closed 🌠⚡ tell me i'm the one you want...

[starshower]

Who: Tifa Lockhart & Eustace.
Status: Closed.
Where: Ocard flower gardens.
What: Eustace and Tifa finally go on their first date.
Warnings: Dunno yet :D


[After talking about it and all the planning and the anticipation, one would think that all that preparedness would leave her feeling at ease about the whole thing, but now that the day is finally here... not even Tifa had expected herself to be as nervous as she was. It's not as if they haven't spent any time together before this, or hadn't been quite as close, but there's just something about it being a date now—officially, all of those times she's invited him to the bar or when she's visited his home on Nogard don't count—that has every nerve of hers on end.

Not in a bad way, but she is willing this to be as perfect as it can be and prays that nothing will go wrong. She hasn't forgotten what Ocard was like last year, and she hopes that the dragons are kind enough to leave the two of them alone to enjoy their picnic in the gardens in peace. That, and her excitement is buzzing, all of that pent up anticipation coming out of her in hastened footsteps and red cheeks by the time she finally does manage to find him.

She whirls around a tall hedge of rose bushes when she spots him, her dark, strawberry-printed dress flaring out around her as she clutches her small picnic basket close. Her heart leaps into her throat like this is the very first time that she's seeing him.]

Sorry...

[She wanders over with a sheepish smile, her face flushed with embarrassment, her eyes flitting to him and noting just how handsome he looks...]

This place is so big, I think I got a little lost.

Comments

[starshower]

[She has to shake herself free of that brief reverie, and with a smile at him, she gets to work at collecting what shells she can. These ones seem brighter and shinier than the ones close to shore, and with more variety in the shades that they offer, ranging from bright pastels to deeper, darker colours. She picks out a few of each, not even sure if she plans to use them, but they're pretty and she wants to keep them anyway, as well as hand some over to the snakefolk.

When he shows her the ones that he's picked out, she gives him a little smile of approval, and hands him what she's found so that he can pocket them too. They come up for air a few more times and then dive back down, searching for more, with Tifa finding one pearly white one that grabs her eye.

They splash and swim around one another a bit, their laughter being drowned as they descend, and echoing again when they break the surface. They meet a few fish that flit about curiously before darting away, and Tifa accidentally disturbs a small starfish that had been resting beneath a shell that she picks up.

Only when Eustace's pockets have been filled to the brim and they can't fit any more will they decide to pause, and as they come back up, Tifa motions to those coves that she had seen earlier.]

Shouldn't be too far of a swim.

[flamekthunder]

[These shells are getting a little heavy—

After some satisfying play and collecting, Eustace looks over to where Tifa points to the coves. As she said, the distance isn't too far... So with a glance at her, he grins.]

Should we have a real race?

[starshower]

[She lifts a brow.]

Sure you'll be able to make it with all those shells in your pocket? Might be an unfair race.

[flamekthunder]

[A playful roll of his eyes.]

I trained myself to swim in full gear, weapon, armor, and all. If anything, this just makes it fairer for you.

[starshower]

So little faith in me, huh?

[She laughs it off and splashes him gently.]

You're lucky I haven't considered a water magic tattoo yet, or you'd be in trouble. But... you're on.

[flamekthunder]

That would be cheating.

[A splash at her in return.]

Then get ready....

[...

Annnd he's already taking off with a big splash—]

[starshower]

Wha—hey!

[Tifa has to shield herself from the splash, as if that will do anything when she's already soaked, and she watches him in disbelief first as he swims away before she's following after him, mumbling something under her giggle.

And while she's no star swimmer, she's got strong legs, and that makes up for the lack of practice that she's had. He will definitely beat her, but not by much, and as soon as she does finally catch up to him at the end where the rocks jut out into the water to form small caves and pools, she gives him a great big splash to the face.]

I wasn't ready yet!

[flamekthunder]

[He just laughs and smirks from where he hangs by the rocks, not minding the splash.]

Thought you said it would be unfair. I even kept it slower for you.

[starshower]

[She narrows her eyes at him and swims a little closer, trying to stop her eyes from wandering over him too much.]

Liar. I had my bathing suit in the way.

[The sarong that billows out behind her like a white cloud.

Swimming to reach him, she holds her arms out so that she can grab him and use him to pull herself the rest of the way. The rocks allow for a sort of ledge for them to stand on, bringing them out of the water to where it pools around their waists. Here, she stands close to him and takes a look around. The walls of the rocks arch over their heads, creating a small cave for them with large holes in the ceiling to let the sunlight trickle in. The pool is shallower closer to the edge, and there are even some shells in here that shimmer brightly, reflecting the light.]

Surprised that we're the only ones all the way out here.

[flamekthunder]

And I had shells in my pockets.

[He just continues to grin as he helps her up, making sure she doesn't slip before they look around.]

But it is a little... Guess they must be more interested in the beach.

[And then a subtly more playful smile.]

Lucky for us.

[starshower]

Hm?

[She's caught by that smile of his, her cheeks warming slightly at the implications... Yet, she still asks.]

... What do you mean by that?

[flamekthunder]

[His lips part as if to answer, but then he just continues to have that mischievous expression instead as he leans in closer...]

What do you think?

[...and then leans back to step out onto the other side of the rocks further into the pool so they can explore it a bit. Or at least that's how it looks, anyway.]

[starshower]

[She doesn't mean for her breath to catch when he leans closer, or for her eyes to widen as she meets his and lingers...

...]

I—

[But then he's leaning back, and Tifa is left standing there, confused for a few beats longer. What had she been expecting? Or had she been expecting anything? She must have, because her heart is beating a million times a minute as she watches him wander off.]

Wait. Where are you going?

[Little does she know that shrouded behind some hanging vines and leaves is a small opening in the rocky wall of this cove.]

[flamekthunder]

[At first he had just wanted her to come in closer so they weren't right at the edge. But then his eyes notice those vines, and at first glance he doesn't think much of it until he notices how the water flows through and a bit of sunlight trickling through the opening.

So his expression changes to one of curiosity as he wades a little closer towards the vines before he glances back at her.]

...I think there's another opening back here.

[starshower]

[She's careful as she walks over the rocks after him, reaching out for his hand once she comes up behind to peer past.]

An opening? Like, to somewhere else?

[She sees the sunlight shining through the leaves, and the way the water moves, and she glances up at him.]

Wanna check it out?

[flamekthunder]

[He'll take her hand, making sure she's steady before looking back at the opening. ...Hm.]

Better we do so we're not caught off guard later.

[...Like back in Latrommi...]

Just stay behind me, just in case.

[There further out from the main settlement and there are hostile creatures on the island. So it doesn't hurt to be cautious.]

[starshower]

[She presses a hand to his back, an appreciative smile pulling at her lips. She could take care of herself, but... it's not a bad feeling. Still, she squeezes his hand reassuringly.]

I'm sure it'll be fine, but I'm right behind you.

[flamekthunder]

[She can, but he'll always want to be in front. Besides, that just means she can protect his back. So he'll give her one more glance before he'll carefully reach and pull back the vines, and they'll immediately see a small tunnel that they can either wade or swim through to the exit on the other side. As far as he can tell, there doesn't seem to be anything on the other side except for trees in the distance and the open water that the tunnel leads through.

So with one more glance, he'll go on through, curious to what they'll find.]

[starshower]

[It's not a long tunnel by any means, but it is certainly well-shrouded. If he hadn't spotted the little dots of sunlight, she might not have noticed it at all against the moss and vines that cover the walls. But she wades after him, the water growing slightly deeper and bluer as they go through, and it won't take them long to come out on the other side.

They're hit with more bright sunlight as they emerge from the walls of the cave, swimming out into another pool that is surrounded by thick, tall treelines, green as far as their eyes can see. Birds chirp hidden in the treetops, and fish dart about the water, but besides that, there seems to be not a soul nearby.]

... What is this?

[flamekthunder]

[His eyes widen in some surprise as he looks around.]

...Must be a lagoon that the ocean water flows into...or if there's an underwater river, could be where water flows out into the ocean.

[He can't tell from here, but either options are viable. Regardless...]

...It's peaceful.

[starshower]

Well, not exactly where I was imagining we would end up, but... it is.

[She swims past him a little further, towards the edge of the lagoon where some rocks just upward to create another ledge, just like they'd seen in the cove.]

Right here seems good?

[flamekthunder]

[He makes a hum of agreement as he swims over to join her before starting to empty his pockets to put on the ledge. Seeing it all, he can't help but laugh.]

Looks like we got a lot.

[starshower]

[She rises out of the water to sit at the edge of the rock, her legs dipped into the pool still as she sorts through them, looking them over slowly one by one.]

We did say to gather as much as we could. Oh—look at this one!

[She holds it out to him, this one gold but with silver streaks through it only seen as she tilts under the light.]

These are gonna look so nice at the bar.

[flamekthunder]

[He looks at the one she holds up with some admiration and nods.]

I think so, too.

[He then rummages through the last, his pockets finally empty, before holding up one that's a dark blue with white speckles that makes him think of snow.]

Might keep this one for myself.

[starshower]

[Her eyes light up at the sight of it.]

Are you going to put that one on the wind chimes? Or keep it for something else?