closed ⚡🌠 where the pulse of the land offers no respite

[starshower]

Who: Eustace & Tifa
Which: Closed log.
Where: The mines under Orkili.
What: Tifa and Eustace set out to investigate the missing crystals in the mines.
Warnings: it's eustifa.

Comments

[starshower]

[Right... they fell through that giant hole in the floor...]

Either that, or we find another way out of here through a different tunnel...

[While there is that barrier keeping them both relatively safe, it doesn't block out everything. Even that seems to fade in and out, and she can feel her own dreamotion being drained, albeit slowly, but surely.]

We could try the vines again?

[Still worth a shot?]

[flamekthunder]

[A small nod.]

I was thinking the same. We can use the vines to climb up... We can even try and have them carry us up. It would take more dreamotion, but it may be worth it if it will get us up faster.

[starshower]

[She's staring up, her nose crinkling at the distance they'll no doubt have to go.

It's a silly thing to feel guilty about asking, and if he knew what she was thinking, he might just scold her all over again, but—]

Maybe... if we try it together? I'm not sure I could manage by myself. Not after being... in there...

[Or with the crystals still at Eustace's back, and she can imagine he might feel the same, though perhaps to a lesser extent? She still doesn't really know for certain.]

[flamekthunder]

[Why is she hesitating—she should say it with more confidence?? TEAM WORK, WIFE.]

Did you think I would let you try by yourself?

[If he weren't behind her he'd poke her on the nose.]

We'll do it together.

[starshower]

Well, no, but...

[She gives him a shy, sheepish look.]

You've already been working yourself so hard...

[She didn't want to make him do all the work. Tifa feels terrible for having hurt herself that he's had to practically haul her there and then back, and now... She wanted to at least do something for him in return, but he's right.

Her hand will slip easily into his, though, as if she means to gather and share as much dreamotion energy as they both can before they'll need to use it, and also to help support her as she tries to hop over the ledges that will get them out of this damn tunnel... And she winces quietly when she puts weight on her foot in just the wrong way.]

[flamekthunder]

[He could get a vague idea of what she's thinking, and he can only smile a little.]

I'll be fine, don't worry.

[And just as they near the exit with that fond feeling growing, Eustace feels a strange prick on the back of his neck. It's sharp cold, and it makes him reach back to feel around, but... There's nothing?

Was it a bug? A piece of rock hitting him? A jolt of nightmare energy from the bag?

The pain he felt had already subsided as if it never happened, and seeing Tifa hop down ahead of him pulls him back to the present as he follows soon after.]

You all right?

[starshower]

[She does notice that he's reached around to the back of his neck, but she thinks nothing of it. Chalks it up to the fact that she has been feeling it too—nightmare energy crawling over her skin, trying to find any place it can to dig further into her and set its roots down, but having Eustace here, and having that protection around their necks helps to stem some of that, at least.

Never mind that she has something else to focus on as she almost stumbles over the crevice before catching herself.]

Yeah. I'm fine. Just... stepped funny.

[Except that when she tries to move again, she'll be met with another sharp sting.]

Think some of that dreamotion of yours wore off, though.

[flamekthunder]

[With the strange sensation forgotten, Eustace quickly joins her and crouches down.]

Hold on, I'll reapply it... But you should still take it easy and not put any weight on it.

[Once more he'll use his dreamotion, that coolness and electric warmth rippling over her skin and into the strained muscle.]

Hold onto me.

[starshower]

[She doesn't need telling twice. She reaches for him, her hand gripping his shoulder as he crouches down to reapply the magic, and she sighs with relief once the coolness drifts over her skin, massaging into the muscles in her ankle.

And even when he stands, she keeps her hold on him with an almost shameful smile.]

I'm sorry... just a little further... I'll see someone once we get back to town.

[flamekthunder]

Don't be.

[Just a small poke to her nose before he kisses the top of her head.]

Just hold out a little longer.

[He then looks up to where the opening is, throwing up one of his lightning orbs to help illuminate it.]

I'll cast the first vine to hook it up there. Then you can create your own to join mine and we'll work together to pull ourselves up.

[starshower]

[And she can, thanks to that nose boop and the kiss, both making her smile even in the dark nightmare energy that looms around them, and through the pain in her ankle.]

Okay.

[She'll slip her arms around his shoulders more fully now so that the vine can grab and carry them together, and there's the telltale warmth that tells him that she's ready.

Though, she does feel that slight difference... how she has to work just a little harder to even call it forth... but it's there.]

[flamekthunder]

[Once she's ready, he'll concentrate and cast out the vine. It shoots up quick as lightning and reaches the pillar just outside it, wrapping around it tight. Eustace will give a few hard pulls just in case, and once he's certain it's secure—]

Your turn.

[starshower]

[It's her turn to concentrate now, and rather than from the ground like they had sprouted before, Tifa's vines slither out from in between his, pushing them apart to grow and coil around to strengthen it. More slither in the other direction, down towards them, wrapping around and around their waists and secures them tight.

Already, her own are starting to pull, lifting Tifa's feet ever so slightly off the ground to test.]

Alright, that should be good.

[It does feel nice... working with him like this. Being able to do something while she's been hobbling around uselessly so far...]

[flamekthunder]

[Feeling her vines wrap strongly around him, he gives her a small, encouraging smile, his arms around her squeezing her a little more before he focuses again to help pull them up together.

Up and up and up they go, the ascent rather smooth until the reach the lip of the hole. There he'll stop them.]

Climb out first, I'll follow after.

[Better than being dragged up and over.]

[starshower]

[She feels that squeeze, even that encouragement from him, and it helps to strengthen the bond of their vines, and small flowers quiver as if trying to bloom along them. They can't, what with this heavy buzz in the air, but the fact that they are even there in the first place says plenty about how grateful she is for it.

As soon as they reach the top, those vines wrapped around them both will help to shimmy them closer to the ledge, some more growing to help pull Tifa up along with her arms, and she stumbles forward onto the broken edge with a sigh before immediately turning around to help pull Eustace up.]

Quick... before it breaks again...

[He'll feel the vines nudging him the same way they did her now, too.]

[flamekthunder]

[He won't hesitate. The moment Tifa is up and has her hand out, he'll take it. With the help of Tifa and the vines and Tifa, he'll climb up, stopping beside her. Immediately the vines withdraw, and with it they'll be able to feel the clearer air compared to what was down below.]

Let's seal this hole, both to prevent anyone else from falling in and deter anything else from coming out. At least from here.

[starshower]

[Despite them still being far down beneath the surface, it feels like such a breath of fresh air being up here. Even her muscles feel less tight, and her lungs feel a bit clearer, and she makes sure to take that deep breath first.]

Seal it up with what? We'd have to break off a ton of rock to fill that hole, wouldn't we?

[She'd suggest vines, but how long would they even last without them here to maintain them? Born out of pure dreamotion, they would no doubt have the energy sucked out of them over time.]

[flamekthunder]

[...Hm.]

We can use dreamotion as a temp measure, and then inform the Orkilins so they can properly seal it. But we really can't leave it alone like this, especially with others out investigating.

[starshower]

[She nods. Hubby is so smart.]

Then... vines will be our best bet. They'll at least be strong enough to hold until someone else can come down here with some pickaxes. Especially if we both do it.

[flamekthunder]

[A small nod.]

One more time.

[And this time he'll reach out and take her hand, knowing that she would feel more encouraged by it.]

[starshower]

[She does already as he takes her hand, but...]

Wait.

[She'd hop up on her tiptoes if she could, so instead, she uses their joined hands to pull him down to her—hard enough that he'll have no choice but to meet his lips with hers lest he fall on top of her. It's a sweet kiss, lingering and tender, and it feels like it's been forever since they've done this... It still isn't fully indulgent, that will have to wait until they return to the city, but it's enough for the vines to already start to grow before she even pulls back that hairsbreadth to smile.

That breath of fresh air that they both need.]

Now I'm ready.

[flamekthunder]

[He's taken by complete surprise, and for a moment he doesn't quite react until he finally does, his hand going to her cheek to pull her in for a little more before she finally pulls away. There's a light glimmer in his eyes as he looks down at her, knowing well why she did that.

...

And he's going to lean in and just take yet another kiss, this one searching for a little more of her emotions and taste. A bit more indulgent, yes, but... A bit sly, but he's using this to help fuel their dreamotion, letting it flow between them and through their hands to create that vine, starflowers popping up as the hole is quickly covered by the rush of dreamotion that pours out.

When he finally pulls back, he looks at her with a mischievous grin.]

Done.

[starshower]

[It's her turn to be left surprised, not expecting that second, more coveting kiss. She would have been content with just the one so that they could make the vines together, but as she hears them shifting, Tifa just lets her eyes flutter shut and yields to it, lips melting against his as she accepts the love and the dreamotion that it carries.

No doubt the purest, strongest form of it that they could make.

And perhaps she could be a little selfish too, and take from him. Not his magic, but the warmth he gives her so easily any time, but especially in times like this. Times where things have felt so dire, so scary, that they couldn't even take a moment to be themselves.

When they finally do part again, he's somehow managed to leave her feeling a touch breathless and dizzy from the surprise, and she doesn't even need to look down at the covered hole to know that they had done it, and that it will hold for much longer because of it.

She sees that grin of mischief, and she can't help but blush in return.]

Well... At least we're sure that will hold.

[flamekthunder]

[A quiet laugh as he takes her hand.]

That might have also helped the backpack. But let's keep moving.

[And then moving in a little close.]

We can "recharge" later.

[starshower]

[Well, it certainly helped with a lot of things... she even swears that her ankle is feeling a little better, too. Not better enough to walk on her own, but she doesn't mind clinging to him just a bit tighter, giggling when he leans closer.]

I'll hold you to that. Definitely gonna need a few "charges" after all that.

[With one last look at the covered hole, the starflowers quivering in the nonexistent breeze, she gives him a smile as they start to walk.]

Good work today, by the way... Hopefully they'll find all this useful.