I do not own Final Fantasy XVI, the Final Fantasy series or any official characters featured within this project. The Final Fantasy series is owned by Square-Enix, Hiranobu Sakaguchi, Hiroshi Takai, and Kazutoyo Maehiro. Please support the official release.
The morning was chilly and slightly damp, a mist clung to the world like a thin blanket. Birds chirped half-heartedly, so early in the day. But that did not stop the solitary figure, a leash clutched in his hand, as he and his dog puffed and panted from their morning run. The dog was enormous, its gray fur easily able to mistake it for a gigantic wolf; the figure beside him was a burly man, dark-haired, and sweating. Clive Rosfield brought himself to a gentle halt, leaning against a tree to catch his breath, pushing his sweaty bangs out of his eyes, fire racing through his leg muscles.
He inhaled a deep breath through his nostrils, smelling the fresh, cool air and the slightly decayed smell of wet earth. Clive smiled as a small breeze swept across his path, reveling in the pleasant cooling effect it brought to his body and mind. However, as the breeze passed, he could sense in the stillness that it was going to be another hot day. Fortunately, vacationing at Lake Sontag Resort, there was an ample way to deal with heat.
Unlike most resorts, which operated out of a large, sprawling hotel, the Lake Sontag Resort was a massive property, owning and operating several miles of rental cottages, not far from the lakefront. Its vast nature trails not only provided a serene backdrop for a pleasant and relaxing experience, but a great place to get a good run in.
Clive's morning run actually served a double purpose. Lately, he'd been having nightmares, severe enough to affect his daily functions. Frustratingly enough, whenever he tried to recall them in detail, he found that he could not; even now when he tried to focus on them, frowning, he only got flashes. Large mountains that looked like crystals…himself, wielding sword and flames, against monsters of various shapes and sizes, and using smell and sense to track them…but above all else, some freakish demon with four arms and blank, dead eyes.
Sometimes, he even dreamed of having a tattoo surgically removed from his face. However, the more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it all sounded. After all, his barometric abilities and aptitude for heat were just a few talents he had obtained in his years of working for Telamon Contractors, being able to tell the weather from smell and feeling alone had come in handy many times.
Wiping sweat from his face, Clive's hand paused on his cheek, where an enormous scar swept across the left side of his face. Even his scar was from work, being able to vividly recall the day he'd gotten it. There had been an accident at work that day; a young, new employee had put too much stress on a 2x4, effectively turning it into a trebuchet in waiting. When it finally gave in, the board snapped, flinging its sharp, splintered end on a wild course that just so happened to coincide with the location of Clive's face. His fingertips gently caressed the scar, remembering the excruciating pain as it was ripped into him, and the long recovery, having to keep it bandaged nearly constantly. Once it had finally healed enough to remove the bandages, he had to endure many weeks of people looking away from him. Even to this day, many considered the scar deforming, repulsive even. But the dark-haired man didn't mind it at all; he'd had it for so long now, he would have felt strange without it. To him, it was distinguishing.
But, such were the hazards of being a contractor. His boss, Cid Telamon, a roguish, generally easy-going man rarely seen without a cloud of cigarette smoke, had seen to give him a chance by taking him under his wing. Clive, in return, had given nothing but his best to the man, quickly rising to one of Cid's closest business partners.
"He gives me three hundred and fifty days a year," he could remember Cid chortling, when he had put in his vacation request, "the least I can do is give him fifteen to himself."
Suddenly, something warm and wet raced up the back of his hand, goosebumps erupting across his skin as the ticklish sensation repeated itself again and again. Pulled from his thoughts of dreams and nonsense, he smiled gently as his faithful hound turned to him, staring up at him with earnest amber.
"Ready to head back, boy?" asked Clive, giving Torgal a scratch behind the ears; the hound gave an enthusiastic bark. Bouncing on his toes like a boxer, the dark-haired man pushed off into a jog, pushing thoughts of his scar and nightmares out of his mind, focusing on the burning sensation in his legs as he raced Torgal back to the house.
Making their way off the nature trail and back out onto the street, Clive glanced at the identically small, A-frame cottages that lined the road. Too small for permanent dwellings, but perfect for their intended purpose. Their cottage, number 109, identified by the large, bright red F-150 pickup truck parked out front. Unclipping Torgal from his leash, he watched as the hound dashed forward onto the tiny lawn in front of their cottage, lifting a leg near one of the bushes to relieve himself.
Chuckling to himself, Clive pushed open the door and stepped inside. He entered through the kitchen, a small but well equipped room complete with a gas stove built into the island, the welcoming aroma of hot coffee wafting from within. Beyond the kitchen, the tile floors went out into the connected living room, and completed by the large windowed doors leading out onto the deck. To the left of the kitchen was a beautiful wooden table in a dark finish, with two long benches for seating. Sitting at the table, staring at the screen of her laptop, wearing reading glasses, a fluffy blue bathrobe and a mug of steaming coffee at her side was Clive's wife: Jill.
Clive felt the breath catch in his chest at the sight of her; even still in her nightclothes, her staggering beauty still caught him off guard from time to time. Being an accountant, she was definitely the brains between them, and he couldn't imagine his life without her. Pulling himself together, he pulled a mug from the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee.
Moving over towards her, spotting the news article that she was reading, Jill glanced over towards him and smiled welcomingly "Hey there. Good run?"
"It was" said Clive, gently placing his lips onto her own "are the kids up yet?"
Almost on cue, an animated explosion sounded from the other side of the room; Jill gestured with a sardonic smile, watching as her husband turned to find their three children seated on the couch, deeply involved in a video game, though they warmly welcomed Torgal as he curled up between them.
Clive took a moment to study them. The eldest, Elwin, at fifteen-years-old was a perfect mix of his parents, having Clive's dark, feathered hair with natural silver highlights and blue-gray eyes; there was a slight stubble along his sharp jawline. Next to him was his sister, Marleigh, who (at twelve) was her mother in miniature, bearing her soft, delicate features and long silvery hair, though she had Clive's blue eyes. Finally, there was their youngest: Byron. Named for his great uncle, their youngest son physically resembled Clive the closest, though he had his mother's gray eyes.
The older man turned towards the television, sipping his coffee, observing for a moment the game they played. Eikonoklasm (so it was written on the box), where warriors battled monsters before turning on each other, was quite a popular game among the younger generation. While Clive didn't really approve of the game's encouragement of fighting, he didn't mind its promotion of teamwork. The game mode the three were playing was against one of the great monsters on the box art; a hulking giant made of stone, whose hideous face bore an open maw, revealing hideously yellow teeth. Each of the children was a warrior battling the behemoth (wardens, if he recalled correctly); Elwin played a shadowy warrior with spikes and flames across their body, Marleigh was playing as a female warrior, whose skin and hair was as white as freshly fallen snow, while Byron played a warrior clad in knight's armor and carried a long, black blade.
Clive stood over the sofa, sipping his coffee, fully aware that his children did not yet know his presence. He watched them play, listening to their coordinated talk, as Elwin performed an fiery, acrobatic display that opened up his sister to barrage her target with icicles, which in turn allowed their brother to perform an attack that struck multiple times in a single swing. Shaking his head with an amused smile, at last he said:
"Alright, you three?"
"Good morning, daddy" said Marleigh, pausing the game so she could curl her arms around his neck. The boys both regarded him with smiles and a chipper greeting of "Morning dad."
"Up for a spot of breakfast, then?"
The kids nodded vigorously. Making his way into the kitchen, Jill looked up from her news article "Would you like a hand, dear?"
"No need to worry, darling" said Clive, pulling the various utensils he needed out onto the counter "I've got this well in hand."
And so, Clive set to work, tossing a small knob of butter into a frying pan and pouring a small amount of oil onto a flat top. Then, the dark-haired man turned his attention to cracking eggs into a large, plastic mixing bowl, watching as ten amber yolks slid onto a liquidus mass. A pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper later, Clive caught himself humming as he mixed the eggs together, watching as the bowl became filled with a golden mixture. Turning back towards the stovetop, the flat top smoking ever so slightly. Ripping open the packaging, he placed several sausages onto the iron, where the merry sizzling and smoking mixed with the smell of cooking meat.
Opening the plastic packaging, Clive placed five slices of bread onto the slots of the massive toaster before pressing down on the handle and twisting the timer to four minutes. Turning his attention to the frying pan, which filled the room with the sound and smell of sizzling, foaming, melted butter. Pouring the egg mixture into the pan, Clive abandoned the bowl and began to slowly stir the eggs with a spatula, slowly turning the sausages as he worked.
"Need any help, dad?"
DING! Almost as if on cue, the timer on the toaster sounded, sending the bread flying upward with a small pop. Clive smiled sardonically at his firstborn son, tossing another bit of butter amongst the curds.
"You can butter the toast, if you like. Then mind the sausages, would you?"
Father and son set to work, Clive continuing to stir the eggs gently, watching as they slowly formed into shimmering, pillowy clouds. There was a clattering of glasses and plates as Jill set the table. Whisking the hot pan from the stove, the older man deftly began to section the eggs in five separate portions, swiftly doling them out onto each of the plates; Elwin followed closely behind him, placing a pair of shimmering, golden-brown sausages next to them.
"Marleigh, Byron" called Jill, pouring orange juice into a glass "breakfast!"
The television turned off at once as brother and sister raced to the table, each taking a seat on the long wooden bench. Clive smiled pleasantly at the clatter of forks on plates; he himself had quickly set about pouring kibble into a bowl for Torgal, who happily joined the rest of the family for breakfast.
"Dis iz ree-wee goo'" said Byron thickly, his mouth full of sausage and eggs. He swallowed deeply, shrinking slightly at the disapproving look his mother was giving him "sorry mum."
"Still, eat up" rumbled Clive, adding a liberal amount of jam to his toast "we've got a big day ahead of us."
"The only thing I want to do," said Elwin, grimacing towards his father "is avoid Judge Kupka as much as possible."
Clive nearly choked on his food in an attempt to stifle the snort of laughter that escaped him, however, though he couldn't deny the truth of the boy's words. Judge Hugo Kupka, their next door neighbor, had despised the Rosfields for as long as he had known them. Clive and Jill had attempted to mend bridges many times with him and his wife, Benedickta, though it seemed no matter what they tried, they chose to remain a nuisance to all their neighborhood. Choosing to vacation in the same spot, however unknowing, proved to be yet another source of contention between them.
"Not only that" said Marleigh, worriedly "I don't want to be cornered by Mrs. Kupka and have to hear more about her award winning birds. Seriously, how do those creepy things win anything?!"
"No need to worry about any of that," said Jill, draining the last of her orange juice. "I overheard them at the grocery store. They'll be attending a yoga seminar for the time that they're here. I doubt we'll see much of them."
The kids all laughed, though a look of relief did wash over them. Putting down his empty coffee mug, Clive tapped the table with his hands:
"Right then, plates in the sink. Then brush teeth and get dressed. Elwin, see to it your brother and sister put on sunblock."
Everyone at the table moved at once. After depositing their dishes in the kitchen skin, the kids raced to their room in the upstairs loft to change. Jill moved into the kitchen, pulling out all that she would need to prepare lunches. As Clive moved into the main bedroom, he could hear her calling out to each of the children:
"Elwin, would you like your bread toasted?"
"Please and thanks mum" Elwin's voice called back. Though the dark-haired father smiled at his wife's pointed response of:
"Thank you. Marleigh, would you like the last of the tuna salad or the egg salad?"
"Ooh, the tuna salad. Thank you mama."
"You're welcome dear. Byron, would you like mayonnaise with your chicken and ham?"
"Yes ma'am. Oh, and mustard, please."
"And mustard. Clive?" called Jill "would you like the leftover bacon for your sandwich?"
"Yes, please. Thank you darling."
Stepping into the sconce lit bathroom, Clive swiftly pulled off his running clothes and replaced them with a pair of black swim trunks. Running hot water in the sink, he quickly prepared himself for the day.
"Dad" called Elwin from the door, "we're ready when you and mum are."
"Has your mother finished making lunches?"
"Finishing up now, I think."
"Then tell Marleigh and Byron they're on clean up duty. If there is any complaining, tell them the faster they finish, the faster we can go."
The fifteen-year-old exited the room, grinning. Reaching for the bottle of suntan lotion, he began to swiftly apply it to all parts of his body. A moment later he heard the loud groaning to his two younger children, followed promptly by Jill's sharp response of:
"Now, now, none of that."
A moment later, he could hear the sound of running water and the clattering of dishes being washed. Jill entered the room a moment later, Clive had to give himself a shake not to stare as she changed into her swimsuit, a one-piece of deepest navy-blue.
"Clive? Darling, would you like me to get your back?"
Clive nodded, offering her the sunscreen. Fire and ice erupted across his body at her touch, her hands skating gently over his body as she spread the lotion across his back and shoulders. Pouring a handful of the pallid cream into the palm of his hand, Clive turned towards his wife, watching as she pulled her long silver hair around her shoulder, exposing her bare back to him. He started at the shoulders, his fingers caressing her slender form as he applied the lotion. As his hands glided down her sides, Clive arched his neck downward, brushing hers with his lips. Jill rolled her head backward, cushioned by his shoulder, a moan of pleasure escaping from her.
But the moment was not to last, the pair were brought crashing back to reality at young Byron's call: "Mum, Dad, the dishes are done and—what are you doing?"
Clive and Jill laughed as they parted, the dark-haired man pulling on a T-shirt and the silvery haired woman wrapping herself up in a white cover up. Ruffling his son's hair, the older man led his family out of the cottage.
~o0o~
Despite his initial belief from his morning run, the day turned out to be perfect. A warm sun smiled down on the waters of the lake, and the breeze was gentle and relaxing. On a day like this, it would have been criminal to have spent it indoors. Clive eased the truck to a halt before throwing it into park, and the five Rosfield's leapt out; Elwin made for the back, opening the tailgate, allowing Torgal to jump down.
The beach was already filled with people, adults littering the many tables and adirondack chairs while the normally blue lake turned white from the splashing and playing of the multitude of swimmers already in the water. Clive knew, in fact was inwardly dreading, that they would be a part of that. But today was not that day. Today, they had rented some watercraft and would be spending the day out on the lake.
With Torgal at his side and the heavy cooler in hand, Clive led his family towards the rental shack, providing the attendant with his ID and a credit card. The attendant, a young blond woman, offered a word of thanks and a smile, assuring him that their rentals would be brought around shortly.
The brothers each ripped off their shirts in collective excitement, the opposing tones of Elwin's wiry form and flaming red trunks clashing equally with Byron's thin frame and black and blue stripes. Marleigh, on the other hand, stripped off the blouse and short combination she'd worn over her own blue one-piece, the resemblance to her mother becoming even more striking.
It was something he was learning to handle, especially now that the kids were growing up. Though a sense of pride swelled him as girls stared slavishly at the boys, double standards kept a firm grip on him as members of the opposite sex practically drooled at his daughter…and even his wife.
"Don't these people have anything better to do than ogle?" He growled indignantly, his eyebrows furrowed fiercely. A soothing hand on his shoulder, quickly abated his rising temper, and he turned to see Jill standing with a patient smile.
"Relax, darling. Besides, we aren't the only ones being looked at."
Following her gesture as she pointed with her chin, the dark-haired man found that she was, indeed, correct. Many women, some of whom sat together in groups though most with men he assumed to either be their spouses or some other such significant other, eyed him with particular hungry desire. A laugh escaped him, the realization of how ridiculous he was being striking him at that moment. Smiling playfully at his wife, he said:
"No need to worry, I'm off the market."
"So long as you know that" replied Jill, with a light but firm pat to his rear.
"Mr. Rosfield?" said the blonde attendant "your rentals are ready."
Following her around, he saw them. Three gold-colored jet skis, each with highlights and seating of jet black, sat tantalizingly at the end of the dock. After strapping on their life jackets, Elwin and Marleigh quickly commandeered one, while Byron gently eased himself onto another, offering his mother a hand as she boarded, sitting down behind him. The attendant helped him load the cooler into the front compartment, before Clive himself hopped aboard the third. Taking hold of the dock, he held the craft steady as Torgal too leapt on, angling his wolfish body across the rear seat and his feet diagonal in the footwells.
"Ready boy?" asked Clive, giving the hound a scratch behind the ears. Torgal replied with a confident and excited bark.
Placing the key onto the engine cutoff, the electronics on the jetski popped to life with an energetic beep. Pressing down onto the ignition button, the starter rolled over lazily before suddenly blazing to life, the watercraft tugging forward with great expectation.
"Ready everyone?" Clive called as the other's roared to life. Taking hold of Torgal's lifejacket, he pulled back on the throttle. The wind whipped through his hair as the watercraft took off like a shot; he could faintly hear Torgal barking over the roaring in his ears. Motion to his right quickly gained his attention; he watched as Jill easily kept pace with him, Byron holding tightly to her shouting "Woo-hoo!"
The dark-haired man hardly had a chance to look as something small and fast sped past him. Elwin had pinned down the throttle and was racing across the water at top speed; Marleigh held up the wireless speaker, which blared a loud, popular rock song. The lyrics gave way to a powerful, swelling drumbeat, the chorus ringing out loud as Elwin steered the Jet Ski into a passing wave, sending brother and sister into the air. Marleigh laughed and cheered as they touched back down in the water and sped off with a great splash. Elwin's voice carried as he sang, his sister singing an equally loud back-up. Steering the watercraft slightly right, the siblings cut across Jill and Byron, showering them in a heavy spray.
Drenched, mother and son exchanged looks as they shot forward, the silver-haired woman inching closer and closer to her older children. She gave a great cry of "Now" as she yanked on the steering column and mother and son threw their weight to one side. The jetski turned sharply, sending a wide spray of water towards them. However, Elwin yanked his own steering column in the opposite direction, evading the splash that Clive was unable to escape from.
A fierce and heavy wave swept over him, Clive letting go of the throttle so that he could keep himself and Torgal from being thrown off, droplets of water stinging his arms and face as they bombarded him. As water finally began to settle, the jetski rocking back and forth violently, Clive gave himself a shake, water flying from his sodden hair; however, another wave of cold washed over him as Torgal shook himself too.
"Clive, are you alright?" asked Jill worriedly, bringing her craft around. Elwin and Marleigh slid up next, each with an equal cry of "You okay, dad?"
"It's alright" he said, pacifyingly easing their concerned looks "we just need to be careful next time. Alright?"
The four Rosfields nodded in agreement. But a challenging grin formed on the man's face as he pressed down hard on the throttle, steering hard to the right. The jetski took off in an instant, spraying his wife and children in the same deluge he had undergone. Clive laughed as his soaking wet family members laughed, revving their engines and zooming off behind him.
Suddenly, his stomach gave a treacherously loud rumble, and immediately the burly man began looking for a place to stop. Spotting a nearby island, devoid of any other presence, Clive gestured to the others to make for it. Steering towards it, he brought the jetski to a stomach lurching coast as he let go of the throttle; punching his finger onto the ignition switch, the motor cut out altogether as the watercraft drifted into the sandy shallows. Pushing it up further onto the beach, water lapped over his shins and knees as the others landed next to him. Pulling the cooler from the front compartment, he led the group to a nearby picnic table.
Opening up the cooler, Clive drank deeply from the bottle of sweet tea, marked for him, before quickly doling out sandwiches, drinks, and bags of chips to his wife and children. Nestling down onto the bench next to his daughter, Clive bit down onto his sandwich and instantly became lost in a whirlwind of delicious flavors; the crispness of the lettuce playing wonderfully with the saltiness of the bacon and the sweet juiciness of the tomato.
He smiled as he listened to Marleigh talk about her brothers driving as she washed down her tuna salad with a drink from the lemonade can. Jill, sipping at her bottle of green tea (a slice of egg salad in her hand), stared reproachfully at the boys, who sprayed her in a shower of chicken, ham, and sweet and spicy potato chips as they talked about how good their food was.
SPLASH!
Five heads turned simultaneously, spotting a large ripple in the water at the foot of a large rock face, where Torgal was swimming with an enthusiastic bark. Licking the last of his sandwich from his fingers, Byron rushed over to the spot and looked straight down.
"Hey" he called, a grin forming on his face "I think it's deep enough to jump here!"
Without another word, Byron took off like a shot and pitched himself over the rockface. Curling his small body into a tight ball, the four watched as he sailed through the air, before vanishing into the water in a great, white splash. Clive cheered with the rest of his family as the boy resurfaced, spluttering and smiling.
"THAT…WAS AWESOME! WHO'S NEXT?!"
Much to his surprise, Clive watched as Marleigh stepped up next, trembling nervously as she approached the rockface. He watched her, anticipation swelling up inside, as she nervously paced back and forth, knowing that heights were not her strong suit. However, with a look of great determination, he watched as she mustered her courage and leapt off the rock. She hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity before plummeting towards the water. Keeping her legs and body straight, she hit the water without much of a splash, but she resurfaced to the cheers of her family, smiling proudly.
Elwin stood up without a moment's hesitation. With the same unflinching courage as his siblings, he took off at a run and threw himself into the air, pulling his left knee into his chest and extending the right into a perfect jackknife. Brother and sister cheered as their elder sibling crashed into the water with a great splash.
"Alright, Dad" called Elwin "your turn!"
"Yeah, c'mon dad"
"You can do it daddy!"
Exchanging looks with Jill, who gave him an encouraging nod, Clive took one final sip of his tea before moving towards the rockface. Taking off into a short jog, he pushed off the edge, leaning back into a perfect backflip before landing in a wet, reed-filled world. He resurfaced, shaking water from his hair, his kids laughing heartily.
Jill stepped up to the rock face, her arms held wide, legs and back straight, and a concentrated look on her face. Pushing off with her toes, she bent her waist so that her legs met her chest. At the zenith of her jump, she curled her arms around her straight knees, she rolled her body forward once, twice, before straightening her body into a perfect dive, landing into the water with hardly a splash. Clive joined his children in applauding her as she resurfaced, pinching her nose.
"Right then, what's—?" but his sentence was cut short by the sudden occupation of water in his mouth and nose. Clive turned and stared, dumbfounded, at Marleigh, who wore a face of mischievous amusement; before he could say anything, Jill's hand moved like a flash and gave the dark-haired man another face-full of water.
"Oh that's it!" he said calmly, his lips barely able to contain the chuckles before shooting his arms up out of the water and showering both girls in a light rain. Jill laughed again as she turned away and slapped the water again, missing her husband and giving their daughter a mouthful, which was then ejected and spraying Elwin down the front. In retaliation, the dark-haired youth blindly connected his fingers and squeezed twice; it flew higher than it should have, and sailed way over Marleigh's head, and hit his brother with two small blasts of water.
"WHOOSH!"
Wetness and pressure side-swiped him and filled his earlobe; remembering the boys were still in as well, Clive filled his lungs and thrust his head under the water. It was an awkward and, mostly, unhelpful move, but he could feel the cool of their splashes hitting his back instead of his head, so he could get back orientation and strategy. Pulling up with a roaring gasp, he flung his arms upward; the right-hand splash was deflected by Marleigh's hand, though it could not hide the girl's giggles and the left hand hit Jill square in the eyes.
The whole family let out a loud cry as Torgal leapt into the fray, shaking his furry body and dousing all five in the deluge that followed. All of them laughed as they continued to splash and swim and play, enjoying each other's company.
~o0o~
The family returned to the cottage just as the sky was beginning to turn orange from the setting sun. After showers and dressing, they sat together at the table playing cards as Clive paid the delivery driver and placed dinner on the table. The resort had excellent restaurants, at least one of which they would patronize before they left. But after a long day on the lake, pizza from a local pizzeria was exactly what was needed. Their specialty, a large sectioned into five individual toppings, provided an excellent meal. Clive watched with a genuine smile on his face, munching on a slice of anchovies and mushrooms, as his sons argued over who had the better toppings (Elwin's pepperoni and green peppers to Byron's sausage and black olives), and laughing as they unanimously agreed that his was the worst. Jill and Marleigh enjoyed their own pleasant conversation, giggling genially as mother enjoyed basil and salami while their daughter bit down onto Canadian bacon and pineapple.
After dinner, Torgal curled up on the couch with the children as they turned on a movie. With Jill having volunteered to do the dishes, Clive had resigned himself to the deck, settling himself on the outdoor sofa, with a bottle of red wine and a pair of glasses.
For the first time that day, he settled himself in, his muscles relaxed in the gentle evening breeze as he looked out over the water, quietly sipping his drink. Exhaustion scorched through his legs and the comforting combination of a full stomach and the cooling breeze tempted him ever closer to sleep. However, a low rumbling sound quickly gained his attention; he turned to find Jill standing at the door, gently sliding it shut.
Clive leaned forward to pour her a glass of wine. Offering her the glass, Jill smiled coyly at him: "Thank you"
"Are the kids enjoying their movie?"
"They are," said Jill with a playful grin, plopping down onto the sofa next to him "from behind their eyelids."
Both parents chuckled; Clive curling his arm around her shoulders and the sound of ringing glass as his wineglass tapped against her own "Cheers, love."
For a long time, neither of them said anything…neither really needed to. They simply enjoyed each other's presence and the relaxing stillness as the sky faded from orange to purple, the glassy surface of the water being its perfect mirror.
Shifting his gaze, blue eyes slowly met with orbs of sterling silver. Clive smiled at her, his best friend, the mother of his children, the love of his life. Leaning in close, he brushed his lips against her own, soft and warm; he could feel Jill arch her chin upward, deepening the kiss. In that moment, the pair became lost in each other, nothing else at all mattered to either of them, save for the taste of the others lips.
It really was the perfect end to a perfect day.
About a year ago, while I've been on hiatus for Shadows of the Forgotten, I fell in love with Final Fantasy XVI. I knew I wanted to write a fic about it, but I've been waiting for the inspiration to hit me. While I was writing A Dream for a Better Tomorrow, I also had an idea for an AU set in a more modern day environment. For me, the biggest appeal to it is keeping the overarching theme for FFXVI intact and allow the characters to gain their happiness by being reborn into a new world (stealing a little from LR:FFXIII). However, while I really liked the idea, I was so deep into writing the first one that I just decided: post both, see which one lands better. So, here we are. But anyway, I hope you guys liked it, don't forget to drop me a review, and I hope you have a great day.