☁ 002 | Welcome to... Bistro Feendrache?

[azuresong]

Sender: Lyria
To: Open to everyone!
Subject: Passive dream recording


The scene opens up to a bustling restaurant; a well lit establishment with elegant lights hanging from the banisters, along with white cloths covering each flowered table. There's a feeling of warmth here. A comfortable, relaxing vibes that feels like a breath of fresh air the moment you step inside. Amongst the beaty of it all the staff is hurrying from one location to another. There are hurried whispers of a grand opening, and soon the guests will begin to arrive! There wasn't much time to waste!

You can feel a sense of both excitement and urgency boiling in the pit of your stomach. The restaurant— Bistro Feendrache— would soon be open to the public!

"Vane, stop goofing off and get back into the kitchen!" A sharp voice breaks through the indistinguishable chatter with a snap, causing a large man nearby to stiffen up.

"I'm going, I'm going!" The blonde man yells back, his tone drenched with grief. From the looks of it there was much to still prepare, and very little time to do it! "Lyria, can you help me with the last batch? It's almost time...!"

Almost as if on cue, Lyria emerge from behind a counter, already equipped with her handy-dandy apron and whisk!

"I'm ready to help wherever I can!" She chimes happily with determination. Everyone was given a specific task in order to help make sure the affairs before the opening would run smoothly, and being flexible was one of her duties! So with a cheer she'll race off to the kitchen to assist.

The scene flashes to the inside of the kitchen, where Lyria is pacing around looking at the different ingredients. She was so prepared before... but now? She seems a little worried.

"Hmm... he didn't give any specific directions about what to make, so what should it be? It's almost Valentine's Day so maybe... chocolate? Mochi? Oooh, I can't decide!"

But suddenly, a voice breaks her thoughts.

"Do you... need help decidin'?" It's deep. Dark. And a sudden chill floats through the once quiet backroom as the girl snaps her head in the direction of the sound. There's a corner of the room with no light and it's difficult to see beyond it expect a pair of bright yellow glowing eyes.

Eyes that were looking right at you.

Hesitant, Lyria takes a step back, frowning. "I- I do. But who are—"

Just before she can finish her sentence, the pair of eyes seem to be getting closer, and soon a form emerges from the shadows.

A form walking eerily closer to you.

Closer.... closer...

Before the figure appears beside her. It's soulless gaze never once leaving hers. Never blinking.

Yet, despite this, Lyria seems relieved.

"Oh, Vyrn! It's only you! You scared me for a second there." There is no response at first from the dragon(?), but the air around the room feeling... off. There's a sense of unpleasantness that drifts in here. However Lyria doesn't seem to mind as the scene continues with her taking hold of Vyrn(?)'s hand and guiding them to the cutting table.

"So what should we make?" She asks, about to reach for a couple of ingredients.

The scene pans upward, almost as if it was beginning to fade—

"How about the defeat of our enemies?"

—and begins to grows darker—

"... Huh?"

—before it fades completely.

Comments

sender: eustace

[flamekthunder]

[It was such a nice dream...

...

Until....]

Was that Vyrn?

[azuresong]

It was Vyrn!

But something seemed a little different about him, don't you agree? Maybe he was tired.

[flamekthunder]

Yes he seemed... Strange. But dreams can be that way.

The others were the knights, weren't they?

[azuresong]

It's true! I don't know if I've ever thought of Vyrn like that before, but it was really silly!

[ Aaahhh the boys. ]

Yes, they were! [ Her quill idles for a moment, the ink making a small blotch before she continues. ] It felt so real! Like I was right there, back at the restaurant with all of them. They were always so much fun to be around!

[flamekthunder]

[And neither realize the door she just opened—

There's a pause before he slowly writes—]

Are you missing them?

[azuresong]

[ ... Oh.


Ah. ]

I have been dreaming about them a lot more. It might be because of all the holidays we've had recently.

[ She'll quickly add- ]

But don't worry! I'm okay!

[flamekthunder]

[........Mhhhhm.]

You don't have to hide it, Lyria.

[azuresong]

[ Noooo she can hear the doubt in his writing!! ]

I know that! I know that I can talk to you about anything, Eustace.

You're a wonderful listener! ❤️

[flamekthunder]

[That's right, come to father.]

So you know it... But will you?

[azuresong]

I will, I promise!

[ She'll let the words sit for another moment, before scribbling down- ]

I do end up getting homesick from time to time, especially around this time of year, but I think that's normal. So I don't want to come to you every time I feel a little bit sad— I've learned to be brave because of you!

[flamekthunder]

It's okay to be sad, and I don't mind if you come to me, especially if you're feeling homesick.

I'll be sad if you don't.

[Yeah he just. Kind of wrote that. It looks so strange to him, but he may be deliberately trying to play to her feelings.]

[azuresong]

[ There he goes trying to tug at her heartstrings again....

There's a small lapse in her reply as she reads those words. ]

Do you sometimes get sad? Homesick?

[flamekthunder]

[....Ah...

This is...a difficult question for him as he knows how his answer might be taken. So there's a small pause of his own before the words appear.]

Not anymore. Because I have Tifa—and you here as well.

[azuresong]

[ That... response does come at a bit of surprise to her, actually. Lyria stares at the words, not sure whether to be sad that there were so many people left behind in the other world, or happy that he found his home here.

Maybe... it could be a bit of both?

Bittersweet was the word that came to mind. But regardless of her own feelings, knowing that he had finally found a place to truly call "home"... and that she was apart of that "home"... made her heart flutter. ]

That's right! You've found your new home... I'm so glad you finally found somewhere that can truly make you happy.

I'm so happy for you, Eustace!

[flamekthunder]

[New home... Hm.

It's funny because for a while he had started to consider the Grandcypher as a new place to call home. After losing his childhood home, even after living with the Society for most of his life, he could never call it home. It was more work, a place that he just lived in and moved with the motions. So meeting Gran and Lyria opened up a different path for him that he never would have contemplated before then.

Yet now... He really did make a new home for himself, in a place he would have never dreamed of, let alone with a woman like Tifa. A place so far away from everyone else... Though he thinks it's less about this place specifically and more that it's with Tifa. Should she ever leave this world, he would leave it not long after, having no reason to stay besides bittersweet memories. But if he could travel with her, he would. If he could take her with him, he would.

And it's not as if he's forgotten everyone. He still thinks about the group from time to time, wondering how they are. He could even admit he missed them sometimes. But, as strange as it is to think, it's as if he's found a new chapter in his life and has started to move on.]

Thanks.

[And then a pause before he continues.]

Do you think it's strange?

[azuresong]

[ There's a pause in her own writing as she looks down at his. Though his words were never long, she could truly feel the meaning and his own feelings behind them. It made her smile, just a bit, to know what Eustace knew exactly where he wanted to be. ]

I don't think it's strange at all! I never really felt like I had a "home" until I met Gran and everyone else.

So it doesn't really have to do with a place as much as... a feeling maybe? A feeling like you belong somewhere!

[ And she feels that way- she really does! Along with him, Tifa, the dogs, and... Leo, too. ]

I think a home can be wherever you want it to be, so long as it makes you happy!

[flamekthunder]

[A feeling... Yes, that's it, isn't it?

And now another troubling forms and he hesitates before writing.]

Do you feel at "home" here, too? I know it's not the same as with Gran, Vyrn, and the Grandcypher, so it's okay if you say no.

[But he still hopes that even a little bit... If she could feel at least comfortable while she was here with them...]

1/2

[azuresong]

[ It's a difficult thing to consider. To define where home was.

Yet as she read her own words, the realization became more and more clear. "Home" wasn't a place. "Home" was a feeling.

And she knew exactly how she felt now. ]

This... is home.

[ It was almost as if she had no control of her hand movements as the words practically wrote itself on the page. Yes! Yes... yes! This felt right. This felt comfortable and the more she traced the words against her journal the more sure she became. ]

For awhile I wasn't sure myself. I was scared, and at times felt really lonely.

[azuresong]

But I don't feel like that anymore! To me, Eustace, you are my new "home"!

[flamekthunder]

[...Uwah.

There is definitely loud thump in his heart, and he feels very moved to the point he has to cover his mouth and look up to the ceiling as he tries to process this overwhelming feeling. That feeling being he really wants to hug her right now...

So it will take some time before he's finally able to write a reply.]

I'm glad.

[Yes, he went through many thoughts and emotions to only be able to write two words. But they still carry just as much meaning and weight.]

You're part of my "home," too.

[Both before in their world, and now especially here.]

[azuresong]

[ The loud thump in his chest? It was mutual.

Eustace doesn't have to say a lot of words for Lyria to know what they mean... to know that they come from his heart. So when the last message appears across her pages she has to take a moment to truly process that simple little sentence.

That sentence that meant everything in the world to her.

A home. She finally, truly, understood what it meant. That no matter where she lived her heart was always the most comfortable with him, Tifa, and their new found family.

She'll try to withhold the tears that were threatening to escape in lieu of quietly jotting back down to him. ]

Thank you, Eustace. That means so much to me!

I love you very much ❤ thank you for everything!

[flamekthunder]

[He didn't think he'd feel so much emotion from such few words, but he does, starflowers erupting around him as he smiles at Lyria's message, that warmth and tingle in his chest spreading. He even has that impulsive feeling to find and hug her...

...No, no, that might be a little weird, so he has to suppress it...

Suppress...]

Love you, too.

[azuresong]

[ He might be able to suppress it, but she isn't! Especially after reading a message like that!

She's so spiraling with emotion that Lyria is LEAPING out of her chair and running to find him for a big hug...!!!

And don't think she's going to be letting go anytime soon! Nope! Whatever he's doing will have to wait as she clings onto him, and never wants to let go...! ]

[flamekthunder]

[He could HEAR her little feet running, and there's just an amused smile when she bursts to wherever he is, catching her in his arms when she rushes in for that hug.

There's no need to for words, he just hugs her tight, that warm, bright feeling so overwhelming more flowers pop around them, this time looking more like lilies than starflowers, the tips of their petals tinged with blue and yellow.

It might have taken a bit to really realize that it wasn't just mere affection or wish to protect Lyria. And perhaps it's only thanks to them being together here in this world that his original feelings have grown and developed to what they are now. But there is no doubt, having her live with him and Tifa, needing to watch over and care for her has certainly made these feelings into that: love. A kind of close, familial kind that's a little deeper than what they had before.]

🎀

[azuresong]

[ Before coming here... she couldn't quite understand the word. Love.

Sure, it was tossed around from time and time, and she had witnessed lovers say it to each other in intimate moments, but never before had she truly understood what it meant to love someone.

Now? Now she realization hits her like a strong gust of wind, threatening to send her soaring into the skies above.

This was love. A feeling of wanting to protect, to be with, to care for someone so strongly that you would do anything for them. To love was... to be home, here, in the place she felt the safest. Love was in Eustace's arms. In Tifa's arms. And there was no place she would rather be.

She... was loved. ]