diademlogs | (open)

[ tifa definitely considers herself lucky for landing a job that, while still less than ideal in comparison to what she did back home, is at least more stable than what she had been fumbling through her first few days. it still takes a bit to get more comfortable, but she eventually gets the general hang of working at the thrift store, even if the hardest part was just memorizing where everything is located.

if you ever stop by, you can find her doing various different tasks depending on when you drop in. such as...

1) standing behind the register, waiting to ring up whatever you bring over.
2) approaching you while you browse to see if you need any help.
3) stepping outside after the end of a shift.

hurray, customer service... ]

[ Sciel has...odd hours these days, which suits her well enough. Tragically boring shifts at the dive bar, whatever fights at the Dome she can get without overdoing it, and the occasional tarot on the streets when she's so inclined. Between those things there isn't much time for...anything more substantial than keeping herself fed and watered, really, which contributes to the tired shadow that's taken up residence on her otherwise-cheery face.

Today, though, she'd needed to make a stop outside her usual. The scant clothes she'd found free in the laundromat close to when she'd first arrived have been nice, but not nearly enough to fill even a meager wardrobe (particularly when the clothes are getting bloodied up on a regular basis). Someone had pointed her in the direction of the local thrift store, though, where she'd had some luck scoring a few more pieces at a cost that-... Well, it's still money she only sort of has, but much better deals than if she'd looked elsewhere, or so she assumes.

It's after checking out, as she exits the store, she notices a familiar face standing just outside. ]

...Tifa? [ Sciel brightens immediately upon recognizing the other woman, the traces of exhaustion dissipating. ] Hi! S'good to see you again. How've you been?

Sciel! Hello!

[ tifa sounds delighted to see her, and that's because it is. the city is much bigger than tifa had been picturing, so tifa didn't think she would run into anyone she had met the first day or two again before she got a phone. but it really does seem like the world can be rather small in some ways. ]

I've been... adapting. [ she can't really say good, since she would still rather not be here, but she hasn't been bad either. ] It turns out someone I know is here, so it hasn't been as difficult as it could be. And you?

[ tifa has to admit that having cloud around has made things easier, but she would still like to make friends outside of him. ]

[ Tifa's mild response earns her a laugh as Sciel faces her more fully, shifting the bag that holds her recent purchase from her hand up onto her shoulder. ]

"Adapting's" good. Been doing a lot of that myself, actually. [ And maybe some of that is compartmentalizing some of the tougher stuff and/or letting herself not think about her questionable financial situation. So what! ] Oh — that's really good! Someone from your traveling group?

[ Tifa hadn't mentioned names, back on that rainy day when they'd met, so she can't ask about anyone in particular. She will, though, commit it to memory in case she comes across that person in her own exploration. ]

I've actually found two people from home. One of them-... [ Is it right to call Lune her best friend? Probably, considering how close they'd gotten since the start of the expedition, and with Sophie gone. But still. ] The three of us are close. It's been really, really nice, having them here.

[ For more reasons than just the comfort of known entities. ]

I'm glad for you. Even if... you know.

[ it truly is just awkward to tell someone that they're happy your friends also got interdimensionally kidnapped, even if that's not exactly what you're saying. but the implication is still there. but even if you run into friendly people here, having to start a new relationship from scratch is difficult, on top of having to adjust. ]

But yeah, someone from my traveling group. His name is Cloud. He has... [ she tries to mimic his spiky hairstyle ] hair that goes up like this. And he tries to be aloof.

[ try being the key word here. ]

If you ever see him, say hi. He definitely needs the friends.

I know. [ The internal debate still exists. They all deserve this: to have the chance to really live outside the Paintress' shadow, to experience joy and routine in a way that their world has denied them. But...she still worries about Maelle. About the mission they'd left behind.

For now, Sciel reminds herself. Fortunately, she's easily distracted by the name that Tifa shares, her face lighting up in recognition. ]

Oh, I know Cloud! He actually flagged me down on my ride in. Not too long after I met you, actually. Thank goodness he did, too: my bike was apparently not in the best shape.

[ It'd been spewing smoke, and shortly thereafter they'd been set upon by raiders, so. The presence of another (helpful) fluxdrift had likely spared her some level of disaster. ]

It's funny, he'd already met two of my friends. Somehow, even here, it manages to be a small world.

[ oh, the confirmation that she knows cloud brings a smile to tifa's face. as much as she won't admit this to cloud, tifa is extremely concerned about him making friends and having positive influences in his life. is this perhaps annoying of her? maybe. but the last thing she wants is for him to return to his loner phase. ]

Seriously? I guess this place is smaller than it looks.

[ no, it is pretty big. although maybe since they're all still relatively new-ish (even if cloud has been here a few months longer), they tend to hang out in certain places? tifa is unaware of the convenience of ooc factors, so she'll just forever wonder about how this happened. ]

Is your bike okay now?

( this is what cool guys do for their (girl)friends, isn't it? to come over to where they work, towards the end of a shift, and pick them up. right? there's a break in the rain, which allowed him to make a rather dry trip from the motel room he's managed to secure to the thrift store. it's been a little touch and go with finding a place to stay, but—

well, he thinks tifa will approve of it. it has everything they had discussed it should have: two beds, a working shower and toilet, a small kitchenette (with a kettle and microwave and sink!), and a closet. some elements aren't great, but... well, she'll have a look at it and make her own judgement.

parking his bike around the corner, he then steps on over to the store, the little chime above the door announcing his arrival. he looks up at it, betrayed..., but then turns his head to look inside. tifa's there, talking with a coworker, another woman.

so, he awkwardly stands there, by the door, looking over at a little shelving with random items. )

[ tifa is about to head out for the day. while not every day is easy, consider retail will always be retail, it's an easy enough job that tifa has started a comfortable rhythm with it. when another customer enters she almost doesn't turn, considering she is off the clock, but she does anyway and–ah. he may be trying to stay out of the way, but tifa will recognize that hair anywhere. ]

Oh. Don't worry, he's for me. See you tomorrow!

[ and with that, tifa heads off to go collect her boy. she stops right next to him and points at some lighters with wacky designs. ]

Those are on sale. [ they do not need these. ] I didn't know you were coming.

( cloud looks up when he hears tifa refer to him to her coworker. his eyes meet the other woman's green gaze, feeling almost judged, but he looks away when the brunette waves—glancing instead at an approaching tifa.

ah, right, the lighters... )

Maybe Cid would find them funny.

( is he thinking about other people...?? he's clearly referring to cid2. nevermind that, though! )

I found a motel room, so I thought I would. Get a look of the place you work at.

( does cloud get a little sulky that tifa doesn't join him in a lot of his odd jobs? sure, but he knows and understands that her wanting something a little more stable and with an actual routine might help her get a hang of this place. as long as they come back again at the end of each day, right. )

We can go on my bike. I'll get your van later.

[ wanda learning that this is the dumbass tifa keeps talking about

but she perks up at the news of the room. there is, of course, a slight fear that cloud may have messed this up somehow, but she will instead hope that he knows to find a room that does have working air conditioning. he's the one who normally found where they stayed back when they were traveling, but usually at least one other person would tag along... ]

Alright, let's go then.

[ she grabs his arm and gives a final wave of goodbye. ]

This really makes me better appreciate all the times we got free rooms back home.

( wow, why does tifa not trust him to get this simple task done right....

being grabbed by the arm as they head out is enough to make him feel that he's doing a good job of handling the situation, and he even stands a little straighter, chest puffing outward. he'll guide the way to his bike. )

We got lucky.

( that everyone basically had a hate boner for shinra and were supportive of them. cloud glances at tifa. )

...that the coworker you were talking about? You two seem to get along.

[ they really did get lucky... and whenever they manage to get back home, tifa will better appreciate that luck. granted, with how things were going for them, who knows it they will ever be lucky again?

... anyway, tifa glances over her shoulder to look at wanda's fading figure as they walk off. ]

That's her. She's really nice. I'm probably annoying with how many questions I have, but she's always good with answering me.

[ which should be basic for training, but considering the amount of people who have been extremely rude her, it is a breath of fresh air. ]

[ cloud had suggested the idea of competing in the dome when she had first arrived, and tifa had accepted without much thought. she has now realized that she should probably actually see what is going on there before actually signing up officially, because why not be prepared instead of running in blindly (which is how they tend to have to do things).

and that is how tifa finds herself sitting in the audience to watch a few matches. if anything, it's fascinating to see all of the different fighting styles and abilities that people have, and it serves a good reminder that she needs to be mindful of the fact that things are different here.

if you're sitting next to her, she'll turn towards you after someone who is sitting near by starts crying after losing all their money in a bet. ]

This is awkward.

[ or, if you had competed, tifa might come find you after your match. ]

You alright?

[ Shadowheart hasn't decided what she thinks about the Dome as of now. She can see the benefit of getting coin through beating up people, and she's an excellent fighter, so she probably could do it, but it's not really her type of scene. There are easier ways of making money that don't include her having to worry about healing her opponent because they aren't a true enemy.

She is, however, fine with watching. It's interesting enough. She's not so unwise as to put any money out there. She is watching her wallet with very intense focus for anything she might buy. But she is curious about other people's skills, and this gives her a sense of what powers might be out there. They may be useful allies in the future.

It is in the middle of a match when she spots Tifa, and recognizes her, choosing to come over to where she's sitting. Shadowheart isn't the friendliest of people, and she does consider walking away instead, but perhaps she feels like engaging in conversation. So she sits down next to her.]

I think the person with the red eyes is out of the other one's level.

[ watching things, especially in a place you have never been to before, is always much more enjoyable with someone you know. and while tifa and shadowheart don't know each other super well yet, she is still a familiar face that tifa is grateful to see. there have already been enough people trying to convince her to bet or try to talk about how they could easily beat all the competition... no thank you. ]

It's a bit unfair of a match. Unless the other one is just having a bad day...

[ an extremely bad day, but she tries to say is more nicely. she's sure there are already enough people in the crowd who are badmouthing the one losing–in fact, she knows there are, because they're all currently yelling obscenities at the competitors.

tifa smiles at the other woman, and gestures around them. ]

Were you curious too?

No, you can tell from their footwork, they're not as well-trained.

[ Shadowheart is a skilled warrior herself, but she's surrounded by people who are even better at it than she is. She is primarily a magic user and cleric, but someone like Karlach or Lae'zel would wipe the floor with both combatants. She assumes there is a hierarchy of fighters willing to get in the ring with a variety of powers, although she hasn't seen any of the high ranking ones as of right now. More the skirmish, like now.

She does think maybe this match up wasn't what the organizers had in mind, but it happens. She's never fought anyone for the fun of it before. To kill, to save, to train, but never for the thrill of it. She isn't going to swear loudly at the fighters though. They probably won't die from it, so they'll learn and come back. Or accept being trounced.

She knows this fight is ending one way, so she turns her attention to Tifa as more interesting at the moment.]

Yes, this is a bit strange to me. I'm sure there are fighting rings back home, but not in my circles. You fight to live.

[ she nods along as she watches the match; it doesn't matter who wins to tifa, since she didn't bet any money and doesn't know anyone fighting, but it does give a good picture of how these fights go. she'll have to ask her friend about it later, since he was the one who brought up the idea of doing these matches for extra money... ]

That makes sense. I've actually done matches like this before. Although half the time we're not really joining for fun...

[ there have been more than one case where they were forced to join tournaments for a variety of reasons, so tifa isn't a stranger to this kind of atmosphere. the main difference is just seeing things that aren't normal for her world, as they might catch her off guard. it's the main reason she wanted to see these for herself before potentially making an attempt, and she's glad that she did. ]

We'd either have to do it for favors or to get out of trouble.

[ livio does occasionally frequent the dome, even competed himself a little bit. today is one of those days, he needed the extra cash after having his wallet stolen. he knocked out his opponent without any preamble, making for a disappointing match for people who were her for the theatrics, and now he's emerging from the ring, wiping his hands off. he pauses when tifa talks to him, being roughly barret-sized, and there's no trace of injury on him, even though he had gotten hit a couple of times ]

Me? Er.... I'm fine!! Thanks.

[ this is the first time anyone's ever asked him that, he's quite surprised ]

You were really impressive!

[ she had seen quite a few matches today, but his was definitely interesting... it also made some people complain, because they all wanted something flashier. it was kind of funny, since tifa could picture something similar happening back home. no one is ever happy. ]

Good work. [ ... ] Sorry. I'm Tifa.

Thanks....

[ oh no he's embarrassed. his cheeks are red, he's gotten an earful or three since the match ended and certainly didn't expect anyone to be impressed with him ]

I'm Livio. Nice to meet ya, Tifa... ya ever thought about goin' up there yerself?

[ she's got impressive muscles ]

I'm considering it. I thought I would check it out first.

[ to see if it was something she'd even be interested in or not. but it is a good source of money, and she does think she'd do well in it, so right now she's still leaning towards yes. ]

Do you do it often...?

[ it didn't seem like it was his first time, but you never know. ]

Not often... just needed some cash, since my wallet got stolen.

[ he grimaces..... but he's not exactly a regular fighter here or anything ]

It's got fer quick money, but it can be rough since... most of the fighters have special powers.

[ and he's not sure if she does ]

That was actually the main reason I wanted to watch. I wasn't sure what the matches would be like.

[ or just how fair they would all be. she heard that they try to not make the match-ups too uneven, but that probably isn't always actually possible.

but he also mentioned something a little more urgent. ]

But your wallet was stolen? How?

[ when tifa heard about the person selling flowers, tifa had a mixed sense of emotions. there's a sense of deep nostalgia, but she doesn't really go out of her way until realizes that she hasn't really seen any flowers since coming here. the fact that it took her so long to even come to that conclusion is depressing, for a lot of reasons.

so, she goes to hunt down the flower cart. considering how tight money is at the moment, she probably shouldn't be doing this, but she decides that she can just make up the difference with more work later. she buys two bouquets, one for her motel room, and the other...

well, if you're wandering around the city, tifa might approach you and hand you a flower. ]

Here you go.

[ Panorama is host to any manner of grift the mind can conjure. The Knave isn't targeted as often as others, owing perhaps to her sharp demeanor... but her smart manner of dress does sometimes tempt charlatans looking for a fat mark. Thus, being approached by any stranger is cause for due attention, even if that stranger happens to be an honest-looking young woman.

The Knave doesn't take the flower just yet, crimson-cut eyes sliding up from it to the woman presenting it. ]

What's this about?

[ Her tone is even, if blunt with expectation. ]

Well, it's a flower.

[ obviously.

tifa can't say that she expected everyone to just willingly take one, considering people are running around stealing organs in this place, but she's always up for a challenge. she tries to think of how aerith might have gotten people to accept one from her.

... ]

Want one?

[ The Knave enjoys her flowers, but... ]

You'll have to pardon me. I don't make a habit of accepting random gifts from strangers.

[ People have all kinds of strange powers around here. One can never be too cautious. ]

Why not simply keep the flower for yourself?

I brought a bouquet home already.

[ and she doesn't really need any more. tifa isn't really aware of how long these flowers will stay alive, so from her point of view there's no reason to keep all of these for herself.

... but she isn't sure if she should force this. the woman seems really resistant. ]

But you don't have to take it. I know this might be weird.

[ She huffs an almost-laugh. Agreement, more or less. ]

I daresay this would feel less strange if you were charging for the flower -- anything at all.

Edited 2026-02-17 20:08 (UTC)

[ tifa realizes, belatedly, she has no idea how much aerith charged for flowers, as she apparently gave the one to cloud for free. in any case, she's sure whatever price she gives them would get complaints, since there is likely more urgent things to purchase than just flowers. ]

I'm going to admit that I'm not that knowledgeable about the flower trade.

[ she says this as if it's meant to be a surprise. ]

[Hmm, what's this...? Lu Feng, when approached, had simply been minding his own business, standing unobtrusively against the outside wall of a building as he jotted something down in a pocket-sized notebook. He regarded both the girl and the offered flower very casually, thinking this might have been the case of a misdelivery. The 'candygrams' floating around were prone to such, it had seemed, so this might be the same case.

He wasn't sure why someone would be delivering flowers otherwise.

So, coolly, but not unkindly, he answered with a simple,] You might gotten the wrong person.

I don't think so.

[ tifa continues to hold the flower out. however, the longer he goes without taking it from her, the more awkward this is going to become, so tifa just clears her throat before jumping to an explanation. ]

I just thought you could have it.

[ unfortunately, the explanation still explains very little. tifa is at least aware that this would come across as strangers to a complete stranger, but she will try to combat that by smiling. see!! she's friendly... ]

[So friendly! It was something Lu Feng was still wholly unused to having directed his way, and it was honestly a little tricky for him to gauge how sincere it might be coming from a stranger. It was easier for him to simply not take it seriously, through no fault of this seemingly very nice girl.]

I didn't pay for anything like that, though.

[Flower delivery service, maybe? Hm.]

Oh, I'm not selling them.

[ which she realizes might make this whole exchange seem even crazier, considering most things that people do is motivated by money here. but explaining her motivations would be more complicated than not, so she just continues to hold the flower out. ]

I just thought they were nice.

[They are quite nice, she's absolutely right about that. Still, Lu Feng gave the flower a slightly longer look, as if he'd be able to tell if there was something suspicious about it just by sight. But, no, as far as he could tell, this was just a normal, harmless flower.]

So you're just handing them out to whoever?

[Sorry, she would have to hang on the that flower for at least a little bit longer.]

[ tifa is learning that everyone here has trust issues.

which is not really a surprise, because not accepting random items from strangers is one of the very first thing they teach you regarding safety, but she will still make an attempt nonetheless. ]

Uh huh. Whoever takes one.

[ she continues to hold out this flower. she has great upper arm endurance, she can do this for a while. ]

[ do you want to do something that has nothing to do with any of the prompts above? go wild... ]

[ here

the news on the sanctum isn't surprising. the whole explanation is similar to midgar, although it sounds like it was easier to go between the plates there than it is here. either way, the similarities leaves a bad taste in her mouth. she can only imagine how barret would react if he were here with them.

although, it does mean she has to ask, ]

And we're sure whoever is in charge of this place isn't up to anything... bad?

[ she tries to word it as casually as possible, like a general question someone may ask when trying to get to know a place. granted, the fact that she even thinks to ask it is probably telling enough, but she also doesn't know what the general vibe is here. people's opinions on shinra was usually positive unless the company had affected them personally in some way. ]

[ There's a certain care with which Tifa asks that question, as if she's concerned it might be the wrong thing to say. She doesn't want to seem too opinionated, and it's a fair concern to have when she's new and doesn't know anyone here.

Ardbert doesn't have nearly as much tact as he scoffs and shakes his head. He leans himself up against the kitchen counter. ]

I'd be more surprised if they weren't, to be honest. If we've got raiders and gangs making trouble on this side of things, it's hard to imagine that everything is perfect in the Sanctum, regardless of what they want us to think.

[ The kettle whirs as it works to heat up the water, while Ardbert digs around for any stray tea bags that he and Aria happen to have around. ]

Still, we don't hear much about what's happening there. It's a bit suspicious, if you ask me.

[ The cat, meanwhile, leaps up onto the couch and begins to nose around the cushions, as if looking for what might be trapped between them. ]

[ tifa slowly inches her way closer to the couch, not to grab the cat, but to just be ready in case it tries to scratch at anything that it shouldn't be. but the other reason being that she simply thinks it's cute.

what is less cute is ardbert's confirmation of what she had expected. he's right in that she was hesitant to be outright critical; she doesn't know what the cultural climate is here at all, and he seems fine, but going by her experience with shinra, she knows people's opinions on things like this can be divisive. ]

... Yeah, it sounds like it. We at least knew about things on the upper plates back home, so this radio silence is concerning.

[ tifa realizes she is probably jumping to the worst conclusions, but any place with a wealth disparity this bad has to have some hidden skeletons. and the only people who would suffer for it are the ones down in the bottom.

she is really sounding like barret. ]

I guess that's just one more thing we have to be careful about.

(open)

(open) thrift store

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(open) dome audience

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(open) flower cart

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(open) wildcard

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