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No title.
(2014-03-11 - Now)
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Zack Fair Zack Fair has been hanging out with Tifa Lockhart since that night they had their little sweeping exchange. It's been...well, it's been a nice month or so. Zack's been incredibly helpful around the bar, and he's had an energy and good cheer that he's been lacking for a while. Sure, he occasionally disappears in the middle of the night, but he's always come back, and *never* in a state like he had that night.

The time has finally come for their big date. A proper date. A real date.

Zack is...well, he's uncharacteristically nervous. He planned a heck of a night, though. Right now, he's waiting for Tifa at the entrance to Seventh Heaven. Zack is, uncharacteristically, *dressed up*. Like, in a *tux*. With a *tie*.

He looks very, very uncomfortable.

He's got a heck of a night planned. But first, well...first, he's got to endure the agony of waiting. Truth be told, he's not entirely sure he could. He couldn't remember ever doing anything like this before, not with a woman so...so stunning.

Then again, could he trust his own memories *at all*?

No. Zack pushes that thought out of his mind. Tonight was about *Tifa*. Tonight was going to be a *good* night.
Tifa Lockhart A girl always takes a bit more time than necessary to get ready. Or at least, that's what it always seems. She's been on the second floor for a while now, in her room, prepping up. She hasn't been on a date in forever herself. Sure, she got lots of requests, lots of guys trying to seduce her, but she's closed herself pretty well. She had to let one person in one day, and it seems Zack was the lucky one.

Of course, things had a slow start, they were both busy, and its not like its either's style to just jump into things that fast. Heck, even that kiss seemed to be a bit fast, but in retrospect not unpleasant either. It was just the start.

...

Is that footsteps coming down the stairs? It would seem so. First thing that comes into sights are high heels, in red. And then the low parts of the red dress, with the slit showing just enough of those strong legs. And when she's gone low enough, the rest of the dress is just as stunning, with the low cut over her chest, sparkling earing, and the touch of make up to enhance the whole. She has a little blush as she reaches the bottom of the stairs, looking over to you "... Will this do?"
Zack Fair At this moment, right now? Zack sure does feel lucky. It's obvious by the look on his face. He's just...starstruck. His jaw hangs slack, his eyes are wide.

Yeah, it's fair to say that Zack Fair feels like the luckiest guy on the face of the worlds right now.

It takes him a moment to turn his Male Gaze to her eyes. He stares into her eyes for a long moment, physically working his jaw with his hand. Then his cocksure grin flips up.

"Man...I thought *I* looked good," Zack laughs as he moves to take her arm, "Now I feel like some guy who just put on one of those cheesy tuxedo-tee-shirts I've seen guys in Manhattan wearing. You look...you look stunning, Tifa, you really do. I'm really glad I asked you out."

Zack tucks his arm under hers, his hand tightening in hers. "So, you ever been to Hawaii?"
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart moves her arm around yours when you offer. Its only natural with her date after all. She of course took a moment to look over her date. Well, he's definitely more clean and classy than usual, looks good on him, even with that amount of hair that surpasses even hers. "I've been there before. Mostly by business. Heartless, or other troubles. Didn't really get to enjoy the beach often. But its too late for the sun, I don't think that's what you got in mind either way." She smirks a bit.
Zack Fair "Iiii," Zack drags the word out as they walk through the streets towards the portal, "Was in fact thinking of something more along the lines of dinner-and-a-moonlit-walk-on-the-beach. I hear that's all the rage among hot young couples looking for romance."

Zack flashes her another grin as they walk. He's been in a *great* mood since he showed back up at her bar. It's just been getting better and better. He'd almost put the events that led up to it out of his mind.

"Apparently, one of the guys I did a job for while the Braves were hanging out there runs this restauraunt on the beachfront. I figured...you know...heck of a place to take a lady. Memorable. Moonlit. And we are a hot young couple, and I don't know about you, but..."

Zack scratches the back of his head and laughs, a tinge creeping across his cheeks. "Well...I can definitely say I'm looking for romance."

"I mean, with you. Not, like, in general."

Zack suddenly waves his hand in front of his face. "I don't, uh, I don't mean /that/! Not, uh, not yet. I mean, I wouldn't say *no*, but, you know, I don't...I'm...I'm the kinda guy to take it slow, you know?"

He sighs and slumps forward as they reach the portal. "Man, I might as well just shoot myself in the foot now and hope for some pity makeout at this point, huh?"
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart turns around in front of the portal, a hand on her waist, released from your arm lock, she puts a hand against your chest to stop you "Alright, let's make one thing clear here hm? I'm not here to pity you, I'm here to enjoy myself. I get lots of offers all day long while I work, so I can afford to be picky. I haven't picked any of them for good reason."

She smiles, both hands on her hips pointedly now "I'm here because I chose to, and I chose you. That's all there is to it. And you should be yourself. Not what you think I want to see. It doesn't work that way, and when it does never for long. Unless of course you want to move on to the next girl soon." She doesn't say that seriously, but she's making a point.

She smirks, and then moves back along your side "Now guide me to those evil plans of yours, so I can find more ways to foil them."
Zack Fair Again, Tifa surprises him. Zack is getting used to that. Well, okay, he's getting used to her *surprising* him, not her...surprises themselves... That is, he's getting used to the *idea* of Tifa surprising him, if not always the manner in which she does it.

Zack cracks a broad grin. "Move on? Are you kidding? Have you looked in the...no, scratch that. Have you talked to yourself lately? I dunno what you're drinking, lady, but I wouldn't mind some of it, 'cause clearly it makes people *crazy*. 'cause right now, I feel like the luckiest guy *ever*."

Zack does not hook his arm back around hers. He hooks his arm around her waist, his grin widening as they step through the portal and appear in Hawaii. "Heck...those eyes alone are enough to get me to say 'I love you, Miss Lockhart'."

Zack leads her along the moonlit beach until they reach the little place. It's clearly a touristy sort of restauraunt, open-air and outdoor with umbrellas all over the place. Zack waits for her to sit down, pulling out the chairs and everything. The tide is well in, and seawater laps at their feet gently by restauraunt design. Tifa might want to take off her nice shoes. Zack already has.
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart grins "Now that's getting ahead of yourself a bit, you didn't start drinking already have you?" She's had that too in the bar, of course. Prety girl, a few drinks, and common sense flies away. She does have intriguing eyes, with that dark red hue, but still showing lots of sparkles of light.

Shefollows through the portal, looking around the beach. She slides out of her high heels. Not the best to walk on sand. "I can't say I'm fond of high heels, but gotta admit it does make my legs look nice too." She wriggles her toes a bit in the cool sands, following to the tables. "Thought of everything hm?"
Zack Fair "Please," Zack scoffs, "Do you have any idea how much it takes to actually get a First-Class SOLDIER drunk? I might look kinda scrawny, but I can lift this whole restauraunt if I have to, and I *did* survive a ShinRa hit /army/. I mean, granted, it hurt like heck when the Braves found me, and I was preeetty close to dead, but I'm way tougher than I look."

"So, to actually answer ya...no. And I'm not actually saying 'I love you'. That's..." Zack fumbles for a good word for a moment. "...that's a special thing. I'm just sayin', I am in *no way* in *any* kind of hurry with you - whether it's changing models or changing speeds in the romance."

Zack makes himself comfortable on his own chair as the waiter takes their orders. Zack orders light, gently. He's not very hungry. Tifa hasn't ever seen him eat all that much, either. SOLDIER constitution, probably. It's all very traditional (touristy) Hawaiian food. "Well...I figured for a first date with such a knockout gal, I had to try and knock it out of the park if I wanted to get a second, huh?"

"So...tonight? Totally yours. All about you. I want to know...everything."
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart smiles as she sits down at the table with you, hands in her lap, just quietly offering the sights of herself while she takes on your own and the sights of the beach as well. "Well its a good start, but as I said before, you didn't need to go that fat either." She grins, winking "But its not going unnoticed either."

She slides a hand through her hair, that got picked up by the nice beach breeze, pushing it back and then around her ear casually, while she checks the menu to order as well. Not that hungry either, not enough to eat the whole restaurant anyway. "What about me then? You know my backstory. At least, what I told you of Nibelheim. But I'm sure there are things you want to hear."
Zack Fair A lot of thoughts run through Zack Fair's mind as the wind picks up Tifa's hair. He suppresses most of them in favor of focusing on the conversation. He was in SOLDIER, women shouldn't distract him *THAT* badly if he puts his mind to something! Heck, he was First Class! You don't make First Class if you're still a rank amateur!

"C'mon, Tifa. That's just your backstory. There's more than that to Tifa Lockhart, isn't there? What do you *do*? What are your passions? Y'know, what *really* gets your motor running, so to speak? What do you like to do? Hobbies, collections...anything! I just...I just wanna know about you. Everything."
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart hmmms as she thinks about it "Well I'm not that special. Really. Beside benchpressing behemoths and supplexing dragons, really." She teases, grinning. "Well I like to sing and dance. I like strawberries and spaghetti. Despite being a barmaid, I don't like drinks that much, I prefer tea. Keeps my head straight. Imagine a tipsy barmaid." She smirks.

"I played the piano when I was younger, but didn't get to practice much, and haven't touched it in years either."
Zack Fair "/Most/ people I've met can't do either of those things, soooo I'd say that puts you ahead of the curve," Zack points out, matching her grin, "And you're definitely ahead when it comes to curve*s*, so that's two in my book right there. And you're a pretty good dancer, too...I know that much. I've been planning for a second date, on the off chance I actually get one...gonna take you to a club I heard about, I think. Some nice, close dancing."

Zack imagines a tipsy Tifa. He imagines it for a good, long moment, before he snaps himself out of it. "Ah, ha. That's pretty funny, actually! I'd never have guessed you were a teatotaller. Not that there's anything wrong with that - I know friends like that, too. It's just...y'know. Your bar, and all."

"Heck, why run a bar, if you don't like alcohol?"
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart hmmms as she thinks about that answer "Well, there are many reasons. I was working for Avalanche. It was serving as a good front to hide. But it also allowed us to get information more easily. People talk more when they drink and relax. But also... I just like helping people, making them smile and feel better, even if its over a drink. So I don't drink, doesn't mean I can't serve them." She smiles softly, picking at her plate quietly.

She smirks at the mention of curves "That's just what nature gave me. The rest is just upkeep with training. I can't very well train some parts of mine, but what I can, I do. The way I see it, either you hide it, or you show it. Well, I don't try to show it off in that way either, but you know what I mean. I just don't think I need to hide."
Zack Fair "Nature was generous and I will remember to thank it later," Zack observes sagely, with his trademark good humor. It's a good night, Zack decides. A really good night. A *great* night. He couldn't be happier than he is *right here*, at this moment. When was the last time he'd really been *happy*? Really, legitimately *happy*? He couldn't even *remember*.

Not, he reminds himself, that that means all that much.

"That's pretty noble of you," Zack decides after a bit, "I mean, not pumping people for info, the...helping people smile and feel better thing. I got into the military for kinda the same reasons. The way I figure it, it's a hero's job to put a smile on peoples' faces, right? Protect those smiles. So...yeah." He shrugs.

"Too bad that's not what ShinRa wants." His face darkens for a brief instant. Then it's gone, and his grin is back. "Ahhh, but we don't have to talk about that. We've got plenty of other things."

"So hey, you never told me where you learned all that kung fu stuff, anyway."
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart smirks "Well, I had a master. Zangan, he was a wandering monk, he had 144 students around the world. I was his last. Due to Nibelheim, he got injured. He's still alive, but with the world in this state, I have no idea where he is. Maybe he got better too. I hope for him. He was a kind teacher, but he was firm. He taught me all of the basics. Then he encourages you to perfect your own techniques. He's able to use many weapons as well, but he always prefered the relatively non-lethal fisticuffs." She smirks "Its not kung fu though, that's more something form Manhattan.
Zack Fair Zack listens. "Wandering martial arts heroes teaching a hundred people across the world, huh? Sounds kinda like something out of a storybook. Kinda storybook you'd see in Wutai, or something, about a princess and her martial arts suitors."

He makes a face. "Except this time, the princess knows martial arts, too."

Zack keeps grinning, but he's already regretting bringing up Wutai. Wutai had been...Wutai had been unpleasant. Wutai had been a horrible time for him. He'd had to make a lot of bad decisions, as a SOLDIER, and he'd gotten a lot of people killed. Even if they weren't great people, that kinda thing...it weighed on you. His grin doesn't quite reach his eyes, for a bit.

"So do you prefer nonlethal?"
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart keeps cleaning up her plate as she talks with you. This is all pleasant. She's not too bothered about talking about the past. Well, it puts s tinly veil of sadness over her face, but it doesn't last long. Past also makes what you are today after all. "Yeah, I rather not chop people to pieces, but I can punch them unconcious pretty easily with this strength." She puts a hand on her arm, which looks odd in this dress, but you know she's hiding it well.

"I'm no princess. Well I kinda was when I was younger, but I grew out of it. I made troubles for the others in the village, including Cloud. A spoiled child really."
Zack Fair Cloud.

Cloud.

Man, that name sounded *familiar*, Zack decides quietly to himself. Who was Cloud? She'd mentioned Cloud before, and he'd felt this way then, too. Old boyfriend? Man, that'd be brutal, Zack decides, if she was sitting here with him thinking about her ex. Hah. He'd never been a rebound guy (that he could remember).

"I dunno. In this moonlight, in that dress, with those eyes...you look like a princess to me. I'd gladly volunteer to be your knight, Princess Lockhart." His grin becomes flippant again.

"So, hey. Tell me about that? Cloud, and the village, and stuff." Zack tries to keep the jealousy out of his voice. He fails. He is, after all, only human.
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart runs a finger over the rim of her glass a bit, thinking about those days "Well, he was the kid next door. Tiny, scrawny. I wasn't paying him attention. I had my own clique of followers that were much more useful and stronger than him. Like I said, spoiled. Well he still was trailing around, and when my mom died, I was so out of it that I did the most stupid thing I could find. Going into Nibelheim's mountain. ALl of the other kids turned back, but Cloud kept following, and ended up saving my life too, even though he got badly injured. I started paying more attention to him then, he got blamed for what happened too. I was too out of it to defend him."

She sighs "But he left the village to join Shinra shortly after. He wanted to become a hero. That's why I wondered if you knew about him. I didn't get any news. Maybe he never made it to SOLDIER."
Zack Fair Zack listens. He listens to Tifa describe Cloud. He listens to Tifa run down the mountain, the event...the whole thing.

And, yeah, he's jealous. Childhood Friend...that's a special connection. That's an important connection. Zack knows that much. It might be even more than boyfriend. So while he's doing his best to hide it, even Zack's practiced SOLDIER poker face isn't *that* good, and a little bit of jealousy slips through the cracks, crossing his face like a storm. It's gone in moments, but it's still...there, under the surface.

But he puts on his grin and he carries on.

"Sounds like a great guy. I'll have to shake his hand, if we ever meet...I mean, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be sitting across from you right now, enjoying how ridiculously pretty your eyes look in the moonlight." Zack's grin fades to a bit more muted a smile. He looks a little less boyish, and a lot more like the mature SOLDIER one would expect him to be.

Cloud. Why did that name bother him so much more than any other? It couldn't *just* be jealous. Sure, maybe Cloud might've been her first kiss, or her first love, or-

Woah, woah, woah, Zack decides, maybe I'd better not. Zack's thoughts backpedal away from the mysterious Cloud.

"Ahhh, look. There were tons of guys in SOLDIER, and I didn't know any of 'em very well. He probably got in. Don't you worry. I'm sure he passed the training. After all, the most important thing to a SOLDIER is courage and the will to succeed."

"Speaking of the will to succeed, Iiii have built up the will to scoop you up into my arms and carry you for a walk on the beach so you don't mess up those nice shoes. How does that sound?"
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart laughs a bit "Enough talking of the past?" She offers her hand though "Well, sweeping me off my feet was your goal tonight no?" She answers in kind. It probably doesn't matter that much what happened with Cloud either. Its several years back, he's not around, and you are what her eyes are set upon right now. That should be enough. With all of the heartless, she got a better appreciation of living for the present and future.
Zack Fair Zack takes Tifa by the hand. Then he takes Tifa into his hands. In the space of a breath, the Nibelheim Princess is up in his arms in a bridal carry. Zack drops some Munny on the counter after an exceptionally complex-looking hand motion, slides his arm back under Tifa, and starts walking along the beach. The water beats against the beach, cool midnight music to accompany their walk, and the moon gleams down to light their way.

"Mission accomplished," Zack tells her, a wicked grin leaping on his face. "So I think...I think I wanna change up the parameters a little more."

"You see that pile of rocks over there? The one that juts out into the ocean?" Zack tilts her so she can see.

"I think my new optional objective is to take you out onto the end of those rocks while the moon's still nice and full, and then kiss you again. And maybe a couple more times for good measure. And maybe, after that, a few more times. Just so I feel satisfied."

"What'dya think, Mission Control? Sound like a good operation to you?"
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart rolls her eyes, as if considering. But then she grins more widely as you keep her perched up in your arms like that "Well, I think that'd be a nice way of continuing this date, I think you deserve it." She winks, holding her shoes with her free hand while she keeps an arm around your neck for support.
Zack Fair "Roger that, Mission Control," Zack replies, his grin widening, "In that case..."

Zack hops onto the pile of rocks. He takes a moment to find his footing, and for a moment, Tifa might fear they were going to fall. However, as she probably remembers from their dance, Zack's balance - like much else about Zack Fair - is literally superhuman. He finds his footing with nary but a few scant moments of held breath, and soon, they're walking down the rocks, Tifa still clutched tight in his arms.

"I think it's only fair to warn you, Mission Control - it's listed in my statistics that I'm an exceptional kisser. I know you've had a sample, but training scenarios are way different from serious missions. This might run long. And you might be in serious danger of falling for me, *hard*." He sticks his tongue out at her. "It's very important that everybody on this kind of op know all the risks, after all."

Zack sets her down, gently, making sure she's got her balance. His hands settle on her hips comfortably. Then he wraps his arms all the way around her waist, tugging her right up against him.

"Mission start," Zack murmurs as he leans in.
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart laughs a bit, holding on to you. SHe knows you can handle your own, and she can balance herself good too after all. She's not afraid, just amused. "You'll have to show me then, because I don't think I've quite fallen yet. Maybe you haven't been trying hard enough."

But then when he leans in, she just smiles, and offers her lips in return, closing her eyes to enjoy the sweet moment. It always feels nice.
Zack Fair Zack's lips twist upwards just as they're about to meet hers. "Roger that, mission control...permission to use full strength acknowledged."

He dips her. He dips her *fierce* as they kiss under the moonlight, the crashing waves against the rocks. It's a sudden, swift, fluid motion, and Tifa might even fear she's losing her balance because of the sheer speed of the sweep. But he holds her fast, pushing her against him from her lips to her toes.

He does not let her up for a very, very long time. The breaks to breathe are few and in-between. It might perhaps be likened to a military assault, as Zack attempts to overwhelm her with superior force and not-inconsiderable skill. Of course he's good at this, though. He's a soldier. Soldiers are that way, right?

Finally, Zack swings her back up at the tail end of it all. He lets her free of his kisses after what probably seems like far longer than it had *any* right to be, or far shorter, depending on how much Tifa was enjoying it.

Zack's forehead presses against hers.

"So the optional objective was met, Mission Control...how's that 'falling for me' objective doing? Do I need to break out the serious artillery?"
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart seems like she was enjoying it enough to let out a bit of a giggle when you swing her around like that "Hey, watch it now. You might be strong, I might be tough, but sending me on my butt probably isn't the way to end a date." She winks, but stays closely pressed in. Enough to feel just how soft and curvy the girl really is.

"Hmmm I don't think I'm quite there yet, but good effort. YOu might have to try a few more times."
Zack Fair "Understood, Mission Control," Zack teases, "Looks like I'll have to extend the operating time."

"One way or another, Tifa Lockhart, I'm gonna make you fall for me harder than you've ever fallen for anybody before. Childhood friends? Celebrity crushes? Diary crushes? Forget it. By the end of tonight, the only guy on your mind is gonna be me." Zack dips her down again, nice and low.

"And that's a promise, Mission Control. No matter how long it takes."
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart grins as she's leaned backward a bit like this. "Well, I'll be looking forward to the results then, soldier." She giggles, quite amused. But she's getting fond of this man. Flirty, but considerate and fun, that's what she needs as well. She has been alone for a long time after all. Not aht she felt lonely, but this is a nice, warm feeling too.
Zack Fair There is Darkness, around Zack Fair's past. Shadows flit in and out of his soul, and the wings that secretly dwell inside him - the mark of Jenova's caress - are a reminder of that. But here, with Tifa in his arms...it seems far away. Problems like mysterious names, half-remembered wisps and phantasms, shaky recollections...they just sort of melt away next to her. Even the guilt of the Wutai War, and the knowledge of what he's going to be participating in with Ramza, seem distant, faraway...meaningless.

It's a good feeling, Zack decides. It's a really good feeling.

"If it's any consolation," Zack murmurs, mere centimeters from her lips, "I am definitely, definitely falling hard for you, Miss Tifa Lockhart. So maybe I should just consider this your victory...or that's what I'd say if I was a normal soldier."

"But a SOLDIER First Class never gives up until the mission is complete~."
Tifa Lockhart Tifa Lockhart wraps an arm around Zack's neck again with a wide smile. Such a nice smile too, one that is full of possibilities. "Well, maybe that was part of my mission." She winks, and leans herself up using her arms to pull herself, so she can offer her own kiss this time. "Don't let that get in the way of your mission then."

 
This scene contained 32 poses. The players who were present were: Tifa Lockhart, Zack Fair