tifa allows herself to crash against his chest with all of her weight, relaxing as she curls up in them.

Don't hold back. It's fine. I'm here for you.

Those were the words she needed to let everything come out in full force, and not just the things she's felt since coming to Camelot. The memories of leaving Midgar behind, of finding her bar in ruins, watching the plate fall over the place she called home, and the fires that stung her skin in Nibelheim. Everything—she lets it all out in sobs, louder and more powerful. They make her shake and grabbing onto him is all Tifa can do to not let herself be completely consumed by it all.

She tried to be strong for him. For her, and everyone else, but even the strongest fall sometimes, and they need someone to catch them.

As long as he'll let her, Tifa will stay there, crying into and soaking his shoulder. The sobs come and go in waves, her chest heaving as she tries to catch her breath in between, but they'll die down eventually, long enough for her to let her hands fall from his chest and for her to lift her head just far enough so she can speak to him and not into him.

Tifa still feels silly for crying about all of this, or crying at all, but... she realizes now that she's needed this.

...

Trying to lighten the mood and steer any lingering attention away from the fact that she spent so long like this, she pushes herself away now—only slightly—with a shaky laugh, but it comes out more as a breath.]

Welcome back.

Edited 2021-10-21 16:06 (UTC)

[That feeling in his chest changes into more of an ache as she breaks down, his arms automatically tightening around her as he holds her close to him. He can only close his eyes and press his face against the top of her head as he listens and feels all of her emotions pour out onto him, remaining steadfast as he absorbs it all and continues to support her.

It's not the first time he's heard someone's heartwrenching wails, not the first time he's seen the raw emotions. He's even had his own share even if that had been from a distant past. But although he always felt pity or sympathy, he never felt as moved and frustrated as he does now. Never had he felt so helpless and wanting to do something to stop them from feeling this way. Yet here with Tifa in his arms, he feels exactly that. Maybe it's only because she's the first one to be like this since his own heart had opened up from its once frozen state. Maybe it's only because he's allowing himself to feel more than he used to. Maybe he could have felt like this with anyone else and she just happened to be the one right now.

Or maybe it's something else.

He doesn't know. He probably won't know for a while. All he does know is that this feeling is suffocating. Even if he remains calm on the outside, it's as if some kind of spark is kindling inside, making him restless. Yet he suppresses it and only waits—waits for her to let it out, waits for her to calm down on her own. Slowly he'll rub her back, a hand drifting to thread through her hair and support the back of her head as he keeps her nestled close against him. Waits for her to loosen that hold on him and look at him, his gaze calm and quiet even when she pushes back a little more.

Hearing her words and that shaky laugh... There's a small tug at the corner of his lips as he goes along with it.]

...I'm back.

[Even if he had never left her he knows what she means. Yet... Why does saying those two little words sound different despite having said it to countless people before?

He reaches up to once again slowly brush his thumb against her cheek and under her eyes, pushing back a few long strands of hair away.]

But this is the second time... You're not going to cry every time I return, are you?

Edited 2021-10-22 02:43 (UTC)

[There's an odd flutter in her stomach when his thumb comes to brush under her eyes again. It's not so unfamiliar that she doesn't recognize what it is, but it's jarring enough that she loses her breath for a moment, it catching in the back of her throat instead. She wants to reach out and take his hand in hers, to hold it and keep it where it is, but that feels like too much... So, she wipes it against her tear-stained cheeks.

Is he... making a joke right now? Of all the times, she thinks to herself, but she isn't mad. It draws a small laugh out of her, and a sad smile.

"I'm back" — they're so simple, those words, but for whatever reason she doesn't have the strength to pinpoint right now, they mean so much to her coming from him. All her life, she'd felt abandoned and alone, living every day wishing that she wouldn't be so alone, and fearing that the people who did come to her would return each day to see her again.

Knowing that she can count on him to always come back? That means the most to her right now, and it takes all of the fortitude she has left not to let herself break down again. He'll see the tears welling up once more before she looks away, and they pour down her cheeks. Damn, she'd just wiped them clean, too.

Tifa pushes a fist against his chest, and in turn, it pushes her a little further away.]

I'll try not to.

[She's withdrawing now, that fluttering in her stomach and chest only growing until it's uncomfortable.]

As long as you keep out of trouble next time.

[He feels her pushing away from him—not just physically but...emotionally as well. He could just let it go, it wouldn't be that unusual. It's not like he tried very hard to keep close connections until more recently, and it wouldn't be wrong for her to want some space. Yet because she's crying again, upset over...something again, he can't seem to let it go.

So before the hand that's on his chest is able to move away, his own covers it, stopping her from pulling away any further.]

Tifa.

[His voice is a low rumble as his other hand reaches back to lightly touch her face, making her look at him. Instead of responding to what she said, he just stares at her, his expression loosening a bit to something a little...worried. Uncertain.]

...I don't normally comfort people like this so I don't really know what I should do or what would be right for you. What I do know is... [That he doesn't like seeing her like this. That it bothers him more than it should and he doesn't know why. That he prefers when she's smiling and not trying to put up a front. That he wants to stop it but he has no idea how.] ...You don't need to hide it...at least not from me.

[Instead of saying his true thoughts, he pulls her back to him, his arms encircling her firmly so that she can't push away from him too easily.]

So just use me. I'll...be here for you.

[He wanted to say "always," but he knows far too well that he can't make that kind of promise. Not when no one knows when they could leave this place. Besides, that's probably too...heavy of a promise. Too "intimate." But at least this much—at least being there for her when she needs it for as long as he's able. He can do at least that much.

...No, he wants to be the one. To be the one that's with her when she's feeling so vulnerable and alone, to be the one to provide her comfort and the only one to see her like this. It's a strange feeling and he won't think about it right now...or rather, he already has an inkling of what it is and has been both unconsciously and consciously suppressing it. But right now that's what's currently pulsing through him the longer he holds her like this.

And the longer he holds her, the more his conviction to keep his usual distance wavers.]

Edited 2021-10-23 06:58 (UTC)

[The way he holds her gaze like that is alarming, but what's more startling is the way her heart tries to leap out of her chest when he says her name, and the way its beating seems to drown the rest of his words out of her head. It's so terrifying that she wants nothing more than to get up and run, hide away somewhere until whatever torrent of emotions this is settles, but then he's pulling her to him again, and holding her tighter this time.

Eustace...?

She squeaks quietly against his chest, but she makes no effort to move. His warmth is inviting, so she allows herself the selfish moment of burrowing into it, curling up once more. She tries not to let the tension in her entire body show, but it's too obvious to be able to mask it. Her hands remain balled into fists, her shoulders up near her ears, and her jaw clamped tight.

With no clue what to say to him at first, there's a silence that hangs over them. It could be just her, but it's so tense that it feels like the air could snap under the lightest breath, and so she holds as much air in her lungs she can manage while she tries to put words together to say. To explain to him why she had sprung this on him so suddenly, and unintentionally. This wasn't how this night was supposed to go. It had already gone sideways when the fog rolled in, and now...? Where were they now?

What the hell is she doing?

... ]

Cloud and I grew up together, [she begins finally. However long after, she has no idea.] In Nibelheim. He lived next door. He was always so shy, never wanted to hang out with the rest of us, no matter how many times I asked.

[A small, fond breath of laughter rings out from her. Why is she even telling him this?]

I always thought he was... [No, what she was going to say is silly, so she steers it away.] He left for Midgar to be a SOLDIER... become a war hero. I was thirteen, at the time. I always admired him, you know. I don't think he knew that.

[ ... ]

Anyway. That night, when he told me he was leaving, I made him promise that... he'd come save me if I was ever in trouble.

[In case he wondered what that promise meant.]

We finally saw each other again after five years, in Midgar. I found him lying on the platform at the train station, and I... we... [She sighs again.] Few days later, I show up here. Next thing I know, Aerith's telling me she hasn't seen him and I...

[Her fingers curl into Eustace's shirt again, and she swallows her words the moment she feels that surge of emotion rising up again.]

Edited 2021-10-23 16:17 (UTC)

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