closed 🌠⚡ it's far too easy to miss the beauty in the simple things

[starshower]

Who: Eustace & Tifa Lockhart.
Status: Closed.
Where: Around.
What: It's Tifa's birthday, and she's overworking again, so Eustace takes her away. Event stuff tba.
Warnings: Fluff.

Comments

🍰 happy birthday.

[starshower]

[Well, the good news is that things have started to shift back into some form of normalcy. The brands are hurting a little less these days, with only the occasional tingle when she's spent too long in the proximity of a Corsair. Business is returning to usual somewhat, and though it hasn't bounced back to what it was, having people visiting the bar has been good for her. It gives her a purpose again when before, she'd felt like she was floundering about with no real sense of direction besides following where her anger led her.

But maybe it's been too much of a relief, and they do say that too much of a good thing can be bad. In this case, it is.

For the past week, Tifa has been burying herself in work. Going over the books and the ledgers, shopping for things, creating new recipes for food and drinks, working on revamping an already perfectly fine menu... When she isn't sleeping, she's working, and surely it's only a matter of time before someone snatches that accounting book out from under her nose as she tries to make the numbers line up. She's spent a little more than they've made, and she should probably get out and do some work outside of the bar to make up for it.

Yeah, maybe that's what she'll do. Take on a bounty or something.

Later. She'll do that later is what she tells herself, as she quickly loses track of the days again. It's only been a few into the week, but when everything starts to blend together, it's easy to.

Whenever Eustace does end up showing up on the Seventh Heaven, she'll be in the middle of serving some customers, carrying two trays in hand with their food and looking just a touch disheveled, her hair sticking out of her ponytail and her cheeks flushed under the heat of the sun...]

[flamekthunder]

[In the past few days and weeks, Eustace had been in and out, taking on the usual jobs and hunts and occasionally stopping by to visit Tifa when he could. While they kept in constat contact otherwise, even if it's just a little small talk to talk about their day, it's only when Eustace stopped by one day earlier in the week to deliver some meat and ingredients he picked up that he noticed how much more busy and preoccupied she seemed. Knowing what would be coming up in a few days, he couldn't help but be concerned...

And on the day of, Eustace walks in to see the bar busy and Tifa...

Busier.

Did she know? Or did she forget...?

With a slight frown, he walks up right while she's carrying those two trays and just takes one of them off her hands without warning.]

What are you doing?

[starshower]

Ah—

[She's thrown off by the sudden shift of weight on her hands, and the customers look up at them from their table, confused, as Tifa spins in place, searching for the owner of the voice as well as the tray with the food on it—be careful!]

Eustace...! I'm serving some customers?

[She tilts her head at him.]

What are you doing?

[flamekthunder]

[He's got it just fine, and he just glances at the people at the table. Is this theirs? It is now, so enjoy it as he takes the other tray right after.]

Stopping you.

[And also putting that tray at this table that's clearly not for them but he's not caring.]

[starshower]

Wait—

[It is a good thing that this is their order, but she offers the table an apologetic look anyway as he sets down that second tray in front of them before she's gently tugging him away by the hand.]

Last I checked, you don't work here.

[She's not upset, just a little confused about this whole thing.]

[flamekthunder]

No, but that doesn't matter. You shouldn't be working today, either.

[Or at least this hard. There's a not so subtle frown as he looks at her disheveled appearance. It might not be so bad that it couldn't be shown to customers, but it's enough to make him displeased about it.]

You're off the clock.

[starshower]

[One of the crewmates sweeps in to take over at the bar when she motions to them, because with the way Eustace is staring at her, she has a feeling she'd have a hard time arguing her way out of this one. Except that won't stop her...]

But the day's barely started, and I...

[A strand of hair blows in her face, and she sheepishly tucks it behind her ear.]

What time is it?

[Except that the day has long since passed, breakfast and then lunch, and she hasn't even taken a break to fix her hair.]

[flamekthunder]

Tifa. It's already mid-afternoon.

[Just a sharp look.]

When did you... [No.] Have you taken a break?

[Except he already can guess the answer to that.]

[starshower]

Oh, I...

[She knows he knows the answer to that, but she answers anyway, her voice growing quiet with shame.]

... No. Lost track of time again. Things are finally starting to pick up again around here.

[flamekthunder]

You...

[Oh he has a very strong urge to speak his mind, but remembering where they are he just sighs, roughly runs a hand through his hair...]

Change of plans.

[He's just going to suddenly grab Tifa and sling her over his shoulder—]

[starshower]

Huh—?

[But she cries out when he picks her up and lifts her over his shoulder as people turn their heads to watch this unfold.]

Eustace, what are you doing? What plans!?

[flamekthunder]

Kidnapping.

[That's all he says before he just walks on out while calling out to one of the wide eyed staff.]

Someone else take over, she won't be back for a while.

[Those who at least recognize Eustace start to whistle and make suggestive cheers that he pays no mind to.]

[starshower]

This isn't exactly what I had in mind...!

[She gives him a light punch on the shoulder before she drapes herself over, hanging there as she shoots a look at those crewmates, frowning at them while she's carried off.]

And where exactly are you kidnapping me to!?

🌊 while we devotin' full time to floatin' under the sea.

[starshower]

[It would take some getting used to, she knew, and this isn't the first time that she's been on the back of a sea horse, but never one so big before, first of all, big enough that it actually fits the two of them this time. And second of all, never under water. Having just a mermaid's tail to just drape over the side does not make it any easier to stay balanced on its back, especially when waves come through, but with Eustace at her back with his arms secured around her and his hands on the reins, she knows she's safe at least. At the start, there had been a few wobbly moments where she thought she might fall from it, but he kept her in place.

Of course, she was not going to say no to going down here, especially when she had heard that this was all part of the effort to try and find Elah, and to earn the Leviathan's trust back. The poor thing had suffered so much, and she wanted to do whatever it took to help, and if that meant riding on the back of a giant sea horse with a mermaid's tail again, then she would do it.]

Well, at least we aren't getting stuck in the seaweed this time...

[flamekthunder]

[Riding a seahorse the first time had already been difficult, but trying to do it without any legs and with a tall instead... Definitely a challenge. It's probably fortunate that these horses take their cues more from the head and vocal signals than legs like the ones that live closer to the surface of the water.]

I don't think you disliked it that much.

[Before, he would have felt a lot more awkward recalling that time. Now?

He just grins and speaks low against her ear. At least he's also not teasing her with his tail... He has better control with it this time.]

[starshower]

[She definitely does stiffen a little every time his tail bumps hers, like she's expecting a tiny shock again, but fortunately, not much so far, unless he's feeling a little mischievous. But his voice low in her ear makes her shiver for a different reason, and she swats him on the arm.]

Didn't think you'd bring that up.

[flamekthunder]

Hard to forget.

[Even when he wanted to back then.....

But he just smiles and stops teasing her for now, his arms remaining secure around her.]

This is better, though, even if different from the last time we were on seahorses. Don't slip off.

[Okay, a little teasing as he wraps his tail around hers as if to keep her in place.]

[starshower]

[He is free to tease her all he likes, even as her cheeks start to change colour, and as her own tail slowly wraps around his, though less for security and more for... closeness.]

I won't. I've got you keeping me safe.

[And with them straddled sideways on the seahorse, she is easily able to turn around and smile up at him before she rests her head on his shoulder.]

A little different than riding chocobos, though.

[flamekthunder]

I think I asked you once what that was like...

[He smiles down at her before he glances up to make sure they are still on the trail, the seahorse swimming at a decent pace through the coral so they can take in the sights and surroundings.]

Still hard to imagine it being there comfortable.

[starshower]

Well. Can't exactly compare it to this... When I ride a chocobo, at least I've got both my legs.

[She holds onto him tight, arms wrapping around his waist when she feels herself rise up from the saddle as the horse sways down and then back up to avoid a coral.]

You should try sometime.

[flamekthunder]

Don't you have one?

[As they near another obstacle where the seahorse needs to rise, he holds onto her tighter and press their tails closer to the seahorse for balance.]

[starshower]

Well, the crew has one—Marcon. Brought it back from that group that was breeding the chocobos after Yuffie left hers behind.

[She leans close to him, arms growing tighter as they start to rise in the water.]

Maybe I'll take you for a ride.

[flamekthunder]

Next time I'm around then.

[Up the seahorse goes...and then doooown what turns to be a steeper slope down the trail.]

[starshower]

[Okay, well... at least with a chocobo, it's a little smoother than this, and Tifa finds herself having to hold onto him tighter again that she glances up at him with narrowed eyes.]

You're not doing this on purpose, are you?

[flamekthunder]

How could i? I don't know what the trail is like.

[But he says it in such a way that it could be read either way.......

But no, he really isn't, and once they're at the bottom of the sleep and on even ground, the seahorse continues to swim through a bit more smoothly. It's also open enough that small schools of fish swim past them.]