dreamcrystals | eight entry ⊗ bauble trip home

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eight entry ⊗ bauble trip home

Sender: Eustace
To: Everyone
Subject: Successful Use of Baubles to Return Home

For those who may not have noticed, recently the baubles used for the Wishing can be used to return to our home worlds and still be able to return. It was a risk, but given the prospect of this for the ongoing research of staying in this world permanently, I tried it myself.

It works.

I departed on the first of the month and according to Tifa, returned after three days here. As before, the time passed in my world was several months and as expected, I still did not retain any memories of my time in Songerein while in my world.

I had the researchers at the Observatory study the dreamotion energy during this process to see if they can learn more about our connection between this world and our world. If there are any who wish to try or plan to return to their home world through the use of the baubles, I would like to request if they could study your trip as well.

It does appear that the more common "random connections" is still occurring. Regardless, I hope this message eases some concerns others might have in wanting to temporarily revisit their world on their own will.

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[She's going to ask the question anyway...]

Something dangerous? [With a gentle tip of her head, she looks at him carefully.] Should I be worried...?

No.

[A light smile as he tries to reassure her.]

So you don't need to worry. Gran and the others are capable of taking care of things.

Good.

[That's all she needs to hear to relax again, her smile returning in full force as she starts a cup of coffee for herself, pouring the coffee grinds carefully into a filter.

Now, for the question that's been burning a hole on the tip of her tongue since she saw him—]

So, how did you end up with Valo?

[A knowing grin as he continues to savor this delicious breakfast. Is it because he can taste her feelings for or him through it? By now Valo had scarfed down his meal and jumped down so he could go around to give Tifa some affectionate licks of appreciation, his tail wagging all the while. Seeing this just makes Eustace's smile widen.]

Mm... Bit of a story, I guess.

[And he gives a brief recount of how he was with Gran and the others on a small vacation at the lake where they forced him to stop training and actually relax for a little while. There was a dog competition and while watching Valo walked up to him and stayed by his side the entire time. During one of the contests, a large eal appears and while Valo helped the current contestants out of the water, he and Gran took care of the eal.

After that, Valo's trainer came up to them, introducing herself and explaining Valo's story. He originally had an owner but unfortunately passed, so the trainer took him back in hopes of finding another. Seeing how Valo was rather attached to Eustace, she suggested he take him. However he had hesitated due to how Valo's loyalty reminded him of Vitty and he was afraid of that loss again. But Valo insisted and so he couldn't refuse.]

...So we've been together ever since. I leave him with Ronan or on the Grandcyhper whenever I'm on missions, but otherwise I take him wherever I go when I can.

[As Eustace regales her in the story of him and Valo, she is more than happy to share some affection with the dog as he comes around to greet her behind the counter. He gets plenty of kisses, ear scratches, and she even picks him up with ease to hold him in her arms for a while, burying her face in his hair and resting her head on his. Not for long of course, lest the other dogs get jealous, and now she has a line of corgis all waiting their turn to be picked up and carried...

... And she'll oblige that, too, while sipping on her coffee with her free hand, her eyes fond and full of love as she listens to Eustace.]

That's quite the story. [She looks down at Valo who is sitting next to her, tail wagging as he proudly stares at Eustace.] Sounds like I've got another hero to take care of, huh?

[Like father, like son, as they say.

Her smile warms further—if that were even possible at all—and she reaches out to brush her fingers along Eustace's hand.]

I'm glad you brought him with you.

Mm.

[His gaze remains warm and fond as he watches it all, happy to see how well the two hit it off. Granted, he had very little doubt they would.]

I did debate a little...but it felt wrong to not include him in our family here.

Of course.

[If there was ever any doubt that Tifa would have accepted him or not... but it seems that Valo has made himself a family of her and all the dogs already, as they all sit together in a small circle near Tifa's feet.]

It'll be an interesting adjustment, having a bigger dog around. Not that I mind, though... The others seem to be warming up to him, too.

Our family has grown quite a bit in such a short time...

[And then a pause before there's a rueful sigh.]

I have a feeling Eria is going to give me the cold shoulder again.

I'm sure she'll be fine.

[The wolf might be a bit resentful for a little bit, but she'll warm up to him just like she has the other corgis... despite how she rolls her eyes at them more often than not, she knows that it's out of love.]

Just wait until she sees how happy you look now. [Her eyes linger on his lips a moment—gosh, seeing him like this just makes her want to leap over the counter at him, but she will resist... for now.] She... was waiting at the well for a while. Wasn't sure if she'd still be there today.

[Oh? That surprises him...]

I didn't see her there.

[And now he can't help but frown in concern. After all, it wasn't so long ago that she had been depressed about what happened during the Story Eater battle...and she had definitely been sulky and reticent when he proposed he try to return home like he did. Hm...]

I'll look for her in a bit.

She might've gone home.

[She understands that he might be worried and Tifa tries to offer him her most reassuring smile, but compared to when he had been asleep for three days, Eria didn't seem quite as cold. She was simply waiting for him, from the looks of it.]

I left some food out for her, and she's been eating. I think... maybe she just wanted to make sure you got back safe and sound.

Most likely.

[Still, he can't help but worry a bit for the wolf.]

But that's good to hear. A lot better compared to before.

Edited 2023-07-16 08:12 (UTC)

Mm. I hope so.

[He needn't worry. Once Eria sees that he's returned, she'll bounce right back to her old self again. Hopefully. Minus the whole Valo and new dog in the house thing... though, she makes a note to herself to tell them both to behave with one another, and to make nice when they get home.]

So...

[She takes a long pause to take a sip of her coffee.]

Any other adventures that you've been on? How long was it for you?

Mm... It was just a few months. The only other thing of note would be needing to rescue a friend from his stupid recklessness.

[Small sigh.]

But it was fine, nothing that we couldn't handle.

A few months...

[The words are repeated under her breath, and a strange feeling comes over her. It isn't sadness or grief, nor could she really call it confusion... but perhaps... it's jealousy? It isn't a nice feeling by any means, and it makes her brow furrow, but she lets it simmer for a little longer and puts her smile back on.]

... And you really didn't remember anything about this place? Just like last time?

...Unfortunately.

[A small sigh as he moves the last remaining bits of bacon around his plate.]

Not even in dreams...none that I can remember, at least.

[She watches the last pieces of food on his plate, waiting patiently for him to finish his meal before she starts asking the heavier hitting questions... and delivers the even heavier hitting news... She doesn't want to overload him all at once, and these things are better done in private, way from the eyes and ears of her patrons.

So, at first, Tifa only hums in response, like an affirmation that she understands and had expected it, but... there's something swimming beneath her gaze still. And there's a pause before she finally asks...]

Could we talk somewhere? More private? ... When you're done.

[He catches the implication behind her words and gaze, and he looks at her questioningly for a moment before he nods.]

We can talk now.

[He pretty much finished—well, he will after he takes that last forkful. He wasn't going to leave anything behind! Not this precious meal his wife made!!

But once he does finish, he stands to take the dish to go around to the sink because he apparently isn't going to let her do it.]

Ah—?

[She's confused and surprised when he takes his dishes just as she'd been about to grab them herself, but she relents and steps aside with a crooked smile, allowing him to do just that as she shuffles the dogs out from behind the counter.]

Why don't you all go outside for a while? We'll be right back, okay?

[The dogs all obey, the corgis telling Valo that mom and dad are probably going to go be super gross in the kitchen, so it's better to leave them alone! He's a bit concerned, but he follows after them as they all encourage him to the back, Violet bouncing along in the air as she brings up the rear.

And she follows him into the back kitchen, setting out a "be right back" sign on the counter first before closing the door behind her.

Back here, it's quiet, the sound of the café hardly filtering in, and she leans against the counter, waiting for him to finish with his dishes first while she nurses her cup of coffee.]

You didn't have to do that, you know... You should be relaxing.

[A glance over his shoulder as he rinses off the plate to then dry and set aside.]

I am. And it's the least I can do after all you did.

[He then dries his hands and turns to walk over to her, hands immediately going around either side to lean against the counter in front of her.]

...So? What's on your mind?

[His closeness is tempting, and as she sets her cup of coffee aside on the counter behind her, the desire to toss it all away and just pull him in for a kiss is there, her craving for it only growing as his warmth slowly envelops her—a warmth that she's missed these past three days—but... she knows that there will be plenty of time for that later.

So, she sates that appetite by wrapping her arms around him so that she can hold him close.

But now that she's here, she doesn't even know where to start with all of it. All the things that have been weighing heavy on her mind since before he even left have only festered further, and Tifa knows how silly those thoughts are... She knows that she has nothing to worry about and yet...]

When you were back home, did you...

[She bites her lip as the anxious butterflies rise in her stomach, and she finds a different way to word it.]

... I was always worried that things might've changed. With you, and us...

[He's also tempted.

So tempted.

Although he knows she wants to discuss something important with him, it's as if the realization of how long it's been for him to be with her has struck him and all he wants now is to make up for that. What they had earlier barely scratched the surface. So he's pointedly looking at her face, eyes traveling over her eyes, her nose, her lips...

...But he refrains himself, even after Tifa hugs him, and he just contents himself by closing his eyes and resting his face against hers, taking in her scent. He wonders if there was a time back in his home world if he might have noticed or felt any nostalgia... But he realizes that he never did because it never existed. This scent unique to her, one that he's started to take for granted after all this time. He'll have to remember to cherish it again.

And so distracted he is that it takes a few moments for her words to register, making him pull back just enough so he can look at her properly.]

Are you asking if I met someone?

[She can feel it too, in the way that he hugs her, and it's as if that alone would be enough to make all of those worries go away but hearing him say it out loud like he'd just read her mind as he rested his head atop hers, it makes her stiffen in his arms, her face wincing at her own thoughts.

It sounds even sillier when it's in his voice.

So, she only gives a small nod at first, burying her face into his chest, too embarrassed to look up at him.]

... I thought about it, yeah.

[He really can't help but laugh a little. It's a reasonable worry, one that he shares...albeit one that he's already come to terms with. In her world, the chances of her being with Cloud are extremely high, and while he still has yet to see if he can approve... He's already accepted that's just how it is, which makes all their time here all the more precious.

So he just shakes his head as he gently strokes her hair.]

No... Unless Valo counts.

[His answer helps to lighten the mood and that weight that has been pulling at her heart since they talked about him leaving, and she laughs into his chest, giving him the weakest little fist bump against his arm.]

Are you taking Valo out on romantic dates?

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