Golden Peacock Overflow

[sonicstriker]

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Overflow 2.0
Overflow 3.0

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For Edelgard

[sonicstriker]

[ from here ]

[ Guys tell Tifa how hot and gorgeous she is all the time. Girls do sometimes, but it's usually more of Yeah but you're gorgeous. This is different in a way she can't explain. Like Edelgard actually means it, and Tifa is so flattered. She wants to be pretty for this amazing girl.

Her own belly flips as that hand slides against hers. She's barely processed that before a hand is in her hair, sending a shiver down her spine. ]

I could help you dry your hair, when you get out.

[ She has never before understood what people mean when they say they get tongue tied or blurt out stupid things in front of new people. Now she flushes, unsure if she's being weird. ]

I could give you a shoulder rub, too. The heat will have you loosened up. If you want.

[ A new kind of heat stirs in her at the though of Edelgard sitting between her thighs while she touches the woman's back. She doesn't entirely understand what this feeling is, but she likes it so much. ]

[crestsidestory]

[ There are people who try ingratiate themselves with her, as emperor. Occasionally this is romantic in nature, as though she would be willing to consider any potential suitor before her war is over.

Tifa makes her offers so casually (if with pink cheeks), knowing nothing more about her than her name, and the brand new idea of having Tifa's hands in her own hair, on her shoulders... for a moment she feels as though she forgets to breathe. It's been five years since she felt anything resembling a crush and this is different, sharp-edged and heated and too much to be contained in her careful boundaries. The desire for contact threatens to swallow her whole. ]

That would be nice.

[ And she does need to leave, with or without Tifa. That much is increasingly certain. Her manners and formality are poor reinforcement.

But, as though it knows best, her hand settles against the side of Tifa's face and gently urges it toward her until they share breath. ]

[sonicstriker]

[ It isn't wildly different for Tifa. Back in Nibelheim, she'd started to have interest in boys, but there had been so few her age, and they all left for the military at 16. Then her town had been burned down, and she'd spent the next few years paying off her medical debts and trying to survive. By the time she was stable enough to start noticing people again, everyone wanted her because she was pretty and she ran Seventh Heaven, and honestly, she wasn't good at identifying her own crushes. The way she felt about boys and girls and friends all felt the same, and she hadn't had anyone to explain that might mean she liked many genders romantically.

So, this feeling is...intense and somewhat new. She felt this way a little, when she first met Jesse, but it was easier to set aside. Now she hangs on every word, eyes wide as Edelgard's hand comes to her face. It takes so little urging to pull her close, frozen for a moment as their breath mixes. Then, very slowy, as if she'll spook a slum cat, she leans in, pressing her lips to Edelgard's. ]

[crestsidestory]

[ Oh.

She wanted this. She practically invited it. There is no room for surprise yet she is. Surprised to be here, surprised to be naked in a tub with someone, surprised by a kiss, surprised by the depth of her own desire.

It takes a moment for her brain to catch up with her body, a heartbeat in which she doesn't quite move so much as hover there, half-disbelieving, and let herself sink into the kiss. But then her fingers drag down the soft curve of Tifa's neck and she stops simply accepting it, choosing to actively pursue it instead. Between the heat in her face and the lingering scent of the shampoo and decreasing space between them, her head nearly swims. She tips forward eagerly, her hand folding around Tifa's shoulder. She lacks experience so all she can do is act on reflex, follow what feels good.

What feels good is more. Her lips part slightly, just enough to let the tip of her tongue sweep across Tifa's lower lip. ]

for P

[sonicstriker]

[ from here ]

[ Not a terrible guess, and she considers it for a minute but shakes her head. ]

Too quiet, and nothing's shaking. It looks like a fancy hotel to me.

[ Her gaze snaps back to his face, real concern entering it, and that makes it easier to ignore he's completely naked. He's not being weird, though, and she doesn't want to spook him again. ]

Earthquakes? Well, I think we're okay here. Everything looks like it's in its place.

[ She, too, is noticing how clean and new everything is. Definitely above the plate. It could even be the Golden Saucer, from what Jessie's said. And it's picking at memories of her childhood home and she doesn't want to think about that.

P changes attention to his watch, and that's something she can partly explain. ]

Vibrating, yeah. Some of the high end stuff is supposed to do this. I never had one.

[ Odd. It doesn't have an easy fastener to remove, which is what she's trying to do as she mulls through another thought. A much...weirder one. ]

You're not...from Midgar are you? Or Wutai or Costa Del Sol? Those...don't even mean anything to you, do they?

[ Because she's watching his reactions, and her eyes are flicking to his arm, and how heavy he is, and that he doesn't seem bothered by nudity. They aren't from the same place. But the breadth of what that might mean is...a lot. A lot a lot. ]

[thisclockworkheart]

[ Vibrating, like a tuning fork, like a struck bell. The smooth, black face of the Watch betrays nothing of its internal workings, but there's some information he gleaned from Tifa's answer. She calls it high-end and says supposed to do this, which means she's more familiar with whatever this is than he is.

This time as he lifts his attention from the Watch to meet her gaze, it's with such unguarded, open curiosity that it's a better answer than he can give her verbally. Naked — and unabashedly so, at that — and still, except for the frequent fidgeting of his metal arm, he is either insane or from a place with an entirely different set of social standards.

Which isn't the case, not really. Any manners Pinocchio had been taught had limited applications, and this far from any helpful guides and the heavy hand of his father meant he was effectively feral in all other subjects. ]

You haven't heard of a city named Krat either, I imagine.

[ He feels cold and lost. And, no, he doesn't mean his lack of clothing, but he supposes the sensation of cold threading through him is none other than fear. His heart hadn't pounded like this since he heard the news his friends were in danger.

If he doesn't know where they are, how can he help them? How can he protect them? ]

...Do you recall what you were doing before—? [ The puppet's blue eyes sweep aside to the unmade bed with a brief gesture of one hand. Before they awoke here? ]

[sonicstriker]

No, I haven't [ she says as she shakes her head, both her eyes and her tone saying I'm sorry. She knew what it was to be somewhere new, bewildered and alone.

She thought he was the same age as her, but watching his open expressions, she wonders if he isn't younger. And she knows nothing of this place, but -- she thinks that vulnerability might be dangerous. ]

It's fuzzy. Nothing stands out. [ Just traveling outside Midgar, not for very long. Was she attacked by a monster? Did the Turks or Shinra get them? It felt like that would make more sense, but really, all she remembers was sleeping beneath the stars or a cheap inn or two. ]

What do you say we both find some clothes, and then go poke around, see if we can find anything? Safety in numbers and all that.

[thisclockworkheart]

[ The puppet's pensive expression breaks as she starts to make her suggestion, cutting in right before she says clothes with a contribution of his own. ]

Weapons. [ Pinocchio doesn't balk, per se, but he does widen his eyes a little in the realization of what he's taking for a faux pas. ]

...That too. [ His priorities are telling on him. ]

Excuse me, [ he mutters, his freckled face starting to get a little pink as he sidles past her. The least he can do is lead on, seeing as they're both unarmed — except for his steely prosthetic. Not that this poses a problem of any significance to someone like Tifa, who is a devastating opponent with her fists alone.

This unfortunately puts her in the position of witnessing his bold, confident stride without a damn stitch on but that's apparently how today is going. The first thing he encounters is a basket bristling with items, some tubes, a candle and something that feels like cloth, in white and black.

He pulls them both out, upending the candle, which rolls across the floor, as he holds them up and looks back at Tifa, their unfortunate slogans can be seen. ] White or black? [ He asks, absolutely sincere. ]

for Gohan

[sonicstriker]

[from here ]

[ She can't help laughing, trying to hide it behind a hand. Boys were the same everywhere, and he was sweet, so she didn't mind.

This hotel is enormous and fancier even than the higher end parts of Midgar or the Honeybee that she's seen. Even so, her mouth falls open a little at the sheer scale of the buffet. ]

How many people are in this hotel? [ It comes out as a whispered awe. She hasn't felt like a little country girl in a long time, but she can't even manage how tall this place must be to house this many people. That and -- the idea that they're all playing this insane game. ]

Do you think it's organized by region or type? We should both pick some favorites and something new.

[ A girl from the slums knew that, when someone else was paying, it was always worth finding something fancy. But she also knew that comfort food went a long way when things were tough. ]

[greatsaiyanerd]

[He finds himself curious as well - everywhere they turn, there's people. All different faces, in every facet of the hotel. Too many to count, anyway. But it did make him question further why they were all here. Was every person really a part of this 'game'? Was anyone just here to be here?

The buffet only amplifies that curiosity. But her question jolts him out of it, and he realizes how hungry he is. He files away that curiosity for later.]

Not sure, but I totally agree. [If he has room on his plate, he's trying everything.] It's always worth trying something new while taking some familiar food too. Just in case.

happy to keep gen, add the magic drinks, or do aphro (she'll stop at kissing/groping though)

[sonicstriker]

[ This is so much easier than the first time.

The first time, she didn't know anyone. She was injured. She'd never been to a city. Everyone she knew was dead.

Her heart skips. That last one...may still be true. But the rest -- It's nice, to have someone else who gets it. Multiple people, even. To be able to talk about what's going through, or not, and know she isn't alone in it. ]

Hmm...fill our plates and meet at that table? [ She gestures at an empty high top with candles and a good view of the floor -- and in good view of the floor. That was the point of this, wasn't it? A flashy date. ]

for Reno

[sonicstriker]

[ from here ]

[ That question would make her flush and defensive even fully sober; she didn't know how she was when she felt some type of way, and this was not how she envisioned learning.

And he's not wrong she might be having virgin panic, which would mortify her to be read so clearly. Except in control of her own faculties, she'd have stayed far, far away from this. As it is, the more irritated she becomes, the more she wants to shut him. She's so strong and beautiful and powerful, and he ought to be speechless she's even here.

Which is so much easier to roll in her head than the other things she feels when he grins like that, something animal and needy about it that makes that heat roll through her again. If he told her to spin around and let him have her, she would.

And she doesn't want that. She knows, somewhere deep down, she's not in control, so the best thing to do is stay out ahead of it.

Which must be the only thing driving it, when he pats the seat next to him so smugly, like he knows she's going to be a good girl and listen. Fuck that. Fuck being a good girl. Fuck everyone who always expects her to do everything for their comfort.

Instead, she climbs smoothly onto his lap, a bent thigh straddling either side of him, so that the throbbing heat of her cunt it dangerously close to him, her breasts nearly in his face, but far enough away he'd have to make the first move. She sips her hot cocoa, hoping she seems bored with him, absolutely showing off her poise after he nearly lost his. ]

I'll decide if your apology is good enough.

[ Her cunt absolutely clenches with the thought of withholding from him, of him trying to get her blessing, and below how desperately she wants this, she's reeling at how good this all feels. ]

[electroburst]

[ is he surprised? oh, yeah, he sure is. it only shows on his face a little, for a moment or two, the way his eyebrows arch and his lips part as Tifa foregoes the safer option and straddles him like he's a damn chocobo. part of it is the shock that she'd do something like that with him regardless of whatever mood she's in, but that's only a very minor issue in his mind, as far as he's concerned. if he had to explain it logically, which he's fully not capable of at the moment, but if he haaad to, he'd say it's because they've got a history, and when in Mideel, do like the Mideelites do, right? this would be the correct time and place for something like this, after all. there's also that game to think about. Tifa's a smart girl; no doubt she'd pick him out as an easy target, a quick checkmark, and she'd be right about that. as far as freebies go on your scorecard, he's about as easy as it gets. so yeah, sure... makes sense. (it does not.) ]

Yeah, I bet you will.

[ that sounds vaguely threatening, but surely he plans to behave himself.

no, the shock isn't really about the fact that she sits on his lap, but rather the absolutely dizzying force that slams through his senses. it's pure happenstance that his coffee cup actually lands on the little end table next to the sofa and manages to stay upright, because he drops it as carelessly as can be and couldn't have been bothered even if it'd landed on the floor, but Tifa's drink? not so lucky. Reno's impulsive behavior is difficult to predict (and even more difficult for him to control) on the best of days, so get him in a mood and all bets are off. he slaps the cup right out of her hand in the same second that his other hand squeezes her ass, leaving a splattered mess of hot chocolate all over the otherwise nice floor by the fireplace. if anyone's in the splash zone (including themselves), that ain't his problem. he bats his lashes like he's done absolutely nothing wrong in his life, ever, and lays that offending hand just below her breast with a cloying little grin. ]

Whoops! Man, I'm so not good at apologies, huh? Soooor-ry.

[sonicstriker]

[ Normally she'd be disgusted and more than a little annoyed at the mess, but what does she care if these clothes get stained? More importantly, it's not like she has any desire to move until she's had what she wants.

And god, he's infuriating. What a slippery little weasel. How dare her touch her ass without asking, even if her hands are up around his neck and she's arching into his touch, nearly whining that his second hand stops short of where she wants it. ]

You just love making messes for other people to clean up, don't you?

[ It's as teasing as it is angry. She's not even sure anymore, her words breathless and her hips canting. She shifts forward, his erection sliding against her thigh. She bites her lip. She's...never felt one before, and right now it sends fire through her even as some part of her whispers not here, not him.

Still, she takes joy in pinning him back against the couch, not being shy with how strong she is. She rocks her hips on purpose this time, seeing if she can get a reaction, and settling her ass against that hand.

She thinks she can make a mess of him instead. She arches forward, holding his head back and licking down his neck. If he won't apologize, then she wants to hear him beg for her. The way he ought to, after what he did. ]

for Fang

[sonicstriker]

[ From Here ]

[ This woman reminds her a little of Cloud. She's not nearly as socially awkward or aloof, but the way something clicks and her features soften, and then suddenly she seems to be seeing Tifa when she wasn't before.

Except she's a stranger, so Tifa is suddenly uncomfortable under that attention. Humor, at least, she appreciates. ]

If two fit women go kick some ass in nothing but these robes, we're going to gain some unwanted fans.

[ She tries to match the joking tone, but it comes out tired. ]

You're right though. Two is better than one. I'm glad you're here.

[ She shouldn't be putting this on a stranger, but she can't seem to get her usually sunny face on. If they really are some other place, then -- what about her friends? What about the Planet? ]

[transgressed]

[Fang watches Tifa try to brighten, deflate in short order. She thinks that Vanille would have been able to keep her buoyed a little longer, but Fang had often struggled to meet Vanille's level of optimism when it came to bad odds and strange places, strange people. It always made things harder. Better to cut out hope entirely and deal with the more immediate problem in front of her.]

Now there's something I've not heard in a while. A woman after my own heart. [It's said in the same easy, jocular tone as before, but her attention shifts down to her watch quickly thereafter. It's easier than she assumes it will be — a tap on the black screen shows her a single file. And as she reads it, gradually, Fang's smile fades. There's a quick huff of disbelieving laughter, though she doesn't sound amused this time.]

You're kidding. [She runs a hand through her hair. Her jaw works. Then she goes to sit down on the edge of the bed. She crosses one leg over the other, rolls her right ankle idly as she reads over the file again. Then finally, she calls over her shoulder:]

Hey, Tifa. You might want to sit down before you read over what's on that watch.

[sonicstriker]

[ She flushes at Fang's gentle teasing. Was she making a fool of herself? She didn't want the one person on her side here to think she was a useless goof.

That was why her stomach felt fluttery, right?

But Fang sinks onto the bed, looking focused a the watch and laughing in a way that didn't bode well. Tifa stays put, digging her fingers into her arms. She should be handling this better, she knows, but she just...feels fifteen and fresh to Midgar again, waiting for the world to come crashing down.

At least she's not injured, she tells herself. It has to be better. The tries to control her breathing, finding that calm place her training had taught her.

But Fang warns her, and she bites her lip, the calm evaporating. She crossed the room to take a seat beside the woman, pulling up her own watch. ]

How do I--?

[ Fang gestures, and Tifa clicks, eyes skimming the document as her stomach twists further and further. ]

This has to be a joke.

[ Except she knows about Wall Market, about Shinra, about how absurd and cruel humans can be. ]

What can they get from making us do this, especially if they have to pay us and house us?

[transgressed]

[Turning over her wrist, Fang fiddles with the band of the watch to no avail. She frowns.] Hm. I've been thinking about that. [She'd been mulling over it, and each new possibility chilled her more than the last.

Eventually...]

My guess is that they'd rather we stay. Even if someone's the sort to enjoy a set up like this — and I'm not, mind. At least buy a girl dinner first... either way, even someone like that would be here a while, playing the game. That's what I wager.

[She looks over at Tifa.] You ever gambled before?

The thing about it is, you're always betting against the House. So they don't want to cash you out — mean's they've got to pay up. [She nods to herself, as if coming to this understanding.] Lady Luck's not on your side, and bam! [She punches into her palm.] You owe the House. Simple as that. The more you owe, the longer you're stuck pissing your gil away.

Now the why behind it... beats me. Maybe there's just a whole load of perverts running the joint. [With some distaste, she adds:] Bet there's cameras everywhere.

[kinnie]

[ from here

he sees it so vaguely -- the tear that trails down her cheek. a pang of guilt sits at the pit of his stomach, some internalization that this is his fault, that he did this to her. the feeling fades away as quickly as it came.

the man's hands wring at the small of his back. his shoulders are straight, rigid with certainty -- the people here were rife with confidence, if not arrogance, and his eyes flit from one of them to the other.

"i understand." he concedes. "but you will follow my orders for the hour. i won this auction fairly, and i expect to be compensated."

cloud nods slowly, the heel of his palm sliding against his forehead as the room grows hotter. rivulets of sweat bead down his body, and his breathing is labored with want. he looks to tifa -- the electric blues of his eyes transfixed, tracing the features of her face down to the dips and curves of her body. cloud feels himself harden in real time, and were he less enraptured, he'd feel more shame for being attracted to her so brazenly. ]

You're... [ he pants out, breathlessly and boyishly: ] beautiful.

[ their patron watches. the corners of his lips quirk up into small, self satisfied little gesture.

"tonight -- you will be pleasuring yourselves. consider it my gift to you."

cloud's head angles up, and his eyes widen with a fraction of surprise -- before he melts back into submission, his shoulders taut with the tension of his own arousal. ]

Tifa... [ he breathes out. desperately, he wishes he could touch her -- that he could slot his lips down every inch of her body in reverie, that the firmness of her muscle and the softness of her skin could intermingle with his own. the want is overtaking him, and even now, he has to deny it. ]

...Only if she's okay with it.

[ even through the haze -- he can't stop thinking about her. ]

lkdfgdfg sorry for the novel

[sonicstriker]

Thank you, sir [ she says, effusive as she bows from the waist. Some part of her knows that she'd do whatever either of them whispered in her ear and be all too happy to do it. The terror of that is cold in her stomach. If he promises to limit that to just her and Cloud -- she could be happy with that.

Very happy, she thinks, her gaze coming back up to catch Cloud's as he looks so starstruck murmuring she's beautiful. It's so often a used up compliment, empty, lecherous even. But he's so...honest. Pure. Surprised and sweet and she knows, she knows he means all of her. He always has.

She flushes, her eyes more slowly taking in his bare form. His cock is at attention in a way it wasn't a moment ago, and there's no doubt in her mind that the source was hers. If she weren't just as enraptured, she might be frightened by the intensity of his attraction, or ashamed of her own.

As it is, her cunt clenches, aching for him to fill it and already well on its way to being wet. She's never even really seen a cock before, not in person, not for more than an unwanted flash. But right now she wants him to close the space between them, kiss every inch of her until she's begging him to touch her. Will it hurt? Will it be life changing? She's heard both and everything between. All she knows is she wants it, wants him, wants to see him dazed with pleasure.

She bites her lip, hips rocking slightly at the thought.

Then the man speaks again, and her gaze finally pulls from Cloud, sharp and surprised.

Relief and frustration fight for dominance, her face twisting.

This is better. When you touch, it can be real.

She nods, once, then more vigorously. ]

Yes. Yes, we accept.

[ But her eyes are back to him in a moment, the heat roiling in her. ]

You're beautiful, too, Cloud.

[ She's almost relieved when their host speaks again, because she has no idea how to go about this. She's touched herself, of course, but never with an audience, and she wants, needs to make it something that feels good for Cloud too.

"Excellent. If you would spread your legs for us, knees bent, feet apart -- yes just like that. Now, one hand on one of those beautiful breasts. Let's see how you like them touched."

She does as she's told, settling back so Cloud has the clearer view of her opening and her breasts. Some part of her is still trying to flush, her stomach flipping, but her hands come up as she's told, her fingers beginning to knead. Her head tilts back, eyes half-lidded. It's never felt this good before, and she lets out a small sound, her fingers circling her rapidly hardening nipples. She knows her cunt clenches, wonders if he can see it, and all she can think about is how much she wishes it was Cloud's hands on her, not her own. ]

omg no worries i love to see it

[kinnie]

[ she responds so perfectly, so complacently, and a wrongness strikes cloud as the haze swallows it whole. she shouldn't have to be like this -- she shouldn't be doing this. and yet...

he watches carefully, eyes lingering on her, fever bright with interest; he feels his mouth dry. she's exposed to him, spread apart, nipples pert and pointed as she runs her hands down her breasts.

cloud's cock throbs with want -- his breath hitches and his teeth come down hard against his lower lip in an attempt to suppress the heat bubbling in the depths of his stomach.

"i see you're hard, now." ]

Mmh-- Yeah...

[ "touch yourself for us, please." ]

Yessir, [ he speaks easily, the command coming to him without hesitation; the resistance is beginning to dissolve, grain by grain. he watches tifa -- thinking about the lines of his palms kissing her skin, of licking stripes up her cunt and groping her until she begs for him. "you're beautiful, too." she says, and a breath stutters out of him. he wants to hear it -- wants to hear her praise him. he always has. the heat slinks up his spine, and his fingers wrap around the base of his length, slowly stroking up to the tip. ]

Tifa... [ he meets her eyes, cutting through the fog. ] I want...

[ his voice crescendos into a groan -- cloud gnashes his teeth, unable to screw his eyes shut. he needs to look at her; he can't pry his eyes away even if he tries. the man in the room fades into oblivion, and all he can see, hear, breathe is tifa. ]

I want to touch you... I want to feel you... only you.

[ the back of his mind pushes back against it; but he's still pumping in careful, measured strokes, and his breath grows more erratic and heavy with want. he doesn't stop looking at her -- not once. ]

For Roche

[sonicstriker]

[ from here ]

[ She's not totally sure what she prefers yet. She hadn't exactly had a lot of time for shopping, or the extra cash for it, back in Midgar. Her outfits had been a mix of hand-me downs, thrifting, and things she could both work and train in.

She watches, a grin still on her face, as he crosses his leg and balances his cup. That's not an easy task. She's impressed, though maybe she shouldn't be surprised. He is SOLDIER. That usually means exceptional physical ability.

Mmm, right. She forgets the plate hadn't been completed all that long before she got there. The way everyone talked about it, it was like it had always been that way. Even if a lot of people in the slums remembered it from before. And it wasn't like they'd really fixed six. ]

So I came five years after you. Seven for me.

[ She sits back, face going -- not dark, just, pensive, in a way she often didn't feel comfortable showing at home. She swirls her cup around, bouncing her leg a little as she thinks.

She never really got to talk about this. It was too dangerous. If Shinra had found out she was from Nibelheim, that she'd seen Sephiroth lose it...Did it matter anymore though? ]

It was tough, yeah. I moved to the city because there was a big fire in my hometown. No one I knew survived, and I didn't have any family, and I was injured. Even after I got better, I had no money and I super wasn't used to city life. Total country girl. Pretty shy too.

[ She smiles, as much at the memory as at him. ]

Yeah. I missed the clean mountain air. This place isn't bad, at least.

[redlines]

_{[ To lose one's home not once but twice if her questions about that place called Seventh Heaven meant anything... Whoof. Roche's smile softens for a few moments as he tries to imagine what that'd be like because, well, frankly it's damn near impossible to relate to something like that. His hometown was still standing and thriving, meanwhile Sector Five was still in one piece. A little shaken from the reactor fiasco, but still standing. ]}

Like a phoenix from the ashes, I see. I'll be honest, I... left my hometown of my own volition, albeit on less-than-ideal terms with some old friends of mine, so I can't even pretend to imagine what it must've been like in your shoes. Moreover I've always been a city boy myself – born and raised, for better or worse.

_{[ For himself? Obviously the former. For Public Security when they started moving into town? Definitely worse. He didn't have to set foot in Midgar to start earning a reputation amongst the local police force. ]}

She's not a terrible city, at least. Midgar, I mean. And I dare say this place would fit right in alongside some of the places I've seen over in Three's nightlife, or at the very least the Gold Saucer if they had an after hours special for adults only. I certainly can't say no to some of the amenities they've offered.

_{[ Hell, even this particular place! Roche knows he'd be hard pressed to find a cafe in Midgar that offered all the goofy seasonal drinks he liked throughout the year. ]}

[sonicstriker]

[ Yeah....she had been trying too hard not to think about it, but the nightmares, the occasional overwhelming sense of sadness and dread were there. It didn't help that her damn windows showed the view from her childhood room.

That was why she was spending so many hours in the gym or out talking to people. Having this much time on her hands was not great.

She gives a weak smile at the phoenix image. It's kind, but, she was nothing like that. There was nothing victorious in her survival. She was just...just an alley cat getting chased from place to place. And she was terrified she was never going to get a real home. ]

I was jealous of the boys for getting to do that. [ Her smile gets warmer, moving to a story that's easier. ] They all signed up for SOLDIER when we were 15 or 16, but I got stuck in town. I wanted to move to the city, so, I guess it worked out.

I never really got to see anywhere else. [ It hadn't been high on her list. She didn't like traveling. It reminded her too much of having to move. But...now she wonders if maybe she should have tried somewhere else. ]

I've never been. Is it worth hitting up when we go back?

[ Said with the steely cheeriness she has, sometimes. She isn't opening the 'if' for discussion. ]

for sanji (@mouton)

[sonicstriker]

[ From Here ]

[ She gives him a rueful smile over their now-filled glasses. She isn't sure what to make of him, but her gut is saying he's fine. So long as it feels that way, she'll stay. ]

At this point, I don't think I know what it's like to not be. Sometimes I feel like I'm being dramatic, you know? Like, my life is normal, and there's definitely people who have it worse.

[ Like everyone else from Nibelheim or Sector 7 who didn't get out. But she finds herself nodding more emphatically than she realizes. ]

Yeah, exactly that. Why are we so targeted, when all we're doing is try to live and help? They're the ones hurting people.

[ Her eyes are sharper, her tone angrier, and as releasing as it is, it scares her too. She normally keeps such a good hold on her emotions. She lifts her glass, dipping it toward him before she takes a sip. If her blush could pass for tipsiness, she'd prefer that. ]