[ A day or two after the festive dreamscape subsides and things return more or less to normal in Reverein, Eustace might find a small basket outside his door one morning. Inside this basket is a small pouch filled with vanilla cookies, another small pouch of chamomile tea, a jar of homemade apple jelly, and one more pouch containing bone-shaped, homemade doggy biscuits.
There is also a note nestled in the foodstuffs which says, carefully handwritten: ]
Dear Eustace,
I hope you enjoy these small goods. I felt it might be nice to extend the holiday spirit for just a bit longer. There are treats for your various canine friends as well - please let me know how they like them!
[He hadn't expected to receive any gifts, so it's a bit of a surprise when he finds the basket outside his door. After picking it up and finding the note, he smiles a little and goes to distribute the treats to both groups of dogs before sending Oriphi a note through the journal.]
Oriphi,
Thank you for the gift. Everything was well received and they may end up begging you for more the next time they see you. I also have something to give you, so expect one of the dogs to deliver it soon.
[Eustace will find a big package of dog toys and treats for the corgi. Nier left them all tightly packed and nearly wrapped as gifts. He remembers the dogs diets and what they like so they should be fairly happy with it! There's a written note attached.
Hey, Eustace. This is for all of your corgi friends.
[Surprised by the package, Eustace opens it in some amazement and takes a quick glance before immediately needing to hoist the box high up in the air before the dogs can get to it. Last thing he needed was for them to get through it all immediately!!! So after dealing with that, he eventually sends Nier a message through the journals.]
Nier,
Thank you for the toys and treats. I've already handed out a couple to them for now and will be saving the rest for the future.
You're always welcome to stop by anytime to visit them.
[She has thought very hard about how to address all of this. The nature of falling asleep in itself and being very unaware of whatever may have happened during the time of such sleep has left her remarkably uncomfortable. She cannot simply ask what may have transpired in her absence.
Waking to a book at her bedside, however, involving the wacky misadventures of Beashrek and Eustona, she can only suspect Eustace possibly left it there either to very deliberately annoy her, or as some poor attempt at comedy.]
Eustace, is this book yours.
[Distantly, it's occurred to her that he isn't responsible at all, but she can't imagine anyone else having a reason for doing any such thing. Logically, it makes sense that it's come from him.]
[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...
This is...]
warning for some weird spice??? idk save me... 2/4
[The entire thing has her freezing in the doorway, but nothing quite as much as what she sees at the dining table.
There sits Eustace, shirtless, his skin glistening with sweat. She can see the beads of them falling over the muscles in his neck, how his lean shoulders shine whenever he moves... Tifa immediately feels her throat dry up, and a sharp twinge of heat pool in her stomach. She lets out a sigh as she watches him, but he doesn’t seem to notice her standing there...
Because in his hands, he holds his gun. Flamek. He seems to be too preoccupied with cleaning it—a task she's seen him do plenty of times before, but this time... this time feels different. Her gaze roves over him, drinking him in. From his neck to his shoulders, his lean arms, all the way down to his hands as they deftly glide over the gun's metal barrel. She watches as his fingers, so strong and so firm, wipe away every last piece of dust before he brings it close to his mouth and... breathes on it. When she hears that puff of air pass over his parted lips, as if he were breathing into her ear instead, she feels her own catch in her throat, and she gasps with him.
Shivers shoot up her spine when he picks up the cloth and polishes it, the steel shining brilliantly in the sun. The way his hands curl over the weapon, so delicately, so lovingly, makes her knees tremble. It's so much like how he moves them when he's touching her...
And that's when she feels it.
Something dark, something twisted that's rooted deep within her resurfacing again. It makes her blood run hot and her mind white out with an uncharacteristic fury. Her chest suddenly feels heavy, her face warm and red, and her lungs like they've run out of air. Her heart beats so furiously that she fears it might burst right out of her. But why...? She's seen him with Flamek, cleaning it, so many times before. She's seen him use it, and never has it ever provoked such a visceral reaction out of her. Such an ugly feeling that boils in her core and wipes her mind clean of everything but what she sees before her—
Him holding the gun close to his lips. A shudder passes over her as his long fingers dip a thin cloth into the gun's barrel to clean its insides. It's the way they slide so easily out only to drive back in again and again, each time a little deeper that has her still frozen... But she's so mesmerized that she can't take her eyes away, no matter what kind of terrible things it stirs in her. She watches, with dreadful anticipation, as his lips part to murmur something to it...
"I'll never let you go..." She feels her heart leap up into her throat and choke her. She's heard those words before... uttered to her. They were meant for her. "You're the one thing I truly call my partner," he goes on, as if she isn't there. "The one thing I wholly trust..."
Tifa tries to shake her head at that. At the words that she refuses to give any more meaning to, or the emotions that she felt when she heard them. She didn't like them. She still doesn't like them. No, she's just imagining this. It's all just a dream, right? A stupid dream and nothing more.
Her eyes screw shut in an attempt to wake herself up from this miserable place. She blinks hard, again, and then again, but when she opens them and checks, she's still standing in the doorway of the cottage, unable to move her feet. Unable to move her body to lunge forward and slap the gun right out of his hands. Unable to take its place.
But when her vision adjusts...
...????????
Eustace is no longer holding a gun, but... a woman? An Erune, no doubt, with ears just like his that prick in Tifa's direction. She's curvy with the longest legs she's ever seen, hair so long that it cascades down her arched back like water. She's confident, graceful, beautiful—the kind of beautiful that Tifa always wished she could be, and this beautiful woman is on Eustace's lap, straddling him with her legs wrapped around his body. His hands slide from the nape of her neck all the way down her bared back, over the curves of her hips where he stops to squeeze.
She leans in over him, bringing her mouth close to his to breathe him in, but her eyes, bright and playful and reflecting the same deep lust in Eustace's—that same one that he only ever holds for Tifa—fix on her at the door. They never once break from Tifa's gaze as Eustace's lips and teeth graze over her jaw and he growls into the crook of her neck.
"I've chosen you..." Tifa's breathing stops when he says the words—to her... to her!—and when the woman winks and presses a coy finger to her lips. "As my partner for life. ... You're mine."
And that's when Tifa finally finds her voice.]
STOP!
[She refuses to suffer through any more of this!
The entire room comes to a grinding halt, the image of them so, so close to sharing a heated kiss frozen in time before it all starts to spin and vanish around her, swirling with fire as it burns away into something else. And in the background, she can hear... are those church bells...?]
She has stopped checking on the dogs quite as much with Ori, though it was still a shock to find two of them at Ferran's. Considering everything that happened in the moonscape, she supposes she can understand, though she still can't be sure if sending the dogs was Eustace's doing. ]
I've found Rhonwhen and Iris.
[ Her handwriting is as neat as ever. After a small pause, she adds: ]
[This has been something of a common thing for them lately. Now, with things returning to their usual routine and feeling more... normal again, Tifa has been making more of an effort than ever (and she always has been) to spend more time with Eustace and the dogs. While she's away at the Harvest for the day, he's been working on planning and remodeling the house with the new space below their home for the dogs, and they—the flowers and corgis alike—have been at the house more often than they have in the past, so coming home and relaxing has become sort of a big deal these days.
Not that Tifa has anything to complain about, but today... today, she's decided that she wants to turn it into something more fun and special. What's the occasion? Does she need one, besides simply wanting to spend a special evening with him and the dogs? Nope.
When she sneaks away after returning home in the evening from the Harvest while he's getting cleaned up, Eustace might wonder where she's gone. He won't have to look far, though. He might even hear the early cracklings of a fire as she prepares for it on the grass behind their tree. Or maybe he'll smell the flames and the food. Or hear the younger dogs who accompanied Tifa outside barking up at him to come see when he's out, and her immediately hissing at them to be quiet because it's a surprise...!
Because she's created and lit a makeshift firepit in their "yard", tucked away from the prying eyes of the town and hidden behind some branches and autumn leaves that have lowered themselves to shroud them...]
[He's been making pretty good progress on the house renovations. Before coming to this world, he only knew the basics, but having to help rebuild the town in the early days has led him to learn more about it. Of course he can't do everything himself, but he could do more than he would have before. Once he gets the windows and the other materials delivered, he should be able to finish this in another day or so...
So there's nothing more that he would like than to just curl up on the couch with Tifa for some relaxing cuddle time. Really it's a wonder that he's started to settle into this kind of lifestyle where in the past he would have gone straight to his desk and continue researching or plan for what to do for the next day. Now it's just so...homely.
Which does make him wonder where Tifa went off to when he steps out of the bathroom, knowing she was in the bedroom not long before. Did she go into the kitchen? But after changing and looking there and not seeing her, he tilts his head slightly... Before he hears the commotion. Curious he looks out towards the terrace and the faint acrid scent of smoke and wood burning reaches his nose. And stepping out, he looks over the railing to see...]
[It's a bedtime just like any other. The two of them say their goodnights to the corgis downstairs, to Eria, to Clover, before heading off to prepare for bed. They get cleaned up together, brush their teeth together, and climb into bed together just like they always do. It's routine, and some might even find it a little mundane or repetitive, but there's something relaxing about it. She takes comfort in knowing that this is that "small thing" that she can look forward to at the end of the day.
The lights go out and they curl up in the warmth of their bed, and Tifa slips into that spot at his side that she always fits into so perfectly where she can easily reach his neck and his hair to nuzzle her face into to keep her nose warm... And where she can whisper sweet nothings to him until they both doze off.
But just before that sleepiness comes over her completely, a thought suddenly occurs to her, and as she stirs, Tifa mumbles quietly into his ear to check if he's still awake.]
... Hmm. Eustace?
[He likely is—he seems to always make sure that she's fast asleep before he goes, too—but she wants to be sure not to startle him in the event that he isn't.]
[Another peaceful, calm, quiet, beautiful evening with his family... What more could he want? With his beloved snug in his arms, Eustace is more than ready to doze off the moment he hears Tifa's even breaths, always wanting to feel her steady heartbeat and take that extra moment to relish in her existence secured in his arms.
So he's a little surprised when he hears her speak up and just answers with a drowzy hum.]
[ Susato knowing where her friends live means she can easily sneak over when she thinks no one is looking, like some old-timey Victorian Santa Claus. Case in point: one morning, within the week of Christmas, Tifa and Eustace will wake up to find that there is a rather large gift at their doorstep, wrapped in very Susato-flavored pink and purple colors. The box is pretty light, all things considered, and attached is a note on a tag that's shaped like a cherry blossom flower: ]
To: Mr and Mrs Lockhart Happy Christmas! I hope you enjoy the gifts, but I suspect that a certain culprit may enjoy it more than even you. [ WHO DOES SHE MEAN? They're free to decide. ] Just don't allow the pups to chew them up too badly, please. They are too cute to be destroyed!
Love, Susato Mikotoba
[ When they open the box, it will be immediately obvious what she means, as they will find a set of large, fluffy corgi pillows staring back at them. There aren't 13, but there are more than enough.
There isn't even much room for any paper filling, but at the bottom of the box, there's a smaller box especially labeled for Tifa. Inside, she will find a set of yellow pens topped with what look like yellow lilies. The texture of them feels exactly like the real flower--and they glow in the dark, too.
When she writes with them, the ink comes out in whatever colour she may need or imagine. Eustace can borrow one sometimes, if he needs it... she guesses.
(It's up to Tifa.) ]
Edited (FORGOT I HAD A LINK FOR THIS) 2022-12-25 18:49 (UTC)
[It's been a long time coming, and there is still a long way to go, but things are very slowly falling into place. After the wedding and the honeymoon, it felt as though things had slowed down considerably. Not that it was a bad thing—far from it, they enjoy the extra time they've found to relax and to simply bask in each other's company for a while... To enjoy that newlywed life, and to explore these new feelings that have bloomed because of it... even though not much has changed in their day to days.
Of course, it wouldn't be Eustace and Tifa without some busyness. It was promised that after the wedding and into the new year, they would both start thinking hard about their future together. Their journey onto the train car had only switched Tifa into high gear, and when he had given her the deed to the place that would one day become the home of her dream, she knew exactly what she wanted to do next.
Today would be the day that she first stepped foot inside after many, many months. They had looked around together in the fall for places that would suit what she was looking for, and while the place she had chosen was a bit of a fixer-upper, with some work, she knows it would turn into the place she's always wanted. It was hard not to love it—it was the biggest lot in the area that backed out into a small, private garden, there was plenty of room across to turn the space into something beautiful, and it was quiet, set far enough away from the plaza that they didn't get much of the noise that came from it while still being close enough to the residential district that they weren't completely out of the way.
It's a bit strange now that she's here, however. Now that this is their place...
Her fingers reach for the handle of the door, but as soon as she touches the cold steel, she stops and pulls it back.
...]
Sorry. [She offers Eustace a small, awkward laugh as she gently backs up into him.] Don't know why I'm so nervous all of a sudden.
[As he watches her hesitate in front of the door, he can only smile, thinking how cute she is. He knows she's not having second thoughts, so there's no doubts there. Still, it's a big step in this new chapter of their lives, and a very big one for her own. A dream that she's now able to have and live for her own...
Gently he takes the hand that had fallen, fingers rubbing against hers.]
It's a big step. But I'm here with you.
[And with a reassuring smile, he places her hand back on the handle.]
[He had wondered why he was receiving a message from Lyria, wondering if there was something wrong or urgent. But when he opens it up and sees THIS EXTREMELY ADORABLE ILLUSTRATION he actually had to clutch his chest and hunch over from the sudden pang of ADORABLE FEELINGS that assaulted him. WHAT IS THIS. THIS EXTREME FLUTTERY FEELING. THIS EMOTION THAT SQUEEZES HIS HEART AND MAKES FLOWERS JUST EXPLODE AROUND HIM???? Is it because of the adorable art?? That it's from Lyria?? BOTH?!?!?!?!?
Is... Is this how it would feel...if he had a daughter and she gave him a drawing...
Oh primals is he going to start viewing Lyria more like a daughter than a sister now what has happened to him—]
It's cute.
[He finally managed to pen some words.]
Very cute.
[So much so he wants to tear it off, frame it, hang it somewhere—
[ Like Tifa, Eustace will notice a small decorated bag placed by his pillowside, it's contents containing small, heart shaped chocolates still warm in the wrapping. The designs are unique to every one; the handmade designs ranging from small smiles, dog faces, and even starflowers placed upon it's flat surface.
Attached to the bag is a card, decorated front to back with bright colors. On the back however, is a small crayoned drawing of three figures- one smaller than the other two as they figures seem to be holding hands. Simple words written in bright pink:]
Happy Valentine's Day Eustace ♡
For a very special someone on a very special day! You mean so much me but I was nervous to tell you in person, so I wanted to write down my feelings. Thank you for making me smile every day! I hope these handmade chocolates will make you smile, too.
First, congratulations on getting married, I had no idea. Your wife was so nice to me.
Secondly, I think I met someone who could maybe give you some interesting information. A gentleman named Baldr was telling me about how he had something similar happen to his own world. People from other worlds were drawn in there on purpose, but they weren't their original bodies. They were echoes, or copies, or whatever you'd like to call it, sort of like how we are here.
[The moment he sees this message, he is immediately scrambling to write a response, possibly even preparing to leave and find him because TRAHEARNE DON'T YOU EVEN—]
[It was as if someone had flipped a switch in Reverein's weather forecast. The month before had been warm, yes, but it was mild. Comfortable, as the summer should be, but the last few recent days have been nothing short of unbearable with today being the worst of them. It's humid, muggy, and Tifa can feel the sweat clinging to her clothes as she shops around the Marketplace for their food as well as the Starflower's for the next week. She has to make several stops for drinks to keep herself hydrated lest she collapse in the middle of the road. She's all on her own too, having left all of the dogs at home with the hopes that they'll stay cooler there than out in the sun.
Though, she may come to regret that when she returns home.]
I'm back... finally.
[Her voice is weary, beat, and she understands why there are no paws tapping against the floor to come and greet her at the door. Though...
It is awfully quiet for a Sunday when everyone is supposed to be home.
[She'll eventually hear some whimpers and one of the corgis trundling towards her. Well. Trying. Melody's paws are having a little difficulty lifting off the floor which make a shlick shlock type of sound as if something had been spilled over it. So she looks more like she's waddling than walking before she barks at Tifa and turns her head towards the living room.
And there....
It looks like some great tragedy has happened.
In the middle of the floor is Eustace lying face down, arms and legs spread out. He's wearing loose clothing, but the completely open back reveals his dark skin glistening from his sweat. His hair is also flat and hanging from his head, completely soaked in water in what was clearly an attempt to keep himself cool. Around him are some of the dogs who hadn't taken refuge down at the base of the tree. Eria herself also looks as if she's melting on the couch, but she's making some attempts in keeping the room cool. Yet even the cool air that is focused on Eustace does little more than give a brief reprieve.]
[It had been... an interesting night, to say the least. Most of it had gone just fine—it was a standard carnival with the games and food that they can always enjoy together, and then there was that labyrinth that she somehow stumbled into unbeknownst to her. She thought it would just be a fun little attraction, only to discover that it was, in fact, not.
And then there was that strange creature that had tried to... bite her? Only for Eustace to have shooed it off.
Needless to say, she's exhausted, and as comfortable and cute as her outfit was, she's glad to finally be changing out of it and putting it away with the rest of the costumes to pull out again for another event that will no doubt roll in where they can use them.
...
And it's only then, as she hangs it all up at the back of their closet that she sees that flash of red...]
Huh...
[It's a breathless sound of curiosity, and although the shower is still running, she still glances over her shoulder to double check that Eustace is preoccupied before she's pulling out the old costume... the one from their very first Halloween here. Before he even knew who she was or why she was so surprised to find him on the pier only a month before.
It's funny, how something so simple could stir so many memories, as her fingers roam over the different light fabrics. How easily she can remember the events that had unfolded that night, and how it had been the first time she'd felt his breath on her skin...
...
It brings a sharp tingle that shoots up and down her spine, Tifa shivering even in the warmth of their bedroom.
She had no idea back then, did she? No idea what sort of thoughts this costume and those memories would awaken in her as she holds it in her hands two whole years later...
By the time Eustace is out, she is already waiting for him in bed, hiding with the covers pulled up halfway over her face to hide the flush that's crept up over her chest, neck, and into her cheeks. Not so out of the ordinary, but what is different is that the costume is laid out on his side of the bed, and her eyes will follow him, watching and waiting, half eager, half embarrassed, for his reaction...]
[After a nice relaxing shower, Eustace takes a few minutes to dry his hair, blowing it with the dryer (ugh he has such thick, fluffy hair...) before stepping out. And while he expected Tifa to be waiting in bed for him, he didn't expect to see her... Hiding?]
Why are you...
....
[And that's when he sees the costume.
.....
............
AND QUICKLY PROCEEDS TO GRAB IT TO SHOVE IT BACK IN THE CLOSET—]
[ Normally she would have approached him about this in person, but seeing as how she was currently walking some of the dogs and the thoughts couldn't quite get out of her head, Lyria will be more inclined to write him a message over the journal instead- ]
Eustace, you haven't seen Sandalphon around lately, have you?
[It didn't take long for their heads to hit the pillows when they got back. After sharing a hot bath together to soak and warm up, it was straight under the many blankets that they were given, much to Tifa's relief. She could use the warmth, but nothing could compare to him sleeping next to her, their arms around each other, her head on his chest, as they both quickly doze off.
She does wake up several times during their sleep, or maybe she hadn't completely fallen asleep at all. Every once in a while she opens her eyes to check on him... to press a light kiss to the nearest part of him that she can reach, to brush his hair back, to caress his face. To make sure that nothing has come for him in the dark. He is still here, sleeping soundly, and that's as much as she can ask for right now.
But she would be lying if she said she wasn't a little scared, and that's what keeps her up for the most part. She knows that the nightmare energy could put some stress on a person, but what she saw from him in the dreamscape was... different. Not quite like himself. He was irritable, a little aggressive, and that heat that he had tried to warm her hands with... it didn't burn, but it was blistering hot. Dangerously so, and it might have burned her had she not been able to pull away fast enough.
It makes her uneasy, thinking about it, and so she tries to push it back for now, chalking it up to him being tired and all of that nightmare energy that he had to absorb and control... She's going to have to stop fretting so much if she wants to get any sort of rest.
At some point, she does manage to fall asleep again... though how long that will last, who knows...]
[After everything he went through that day, with using and absorbing all that nightmare energy and dealing with the noctaere more than once, it was no surprise that he would feel so drained and exhausted by the time they returned. He held up well while in Orkili, but the moment they stepped through their door, he realized how much he pushed himself.
Perhaps more than he should have, but he was one of the few people who know how to handle and resist most of the effects.
But as the day wore on, he did notice what started as a small prick slowly grew to more of a throbbing ache at the back of his neck. He would roll his shoulders and rub it on his occasion, but it only ever faded when he was with Tifa. Thus he could only assume it was some sensitivity to the environment, and even now back home it had faded as if it never existed at all.
So he is quite happy to hug Tifa close to him, her warmth that soothing salve he desperately wanted and needed...and also wished to once again apologize for what happened earlier during their time in the dreamscape, kissing her fingertips before they fully settled in. To have grown that impatient and irritable, to let his emotions get the better of him and almost hurt her... While it made him learn his limits and the signs to look for, to have had her go through it first still upsets him a bit, the guilt likely never going away for a long while.
It's with with these heavier thoughts and emotions as well as that exhaustion that makes him fall asleep quickly. And for a while it's a dreamless sleep, or if he did dream it was nothing of importance. Just random scenes that he would likely forget upon waking. Normal.
But at some point, in the later hours of the night, Eustace will flinch and stir in his sleep, but not awaken. He will even start to groan, his breathing more labored as his temperature drops to a cold chill, yet beads of sweat are forming despite it.]
[After the month that was the last, it felt only fitting that they get away for a while. Between the dreamscapes, Orkili, and then the nightmares, they had both agreed that a date of sorts was in order—a need to escape from their realities for a little while and just be in each other's company without the worries that come with their day-to-day life in Reverein. So naturally, with the café closed for holidays for a few days and the animals in Mirabelle's care, it takes them out of the town, and up to Dragefjell for a couple night's stay at the hot springs resort.
And somehow, on the way, Tifa is suddenly plagued with small, bubbly hearts that follow her wherever she goes. Why? She has no idea, but she's been trying to pop them whenever they appear, only for more to form.
Just going to ignore those as they walk through the streets of Dragefjell. It's been quite some time since they last visited, and the place has changed and grew since then. The streets are busier, the shops are brighter, and it seems that even they have come out for the lovers specials, some stalls celebrating love the way that Reverein down below is.
Waving another bubble that appears when she glances up at Eustace, her eyes spark with excitement.]
[He is also noticing the little hearts... Well hard NOT to given how prevalent are, and he has a few around him, too. Given the nature of this world, he can only assume it's another strange effect going on and ignores it for now—while also watching his cute wife pop them every now and then.]
Might I request an audience at your earliest convenience? There is a matter of import that I would like to speak with you about. It involves the incident in Orkili from a few months prior to today.
[—It's been a while since anyone wrote an actual formal letter through the journals, and he actually hesitates before he feels compelled he should respond in kind...]
Joshua,
I can make some time tomorrow morning if that works for you.
Eustace
[Sure, he could ask questions now, but if they're going to meet and talk, he can save it for then.]
[In just a few short days, a lot has happened. Too much, if Tifa is honest. It's one thing to have as busy a life as they do, taking care of the café, odd jobs, and all the animals that are in their care, but it's another thing entirely to go through what they just went through. The worlds bleeding into this one, Violet, and then Eustace somehow turning noctaere again and having to take him down... again. He has been out for a few days now, and Tifa has near exhausted herself by taking care of him, staying at his side, laying awake and keeping an eye on him, all at the chagrin of the dragons who have come to help heal him.
The worst part of it all is... no one seems to have any answers. Though the nostilium had been not so different from what she felt the first time, the way it had come about was. After Violet had given herself up to feed Eustace the dreamotion that she had left, and Tifa had tried to give her own, she thought that they were safe. That he would be safe. That, when all was said and done, they would be able to grieve the loss of Violet properly, and help the town restore itself... but now here they are, stuck on this floating island far from the city that he tried to raze to the ground, and she has gone three days without a single answer, and barely a wink of sleep.
Three days without him.
Three days of tears and tears until she cried her eyes dry, and without the comfort and sturdiness of his touch, and the reassurance that they will be okay. That he will be okay. They can say it all they want, and she will hold out hope, but until he wakes up, there will always be that small seed of doubt that she cannot shake off.
There will be questions that are left unanswered.
On the third day is when he finally awakens, and the relief that Tifa feels so palpable. It manifests in starflowers that bloom throughout their room, the warmth that ripples, and the squeeze of her arms tight around his shoulders. She would give him room to breathe soon enough, she just wants to give herself a moment to relish in the joy that she feels—as well as the fear beneath it all—that he has finally woken up. It's been a whirlwind of a week, and for the first time, Tifa finally feels like she can reach out and almost touch that little bit of peace she longs for again. She isn't quite there yet, but it is there. She can see the light at the end.
A little bit of hope.
In his confusion, she explains to him where they are and why they were brought here, and what had happened in the moments leading up to his unconsciousness. With the town still recovering and the risk still high, this was the safest place to hide away. And with their healing springs, it would be no time at all he would be up and at 'em again, as the dragons put it. She wanted so badly to believe them.
After eating some food and cleaning up, the two of them head to the private pool just outside of their room where the hot spring awaits them. She hadn't used them herself—she decided that she would wait—so climbing into it immediately feels soothing against her tired, aching bones and on her skin, the heat doing wonders already to relax her limbs as she takes him by his hand and leads Eustace to a spot where they can sit and relax near the edge.
It's there that she threads their fingers together and lowers her head to rest on his shoulder... At long last.
[He is still...so very confused about what all transpired. Confused and concerned as to how it all happened. His memories are fragmented, only able to remember bits and pieces of the moment he felt his body changing to the intermittent flashes as he tried to take back control of his body. So as he sits in the water, his eyes goes to his right arm, still bearing the black scales of his transformation but thankfully without the claws, before going to Tifa and closing his eyes wearily.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
flamekthunder) wrote2025-04-07 09:12 pm
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There is also a note nestled in the foodstuffs which says, carefully handwritten: ]
Dear Eustace,
I hope you enjoy these small goods. I felt it might be nice to extend the holiday spirit for just a bit longer. There are treats for your various canine friends as well - please let me know how they like them!
Take care and stay warm!
Oriphi
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Oriphi,
Thank you for the gift. Everything was well received and they may end up begging you for more the next time they see you. I also have something to give you, so expect one of the dogs to deliver it soon.
Eustace
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DELIVERY !!!!
Hey, Eustace. This is for all of your corgi friends.
I hope it will be of use to them.
- nier
sender: eustace
Nier,
Thank you for the toys and treats. I've already handed out a couple to them for now and will be saving the rest for the future.
You're always welcome to stop by anytime to visit them.
Eustace
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[Text]
Waking to a book at her bedside, however, involving the wacky misadventures of Beashrek and Eustona, she can only suspect Eustace possibly left it there either to very deliberately annoy her, or as some poor attempt at comedy.]
Eustace, is this book yours.
[Distantly, it's occurred to her that he isn't responsible at all, but she can't imagine anyone else having a reason for doing any such thing. Logically, it makes sense that it's come from him.]
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What book?
[He knows very well which book she's talking about.]
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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...]
warning for some weird spice??? idk save me... 2/4
There sits Eustace, shirtless, his skin glistening with sweat. She can see the beads of them falling over the muscles in his neck, how his lean shoulders shine whenever he moves... Tifa immediately feels her throat dry up, and a sharp twinge of heat pool in her stomach. She lets out a sigh as she watches him, but he doesn’t seem to notice her standing there...
Because in his hands, he holds his gun. Flamek. He seems to be too preoccupied with cleaning it—a task she's seen him do plenty of times before, but this time... this time feels different. Her gaze roves over him, drinking him in. From his neck to his shoulders, his lean arms, all the way down to his hands as they deftly glide over the gun's metal barrel. She watches as his fingers, so strong and so firm, wipe away every last piece of dust before he brings it close to his mouth and... breathes on it. When she hears that puff of air pass over his parted lips, as if he were breathing into her ear instead, she feels her own catch in her throat, and she gasps with him.
Shivers shoot up her spine when he picks up the cloth and polishes it, the steel shining brilliantly in the sun. The way his hands curl over the weapon, so delicately, so lovingly, makes her knees tremble. It's so much like how he moves them when he's touching her...
And that's when she feels it.
Something dark, something twisted that's rooted deep within her resurfacing again. It makes her blood run hot and her mind white out with an uncharacteristic fury. Her chest suddenly feels heavy, her face warm and red, and her lungs like they've run out of air. Her heart beats so furiously that she fears it might burst right out of her. But why...? She's seen him with Flamek, cleaning it, so many times before. She's seen him use it, and never has it ever provoked such a visceral reaction out of her. Such an ugly feeling that boils in her core and wipes her mind clean of everything but what she sees before her—
Him holding the gun close to his lips. A shudder passes over her as his long fingers dip a thin cloth into the gun's barrel to clean its insides. It's the way they slide so easily out only to drive back in again and again, each time a little deeper that has her still frozen... But she's so mesmerized that she can't take her eyes away, no matter what kind of terrible things it stirs in her. She watches, with dreadful anticipation, as his lips part to murmur something to it...
"I'll never let you go..." She feels her heart leap up into her throat and choke her. She's heard those words before... uttered to her. They were meant for her. "You're the one thing I truly call my partner," he goes on, as if she isn't there. "The one thing I wholly trust..."
Tifa tries to shake her head at that. At the words that she refuses to give any more meaning to, or the emotions that she felt when she heard them. She didn't like them. She still doesn't like them. No, she's just imagining this. It's all just a dream, right? A stupid dream and nothing more.
Her eyes screw shut in an attempt to wake herself up from this miserable place. She blinks hard, again, and then again, but when she opens them and checks, she's still standing in the doorway of the cottage, unable to move her feet. Unable to move her body to lunge forward and slap the gun right out of his hands. Unable to take its place.
But when her vision adjusts...
...????????
Eustace is no longer holding a gun, but... a woman? An Erune, no doubt, with ears just like his that prick in Tifa's direction. She's curvy with the longest legs she's ever seen, hair so long that it cascades down her arched back like water. She's confident, graceful, beautiful—the kind of beautiful that Tifa always wished she could be, and this beautiful woman is on Eustace's lap, straddling him with her legs wrapped around his body. His hands slide from the nape of her neck all the way down her bared back, over the curves of her hips where he stops to squeeze.
She leans in over him, bringing her mouth close to his to breathe him in, but her eyes, bright and playful and reflecting the same deep lust in Eustace's—that same one that he only ever holds for Tifa—fix on her at the door. They never once break from Tifa's gaze as Eustace's lips and teeth graze over her jaw and he growls into the crook of her neck.
"I've chosen you..." Tifa's breathing stops when he says the words—to her... to her!—and when the woman winks and presses a coy finger to her lips. "As my partner for life. ... You're mine."
And that's when Tifa finally finds her voice.]
STOP!
[She refuses to suffer through any more of this!
The entire room comes to a grinding halt, the image of them so, so close to sharing a heated kiss frozen in time before it all starts to spin and vanish around her, swirling with fire as it burns away into something else. And in the background, she can hear... are those church bells...?]
3/4 💒
4/4 ok i'm done
LMFAO STILL WHEEZING
STILL CRYING
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Sender: Susato Mikotoba
She has stopped checking on the dogs quite as much with Ori, though it was still a shock to find two of them at Ferran's. Considering everything that happened in the moonscape, she supposes she can understand, though she still can't be sure if sending the dogs was Eustace's doing. ]
I've found Rhonwhen and Iris.
[ Her handwriting is as neat as ever. After a small pause, she adds: ]
At Ferran's house
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I had tried contacting Ferran earlier, but when I didn't receive a response I sent Rhonwhen to do a check.
However, I'm not sure why Iris is there. She must have seen her and decided to join...she did seem familiar with Ferran, now that I think about it.
["Seem familiar" more like bothered him around and tried to be FRANDS at him like she usually is.]
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1/2
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🍂🔥 here to cash in a dollar for breezy, shameless autumn fluff
Not that Tifa has anything to complain about, but today... today, she's decided that she wants to turn it into something more fun and special. What's the occasion? Does she need one, besides simply wanting to spend a special evening with him and the dogs? Nope.
When she sneaks away after returning home in the evening from the Harvest while he's getting cleaned up, Eustace might wonder where she's gone. He won't have to look far, though. He might even hear the early cracklings of a fire as she prepares for it on the grass behind their tree. Or maybe he'll smell the flames and the food. Or hear the younger dogs who accompanied Tifa outside barking up at him to come see when he's out, and her immediately hissing at them to be quiet because it's a surprise...!
Because she's created and lit a makeshift firepit in their "yard", tucked away from the prying eyes of the town and hidden behind some branches and autumn leaves that have lowered themselves to shroud them...]
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So there's nothing more that he would like than to just curl up on the couch with Tifa for some relaxing cuddle time. Really it's a wonder that he's started to settle into this kind of lifestyle where in the past he would have gone straight to his desk and continue researching or plan for what to do for the next day. Now it's just so...homely.
Which does make him wonder where Tifa went off to when he steps out of the bathroom, knowing she was in the bedroom not long before. Did she go into the kitchen? But after changing and looking there and not seeing her, he tilts his head slightly... Before he hears the commotion. Curious he looks out towards the terrace and the faint acrid scent of smoke and wood burning reaches his nose. And stepping out, he looks over the railing to see...]
...Tifa?
[Is that a firepit...?]
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Sender: Trahearne
Will you be having a bachelor party?
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.........
Dammit he had forgotten about that since Aerith last mentioned it (and may or may not have hoped others would, too—)]
It's not necessary.
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🕺💃🎵
The lights go out and they curl up in the warmth of their bed, and Tifa slips into that spot at his side that she always fits into so perfectly where she can easily reach his neck and his hair to nuzzle her face into to keep her nose warm... And where she can whisper sweet nothings to him until they both doze off.
But just before that sleepiness comes over her completely, a thought suddenly occurs to her, and as she stirs, Tifa mumbles quietly into his ear to check if he's still awake.]
... Hmm. Eustace?
[He likely is—he seems to always make sure that she's fast asleep before he goes, too—but she wants to be sure not to startle him in the event that he isn't.]
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So he's a little surprised when he hears her speak up and just answers with a drowzy hum.]
Hm...? What's up.
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sender: beat
you got a minute?
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delivery; CRIMMUS
[ Susato knowing where her friends live means she can easily sneak over when she thinks no one is looking, like some old-timey Victorian Santa Claus. Case in point: one morning, within the week of Christmas, Tifa and Eustace will wake up to find that there is a rather large gift at their doorstep, wrapped in very Susato-flavored pink and purple colors. The box is pretty light, all things considered, and attached is a note on a tag that's shaped like a cherry blossom flower: ]
To: Mr and Mrs Lockhart
Happy Christmas! I hope you enjoy the gifts, but I suspect that a certain culprit may enjoy it more than even you. [ WHO DOES SHE MEAN? They're free to decide. ] Just don't allow the pups to chew them up too badly, please. They are too cute to be destroyed!
Love,
Susato Mikotoba
[ When they open the box, it will be immediately obvious what she means, as they will find a set of large, fluffy corgi pillows staring back at them. There aren't 13, but there are more than enough.
There isn't even much room for any paper filling, but at the bottom of the box, there's a smaller box especially labeled for Tifa. Inside, she will find a set of yellow pens topped with what look like yellow lilies. The texture of them feels exactly like the real flower--and they glow in the dark, too.
When she writes with them, the ink comes out in whatever colour she may need or imagine. Eustace can borrow one sometimes, if he needs it... she guesses.
(It's up to Tifa.) ]
☕
Of course, it wouldn't be Eustace and Tifa without some busyness. It was promised that after the wedding and into the new year, they would both start thinking hard about their future together. Their journey onto the train car had only switched Tifa into high gear, and when he had given her the deed to the place that would one day become the home of her dream, she knew exactly what she wanted to do next.
Today would be the day that she first stepped foot inside after many, many months. They had looked around together in the fall for places that would suit what she was looking for, and while the place she had chosen was a bit of a fixer-upper, with some work, she knows it would turn into the place she's always wanted. It was hard not to love it—it was the biggest lot in the area that backed out into a small, private garden, there was plenty of room across to turn the space into something beautiful, and it was quiet, set far enough away from the plaza that they didn't get much of the noise that came from it while still being close enough to the residential district that they weren't completely out of the way.
It's a bit strange now that she's here, however. Now that this is their place...
Her fingers reach for the handle of the door, but as soon as she touches the cold steel, she stops and pulls it back.
...]
Sorry. [She offers Eustace a small, awkward laugh as she gently backs up into him.] Don't know why I'm so nervous all of a sudden.
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Gently he takes the hand that had fallen, fingers rubbing against hers.]
It's a big step. But I'm here with you.
[And with a reassuring smile, he places her hand back on the handle.]
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CRASHES INTO HERE
Popping up inside of the journal is your very own, bonafide, original artwork from yours truly!! ]
Eustace, look! It's Ivor, Aerona, and Bri! I wanted to draw more, but I ran out of room... I hope you like it!
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Is... Is this how it would feel...if he had a daughter and she gave him a drawing...
Oh primals is he going to start viewing Lyria more like a daughter than a sister now what has happened to him—]
It's cute.
[He finally managed to pen some words.]
Very cute.
[So much so he wants to tear it off, frame it, hang it somewhere—
NO WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM]
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Happy Valentine's Day!
Attached to the bag is a card, decorated front to back with bright colors. On the back however, is a small crayoned drawing of three figures- one smaller than the other two as they figures seem to be holding hands. Simple words written in bright pink:]
text
First, congratulations on getting married, I had no idea. Your wife was so nice to me.
Secondly, I think I met someone who could maybe give you some interesting information. A gentleman named Baldr was telling me about how he had something similar happen to his own world. People from other worlds were drawn in there on purpose, but they weren't their original bodies. They were echoes, or copies, or whatever you'd like to call it, sort of like how we are here.
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[A bit strange he thinks, but he'll appreciate it regardless. More importantly.]
And I'll follow-up on this. It does sound similar to our situation and anything would be useful at this point.
I take it this is from your own inquiries made earlier.
[He had seen the post!! Also this conversation with Baldr will be a little funny since he's spoken with Nuadha, just on a slightly different topic.]
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Sender: Trahearne | Private
I hear the voice.
I'm going to the jungle to investigate. I doubt it's anything significant, but just in case.
- T
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You're not going alone. Where are you?
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Sender: Cloud Strife | backdated to mid-June
[Yep, that's it.]
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Somehow.
[Written tongue-in-cheek before he adds another line.]
I owe you for the help.
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🧊
Though, she may come to regret that when she returns home.]
I'm back... finally.
[Her voice is weary, beat, and she understands why there are no paws tapping against the floor to come and greet her at the door. Though...
It is awfully quiet for a Sunday when everyone is supposed to be home.
...]
Eustace? Hello...?
[Anyone!?]
no subject
And there....
It looks like some great tragedy has happened.
In the middle of the floor is Eustace lying face down, arms and legs spread out. He's wearing loose clothing, but the completely open back reveals his dark skin glistening from his sweat. His hair is also flat and hanging from his head, completely soaked in water in what was clearly an attempt to keep himself cool. Around him are some of the dogs who hadn't taken refuge down at the base of the tree. Eria herself also looks as if she's melting on the couch, but she's making some attempts in keeping the room cool. Yet even the cool air that is focused on Eustace does little more than give a brief reprieve.]
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[Text]
We don't like each other, and we don't enjoy one another's company. I intend to keep it that way regardless of your reply.
However, I require your assistance.
[Text]
What is it?
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:D
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after the halloween carnival. 🦇
And then there was that strange creature that had tried to... bite her? Only for Eustace to have shooed it off.
Needless to say, she's exhausted, and as comfortable and cute as her outfit was, she's glad to finally be changing out of it and putting it away with the rest of the costumes to pull out again for another event that will no doubt roll in where they can use them.
...
And it's only then, as she hangs it all up at the back of their closet that she sees that flash of red...]
Huh...
[It's a breathless sound of curiosity, and although the shower is still running, she still glances over her shoulder to double check that Eustace is preoccupied before she's pulling out the old costume... the one from their very first Halloween here. Before he even knew who she was or why she was so surprised to find him on the pier only a month before.
It's funny, how something so simple could stir so many memories, as her fingers roam over the different light fabrics. How easily she can remember the events that had unfolded that night, and how it had been the first time she'd felt his breath on her skin...
...
It brings a sharp tingle that shoots up and down her spine, Tifa shivering even in the warmth of their bedroom.
She had no idea back then, did she? No idea what sort of thoughts this costume and those memories would awaken in her as she holds it in her hands two whole years later...
By the time Eustace is out, she is already waiting for him in bed, hiding with the covers pulled up halfway over her face to hide the flush that's crept up over her chest, neck, and into her cheeks. Not so out of the ordinary, but what is different is that the costume is laid out on his side of the bed, and her eyes will follow him, watching and waiting, half eager, half embarrassed, for his reaction...]
no subject
Why are you...
....
[And that's when he sees the costume.
.....
............
AND QUICKLY PROCEEDS TO GRAB IT TO SHOVE IT BACK IN THE CLOSET—]
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[TEXT]
Good evening! This is Eustace, right? From the beach?
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[Judging by the sender name ID, anyway.]
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> ACTION
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backdated to the beginning of December, oop-
Eustace, you haven't seen Sandalphon around lately, have you?
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Now that you mention it, no. I assumed he was keeping to himself. Have you tried reaching out to him?
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( → continued from here. )
[It didn't take long for their heads to hit the pillows when they got back. After sharing a hot bath together to soak and warm up, it was straight under the many blankets that they were given, much to Tifa's relief. She could use the warmth, but nothing could compare to him sleeping next to her, their arms around each other, her head on his chest, as they both quickly doze off.
She does wake up several times during their sleep, or maybe she hadn't completely fallen asleep at all. Every once in a while she opens her eyes to check on him... to press a light kiss to the nearest part of him that she can reach, to brush his hair back, to caress his face. To make sure that nothing has come for him in the dark. He is still here, sleeping soundly, and that's as much as she can ask for right now.
But she would be lying if she said she wasn't a little scared, and that's what keeps her up for the most part. She knows that the nightmare energy could put some stress on a person, but what she saw from him in the dreamscape was... different. Not quite like himself. He was irritable, a little aggressive, and that heat that he had tried to warm her hands with... it didn't burn, but it was blistering hot. Dangerously so, and it might have burned her had she not been able to pull away fast enough.
It makes her uneasy, thinking about it, and so she tries to push it back for now, chalking it up to him being tired and all of that nightmare energy that he had to absorb and control... She's going to have to stop fretting so much if she wants to get any sort of rest.
At some point, she does manage to fall asleep again... though how long that will last, who knows...]
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Perhaps more than he should have, but he was one of the few people who know how to handle and resist most of the effects.
But as the day wore on, he did notice what started as a small prick slowly grew to more of a throbbing ache at the back of his neck. He would roll his shoulders and rub it on his occasion, but it only ever faded when he was with Tifa. Thus he could only assume it was some sensitivity to the environment, and even now back home it had faded as if it never existed at all.
So he is quite happy to hug Tifa close to him, her warmth that soothing salve he desperately wanted and needed...and also wished to once again apologize for what happened earlier during their time in the dreamscape, kissing her fingertips before they fully settled in. To have grown that impatient and irritable, to let his emotions get the better of him and almost hurt her... While it made him learn his limits and the signs to look for, to have had her go through it first still upsets him a bit, the guilt likely never going away for a long while.
It's with with these heavier thoughts and emotions as well as that exhaustion that makes him fall asleep quickly. And for a while it's a dreamless sleep, or if he did dream it was nothing of importance. Just random scenes that he would likely forget upon waking. Normal.
But at some point, in the later hours of the night, Eustace will flinch and stir in his sleep, but not awaken. He will even start to groan, his breathing more labored as his temperature drops to a cold chill, yet beads of sweat are forming despite it.]
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💞 valentine's date.
And somehow, on the way, Tifa is suddenly plagued with small, bubbly hearts that follow her wherever she goes. Why? She has no idea, but she's been trying to pop them whenever they appear, only for more to form.
Just going to ignore those as they walk through the streets of Dragefjell. It's been quite some time since they last visited, and the place has changed and grew since then. The streets are busier, the shops are brighter, and it seems that even they have come out for the lovers specials, some stalls celebrating love the way that Reverein down below is.
Waving another bubble that appears when she glances up at Eustace, her eyes spark with excitement.]
Where should we go first? Somewhere to eat?
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Hm... Are you hungry?
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[TEXT][backdated to beginning of April]
I trust this missive finds you well.
Might I request an audience at your earliest convenience? There is a matter of import that I would like to speak with you about. It involves the incident in Orkili from a few months prior to today.
With respect and earnest regard,
Joshua
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Joshua,
I can make some time tomorrow morning if that works for you.
Eustace
[Sure, he could ask questions now, but if they're going to meet and talk, he can save it for then.]
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[TO ACTION]
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post-nocstace 2.0 💞
The worst part of it all is... no one seems to have any answers. Though the nostilium had been not so different from what she felt the first time, the way it had come about was. After Violet had given herself up to feed Eustace the dreamotion that she had left, and Tifa had tried to give her own, she thought that they were safe. That he would be safe. That, when all was said and done, they would be able to grieve the loss of Violet properly, and help the town restore itself... but now here they are, stuck on this floating island far from the city that he tried to raze to the ground, and she has gone three days without a single answer, and barely a wink of sleep.
Three days without him.
Three days of tears and tears until she cried her eyes dry, and without the comfort and sturdiness of his touch, and the reassurance that they will be okay. That he will be okay. They can say it all they want, and she will hold out hope, but until he wakes up, there will always be that small seed of doubt that she cannot shake off.
There will be questions that are left unanswered.
On the third day is when he finally awakens, and the relief that Tifa feels so palpable. It manifests in starflowers that bloom throughout their room, the warmth that ripples, and the squeeze of her arms tight around his shoulders. She would give him room to breathe soon enough, she just wants to give herself a moment to relish in the joy that she feels—as well as the fear beneath it all—that he has finally woken up. It's been a whirlwind of a week, and for the first time, Tifa finally feels like she can reach out and almost touch that little bit of peace she longs for again. She isn't quite there yet, but it is there. She can see the light at the end.
A little bit of hope.
In his confusion, she explains to him where they are and why they were brought here, and what had happened in the moments leading up to his unconsciousness. With the town still recovering and the risk still high, this was the safest place to hide away. And with their healing springs, it would be no time at all he would be up and at 'em again, as the dragons put it. She wanted so badly to believe them.
After eating some food and cleaning up, the two of them head to the private pool just outside of their room where the hot spring awaits them. She hadn't used them herself—she decided that she would wait—so climbing into it immediately feels soothing against her tired, aching bones and on her skin, the heat doing wonders already to relax her limbs as she takes him by his hand and leads Eustace to a spot where they can sit and relax near the edge.
It's there that she threads their fingers together and lowers her head to rest on his shoulder... At long last.
She draws in a long, deep breath.]
... Finally.
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...Were you really not hurt through it all?
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