songerein | tenth shot ⊗ closed ⊗ i loved and i loved and i lost you

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tenth shot ⊗ closed ⊗ i loved and i loved and i lost you

Who: Eustace and Tifa
Which: Closed log (forward dated to post-event, end of August)
Where: The old Cliffside
What: Eustace and Tifa are out exploring the area in search of other Glowing Dawn flower caves when the Lindworm nation attacked
Warnings: Ridiculous amounts of gross fluff before it all goes to hell with blood, gore, trauma, etc.

[A lot of things had happened, and it had been some time since they were able to head out to continue searching for more potential locations that could house the Glowing Dawn flowers. But now with the Cliffside changing after the addition of the beach and the rest of the new area, and needing a bit of fresh air after the most recent dreamscape, Eustace and Tifa are out with a few of the corgis to try and follow a potential trail they picked up earlier. In a way, this little excursion is a little more relieving compared to the others they've done. Back then, he had to keep his own concerns about his nightmares to himself. Now that Tifa knows about it all, there's less guilt and that "secretive" feeling he's had to endure.

Pushing back some brush as they near the edge of the Wildlands and come closer to what used to be a more barren Cliffside, he pauses as he looks up through the trees up to the cliff walls. Now they are covered in vines, small trees visible along some ridges and at their tops. Before he would have doubted there was anything there, but now? Maybe it's possible...

With Caerwyn, Briallen, and Aerona trotting ahead, the little group continue on. As they come up to a rockier trail, Eustace stops to look back at Tifa and hold out his hand to help her along.]

Careful, the soil is a bit loose here.

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[Tifa has always enjoyed these excursions he's taken her on. It was always a nice way to get out of the town with him and a couple of the dogs for a while, to see parts of this world that she would otherwise never have seen on her own. And besides the simple why's and how's and what's, she never questioned much else about their reasons for coming out here—if it meant helping someone, then she would do it, but for Eustace...? Ever since that day of the dream, and since he's told her about his own nightmares, Tifa has become more determined and more adamant that they continue their search.

So, she's in a fairly good mood as they climb up the rocky trail, and when Eustace offers her his hand, a playful smile spreads across her face.]

Is it? Or did you just want to hold my—

[But just as her eyes meet his, that glint of amusement disappears when she feels her feet slip beneath her.]

Whoops!

[She quickly takes hold of him, her fingers curling tight around his wrist to save herself from falling face-first into the dirt.]

[There's a small look of surprise as he hadn't expected her to slip through so quickly, but he's just as quick to grab her, stepping onto firmer ground as he leans forward and wraps his arm around her waist as he holds her steady. Looking down at her like this, his expression changes into a smirk.]

Bit of both.

[And then he steps back and pulls her with him so that she can stand properly. In his arms of course.]

[She falls into him, her other arm circling around to his back where she clutches on tight, as if she could fall all the way down the mountain path if she lets go, and so that she can bury her reddened face in his coat.]

You could have just asked.

[It's said lightly, with a hint of amusement, but then she moves back just enough to look up at him and shuffles her feet, until she's on her tiptoes.]

Think we can cover the rest of the way like this?

[And now one of the dogs is barking at them from the path up ahead. Stop being gross, mom and dad! Let's go!!!]

[They will be as gross as they want to be!! So he's clearly ignoring (for now).]

Might take longer, but if you really want it I could carry you instead.

[Okay, maybe a little questionable since the ground really is a little loose and rocky as they go further, but he's confident in his skills.]

[Tifa arches a brow at him and waddles her feet again like she's trying to push onward, but if he remains sturdy, all she'll be doing is pressing her body closer to his, and her arms tighten without any signs of letting go.]

Well, now you're just being cocky.

[Does he honestly think he can carry her the rest of the way up this path with how rocky it is!? But before he feels the need to prove her wrong—]

I'm not doubting you could.

[He will indeed remain like a wall and he just chuckles.]

I would hope not. ...But it probably would be best if we just stay a step behind me.

Only if you promise to hold my hand. [A beat.] But you can carry me later, if you really want to.

[Not that Tifa needs it, although with the way she tripped earlier, maybe she does after all, but her focus had been zeroed in on him that can one really say that it was her fault? Whatever. It's a win for her if she gets to keep her fingers threaded with his.

Her grip tightens on his hand as she takes a step back from him, giving him enough room to lead on because now all three dogs have joined in on the chorus.]

What exactly are we keeping an eye out for, anyway?

[He just glances at the dogs...and returns his focus back on Tifa as he slowly guides her up, testing each step to ensure it's solid enough for the both of them and picking the path for her.]

That's what makes it difficult—the signs are a bit vague. Some clues so far have been that the caves are usually tranquil and become safe havens for creatures. Lush growth and potential openings such as caves or even undergound burrows could turn into tunnels that lead to it.

So a cave system is the most obvious, but signs of herbivores gathering around it or the opening obscured by foliage would make it a more likely candidate. The cliffs was a more hostile area before the shift, but it had the kirins and their pools. It leads me to believe that it's not impossible another cave system could have been created there, and now with the more aggressive creatures gone it's more likely to be developed if it hasn't already.

[She's only been on a couple of these searches with him, but it feels like each time, something shifts. Perhaps because the world is always changing, or it could just be that her knowledge on the subject is expanding that it becomes easier to take things in, but either way, she's learning. Tifa still consults him as the expert, and she smiles gently at his back as he explains but clings on to every word he says.

So any sort of opening in the cliffsides are what she needs to be watching for... She can manage that.]

Not much of an explorer myself but... sounds easy enough.

[Although if it were that easy, they probably would have found something by now. Her voice does drop an octave however, after a beat of silence.]

You've done a lot of research on the subject, haven't you?

...Mm.

[A bit slow to answer as he considers all the research he done without her knowing in the past.]

As much as I could.

[She knows what that slower reaction means—she feels it too in the slight pucker of her lip when she tries not to frown, but her fingers squeeze his as she jogs up a little closer until she's right on his tail. Almost beside him if the path would allow it.]

I think it's good.

[In her most reassuring voice possible. Yes, a lot of it was done in secret away from her, but now she knows... and that's what matters, isn't it?]

Feels less like we're just wandering aimlessly through the trees, you know? These caves actually sound... kind of nice.

I should take you to the one 76 showed me. It truly is like a secret sanctuary for any non-aggressive creature.

[Consider Tifa's interest piqued. Even if he doesn't look back and see it on her face, he'll be able to hear the wonder and the curiosity in her voice.]

What was it like?

[He moves carefully ahead of her, the pace slow as they continue up the incline.]

There's a lot of growth despite being underground, including trees, and the moss had enough bioluminescence to provide enough light. There were also a number of different animals mixed in, including predators. We met some flower wolves... They were similar to Rose and her family, but wolves. I'm still not sure if they're related.

[Finally reaching the top of the incline, he holds out his hand again to help her up, where the former Cliffs can be fully seen ahead.]

[She takes his hand without a beat of hesitation, using his steadiness to pull herself up to the crest, and the sight before her snatches the breath right out of her. It's a little eerie knowing what lies past in its own beautiful way, but Tifa has never been this far out before that she hadn't known what to expect when she finally did. She's seen the lush forests, the sparkling river, the vast blue ocean, but this...

Her fingers squeeze around his, and she peels her eyes away to look at him, and they glimmer with awe.]

Sounds like a place I'd wanna see. Make sure to take me there next time.

[Her lips quirk up into a smile, and she leans her side against his for a brief respite.]

Were the wolves friendly?

[He's the same—he had only been out to the Cliffs before a scant handful of times, but seeing it as it is now is definitely a sight... The rock walls tower high ahead of them, and while some still maintain their original barren appearance, there's a lot of overgrowth with vines, small trees, and grass growing the once rocky ground. It makes him wonder if the soil had also changed. And just their luck, some distance ahead of them is a small pool of water, one he can only assume is one of the original oasis formed by the kirins.]

They were...surprisingly so. They were also less..."flowery" and had a more cactus like theme.

[Tifa isn't surprised in the least. Whether he knew it or not, Eustace did have a way with dogs, no matter what species. Flowers, corgis, water dogs, wolves of the prickly or normal kind... She has a hard time ever imagining any situation where he didn't.]

I'll remind you to introduce me if we ever find them again.

[Seeing the pool of water up ahead, the dogs bark at the two of them again before rushing off, drawing Tifa's attention forward again and glancing at Eustace, she gives his hand a squeeze before taking the lead on this one, moving ahead of him at a quicker pace to catch up with the dogs as they usher them towards the water.]

Think we might be getting close? Could use a short break.

[Her eyes scan the area around them—at the vines and the greenery that split the once-barren rock, and how it's a little thicker here.]

[As the dogs immediately rush into the water to play and drink a bit, Eustace gives them a wry look before turning to Tifa, walking up to her.]

Not a bad idea. But I think this is a place that we could at least check. The area is quiet, but I can see some fresh tracks of other animals using the pool to at least drink. A good sign that the area is at least safe enough.

[Tifa leads him by the hand towards the water's edge, and she giggles when she sees Aerona paddling out, her head bobbing just above the surface. The other two opt to stand by and drink instead, but Briallen trots up as the two of them approach to do a happy circle around them before she leads them diligently towards it.

There, she kneels next to the two dogs and dips her fingers into the water. It's cool to the touch, but not so cool that it's cold. It's just right for a hotter day like this, and she can see why the pups were so eager to get here. Even the surrounding air is brisker in a refreshing way, and it smells the way nature should—like green trees and fresh dirt, and it reminds her of the mountains of Nibelheim in some ways, minus the lingering scent of mako.

She takes a breath in and straightens to look around.]

In that case, we could probably split up a little after. Cover some more ground around here.

[He follows after her, kneeling down only to feel the water before he looks back out. It's so strange to see this place looking so serene when he's fought against the elementals here for their cores before as well as other hostile creatures. Surely some are still around... So he frowns a bit.]

Do you really want to?

[Okay, he may still be feeling just a little anxious. After all, last time they split up was back in Oz and while she wasn't in mortal peril, having to "rescue" her from the poppy fields was not a fun surprise.]

[She doesn't even need to look at him to know that he's frowning, and Tifa's lips only quirk up in a small, apologetic smile as she keeps her eyes on the ripples in the water.]

I mean... it's not like we'd go very far. Just around here to look.

[She understands where his worries are coming from, which is why she lays a hand gently on his back in reassurance. He's had to rescue her so, so many times, but this isn't a dreamscape. Just a little body of water and some vines and rocky walls. If the two of them split up to cover that ground, they might actually be able to find something buried beneath all this greenery.]

It'll be fine.

[He's still not so convinced, and his expression makes it clear. He really, really wants to refuse, but... They can't always be tied together and he knows if the roles were reversed, he wouldn't like it.

So he eventually sighs.]

...As long as you take two of the dogs, including Caerwyn.

I will.

[Caerwyn lifts his head from his drinking at the mention of his name to look at them briefly before returning to watching Aerona. She would have preferred to leave him to protect Eustace, but she isn't going to push him any further than she already has. But this is something they've talked about in the past—that they can't always be at one another's side and compared to a lot of the other things they've had to do in the past, this is far from the worst.

But with that out of the way, she doesn't like the frown he's wearing or the anxiety that's already starting to hum in the air, so she slips both of her arms around him and pulls herself to him.]

... After a quick breather, though. We've been walking a while. Feeling like a snack?

[He knows he shouldn't be this way, that he shouldn't be treating this so...personally and emotionally. Since when did he allow her to become something like a weakness for him? He continues to stare at her before he briefly closes his eyes and shifts so that he's properly sitting on the ground.]

...Sure.

[Immediately, she regrets even saying anything at all. She should have waited until after like she had planned to, but it had felt right to mention it at the time. She should have also known that he'd react this way—if he had been the one to suggest it, she might have felt the same initial aversion for the plan, but she's trying to be better about it, and stubborn as they both are, Tifa knows that he is trying too.

She sighs quietly to herself and slides her pack from her shoulders to set it down so she can sit next to him on the ground, right at the edge of the water as the dogs continue to play. From her bag, she pulls out a small container of fresh fruits and vegetables in front of them.

For being the one to suggest a break and a snack, Tifa isn't making a move for anything just yet and instead uncaps her water for a sip, buying herself a few extra seconds to figure out what she wants to say to him next that might help to alleviate some of this odd tension that's sunk in.

...

....

Her head falls against his shoulder.]

I picked these fresh from the garden yesterday. You should try one of the raspberries.

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