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

[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?

[flamekthunder]

[....Hmmm.]

Not sure yet... I'll see what else I pick and go from there. What about you? Have any ideas yet?

[starshower]

Well, they're a little too big for jewelry, so that's out...

[Tifa looks over one that is a little smaller, turning the pearly pink one over in her hands.]

I wondered if maybe they'd look good on a flower pot or something... The Seventh Heaven has a flower garden on it and I've always wanted to put some at the bar.

[flamekthunder]

[Hmmm. All he can think of is something to hang, but they're already doing wind chimes...]

It's too bad these are so thick. Could have tried making a suncatcher or something decorate the windows.

[It's also unfortunate that he doesn't have a lot of ideas...]

[starshower]

Hmm...

[She hums thoughtfully, looking at the pieces.]

It doesn't even have to be anything special or crazy... I've seen some really nice frames with shell decorations around that you could put up on your wall. It could look nice if you mix and match the right colours.

[flamekthunder]

[Oooh.]

Frames would be nice...along with anything else you'd want to decorate.

[He then picks out one that has a deep red and holds it out to her.]

You should use this one.

[starshower]

Me?

[She takes it anyway, holding it like it's the most delicate thing in the world as she stares down at the shell in awe, but she does exchange it for a golden one that she thought suited him quite well.]

I meant for your wall, silly. But I guess my room could use a little sprucing up, too.

[flamekthunder]

I thought you were talking about the bar.

[He then laughs at that, as he takes the shell, admiring for a bit before picking out a lighter blue one for her, one mixed with a bit of gold. He'll also take a different red one for himself.]

Maybe I should make something for Valo.

[starshower]

Well, I guess I could've been talking about both.

[But at the mention of Valo, her eyes light up.]

Oh, like what? Something fancy for a collar? Some of these are small enough that you probably could.

[flamekthunder]

Hm... Not sure about a collar...

[The idea seems to be a bit much for Eustace's tastes.]

But maybe something above his bed.

[starshower]

Oh?

[Well, she's a little sad—a shiny shell on his collar would have been so cute.]

What sort of thing above his bed?

[flamekthunder]

Not sure, maybe some kind of plaque with his name, or something decorative to make it more his space.