[She takes an unmarked bottle of whisky from the top shelf—one bottle that she doesn't allow anyone to serve but her, and she smiles at him.]
If you're sure.
[But she's already pouring it into a shaker anyway with a piece of orange and just a dash of cinnamon to mix it. She shakes shakes shakes and pours it into a glass, topping it off with an orange peel, and slides it across the counter to him.]
[ The glass slides across the counter once Tifa has finished preparing the drink. Cloud brings it to his lips and breathes in the cinnamon and citrus before taking a drink. ]
Only if you tie a string around my ankle so I don't end up somewhere you can't get me down from.
[ He really isn't too hungry though. Zack can eat like there's no tomorrow. Cloud... Sometimes forgets that things like food exist? Rather, he sometimes forgets that meals are thing that exists and that he should definitely have those.
[ Does he even like pumpernickel? Cloud sniffs at it for a moment. Then he cautiously takes a bite. In his opinion, Tifa will always serve the best food? Though she doesn't really specialize in breads now does she?
Cloud chews it a bit, thinking that it's not too bad? ]
It's not bad. Just different.
[ And he's maybe three or four inches off of his chair. ]
[She takes a bite at the same time, and immediately, the realization hits her.]
Oh, this one, it—
[But Cloud is already floating a few inches off his chair, and Tifa, in her surprise, teeters in the air as soon as she feels her feet lift away from the floor and her rear from the cahir, and she nearly loses her balance. She grabs hold of her chair on one side, and onto Cloud with the other hand, and gives him an apologetic smile.]
[ Yeah, he's starting to realize it too. Exactly the moment that Tifa is reaching out and taking his hand. He's also trying to hook his leg around the chair. Maybe that might help? ]
[ Definitely going to be reaching out to take her hand. Arm. Wrist. Whatever he can get his hand on. Just so that she doesn't actually fumble and float around to bump into anything. ]
Don't say you're good and then start doing aerial cartwheels in your next breath.
[Another sheepish smile. How often can they say that they've done something like this?]
Better than the thing that happened to a woman I met earlier. She started growing bread over herself like armour. A glance at the bread. Didn't bring that one back.
[ He gives a little shrug. Tifa should know that Cloud is absolutely a dork. He's definitely the type to make bad jokes and puns. It's just another sign that he's feeling better about being himself, rather than worrying about being some kind of copy.
His lips shift into a soft smile. ]
Doesn't matter if it's late or super early. You call, I'll be there.
She picks at another piece of bread, her lips pressing together like she has more to say, and she rips off another piece and nibbles on it, her floating taking her another inch higher. There's another beat of silence before she finally huffs out with a breath, her shoulders deflating as if she'd been holding this weight on her shoulders for far too long.]
[ He's reading her expression. From the thoughtful way she seems to consider to what and how to say whatever is on her mind to the way that Tifa rips off a piece of bread.
Cloud takes a bit himself. Nibbles on it. Feels himself rising a little.
"Eustace is gone" is what she says. And immediately Cloud's chin lifts. Looking from the countertop to Tifa. Now he understands what this is all about. ]
[Her hands fold together on the table, tighter than she'd like for them to.]
About a week now.
[Which would explain why she's been overworking and not sleeping as much. Why she's sought out companionship in anyone that she can find when she isn't doing either of those things. Why she just needed a friend tonight to keep her company and out of her thoughts and away from the anger that threatens to consume her some days.]
He usually doesn't leave his messages unanswered but this time, I couldn't even send them. Had I known that he'd be leaving, I would've...
[She stops, shakes her head.]
Sorry. I just... needed to get away from all that tonight.
[But she felt she needed to at least tell him what was wrong. Cloud, of all people, deserved to know that much.]
[ His hand reaches out for one of hers. Nothing special, just to squeeze and show that he's listening. They had been pretty close. Having someone you care about up and disappear... Well. Cloud's been there a few times, even if it's not quite the same. Loss is still loss, however. ]
You'll tear yourself apart thinking about "what if's." [ As he knows from experience. ] So if you don't want to think about it tonight, we won't.
[ Still, he's glad that he told her. Now he can support her. ]
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no subject
Date: 2025-07-19 03:18 pm (UTC)[She takes an unmarked bottle of whisky from the top shelf—one bottle that she doesn't allow anyone to serve but her, and she smiles at him.]
If you're sure.
[But she's already pouring it into a shaker anyway with a piece of orange and just a dash of cinnamon to mix it. She shakes shakes shakes and pours it into a glass, topping it off with an orange peel, and slides it across the counter to him.]
You weren't on your way to sleep, were you?
no subject
Date: 2025-07-20 12:23 am (UTC)[ The glass slides across the counter once Tifa has finished preparing the drink. Cloud brings it to his lips and breathes in the cinnamon and citrus before taking a drink. ]
No, not really. I was just out getting some air.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-20 04:46 pm (UTC)[She comes back around the counter, looking a touch somber, and sits back down in the stool beside him. Her hand motions to the bread there.]
You heard of the Cat Kneads bakery? That little shop that that cat just opened up?
no subject
Date: 2025-07-20 10:58 pm (UTC)So he takes another drink. Looks at the bread. ]
Yeah, I heard of it. Are you sure none of those will turn me pink or something?
no subject
Date: 2025-07-22 03:54 am (UTC)[And she stares at the platter of bread, her brows shooting up with concern.]
... Though I forget which ones those were.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-26 09:38 pm (UTC)[ Wow, Tifa. Did you bring him up here to be experimented on?
He knows better. Just teasing to lighten the mood a little. ]
I'm not really hungry right now.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-27 03:18 pm (UTC)[She picks up a piece of bread and squeezes it between her fingers, though she doesn't take a bite of it yet.]
You don't need to be hungry to sample some bread with me but suit yourself. There anything else you'd prefer?
no subject
Date: 2025-07-28 11:15 pm (UTC)[ He really isn't too hungry though. Zack can eat like there's no tomorrow. Cloud... Sometimes forgets that things like food exist? Rather, he sometimes forgets that meals are thing that exists and that he should definitely have those.
But he'll hold out his hand for some bread. ]
You pick then.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-31 02:00 am (UTC)Like a balloon.
[She giggles, her smile finding her eyes for the first time tonight, and then looks over the bread.]
If you're sure, then... this one.
[She picks up the pumpernickle and breaks it in half. No, she does not remember that this one will turn them float.]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-01 03:36 am (UTC)Cloud chews it a bit, thinking that it's not too bad? ]
It's not bad. Just different.
[ And he's maybe three or four inches off of his chair. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-03 02:45 am (UTC)Oh, this one, it—
[But Cloud is already floating a few inches off his chair, and Tifa, in her surprise, teeters in the air as soon as she feels her feet lift away from the floor and her rear from the cahir, and she nearly loses her balance. She grabs hold of her chair on one side, and onto Cloud with the other hand, and gives him an apologetic smile.]
... That.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-07 11:16 pm (UTC)How, uh, high do you think it's going to take us?
[ Are they going to float up into the sky? ]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-10 03:31 am (UTC)[She frowns, remembering what had happened before with Aranea and the magic of the other woman's bread malfunctioning.]
Just a few inches, but it takes a moment to get used to it...
[And with that, she'll start to straighten, using the chair and bar and Cloud to help her regain her balance.]
See? All good...whoa—!
[Toppling a bit, she grabs onto her own chair.]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-12 03:19 am (UTC)[ Definitely going to be reaching out to take her hand. Arm. Wrist. Whatever he can get his hand on. Just so that she doesn't actually fumble and float around to bump into anything. ]
Don't say you're good and then start doing aerial cartwheels in your next breath.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-13 02:16 am (UTC)As if this is the first time I've done cartwheels in the air? It just takes a minute, but once it evens out, it's fine.
[Now for real this time—]
See? Told you.
[She spreads her arms out on either side of her, legs crossed beneath her as she hovers a few inches over her chair.]
Not as bad this time.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-17 04:42 am (UTC)I don't really want to do cartwheels. Who knows if I'd get motion sick from that too.
[ A SIGH. But yeah. After a bit of wobbling, Cloud seems to level out. ]
This is... I can't tell if it's weird or neat.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-19 12:26 am (UTC)[Another sheepish smile. How often can they say that they've done something like this?]
Better than the thing that happened to a woman I met earlier. She started growing bread over herself like armour. A glance at the bread. Didn't bring that one back.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-26 12:04 am (UTC)[ Cloud no. Don't look to start making jokes. Please, really don't start making jokes. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-29 04:09 am (UTC)I didn't think the bread would also compel you to also make bad puns.
[She laughs, dipping her chin and her gaze away, and she tips over in the air a little, having to grab her chair.]
I really needed this, so thanks for coming up here. I know it's late.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-07 09:54 pm (UTC)His lips shift into a soft smile. ]
Doesn't matter if it's late or super early. You call, I'll be there.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-09 03:53 am (UTC)[She always could count on him, couldn't she?
She picks at another piece of bread, her lips pressing together like she has more to say, and she rips off another piece and nibbles on it, her floating taking her another inch higher. There's another beat of silence before she finally huffs out with a breath, her shoulders deflating as if she'd been holding this weight on her shoulders for far too long.]
... Eustace is gone.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-16 12:59 am (UTC)Cloud takes a bit himself. Nibbles on it. Feels himself rising a little.
"Eustace is gone" is what she says. And immediately Cloud's chin lifts. Looking from the countertop to Tifa. Now he understands what this is all about. ]
How long has he been gone?
[ How long has she been dealing with this? ]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-20 06:08 am (UTC)About a week now.
[Which would explain why she's been overworking and not sleeping as much. Why she's sought out companionship in anyone that she can find when she isn't doing either of those things. Why she just needed a friend tonight to keep her company and out of her thoughts and away from the anger that threatens to consume her some days.]
He usually doesn't leave his messages unanswered but this time, I couldn't even send them. Had I known that he'd be leaving, I would've...
[She stops, shakes her head.]
Sorry. I just... needed to get away from all that tonight.
[But she felt she needed to at least tell him what was wrong. Cloud, of all people, deserved to know that much.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-23 08:01 pm (UTC)You'll tear yourself apart thinking about "what if's." [ As he knows from experience. ] So if you don't want to think about it tonight, we won't.
[ Still, he's glad that he told her. Now he can support her. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-27 02:45 am (UTC)[Her voice grows quiet, and she places a hand over Cloud's, keeping it there, the small show of comfort doing far more for her than maybe he knows.]
I needed to tell someone. It was eating away at me, and... I feel a little better now.
[Far from her best, but it's a start, right?]
(no subject)
From:think we can wrap this one too! <3
From: