songerein | fifteenth shot ⊗ closed log

I think it'll help.

[With arms still firmly wrapped around him, Tifa smiles up at Eustace before she seeks a kiss from him. Yeah, maybe this will help clear the fog that's been thickening in her head... She really hasn't been thinking straight, always distracted by him whenever he's near...

And even as she frees him after that quick kiss, she laments silently to herself that missing feeling of closeness when it's gone, and the air around her suddenly feels cooler.]

Should we take the horses?

Depends on how far you want to go, but that's not a bad idea, either.

[The horses could use the exercise and a good run could help her, too.]

I'll lock up here.

We could go to our spot...

[It isn't too far of a ride, but it's far enough from the town that they could get away... from everything and everyone in it. Far enough that she could lock them into their own little world...

But before he can answer, she's already decided that's where they're going to go, and she jogs with a bounce in her step around the bar.]

I'll go get a head start on heading to the stables then. Get the horses ready?

[He arches a brow, but he just smiles softly, already seeing her usual energy returning.]

Sure, I won't take long.

Okay.

[From where she stands, she puckers her lips in a little kiss before she rushes out the door, the bell jingling behind her on the way out. She passes the boxes on the way, and as soon as she's on the other side, stepping out into the sun, it's as though a cloud has rolled into the skies, covering her in a shadow that follows her as she walks. She would find it a bit strange were it not for the fact that she's smiling the entire way to the stables, scurrying there as fast as she can so that she can get their horses prepared by the time he gets there.

But even the horses sense that something is off. When Tifa approaches them with their bridles and saddles in hand, Freya stomps her hooves against the dirt. She isn't uneasy enough that she's belligerent, but Tifa has to offer treats to calm them both down. Even then, she can feel Nyx's wary eyes on her, watching her carefully, always keeping himself between her and Freya until Eustace arrives, and seeing the two of them together, the horses finally relax when the sun starts to peer out from behind the cloud again.

The ride there isn't a long one by any means, even at a leisurely trot, but today, they take the horses on a run for most of the way through the fields until they reach the winding incline leading up into the hills. It's always a thrill being on the back of them, riding at Eustace's side, and it really does help to clear her head. Feeling the wind in her hair and against her face, hearing the gallop of their hooves along the ground, her laughter echoing as they send flowers scattering in their wake.

By the time they arrive there, it's mid-afternoon with the sun already past its zenith. Because of the weather, the creek is running through, and while there is still some snow left behind from the colder months of winter, much of it has melted away. There aren't many leaves remaining on the trees, but in their place, a few flowers bloom as they pass underneath them, filling their branches and transforming it into a canopy of colours and glowing petals instead.

They find a place to leave the horses in a place near the river where they can drink and graze, and stay away from where she wants to go...

From where she wants to take him.

And as they arrive, she remains outwardly cheery, excited to be back here after so many months of the cold preventing them from coming back, she's glad to find that the little makeshift firepit that they've created is still there, and the log that they would sit on is still in place, if not a little damp.

Beneath that, however, her ears are tuned to his every move. Every step, every breath, and she swears that she can hear his heartbeat ringing in her ears as they walk along the path. She can hear the sound of a waterfall in the distance, too... and upon realizing it, Tifa takes him by the hand and gives it a tug in the direction of that cove after mentioning that she would like to get cleaned up, taking him down towards the small, hidden dirt path through the bushes that would lead them there.

She's pushing away some of the branches, but in her mind's eye, she sees something else. She sees vines coiled around her wrists, the glow of the rocks and the flowers as they lit up his face as he descended over her, the waterfall and starflowers creating a backdrop behind him that could white out her vision all on its own. She can see the way his eyes looked up at her as he teased her, taunted her, made her sob until he broke her—]

Do you remember the first time we came here...?

[Her voice is low, languid, as she pulls him along, whatever they were talking about before long forgotten as the sound of the pool grows louder and closer. Her own heart is racing, beating like a drum against her chest, and at her core, she can feel that same hot coil pulling and tightening a little more, as her fingers hold his more firmly, squeezing gently as they remain locked together.

The pool comes into view, and it's just as she remembers it...]

[Although he still remains a little concerned over her well-being, Eustace remains diligent in ensuring everything is locked up and closed, and double checks Sprinkles food and water, giving the kitten an affectionate scratch under its chin. Mirabelle has her own hidden entrances, so he knows she'll be to come in just fine, but since the initial plan had been for them to be there the whole day... He decides to write a quick note to let the fairy know of the change in plans. Very quick note—"Change of plans, will be back tomorrow."—without really much of an explanation.

He only stays long enough to move the crates to the side so they're out of the way before he makes his way out and to the stables. But when he gets there and sees Nyx standing near Freya and Tifa needing to calm her down, he can't help but wonder what's going on. Yet the moment he arrives they seem to settle... ...? Yet when he asks, Tifa doesn't know either, so there's not much that can be done. They seem to be fine now...

And whatever worries he had disappears as they run through the fields, the wind seemingly carrying them away. As he thought, a good run out here does wonders, and he can see from her smile that it's the same for her. So he just relaxes and enjoys their time out as it really has been a while since they've done this.

Thus even when she starts leading them to their special little cave, he doesn't think much of it. If anything, he just thought she wanted to be by the pool a bit, just wander around to take her mind off things. So at her question, he just smirks a little, his hand tightening over hers.]

How can I?

[There were many memories they made... And while that night had been something else, his thoughts drift more towards the moments before—when he took out his dog tags and proposed to her with them. Of how she gave them the charms they both wear beneath their shirts, the star and moon filled to the brim.

So he just smiles softly, completely unaware of her own thoughts and imaginations.]

Mm. It really was unforgettable.

[In so, so many ways... but all of those sweet memories that do come rushing forth do nothing but heighten the tide of all the others that are there, too. Memories of him slipping the dog tags around her neck, the soft glows of the glass charms that they are both wearing even now, the warmth of the fire as they sat together, their laughter echoing off the treetops only remind her of the moments that followed. And rather than laughter, it was their cries, their voices shattering with their names echoing off the cave walls instead...

She comes to a stop at the edge of the pool and turns around to face him, and what was once a sweet, excited look in her eyes has changed into something a touch more playful and teasing, and her lip catches between her teeth as she closes the distance between them with a firm step in his direction, hips swaying.]

You'll join me... Just a quick wash.

[Not a question or a statement, but more like a command as her fingers gently loop and hook over his belt. If he blinks, he may miss the way her gaze darkens when it moves to his lips.]

I promise I'll keep the water warm...

[The sound of the water sparks several memories for sure, yet it's also soothing and rhythmic. Just yet more reminders of that special day, of that moment when he made that step that led them to where they are now...

...

Yet that all disperses when he watches her approach him, and while there is a ripple of unexpected excitement, he doesn't miss the way her gaze darkens.]

...Here?

[Nor the real implication behind her words.]

Now?

[If he paid more attention to their surroundings, he might have noticed it darkening a bit, as if a cloud had started to pass over the sun to cast a cool shadow over them. Yet he's far too focused on her eyes...

...

Normally he would tease her, but given recent incidents, he can't help but feel it a little strange.]

[She looks a little taken-aback by his concern.]

Yes?

[What's wrong with him? Doesn't he want this? Only a couple of nights ago, he had pressed her up against the sink of a private bathroom at the ball, and has locked her in place on the terrace as his lips roved over her, and now...?

There's a small spike of frustration that shoots through her, all of it starting in her eyes and coming to a head in a single spot in her abdomen and it has her pressing a little closer to him with a low, rumbling purr, her fingers now gently working to unbuckle his belt. The sound of the metal coming undone is like a song that she had been waiting so long to hear, but she pauses when it falls open and stares up at him.]

I said it would just be a quick dip.

[Stares with wide, round, pleading eyes.]

It's been a long morning. Just need to unwind a bit.

[All of that capping off with a silent and sickeningly sweet please? through a simple, innocent look as she very, very slowly pulls his belt away.]

[Again he feels a strange twinge of incongruity. While Tifa has taken initiative before, it's never felt so...bold and aggressive. That isn't to say he isn't affected or not liking it—if anything he feels that heat starting to simmer, her eyes far more entrancing and alluring than they have any right to be. And the way he feels her hands on his belt, deftly loosening it...

It's when he hears his belt drop to the floor that he snaps out of it and suddenly, but gently, grabs her hands, stopping her. Really, there's not that much resistance on his part, especially with how his eyes are mixed with that want and uncertainty. Were it not for everything that had recently transpired, he would have gladly help her drag him down. He knows very well this will not end as a "quick dip."

And yet—]

...You sure this...

[His words start quiet, the question starting to form despite how his breath slightly trembles as his head is already tilted towards her, lips close to her ear. With her so close, the scent of her pheromones are strong—unusually so. It's almost as if she's in hea...

...

????

His eyes suddenly flash as he steps back, staring at her in bewilderment.

Is this—is that possible for a human??? Sure he knows they can also get riled up, but— The idea strikes him down so hard like a bolt from the blue, that whatever pull she had over him is momentarily broken.]

[She doesn't flinch when he takes her by her hands. If anything, that only seems to ignite that spark further. Makes her want it that much more, and as he closes in on her, she lets him linger, his breath tickling her ear as he whispers. She can hear the light tremble in his voice, the restraint he clings to beginning to collapse while her own patience is has long since been undone.

So, when he steps back, her sweet smile fades, and she stares at him with an almost frustrated furrow to her brow, almost tempted to chase after him.]

Is this what? Do you not want to...?

[Does he not want her? Had that girl said or done something to him to make him this way? Was he more interested in her than he is in Tifa now? This is why she never should have come—why Tifa should have been the one to take care of her instead of him. It should have been Tifa who told her to leave and make her want to never come back...

She watches his expression change from confusion to bewilderment as he looks her over...]

Eustace... [She whispers his name with a honeyed voice.] Is something wrong?

[Well, if he isn't going to do anything, she will. Slowly, carefully, Tifa's fingers toy with the hem of her shirt, slinking beneath and lifting it... just far enough that he can see the skin of her naval.]

No, that's—

[Realizing his strange reaction, he hastily reaches over to stop her, his mind still a mess. Surely it isn't...??? But what else could it be, why is she acting like this??]

Tifa, you—

[He fumbles with his words, wondering how to politely ask—]

Do you... Are your...

[WOW SURE HE CAN BE RESERVED WITH HIS WORDS AND NOT TALK A LOT BUT HE WAS BETTER AT ARTICULATING HIS WORDS THAN THIS. He also would have zero qualms asking someone he doesn't really care about directly and yet right now he is having issues. Is it because he isn't sure what to do if she she confirms? Or how strange and bizarre the idea is right now?? What if it isn't that at something else that made her that way instead? He's been with her for the past few days, but did she eat or drink something weird? FROM THAT DREAMBUCKS CAFE??

But more to the point, is Tifa going to have enough patience for him to work out what he wants to say???]

Edited 2023-03-03 15:47 (UTC)

Am I...?

[Does she have the patience? Normally, she would find this fumbling over his words cute. Maybe she would have teased him a little more for it while she patiently waited for him to find a way to word his question. While it is still adorable, she doesn't think she has the restraint to wait much longer.

Even still, she'll prod him a little further. Tifa closes the distance between them again with a firm step in his direction, and her hands immediately go for his cloak so that she can pull him towards her, stopping just short of their lips brushing against one another—]

Let me help.

[—before she's kissing him firmly again, her tongue immediately sliding over his lips to seek entry, to taste him, and to help him untangle the words that seem to be caught on the tip of his.]

[His words die against her tongue when she pushes in, the confused sound from his throat cut short by the hitch as her scent quickly wraps around and overwhelms him. To anyone else they might not notice, but for him who has become so attuned and bonded to her, it's like an intoxicating drug that sends all his senses into disarray. Her scent has always been attractive to him, but right now it's so strong, so sweet, that he would immediately be dragging her down if it weren't for the sudden strangeness of it all.

Given that he just came off of his own heat, it also doesn't take much more for him to falter and sink into her desires, his hands instinctively moving to her waist and then hips, his lips and tongue now moving to reciprocate after the initial hesitation. As much as his reason is still trying to fire off those alarm bells and telling him he needs to at least put a pause to confirm a few things, his body is already reacting more positively, that natural desire and want to bond with his wife and mate growing.

It's only after his hands had managed to slip under her shirt and they have to part of air do some of his senses return and he finally manages to get a few words out.]

You...

[His voice is already a lower timbre, heated breaths over her lips.

It's still difficult, now because his mind is becoming a red haze but he finally manages to spit out his words.]

...You're acting like you're in heat.

["Acting"—no, he's fairly certain she is, but he's still hesitant to make that claim. It really could be more of a simulation than the actual thing something that's making her behave similarly. And with that thought pushing forward again, he manages to pull away just enough to look down at her.]

Did you eat or drink something strange recently?

[If she is, she is, regardless of the how. Knowing how this goes he can't really refuse her or she'll just suffer worse, but he feels he needs to at least put it out there first...even if he's fairly certain he won't get much of an answer right now.

Perhaps he feels this is similar to if she were drunk and not in full control of herself... He doesn't want to take advantage of a situation where she might later feel regret. Married or not, he still respects his wife too much for that.]

Edited 2023-03-03 16:13 (UTC)

[She doesn't need air. All she needs is him and the breaths that they share as she moves to deepen the kiss further, so when he parts from her, she feels that knife of disappointment strike through her heart. That little spark of self-doubt igniting in that hole it leaves behind that quickly warps into something more possessive. Jealous, even. Of what? She doesn't know—there's no one else here to be jealous of. No one for miles, only them in their own little world, so why...?

Why does he keep pulling away from her?

His question has her opening her eyes, her lips parting with a shaky, frustrated sigh. She leans back to look at him, confused with a tilt of her head. In heat? She doesn't think so—does she even know what that means? Did she...?]

Nothing out of the ordinary.

[Her answer is curt, a touch sharper than usual.

Tifa lets her lips brush over his again before they move to his jawline.]

I just... [Want you. But instead, she opens her eyes and looks into his.] Why all the questions?

[His eyes close briefly as he feels his resolve waver, his head spinning from the stimulation. Even though he catches that sharpness in her tone, given everything it fits.]

...I just don't want you having any regrets later.

[Again he momentarily wonders of he should try to resist, try and bring her back to her senses first, but he can already tell that's impossible. There's only one way out of this.]

[Regrets...

She huffs with a breath of laughter.]

I'm with you. What's there to regret?

[This time, she does pull away after a light nibble across his jaw, and looks him in the eyes. And although the shadows continue to shroud her mind, to snuff out any light of reason or warning that none of this is right that tries to push through it, this much she genuinely means.]

I would never regret anything I do with you. You know that, right?

[This comes from her own heart—the deepest, furthest depths of it that not even this monster possessing her could reach. Even if she was in her right mind, she wouldn't regret being with him.

Slowly, however, that single thread of control that he helped her find with his words is eaten away.]

You know that I want to be with you... [Her fingers slowly trace over his shirt, nails digging in gently so that he can feel her touch through the fabric.] Why are you fighting that...?

[Her words are reassuring, and he can feel her sincerity in them. Perhaps there is still a small part of him that worries she might resent him for something, be it from the past or something new. But now her voice, her touch, her scent is dulling those worries.

Why is he fighting this, she asks?

Because somewhere in the back of his mind this still feels wrong somehow. That there's soemthing twisted and unusual, but he still can't figure out what. Her being in heat somehow does answer most of the irregularities he's seen, yet it still isn't quite the perfect fit. But he can only treat it as such for now.

So after staring down at her with a conflicted gaze, it all ends up crumbling as he can no longer resist the draw to her any longer. With a hand reaching up to cover hers, he leans in and kisses her roughly, finally giving her that taste she's been demanding for.]

No more.

[The words come out a low, heated whisper, his half-lidded eyes now darkening with that heat and desire she's been stoking.]

Do what you want.

[It's clear she's the one who needs this, and for once he'll be the one to serve and submit to whatever she wishes. Whatever she needs to help relieve her. And it would be a lie to say that a part of him is actually aroused by that thought, curious as to what she will do.]

[The moment he finally gives in, the moment his lips take hers with a hunger to rival her own, she instantly moans against it, her whole body melting into a pool of flames. Her heart clenches in her chest, squeezing as if he were draining all her love for him out of it, taking it to drink it up so that it can fill with something else. Something deeper, darker...

"Do what you want."

A risky proposition on his part.

She wants so much from him—no, needs it. That small kindling flame that had started to burn now erupts into something that overcomes her, sending a deadly heat from her chest to ripple out through her body, so hot that she clings to him, seeking to take his air for her own, what's around them not good enough for the beast that growls and stirs within her.

She finally gets the taste of him that she's been craving, and the kiss only grows more ravenous as she lets all of that pent up frustration and restraint go, carried off in the warm wind that blows past them. The flowers in the trees rustle, the same red starflowers that decorate their room and the café free their petals so that they can flutter to the ground, but there's a shadow that lurks among the branches, snuffing out the light in some of those flowers that still cling for dear life to the tree...

But before Tifa can get too ahead of herself, she pulls back and looks at his lips, as red and swollen as hers. She pulls back some more with a step, and then another, until their whole selves are in each other's views... Her eyes rove over him, drinking in the sight—the way his chest rises and falls as he tries to catch his breath, how his pulse beats in his throat, how his eyes are heavy with the weight of desire to match her own...

She feels her feet touch the edge, where the path dips into a ridge to meet the water, and already, steam begins to billow in the pool as she heats it...

Eventually, her eyes will finally connect with his again, and there's something wicked that passes through her gaze.

Of all the things that she wants, what is it that she wants the most from him right now...?]

Don't look away...

[The hours spent in the cave were long, passionate, carnal. They each took turns proving their dominance over the other while reaffirming their needs and wants as well. Reaffirm they only loved each other, that they were bound in this life and for all time. And while Tifa had proven herself quite impassioned and persistent in binding Eustace to her... In the end, Eustace proves to be a formidable challenge, taking over and flipping things around.

Now they are on the brink of spending the rest of the night locked in together, the vines forming a dark cage around them with only the dark glow of the deep red starflowers to illuminate their trembling bodies, the heat and steam heavy with their mixed scent, one unique only to them.

Vines still coil around Tifa's arms as Eustace continues to stare down at her, and she desperately tries to keep that star scattering high from dimming too low, her breathless moans and kisses almost making him forget what he saw. Briefly his eyes close as those ripples and pulses of pleasure surge through him as she tries to coax him to resume with each roll of her hips—and she's momentarily successful as he moves with her, his mouth catching hers with a low distracted moan.

For a moment he wonders if he was just seeing things. Maybe it's just another dreamotion effect? Something unique to her being in heat that manifests like this?

Yet it bothers him, how those hearts still appear in his mind. How unnatural.

Just like she had been all afternoon and now.

With a shudder as he tries to come back to his senses, his eyes slowly reopen to stare back into hers, the hearts are still there. They glow, almost ominously, and the alarms that had been shattered earlier have slowly repaired to weakly chime through his mind.]

...No...

[Just a careless word of appeasement as he briefly stops with a trembling breath, lifting his hand to brush back her hair, eyes still locked down on hers.]

Just...your eyes...

[And she stares back as if nothing were wrong.

Her eyes flutter as he brushes her hair back, her heart and breaths are racing still with the built-up anticipation, and she gazes into his, longing and desire making those hearts beat and grow again, sharper and brighter, as she loses herself in the pools of blue that she loves so dearly. They are intensely hypnotizing, like he's ensnared her into another spell.]

Do you like them...?

[He always did like her eyes, didn't he? But she's always loved his.

Loves him.

With a low, soft whine and a gentle roll of her hips, Tifa leans up to kiss him. The urge had been overpowering before, but now... With his gaze so deeply bearing down on hers, she can't help it. She can't get enough...

But she doesn't see or feel the red light that's now growing and shimmering in her chest, over her racing heart, as she presses her lips first to his throat, testing him again, coaxing him with soft exhales of her breath, light nibbles...

Nor does she notice the small creature that's crawling out of that light as she brings her lips closer to his, whispers and moans of his name tumbling out of her as she grows more desperate to pull him back into their loving throes again.

Slowly, the vines begin to glide over him again, wrapping slowly around his ankles and his hands as he holds her, prepared to bind them together again. Or rather, to bind him to her.]

Edited 2023-03-07 15:34 (UTC)

[As disconcerting as it is, there is something strangely hypnotic about those hearts, how they seem to glow and pulse in time to their own heartbeats. It pulls him in, and her movements and voice don't help, either. His body has long craved hers, responding instinctively as his eyes flutter close with a low exhale, her lips and voice tempting him.

Truly she is his biggest weakness. Even as his mind pricks at the oddities, the irregularities, the dissonance, she easily disrupts it. Even as he feels those vines creeping in, he doesn't really feel that alarmed by it. Rather, he wouldn't mind it at all.

However, he's not going to allow it just yet. If she wants to bind him to her that's fine...but he still needs to bind her to him. So as he gives into the kiss, his hands pull back from beneath her to go to her chest. At first he feels an odd tickling against his, but he first believes it to be the vines or flowers. But when his hand brushes against something cold, almost wispy like air or mist, he frowns and breaks to pull back...]

——!?

[And then jerk back when he sees the black thing in the middle of her chest.]

What is—!?

[It's such a shock that he can't even process or move at first.

Of course, the vines suddenly tightening around his wrists and legs don't help either.]

[Tifa is so lost, so far gone, this creature's teeth sunk right into her heart that she doesn't notice it at first, or it's as if it's a part of her—always has been a part of her. So, when he jerks back just as her lips are about to meet his, just as she's so close to pulling his mind back into that tide so that they can drown in it together, Tifa blinks up at him, surprised. The hearts within her wide, round eyes are so vivid, so clear, almost like they are on fire, and the red flowers flood the cave with light, and that creature wisping about over her chest does the same—fixes him with the same stare, its own red eyes filled with hearts.

And when Tifa speaks, the voice is unlike her own. It's so sickeningly and unnaturally sweet, but it's laced with a wildness beneath that sugary coating.]

Eustace?

[The vines snap around him, gripping him, to keep him locked in place.]

What's the matter? Don't you want this?

[She moves closer, lips trying to find his, and the creature begins to swell and spill out of her, crawling and clawing its way out.]

We're not done...

Edited 2023-03-07 17:43 (UTC)

[To say he was horrified would be an understatement. He could only stare aghast at the thing that was starting to crawl out of her before Tifa obstructs him, now filling his vision with her eyes. Except now where they once drew him in, he can finally see the twisted nature of it all, the mask that hid the usual love she bears for him.

He had been completely fooled.

...

By this thing that invaded his wife—

Electricity suddenly snaps around them and the vines wither, all falling limp and smoldering. The flowers also curl up, blackened and charred, the sound of them falling deaf to his ears. All the heat and warmth dissipates from the once cozy, steamy cave as if sucked out into a vacuum, the crackling of ice and cold chill replacing it.

How dare...

Completely pulling out and away from her, he shoves himself away before he reaches out and grabs the creature from its neck and yanks the rest of out of Tifa's body. As he does, a brief memory flashes through his mind—of a day a year ago, when he had been possessed, infected by the very same creature. How it had manipulated and twisted his feelings, made him also—

A loud crack and boom of thunder, lightning arcing and illuminating the inside of the cave as he growls.]

Going after my wife—!

[It happens so fast.

One moment, her lips are brushing over his, ready to take him back to that other world that they belong in, to carry him into the sea of stars so, so deep that he forgets the existence of the one outside the cave. Of the people, the memories, everything. She's ready to drown in this madness, and so is he...

...

But then in the next...

What she once thought was a clear mind where she was so sure of what she wanted fills with a thick fog. Her chest feels heavy, and it's as though her heart has been sucked dry of every emotion she's ever felt for him. For a moment, she feels empty. Cold, all of that warmth that she felt, all of the love swelling in her—all of it vanished in an instant.

Faded, with the hearts that once engraved her eyes.

Only to be replaced by fear when she sees Eustace stumbling back away from her, and the shadowy creature that he's dragging out of her with his bare hand. The flowers and the vines burn around them, incinerated by the loud crack of electricity that had awoken her from her dream, but her eyes remain on the black creature that he clutches in his hand. She's far too lost in horror that the loud rumble of thunder of the lightning that arches through the cave doesn't even cross her mind.]

Eustace...?

[Her voice is shivering, as are her hands scramble at her chest where he's just pulled this thing out of her. It glows with the same red light, its eyes filled with hearts as it stares up at him...

And as her gaze remains locked on it, she, too, remembers the day one year ago. He had been acting so, so strange, possessive, even... and just as he had been about to lure her into the trap, the very same creature had crawled out of him, and Tifa had crushed and torn it apart in her hands.

...

Tears erupt from her eyes, and she cries out as the realization finally sinks in and the fear grips her completely. She's trembling so much that she falls back into the red flowers and rushes back, putting as much distance between herself and Eustace as possible, her eyes never once leaving his as her sobs shake through the cave.

What had she done? She remembers it all so clearly, and yet, her mind had been shrouded in a complete fog... no, a shadow. What did she do to him? What was she planning to do...? What was going to happen if he hadn't...?

Her voice is so small. So terrified of that thing... but more than that, of herself. Tifa has been frightened of things before, but she's never been more afraid than she is now.]

Eustace... What...?

[What's going on? What's happening? What is that thing!?

The words all die on her tongue, broken by her cries, as she backs up against the cave wall where the vines and flowers have already started to wither, and curls up against herself to hide.]

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puts up a "be back soon" sign :)

a bleeding heart is about to be eviscerated (still heavy sexual themes/imagery and violence)

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