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[flamekthunder]

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[flamekthunder]

[Eustace is just going to ignore the dogs who just turn their heads away...

After finally catching his breath, he looks down at Tifa.]

Sorry...are you all—

[However his words die on his lips when he fully registers the state of her hair. Normally such a thing wouldn't distract him, but whoa.]

[starshower]

[...

....

Tifa blinks back up at him, that surprise fading into confusion with the way his words fall away and the way he's looking at her.]

... W-what?

[Now she's feeling self-conscious. Why is he staring at her like this?]

[flamekthunder]

Ah...

...Your hair...

[Melody comes over now that grandparents are not being weird and paws at the frizzy bits.]

[starshower]

My...? Ow—!

[Melody gives a good tug when she gets caught in the tangled mess.

But that isn't all, and as Tifa tries to shoo the pup away with one hand (with no luck), she points up at Eustace's.]

But your hair... I-is it really that bad?

[SURELY not as bad as his???]

[flamekthunder]

I have no idea about mine... But it's... Hm...

[Just a glance away as his mouth twitches a little.]

[starshower]

[Tifa's brow furrows.]

Wait...

[She sees that familiar twitch of his lip, and the way he looks away from her.]

Are you about to laugh at me?

[WOW, SHE DID HER BEST NOT TO LAUGH AT HIM???]

[flamekthunder]

...No.

[Yes.]

[starshower]

[This sly wolf... And here she was trying to save his pride by stifling her own shock (and maybe some giggles) and how much volume his hair had and he's not even trying!? Well, now that the cat's out of the bag and her face is as red as a tomato, Tifa's own eyes gain a new glint, even if she tries to pretend to remain stern about his attitude.]

Yeah? Well...

[And with her hands, she shoves her fingers into his hair and gives it a good ruffle.]

[flamekthunder]

Hey...!

[His head is ruffled and it's only through thick bangs that he finally gets an idea.

Specifically, how thick and frazzled it looks.]

...Mine, too, huh.

[starshower]

[And there's the Eustace she knows and adores so very much, ad now that she's gotten a little bit of a smile out of him, she can rest a bit easier too, but she keeps her fingers in his hair, nails brushing and scratching gently at the base of his ears while she watches in awe as it all turns into a great big mop.]

You look like Eria does after she has a bath.

[She hears the wolf in question bark quietly in protest at her.]

... Are you sure you don't wanna try a cool bath? Or shower? It's pretty bad.

[As bad as hers? Well, she has no idea but probably not.]

[flamekthunder]

It's not that I don't want to... I just...

[A small mutter as he glances away.]

...Couldn't get there...

[Translation: after coming out to the living room, the heat and humidity was too much for him to go back before he collapsed.]

[starshower]

Uh huh...

[She catches her lip between her teeth, trying to keep some of her amusement at bay. She doesn't want to wound his pride too much, it seems it has already been battered and bruised plenty today, even before she got back.]

Are you sure you don't need me to carry you there?

[Okay, maybe one last little tease.

Though, it remains to be seen whether she'll be able to get up off the floor.]

[flamekthunder]

[Just a wry look.]

Could you even get up and then move with the floor like this?

[starshower]

[And another grin back.]

If it's for you? Yeah.

[Words that she may or may not eat later. But until then, she's going to comfortably lay on the floor with him in spite of how hot it is or how sweaty they are. They've had "worse" nights.]

... But can you? You'll have to get up first.

[flamekthunder]

I'm feeling some energy returning...

[It's still so hot and he grunts as he tries to pull himself free...

...

Which is incredibly hard with how sticky it is.]

Hold on... ...I'm going to try and use my dreamotion.

[starshower]

[Tifa's eyes close at the weird sensation... Even with the clothes separating them, the skin that does touch... She can't tell if it's more sticky or slippery, but she remains perfectly still as he moves, watching as some of her hair clings to him.]

Okay, but don't push yourself if you can't...

[She's already a little concerned...........

Not because she doesn't trust him, but because she knows how dreamotion can go a little haywire when things are like this.]

[flamekthunder]

I should be handle this much now...

[...But... Hm.]

I can either try using water to try and wash some of this substance off... Or freeze it all.

[starshower]

["Substance"... As if this isn't just their own sweat reacting to the world around them. Something she didn't know that it could do, and not something she wants to think about ever again after this.]

Do whatever you need to.

[If it means freezing her a little, then so be it. Honestly? She'd welcome it at this point—he is like a walking radiator turned up to maximum in the heat.

Which reminds her...]

... I'm sorry I'm not much help.

[flamekthunder]

No, it's...

[....

Well. She is more "fire" oriented, cough. So he'll just glance at her before clearing his throat.]

I'll try water first. It'll make freezing things easier if it doesn't work out.

[And with some effort, he'll move his hand to lightly touch the sticky floor...ugh. It's like touching honey or molasses... He's starting to wonder if the water would really do much, but maybe if it's cool it'll at least give them some relief and wash some of their sweat off.

So with a bit of concentration, cool water flows out, rushing around them and over the floor.]

[starshower]

[Beneath him, Tifa's whole body shivers from the sudden cold. It's both a relief and a surprise, and while it is easing in the moment that it touches her, it doesn't take long before it, too, grows warmer. It does, however, help to loosen them from the floor...

...

Only not in the way she might have hoped, because as soon as she tries to test by moving her hands—no stick, at least!—they slide right back out from under her and sends her head against the floor.]

[flamekthunder]

Wait—!

[Eustace was about to warn her when he sees her slipping, and he desperate tries to stretch out his hand to catch her head so it doesn't hit, but he only partially makes it.]

...Are you okay?

[starshower]

Y-yeah...

[She huffs out with a sheepish laugh, but it turns into a full-on giggle when she looks up at him and sees his hair, and the panicked look on front of his face. She doesn't mean to start laughing, especially given the situation, but the ridiculousness of it all has finally started to sink in as she rests her head back against his hand.

Just give her a moment.]

Sorry... [She catches her breath, her face red not just from the heat and embarrassment, but from the amusement now.] Spoke a little too soon...?

[flamekthunder]

[He can only stare at her wide eyed and incredulous as she starts to laugh...

...

Before he ends up joining her, his own lighter and a little quieter like it usually is, but there nonetheless.]

No... It's fine. The water helped, but not so much in giving us traction.

[He looks down at her with a smile before looking back on the mess on the floor.]

Ice will give us the same problem... But maybe we can work together.

What if I froze it, but you break it with the vines? That everything will remain in the ice and it won't melt, giving us a chance to at least get up.

[starshower]

[The laughter probably doesn't help because it only adds more of that warm buzz around them—the same kind that always comes to life when she hears his laugh, sees him smile like that. She can't help but get caught up in the moment for just a second longer, her fingers running through his damp hair. After all the chaos, she's just glad to see that smile again.

So when he makes his suggestion, it takes Tifa an extra second or two to drop back into reality and realize what he's asking her to do.]

I can do that. But... [She bites down on her lip, another grin forming.] ... I might need a little boost for the vines.

[flamekthunder]

A boost?

[He looks at her confused before he sees that grin and look in her eye... And then realization hits, his own grin forming as he lowers his face closer towards her.]

Just a little one, hm?







[By the couch, groans can be heard.]