closed 🌠 i feel like i might fade into the dawn, fade until i'm gone.

[starshower]

Who: Tifa Lockhart & others.
Status: Closed catch-all.
Where: Around.
What: Tifa comes back from her canon update and runs into Eustace; Goes on a spooky trip with Zack.
Warnings: Probably lots of FFVII Rebirth spoilers (will be marked)!!!


[ If you would like a closed thread, please feel free to hit up my plotting comment! I also have an open top level for her up at the Seventh Heaven grand opening if you'd like to tag her there! ❤️ ]

Comments

⚡ for eustace. SPOILERS for rebirth up in here.

[starshower]

SPOILERS!

[The mako is thick as it bleeds into every single sense of hers, the bite of it ice cold on her skin as it bleeds through the weapon's thick, orb-like belly. It's a shock, so cold that it immediately chokes her lungs, chasing away the safety and warmth that she had been floating weightlessly in before. Sephiroth's sword had only missed her by mere inches, but it was enough for it to start seeping through. It was like her life flashed before her eyes then... Voices and faces of those most important to her telling her to take a breath. To keep going.

"You have to want it, fight for it—hard as you can."

"You can't die here. Too many still depend on you."

"Come back to us, Tifa. We've got a fight to finish."

Too many...

The voices sing in her memories, but there was one missing from them... the one that was walking away, so far and lost that she couldn't even reach out to pull him back.

—No! Don't take him, too!

And then, darkness.

Vast, terrifying darkness.

Surely, death has come for her. Wrapped around her and taken her into its embrace, and she's falling... falling... further and further to rest in the warmth of the Lifestream that is sure to follow.

That is, until the sound of waves lapping over her fills her consciousness that fades in and out. Heat bears down upon her body, kissing her wet skin, and there's something coarse clinging to her. She tries to take a breath but she can't just yet, choking on what she can only assume is the leftover mako. There's another sound in the distance that she can't quite make out, everything blurring together, but it sounds like... barking?

Wait, where is she—]

[flamekthunder]

[Eustace was returning from his evening walk with Valo, a leather bag filled with some groceries and other needed goods slung over his shoulder from the nearby market. The sun was just beginning to set, and the sound of the ocean waves helped keep the calm, relaxing atmosphere he has come to enjoy in this place. It was a nice respite from the noise and sometimes chaotic jobs he's taken on so far, and he didn't have anything lined up for the next few days, wanting to just take a break and enjoy time with Valo. Especially with everything that happened on Norhpip...

But as they near his cabin, Valo suddenly perks up his ears and starts barking, lunging forward to tug at the leash. He rarely ever behaves this way, so Eustace is caught off guard.]

What is it boy?

[It's then that he hears the sound of distant coughing and sees the person on the shore. He had noticed the figure but just assumed it was another beach goer as they pass through from time to time, but seeing the familiarity and Valo's behavior—]

...Tifa?

[He couldn't believe it, and he now breaks into a run, Valo right alongside him as he calls out.]

Tifa!

[starshower]

[The sound of barking grows closer, and as Tifa tries to take another breath, she coughs up something else this time. Water. Horrible salt water, mixed with the leftover metallic taste of mako. She hears her name and a distantly familiar voice, but it's a struggle to place it as her mind is suddenly reeling with a million other thoughts.

Does this mean that she's alive? Or is she dead? Did she somehow pass through the Lifestream to get to this place? And if so, what exactly does that mean? What does that make this? She doesn't even know where she is to begin with, and old memories begin to overlap with new ones, the cold chill and the hot sun, the sharp stench and the salty seawater, the sharp bite of mako and the soft sand between her fingers as she tries to claw her way up.

And as soon as she does manage to get halfway to her feet, weakened as she is, she sees a dog running at her, as well as...

—!?

Tifa stumbles back onto the sand, losing her balance, recognition not quite reaching her eyes yet as the panic and dread finally settle in.]

Where...!?

[flamekthunder]

[Although Valo continues to run to her, whining as he sniffs and circles her worried, Eustace is caught off guard by her reaction, her eyes seemingly not recognizing him. His own widening, he just stares at her as he slows for a moment before his expression hardens as he quickly steps to her.]

You're on Nogard, on the beach in front of my cabin. How did you get here? Did you fall off a ship and get washed ashore?

[As a number of possibliities suddenly race through his mind, he tries tor each down to help her up.]

[starshower]

I don't—

[Tifa stares up at him, taking his hand anyway and using it to help herself up, the dog circling and sniffing her only working to spike her worries. Her mind is foggy, and she doesn't know if it's the poison from the mako or something else, but all of that feels so distant now. Distant, as recognition finally sparks in her eyes, and her fingers reach to grab at his arms in an iron grip for support when she's finally on her feet.]

Eustace...!

[There's a sense of urgency to her voice, though, spurred on by the fear that's there.]

Am I... I'm not dead, am I? This isn't...? The Lifestream?

[flamekthunder]

[He's still confused as to what is going on, but when she asks if she is dead, alarm rings through his mind as he stares down at her.]

No, you're not—what Lifestream? What are you talking about? The name of a ship??

[He had thought it a farfetched idea, but had she really been taken by some group??]

[starshower]

No, it's—

[How to even explain the Lifestream? The essence of the Planet? The afterlife? The place where souls go when they die and return?

All of which would sound just as crazy right now if she could even string a proper sentence together, but she's so lost and confused, even afraid, that every time she opens her mouth, a throaty sound comes out until she ends up coughing.]

... The Planet? Last I remember, I was... [Her eyes drift off to the ocean.] ... inside it. I thought I was dead.

[flamekthunder]

[He just stares at her confused before he notes how soaked she is.]

Let's talk inside.

[starshower]

[She doesn't let go of him even when he moves, her hands clinging to his arms for support, as if he is the very thing that is grounding her right now to this place, or to any place that isn't drowning in mako. Her eyes look to Valo, who is still sniffing at her and whining with worry, and she can only offer him a weak smile in return, every muscle in her body exhausted to their limits.

Why here, though, of all places, did she wash up?

On the way inside, she tries to steady her feet and her breathing, her heart still galloping in her chest from the initial panic, but at least the familiarity is slowly coming back in waves... She's been here once before, and though it had only been a couple weeks spent back home, it feels like it's been forever since then.]

I'm sorry...

[She mumbles under her breath, her voice still a bit croaky as more air continues to fill her lungs.]

I didn't mean to trouble you.

[flamekthunder]

It's fine.

[Just a quick answer and small glance at her as he opens the door and ushers her inside, leading her to the couch.]

Just hold on, I'll get you some towels and water.

[starshower]

[She almost trips again on the way to the couch, and she could have fallen over Valo as he continues to circle them both, but once they reach it, she practically falls onto it, her body giving out under her. It's a little embarrassing, really, not being able to stand on her own, but her legs feel like they're made of heavy sandbags, the cold chill of the mako still burning right into her marrow.

So much that she's shivering as she sits up and looks at Valo, who's bringing his head to her hand.]

Don't.

[She pulls back with an apologetic look about her, and looks around for Eustace when Valo responds with a soft whine.]

I don't want it to harm you...

[flamekthunder]

[Given the small space, he won't be going too far. First to the bathroom to grab some towels before appearing again to enter the kitchen and grabbing a glass, filling it with water. He'll glance at Valo, gently using his leg to push him to the side as he hands Tifa the water first, setting the towel down next to her.]

Take a moment first.

[starshower]

It's okay...

[She takes the water from him first, quickly gulping down almost the entire glass to wash out the bitter, metallic taste that's left behind in her mouth.

She's managed to calm down some... at least a little bit. Her mind is still racing too fast for her to keep up with it, her heart doing the same, and she's watching Eustace and Valo both carefully, like she's still not completely convinced that she's all here. Or that they are.

Setting the glass down, she reaches for the towel next, wrapping it around her shoulders carefully.]

Thanks... by the way.

[Her voice is still shaking with the shivering, breathless as she tries to fill her lungs.]

Hope you didn't have somewhere to be.

👻 for zack. the haunting of forgotten cay

[activatingcombatmode]

[With the ship equipped and thriving it's about high time that they get some work done on the side. That means that soon enough Zack and Tifa ship out for a quest that will net them some dubloons just for that. They spent a lot of time and money on the ship's upgrades, which means they have some costs to recoup.

He has no idea that the quest he picks might be something Tifa isn't completely up for. Zack innocently picks this one because he figures that exploring a crappy old island and bringing some buried treasure home seemed like a good deal and easy money. At the time.

When they find this old spooky island it's already dark. The moon is bright in the sky but the fog is dimming a lot of its natural light. Zack lands on the sand at the beach and frowns...]

I think we're going to need some extra torches or lanterns.

[starshower]

[Tifa, meanwhile, is a bit hesitant to join him on the sand, the fog alone and the way that it even tries to stifle the moon's light making her feel uneasy, so she remains at the edge of the ship, her toes hanging over it.]

... I can go grab some if we need them.

[Her wary eyes glance around.]

So... it's just... the one ghost, right? That shouldn't be so bad?

[activatingcombatmode]

Yeah, that would be great. It's getting pretty dark out here.

[He turns around to look up at her sitting up on the ledge of the ship, still. She looks a little uneasy but Zack's not sure why yet.]

I'm pretty sure there's the one big ghost somewhere around here, yeah. But there was something about a crew?

[Zack seems totally normal right now. Nothing is phasing him. Crew? No big deal.]

[starshower]

A crew!?

[Tifa nearly chokes on the air in her lungs when he mentions that... One captain was bad enough, but a whole crew of them being stuck here in some kind of freaky purgatory?

She takes in a slow breath. No, she has to calm down. She can face her fear and do this... They could use the coin, and helping the ghosts be put to rest would be good, right? Yeah...

Forgetting to say anything, she runs back onto the boat, and with some rummaging around, she returns with two bigger lanterns in her hands, hopping down to hand one to him. Tifa lights them, relieved when the flames flicker on inside, as if any extra bit of light will help chase away the ghosts. A notion that is quickly chased away by the sight of bones scattered about—a sight that had been out of view from atop the boat's deck, and seeing them, Tifa leaps to hide close to Zack.]

Who do you think... they are?

[activatingcombatmode]

[He turns back to Tifa and takes one of the lanterns in hand, holding it up to get some light on their surroundings. Zack takes a few steps to try and get a glimpse of anything noteworthy in the immediate area when his boot crunches against some old dusty bones on the sand which doesn't make the most pleasant sound to hear...]

I don't know, I'm guessing some travelling crew that ran into some serious bad luck.

[It's looking pretty dead out here and Zack's having a few choice flashbacks about the ghost ship back during Ghoul's Moon. He's really hoping these skeletons don't get up and give them trouble.]

Let's just hope these guys are friendly or at least let us look around. [He glances at Tifa and grins.] Not that any of these guys could get a hand on the two of us, right?

[starshower]

[She starts a bit with a gasp when she hears that CRACK under his boot, and he'll feel her step up right behind him to keep close.]

R-right. No match for us...

[Nervous laughter rings out of her as her eyes look around, careful that her feet don't disturb any of the lying skeletons lest she accidentally wake one up, or worse... one of them suddenly grabs her in their frustration with being bothered.]

So... do you... really believe that this Leroy Longbones is here? Or... his ghost? Don't think they could just be stories from long ago?

[Maybe if she just keeps talking, she'll be less scared.]

[activatingcombatmode]

[At least now that Zack picks up on it (that nervous laughter says it all) he stops for a second to turn back to her.]

I think he could be here. But we won't know until we look around a bit, I think. But... You doing okay?

[Is Tifa a little worried or scared about ghosts being around? That probably answers a few questions he was starting to have.]

[starshower]

Huh? Me?

[His question gives her pause. What, it's not like she was acting strange just now or anything!!]

I just... Not a huge fan of ghosts.

[It's muttered under her breath, but she takes a step out from behind him, trying not to flinch when she kicks what she's pretty sure is an arm made of bones aside.]

But let's go. [And some stubborn steps forward as she takes a breath and steels herself. It's fine. Everything's fine!] Like you said, we won't know until we take a look around, and I doubt that he'll just be hanging out around shore, yeah?

[activatingcombatmode]

[Whoops. There is is. Zack's face scrunches in worry for a second. He's not that worried about ghosts or things like that (he thinks?) but he doesn't want Tifa to be in a bad place if they do run into some spooks.

He'll start walking with her but now that he knows she's not a fan of ghosts he tries to look on the bright side of things again.]

Look at it this way, ghosts can't do a thing to us. They're just made of smoke and air. The most they can do is mess up our clothes.

[He pats his chest.

But as soon as he does that... A strange wind blows past them with an eerie whistle on the breeze. It sounds a lot like a voice whispering in their ears...!! OoooooOOOOooo!!]

[starshower]

[Tifa starts again, and just when she thought her shoulders couldn't get any more stiff, they do, all of the tension rising into them when that breeze blows past.]

Y-yeah, you're right.

[She's going to just convince herself of that as vehemently as possible as she stomps over more rattling bones. Did that one move or was that her foot bumping into it just now!?

And, as if that wind was all that they needed... as if the island is almost welcoming them, some of that fog clears, blown away in that icy cold breeze, and—]

What's that?

[Along the rocky shoreline, the silhouette of something breaks through the mist.]

Is that... the ship?

[activatingcombatmode]

[Well, now he's pretty determined to watch out for Tifa even more now. He'll punch every ghost in the face.

It seems that the first thing they're lured (?) towards is an old ship wrecked up on the beach in the distance. It's hard to see anything in the thick fog and darkness but the outline of the ruined ship is right there.]

Looks like it. Maybe it's got some clues on what happened here. I can check what's inside.

[Zack will start towards it.]

Do you want to stick close to me or stay outside here?

[starshower]

No!

[Her voice squeaks at him.]

We should stick together. You know, in case any ghosts come for you...

[She'll protect him!!!]

... But maybe you should go first.

[As the wind rattles a nearby broken beam on the tipped deck of the ship, and it comes crashing down.]