songerein | open 🌠 you see the shadows

Entry tags:

open 🌠 you see the shadows

Who: Tifa Lockhart & you!
Which: Open log + interactive dream
Where: Around Reverein, Mount Nibel
What: Mount Nibel Incident dream, and a couple of dream board postings.
Warnings: N/A for now

✨ i. "the day mom died..." — interactive dream

[There's a winding, rocky path overlooking the town of Nibelheim below, but where it should be clear, the mountain the path leads up is shrouded in a fog that only grows thicker with each passing moment, with what the eyes can see morphing and twisting in and out of view, almost as if the entire landscape isn't sure what it should be. There's an unshakable sound of static in the air, and a rumbling underfoot that isn't too threatening, but it's noticeable enough that it makes itself known.

On one ledge of the path up the mountain are four children. Three boys, whose faces fade in and out of clarity, and a girl with long, dark-brown hair, all looking up at the mountain as they talk, but their words are cut out by the static.]

"Mt. Nibel is scary. Many people have—there."

"—one crosses that—alive."

[The girl turns to face them all, revealing a much younger Tifa, not a day older than nine-years.]

"How about—died? Did—pass through—?" [Tifa wanders past the boys watching her, up the path.] "I'm—"

[Two boys follow while one runs the other way, threatening to bump into any dreamwalkers as he rushes back in the direction of the town. If Tifa is followed, they'll reach a bridge that she crosses fearlessly and without a word, but like the rest of the mountain, it fades in and out of view as well. There, the two boys who remain rush off, leaving Tifa to venture up the rest of the mountain alone.

...

But they stop upon seeing someone new. Someone who might be able to help?]

"Please, you have to stop her! It's dangerous up there! We're going to go back down and get Mister Lockhart."

[And off they go together without another word.]

** ( ooc: Because Tifa doesn't remember this event in full, I fully encourage anyone to have your character influence the setting as much or as little as you'd like! )

✨ ii. freeloading reindeer

[Having done some work on the communal gardens already, Tifa's grown handy with a hammer and nails. Not that she wasn't already proficient enough, but there's a difference between fixer-uppers around a bar that she knew like the back of her hand and building wooden flowerbeds and fences, and the latter has allowed her to at least learn some proper techniques in woodworking. Hell, she's even started learning how to sand and polish, so something like this should be a piece of cake.]

There. I think that's the last of it.

[She'd been hauling wood around all morning, the large planks thrown over her shoulder before she sets them down out in the middle of the farm where there's plenty of room to build out. It's nothing but a pile of wood and a bag of tools, and whoever else has come all the way out here with her, and around them, the reindeer will be grazing and curiously watching from afar, still not sure if it's safe to approach.]

So, it was a new stable for them and a fence, right? Gotta say, biggest thing I've ever built was a flowerbed so this'll be new to me.

✨ iii. new year's noctaere

[It is a little terrifying going up against the Noctaere, especially when she knows little of what to expect upon entering the dreamscape, but Tifa was never one to sit back or sit still for very long. Not when there were threats that needed to be taken care of. She might not be the most experienced partner in the dreamscapes, with her skills in dreamotion magic leaving plenty to be desired, but she can pack a punch when needed, and it has come in helpful in a lot of cases.

That isn't to say she's completely useless at magic, but she'd prefer to let her fists and feet do the talking if it came down to it. Which it will.

And just before stumbling into the dreamscape, she looks over to whoever has volunteered for the job with her, and gives a firm nod.]

You ready?

** ( ooc: if you have a preference for the dreamscape, then please let me know in the subject line! Otherwise, I'll randomize which one we end up getting! )

✨ iv. wildcard

[None of these prompts work? You know the wildcard drill! Feel free to leave something else below, or contact me via PM or @ crystariums if you'd like to plot out something! Tifa can be frequently found at the communal gardens, at the edges of the forest training, and just in general wandering around Reverein, so she's easy to bump into. Also okay with any of the dream board postings!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[After everything that happened last month, he still feels a bit...tense whenever Tifa is around, feeling like he has to warily look out the window or over his head for the first few minutes she's there. But the awkwardness eventually passes and he'll go about his own business. And despite that awkwardness, he does appreciate Tifa's assistance in helping with the dogs and clearing out the tree. It's been such a mess for so long that while he had made headway on his own, he can only do so much on his own and the little floofs a very convincing distraction. But at least now they can go outside...which only creates more distraction as he ends up spending more time outside the tree than in.

So it's no wonder that they're getting dirtier.

After washing out the tub, he glances over at Tifa and then to the window.]

...Too late for you to head back on your own.

[Not discounting her abilities or anything, but even though they're in a safer part of the forest, natural predators will still pass through and with all the snow and him not having created a proper trail yet between the town and the tree, it's only natural to be concerned.]

After we finish up here I'll walk you back.

[Normally he'd just stay over if he found himself in such a situation, but he's assuming Tifa would want the comforts of her own home. And despite the distance still between them, he's not going to be so callous to send her out.

However, as if understanding his idea, well intended as it is, one of the corgis that had been hanging around starts to grumble as if against it.]

[They haven't even finished cleaning yet... Right. There are still dog toys strewn about, and the floor in the bathroom still needs to be scrubbed, and by the time all that gets done... Tifa looks to the clock again, and then to one of the corgis who whines out loud at the pair of them.]

It'll be at least another half hour by the time we're finished. And then the walk back. It's fine.

[It's not like she lives that close. She wouldn't make him walk back with her in the first place, but... looking outside, it still looks a bit cold. Not to mention dark. There's a silence that follows, broken by a sigh from her.]

It's already so late. We can finish up in the morning...

[Tifa makes the implications of that known in her voice, but she would understand why he would say no to such a thing. As if to answer for him, the same dog barks his fervent approval. Let the pretty lady stay!]

I don't mind. Besides, I don't want to leave you to clean all of this up when I helped make part of it.

...

[He gets the implication, and it's not as if it didn't cross his mind. So Eustace just looks at her a little uncertain.]

You sure?

[...She could just stay here on her own and he return home. Wouldn't be the first time he went out late at night and he's traversed through this alone many times. Despite his own reservations about her going out alone, he has none of it for himself.

They can all probably guess what he's thinking even if he doesn't say anything.]

Yeah. It's too late, and too cold. Might as well stay here where it's warm, get some sleep, and be fresh for the morning.

[Besides, the dogs would rather they stay here, right? Tifa doesn't need to ask that out loud for her to know the answer. Seems like she knows his now, too... and it brings the tiniest of smiles to her face. Slowly but surely, things are making their way back to normal.]

I don't mind setting up on the couch, since I'm the one imposing. And don't worry, I'll borrow a couple of the dogs to protect me.

[...They're all valid, and really it's not like he wants to kick her out or anything. So he just looks at her a little longer before turning back to pick up the brushes in the tub.]

I'll take the couch, it's fine. I actually don't sleep on the bed much when I stay here so I'm used to it.

[...More likely he's on the floor with the dogs—]

[While he takes the brushes, Tifa piles up the towels in her arms to throw them into a hamper she brought, for washing in the morning. The tension in the room eases a bit when she laughs and waves away the cloud of dog hairs that fly up when they land inside... So much for the bathroom being cleaned, but it's probably a good thing then that she'll be staying.]

Okay. If you're sure.

[She isn't going to argue with him, so she concedes with a small nod.

After that, it won't take long for her to prepare for bed. Tifa hadn't brought a change of clothes, but she doesn’t mind sleeping in what she has, so after she's finished making sure that the couch is done up for him nice and comfortably, she arms herself with a glass of water and pauses at the foot of the stairs with a pair of corgis in tow, her back to him.]

Sleep well...

[He'll mostly let her have her privacy as she prepares, taking the time to get his own arrangement set up. By now he was used to just lying on the floor near the hearth to do some late night reading with the dogs around him, so he's actually made something of a "nest" with some large pillows and blankets.

But the bed upstairs has been changed out with fresh sheets for the few times he had used to it, so it'll be nice and clean for her. And once she starts to ascend the stairs, Eustace only glances at her in return before grabbing the book he had been reading.]

...Goodnight.

[Just a quiet answer in return. But at least it doesn't feel as awkward as it had about a week or so ago.

And so with a few bones for the dogs who remained with him to chew on, he settles into his spot. It'll be a little while before he sleeps, an eye casting upward towards the stairs every now and then as if to listen if Tifa sleeps first or not.]

[He'll hear her light footsteps creaking around above for a while after she's gone upstairs as she gets herself ready. With her clothes covered in dog hair and dust, it would be rude to sleep in them, and so she sheds her top and skirt and socks and spots a shirt of his draped over a chair. It looks clean—and it's at least cleaner than what she had been wearing, so she slips into that instead, pausing for a moment to shake her head at the open back.

Well, whatever. This will have to do for now. Hopefully he won't mind.

Things fall quiet in the house soon enough when Tifa slips into the bed. It's warm and comfortable, and she curls the blankets closer to her face, her eyes fluttering shut at the clean, fresh smell. But there's something else lingering on them that has her chest fluttering and lighting up her cheeks with colour and, with a low, frustrated groan, she turns over and allows sleep to slowly take over.

...

..... ]

Maru! Maru, stop! You can't keep stealing things from people!

[Today was the day!

SOLDIERs were coming to Nibelheim, and they had to be ready. Tifa was ready, and she'd gotten up bright and early in the morning, if she even slept at all the night before to prepare herself—to make sure that everything was in place for them, and her outfit had been pressed and ironed and cleaned so that there wasn't a single speck of cat hair or dust on it. She couldn't have her cat running around at people's heels or pulling flowers and herbs from their neighbour's yard only to drop them on their doorstep like it was prey.

Of course, the cat is much quicker than she is and he manages to slip through her hands to make his escape with a small, red giftbag in his mouth, to perch himself up on a window of the house next to hers, just out of her reach, and the fifteen year-old girl stands there, staring up at him both helpless and frustrated, her hat falling lopsided on her head.]

Edited 2022-01-07 20:18 (UTC)

[Eustace will be unaware of what's happening upstairs, but when he no longer hears her footsteps, he settles into read...or tries to, but his mind keeps drifting to Tifa, wondering if she was all right and just generally thinking about their situation. How he should even interact with her when such a thing shouldn't be an issue to begin with.

Sighing in defeat, he tosses the book aside and snaps his fingers to have the lights extinguished, leaving only the heatstone warming the hearth beside him. Some dogs go to their beds while two nestle beside him as he pulls over the covers.

Just sleep. He's just likely still feeling the fatigue and stress from the previous week...and this time of the year in general. Idly he strokes the fur of the nearest corgi before his eyes finally close and he drifts off.

And when his eyes open, he's staring up at the ceiling of his old bedroom. At first he looks puzzled, but he hears a voice outside his window. It's familiar if...younger? And when his head turns he sees...a cat? There's a moment of dissonance before pieces click into place and he rolls out of bed, not noticing that he is much smaller or that everything here is strange. Instead it feels quite normal, and he reaches the window, opening in curiosity.]

Maru?

[From below, Tifa tilts her head.]

Eustace?

[What is he doing here? Something isn't... Isn't this house supposed to be...?

No, what is she even thinking?

That was the entire reason that Maru had climbed all the way up there. It was his birthday, and it was to bring him his gift before Tifa could be the one to deliver it herself. He was like a little brother to her, just like all the other boys in the village, so the gift needed to be perfect, but she hemmed and hawed instead, not sure whether she should bring it to him now or wait until later, when all the kids in the entire village would come to celebrate over dinner and cake... until Maru made that decision for her. He always was an impatient cat, running out to do his own thing.

She sighs, and calls up to him this time.]

Eustace! Grab him and bring him down, please?

[Before he gets away again...]

Oh, and don't open the bag! That's... for later.

Tifa?

[There's also a moment of confusion as he stares down at her, but then Maru meows and Tifa is calling up to him.]

Uuh, okay!

[He stares at Maru and the bag confused.]

But what's in the bag...?

[Eustace feels as if he should know, but for now he just takes the bag from Maru before picking up the cat and making his way out of his bedroom and down the stairs.

As he walks through, he looks around. Everything looks...normal. His old desk, old books, toys, other belongings. The bed where his littler brother sleeps. When he steps out, he can see the doors to his sisters' room and parents room. He passes the room that was set up as a nursery for the newborn baby. And downstairs to where he can already smell the nostalgic scent of his mother's cooking, his sisters helping.

"Gosh, Eustace, oversleeping again?" his younger sister sighs as his mother laughs.

"It's fine, it's his birthday after all."

...Birthday...? Ah! Realization strikes him as he looks at the bag. That's right, today is his birthday isn't it? So that's what this bag is for... A big grin forms on his face as he runs out.]

I need to help Tifa! Be back later!

[He can already hear his sisters nagging at him like usual, but he just continues to grin happily. A birthday is always exciting for any kid, but now he was officially old enough for his father to take him out on a hunt and he would surely be getting his own rifle now! So it's impossible for him to not be excited as he become one step closer to his dreams.

And when he sees Tifa, he raises his hand with the bag in it and waves.]

Hey, Tifa! I got him!

[She can hear his sisters from outside, and a fond smile spreads over her lips. She was good friends with all of them, and... they'd come over often for lunch, wouldn't they? All of the kids around the village were friends, but because they lived right next door, their family was always a little more special to Tifa, weren't they? She's having troubles recalling a time when they weren't, but...

Strange. There's a prickling feeling in the back of her neck that has her doubting herself, as she always does. These are her memories... Her memories that she locked away for safekeeping, but there was something off about them. Something she can't quite put her finger on.

And for a very fleeting second as Eustace runs out the door, she sees someone else. A boy with blond hair and clothes a size too big and baggy for him, with bright blue eyes. He's shy, timid... Cloud? But then, just as the realization occurs to her, he disappears as quickly as he had come, replaced again with Eustace, who she grins at when he rushes at her with the bag and her cat.]

Jeeze, you did better than I could.

[Tifa takes Maru into her arms, and he meows and rubs his face on her chin. What a suck-up!]

You can keep that, but you're not supposed to eat it after cake. Mom's— [There's a pause, and the word catches in Tifa's throat. She isn't sure why, but she shakes her head and swallows past that sinking feeling in her stomach. Why...?] Mom's just finishing it up now, but we can probably start getting people gathered at my place!

[He stares up at her, but there's an odd feeling again. Around him the village is bustling with Erunes and humans, but... For some reason it feels bigger than he remembers. There's also less snow than there usually would be at this time of season.

But again her voice breaks him from his thoughts and having to hear he has to wait—well it's only natural for the ten yr-old to pout.]

I have to wait? Really?

[UuuUUuuUUuugh childhood suffering at its worst. But at the mention of gathering, he remembers something and glances to the forests outside of the village.]

But, uh, okay. You go and do that, I have to do something first.

[And this is totally not him trying to get out of something boring and tedious no—]

[There's nothing boring and tedious about getting people ready!

Tifa squints at him. What in the world could be so much more important than his birthday party that he needs to go and do that now? Oh, wait. Wasn't there supposed to be SOLDIERs coming in, too? But Eustace had nothing to do with it. That was Tifa, and god, she'd completely forgotten about it until now... so she'll let this one slide.]

Alright, but just make sure everyone knows that we're about to get started. Shinra's coming today too, and we wanna make sure that we've all had cake and you've opened presents by then. [She sighs, although there is an air of excitement at the mention of SOLDIER.] So busy...

[With one last smile, Tifa turns on her heel and walks back to her own home, and as soon as she shuts the door, an unusual wave of heat passes over the town as a truck rolls up to its entrance. Shinra's here, and they're earlier than planned...]

[Shinra? He looks confused for a moment, unable to immediately register the group, but he just nods his head.]

Don't worry, I won't take long!

[He just needed to check on him, even though he wished he could bring him with him... But it's still better not, preferring to keep his special friendship a secret. Maybe he could tell Tifa one day, but—not right now.

And off he goes, running down the familiar and somewhat unfamiliar paths towards the forest. Along the way he sees the trucks rolling in through the entrance, and his pace slows. Again he feels a weird sense of unfamiliarity, unable to recognize what those trucks are. They look...strange, like nothing he's ever seen before. But the uniformed men inside, their military-like movements—that somehow feels familiar and he doesn't know why that is, either.

A great sense of unease fills him, as if something is telling him that something isn't right and he needs to figure it out... But he shakes it off and makes his way back into the forest.

Just a quick a check. A quick check and to warn his friend to not come close to town. Then he can he can run back...]

[It all happens in such a blur. One second, she's standing in the kitchen next to her mother, writing out "happy birthday" in icing and the next, she's outside at the town's gates, there to greet the soldiers that have only just arrived. Although she looks far from prepared, and rather than all of her focus being on the men in front of her—Sephiroth, the great war hero of all people—her eyes flit around, searching instead for any sign of Eustace.

She feels uneasy... There's still something very off about this that she can't put her finger on, but there's a sense of dread that pricks at the back of her neck and leaves her with a bad taste in her mouth.

Still, she stands straight and welcomes them in, still looking over her shoulder as she follows behind them to Shinra manor in the back of the town. Eustace, where are you?

... Why is she even worried about him in the first place? He's fine. He probably went home to get his parents and siblings to bring them over, but at least mom was there to take care of them until she got back from their tour.

Whenever he does return, he'll see Tifa standing between Sephiroth and another man, this one friendlier looking with spiky black hair, as their photo is taken just outside of the manor. And when she sees him, Tifa waves him over.]

Eustace! Come say hi!

[He might as well. To everyone else living on Gaia, these men were like celebrities!]

Vitty! Vitty!!

[Once in the woods, Eustace cups his hands to his mouth and calls out the name, hoping they would appear. But Vitty always had a habit of hiding and not always appearing quickly, especially if he's out playing on his own. But Eustace continues to glance back where he had come from, that weird ominous feeling rising up the back of his neck. This somehow feels familiar...but different at the same time. As if he has some kind of premonition that something will happen but he doesn't know what. Thinking of Tifa, he wants to hurry and find Vitty and warn him to not come to town, to stay as far away as possible.

But why? Why does he feel this way?

And despite his desperate searching in the various known hiding places, he can't find Vitty.]

Vitty! Is he not here...? [Maybe it's for the best and belatedly he realizes that him calling might bring his friend closer, which is exactly what he doesn't want. With that in mind he shouts into the forest for Vitty to not come near town and to stay in the woods, hoping his voice is heard.

And then he rushes back to town. As he does, he has to suddenly blink and cover his right eye as a wave of heat washes over him—but when he opens his eye, nothing has changed. Whatever he felt just then seemed to be more of an hallucination...but it just makes that dark foreboding feeling sink further. Picking up the pace, he rushes towards his house only to find his family gone. He panics, wondering what happened when he hears the talk and laughter by the manor. He stares at the place, confused as he can't seem to place it, but he runs over there, anyway. In the crowds he catches a glimpse of his family, which relieves him a bit, but the trepidation remains as he finds Tifa.

Quickly he shoves his way through and is at her side, eying the two men warily.]

...Who are they?

[The friendly looking one he doesn't feel too bothered, but the other...he's not sure, but he seems off. Dangerous. Subconsciously his hand reaches out to take Tifa's, as if to try to pull her away closer to his side.]

[She slides back away from his hand, making a small noise of defiance and confusion at him.]

Hey? [She wrings her hand with a nervous laugh, looking between the two SOLDIERs.] This is Zack, and Sephiroth. You remember him, right? We talked about him... that one night at the—

[Her voice falls away for a moment, like she's forgotten the word. She was up there, looking at the stars, and they'd talked about... about... Sephiroth, and how...

Tifa looks to the boy, her brow knitting together as she tries to shake off the unease that's weighing down on her again. The same unease that she felt when she couldn't spot him among the crowds of people who gathered to greet their visitors. Something still isn't right, but it's as if whatever it is, it's doing all in its power to prevent her from figuring it out. Every time she questions it, it only worsens...

As she works through all of this, Zack introduces himself with a wave, and Sephiroth only stares silently down at Eustace through his cold, green, slitted eyes and an unreadable expression.]

Anyway. I was going to show them up Mount Nibel, to the mako reactor...

[She thought she'd have a little more time, but it's her job as the designated tour guide, and her dad said he'd make sure that she would make it back in time.]

I promise I won't be long. [She reaches out to take him by the shoulders.] I'll be back before you know it, okay? For now, just get everyone together and meet at my house.

[He's just as confused, but more than that he just really doesn't trust the look in that Sephiroth's guy's eyes. Another thing bothers him—the idea of everyone together at her house. Everyone all in one place...

Uneasiness sweeps through him and he once again grabs her hand, his grip more firm this time.]

Then—what if I come with you?

[Tifa's lips press into a thin line. It's so hard to say no to him, especially when he grabs her hand like that, but she gives an even firmer shake of her head.]

No. We both know how dangerous it can be up there, but I'll be fine. I'm a pro, remember? Plus, wouldn't wanna worry your family on your birthday, right?

[She looks up at them, all standing around watching, but... why do all the people in the village look so blurry? Everyone but Sephiroth and Zack, and her father... Even Eustace, whose face fades in and out of focus when she blinks.

Strange... She must just be tired, but she presses a hand to rub at her eyes anyway as she stands up straight. Straighter than she's ever stood as she turns back to the other men with an enthused smile.]

Let's get this over with!

No, wait—!

[But just as he tries to reach for her again, a force suddenly pulls him back. Voices he doesn't recognize laugh and tell him to take it easy and to let Tifa do her job. Some tease him, but the words don't really register as he can only watch Tifa and the men leave.

And then time seems to move strangely, as if he's going through water as he is kept back before he manages runs away and out of town into the woods. But it feels strange. The woods that should be covered in deep snow feel more bare, like it's a warmer season. And the trees feel unfamiliar to him, the path he's taking unknown. In the distance he hears echoes of laughter and barks, but it feels weird, like it doesn't belong.

As if he doesn't belong.

But as soon as he thinks that, a familiar white wolf cub appears and runs ahead of him.]

Vitty?

[It's as if the pup is leading him to where he needs to go, so he pushes the growing uneasiness aside as he tries to make his way towards Tifa.]

[The land will feel like it stretches on forever. Like the fields and trees he's found himself in the center of have grown in size, if only to keep him away from finding what's on the other side of them. No matter how fast he runs, or how far he walks, for a long time it will be as if he hasn't moved at all, like there is another powerful force that's dragging him away from the town to stop him from reaching it. Even the peaks of the mountains that cast their shadows over him are hardly visible when the trees seemingly grow taller and taller, until all that's left are the canopies above, and a suffocating wave of heat, like an invisible fire is creeping its way through.

Tifa, meanwhile, can't recall how or when she had reached the top of Mount Nibel, as if she'd been dragged up there by another force, similar to what Eustace had felt. There are holes in her memory—gaps where things should be. Where that soldier should be, or that monster, or how Tifa had defiantly stomped off after being denied entry into the reactor... Almost like there's a week that's gone missing... or it's all happened so fast that she can hardly recall that it did.

And what about Eustace's birthday?

She tries not to think too hard on it, and there isn't much time to, because...

...

One second, Eustace will be running through the forest, chasing after the small wolf, and the next, he'll find himself stepping back into Nibelheim, with flames roaring over it, across every building, every sign, and every flower, the town already consumed and destroyed from it.]

[No matter how far he goes, he just can't seem to get there. Why does it feel as if something is trying to push him back...? And every so often he glances back to the town, as if expecting something to happen. This heat especially...it crawls up his skin, and, clawing at something in the back of his mind.

But then it hits him—a blinding flash that makes him cry out and the next thing he's stumbling back into town, set ablaze. He staggers back, unable to breathe as horror and intense grief overwhelms him. He doesn't understand, why—

Screaming for his family, he runs through the streets, the bodies almost making him retch, but he has to hold it in as he runs desperately to his home. But when he gets there it's gone.

Vanished with only black ash remaining.]

No...

[He stumbles back frozen, but then he sees the house next to his. The victims—]

...Tifa...

[It's a hoarse whisper, but as sickening as it is, the sight reminds me that there's someone else. Someone important he has to find.]

Tifa!

[Immediately he takes off to find the road back to the reactor, ignoring the pain of the smoke as he inhales it with every step.]

[His run to the reactor won't be easy. Wind bats at him as he makes the climb up Mount Nibel, and it rocks the bridge when he tries to cross it, with the smoke from below blocking his vision. He won't be able to see the reactor, but its whirring grows louder and louder, until it's all he'll be able to hear above the crackles and the screams and cries. If he looks ahead, he'll see its greenish-blue glow lighting the way through it all, as if serving as a beacon in the darkness.

But even then, the world stretches on. The bridge stretches on, but if he keeps running, he'll make it, only to be met by eruptions of fire from the ground where he steps, like the dream is still trying to slow him down. It's only meant to scare, so it won't burn, but it all looks as real as the very real fires down below that continue to eat through the town.

And when he arrives at the reactor, he'll find who he's looking for. It's dark, but hot, and the smell of mako so overpowering and suffocating that it will burn his insides the moment he breathes it in. There's another smell mingled in with it, too... The metallic scent of blood, and the thick smell coming from the trail of purple liquid dripping across the floor.

From the other end of the reactor, he'll hear Tifa's voice.]

Sephiroth... SOLDIERs... Mako... Shinra... I'm sick of this.

[Should he find her, he'll see her curled over a body, still and lifeless. Her father's. Her fist pounds against his chest, and it vibrates unnaturally loudly through the reactor.]

I'm sick of all of this!

[However, no matter how much he tries to run, his feet won't move. He'll be frozen on the spot, watching as Tifa slowly rises to her feet, still ignorant to his presence, to pick up the sword laying on the ground next to her...]

[Everything he sees is unfamiliar, that feeling of dissonance growing the further he runs. But he can't think of that right now—he has to find Tifa. Has to make sure she's alive.

She can't die, not again—!

The thought hits him like a bolt of lightning, but he doesn't notice the incongruity of the words, only moving as hard and fast as he can. But why is it so slow? Why does it keep feeling as if he's being pushed back? And although the fires frighten him, he feels something push him forward instead.

Gasping he reaches the reactor, the structure so strange and foreign to him, but again he doesn't take any notice, only looking for that familiar figure. Just before he shouts her name, he spots her—but he can't move. He can't even open his mouth.

Tifa! Tifa, look at me!

It's a desperate internal cry before he stiffens, eyes widening when he sees her pick up the sword. What... What is she...

TIFA!!

Why can't he move? Why can't he do anything!??!]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject