escordvi | closed 🌠⚡ you and me, living in symphony

Oh...

[She's really gotta get used to this sort of thing...]

You gotta at least let me do something.

[Nope.]

I already gave you a job—do nothing and sleep.

Not fair...

[She pouts at him, but ultimately lets her head fall back down onto her pillow.]

But fine. You can just come to my room when you get here.

[... And she may have forgotten about the brands as she says this.]

[He did not so there is a pause... ...But it should be fine for a short while, right?]

Understood. I'll let you know when I'm on my way.

[She's about to get a bit of a rude awakening... literally.]

If I'm even awake or in my room. I'll leave the door open a crack just in case.

[Except she really should get out of bed, and she just might.]

Nothing wrong with that.

[No, she should follow orders and stay in bed—]

Then I'll see you...

[He glances at the time.]

Within the hour.

Looking forward to it.

[Her voice is as soft as her eyes are before she gives a little wave and hangs up the call.

And when Eustace does arrive at her room, Tifa won't be there. Instead, he'll find Gaslight stretched across the bed in the sunbeams passing through the window, stirring when he comes to the door. She rolls onto her back and stares at them.]

[He smiles in return, though he will stare at the screen for a moment...]

...She's not going to rest.

[...and just mutter under his breath before returning to making now "their" breakfast.

It will about forty-five minutes for him to finish making, packing, freshen up, and give Tifa the head's up message before he's able to get Valo on his leash and use the ring to teleport to the Avalanche. The setting was still just outside the kitchen, and fortunately there's no one around. They were all likely also resting after all that happened yesterday, and he glances around before making his way to Tifa's room.

As she said, the door was slightly ajar and he'll open it, Valo immediately perking his ears up at seeing Gaslight. Meanwhile, as he closes the door he furrows his brows wondering where she went...

Given his timing, he won't be able to hear anything and is taking out his shellphone to text her.]

[He won't have to text her, nor will he be waiting long, because Valo will perk up and boof at the sound of her footsteps coming down the hall. Hearing this, she rushes into her room and suddenly throws her arms around Eustace the moment that she sees him, whether he's ready to catch her or not. Her hair is damp and her skin warm, and she is in shorts and a tank top with a towel around her neck, and she smells of lavender and vanilla and soap...]

You made it!

[... without thinking of the brand that is on their hands as it suddenly starts to burn, making her snap back with a pained hiss.]

[He'll pick up her footsteps around the same time which gives him enough to be prepared for her entrance. Although he didn't expect her to suddenly throw herself on him when she did. However, he is still able to keep himself steady, an arm going around her...

...

Before there it is, that burn from the brand. He also grimaces as he steps back, the insignia glowing briefly.]

...I was afraid that would happen.

[She pulls back away from him, staggering a step away, her hand gripping her wrist against the burn.]

I... I'm sorry. I forgot all about it.

[Her being on a ship full of Paladins made it easy to forget that it was even there, and her brow furrows, her smile fading into a deep, fearful look.]

[He just gives her a small smile. Fortunately the distance between him and everyone else is enough that he doesn't feel much of it.]

If I'm just near you it's not so bad, and being on Eltrut makes it a little easier.

But...

[She frowns at her hand, and she doesn't realize that she's squeezing her wrist until her fingers start to tingle.]

This means that we can't...

...Be too close together, no.

[His voice is softer as he wants to reach out to her, but can't.]

But how about we test and see how close we can be. Better than not being together at all.

...Eustace...

[Her voice is soft, but there's a hardening edge to it, too. Something simmering beneath as she remains rooted where she is. Or perhaps it had already been simmering all this time, she doesn't know, but her chest and her hands feel warm. Hot, even.]

I don't want to hurt you?

It's not so bad for me... But what about you?

[...

With a shaky breath, she lowers her hands to her side and takes a step towards him, and Valo looks between the two of them curiously. Her face scrunches, not in pain per se, but with the expectation of it.]

It's not so bad right now, but... I can feel it. It's like a warm tingle right now... and not the nice kind.

I've heard that it won't worsen for at least some time, and that there are items that could be used to extend the time.

[He holds up the bag of food.]

Why don't we eat first? Sitting at a table shouldn't be an issue.

That's...

[She starts, and for a beat, her voice doesn't sound like her own that she stops and sighs.]

... Okay. I can set the tables up in the kitchen.

[Her eyes rest on the bag of food for a moment before she turns on her heel and leads the way to the kitchen without so much as a second glance back.]

[He stares after her back a little troubled and concerned before he starts to follow her. Did he... Approach this wrong?

He knows she's upset, and rightfully so. Who would like having to not be able to touch or be close to the one they care about without inflicting this kind of pain, and all because of a brand on their hand? But he was trying to make the most out of it, especially since they were on a time limit and he could endure it.

But was he insensitive?

With a furrowed brow and Valo looking at them with a small whine, Eustace continues to follow Tifa until they reach the kitchen. He's only a few steps behind, yet...

That distance seems a lot farther.]

[She's quiet the whole way as she leads him down the hall towards the kitchens at the other end, but her hand is wrapped around her branded wrist, rubbing around where she'd felt that sudden itch of a burn. And by the time they arrive in the kitchens, all of the tension has risen into her shoulders.

Rather than bring it up, she turns around with a smile, but there is something very clearly forced about it, hiding the deeper, troubling thoughts behind it.]

Does the food need heating? I can turn on the stove real quick.

[His eyes remain on her, studying every movement, the tension that clearly is growing. What is she really thinking?

Something he knows he'll likely have to force out of her, especially when he sees that forced smile. So there will be a moment where he stands there staring at her with that slightly hardened expression before it fades and he shakes his head.]

No, I had packed them with some heat stones so they should have stayed warm.

[He steps up to the table and sets down the back, pulling out the various containers containing what he had cooked up for breakfast:

Omelets, bacon, sausages, and some fresh fruits and biscuits and jam he had bought earlier that morning. He'll also take out the thermoses of coffee.]

[She starts to gather the plates and utensils as well as a couple of large coffee cups, bringing them over to the table to set it.]

Everything looks and smells delicious...

[She gives him a wider berth than usual, sitting down on the opposite side of the table with a flicker of disappointment before it fades.]

You really didn't have to, you know.

[He catches that slight change, and he'll wait a moment before sitting across from her.]

With everything that's happened, I wouldn't be surprised if you barely had two full meals a day.

[Pointed look.]

Besides, it's times like these you can rely on me a bit.

Yeah...

[Her voice is small but she picks out a bit of everything to put on her plate.]

When it doesn't hurt you in the process...

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