[She's going to just kiss that cheeky grin right off his face. Or try to, as she gets up on her tiptoes and steals a peck on the lips when he leans in.]
That's why... [Tifa begins with a light roll of her shoulders, and her gaze momentarily wanders up to the stars that are twinkling right over their heads within reach.] I figured we could practice in here rather than in our house.
[Because yes, she did think about that. Everything has been fine so far, but she didn't want to risk it.]
[She had kind of forgotten that they were standing in the middle of her bar. With the lights dimmed and the stars twinkling like the night sky, she had been so wrapped up in the atmosphere that she's a little embarrassed now.
So, she'll clear her throat and take him by the hand to lead him out the doors to a Sector Seven that he'll recognize from that night they walked through it together. Only this time, there's not a single soul around but them. The plate hangs above, the neon lights flash and blink on the storefronts, and she thinks...]
[He follows her out, the silence of no one else around a little strange, but not unwelcome as it really makes it feel it's just the two of them. And when she asks her question, he just smiles.]
[Those words... strike something surprising in Tifa. Something much more profound and meaningful than perhaps he had meant it to be.
"It's your dream," he says, but little does he realize that it's not just a dream in the tangible sense, in the way that this place has manifested before them. Everything about what they are doing, what they are about to do... and not just in this dreamscape but back in their lives in Reverein... it's all been her dream since she realized that she wanted to spend the rest of her days with him.
And now, she finally gets to make all that a reality. In more ways than one.
It's with misted over eyes that she leads him down the front steps of the bar, keeping her back to him to hide that smile that's spreading wide, and the glassiness of her eyes. She closes them and tries to imagine it all again—the stars, mainly, and slowly, they begin to form all over again like they had in the bar.
[With her back to him, he doesn't notice how much his words had affect her, not even realizing she could have taken them with such a deeper meaning. Instead he continues to follow her out and waits for to recreate the stars above them. So at her words, he looks up.]
Hm... Something like this?
[Once more the sparkling snowflakes fill the air, twinkling like stars as they drift around them.]
[Tifa stares up in awe, flinching back with a giggle when one of the snowflakes lands on and chills the tip of her nose, chasing away some of that flushed warmth that's starting to settle there again.
She remembers that night he showed them to her. It's a bittersweet memory now, far in the past, but she will never not fall in love with the way they sparkle.]
Just like that. Much better.
[When she spins to face him again, he might catch the glassy look over her eyes when she smiles at him.]
From the top then?
[Is she just looking for an excuse to keep dancing with him? Absolutely.
There's a sound that echoes through the air, like a new record that's about to play over the speakers all through Midgar...]
[He can't help but laugh a little when she spins around, but he does notice the look in her eyes. It makes him pause, wondering why it's there. She's clearly not upset, but...
...
Expression softening a little, he reaches out to her to pull her back into their dance position, but he's searching her face, trying to make sense of it.]
...Are you feeling all right?
[He wants to believe it's out happiness or joy, but...given where they are, it wouldn't be impossible if there was something more bittersweet.]
[There's a humming in the air, but the music waits even as Tifa steps up to him again, her hand finding its place on his shoulder while the other slips back into his.]
Yeah. I am.
[Though, she tries to blink back a few tears forming in the corners of her eyes.]
Everything is just... perfect. That's all.
[If it's perfect now, then she wonders what kind of an emotional mess she's going to be at their wedding, when she's pronounced his wife, and they get to dance and celebrate with all of the people they've come to care for here. It's a lot to think about, but it makes her overwhelmed with joy. Even just standing here right now, in an empty Sector Seven with the music cued up makes her unbearably happy. Simply because she's here with him.]
[There's that familiar ripple and twinge of warmth as he looks down at her, and rather than let her go he just leans down to brush his lips against the corner of her eye, catching the ones that threaten to fall.]
I'm glad.
[That she feels this way...that he's able to give her this—this life, this love. To let her experience this joy and happiness...and that he could be a part of it.]
[She closes her eyes, and while no tears fall, the warmth of his lips there is as comforting as it always is. There's nothing in this place right now that could bring down this whimsical, dreamy high that she's riding, and as the music starts to play all around them, as if every single speaker in Sector Seven is playing the same song, she leans up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
... And then suddenly leads them into the steps all over again.]
For someone who hasn't really danced like this before, how am I doing?
[Now she's just self-conscious about stepping on his feet! But she's able to shake it off quickly with a laugh.]
I guess I just had a great teacher. Got the hang of it pretty—whoops!
[She does trip a little then. She doesn't step on his toes, but her feet fumble a little now that she's paying more attention to where they are, and she catches herself with her hands gripping his coat. There's a small pop! as one of the little stars nearby explodes into a single firework.]
[She murmurs quietly with a sigh against his lips, but she can feel her pulse already racing again at their closeness. There's a surge of heat that picks up around them in a hot breeze, and it swirls the stars and the snowflakes around, and Tifa waits with bated breath to see if any more of those stars will crackle and explode...
...
...
So far, so good. Her eyes move up to his, and she brushes their lips together again, and—
Pop!
That one startles her as it's right near her ear.]
[His laugh is a little louder this time before he looks down at her, his eyes seeming to sparkle a little with the lights and snow twinkling around them.]
All right, I'll stop.
[She's just so easy to tease...and he only ever feels so careless and carefree when he's around her. To relax and fool around, acting a little differently than he usually does. It's coming out more and more, little by little with others, but it's really only because of her that it is.
So he loosens his grip and readjusts his hands to properly her, guiding her back into the dance.]
[Her hand gives the side of his face a gentle pat before it moves back to rest on his shoulder, and as he brings her back into the dance, she realizes that there's no shortage of stars for them. As they start the dance over again, Tifa peeks up every now and then to see that the number of them grows, more and more blinking to life right over their heads whenever she looks at him. So many that they've started to twinkle around them too, and it's like they're dancing with the stars rather than beneath them.
A few of them do crack like fireworks when Eustace twirls her, or when their noses touch, or when she spots the softness in his expression and behind his eyes. Or if he does end up teasing her again...
By the time they start to reach the climax of the song, she already has rosy cheeks and is almost breathless with joy. And she's only tripped again once! They're surrounded by little lights, snowflakes, and the flames and lightning from before are snapping through the air again, whirling around for added effect.
Tifa watches it all before she's turning back to him as the song builds...]
[With each step and flourish, although it's subtle and not too overwhelming, he does feel a gentle build up of his general feelings for Tifa, especially as he watches her expressions and seeing how happy and content she is. All of which is reflected in the atmosphere around them. The flickering lights, the crackling snowflakes, the occasional pops—they all elicit soft smiles, warm chuckles, and the temptation to pull her in closer. Again he can only quietly marvel at how he's able to have this kind of experience of joy and love, a life with another. He never would have thought of it, not even in a dream.
Which just makes this all the more meaningful and special for him. His once cold, broken heart now warm and healed.
Until at last they reach that moment and with only a mischievous smile and a glint in his eyes as her "warning" of what's to come. The winds build around them, scattering the flower petals and snowflakes further up and around them as the electricity in each snowflake crackle brighter to illuminate them. At the right moment, Eustace lifts Tifa up for spin, pivoting on his heel in place so that the skirt of her dress flares out for two revolutions before he drops her down just enough so that he can catch her with a kiss.
Surely that should cause a few explosions of dreamotion, and if so it would be a colorful mix of ice, lightning, and fire.]
[It certainly does create an eruption of dreamotion—one much bigger than she anticipated as he lifts her for those spins, and brings her in for a kiss with his arms completely and wholly embracing her. Every star that they've created, every little snowflake that flutters in that warm breeze, every flame and burst of electricity burst into a skyscape of fireworks that completely drown them in shades of red, purple, blue, and yellow.
And at the same time their lips meet, flames swirl around them and flare outward, lighting up the ground in the shape of a starflower.
Yet, even as the spectacle happens all around them, Tifa holds him to their kiss, her hands wrapping around to the back of his head to greedily keep him to her for just a little big longer before she frees him. She does want to see what they've created, and her eyes go wide and her mouth falls open in awe when she looks up, her laughter bubbling up in her chest and bursting out of her.]
There are hundreds of them...!
[The fireworks go off in sequences, like one sets off the next and then the next, until—]
Ah—!
[Several of them crackle and pop right next to them, setting off another chain reaction. It startles her, and she clings to Eustace as if he were a lifeline and a shield.]
[They are anything but harmful—whenever one spark or flame or firework comes close enough that it brushes her skin, it tingles and leaves her feeling giddy and warm.]
Is it...? That was bigger than I thought it would be...
[They are completely surrounded by stars, and even from here, she can barely see the steel plate over their heads from behind them, the lights and fireworks completely shrouding them from the rest of the world.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
flamekthunder) wrote2025-04-07 09:12 pm
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That's why... [Tifa begins with a light roll of her shoulders, and her gaze momentarily wanders up to the stars that are twinkling right over their heads within reach.] I figured we could practice in here rather than in our house.
[Because yes, she did think about that. Everything has been fine so far, but she didn't want to risk it.]
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We'd still have to practice outside of the dream...but it's not a bad idea.
So what kind of "explosive" finale are you thinking of?
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Fireworks.
[Literal fireworks. With fire and electricity...]
Kind of like this... She gestures to the flames and arcs of lightning that continue to spark and swirl around them. But with a little more...
[Gently, Tifa bumps a fist against his chest as she tries to find the right word.]
... Boom.
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Okay, but let's not practice in your bar. We should go outside—unless you want to risk setting a fire.
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[She had kind of forgotten that they were standing in the middle of her bar. With the lights dimmed and the stars twinkling like the night sky, she had been so wrapped up in the atmosphere that she's a little embarrassed now.
So, she'll clear her throat and take him by the hand to lead him out the doors to a Sector Seven that he'll recognize from that night they walked through it together. Only this time, there's not a single soul around but them. The plate hangs above, the neon lights flash and blink on the storefronts, and she thinks...]
Shall we set the mood out here too?
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It's your dream.
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"It's your dream," he says, but little does he realize that it's not just a dream in the tangible sense, in the way that this place has manifested before them. Everything about what they are doing, what they are about to do... and not just in this dreamscape but back in their lives in Reverein... it's all been her dream since she realized that she wanted to spend the rest of her days with him.
And now, she finally gets to make all that a reality. In more ways than one.
It's with misted over eyes that she leads him down the front steps of the bar, keeping her back to him to hide that smile that's spreading wide, and the glassiness of her eyes. She closes them and tries to imagine it all again—the stars, mainly, and slowly, they begin to form all over again like they had in the bar.
She folds her hands at her chest and beams.]
Now it just needs a touch of you.
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Hm... Something like this?
[Once more the sparkling snowflakes fill the air, twinkling like stars as they drift around them.]
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She remembers that night he showed them to her. It's a bittersweet memory now, far in the past, but she will never not fall in love with the way they sparkle.]
Just like that. Much better.
[When she spins to face him again, he might catch the glassy look over her eyes when she smiles at him.]
From the top then?
[Is she just looking for an excuse to keep dancing with him? Absolutely.
There's a sound that echoes through the air, like a new record that's about to play over the speakers all through Midgar...]
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...
Expression softening a little, he reaches out to her to pull her back into their dance position, but he's searching her face, trying to make sense of it.]
...Are you feeling all right?
[He wants to believe it's out happiness or joy, but...given where they are, it wouldn't be impossible if there was something more bittersweet.]
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Yeah. I am.
[Though, she tries to blink back a few tears forming in the corners of her eyes.]
Everything is just... perfect. That's all.
[If it's perfect now, then she wonders what kind of an emotional mess she's going to be at their wedding, when she's pronounced his wife, and they get to dance and celebrate with all of the people they've come to care for here. It's a lot to think about, but it makes her overwhelmed with joy. Even just standing here right now, in an empty Sector Seven with the music cued up makes her unbearably happy. Simply because she's here with him.]
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I'm glad.
[That she feels this way...that he's able to give her this—this life, this love. To let her experience this joy and happiness...and that he could be a part of it.]
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[She closes her eyes, and while no tears fall, the warmth of his lips there is as comforting as it always is. There's nothing in this place right now that could bring down this whimsical, dreamy high that she's riding, and as the music starts to play all around them, as if every single speaker in Sector Seven is playing the same song, she leans up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
... And then suddenly leads them into the steps all over again.]
For someone who hasn't really danced like this before, how am I doing?
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You haven't stepped on my feet yet, so that's something.
[A light cheeky grin.]
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[Now she's just self-conscious about stepping on his feet! But she's able to shake it off quickly with a laugh.]
I guess I just had a great teacher. Got the hang of it pretty—whoops!
[She does trip a little then. She doesn't step on his toes, but her feet fumble a little now that she's paying more attention to where they are, and she catches herself with her hands gripping his coat. There's a small pop! as one of the little stars nearby explodes into a single firework.]
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Spoke too soon.
[But he just grins as he just takes the opportunity to pull her in closer and bring his lips to hers, kissing her gently.]
Will you be able to stay calm enough to not let the fireworks off early...?
[A terrible tease as he nibbles on her lips, as if trying to provoke her. No, he really is trying to provoke her.]
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[She murmurs quietly with a sigh against his lips, but she can feel her pulse already racing again at their closeness. There's a surge of heat that picks up around them in a hot breeze, and it swirls the stars and the snowflakes around, and Tifa waits with bated breath to see if any more of those stars will crackle and explode...
...
...
So far, so good. Her eyes move up to his, and she brushes their lips together again, and—
Pop!
That one startles her as it's right near her ear.]
That one was your fault.
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How is it my fault? I didn't do anything.
[Except exist and tease her emotions like this. His hand may also be teasingly moving along the side of her waist.]
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... Wait until after the dance? Don't want all the stars to explode before the grand finale, do we?
[They both have to practice for the wedding!!!
And for very different reasons...]
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All right, I'll stop.
[She's just so easy to tease...and he only ever feels so careless and carefree when he's around her. To relax and fool around, acting a little differently than he usually does. It's coming out more and more, little by little with others, but it's really only because of her that it is.
So he loosens his grip and readjusts his hands to properly her, guiding her back into the dance.]
no subject
[Her hand gives the side of his face a gentle pat before it moves back to rest on his shoulder, and as he brings her back into the dance, she realizes that there's no shortage of stars for them. As they start the dance over again, Tifa peeks up every now and then to see that the number of them grows, more and more blinking to life right over their heads whenever she looks at him. So many that they've started to twinkle around them too, and it's like they're dancing with the stars rather than beneath them.
A few of them do crack like fireworks when Eustace twirls her, or when their noses touch, or when she spots the softness in his expression and behind his eyes. Or if he does end up teasing her again...
By the time they start to reach the climax of the song, she already has rosy cheeks and is almost breathless with joy. And she's only tripped again once! They're surrounded by little lights, snowflakes, and the flames and lightning from before are snapping through the air again, whirling around for added effect.
Tifa watches it all before she's turning back to him as the song builds...]
... You ready?
[She has no idea what to expect...]
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Which just makes this all the more meaningful and special for him. His once cold, broken heart now warm and healed.
Until at last they reach that moment and with only a mischievous smile and a glint in his eyes as her "warning" of what's to come. The winds build around them, scattering the flower petals and snowflakes further up and around them as the electricity in each snowflake crackle brighter to illuminate them. At the right moment, Eustace lifts Tifa up for spin, pivoting on his heel in place so that the skirt of her dress flares out for two revolutions before he drops her down just enough so that he can catch her with a kiss.
Surely that should cause a few explosions of dreamotion, and if so it would be a colorful mix of ice, lightning, and fire.]
no subject
And at the same time their lips meet, flames swirl around them and flare outward, lighting up the ground in the shape of a starflower.
Yet, even as the spectacle happens all around them, Tifa holds him to their kiss, her hands wrapping around to the back of his head to greedily keep him to her for just a little big longer before she frees him. She does want to see what they've created, and her eyes go wide and her mouth falls open in awe when she looks up, her laughter bubbling up in her chest and bursting out of her.]
There are hundreds of them...!
[The fireworks go off in sequences, like one sets off the next and then the next, until—]
Ah—!
[Several of them crackle and pop right next to them, setting off another chain reaction. It startles her, and she clings to Eustace as if he were a lifeline and a shield.]
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Too much?
[But he'll protect her in his own way, keeping a bit of wind so that the sparks don't hit them, even if they would be harmless.]
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Is it...? That was bigger than I thought it would be...
[They are completely surrounded by stars, and even from here, she can barely see the steel plate over their heads from behind them, the lights and fireworks completely shrouding them from the rest of the world.]
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~fin.