songerein | { stroke of midnight }

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{ stroke of midnight }

STROKE OF MIDNIGHT

Although the Masquerade is being held on the night of the Fourteenth, some new problems arise in the days after. This log is split into two sections, the Masquerade and Around Town. Everyone is free to participate in either or both, whichever catches your interest.

More details on everything can be found here and here. As a reminder, events double as our TDMs and information can be found here with arrival details here. Any outside characters participating in the log are canonly logged as appearing in Songerein in February and will remain in Songerein from the IC date of February 14 through 28. TDM only characters can only thread within this log. Anyone who apps in and is accepted will have their character count February as their first time in the game without any disruption, so all content will carry over. Those who do not apply will disappear which should not seem too unusual, however players in game can choose to retcon and pretend a character was never there to begin with if it would be easier; or even think their presence was just a dream.

IMPORTANT! All outside characters MUST have "TDM" in their subject line, even if you might not app. This will help people differentiate those who are already in the game and those who are not.

TDM threads are required for samples. Refer to the Game Info for general information and feel free to toss any questions here. Reserves will open Wednesday, February 22nd and Applications will open on March 1. Our next cycle after won't be until JULY.

TDM Toplevel Link Directory (click to view, updated 02/22)

Avatar: The Legend of Korra - Korra
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Iroh
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Miriam
Chainsaw Man - Power
Dr. STONE - Dr. Senku Ishigami
Elsworld - Noah Ebalon (Nyx Pieta)
Final Fantasy VII - Cloud Strife
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core - Zack Fair
Final Fantasy XIV - Erichthonios
Final Fantasy XV - Noctis Lucis Caelum
Final Fantasy XV - Prompto Argentum
Genshin Impact - Shikanoin Heizou
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist - Solanaceae
Katekyou Hitman Reborn - Hayato Gokudera
Kingdom Hearts - Ienzo
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Link
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Sheik
Marvel Cinematic Universe - Kate Bishop
NieR: Automata - 9S
Percy Jackson & the Olympians - Jason Grace
Percy Jackson & the Olympians - Nico di Angelo
Persona 3: FES - Shinjiro Aragaki
SinoAlice - Sleeping Beauty
Tales of Arise - Shionne Vymer Imeris Daymore
Tales of Symphonia - Kratos Aurion
Tales of Symphonia - Martel Yggdrasil
Tales of Zestiria - Mikleo
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Sena
Your Wings and Mine - Shealtiel

We will request any thread submissions for certain prompts during AC and TDM threads will count. For more information, refer to the Game Notes.

I. MASQUERADE

It's time for the masquerade and the carriages will start arriving before sunset. Upon arrival, everyone who leaves the carriage (or mercilessly spat out if they try to resist) will be greeted by fairy godmothers with an eye for the most dramatic and extravagant fashion. It's a masquerade, after all! For those who already arrive with their outfits, the fairy godmothers may add a little embellishment here and or just change it completely if they think it could look better. For those who did not, they will create a whole new outfit that would fit the wearer perfectly—with magic of course. They will also create the masks and half of the glass slipper brooch that everyone will wear. The masks are enchanted so that regardless of obvious personality or physical traits, they are somehow unrecognizable at first. While it is possible to figure it out through interaction, or if it's someone they already know well, it's more likely they need to reveal their identity first. These outfits can be kept even after the masquerade is over.

A. Get in the Carriage. As the pegasus drawn carriages begin to arrive to transport those who have decided to attend the masquerade, there is some commotion from others. The pair of coach mice—who are only about four feet tall—can be found smiling and cheerily squeaking about the masquerade as they grab and literally throw protesting individuals into the carriage, whereupon the door will immediately shut behind them. Ho ho ho, it'll be such a grand time! Will anyone try to help the poor soul? Or perhaps help the mice? Maybe you're a struggling victim instead. Should anyone want to try and drive the carriage, they might have a chance…but good luck having the pegasi listen to them. Eventually the carriage will land and take them to the front of the castle where the masquerade is hosted.

B. Half of a Pair. Near the entrance, everyone is encouraged to pull out one or more of the shoe brooches contained in a large bowl. The rules are simple: 1) use the brooch to lead them to the person wearing the other half; 2) spend whatever time or activity with them, be it general socializing, a dance, a walk in the gardens; 3) keep the brooch or return it to a designated "Used" bowl. The brooches will absorb whatever kind of dreamotion energy is formed between the two, and the stronger it is, the brighter (if positive) or darker (if negative) it will glow. The interaction can be romantic, platonic, or hostile. For those who do happen to "click" and wish for some privacy, there are numerous terraces and balconies available. Some are public, but there are quite a few with curtains, so be sure to close them to signal the balcony is occupied!

C. Dancing in the Air. The main draw will be the dance floor, and the ballroom is wide and spacious to accommodate numerous pairs to dance to their hearts' content—the music is played by enchanted instruments so they'll keep going without much of a break! Of course, what makes this dance floor truly special is how it uses dreamotion energy to lift everyone up—literally. Pairs who are having a fun time may find themselves floating up and dancing in the air instead of on the ground. Somehow they can maintain some balance…but it's just as easy to lose it.

D. Royal Banquet. There are numerous tables one can use and be served an assortment of foods. In fact, one could make special requests and somehow the dragons serving will be able to make it, or at least as close as possible. One just has to imprint the idea of the dish onto a special card that the chefs will use to recreate it. There are also two bowls filled with special tear drop chocolates, one with only white, pink, and red, and the other filled with the other colors. The "game" is to randomly choose one from each bowl and share a kiss depending on what is picked.

E. Out in the Gardens. Every castle has extravagant gardens, and this one is no different. Filled with numerous pink, red, and white flowers, the gardens have their typical fare…with not so typical effects.

Extravagant mazes that one could easily get lost in are common, but what's special about these gardens is that the flowers will emit a soft, sweet scent that will feel as if they are walking through a dream. In fact, the section they are going through will begin to change to look like a place from their world and must now find their way out. When this change happens, only those who are in the area will be affected and no one else can enter the area until the main person affected gets out. Those inside can help, and there are no threats—it's all in simple fun…unless the place evokes certain memories and emotions for the person. Might not be as fun for them, then.
A crystal greenhouse where the temperature is perfectly warm (or cold!) and houses various different flowers. Here some may recognize flowers from their world, the scents also creating nostalgia. There are instructions left that indicate anyone can try to help grow the flowers. The key ingredient will be dreamotion energy, and should they succeed in creating a blossom, a small marble containing a symbol of their home. There are also special daisies that can be used to play the "they love me they love me not" game. If the last petal is "they love me," then become extra flirty and clingy. If it's "love me not," they become angry, jealous, and possessive. The effects only last for a short time…unless they keep plucking flowers.
The white fountain in the center of the gardens will have a bit of a musical playful side. It will splash colorful water at any who pass by, chime-like notes playing out as it does. But if one were to drop a flower that has absorbed positive dreamotion into its water, it will calm and let people sit to look and relax. There is also a strange frog wearing a crown that claims to be a prince. For those who believe its words that a kiss will free him from the curse, they will be sorely disappointed as nothing happens and the frog just laughs and hops away.

II. AROUND TOWN

A. Mask Up. Attracted by the masquerade, some enchanted masks have found their way to town and are now finding their way onto people, be it by tricking their victims to be put on or just forcibly latching themselves on. Depending on the type of mask, the wearer will behave based on a festive, dramatic emotion. While wearing the mask, the dreamotion that is projected is stronger. Examples are angry emotions will cause tremors and cracks on the ground, happiness could blind people or will cause confetti to fly everywhere, while sad ones will cause clouds and drizzling rain to appear overhead. The only way to remove it is to somehow make the other person feel the opposite of whatever emotion the mask is using. Once the mask’s emotion is countered and stabilized, it could be removed or even fall off if the countering emotion is strong enough. Masks can also be captured and collected before they attach to someone.

B. Special Messages. Throughout the month, valentine's are being delivered to people all over town. Some are even receiving some from the fae and dragons who live outside… Perhaps some caution should be had from those. Regardless, while the messages are brimming with both platonic and romantic (and questionable) love, the messengers are a bit… Well they need help.

Insightful Mockingbirds. Special mockingbirds are flying around and perch on random shoulders. They have the ability to "read" a person's thoughts and repeat them out loud. Without warning. Hope there aren't any secrets because that bird is going to make it public, especially if it's an observation or thought—good or bad—about another person. Good luck shooing it away, too—it'll stick around for a while because it might enjoy sowing this bit of chaos.
Arrow Delivery. The group from last year have decided to use their prank arrows for good and start a business in delivering special Valentine's messages via arrow. A "shot to the heart" in the less literal sense this time! While some of their archers are skilled, others are…less so. Some are hitting a bit too close to comfort or way off the mark. Some messages are going to the wrong person entirely. Help avoid, retrieve, or even deliver these messages around town.

C. Candy Kisses. A special assortment of flat bottomed, tear shaped chocolates are currently selling like hotcakes and can be found practically everywhere. Their main selling point is they come in different colors and each color has a special effect that will make the eater want to kiss the person near them in a certain way (see chart). Some people are deliberately swapping the wrappers around, so be careful!

D. Bleeding Hearts Return. It's Valentine's, yet Cupid is nowhere to be seen. That is because he's still corrupted from last year and now he's thirsting for love, any love. Using the Bleeding Hearts from last year, Cupid is using them to gather all that jealous, possessive love, but of course that's going to make it worse. We're not tackling Cupid here, but the main goal will be helping those who are afflicted by the Bleeding Hearts and purifying them via dreamotion instead of just destroying them. Purifying the Bleeding Hearts with pure love—romantic, platonic, familial, reminders of how they are loved and cared for by others—will help Cupid. Of course this could backfire and make the person feel worse, so be careful!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Her gloved hand comes up from his shoulder to lightly sweep over his cheek, her fingers touching his skin gently, as if he were the most delicate thing in the world right now. From this close, he can probably see her lashes bat and flutter as the urge to kiss him continues to rise, that silent, simmering heat growing more powerful inside her, waiting and ready to burst at a moment's notice...

She stops their dance, only for a second, because she wants to savour the intimacy of this moment because she knows that they will soon part ways. That they will need to separate for a while to at least attempt to meet and greet others, see if they could find their friends... but right now, she doesn't want this dance to end. If she had the power to stop time, she would pause them as they are here...

Tifa feels her emotions flow in her chest like a wave, and she has to force her lips away from his before he makes her fall too far before the night is over. The night has hardly begun, and already, she wants nothing more than to slip away with his hand in hers, never to be seen by anyone else for the rest of the night...

It would be unfair, so she resists... For now.

Though, as they are, it really does feel like the world has stopped spinning for everyone except them.]

Your wish is my command.

[It's a quiet, soft whisper—a promise to him. He has her attention. All of it. He always has and always will. It's followed by an equally gentle laugh as she follows the steps of the dance once more.]

Twirl me.

[He really does want nothing more than to just take her away from here. Find a place for just the two of them. He knows it's irrational, knows he's acting like a fool who has fallen head over heels in love. And yet that's exactly what it is. That's exactly how she moves him.

One year...

A year of ridiculously high ups and absolute devastating downs that tested them over and over, even to the breaking point. And yet they persevered. Shaped them to be who they are now. Perhaps it's crazy and unbelievable to others, yet this is just how their twisted path went.

And he would have it no other way.

So he stares down at her, his gaze more heated than before before he steps back to raise his hand and twirl her around. To let her spin and let those stars once more erupt and sparkle around them, filling the air with their brilliant, twinkling lights. It's as if there's nothing else but them, no one else but them.

And when he stops and pulls her back to him, he can no longer hold back. This time his lips will firmly meet hers for that kiss they've been teasing for so long.]

[She can see it in his eyes, burning bright as if they weren't sealed behind a mask at all. Tifa knows that look. She knows what it means, what he's feeling and thinking, and what it promises later, and it's the same look that she can never look away from. It swallows her whole, enveloping her entire being, consuming her focus and her attention and her restraint, until—

The spin breaks her free from it. He twirls her, and as he does, she can feel the stars erupt around her, glittering and gold, some of them bursting into showers of snow that trickle down to the floor, melting before they reach it. Beneath her feet, she dances over them, the constellations creating a pathway for her as she twirls her way back to him, her dress blooming like a starry firework in a golden night sky until he's catching her in his arms again...

And crashing his lips to hers.

Her arms go around him, holding their bodies close as she returns the kiss with equal passion, and the sweet perfume of starflowers fills her head, mixing with his scent, and she swears she might melt away in his arms right there.

This truly is the happy ending to that night one year ago. The dance that could have been. The kiss that could have been... and the love that it became. If all had gone their way, is this how it would have ended? Is this how that night would have gone? Would they have taken that leap together instead of being too afraid back then...?

She'll never know, she supposes, but maybe she doesn't want to know the answers to those questions. It doesn't matter, anyway. What matters is that they are here now, as a result of everything that happened then.

As she parts with him, there is one thing that she wishes to do...

One thing that she can no longer resist.

Slowly, her fingers reach for the edges of his mask, and she gives it a gentle pull, as if waiting for his permission...]

[He almost chases after when she parts, that desire for her, growing by the minute. He's long forgotten where they are, the music so distant to him now. Really that should have been a clue, but his attention is so focused on Tifa that it doesn't matter to him. He just wants...

And just as she reaches for his mask, one that he would willingly let her left, he feels something brush against his ear. It only makes it flick a little, but then there's a quiet tinkling sound like crystal against metal. And when he feels it brush against his ear again, a little harder this time, he frowns and has to pull back away from her hand to look and—]

—!?

[His eyes widen in surprise when he sees the chandelier right next to them and a quick glance down reveals how high up they are.

...

........................

Just going to...... Suddenly hold Tifa closer to him.]

...Don't look down.

Edited 2023-02-26 04:26 (UTC)

[The sound of crystals is like distant chimes in her head, the gentle noise nothing more than what a breeze would be on a summer day. She pays it no mind, far too focused on Eustace and his beautiful eyes that are unjustly hidden behind his mask. She wants to see him... She wants to drink him in—all of him—and perhaps that's why he looks so ethereal right now with this beautiful, warm, golden light shining behind him.

...

She doesn't notice the flick of his ear at first, as her fingers slowly begin to pull the mask back, and she holds her breath as it begins to reveal his cheek, and then his—

?]

Wh...?

[He jerks away from her hand and it startles her, and for a moment, Tifa thinks she's done something wrong before she's wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.]

Don't look?

[With her face buried in his chest, she has some trouble, and rather than look down, she looks up at him. And it's only then that she realizes that... is that a chandelier!?

And is this...]

Oh god.

[She swallows when she stares up, and discovers that they are only a couple feet away from hitting their heads on the ceiling. Meanwhile, they've gained quite the audience down on the floor, and several of the people who are floating around them, though none quite as high.

She clings to him.]

How did we get up here?

Edited 2023-02-26 04:38 (UTC)

...I'm not sure, but let's just...focus on getting back down.

[DO THEY HAVE TO DANCE THEIR WAY DOWN. He's already scanning to see if there's a second floor railing or something they could use instead because...even if there are other couples in the air, this is clearly rather embarrassing.]

How...

[If he knew the answer, she knew he would give it. But she only holds onto him tight, and this time, she really does look down...

It's as if the stars that had spread out from them have formed a dancefloor of their own, and as Tifa moves her feet, they shimmer underneath like glass. It's magical, sure, but incredibly embarrassing for her too, as the couples closest to them stare at them in complete awe of their magic.

But as they continue to linger in the air, floating—ah, that explains so much now—Tifa starts to... giggle... as she hides her face in his chest?]

... Maybe we should've stuck to the terrace after all.

[She's probably not helping them.]

[As he now can actually feel and notice them rising, he's not sure how to feel as he starts to connect the two.]

I'm of the mind to at least return and stay there now.

[Still, he can't help but feel a little helpless as it's not like he can tell her to stop feeling happy.]

Ah—!

[As they spin and float, Tifa narrowly dodges her hair getting caught in the loops of the crystal chandelier, but it only makes her laughter grow. It's so hard to be afraid and confused for very long when she has him holding onto her so tight and keeping her safe... Embarrassing, yes, but it is a little funny how they ended up getting all the way up here before either of them noticed a thing.]

Think if we just danced our way over there, we'd make it down? ... I wouldn't mind heading outside for a while.

It's worth a try. At worst we dance towards the wall and try to climb down.

[Said in jest...

...

But he does have it under serious consideration—]

[She holds onto him a little tighter, her fingers digging into his shoulder and holding onto his jacket as if she might fall if she lets go...]

We'll just keep pretending we're the only people here... Keep our eyes on each other.

[As she looks up at him, she realizes how easy that is the moment their eyes connect... and she's serious about this, so she'll position herself for a proper dance towards the wall if he is willing—!]

[A small laugh.]

That won't be too difficult.

[And he'll start to lead them again, his eyes completely focused on hers while somehow still keeping enough awareness of where they need to go.]

[It's hard to look anywhere else but at him. Even if she wanted to, she trusts their instincts to take over enough to carry them to where they have to be... and the stars light up the air beneath them still as they dance their way towards the wall. Though, Tifa does pay a little bit more attention to the music as it shifts into something with a brighter, slightly quicker tempo. Of course, with the two of them, it isn't a problem, and they fall into step easily enough once more...

And once they reach the wall...

She finally breaks her gaze from Eustace's with a sheepish smile to look around and...]

Well, we made some progress, at least.

[Enough that they are no longer nearly touching the ceiling, but their feet still aren't on the ground... with the stars and flower petals holding them up. But they are low enough that if they were to suddenly fall, it wouldn't hurt...]

Think if we just went outside, we wouldn't suddenly drop?

I'm going to assume the magic must end at some point... Unless it's now our dreamotion that's keeping us up.

[A small shake of his head, still a little bewildered they're even like this.]

But we can try.

[Tifa slips out of his arms so that she can properly take his hand in hers now, and she looks out the wide doors leading out to the gardens. Fortunately, all of the people who had been watching them have gone back to dancing, so if they were to suddenly stumble and fall as soon as they walked through the doors, no one would notice.

Nor would anyone care. It's not like they'll know who they are—

With her free hand, she swings the door open and takes a breath.]

On three...? [And she'll start their countdown with a light squeeze of his hand.] One, two, three...!

[Together, the two of them will have to duck under the top of the door, and Tifa squeaks a little, half expecting them to hit the ground as soon as they do—!

Except they don't. Not right away... but they do start to lower gently, like a pair of snowflakes drifting from the sky towards the ground...]

[He follows after her, and really he hoped they would drop. At least then it would be done and over with. But instead they have their slow descent...which was all right he supposes. At least they are descending.

And when they near the ground, Eustace takes the first step down before turning to pull Tifa down to him, twirling her around in place as he does before finally letting her down.]

[And here she was praying that they wouldn't...!

But her laughter echoes through the gardens when he takes her, and when he twirls her around on the way, it leaves behind a spiraling burst of golden stars that shimmer brighter out here in the dimly lit gardens. She finally got her princess twirl right at the very end of their dance... and her cheeks are flushed, giddy with joy as he sets her down.

Her arms around him now, Tifa peeks both ways before she's reaching up for a kiss. There are other couples out here walking around, sitting and talking and curled up wit one another, so she'll keep it brief and chaste, though it bears no less passion—and teasing—than the other kisses that they've shared tonight.]

We should find someplace quieter. More private...

[Where there's no one around...]

[He knew she would like it, so he just smiles into the kiss, welcoming it and letting it linger before he glances to the side towards the steps that would lead down to the gardens below.

Hm...]

Let's try this way.

[Maybe keep this year parallel going and find a large enough tree to rendezvous under.]

[There are no shortage of trees and bushes and flowers around here. There's even a fountain, its light trickling drawing Tifa's attention in that direction, and she gently pulls him along that way, pausing to look at it as they pass, but rather than stop here, they journey deeper into the gardens until they find just the kind of tall tree that they're looking for.]

How about this one?

[Its branches stretch out like a canopy and drape down with their long curtains of leaves over the pink and white rose bushes decorating the grounds, and in the center, there's a small wooden bench lined with more flowers.

From here, they can still hear the fountain as well as the music coming from inside, but both are distant enough that they simply add to the mood, and it takes her back to that night exactly one year ago...]

[Eustace only gives everything a passing glance, enough to instantly memorize the layout and the paths back, but that's it. He's more focused on the lady beside him as they continue their search, until at last they reach the tree. With a satisfied grin, he takes her hand to lead her further in, the wind rustling through the leaves before they already seem to grow, starflowers peppering the branches.]

It's perfect.

[And as if impatient, he pulls her in close, hand instantly cupping her cheek as he leans in to gently kiss her.]

Mm?

[She really shouldn't be so surprised when he brings her in and steals a kiss from her, but she had been watching the way the starflowers immediately begin to bloom on the long, draping branches when he had. She hasn't even noticed the way they had created a trail in their midst as they wandered through the gardens, making them blossom among the rose bushes to create a way to lead them back.

When she's free from the kiss, Tifa still lingers, and her chest swells with the magic of the moment. Everything is so, so perfect tonight, and she feels like she's on top of the world. Nothing could go wrong... nothing could get her down. Not when she's with him.

She would make sure that this night would continue to be that way...]

It's almost like this was made just for us. Our own little sanctuary.

[As the branches continue to lower, like they mean to hide them away from the rest of the world.]

Maybe so.

[A soft, quiet smile as silence falls on them, his thumb gently stroking her cheek before it brushes up against her mask. A flash of memory returns to him, one from a year ago—

Of the despair and desperation the two felt when they realized their ill fated roles. How raw and new everything had felt between them, their feelings and attraction already revealed but not to their full extent. He can still remember so clearly her expression when she first realized his role and the curse. That beautiful, dreamlike moment shattered when she removed his mask and how he had taken her to a secluded place just like this. The agony, the frustration. The whirlwind of emotions that were surely their own and not of their roles.

Yet here they are now, their smiles genuine, their love cemented and rooted that nothing, not even the fates or gods can ruin.

Changing the world to be ours

Slowly he lifts her mask away. He may have already done it once before, but this time he can see her perfectly under the moonlight. See the way the stars reflect in her eyes, starflower petals drifting down to land like snow in her hair.

How different it is now compared to then...yet the overwhelming surge of emotions remain the same.]

...My beloved princess.

[It's a different swell of emotions this time. Back then, they had been new, their meaning muddied by their own fears and the roles that needed to be played, but they had been there. Although it's a memory that she had tried to lock away and forget, when she does remember, it's like it was only yesterday. She remembers the way his hair shone just like this under the moonlight, and how his eyes sparked with the same emotions she felt under his mask. She remembers how she felt when she removed it—how beautiful and sad he looked as the silver scales glistened under her fingers when she touched them...

Now, it's the same love, but it's no longer a tiny seedling trying to flourish beneath a sea of snow. Instead, it's all of the starflowers that bloom on the tree, their petals glowing and almost sparkling as they flutter down to land in their hair, their sweet scent carried in the warm breeze that lingers in the air. It's the way he looks at her as he removes her mask, and how stars spread outwards from them to make it look and feel like they're standing among them...

All of it manifesting like this, and yet, it still cannot ever properly convey the things that they feel...

Her eyes are round and wide when her mask is pulled away from her face, and she's not sure why, but she suddenly feels exposed. Vulnerable. He can see everything—the way her eyes grow a bit teary with emotion, and how her cheeks are flushed still, his words only deepening their colour.

And slowly, she reaches up for the edges of his. She'd been wanting to do this for a while and had been so, so close as they were dancing, but now, she can finally remove it in the privacy of their own little garden sanctuary. She pauses, letting the branches grow more until they touch the grass before she slowly begins to lift it away.

It's careful, each second of movement deliberate, as if she knows the moment it's gone, she'll be lost in those pale blue eyes of his... and as it comes up over his head, she realizes she was right.

It's the first time she's seen his face since they climbed in the carriage together, and her lashes flutter when she feels her heart soar when she sees him. It's in moments like this when she feels like she's forgotten, and then is suddenly taken by surprise when she remembers how much she loves him.]

... My beloved prince.

[Tifa lifts her hand to him, and there's a helpless, almost pleading look in her eyes as she motions to her glove, asking for his help to remove it.]

[For so many years he's kept his emotions at bay, and now he has difficulty controlling them. Instinctively he wants to lean in and capture her, but her hand distracts him. Catching her implication, he takes her hand in one and the other moves to slowly roll down her glove. He's being careful so as not to rip the fabric... But also watch as her skin becomes more exposed with each gentle tug, pull, and slide.

Until at least it's completely removed, and now he's holding her bare hand. Just like that night, he brings it to his lips, gracing it a loving kiss. But this time he doesn't have to leave. Doesn't have to hide and watch her go with his heart twisted into indescribable knots.

This time he can have her all to himself with no one but themselves to stop them.]

[Her eyes never once leave his face as he tugs her glove off, and the feel of the silk as it glides over her skin and the air that touches what's bared is nice, her senses seeming amplified by the intensity in the air, but it's the way it feels when his fingers and his lips touch her skin that sends the violent shiver through her. Her gaze follows him, follows as he presses a kiss to her hand, and she feels like they're standing on air, that they're really truly standing in the middle of the clouds and the stars together...

Tifa's eyes flutter closed so that she can savour this moment, and when she opens them again, she slips her hand from his so that she can run it over his neck and up to his cheek, and then to his hair, touching him like this is the first time she's ever felt him in her life.

As if this really were a fairy tale, and he is her rogue but charming prince, and she is that princess... A refined lady who's never known the touch of another person before. Not like this...

She thinks back to the gardens again, a smile pulling gently at the corners of her lips, and as her thumb caresses his cheek, she speaks so quietly, her voice barely a whisper as she leans in, lifting herself up on her tiptoes to meet him part of the way.

...]

Kiss me.

[Just like he did that night...]

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