vatheon | 010

Who: Tifa and you!
Where: Crow's Nest bar
When: Afternoon/Evening
Style: I'll match~
Status: Open! Mostly.

Some curses seem like they would be easier to get through with a few drinks in the belly. A curse that broadcasts your thoughts above your head... well, whether that's one of them might depend on the type of drunk you are. At the least, the Crow's Nest bar is small and out-of-the-way, not likely to have as big an audience, and its barkeep knows how to be tactful about anything she happens to see.

The same can't be said for all of her customers, but most of the time when her mind wanders she seems to be thinking about cake for some reason, and what harm can you really do with that? A sign is posted that the bar is closing early, and if you guessed that it was because of the curse, you'd be wrong.

In the evening, after Tifa has closed up and cleaned up, it isn't long before the smells of a certain someone's favorite meal waft from the bar's kitchen. A cake sits waiting in the fridge, prepared earlier that day and lacking only candles. It's a quiet preparation, because she knows, with an extra certainty from this curse, that quiet is the way he wants it.

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Cloud's thought bubble had certainly been helpful in some ways. While he might normally be the sort to want to keep them to himself, it at least made something like a birthday a little more easy to communicate over. He didn't really know how to ask for quiet, party-less birthdays and he knew that a certain best friend would be all too happy to make it anything but.

Coming back to the best smelling meal he could ask for was definitely high on his list and coupled with the sound of his stomach growling, there's certainly some delightful imagery of him with a very full belly because that is exactly where he wants to be. Food is the best present a guy can ask for. Yep.

He goes to set his messenger bag down on the floor before peeking into the kitchen. "Tifa...?"

Tifa looks up with a smile. For the moment, her thought bubble doesn't provide anything but the image of them sitting down to eat the finished product.

"Dinner's almost ready. Are you hungry?" Although she doesn't think she really needs to ask.

He gives a very solid nod, a smile tugging at his lips as he makes his way a bit more into the kitchen. "Smells good." Good might have even been an understatement.

"Do you need any help?"

"Not today." The birthday boy isn't supposed to have to do anything... and Cloud in the kitchen is still not the greatest recipe for success. "You just relax. I won't even ask you to set the table."

Of course if he decides to do it anyway, she isn't about to stop him.

It was definitely better for both of their well beings if he stayed away from the food. One of these days he'd become a little bit more trustworthy. If he just worked hard enough.

He gave a nod, but after a moment of standing rather awkwardly with an unsure idea of what to do then - because sitting and relaxing apparently wasn't in his vocabulary - Cloud still went to grab some dishes and silverware to set the table with. She cooked, he might as well lend a hand with something.

For someone who enjoys quiet, he really isn't very good at relaxing. Then again, neither is she, to be honest. She's so accustomed to any time off her feet being time for sleeping. If she's not tired, then there's something she can be doing.

She switches off the stove and, glancing over to make sure he's gotten the plates taken care of, heads over to dish out the first serving.

He's sure to at least have taken a seat after setting the table so he couldn't try to help more and mess up a good meal. If the growling in his belly hadn't been audible before, it definitely lets out a loud enough whine the moment she starts serving. It smells even better up close.

He's patient, though, and waits until she's ready to sit down with him. It'd be rude to start eating first, right? "... Thanks, Tifa. It looks as good as it smells."

Tifa bites back a laugh at the sound of his stomach, and wordlessly serves him out an extra large helping.

She takes her seat once there's food on both plates, not wanting to keep that stomach waiting any longer than necessary. "Isn't the real test if it tastes that good?" Not that she has any doubts. She's made this before, and she tasted it as she was cooking, but it's a go-ahead for him to dig in.

He gives a nod of agreement and definitely doesn't seem to be taking any time in diving into the food. It's got that perfect amount of spice to it and he's just going to happily slurp up some pasta. Maybe not with the best of manners, but at least it shows he's definitely enjoying himself.

He's not even sure how he worked up an appetite doing almost nothing in a bubble under the ocean, but he's not complaining. The hungry he is, the more pasta he gets to eat.

She'll take that gusto over manners any day. She likes to see people enjoy her food, and people with manners are just a lot more reserved about it.

She sets into her own plate, eating quietly until she thinks he's inhaled enough to quiet his stomach. "What did you get up to today to work up such an appetite?"

He goes to take a long sip of water in attempt to relax his throat from shoveling down all the pasta. A small shrug was accompanied by a smile that tugged at the corner of his lips as he twirled another bit onto his fork.

"Just usual training, I guess," he said finally. "Nothing special." He'd often spent enough time out in the woods or the park practicing, and enough of a work out was certainly going to make anyone hungry.

"I just hope you can still taste it when you're inhaling it like that," she replies with a laugh in her voice. At this rate he's probably going to be ready for seconds before she's even finished her first helping.

He gives an amused snort, but at least starts to slow down on the next few bites. "Taste lingers," he said simply, but she had a point. He could enjoy it longer if he slowed down anyway. And maybe not end with too full a belly.

"... Thank you. For cooking, I mean."

"Don't mention it. I had to do something, and a party was clearly out of the question."

Her smile softening, she goes on to say, "Happy birthday, Cloud."

He smiles slightly, giving a small nod of gratitude - both for the lack of party and the happy birthday, really. He takes another bite of pasta, waiting until he swallowed before he spoke again.

"I'm glad you're here to celebrate with me." He knew it was probably selfish to be glad she was stuck in Vatheon still with him, but he didn't like the thought of being stuck in the city without her.

"Me, too. I guess I'll get to see this one through twice." Once now, and again after they go home and she catches him up.

Come to think of it, with the time difference, he's actually turning 24, isn't he?

010

SO LATE I'm sorry forgive me

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idek what she's cooking ffff

my vote is on pasta with fra diavolo. which i may or may not be craving.

I had to look that up but sure lol

my over the top love of italian food is showing

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