tabularasa_rp | open ✨ life can be harsh, it can be bitter.

Entry tags:

open ✨ life can be harsh, it can be bitter.

Who: Tifa Lockhart feat. Cloud Strife & YOU
What: September catch-all. Tifa tries to find something else she enjoys outside of Heavenly Blanc, and drags Cloud along for the ride.
Where: Where the threads happen
When: When the threads happen
Content Warnings: N/A

𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧, 𝘭𝘦𝘵 '𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦.
𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚍 & 𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚊 ★ 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚙 ★ 𝚋𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 ★ 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍 ★ ♫

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Some people just don't know a good thing when it's right in front of them.

[From what little she saw of them, Aerith's flowers were always well taken care of. She put a lot of love into them, and it shows in how they glow with life. The one she had in Seventh Heaven lasted as long as it could...

But it turns out... there was more to Aerith's life than just tending to flowers at one point.]

You two were together, huh...? [She wonders if it's any of her business to ask this, but she is curious, and there's a flicker of concern in her eyes.] Did something happen?

[He'd said it in past tense, so something did happen.]

[Okay, colour her a little surprised, only because she hadn't and didn't want to assume that they were that close, but not so surprised that her expression shifts at all. If anything, it grows warmer, and even with a touch of sadness that she tries her best to conceal.

It must not be easy for her...]

I see...

[Tifa takes a seat right next to Rinoa.]

The memory I saw... he was there. It was in a field of flowers, just... you and him. [She's getting better at not inserting 'me' into that. It was an odd habit but an easy one to break.] Sound familiar?

[Noct definitely doesn't want a pity party - he only brought it up because it was on the topic, honestly.]

[He smiles a little at that.]

Yeah, uh, absolutely. Pretty sure my friends back home got bored sitting around while I went, so yeah. I can definitely try and show you.

[Regardless of what his answer is, she already knows that whatever he tries won't work. If something as simple as their materia fails to work here, then of course something bigger won't. His words answer her question without directly saying so anyway.]

You stay out of our way and you'll have nothing to worry about, but this isn't about us.

[Not here, in this world.]

You start causing trouble with anyone, and I'll be the first to hear about it. We clear?

We almost had it, yeah.

[They had come so close. Climbed the pillar, fought off the Shinra grunts and the Turks, lost Jessie and Biggs... and then it all came crumbling down at once.]

We still don't really know what they are but... those black things you saw? They stopped us from getting to Rude before he could press it. He managed to get me down, and then surrounded us. Cloud or Barret couldn't do anything. Must've been part of "Destiny's course", or whatever you wanna call it.

[Tifa breathes out a defeated sigh.]

Like it was supposed to happen. We weren't supposed to stop it, according to them.

[Tifa lifts her gaze to meet his, a look of genuine surprise behind them.]

Not knowing what?

[To her, the only thing she doesn't know is what happened in the seven years they were separated, and that kills her. Everything else? She's certain there's nothing she's missing.]

Well, there isn't much else to do here, so...!

[Tifa stretches, motioning to the world around them. Anything is more interesting than sitting around waiting for something to happen, which is all she did up until now. They all have to make their own fun somehow.]

Just say the word, and we can meet at Takoba beach! Or even down in the caves. There're tons of fish down there.

If he likes you back, naturally.

(Someday, this meddling is gonna get Ren punched in face! He doesn't care though. This is fine.

Also, to his understanding, of course he does. All Ren did was ask about their well-being and Cloud was a stuttering mess.)

[It's an important question to ask and honestly Zack is expecting it from someone eventually. Zack and Aerith obviously treat each other with this fluffy air but underneath it, is this quiet sadness that sits there.]

I'll ... I'll spare you the details but... [Zack sighs.] Work pulled me away from her. For ... about five years.

[... Yeah, he ghosted her pretty hard.]

I wasn't in a position to tell her where I was. Honestly, it was safer for her to not know where I was.

[And if Tifa suddenly wants to hate him for doing that to her? Well, he wouldn't blame her. He deserves it.]

[Noct nods.]

I'll keep it in mind and let you know.

We'll have to find something to keep the fish in, too, but I bet we can find a tub or cooler or something on the beach.

[Oh, that.]

Not really. There's nothing to know.

[She never said she had feelings for him after all! Not outright, even if her reactions are making it obvious.

Tifa's smile returns just as easily as it had come earlier.]

Things are fine with Cloud the way they are. We've got each others backs, through thick and thin and honestly? Wouldn't have it any other way.

[She pauses to take a breath, and then her eyes narrow at him.]

What's with all the questions?

Well, that's bullshit.

[he scowls at her, through her, for a long moment before he finally seems to remember himself. while his jaw works like he plans on offering an apology, however cursory, for the outburst, however -- no. no, that's absolutely bullshit]

[(quietly, he wonders if destiny won't stop him from getting away from Aiden, if and when, when he goes home, time hasn't progressed and he's still at the lighthouse, waiting for the end)]

[Her feelings on that are... complicated, and Tifa's gaze drops from him immediately, going to her hands clasped in front of her instead.

It feels like the same thing Cloud had done. Kept his distance, never reached out, never visited during his time training for SOLDIER. It was what she'd been afraid of—that they'd grow apart—and while she's thankful that they haven't and that they could pick up where they left off, it still hurts not knowing what had happened. It hurts that he never, ever talks about it.

But that's okay. She isn't going to push him, and she isn't going to press Zack about it either.]

I get it... [she says quietly after some time.

Maybe it was better that way for her and Cloud too, and even though she can relate, this isn't about them. She and Cloud have reunited, and she's tried to put the past behind them, so maybe...]

You're here now though, right?

[Or.... she can cook them.........

Ahem.]

Sounds good! I gotta get back, but if you keep going, you'll get to the bar eventually! It's not a long walk.

[She gives Noctis a slap on the shoulder.]

I'll see you around, okay? Try not to let the chickens chase you.

Oh, yeah? [ Her tone is almost challenging, as if daring Tifa to try a sushi roll that she might make, and which might end up a total disaster. ] You might regret it...if you're going to do a taste-test, that is!

[ Well, maybe someday. It'd be worth getting the hang of it to be able to make sushi rolls, though! ]

A job well done, all around. [ Aerith announces, laying her hands on her lap and nodding approvingly to both of the others. ] You'll have a line around the block in no time! You'll see.

[It is absolutely bullshit. There are zero doubts there, and the outburst is completely warranted. She nods in agreement, silent anger simmering inside her again. Not at him, but at the situation, and the fact that this world made him see all of it.]

In the end, they won. The plate fell, and Sector Seven was destroyed. If we'd gotten there sooner, we might've been able to do it.

[Her voice cracks a little, but she holds strong.]

It's why I hardly step foot in Seventh Heav—Heavenly Blanc anymore.

[Is she attempting to intimidate him? That's cute. He looks almost amused. But it doesn't matter, he'll play along for now. Petty fighting is the last on his list of things he wants to be doing.]

Oh Tifa. If I'm to do anything of the sorts, I'll make sure to tell you personally.

[ Her eyes drift shut at Tifa's words, trying to let the images fall into place in her mind. The flower field is familiar, but she remembers that, doesn't she? She wanted to go where they promised, but he wasn't there, and—

Wait. Where they promised? But they never made a promise... not that she can remember, anyway.

Rinoa's eyes open again. ]

I know the place you're talking about. [ A fond smile finds her lips. She's been searching in vain for it since she showed up in this place. ] But... What happened? In the memory?

[ She still has to tell Tifa about the memory of hers she has too, but right now, she needs to understand what she's lost. ]

I'm not so sure.

(As if he doesn't like you, Tifa.

Repressing does nobody good, but these two probably need more time to process it, Ren considers. Seems like they're happy the way they are and eventually, they'll probably reach to their resolve by themselves.

For that reason only, he will not push or poke them into resolution - at least not for now. )

No reason. (But there is a smile on his lips, like he's pleased.)

It was a nice memory.

[Damien nods, and softly, notes:] Too many bad memories there, now. [he gets it. there are parts of Chicago he avoids, too, for that reason, and while very few of his memories, shared among the population here or otherwise, are what he'd consider good, there are a few that sting more than the rest, that warrant that avoidance]

[either way, after a beat and still softly, he offers:] For what very little I know it's worth ... I'm sorry. [and for once, he actually means that]

[It feels so personal for her to be walking her way through a memory that doesn't belong to her. It's a bit surreal, remembering standing in that flower field as if it were her instead, but she does anyway, after a whimsical sigh.]

You told him about a dream you had. You ran and ran looking for him, but couldn't find him.

[It was all just a dream though, like Squall had reassured Rinoa in the memory.

Tifa's eyes fall shut now, remembering the next part, and when she blinks them open, there's warmth as her eyes fix on Rinoa.]

He promised that if you visited that flower field, you'd find him there.

It was.

[As embarrassing as it is to have someone see that, or even know the things she felt receiving that flower, having Ren be the one to have seen it makes her feel a little less anxious about it. Out of all the people in the Void, he gets her the most, and she's thankful for not only that, but that he didn't have to witness something terrible. He doesn't deserve that.]

I kept that flower alive as long as I could. It was one of Aerith's. [Her laugh is whimsical.] A little touch of fate or something... it's kinda funny. Neither of us knew her when he got the flower. Didn't meet until later.

[Maybe Tifa is the one person that would understand Aerith's feelings on it the most. Zack knows that Cloud ditched home for Shinra fairly early too, leaving behind the girl in his hometown and everything else. Zack's and Aerith's story might be a little harsh but it's those same feelings where the soldiers had picked to distance themselves for certain reasons.

He's expecting some kind of comment against his actions but when she reacts like that Zack can't help but be reminded that Tifa really is a kind and forgiving soul.

Zack's not quite sure he deserves that. But he's grateful.]

Yeah. I'm here now. [Now it's time to make an awkward noise as he grins like an idiot.] I'm not sure what I should do to make it up to her, you know? Bringing her flowers is kind of redundant. Would a dozen red flower carts be too much?

[Help him, Tifa...]

[It's worth more than he thinks. She isn't seeking his sympathy but knowing that someone else out there understands is enough. He saw it with his own eyes, as if he were there, and that's as close as anyone is going to get without being on the plate when it happened.]

It's alright.

[She smiles at Damien, as if their conversation had been casual all this time, and like it had never taken a bad turn.]

Just means I've gotta build a new one from the ground up, once all this is over. [Besides being here, she means everything else—Shinra, Sephiroth, rebuilding Sector 7.] And it's gonna be bigger and better.

[Tifa's expression brightens again.]

A flower girl can never have too many flower carts.

[If one breaks, then she'll have eleven others waiting to be used! Always keep at least one extra of everything is another good business practice lesson.

Though she isn't sure that he would have to make up for anything with Aerith—she doesn't strike Tifa as the kind of person who would need that, but... what's the harm, right?]

I don't think you should make them all red. If you can find some different paints, make them each a different colour. The ones she doesn't use can go in the shop, she can fill them with flowers to put on display!

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open ✨ life can be harsh, it can be bitter.

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WHOOPS posted this to the wrong tag

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No worries!

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