escordvi | closed 🌠⚡ i will be the one to light up the way

[He is being very wary and alert, though he still grins a bit a more.]

I already got the nose. Should I add whiskers?

Hmm...

[She taps the end of her brush against her chin, pretending to settle back into her chair.]

Do you think they'd look cute?

[Won't be fooled.]

Not sure. Would have to see it to tell.

[She pats his chair for him, biting back the urge to smile.]

... Well, you're gonna have to come grab a seat if you wanna find out.

[A low hum as he does take one step closer...

...

And then just casually leans forward against the counter instead, reaching out to grab his skull and start painting from where he stands.]

Was feeling a bit cramped. You should come here instead.

[He's going to need to refresh his paint at some point... But Tifa watches him with keen interest as he leans against the counter, and she bites down on her lip without realizing...

Before she's hopping up from her chair and tossing back a sip of her whiskey before slowly—very slowly—making her way over with her brush and skull in her hands.]

Should grab us a bigger table.

[She stops directly in front of him, only a full step away now, wearing an innocent smile while she waits to see what his next move is.]

[Innocent smile, he knows what she's aiming for. But rather than try to keep away, he just remains where he is and just glances at her as he adds some dots around the skull.]

Why? Thought you preferred the closer distance.

[Oh, if her face was not red before, it certainly is now, and the way that the light shines on her cheeks from the bar makes it hard to keep it a secret.]

... And if I do? Is that a problem?

[He'll notice...but he'll just think it's out of general embarrassment than anything more.

So he just hums before answering.]

I'll allow it.

[If only it were out of general embarrassment and not... whatever this violent, annoying fluttering in her stomach is. She shoves it back, making herself smile again—]

Then I guess you'll allow this.

[—before she lunges at him with her brush, trying to get him on the nose with the bright blue paint.]

[He knew it...! Then again he kind of set it up that way.

Rather than try to move back, he lets her take that lunge and get him on the nose. However, that's also giving him an opening, and with his quick reflexes he's able to dash at least two paint lines on her cheeks.

Of course it's a rush swipe so might come out more like jagged smudges.]

[Another shout as she tries to dodge his brush when he comes at him, but it's no use. He manages to get the lines on there—and maybe a small part of her let him do so—before she's stumbling against the bar, bursting with laughter.

She lifts her face, shoving her hair out of her eyes, and she scrunches her nose at him.]

Well? Already starting to look like one?

[He laughs at that, leaning against the counter.]

Maybe more of a rat than a rabbit.

[The sound of his laughter somehow is like music to her ears, making a warmth flutter through her.]

You're gonna have to make a little bit of an effort, then.

If you stand still, I could. But you'd still be missing the ears.

I'm sure I could figure something out. You know me...

[She takes a step closer.]

I'm resourceful.

Resourceful, huh.

[He'll watch her step closer, not really moving from his position. He's almost like a wolf watching the little rabbit daring to close in.]

If you say so.

[And now he holds up the paintbrush. Come hither, little rabbit.]

[There's a nervous thump of her heart, a flush to her cheeks as she dares to step just a little closer. He really is like a wolf, that grin on his face and the gleam in his eyes doing something enchanting to lure her in. Beyond that, there is a curiosity to see what he might do—to see more of this playful side of Eustace that she so rarely gets to see.

So, she does come hither, stopping directly in front of him and setting her painted skull on the bar's counter, long forgotten, and her eyes are wide and eager as she stares up at him...]

Edited 2024-10-12 06:13 (UTC)

[Looking down at her, there's a moment where he just stands there staring down at her. It's not so much the idea of painting her face and more...what is that expression she has right now? Why are her eyes so wide with eagerness and...

...

Why does she really look like a rabbit right now...

He can practically imagine the ears popping out of the top of her head...

So there's a small snort before he reaches up and starts to run that brush over her cheeks, smoothing out those jagged ones a little by painting over them.]

[She doesn't know how long he's staring at her or why, but the longer it goes on, the more aware she becomes of the fact. Aware of how his eyes are on her, and how he looks in the light around the bar, and just how tall he is in front of her... It's like she's stuck in some kind of reverie until she feels the cool paint press to her cheeks, and she flinches a little in surprise, snapped out of it quick.]

What was that laugh for?

Just thinking that you really are like a rabbit.

[Now for the other cheek.]

[Somehow, that makes her lashes flutter up at him, and she turns her cheek for him to fix the "whiskers" on her other cheek.]

... And you really are like a wolf. Luring me into a trap like this.

You make it sound as if I'm going to do something bad.

[Brush... Brush... It doesn't take long to make 3 "whiskers" before he pressed the brush against the the tip of her nose.]

Aren't you already?

[She lets her eyes linger on him for a few moments before she lets them close when he brushes it against her nose.]

You're supposed to be painting the skulls, not me.

You're the one who wanted to look like a rabbit. Should I make a rabbit skull next?

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