[His words give her pause, and her lips purse together thoughtfully. It shouldn't be any secret anymore that she's had a hard time coming to terms with those lost memories, and the reasons why she had done it all in the first place, and while the dream did help somewhat, those two weeks are still nothing but clouded memories. Foggy renditions of what she thinks happened, that were then twisted further by the nightmares.
She drops her hands as well as her gaze to the floor.
There isn't a whole lot she can say about any sort of strength to ascend mountains, besides what was really going through her head back then, so...]
I was pretty reckless back then. Not thinking straight. My mom had just died and all the boys told me that I should just stop crying... And you probably can guess how it went from there.
[ He remains still, visor tilted in her direction as she speaks, and a few more seconds pass in silence, as if either out of habit or allowing her the opportunity to volunteer more.
Somnus' voice remains with its even, metallic cadence. In the smithy, the sound is complemented by the surrounding weapons and tools of the forge. ]
[It's a legitimate question, especially given everything that he had seen in the dream...]
Yeah. I mean, I still think about her sometimes, but after a while, you start to forget the little things, you know?
[Her smile turns sad, and Tifa's fingers fidget with the box in her hands.]
What's worse is that I don't remember what happened. After I climbed the mountain, I mean... everything after that, I've lost those memories. I'm not sure if that's what my dream was trying to show me.
[ Her smile is wistful at best, tragic at worst. Somnus allows her time with her thoughts, and then he replies. ]
Dreams are surreal, dawn at midnight, and their contents questionable. [ And the danger is this: it is not in best practice to take them as fact for lost memories, lest she later bear a nightmare illustrating something wildly inaccurate and lead her astray. His following words are spoken carefully with consideration of this, but ask for her opinion. ]
Do you believe the true closure you seek is within them, or through the current memories you have of her?
There's something that Tifa doesn't quite know. There are so many open threads in her life, frayed and tattered, that have no end. It's not for lack of trying, but they just keep coming that she hasn't had time to close off the parts of her past that can be.]
Both, I guess. I wish I knew what happened that day... so many things changed after that, besides my mom being gone.
[Cloud stopped talking to her, and all the boys had started talking about joining SOLDIER one day that it made her wonder if it was because of that. But there was no one left besides Cloud to tell her, and even that... she wonders if that would be a stretch, given her observations.]
I remember the boys following me up, but everything past that, I can't seem to recall. And I wish I could.
[ ... ]
When you climbed up the mountain, did you see anything that felt out of the ordinary?
What tragedy, this, that the living craft their own chains of iron to the dead. So long as she is bound, neither herself nor her mother will find peace. Somnus does not shift from where he stands, appearing to consider her question. He answers thus, his voice a low, hollow steel, ]
It was your dream.
[ He stops speaking there, allowing her to reply if she must, although it may be that he has more to say. ]
[That crooked smile of hers twists into a frown, and she shifts between her feet, trying to come up with the string of words that might convey her confusion best.]
A lot of it wasn't things I was familiar with. That field of flowers? That wasn't mine. I've never seen those before, so I thought that maybe there were some other things that maybe tried to fill in those gaps.
[His question feels pointed, and Tifa visibly stiffens at his words. He means well, she knows, but she can't help but bite down on her lip—not because she's upset, but because he's right. She knows that she is, deep down, and she tries so hard to push it all away, and she wondered how it might resurface one day.
... She just never imagined it would be like that.]
I do.
[Her head bows and she wanders over to the nearest table to set the box down.]
I think it'll take some time for me to figure it all out. There's a lot to unpack, you know? I know my mom's never coming back, and that it was silly of me to try finding her, and all my memories of those couple of weeks are gone.
[Like who was there to save her when she had fallen... She thinks she knows the answer to that, but she wants to hear it from the man himself. Someday, perhaps, but not today.]
That's something I need to do myself... not through a dream, but... me.
[ With in the smithy, there is iron. There are gems and flame, precious metals meant for melting, strong alloys with which to forge weapons for whatever purpose. Against the power of dreamotion, of sorrow and grief, they might all find their cracks, their rust and their wear. Perhaps it speaks to the steady will of the shoppe's owner that all remain timeless in presentation.
At her words, his helm lifts, as if in some way of measuring her conclusion. A beat passes, then two, and his chin lowers. This is approval.
[Tifa doesn't wait, and she picks up the small box and moves towards him but doesn't offer it to him quite yet. There's a pause, mirroring his, before she throws her arms around him as best as she can for hugging his large suit of armour, and she simply holds it for a few moments.]
I was so scared in there... so I wanted to say thank you... for being there with me.
[It was still terrifying, but it made it less so knowing that she could trust him to keep her safe. It's difficult for her to voice these sorts of things, so there's a strained noise in the back of her throat before she finishes the thought. Slowly. And with a small voice not unlike the one she had inside the dream.]
[ Her arms will find nothing but the cool, smooth surface of his armor for which to embrace. For all of the magic that may keep his form intact and animated, the armored suit is no different from any shield or sword, incapable of returning warmth. She will find, however, that his chestplate rises and falls with a subtle, phantom breath, as if someone intangible truly resides within.
But his hand, idle at his side until now, rises. Slowly, it comes down upon the top of her head. The full, cumbersome weight of it, she will never know, for the touch is respectfully gentle. ]
The day you grant repose to your mother's soul within your memories.... [ His hand falls away from her, and he left looking down at the top of her head. ] We look forward to it.
[She doesn't mind in the least. A hug is a hug, and she means for it to show her appreciation for him in ways that words couldn't. He had helped to open her eyes, even if it was only a little bit and even if Tifa still has a long way to go, but there is a weight that had been lifted from her shoulders at his words, and within the dream itself that he might even be able to feel some of that tension lost in her shoulders, or when he lays a hand on top of her head.]
Yeah.
[When Tifa pulls back, she quickly swipes a hand over her cheek, wiping away a tear that had formed before it could fall. And she reaches for the small box.]
I still want you to have this. It isn't much, but I made it myself.
[Should he take the box and open it, he'll find a small glass charm within it, and inside of that is a dried four-leaf clover.]
[ At last, he takes the gift and opens it, revealing the contents inside. Between his index finger and thumb, he carefully plucks the charm out from its box, allowing it to dangle. Within his hold, the charm appears miniscule; but amber light from the fire refracts off of the clear resin, giving the charm an fae-like quality. ]
A clover? [ He inquires, his helm canting a degree to the side. ]
[Tifa watches him lift it, noting how the fire glints through and around it, a reddish light flickering over her features as she gives a nod, and she can feel the heat rising in her cheeks.]
Went out and found them in the fields outside the city. They say they'll bring good luck to anyone who has one.
[She lowers the cuff of her glove to reveal a bracelet similar to his, and inside its center is a similar four-leaf clover.]
[ Somnus continues to raise the trinket up so that it dangles leveled with his visor, as if inspecting it further. At her words, his attention moves to her wrist. ]
[Tifa motions to the one encased inside the bracelet with a shake of her head.]
This one was a gift from someone, but yours? Yeah. I mean... I went and found the clover, got the pendant, and put it in there if that's what you mean, but it should hold for a while, from what I've been told. They're lucky, after all.
[She echoes his words with a smile, but there's a sigh of relief mixed in there somewhere as well. He seems to like it, which is as much as she could have asked for. Whether it works or whether he needs it, that would be another story, but so far... the one around her wrist has done wonders.
Now it's time for her to take a look around the smithy, her eyes flaring up with intrigue.]
So this is your shop, huh? What kinds of things do you make?
Behold. [ Somnus steps to the side, closer to a nearby kiln, which reveals more of the shop. All things metal, precious and not, are on display. ]
Behold.
[ The projects still in the process remain upon tables obscured by a tarp further back, while the few finished products rest upon the walls and racks. With so few wares actually completed, it can be assumed that most of the work done is recycled for improvement, whether that be swords, staves, candelabras, jewelry, shields, or armor. ]
But you have only begun to use a blade, as you have said.
[Hands tucked behind her back, Tifa continues her appraisal of the place, pausing to admire the work of the items on the walls and shelves, hopping on her tiptoes to get a better look at their handiwork. She doesn't know much about smithing or weapons, for that matter, so this is all new to her.]
Not as experienced with it yet, but I'm learning. I mainly fight with martial arts, but it doesn't hurt to expand your horizons once in a while, you know?
[ A connoisseur of weapons may be able to determine two distinct styles of metalwork among the items in the shoppe, relating to the two primary smiths who forge them. Curiously, though, only half of the swords seem to come paired with a scabbard or sheath of some sort.
If she wishes to wander towards the displays, he will step out of her path. ]
Mm-hm. Had I known that you had a shop, I would've come here instead of the one in the marketplace.
[Always manned by the girl with cat ears that bothers her about her love life... so she'll make sure to come to this smithy for all the other weapons she needs.]
You know Kaine? She's been teaching me about a sword. Although, it's more like...
[She searches the displays until she finds something like her rapier.]
Like this one. I like how thin and light these ones are.
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songerein
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[She gives a vigorous shake of her head, and looks down at the box again before she stretches her hands out to him, offering it up.]
I actually came by to give you this. I meant to do it sooner, but... I got caught up in some things.
[In her own head, more like.]
It's a thank you... for helping me in that dream.
no subject
Then he raises a hand, iron-covered palm upward and facing her in a motion to call for pause. A second later, it lowers to his side. He speaks. ]
In good conscious, maiden, I cannot accept.
[ Once more a respectful quietness follows his words, and he continues: ] The strength to ascend that mountain was solely yours.
Honor thyself first; then, we shall speak.
no subject
Honour myself? You mean...?
[His words give her pause, and her lips purse together thoughtfully. It shouldn't be any secret anymore that she's had a hard time coming to terms with those lost memories, and the reasons why she had done it all in the first place, and while the dream did help somewhat, those two weeks are still nothing but clouded memories. Foggy renditions of what she thinks happened, that were then twisted further by the nightmares.
She drops her hands as well as her gaze to the floor.
There isn't a whole lot she can say about any sort of strength to ascend mountains, besides what was really going through her head back then, so...]
I was pretty reckless back then. Not thinking straight. My mom had just died and all the boys told me that I should just stop crying... And you probably can guess how it went from there.
no subject
Somnus' voice remains with its even, metallic cadence. In the smithy, the sound is complemented by the surrounding weapons and tools of the forge. ]
Do you yet remain in mourning?
no subject
Yeah. I mean, I still think about her sometimes, but after a while, you start to forget the little things, you know?
[Her smile turns sad, and Tifa's fingers fidget with the box in her hands.]
What's worse is that I don't remember what happened. After I climbed the mountain, I mean... everything after that, I've lost those memories. I'm not sure if that's what my dream was trying to show me.
no subject
Dreams are surreal, dawn at midnight, and their contents questionable. [ And the danger is this: it is not in best practice to take them as fact for lost memories, lest she later bear a nightmare illustrating something wildly inaccurate and lead her astray. His following words are spoken carefully with consideration of this, but ask for her opinion. ]
Do you believe the true closure you seek is within them, or through the current memories you have of her?
no subject
There's something that Tifa doesn't quite know. There are so many open threads in her life, frayed and tattered, that have no end. It's not for lack of trying, but they just keep coming that she hasn't had time to close off the parts of her past that can be.]
Both, I guess. I wish I knew what happened that day... so many things changed after that, besides my mom being gone.
[Cloud stopped talking to her, and all the boys had started talking about joining SOLDIER one day that it made her wonder if it was because of that. But there was no one left besides Cloud to tell her, and even that... she wonders if that would be a stretch, given her observations.]
I remember the boys following me up, but everything past that, I can't seem to recall. And I wish I could.
[ ... ]
When you climbed up the mountain, did you see anything that felt out of the ordinary?
no subject
"I wish I could."
What tragedy, this, that the living craft their own chains of iron to the dead. So long as she is bound, neither herself nor her mother will find peace. Somnus does not shift from where he stands, appearing to consider her question. He answers thus, his voice a low, hollow steel, ]
It was your dream.
[ He stops speaking there, allowing her to reply if she must, although it may be that he has more to say. ]
no subject
I know. It's just...
[That crooked smile of hers twists into a frown, and she shifts between her feet, trying to come up with the string of words that might convey her confusion best.]
A lot of it wasn't things I was familiar with. That field of flowers? That wasn't mine. I've never seen those before, so I thought that maybe there were some other things that maybe tried to fill in those gaps.
no subject
The flowers were of our Star. [ And they burned within the dream.
His helm moves side to side once, the motion slow and measured. ] Intrusive to your memory, the answer you seek is not with them.
[ Once more, his focus returns to her. His voice rumbles calmly within his armor, like the ripple of the ocean surface at night. ] Maiden.
Do you not see how you suffer?
no subject
... She just never imagined it would be like that.]
I do.
[Her head bows and she wanders over to the nearest table to set the box down.]
I think it'll take some time for me to figure it all out. There's a lot to unpack, you know? I know my mom's never coming back, and that it was silly of me to try finding her, and all my memories of those couple of weeks are gone.
[Like who was there to save her when she had fallen... She thinks she knows the answer to that, but she wants to hear it from the man himself. Someday, perhaps, but not today.]
That's something I need to do myself... not through a dream, but... me.
no subject
At her words, his helm lifts, as if in some way of measuring her conclusion. A beat passes, then two, and his chin lowers. This is approval.
He lifts a hand, motioning to her. ]
Come hither.
no subject
I was so scared in there... so I wanted to say thank you... for being there with me.
[It was still terrifying, but it made it less so knowing that she could trust him to keep her safe. It's difficult for her to voice these sorts of things, so there's a strained noise in the back of her throat before she finishes the thought. Slowly. And with a small voice not unlike the one she had inside the dream.]
And for not giving up on me.
no subject
But his hand, idle at his side until now, rises. Slowly, it comes down upon the top of her head. The full, cumbersome weight of it, she will never know, for the touch is respectfully gentle. ]
The day you grant repose to your mother's soul within your memories.... [ His hand falls away from her, and he left looking down at the top of her head. ] We look forward to it.
no subject
Yeah.
[When Tifa pulls back, she quickly swipes a hand over her cheek, wiping away a tear that had formed before it could fall. And she reaches for the small box.]
I still want you to have this. It isn't much, but I made it myself.
[Should he take the box and open it, he'll find a small glass charm within it, and inside of that is a dried four-leaf clover.]
no subject
A clover? [ He inquires, his helm canting a degree to the side. ]
no subject
[Tifa watches him lift it, noting how the fire glints through and around it, a reddish light flickering over her features as she gives a nod, and she can feel the heat rising in her cheeks.]
Went out and found them in the fields outside the city. They say they'll bring good luck to anyone who has one.
[She lowers the cuff of her glove to reveal a bracelet similar to his, and inside its center is a similar four-leaf clover.]
no subject
You made these yourself?
no subject
[Tifa motions to the one encased inside the bracelet with a shake of her head.]
This one was a gift from someone, but yours? Yeah. I mean... I went and found the clover, got the pendant, and put it in there if that's what you mean, but it should hold for a while, from what I've been told. They're lucky, after all.
no subject
May these charms grant such blessings.
no subject
[She echoes his words with a smile, but there's a sigh of relief mixed in there somewhere as well. He seems to like it, which is as much as she could have asked for. Whether it works or whether he needs it, that would be another story, but so far... the one around her wrist has done wonders.
Now it's time for her to take a look around the smithy, her eyes flaring up with intrigue.]
So this is your shop, huh? What kinds of things do you make?
no subject
Behold.
[ The projects still in the process remain upon tables obscured by a tarp further back, while the few finished products rest upon the walls and racks. With so few wares actually completed, it can be assumed that most of the work done is recycled for improvement, whether that be swords, staves, candelabras, jewelry, shields, or armor. ]
But you have only begun to use a blade, as you have said.
no subject
[Hands tucked behind her back, Tifa continues her appraisal of the place, pausing to admire the work of the items on the walls and shelves, hopping on her tiptoes to get a better look at their handiwork. She doesn't know much about smithing or weapons, for that matter, so this is all new to her.]
Not as experienced with it yet, but I'm learning. I mainly fight with martial arts, but it doesn't hurt to expand your horizons once in a while, you know?
no subject
If she wishes to wander towards the displays, he will step out of her path. ]
You have an instructor, I presume.
no subject
[Always manned by the girl with cat ears that bothers her about her love life... so she'll make sure to come to this smithy for all the other weapons she needs.]
You know Kaine? She's been teaching me about a sword. Although, it's more like...
[She searches the displays until she finds something like her rapier.]
Like this one. I like how thin and light these ones are.
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