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[starshower]

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[starshower]

[And now for the question she's been dreading since he left the cafe earlier:]

Do you know how long that'll be?

[flamekthunder]

Unfortunately, no. We're still on the trail.

[starshower]

I see.

[She already misses him. :( ]

Did you at least eat the lunch I packed for you?

[flamekthunder]

We did. It was delicious as always.

[starshower]

Good. I'm glad.

Just make sure that if you need anything, you tell me. I could close up shop for a day and come meet you somewhere. I'd send one of the dogs, but I'm a little more worried about them getting too close.

[flamekthunder]

No.

Do not come out here or send anyone or anything unless I say so. Even then, you would need proper preparation.

[starshower]

And what exactly are you going to find out there if you do need something?

[flamekthunder]

Tifa, I'm not trying to keep you away. I'm only stating the fact that this is not anything like we've been through before, and it would be more dangerous to recklessly come after us.

[starshower]

It wouldn't be recklessly!

But I get it. I just don't want you overworking yourself, okay?

[flamekthunder]

I know. And I don't want you getting hurt on my account.

[starshower]

Eustace.

[Honey... If only he could see the sorry smile that she is putting on right now for him, but maybe he can feel it coming through the page. He's so sweet, bless him.]

You know that it isn't on your account, yeah? That's not how that works.

[flamekthunder]

Yet I would still be the reason for it.

[starshower]

You know how I feel about that, don't you? Do you remember what we said?

[flamekthunder]

Yes.

But this is a different situation.

[starshower]

How so? It's not so different from the other times we've had to deal with it, is it?

[It all sounds so harsh over writing... but she is only gently prodding.]

[flamekthunder]

Yes. For one, it's a wide open desert with no tells of where you're going. If not for the signal you could easily get lost.

[starshower]

And how did you find your way?

[flamekthunder]

We have the tracking device.

[starshower]

[She's just going to sigh because there's really no reason to argue with him on something she already knows he's right about.]

I know. I'm sorry. I'm just



It's hard for me to sit still while you're out there doing god knows what and where.

[flamekthunder]

[There's a small pause as he sits there looking at her words before he rubs his brows.]

I know, and I'm also sorry. But we should be about halfway.

I'll keep you updated.

[AND THERE IS ANOTHER MOMENT OR TWO BEFORE a little heart appears.]

[starshower]

Please be carefu




[She doesn't even finish the word when she sees the heart appear, and her own writing stops, the L turning into a blotch of ink on the page. She breaks out into a wide smile, her fondness practically bleeding through the page as she draws a heart that loops right through the one that he did.

Followed by the words:]

I love you.

Please keep me updated. If I don't hear back from you in an hour, I don't care. I'm coming to find you.

[That's mostly a joke. Mostly.]

[flamekthunder]

[HE DEFINITELY MADE SURE ALASTOR WASN'T LOOKING—

But he'll smile, and his words will carry that same warmth and fondness.]

I will.

Love you.

[starshower]

[She stares at that message for a long time, forgetting herself and that she still has a cafe to manage while he's gone, but as her anxiety begins to mount again as that hour goes on, seeing those words and their little drawn hearts together helps to soothe some of that.

Only some.

Because when she doesn't hear back from him after that hour, she writes back to him. She does give him some leeway, knowing that it would be impossible to make it exactly, so whenever he does see it, he'll first find a small sad face with the words:]

How are things?

[flamekthunder]

[It'll be a little bit longer before he finally answers.]

We might have found something. I'll contact later.

[starshower]

What did you find? Stay safe. Please.

[And that anxiety will not leave until she finally does hear back from him, Tifa staring at her journal, peering at it every chance she gets while she waits for his writing to give her an answer.]