open 🌠 hello world! i'm your wild girl

[starshower]

Who: Tifa Lockhart & YOU
What: December catch-all!
Where: Where the threads happen
When: When the threads happen
Content Warnings: N/A

𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘪'𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳. 𝘪'𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘹 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳. 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚌 ★ 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚌 𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚖 ★ 𝚐𝚢𝚖𝚗𝚊𝚜𝚒𝚞𝚖 ★ 𝚑𝚊𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍 ★ 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍 ★ ♫

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✨ wildcard

[starshower]

( You know the drill! Leave a wildcard starter here, or feel free to contact me via PM or at crystariums if you'd like to plot something! )

told you i was coming

[kimihiros]

(you see, kimihiro is not much of an outside person - or at least he hasn't been in the last hundred years. so, as expected, he wasn't much in the business of coming and going - he had searched the void for his shop, found nothing, and as a result, he simply returned to a room he now made his.

aside from the shrine, the wall market rises as one of the few places kimihiro dwells and for a single reason only. alcohol.

mugetsu wants it, and while kimihiro doesn't drink as much as the little fox, he is constantly doing so. it's a habit. so catch him going through the bottles of alcohol in one of the empty stalls, muttering something here and there to the spirit wrapped around his neck.)

i'm sorry, i had to

[starshower]

[If there's one place Tifa hardly ever leaves these days, it's Wall Market. Being down in the caves with very little light doesn't phase her much anymore, and having spent time living in the shadow of Midgar's plate, it didn't take long for her to get used to it. So, she's moving from one stall to the next, trying to keep what she can of them clean to pass the time.

With an empty box in hand, she wanders into one of the empty stalls—one where she gets a decent supply of alcohol—when she sees the back of a dark-haired man rummaging through it. And when she gets a better look, she's... confused, to say the least.

Her tone is sharp when she tries to get his attention.]

Ren? What're you doing?

[Why is he searching through the alcohol down here when he's got plenty up at Heavenly Blanc???]

I MEAN THATS FAIR

[kimihiros]

(wrong tall glasses man. kimihiro only turns around due to the tone, not the calling, because while he is not Ren, he's not sure the alcohol belongs to anybody. he's willing to find a way to pay if that's the case.)

Watanuki. (he corrects, only because he has seen the barista - it kind of makes sense to be mistaken for him, even though the different set of eyes should be a very clear distinction.)

Does the alcohol belong to you?

[starshower]

Oh...!

[The moment he spins around, Tifa realizes her mistake, catching a glimpse of the eyes first, each distinct in colour. From behind, he looked like Ren with a shorter and—admittedly—a tidier head of hair, but she had thought nothing of it. It only made sense that he would be looking around for some drinks, although Tifa would have preferred it be Blue looking after the alcohol.

That's neither here nor there, of course, because as it turns out, this isn't Ren.]

Sorry, thought you were someone else, but no, it doesn't. I just run a couple food stands down here. Might wanna check out Heavenly Blanc if it's a drink you're looking for.

[kimihiros]

I hate to say it, but if we go to Heavenly Blanc every time, they'd soon run out of alcohol. This one alone can drink more than you and me combined and squeak for more.

(it's a nag, but he scratches mugetsu's cute little ears as he does so. yokais are yokais at the end of the day. sake is important to them, and as it has been for the last few decades, for kimihiro too to a certain extent. he may not drink as much as the visitors to his shop do, but he certainly daily partakes in a much lesser intake - which is still off the charts. )

How may I call you?

[starshower]

How may you—oh. [What a weird way of putting it. That, and she's partly distracted by his companion.] Tifa Lockhart.

[She leans forward a little, to get a closer look at Mugetsu.]

And who's this fellow? He a Pokemon?

[Yes, because all weird-looking animals are Pokemon.]

[kimihiros]

His name is Mugetsu. He's a pipe fox spirit from where I'm from.

(assuming, of course, that there is no such thing where she comes from either. the only people who seem to recognize him are some of the japanese people who inhabit the void, much to the little fox's dismay.)

What's a Pokémon?

(he'd know if he talked to more people, easy, but as is... he stays most of the time at home or outside merlaut smoking.)

[starshower]

I think it's better to just see one for yourself.

[Tifa doesn't want to take the magic of meeting one for the first time away from him... that, and they're a little complicated to explain. Best he gets it from someone who actually knows what they're talking about.

She leans in a little closer again, and wiggles a finger at the creature.]

Well hello, Mugetsu! It's so nice to meet you and—?

[Her eyes drift up to the man holding him as she realizes she never got his name either.]

[anciently]

You know... Sometimes I think about how this place was when we first got here, and...it's pretty incredible, isn't it?

[ Scene: Aerith and Tifa, on the beach, settled on a blanket, bearing a few bottles. Whether or not both women wish to imbibe is another story, but Aerith has a drink in her hand and is considering the shoreline with a half-smile. ]

And even before that - when it was all white? That...was pretty scary. I thought so, anyway.

[starshower]

[Tifa's bottle is cracked open with a loud spritzing noise—the true signal to the start of a refreshing and relaxing time on the beach with a friend.

She leans back on the blanket, propping herself up as she takes a small sip of the drink. It tastes like home. Like Seventh Heaven and all the memories that came with it... and a sad and fond smile passes over her expression.]

It's strange how something so plain could be so scary.

[Aerith isn't alone in that sentiment at all. Tifa's avoided visiting the void ever since she first stepped foot out of it.]

But this place has grown a lot since then. It's kinda nice... Weird, too. Like we all had something to do with it, y'know?

[anciently]

I don't know... All of that emptiness? Not knowing where you are, or if you might be alone? [ She shrugs lightly, smile twinged with the anxieties she carries about the open sky. ] I think it's pretty unsettling...

[ And she isn't likely to return anytime soon!

But...no need to dwell on that, right? Not when they have such a nice day ahead of them. ]

Mm-hmm. It really makes it feel comfortable, like we're almost at home. But...it also has these memories from people we'd never have met, so that makes it really exciting! I feel like I see something new every day. Like the Pokémon - [ Aerith recalls suddenly, giggling. ] Have you met any of the Trainers?

[starshower]

A few of 'em, yeah. Raihan, Blue... Lance...

[The last name is dropped with a twinge of sadness behind it. He's been gone for some time now, and Tifa would be remiss if she'd said she didn't think about him or miss him and Dragonite a ton. He was one of the few people here who she could hold a mature conversation with.

Not that the former two can't, but it's in a different way.]

We've been getting a lot of new faces around here, too. Haven't even had the chance to meet some of them yet. Some familiar faces, too...

[The glint in Tifa's eyes returns as she takes a swing of her beer, glancing sideways at Aerith.]

[anciently]

You know those guys too, huh? [ Likewise, Aerith sombers at the mention of Lance, nodding quietly. He'd been the first Trainer she'd met here, and...

Well, maybe he'd come back, like Ren had. ]

That we have! It's...weird. I'm not sure if I should be excited to meet all the new people, or...sad that they've been taken from their homes. [ She's certainly enjoying the pseudo-vacation, more often than not.

Aerith doesn't miss Tifa's implication, and though she smiles back with a bit of a teasing look of her own, there's something more complicated behind the expression. ]

Mm-hmm! Some more welcome than others. [ They haven't talked about The Sephiroth Thing at all either, but she knows that isn't what the other woman is angling for. ] ...I guess you've talked by now, right? To Zack?

[starshower]

[Aerith knows her too well, and before Tifa gives an answer, she takes a drawn-out sip of her drink.]

Yeah. Found him in the water with his arm down a fish's throat.

[It was a bit of an awkward first meeting, considering how they left things between each other back in Nibelheim, and while it isn't water under the bridge yet, they've at least somewhat reconciled with one another. They'll talk about that one day.

For now though, Tifa has other things in mind.]

He was pretty keen on helping out around the church. How do you two know each other?

[anciently]

[ Aerith laughs, shaking her head at the mental image. ]

That sounds about right... Jeez. [ What a doofus!! ] He can be a pretty over-the-top guy...

[ That last bit elicits another knowing smile, and she hums thoughtfully. ]

Well... We were dating. [ ... ] "Are" dating? [ Her voice is light, but there's a twinge of sadness behind her smile. ] It's - complicated.

[ But, then, Tifa knows all about complicated. ]

[starshower]

[She doesn't want to delve too far into it if Aerith isn't comfortable, but her smile is full of interest and intrigue.]

Doesn't sound that complicated... He's a nice guy, and good-looking to boot.

[AKA: Tifa approves.]

You guys hit it off back in Midgar, I'm guessing?

gift exchange!

[abeautifulgame]

[at some point after waking up to a weird orb with cat ears, sitting on his desk, Damien's taken to trying to figure out basically anything about it. where it came from, what he's supposed to do with it -- that kind of thing]

[that in mind, then, when he runs into Tifa in the hall, he holds the little purple thing up] I don't suppose you got one of these, too?

[starshower]

[Tifa's entire demeanor is... different this morning.

After having woken up by a surprise dunk of water over her head out of what seems to be nowhere at all, along with floods of kelp, both of which didn't stop for the longest time, immediately jumps at the sight of Damien. She's dripping wet from head to toe, her hair a flat mess and her face filled with worry and perhaps some uncharacteristic rage that subsides somewhat when he approaches her.

She stares at the ears and exhales in a loud, tired sigh.]

Kinda wish I had.

[She clutches the laptop under one of her arms.]

Got a surprise shower this morning instead.

[abeautifulgame]

[if he's noticed the laptop, he hasn't recognized it as his, that logical leap still a little too far out of left field, at this point. it doesn't help that he's distracted by her upset -- and the fact that her hair is wet, now that she draws attention to it being something out of the ordinary]

[that in mind, after a beat, he echoes:] Surprise shower?

[starshower]

Uh-huh...

[She shakes her head, spraying water around like a dog fresh out of a bath. It gets on the walls and on the floor, and probably on Damien, too... but she's too Tired to notice.]

Even came with some fish. When I said I needed more fish for the sushi stand, that isn't what I meant.

[Then, she lifts the waterlogged laptop from under her arm.]

This, too. Landed right next to my head.

[abeautifulgame]

[funny, that looks like his laptop, now that he thinks about it -- or at least the same model. funny, too, that that laptop ended up at the bottom of Lake Michigan, not too long before he ended up here]

I wonder if it still boots up ... [because that's the only way he's going to find out if it is his laptop, not the kind of guy to decorate his electronics] I might be able to get into it, if it does, and figure out what the hell it's doing here. [and who it belongs to, if it's not his]

[starshower]

I dunno about that...

[Tifa holds it steady on the palm of her head, flipping the lid open with the other. It's completely water-logged, with it coming down like heavy rain and forming a puddle at their feet. She waits for it to stop before continuing, eyes knitting into a frown as she fixes Damien with an apprehensive stare.]

I'd think the water's completely ruined it... but if you wanna try, then that's something I wanna see.

[abeautifulgame]

Jesus.

[he skitters back a step, as the water runs off of the laptop -- or tries to, anyway. all things considered, it's more an awkward shuffle than anything else. either way, he shoots the laptop sharp frown, before he glances up at Tifa again]

I can see how you ended up soaked.

[he can also see why she doesn't think it's going to boot up, and while that's an opinion he shares, he still reaches for the power button, as he rocks back. imagine his surprise, then, when it does, in fact, turn on]

-- what?

[WHAT]

[starshower]

[Tifa is fully expecting his attempt at booting it up to fail, but when the fan inside the case whirs to life, it takes all her strength not to suddenly drop it out of pure surprise. It sputters for a moment, trying to get itself moving again, and sprays out more water through every vent opening it has before the boot screen loads.]

You did it! ... How!?

[First, with it being water-logged and second, electronics are so finicky here that even if it hadn't been soaked, she would never imagined it would work.]