[It's a warm day. Hot, actually. A little too hot for her liking. The sun, at its highest point in the sky, is beating down so bright that not even the thick canopies of the trees can save her from its heat. One would think, being so close to the creek would help to cool things down, but there are beads of sweat forming on her brow as she wanders through the forest. She isn't lost—at least, she doesn't think so. This place feels familiar in a strange, subconscious way. It's as if her feet know where they're taking her but at the same time, she feels like she's strolling aimlessly, searching for something she knows deep down is there, but not where to find it.
How long she searches, Tifa doesn't quite know. She's lost all sense of time and direction, but somewhere not so distant, she hears a voice. A low, familiar one. One that makes her heart skip a beat every time she hears it. She follows the sound, not able to make out the words that he's saying, and they draw her through the trees, off the beaten path to a small clearing with a watery alcove, and within that clearing is a cottage. A simple, elegant cottage with what appears to be fruit trees scattered about the yard. It's not big, but how did she not see this before? She's sure that she's come through here a number of times in her wanderings, and she would have—should have—spotted something as obvious as this.
Strange, but she tries not to think too much of it. Maybe she's mistaking this beaten path for a different one. She's much more interested in that voice, who she's certain is Eustace's, and what he's saying.]
... Eustace?
[Tifa calls out to him. She can hear him, though not clear enough just yet, but when he doesn't answer her, she gives a confused tip of her head and wanders up to the cottage's door. She reaches for its handle, and it clicks open easily, unlocked as if he had been expecting her to come.
The place itself isn't much bigger on the inside. It's quite small, actually, compared to their treehouse back in the city, but the many windows are large and brighten the whole place. The kitchen is a fair size larger though, and along the windowsills are small planters of herbs. The living room looks comfortable, with plenty of books stacked next to the couch, and in the next room, she can see the four-poster bed with hundreds of pillows and blankets that look like she could sink into them...
passive dream recording... 1/4.... i'm so sorry......
How long she searches, Tifa doesn't quite know. She's lost all sense of time and direction, but somewhere not so distant, she hears a voice. A low, familiar one. One that makes her heart skip a beat every time she hears it. She follows the sound, not able to make out the words that he's saying, and they draw her through the trees, off the beaten path to a small clearing with a watery alcove, and within that clearing is a cottage. A simple, elegant cottage with what appears to be fruit trees scattered about the yard. It's not big, but how did she not see this before? She's sure that she's come through here a number of times in her wanderings, and she would have—should have—spotted something as obvious as this.
Strange, but she tries not to think too much of it. Maybe she's mistaking this beaten path for a different one. She's much more interested in that voice, who she's certain is Eustace's, and what he's saying.]
... Eustace?
[Tifa calls out to him. She can hear him, though not clear enough just yet, but when he doesn't answer her, she gives a confused tip of her head and wanders up to the cottage's door. She reaches for its handle, and it clicks open easily, unlocked as if he had been expecting her to come.
The place itself isn't much bigger on the inside. It's quite small, actually, compared to their treehouse back in the city, but the many windows are large and brighten the whole place. The kitchen is a fair size larger though, and along the windowsills are small planters of herbs. The living room looks comfortable, with plenty of books stacked next to the couch, and in the next room, she can see the four-poster bed with hundreds of pillows and blankets that look like she could sink into them...
This is...]