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[suplexer]

open post / overflow.

» looking for a thread with a punchy bartending eco-terrorist?
» picture prompts are fine, throwing it in my court is fine, and any format (text/action/prose) is fine!
» canonpoint is flexible, as is original game continuity versus remake.
» some memes i enjoy if you need help with a scenario: random scenario, otherwordly, nightmares, caught in the rain, apocalypse, hurt/comfort, nursed back to health, & body heat. (none of this has to be shippy, ftr!)
» i will really be down for just about anything, but you can also hit me on plurk (demonology) or discord (demonology) if you'd like to plot something out.

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cute date 2024 never forget

[cetra]

[ There's always been that inner voice - one that sounds like the echoes of her mother - that tells her she can do anything. Anything she wants, if she just holds on to her gumption. It's a belief that carries her through her hardest moments, of which there have been quite a few of lately. She's in new, unexplored territory, and usually her excitement trumps any uncertainty she has.

Writing, though, might just defeat her this time.

So much has happened, and even more to come. There's no way to predict the future but sometimes...sometimes, she knows deep down just what will happen. How certain events will end. It's not a feeling she enjoys exploring very often, because then it leads her down a darker path than she wants. It always feel inevitable, as if even the knowledge of what is to come isn't enough to make it change, which is a large part in why she tries not to think on it too much.

Instead of darkness, though, she wants to bring some light. That's the goal with her song she's taken to mulling over, but she finds herself stuck.

Cait's appearance and nosiness was a distraction, but now he's gone and she's chewing on the end of her pen, unable to put into words just what she wants to convey. If only she could just embrace all those she cares about, give them the warmth inside her she feels when they're around --

Easier said than done.

With that in mind, Tifa's appearence is a welcome distraction. It always is, truth be told, so when the Skywheel is mentioned she's already on board before Tifa can finish the question. ]

Absolutely! [ There's a bit of a flutter, nestled right under her ribs. She glances around as she tucks away her work, noting the lack of their party. ] It'll be just us, then?

[ Does she sound maybe a little too hopeful? She cares about everyone, Aerith enjoys every moment spent with their friends, but her time with Tifa is a quiet pleasure. One she feels a little embarrassed to admit out loud.

Maybe a little scared, too, if she's honest with herself. ]

[suplexer]

[ As curious as Tifa might be about what Aerith's working on, she isn't sure that she should ask. It could be something private, and if so, she certainly wouldn't judge if Aerith wanted to keep it to herself. She decides to hold off on asking until they're granted the relative privacy of the Skywheel gondola, and she'll give Aerith every possible out if she'd rather not share.

It'll just be us, then?

Why does her heart beat faster at that question? There's no reason they couldn't take more of their party with them, in all honesty, but it's not what she'd had in mind when she offered the invitation. ]

If that's okay...

[ Before she can say anything else, however, she hears a door slam open on the second floor of the hotel and instinctively, her gaze snaps up. Let's be honest, there's a pretty good chance that's one of their friends, and a moment later she hears Yuffie's loud voice chattering on about something. It's hard to tell if she's talking to herself or someone else — Red, maybe?

If Yuffie spots them, she'll absolutely insist on tagging along. Tifa doesn't think, she just grabs Aerith by the wrist and tugs her out the front door of the hotel into the artificial "outdoor" area with the creepy trees and the tombstones. While she can hear Yuffie squawking after them, she thinks they might still have a chance of losing her.

Except then her brain catches up with herself. What is she doing? Is it that important for her and Aerith to ride the Skywheel alone? ]

Um... [ She brushes a long strand of her hair behind her ear and laughs nervously. ] Sorry, do you think we should invite her along?

[ Maybe it's best to leave this up to Aerith, rather than trusting her own heart on it. ]

[cetra]

[ Aerith can hear Yuffie about the time Tifa does - in fact, the urge to grab Tifa's hand and pull her out of the lobby is only a moment too late as Tifa does it instead.

She can't help the little smile on her face as she follows, her friend's hand on her wrist almost like a brand, a jolt of energy running up her arm. The atmosphere outside the hotel leaves a lot to be desired, and when Tifa hesitates it's Aerith's turn to lead her out of the area, her hand reaching to clasp Tifa's and intertwining their fingers. ]

No, no, I think she'll have plenty of fun with whoever she's talking to. [ She might feel a little guilty, but Yuffie's clearly not alone and Aerith feels like being a little selfish. She shoots Tifa a mischievous look at they leave the area.

They totally ignored the fast travel moogle, didn't they? Oh, well. She's not gonna complain about a long walk.

Yuffie's voice fades away behind them as they enter the central part of the Gold Saucer, Aerith realizing she might just be dragging Tifa behind her. Oops - she takes a moment to slow her walk so they're beside each other.

She's still holding Tifa's hand, and her grip tightens as she lets out a little breathless laugh. ]

I can't believe that place is so creepy and the rest of the Gold Saucer is so lively! It's like two different worlds.

[suplexer]

[ Oh. It looks like they're on the same page, then.

Yuffie can be a lot on a good day, and while Tifa usually has the patience for her over-the-top nature, she also wants to be a little selfish in this moment. They can make it up to her another time, she decides, even as Aerith leads them onto the automatic walkway that will take them out of Ghost Square. ]

It would be hard to imagine her not finding a way to entertain herself, right?

[ If all else fails, Yuffie will probably go check out that knock-out game again. It seemed to be her favorite attraction.

In any case, they're on their way. Tifa doesn't feel at all like she's being dragged, although she notices at a delay that they're still holding hands, even though both of them know which way to go. Still, Aerith isn't letting go, and so Tifa decides she won't either. This is fine, right? ]

They really make every different part of the Gold Saucer feel like a totally different experience. I had pretty high expectations when we came here, but they've been blown out of the water!

[ The Skywheel is the one attraction she's yet to try (Event Square aside), and so without further ado, she heads in that direction, side-by-side and hand-in-hand with Aerith. ]

Have you decided what your favorite Square is?

[cetra]

[ What's a little hand holding between friends?

That's what Aerith tells herself as they walk, their direction toward the Skywheel but not rushing. It's hard to not take in their surroundings, almost like the first time they entered. It's over the top, a little kitchy, but there's something special about the Gold Saucer. She spent her childhood days hearing about it in commercials on the radio and TV, and they did nothing to prepare her for just how much is going on in this place.

They end up stopping for a moment, the area right in front of them crowded with a group who seem to be lost. She hums to herself, head tilting as she thinks on Tifa's question.]

Wonderment Square is pretty fun, but I do like going to watch the chocobo races. [ Who knows, after tonight maybe the Skywheel will be her favorite.
A thought that has her feeling slightly bashful as she looks over at Tifa, her cheeks just the slightest bit red in a blush. ] What about you?