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]

You did?

[He's just full of more surprises, isn't he!!

Her eyes absolutely light up at the idea, and he'll feel her give his hand a little squeeze in anticipation. Does she need to go home and change? Is the dress that she picked out good enough? And where exactly had he made reservations? She didn't expect this to be a full day thing, but it's not like it's a problem... Just surprising.]

Well, in that case... There were some booths that I passed on the way in that I wanted to look at. And I heard there were going to be some performances later...

[flamekthunder]

[He just smiles at that.]

Then we can go ahead and head that way. Whatever you want, we can try and do.

[starshower]

[That makes her heart flutter.]

Well, whatever you want to do, too.

[She's gotta admit, she really does like this side of him. She likes all sides of him, but there's something special about seeing this come out today. It makes her happy, seeing him smile, hearing him laugh, knowing that he is enjoying himself as much as she is. She can only hope that she's making it as fun for him as he is for her.

So off they go, exploring the stalls. Tifa is mostly interested in the jewelry and the craft booths, where the dragons and snakekin both are selling their wares, and she buys a few new things for the bar and for her room. Mostly decorations—pretty pictures made of scales to hang up, some scaled coasters for the bar, she even buys a new dress made by a dragon seamstress who promises that she will feel extra magical in it (it really is just a very nice dress!).

With all of that in hand, they end up at the beach again. The same beach—she's pretty sure—as the one they had gone to last year where they'd made the dragon charms.]

Looks fun.

[She motions to a crowd that's gathering on the sand.]

Should we go see what's going on?

[flamekthunder]

[Although she told him to choose whatever he might like, he really didn't see much. But that was mostly because he was looking at her most of the time, just content in seeing her happy with her own purchases and looking around.

Once at the beach, he looks over and hears the sound of music and some cheers.]

Sure.

[Taking her things, he puts them in the bag to disappear into the subspace, and then takes her hand.]

Stay close, it looks pretty busy.

[starshower]

[Her hand wraps tight around his as they approach the crowd, and in the middle of it all...]

Is that a band?

[A group of dragonkin with instruments getting set up at the center with people watching, wondering what might be happening.]

[flamekthunder]

Looks like it... You might be right it's for a performance.

[Oh, and there is a snakefolk, one of the illusionists slithering out to gather everyone's attention by performing some illusions and smoke that make those who were too close back up to form a wider ring. As she does, she calls out in a surprisingly booming voice,

"Gather round all for a wonderful dance!" ]

[starshower]

Oh.

[Sensing what's about to happen, Tifa does consider trying to pull them out of it, but before she can, they're completely surrounded on all sides by others, as well as the shifting of the crowd making it more difficult.

Immediately, the music kicks up at her words, and it must be some kind of magic that makes the air appear as if it's sparkling and twinkling against the slowly darkening skies. The music is somewhat upbeat, and around them, some clap, some are a little confused, and others get right into it, moving their way to the front.

Tifa squeezes Eustace's hand.]

... Well?

[flamekthunder]

[He's also caught off guard, but maybe it's also to be expected. And they did something like this last year...

With a wry grin, he squeezes her hand in return.]

Sure, might as well.

[starshower]

[She tries not to let her face light up too much at his answer, but it's a fruitless attempt, her eyes and her smile brightening.]

I'm a little rusty since the last time we danced... When was that? Winterstide?

[flamekthunder]

[Hmmm.]

Yeah, it was.

[And then a small laugh as he continues to lead her through, trying to find a decent spot for them.]

At least our hands won't be tied together.

[starshower]

Might not have been so bad this time.

[It didn't bother her the first time either... But they do find a good spot closer to the edge of the crowd at the front—not quite at the center but not too far back either.]

Just so you know... I don't know the steps to this dance.

[flamekthunder]

Neither do I.

[A half shrug.]

We'll just have to try not and step on each other.

[As couples continue to move around, the music can be heard starting, the players warming up the instruments. It won't be much longer now.]

[starshower]

Shouldn't be too hard.

[Once she faces him, her hand finds his shoulder, and she takes a shy step closer.]

Like this, right?

[flamekthunder]

I think...

[But at that moment, the snake from before calls out again.

"Okay everyone~ We're going to teach you a special dance native to our kind. The smaller person has their back to their partner with their arms around their neck while the other has their arms around the waist~"

....Or not. What kind of strange position—]

[starshower]

... What?

[Tifa just stares at Eustace for a moment, stunned, before she glances around to watch the other couples. Some are just as confused as she is while others do so without question, the girls turning in their partner's arms to press their backs to their chests.

Seeing this, she swallows, suddenly nervous and red in the face all over again.]

So... um...

[Slowly, she begins to shift, turning around and leaning back against him, and she wonders if he can feel the heat coming off of her now.]

[flamekthunder]

[It's not as if he hasn't held her from behind before, but... Like this? For a...dance??

So he'll also be a little awkward, but he'll step closer so that his chest is pressed against her back and his arms going around her waist. As if trying to lighten the awkwardness, he looks down at her, noting how much shorter she is and quietly laughs.]

Can you even reach?

[starshower]

[His voice and that breath of laughter tickles her ear, and he'll feel her stiffen a bit awkwardly before she relaxes bit by bit with an exhale.]

I dunno, you're pretty tall.

[An attempt to lighten the tension as well, as she reaches back and up. She doesn't mean for her hands to slide over his shoulders or his neck, but with a bit of a stretch, she's able to lock her fingers behind him, securing herself to him.]

I'm not really sure how we're supposed to dance like this, though?

[flamekthunder]

If it's from the snakes... I have a vague idea...

[There's some wariness in his voice as he leans forward to lower his head a bit to make it easier for her.

And sure enough, just as he feared, the music starts with a slow, sensual vibe as the snakewoman calls out.

"Now sway your hips~ Just like a snake~"

She will even demonstrate, though it really doesn't leave much to the imagination.]

[starshower]

[She doesn't even want to ask, even if a part of her... sort of knows...

And she is proven right when the snake demonstrates with a waggling of her hips. Some people oblige, taking on a more intimate sort of dance while others prefer to simply just sway from side to side together. Tifa remains still, not quite sure what to do from here.

With a soft clearing of her throat, she... starts to sway her hips... slowly...

Meanwhile, she feels like her head is about to explode, and after a moment, she stops.]

L-like that?

[flamekthunder]

[And he just kind of stands there a little stiff, also feeling a flash of heat before clearing his throat.]

...If you want to leave...

[starshower]

N-no, it's okay.

[God, she feels like she's melting right on the spot into a puddle of her own embarrassment!]

...If we could face each other...

[flamekthunder]

[As if she heard her—

"Remember, to keep your back to your partner! That adds to the passion and intimacy of the dance~"

...]

What if we just...did it like this?

[With his arms a little firmer around her waist, instead of swaying their "hips" per se, he just moves them so they're swaying side to side. That's kind of snake-like???]

[starshower]

[Tifa stiffens again at that voice, and yes, it definitely does feel like it's directed right at her. Though at least they aren't alone in that sense, but many of the people around them have started to fall into a sort of rhythm together that, if she's honest, she's a little jealous of.

But when he starts to move their hips together, it doesn't seem... so bad? Not as bad as when it was just her, at least, so he'll feel her relax slightly against his chest.]

... This isn't so bad.

[He'll feel her thumbs run up and down the back of his neck in appreciation.]

[flamekthunder]

[................Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd like a cat, Eustace will stiffen up, jerking to a sudden halt at the touch. It's not so much the act in general, but she somehow managed to touch a sensitive area there.]

[starshower]

[She feels him suddenly stop, and she tries to turn to look at him, forgetting that they way they're standing is not conducive to that at all, so she only ends up wiggling against him.]

Eustace? Are you okay?

[Did she step on his foot!?]