songerein | twelfth shot ⊗ semi-closed ⊗ recovery

Entry tags:

twelfth shot ⊗ semi-closed ⊗ recovery

Who: Eustace, Tifa, and anyone who wants to check in on them
Which: Semi-closed log (backdated/set for early September before upcoming events)
Where: Set locations
What: It's been a rough few days/weeks since Eustace turned noctaere back at the end of August, but he and Tifa have been recovering. They've been mostly keeping to themselves as they work through things, but they've eventually come out a little more often, if often found together. But there are times Eustace can be found on his own should anyone want to meet with him for a little bit. Note: Although this is mostly a consolidated post for people involved in the plot to check in on Eustace and Tifa, the first prompt is open for anyone who wants to meet Eustace for whatever reason!
Warnings: References to the trauma experienced in threads with those who were involved, but otherwise shouldn't be too much.

⊗ a: open - eustace

[It took...a lot longer than he would have liked, but by the time he finally feels ready and comfortable in leaving Tifa alone (be it with the other dogs or other friends), he's at least more like his usual self. It's still difficult to shake some of those fears that linger, but as much as he'd rather just stay home and keep themselves, they have to move forward.

So Eustace can be found sometimes out in town, usually with a white wolf or a corgi at his side. Often times it's for a grocery or some kind of errand run, but he'll sometimes look at the board. He doesn't quite have time or the will to go out just yet, but it doesn't hurt to keep tabs on what's going on, like noticing the decorations for the upcoming Faire or noting the new faces that have arrived.

And then on some days... Eustace can be found in the Bark 'N Play dog park with a few other dogs, but there's one he's particularly focused on.]

...Come here, Bri...

[He's kneeling on the grass, a hand with her favorite flower cookie treats held out to her. But the poor darling just whines. It's clear she wants to go to him, but she instead shy and runs away, leaving Eustace to sigh and run a hand through his hair.]

...Dammit.

[Ignore the small rain clouds rolling in.]

⊗ b. closed - eustifa visits

[For those seeking out the couple, one place they could be found is their home. It's not that well known as neither really ever invited people to it, but for anyone searching for them, they could get a little help by any of the dogs to lead them to it. Their tree has taken some hits after the first few nights, their once luscious branches looking a bit weathered and less full. Streaks of black and a hint of frost still linger on the wood in the deepest, darkest shadows, but overall the tree is flourishing. There are fresh new star flowers blooming along the ground and along a few branches, and other flowers are more vibrant than others.

And to confirm their location, their names are on a plaque by the door. A small black cat may also be outside, hopping down from her perch to greet anyone who comes by. A simple knock will be enough to send a bunch of dogs barking that would alert anyone of their presence. Seriously, who needs a doorbell when you have dogs?

If by some chance there is no response at the house, not even a bark, then it means the family has gone out. There are a few options for that: a general walk around the neighborhood, the Bark 'N Play dog park, and the Corgi Tree. One just has to listen to the barking to find them.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Perhaps it was a sign.

After finding their home quiet and abandoned, Susato dejectedly tucks away something she carried in the palm of her hand, and for a while she wonders if she should just go home. It is late and she should probably sleep, but she doesn't feel strong enough to deal with the nightmares tonight, and the cool air is more inviting that it had had any right to be.

She wanders, not quite aimlessly, but it's little surprise that her feet carry her to the dog park, a place that Eustace built with his own hands. Before it even had a name, she had cared for some strays with Beatrix, and now...

Now, she can see her lifeless body upon ice, and the sound of Save the Queen as it clashes loudly onto the ground.

Susato shivers, eager to shake the image from her mind as she looks ever forward. She doesn't know what she expected when she came here, but it is certainly not Eustace himself, nor Tifa, nor the pup they seemed to have cornered. ]

Bri...?

[ Her voice is small. Perhaps she should give them space, but absolutely nuts to that. They can have all the space in the world once they're married. For now, Susato approaches, brow furrowed with concern. ]

[Tifa knows the effects that all of this is having on Eustace—the nightmares, the pain, and the sheer exhaustion they've been suffering through together—but seeing the heartbreak on his face any time Bri shrinks back away from him with a whine shatters her own in turn. The two of them were close once but now...

As he tries to offer her a flower cookie, the corgi whines and moves to hide behind Tifa's legs like she's been doing for the last few days each time he makes an effort to mend things with her. She kneels next to the dog and gives her an affectionate pat, and to Eustace, she offers him a sad smile as she speaks to Bri in a calming voice.]

It's okay, darling. Everything is okay now...

[But the presence of another has her turning her head the other way and whining.]

Hm?

[And Tifa follows her gaze along over her shoulder to find Susato approaching. Tifa gets to her feet and brushes herself off and flashes the girl a tired smile.]

Hey you... What are you doing all the way out here?

[And so late, too?]

[He can only sigh, the sound of Bri's voice apologizing to him while also expressing her fear heartbreaking. But he can't push her so he can only try to give her a reassuring smile.

It was his fault to begin with... He'll be as patient and wait for her as long as he can...

But then he notices the change and looks up as Tifa stands to see Susato, and he'll just quietly hang in the back for a bit until she approaches.]

[ Susato can only watch, listening to Tifa's calming voice as well. Susato can still see the poor pup's terrified face as she melted the ice around Bri with her own two hands, but in hindsight, it must have been as terrifying as it was necessary. She truly doesn't know what to say to make it all better.

...

What is she doing...? Maybe she hesitates. Maybe it is something difficult to admit, but in the end, perhaps it is simple. ]

I've missed you.

[ She glances at Eustace too, as if to say 'Yes, even you.' ]

When you weren't home, I thought you both must have been asleep already, but I wasn't ready to go home myself. So... here I am.

["I've missed you."

The words pull violently at Tifa's heart—so hard that a breath stops in her chest. She hasn't been back at the Harvest since, taking some time to recover both physically and mentally, and for someone who prides herself on being strong in both areas, she's only left feeling ashamed of how long it's taking her. Everyone assures her that it's okay, and to take the time she needs, but seeing Susato's face, hearing those words...

Tifa feels guilty still. Not just for this, but for everything.

There's a moment of silence, and Tifa uses it to look briefly at Eustace before she takes a step towards Susato. There's some distance there, and it may take time to close that, but it's a step in the right direction...]

You're free to join us... if you'd like...

[At her words, he also feels a small pang of guilt...but he's more surprised by the glance his way and is unable to keep it, his eyes shifting away as he stands.]

...It's been a while.

[Small pause as he looks towards where several have noticed Susato's presence and are already running.]

They've missed you as well.

[ Ah. Well, she isn't about to decline, exactly, though a part of her feels like she should. She can't help but feel like this is a mistake, but luckily the sea of fur and wagging tails that approach her next helps her to perish the thought. There's a bit of a nervous laughter. She's a little bit shaky as she addresses them by name, petting them all and giving attention best she is able. ]

Oh, darlings. I've missed you, too, but I'm afraid I don't have any pupcakes today.

[ Big sad puppy dog eyes... Nope, she can't do it. She'll look up towards Tifa instead, and she'll keep trying to catch Eustace's eye. ]

...I don't mean to intrude. I merely hoped to see how everyone was recovering, and...

Well, there was something I was hoping to give you.

[ No sense beating around the bush. ]

You...?

[Whatever words were about to come from Tifa fall away in a small sigh of surprise. The visit was unexpected, but a gift of some kind is even more so. She'd argue and say no, if she thought she could, but the look on Susato's face stops her from protesting, and she relents...

And takes another step towards her with Bri still at Tifa's ankles.]

You didn't have to bring anything.

[He's also surprised, and now he finally brings himself to look at her. There's no reason for her or anyone to bring them anything...if anything he's the one who should be gifting anything.

However, it may be worse to refuse, especially with Susato looking the way she does. So he'll just quietly stand in the back...partly because of wanting to respect some distance with Susato and also since Bri is there.]

[ It would definitely be worse to be refuse. Gods, please don't refuse. Susato is already second guessing herself at their confused looks. Perhaps this is not the time, but it feels too late to change her mind now. ]

I know...

[ She didn't have to, but she wanted to. She shakes her head, and then reaches into her sleeves to pull out two identical glass bottle charms, both fitting into the palms of her hands. Their difference lies in their caps. The first, Tifa's, has a yellow tinted lily shape, which can be twisted to open the bottle; and the second, Eustace's, has the shape of a dog's bone, which can be twisted in the same way.

Inside the bottles are a rainbow of origami cranes, small and painstakingly folded by hand. ]

They were going to be your wedding present. Protection charms...

...But I didn't feel like I could wait.

[She remembers those charms...]

Susato...? [The girls voice leaves her on a little, surprised breath.] Those are just like the one you have...

[With the little cranes...

Tifa wanders closer, but there is still some hesitation in her steps, almost like she's too afraid to get too close lest her conscience take hold again, but she stops when she's right in front of her, and rather than take the charms, she takes Susato's hands in hers. Her eyes are already misting over, but she manages to keep it all bay.

...

.....]

This is really sweet. Thank you.

[Turning to look at Eustace over her shoulder, she flashes him a sheepish smile.]

These cranes are special, you know.

Edited 2022-09-17 14:54 (UTC)

[She...made protection charms as a wedding present for them...? And now because of what happened...

He'll accept them of course, but there is a small waver in his hands as he takes the bottle and open it for himself to see, staring at them. It's clear they're hand made...did she make them?

His fingers tighten slightly as he recalls how he deliberately caused the ice to crack beneath her feet, sending her into the icy waters. The anger he felt at her interference... It's a miracle she managed to survive and he's truly glad for it. Still...]

How do they work?

[It should be him trying to give her something in apology as well as thanks for helping Tifa.]

[ Susato did promise. Ah... well... she only asked hypothetically, didn't she? Yet it was always meant as a promise. The wedding was going to be the perfect occasion, but wouldn't you know it, a better one presented itself. She hadn't meant to make anyone cry, but she can't help but take Tifa's tears as a sign that she'd made the right decision.

She squeezes her hands in return, and then follow Tifa's gaze when she turns to Eustace. ]

They... Well... [ How does she explain it? Its effects seem to vary. When 76 had turned, Kazuma fought him and turned back into a noctaere himself. He felt her presence, and it kept him in his right mind. Maybe it would do the same for Eustace one day. ] I think it depends. If either of you are ever in danger again, the magic imbued in them should activate. The cranes will burn until there are no more.

[ A pause. Subconsciously, she reaches for her own necklace, which would have been in the shape of a rose... but she doesn't have it anymore. ]

When I was frozen beneath the ice, I think... No, I know they must have kept me alive.

[Tifa feels her heart sink a little when the memory is brought forward, and when Susato reaches for her own necklace, Tifa almost does the same. She misses the way that it hung from her neck, its weight so heavy and meaningful for something so small.

But at least she has this... another thing to keep them safe from harm... and to help keep the nightmares at bay knowing that these came from a delicate place of care and love.

With the charm held gently in her hand, Tifa takes a step back and looks between the two of them, and then down at Bri who has nestled in a place between her feet.

And that's when the silence hits. It isn't so awkward that it's uncomfortable, but there is definitely some tension that buzzes, especially from Eustace's corner. Tifa's fingers fiddle with the ends of the charm, with the little lily-shaped lid, before she breathes in and decides to break it.]

I was telling Susato about ours, [she tells Eustace with a lopsided smile, and it's clear she's dancing around the inevitable a little longer.] The little moon and star... how they were similar.

[So the charms are what saved Susato...

Eustace can't help but stare at her for a moment before looking back at the charms, an uncertain feeling rippling through him. He's grateful they worked, but if they hadn't...no, she shouldn't have needed to use them to begin with.

...Does he really deserve such a precious gift...? —No, he shouldn't be thinking like that. But it's difficult to push away those thoughts naturally brought up from the guilt that still lingers. Especially since he once again thinks this should be the other way around. How much he owes Susato and the others...

So he's left uncertain as to how to answer beyond a quiet word of thanks, and it's only thanks to Tifa that the silence is broken. Of course that only makes him feel another level of guilt as both their necklaces are broken, hers still missing. But at least he has a plan for that so it's a little less prickly.]

...I see.

[He looks down again at the small cranes inside before briefly closing his eyes and taking a breath.]

Thank you, Susato. I hope we'll never need them, but I'll take good care of it. And... I'm grateful you came to help Tifa—us. It was your dawn flowers that helped give us a chance...and I'm sure these will do the same as well.

[ Susato is perhaps replaying some version of that conversation with Tifa in her mind. Eustace has always been a man of few words, so in truth... what she got might have been more than she was expecting. It doesn't seem to quell the warm feeling at her very core though, nor the smile that blooms on her face. ]

That is my hope. Though... I do not mean to replace the necklaces, or what you two already have. [ She knows their necklaces were special, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that Tifa's is missing. ] You're free to wear them however you like.

...Father kept his in his pocket like a watch, for example.

[ The words just fall out naturally. There's a sense of deja vu as she feels a pang in her chest; she's definitely told someone else about that before. ]

[Tifa's eyes linger on Susato a moment, sensing the fondness when she speaks of her father, and she does note the past tense in there... She only met him once, but she remembers him being very kind, and Tifa wonders, briefly, if there is a reason she says it that way.

But she'll tuck that away for now. That feels like a bit of a downer topic, so she offers as warm a smile as ever before she looks down at the charm in her hand, and then at Eustace with a bright, expectant look in her eyes. She hopes that this will at least help to lighten the mood a little more, and even Bri is stepping out from between Tifa's legs to see what's going on.]

... How do you think we should wear them? We should match, shouldn't we?

[He glances between the two of them and then again at the charms. ...Hmm...]

Would it work as a bracelet? At least for Tifa... Having it on a chain for my pocket might work best for me.

[ Bri...

Susato almost feels bad that she did not bring a charm for her as well. If she's given one to Toby, then surely the corgis deserve them as well. It is perhaps something she is considering for the future, gaze bouncing from Bri to all the others before falling back on Tifa, then Eustace as each speak.

Somehow, the pocket watch look she described from her father seems fitting for Eustace as well, though she can certainly understand Tifa's desire to match. ]

As long as it is on your person.

[ She can't make them, no more than she could make Lord van Zieks wear it, but she would certainly be honoured. ]

And if you ever find your bottle empty, you can always come to me for more. I fold them when I can and keep them in jars at home. [ Always well-prepared, this one. ]

Let's hope we won't need to come to you for more.

[Ever... Although...]

I wouldn't mind learning how to make them sometime. Maybe the three of us can learn together?

[Even if it doesn’t really seem like something Eustace might be interested in, she thinks it could be fun... A nice way for them to reforge their bonds together... Then again, Eustace has surprised her with his craftiness before so the idea isn't totally out there.]

[No, her initial assessment is correct. There's a slight furrow of his brow as Tifa suggests he joins in... It's not that he's opposed to the idea as a whole, he's just not sure if he's really best suited for something so...delicate? Well crafted?

But he can't really refuse, either.]

...I'm not sure how well I'd be at making them, but I could assist in some way.

[There. Compromise. Unless he gets pulled into anyway—]

[ ...She appreciates Tifa's attempt, though she can see the furrow of his brow at the idea. Perhaps they'll be able to think of something else to do together to reforge their bonds... Until then, maybe she'll teach Tifa, and Tifa can teach him. ]

Not to worry, the bottles aren't handmade. [ ~~Yet.~~ ] So mostly it is just a matter of learning to fold the cranes.

[ She taught Gina. They could learn, too. ]

Oh... One more thing. [ To Tifa, mainly: ] I plan to give Aerith one with a bottle that matches yours, with the lily.

So um... [ What does she say? "Don't show her yet"? It doesn't feel right, so she'll just leave it to them to fill in that blank. ]

[He's definitely getting pulled into it anyway, but he already knows that, doesn't he?

Tifa's eyes light up with curiosity, and there's a very sudden but very potent surge of warmth when she mentions Aerith and the matching glass jar, and with a wide, knowing, almost conspiring grin, she lifts a finger to her lips.]

Your secret's safe with us.

[Susato has always been so sweet... and Tifa admires her for pulling through and still managing to be so after something so difficult.]

It's getting late though. We can walk you home, if you'd like.

[And, as if not giving any one of them a moment to protest, Bri barks out loud in agreement.]

b with a dash of a, but mostly b

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