songerein | closed 🌠 hold on, there will be better days

[So it really did become something more official.

Tifa had visited the beginnings of the firepit before, but all it had been was a smaller pile of wood and a few logs laid out to sit on then. Having someplace comforting to go to either spend alone or with other dreamwalkers was nice—being in a strange place like this, Tifa has always thought it was something much-needed, and the more places they had, the better.

It's a slightly cooler day when she makes the journey out to see it for herself after overhearing about it, bringing along a small bag of marshmallows to leave in the firewood shed should anyone decide to come by and have a craving for something sweet...

But there's already someone there when she arrives, and Tifa stops short on the path, just short of the edge of the trees.]

Oh, sorry! I didn't know someone was here.

[She didn't mean to intrude!]

[ Ori, too, has come after overhearing others talk about the communal firepit. She's been thinking of doing something nice for the other dreamwalkers and perhaps cooking up a large batch of soup to help everyone warm up and maybe unwind from the tumultuous events and nightmares of the last month, but first she has to scope out what this firepit is like. She has gathered up some firewood in her arms with which to start a fire with when she spots someone out of the corner of her eyes. She startles a little, but her own apology is already on her lips before the other woman beats her to it. ]

Ah— it's okay! I was just going to... start a fire...

[ Her words trail off as she slowly realizes that she recognizes this woman. This is one of the people who had been pulled into her nightmares. What does she say...? ]

[The recognition is instant on Tifa's end as well. It had been several weeks since she stumbled into the dreamscape, but it's difficult for her to forget the faces she meets within them. The way Ori's voice trails off, she understands, and with a low laugh, she passes into the sunlight and wanders to the pit.

It's not easy, having people walk into a dream like that, whether it be a friend or stranger—Tifa had been in the same position herself, and what does one say to the girl whose past she accidentally snuck a glimpse into?]

Here, let me help.

[And with a spark from her fingers, what firewood is already in the pit lights up with a tiny flame that already basks them in warmth, and with that done, Tifa spins back around to face her.]

Oriphi, right?

Oh!

[ Tifa is quick to think on her feet in any situation, it seems, and Ori is glad for it. Ori keeps the firewood in her arms, though, in case she'll need it to keep the fire going later.

With a small smile, she nods. ]

That's right... and you're Tifa. It's... um, it's nice to finally meet you in person. And I'm sorry about— you know.

The dream?

[Tifa shakes her head as she slumps down onto one of the seats around the fire. There are several more little embers that form around her fingers, and the fire slowly begins to grow. Already, the warmth is starting to steep into the air and push out the cold.]

Don't be. I've been in worse.

[She would have taken a spooky forest over some of the other things she's seen, if she had the choice.]

I'm just glad we got out. ... You been holding up alright since?

[ Not that she was expecting otherwise, but Ori is a bit relieved to see that Tifa seems just as kindhearted as she had been in her nightmare. She takes her own seat across the fire from Tifa as she watches it grow and glow with warmth. The sight of a warm hearth like this has always been comforting to Ori, who's spent much of her life living in the woods since the childhood days that Tifa witnessed in the dreamscape. ]

Oh, I... suppose so. I had more nightmares even after that one, sometimes they were even really... similar. [ She sighs. ] But someone was always there to help me wake up, so I'm glad...

How about you? Have you been alright...?

[Ori had been plagued with those recurring nightmares too... Tifa remembers hearing the same thing from Eustace, how he had spent days and nights dreaming of the same awful thing with no escape but the people who were there to save him, only to have to suffer through it all over again. It makes her heart hurt for those who had, even when she had only just experienced the same thing.

This place was ruthless, and yet they can still come out of it and smile.

She pulls out a bag of marshmallows and tears it open before she answers.]

Yeah. Just trying to get by the days as they come, you know?

[It's about as much as she can do right now, as she picks up a pair of roasting sticks from beside the fire.]

I wanted to come find you, after the dream, just to make sure you were alright, but... I'm sorry that I didn't.

[ So far, Oriphi is entirely unsurprised to find Tifa's presence outside of the dreamscape to be as kind and comforting as it had been inside of one. Her expression softens as Tifa pulls out the marshmallows; it's been a very long time indeed since Ori has done something as lighthearted as roasting mallows over a bonfire, but she finds herself happy to indulge in this moment.

She shakes her head, humming dismissively at Tifa's apology. ]

It's alright, really. A lot happened last month for everyone, I think, so...

[ Thankfully, not all bad things. ]

But I'm glad I was able to meet you now! You're very nice even outside of dreams.

[She tries, although there's a light flush in her cheeks at the compliment. She's glad she was able to be a comfort, even for a short while, for Ori.]

Thanks... You too.

[Sliding a (very large) marshmallow onto one of the sticks, she offers it.]

How old were you in the dream? If you don't mind me asking?

[She had a lot of questions about what she saw, but this seemed like a more neutral place to start. Although, her voice isn't prodding, just curious, to convey that she doesn't have to give an answer if she'd rather not.]

[ Ori takes the offered marshmallow-on-a-stick with a nod of thanks and a smile, but she furrows her brow as she tries to figure when exactly in her life to place the dream. ]

I don't mind, but it's... hard to say. We weren't very good about keeping track of our age back then. My sister and I, we're orphans, so...

[ She's just going to... start roasting this marshmallow on the fire... ]

I guess I would say around... eight years old, or so?

[Tifa's eyes flicker with understanding as they switch from Ori to the fire, her smile patient, but with a weight of sadness behind it. She knows well what it's like to lose family at a young age—it isn't easy, and she wishes she could say with confidence that Ori had her sister, but from what she remembers in the dream... Was that a blessing?

She wonders.]

So that girl was your sister that I saw? I'm guessing that was somewhere you grew up.

[The flames kiss at the marshmallows, flicking up and around to start browning the outsides and she focuses on turning it slowly to evenly distribute the golden brown.]

[ In another life, it would have been the most wonderful of blessings. And truthfully, for a long time in Ori's life... she and Val were inseparable. It was when separation inevitably happened that things began to break bad— but Ori believes, earnestly, that she holds the sole responsibility for their falling apart. ]

That's right... That was Valphi, my younger sister. We were taken in by an old man who lived in that village, but he couldn't really... take care of us, so we left as soon as we were able to.

[ She carefully turns her marshmallow, watching its surface start to roast and brown, as well. ]

Left?

[Tifa feels like she's starting to toe very closely to the line between mere curiosity and encroaching on something more personal, so there's a beat as she considers her next words a little more carefully.]

Did you go somewhere else, then? Or was it just the two of you for a while? You both were pretty young, I can't imagine that was easy.

[ Thankfully, Ori is a pretty open book when it comes to how she's feeling, and if she starts to feel discomfited by Tifa's questions, she would likely notice. As it is, Ori feels that she merely owes the woman an explanation for everything she saw in her dream - and perhaps, it's something she's been wanting to share, but hasn't. For someone who feels she's burdening others by talking about herself, sometimes the simple act of asking the question helps. ]

We did. We were wandering for a bit, but eventually started living in a city. We were alright for some time, but eventually I wanted to leave and... Val didn't. We went our separate ways.

[ She sighs. ]

I'm sorry for talking so much. I know what you saw was probably really confusing, especially since we hadn't met before...

[Tifa's eyes widen a touch at her apology, and she gives a firm shake of her head.]

No, please don't apologize. I'm the one who should, asking all these questions.

[She likes learning about all these other worlds, but Tifa knows that sometimes, some things can be a bit touchy for people.

She does have to pause to laugh a little, though, because she has a feeling that they could easily turn this into a strange spiral of apologies. So rather than do that, she leans forward to check on her marshmallow over the fire and decides that it's done enough. Golden brown and slightly droopy, she lifts the stick to blow on it.

Looking back at Ori, she studies her with a curious tip of her head.]

Were you and your sister close? I've never had siblings myself, but I've always thought it would be nice.

[ A bittersweet smile finds its way onto Ori's face at Tifa's question, and the tiefling keeps her gaze fixed onto the marshmallow roasting in front of her, continually turning it in her contemplation. ]

We were...

[ The use of past tense, here, is telling. There's a lot that Ori will likely leave unsaid, if only because it's difficult to explain everything without the context of the world from which we came, but just that choice of words enough conveys enough, she feels. ]

We drifted apart after I left to pursue my own path. After some time, I stopped receiving letters from her. She's, um. She's changed a lot since then, but there's a lot going on, so...

[ She heaves yet another sigh. ]

That's... all I can really say.

[Tifa falls silent, except for the small hum and gentle nod of understanding, but her eyes are bright with sympathy as she studies Ori. She understands. Time goes on and people change, and she understands that well. It makes her think back to home, and about a dear friend who she feels the same way about, so she doesn't press any further, but she does scoot a little closer to take a look at Ori's marshmallow.

It seems like a good time to change the subject to something a little lighter anyway. They have marshmallows to roast!]

That looks about done! You don't want it to melt too much, or else you won't be able to eat it.

[Tifa demonstrates with her own as she tries to pull it off over the end of the roasting stick, but it only melts and droops all over her hands, and with a giggle, she shows it off.]

See?

[ It's Tifa's gentle voice that snaps Ori out of the urge to lose herself in bittersweet memories - just as it had in her nightmare. There's no hiding the soft, thankful look that she gives the other woman even if she wanted to, but she startles a little when their attentions are turned back towards the marshmallows. ]

Oops! You're right - wouldn't want that to burn, now, haha...

[ She carefully pulls her roasting stick away from the flames, and then watches as Tifa demonstrates the cruel fate of a too-roasted roasted marshmallow. Ori is likewise swept into a giggle at the sight, and the flowers woven into her hair perk up ever so slightly. ]

Miss Tifa, your hand! Now it's going to be all sticky...

That's just part of the process!

[There's no escaping the white, sugary goop that strings around her fingers, but Tifa is only amused by it, frantically searching with wide eyes for something—anything that might help save her and the marshmallows from this cruel fate.]

Do me a favour? Reach into this bag here and take out the chocolate and box of crackers. This might help...

[Maybe. With the state this marshmallow is in, there may be no saving it, alas! But it's worth a shot.]

[ Ori can't be too upset, at least, given how Tifa seems to be genuinely enjoying this. But she's at the ready to help as soon as Tifa asks about a favor, and Ori likewise searches frantically for the aforementioned chocolate and crackers.

She thinks she should be searching for a towel or cloth or something to perhaps wipe the gooey bits off with, but—! She lifts her roasting stick up to her mouth and bites down on it, freeing her hands up to rummage through the bag to retrieve the requested items. When she pulls them out and holds them up for Tifa, her words are muffled by the obstruction in her mouth as she tries to say, "Here you go," though it comes out more like: ]

Hee you koh!!

[She takes the box of graham crackers first, ripping at the wrapping paper with her teeth before she's carefully dropping one into her lap. As deftly as she can, she tries to squeeze what's left that she can rescue of the marshmallowy goop from the stick between two crackers, and it only partly works, as one half of it sticks and the other falls unceremoniously to the ground.

Ah... A terrible loss.

But Tifa shows her crooked sandwich off with amused laughter.]

So, have you ever had a s'more before? Because this'll be the only way to save these poor little guys.

Ooh...

[ Ori takes the stick out of her mouth and then watches in complete awe as Tifa assembles the s'more, having never seen this combination put together before! She has had this sort of squishy confectionery a few times in the past, but she's never thought to put them together with crackers and chocolate...? She almost misses the way that half of the goop falls off entirely, in fact. ]

No, I've never had one before! It looks really delicious! May I try making one, too...?

[Ori doesn't even have to ask, and she only gets partway through her question before Tifa is enthusiastically sliding over the box of crackers and chocolates. Carefully, so as not to ruin what little structural integrity is left of her own smore!

What you're supposed to do is take two crackers, a piece of chocolate, and sandwich them around your marshmallow to pull it off.]

[Tifa tries not to laugh as she attempts to take a bite of hers, but fails miserably as it crumbles in her hands.]

As you can see... I didn't do such a great job...

[ There's no concealing the delight that makes its way onto Ori's face as she watches Tifa assemble her s'more, and now that she has her own ingredients, the tiefling will try to make her own...!

It... works, more or less, though this does feel like kind of a... sticky situation. It's only a little better than the little sweet sandwich Tifa put together, but she holds it up as though she's waiting for an appraisal. ]

Oh... Mine's like that, too. But I'm sure it still tastes good!

[ And so she will try to bite into hers as well. Ori knows that it's going to be delicious, but she's not prepared for how gooey but crunchy it is! ]

Mmm—!

[Tifa joins her in solidarity, taking another messy bite. The marshmallow oozes over her fingers and she tries to save it from getting all over her lap with... minor success. She'll just have to make sure to clean up later—s'mores are always messy, so she knew what she was getting into!

She watches Ori expectantly, trying not to laugh, as she awaits her verdict.]

Well? What do you think?

[Although she can probably guess. Who doesn't like s'mores!?]

oriphi.

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