songerein | fifteenth shot ⊗ closed log

Ah—right. Forgot about the island part.

[In all of this, it's so easy for her to forget where they are. That rather than on land, they are still floating high up in the sky, far above what she's used to. But maybe that's what makes this place better, and the thought only makes her more excited to see what kinds of islands have bodies of water like that.

.....

Are they going to keep playing this little game of stretching to see if the other will break? Because Tifa bends down to gather her underwear and pants to slip into them, making sure to wiggle her hips a little for him as she does before she straightens, now fully dressed.]

Let's go there, then. How long's the trip usually?

[Maybe.]

Hm... A few hours normally. But I can make it transition faster.

[Beauty of being in a dream.

And also just pulling his shirt over his head. But if course Erune fashion so it's not like it covers that much.

Now...

...He is genuinely not sure where the rest of his clothes are. Somewhere under these flowers, probably... Around here?

Just going to twist this way and then, half rising a bit to a one knee kneeling position to look.]

[Tifa is still watching him from where she stands, admiring his form as he moves the way she likes to do, and so openly now. As he searches for the rest of his clothes—namely his pants, she sees them poking out from under the flowers.]

Here.

[She picks them up and from behind him, Tifa slips her arms over his head with them in hand, pressing her chest to his back as she offers them to him.]

Looking for these?

[Even if he can't see her, he'll hear the grin in her voice as she presses a light kiss to his neck and backs away, leaving his clothes to fall to his lap. With her hands on her hips and a playful sing-song to her voice, she nods to the skies.]

Don't have all day.

[He's caught a little surprise by how she hangs off his back, face half turning to look at her.

But oh. This cheeky little rabbit. He sees exactly what she's doing.

So taking his pants he stands before pulling them on.]

Starting to sound impatient.

I'm impatient about a lot of things.

[As she casts one very obvious last look down before he pulls his pants over his hips before she's twirling on her heels, catching her bottom lip between her teeth, and wanders to the edge of where they are to look out one more time before they leave. Her arms extend out and she stretches again, taking in as deep a breath as she can of the fresh, crisp air. The scent of the flowers are strong up here—more so than they were when they got here—but their perfume is invigorating, like taking a morning run through a dewy meadow.

And when she drops her hands back to her sides, she doesn't glance back at Eustace just yet but instead, stares off into the distance to the town she can see from here.]

When we come back, you'll have to tell me all about what some of these places are. Maybe we can visit a few.

[Who is the thirstiest of the two, really.

Once he finishes snapping his belt, he stares at her for a moment before he slowly walks over and wraps his arms around her waist, chin lightly resting against her shoulder as he looks out with her.]

Mm... Sure. They're not that interesting, though... Just your usual small towns.

[She rests back against him when he sneaks his arms around her, and her head finds a place to relax against his as the two of them look out to the world below together.]

Yeah, but they're towns in your world.

[It's an important distinction to her. But that's for next time.

But she won't spend too much admiring them before she turns around in his arms, hers wrapping around his neck.]

Let's get going?

[A light smile as he gazes down at her.

How much she really wants to know of his world... Though it's the true for him. He wishes to learn more of hers, too.]

...Mm. How do you want me to take you?

[She mulls it over for a few seconds, a thoughtful hum passing through silence before her smile spreads.]

Let's see... How about something cool and heroic? Like it's right out of those Galaxy Wars movies we watched in Camelot together.

[Is that even possible for him to do? Is that asking for too much?]

Impress that bartender whose eyes you've caught.

Something "cool and heroic" huh?

[Just a slight arch of the brow before he muses.]

In that case... We'll need to go a little higher up.

[It's Tifa's turn to arch her brows at him. Does he really have something up his sleeve?]

Alright. Lead the way... Captain.

[And she finds his hand to slip it into hers to prepare themselves for another short hike up the mountain.]

Now you have me guessing...!

[Just a low chuckle as he leads her back through the cave and then taking a different path through the cliff.]

Don't get your expectations too high... I'm a little limited on what I can do.

[She gives his hand a squeeze as she follows right behind him, eyes stuck on him rather than their surroundings this time as they trek through.]

Well, good thing you've already won me over. So you have nothing to worry about.

[Honestly, he doesn't have to do anything at all to impress her.

And as they reach the next incline and ridge, she nudges him gently, grinning at him like the proud wife that she is.]

You know, the fact that you could even do all this is a lot.

I had a little practice, and I remember how expansive Zidane's dreamscapes had been. If that monkey brat could do it, then it couldn't be that hard.

[Even now, despite it being over a year since they last seen him, Eustace will always remember Zidane. Hard to forget such an impressionable young man, really.]

There's a name I haven't heard in a while.

[Said with a bittersweet tone. He had been like a protective younger brother to Tifa, especially in Camelot, and she does find herself wondering how he's doing from time to time.]

I remember he showed me around Alexandria, but I never got the chance to see more of it outside of that. But I guess it is sort of on a similar scale, huh?

[Maybe even bigger here, but Eustace has had a lot of experience with the dreamscapes by now, so it's not that surprising.]

I hope I can show you as much as this someday, too...

[As she glances out to the distance again, to the never-ending skies, when the trees clear far enough for her to see.]

I'll look forward to it. To be honest, a world not made of floating islands is still strange to me.

[Just a little more—and the path here is a bit steep and loose, so he'll take the lead to pick the path, carefully holding her hand so that she can put weight against it for support.]

[She graciously accepts his support, because while she doesn't lose her footing, she can feel the loose rocks wobbling and sinking under her shoes. It's been a while since she's trekked a lot of paths like this one...]

You'd think mine was strange, then. Then again , I haven't seen much of it myself, but I guess... a steel plate in the sky is a whole other kind of sight. Nothing compared to this still.

[And she'll step up right to his side as the path grows a little steeper.]

Maybe I'll get to show you places like Cosmo Canyon... or the Northern Crater. I only know about them through books, though. ... Oh! Or the Gold Saucer!

The Gold Saucer?

[There are a bit more smaller pauses between responses as he focuses on getting them up the path, his hand reaching out every now and then to grab the rock or a branch sticking out for support.]

Mm-hm.

[How long and rocky is this path—

She hoists herself up along the path, jumping easily over things with his support with an extra skip to her step and looks up towards the end of it.]

Never been myself, but it's this giant amusement park. Lots of games, some rides, I think... And they're pretty well known for their chocobo racing.

[...]

Great place for a date, they say.

Hm... I've never been to an amusement park before in my world though they exist. The one that appeared during Halloween was the first for me.

[Again words are slightly broken as they work towards that last few feet until they finally reach the top of a large ledge. It's still not the top of the cliff, but a lot higher up. The sound of an airship can be heard not too far from them, but it remains out of sight.]

Should that be our next "dream date" location?

[She takes a moment to take in the sights once more, and searches for where the airship might be... and she'll try her best to stifle that knowing grin that's forming, but her excitement is already bubbling up into the air as a warm breeze blows through the trees.]

I'd like that...

[Even if they can't ever visit it together in her world, they could at least do it here, and it would be a first for both of them. However—]

You think it would work if I've never been before?

...Hm... It may not be as accurate, but that just means you make it to look however you wish it would be.

It doesn't matter to me, though. Whatever you dream up, I'll enjoy it.

[Because it will be her dream and he will be with her. It's all he needs, really.]

No harm in giving it a shot, I guess.

[She has seen plenty of photos of it, so she might be able to piece some of it together and then fill in the gaps... enough to create a fun place for them to visit in their dreams together, which is all that matters to both of them in the end.]

I promise this one won't have any scary ferris wheels or rabid merry-go-rounds...

[Just normal ones that she would like to ride with him.]

Okay. Let's add that to the list, hm?

Sounds good to me.

[And as if on cue, there's a sudden strong burst of wind, enough to whip their hair and clothes around them, and Eustace immediately reaches out to put his arm around Tifa in case she feels any sense of imbalance. Directly above they will find the Grandcypher, yet it doesn't seem to make any effort to land...rather there's no space.

Instead, a rope ladder is dropped down.]

And here's our ride.

[She isn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't for it to suddenly appear above their heads like that. The sudden gust of wind that picks up surprises her just as much as the airship itself, and although she doesn't need it, Tifa tucks herself against him and grips onto Eustace's shirt tight, eyes wide with surprise as she stares up at the ship that looks so much bigger from down here than being on it.

(This probably looks like one of her novel covers right now as the rope drops down.)

Her brows shoot up, and she grins at him before she reaches out to grab the ladder.]

So cool and heroic...

[Although there is a more playful cadence to her voice, she truly means it. As if he could look any more handsome in her eyes, but somehow, with the wind whipping his hair about, he manages.]

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