IM ON A BOAT MUTHAFUCKA DONT YOU EER FORGET

[backwater]

[ FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS: look up some old friends. This is a weird and wild new world and even if Zack isn't certain what his place in the grand scheme of things is supposed to be (except NOT DEAD, RENO), well, friends are the perfect place to start! They're the only home he's ever needed anyway. Fuck off with your Shinra shit, he's going through old Tinder matches and on-the-lam connects, reacquainting and reuniting, and it's just such a grand old affair. What a time to be alive. (Reno.)

And then he remembers these girls. Fires off a text, and wouldn't you know it? They're hosting a yacht party and asking if he can bring some cute friends. And can he. Time to dash out a mass text to all 104 friends he has in this world:

ayyyyyy yacht party! get here quick, were goin to costa!! 🌞🍸👙
🌐 Tap here to view Zack Fair's location

The yacht picks them up in Greater Midgar and there are plenty of babes and beverages to go around for the (too-short, wtf) ride over to Costa del Sol. But once they're there, it's all rum runners and bikinis and cookouts, motherfucker. The yacht will remain docked close-by, just in case you need to puke your guts out in the loo or make good use of the lush cabin space, but c'mon. Almost all of you are pale as fuck get some Vitamin D from somewhere other than Rufus, you cocksuckers.

Anyway. Enjoy! ]

Comments

cloud strife ( advent children ) | ota

[realia]

[ Cloud didn't pay attention to the invite. He has no idea why he's even on a boat. How does he keep winding up at parties? He doesn't want to party. He just wants a nap. Somehow he winds up surrounded by people again and there's alcohol again and the universe doesn't make sense again and all he can do is find a quiet corner to go be motion sick in because once he's on he can't get off. Sorry if you happen to be nearby him barfing.

Later, when they get there, well... at least he's familiar with Costa. He can't very well deal with being here when he's this overdressed, he can't stand the damn heat, and somewhere along the line someone bullies him into a reasonable pair of blue chocobo-print swim trunks, so at least there's that. He's pale as the goddamn moon at this point and just finds a palm tree to sit and sulk under, his arms folded across his chest. There's an umbrella drink stuck in the sand next to him, untouched. He doesn't dare drink anything anyone gives him. Not after, ugh, last time (Rufus).

Still, for as sulky and determined to sit all by his lonesome as Cloud seems to be, he also looks... oddly relaxed by the sight of all the frolicking and merrymaking going on further down the beach. It's just nice to see people he recognizes having a nice time. They all need it, all things considered. Just, y'know, evidently not him. ]



[ Sike. Catch him later in the early evening at a cabana by the water, buzzed and a little sunburned drinking out of a coconut and plowing through shrimps like they're going extinct tomorrow. He's, like, surrounded by muscley dudes in speedos and doesn't even seem the least bit phased about it. It's cool. These are his homies. They're discussing the merits of snowboarding versus surfing. Cloud is pro-snowboard. It's a lively topic. ]

[backwater]

[ Chad and Brad start getting rowdy real quick:

"Nah, bro, no thrill like catchin' RAD BARRELS, my dude!!"

"Akaw brah, makin' snow angels don't got shit on the ridin' a gnarly-ass bomb into the sunset, brah."

D-Rad interjects, "Like, I'm so stoked on the fact that we're even havin' this convo, bruhvenor? Like, you can't even wear sandals in the snow? How's a rude dude s'posed to flash his sweet 'cure, my man?"

Obviously, Cloud needs backup here. Zack slides in like Tom Cruise in Risky Business, jostling Thad out of the semi-circle forming around his brocobo here, sunflower shorts fluttering in the wind. Flips his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose and gives the opposing team a thousand yard stare. He's got your back, Cloud. This is what bros are for. (He actually likes surfing better.) ]

Some boys just ain't built for the slopes. Ain't that right, Cloud?

[realia]

[ Cloud's not out to debate which one is better. Snowboarding is factually better. Cloud's idea of arguing is to simply say No, wrong and then keep eating shrimps as if he may actually die if he stops. There is a pile of tails so high it's honestly embarrassing, but you know what, brosephone? He needs it. He's lost weight. He was sick. There was a storm.

There is a storm. And that storm is the look on Cloud's face when Zack slides into the cabana next to him as if nothing is wrong. He drops the shrimp tail in his hands and stares, open mouthed, eyes round as the perfectly spherical coconut complete with straw stabbed in the hole thingy that he has been drinking this fruity little shooter out of with all these incredibly swole surfer dudes.

If this had been just a few days earlier, he would've assumed he just died. Like, succumbed to his illness and gave up the ghost and died. But then he actually did die, and he heard Zack's voice, saw him smile from the doorway of the church and wave goodbye. Letting him go. Or rather, allowing Cloud to let him go, instead. It was a peaceful moment, and much needed. It was just time, y'know? To let go of him. And her.

And now here he is.

Duuuuude, comments one of the many homies who don't in fact have his back, you're gonna catch mad flies in your gaper, broseidon!!

Somehow Cloud understands that gibberish enough to shut his yap. And stare some more, before he opens it again, haltingly. ]

... Zack? Am I—I'm drunk again, aren't I? Shit.

[ That's the only answer. ]

[sefirot]

[The next time Cloud finds himself mostly alone and turns around, Sephiroth will be standing there. Still and silently as the manifestation that brought him here. No weapon in hand, he doesn't really need it at the moment.

Unless Cloud jumps immediately into aggression, and well -- he can always call it forth. But hopefully the blond won't wish to endanger the lives around him and they can keep this civil for now.

Cloud is actually the only reason he came to this party, mostly anyway. There's certainly other people he wishes to speak with. After his conversation with Zack there's more he needs to figure out about the possibilities for the future.

Which is why he's here bugging him now actually.]

Cloud.

[realia]

[ This is starting to really irritate him. I mean, besides the fact that it's Sephiroth and he won't just leave him to wallow in peace, but that's a given. No, it's the part where he can sense him. That's not really anything new, either, but it's irksome to have fought so hard only to immediately sense that presence before it appears. It leaves him on edge, expecting it to happen at any given moment—and then it does, and there's this goddamn parasite that won't leave him alone.

Cloud's really in no state for a fight. Swimsuit and lack of a sword won't stop him from slamming Sephiroth down and fighting him bare handed if he really has to, but it's... not a great look, yeah. Imagine living a life where you can never dress down or go without your weapons, because. This. It's enough to drive somebody crazy.

But he's sane for now at least. He clenches his fists, but there's no look of pure, vitriolic hatred right away. Just frustration. He's got eyes, he can see Sephiroth doesn't have his sword, either, but that doesn't really mean anything in the long run. He'd never expect Sephiroth to want to just talk, unless it's to torment him, but... ]

What now.

Can this be sometime after Cloud rolls around with Zack?

[unbridled_strength]

"Cloud?" calls a soft, familiar voice, from not too far away. Tifa is there, looking a little tan, all over (the wonders a good amount of sunscreen and a bikini will do), and also a bit...happy? Unsure? Hopeful? Some kind of mix, of all that.

Now, she does know it's him. The hair is a dead give away. But things are strange, and people's memories aren't as they should be. For a given value of 'should be'. So she's a little cautious, of how he might receive her. Still she moves towards him, because that's always her direction. Always has been. Tifa's compass always points to Cloud.

yes ABSOLUTELY

[realia]

It's been a strange day. A—a really good day, in fact. Cloud's not sure of the last time he was able to describe any day he's had as a good day. Ever since the Geostigma... ever since the Forgotten City... ever since Nibelheim... ever since he was born? God, he's such a sad sack. His friends tell him all the time. But his friends are why he's not, too. Case in point: he's not today. At least, he isn't anymore. He's in the sort of mood, sitting there by himself in his silly trunks reflecting in a secluded part of the beach, that when he looks up at the sound of his name, he smiles softly right away at the sight of who it is. She doesn't even have to work for it.

The thing is... he can tell she's not the same one he knows. She's so—he doesn't know how to explain what. Young? Gentler? And the way she wears her hair, the hesitation in her eyes as she approaches... he just knows. He's figured out about time and fate since he got here already, so it's not a big surprise. What are her memories, he wonders? What hasn't she been through? What burdens can he help ease off her shoulders? He was always such a pigheaded little shit about not doing a very good job at that. He could at least try to now.

"Hey," he answers, and waves her over. Gestures to a spot on the towel next to him. It's a pretty big towel, at least. "There's room."

Rude | Open

[goons]

A. Sunscreen
[It felt strange to be here while this wasn't officially a vacation. May as well have been with all the weird shit going on. There were multiples of himself and others walking around, and Rude was sure it would take some time until there was some kind of normalcy again in terms of work. In the meanwhile he supposes making a whole trip out of the beach party invitation wasn't a bad idea, and they could keep tags on Zack and the sort of people he attracts.

Rude packed the car full of Turks (and maybe Rufus) and they did their best to appear casual once they got to Costa del Sol. Reno definitely had the easiest time while Rude set up a spot on the beach to position two umbrellas together for optimum shade, laid out a massive blanket and finally sat himself down on one end.]

You can't go out there like that. Let me put some sunscreen on your back.

B. Massages
[Rude is laid back in the shade not doing anything but observing the activities of everyone else. It's hard to get out of work mode, but maybe he just needs a distraction? Or cover to continue playing the part of a tourist rather than someone who wants nothing more than to drive by his childhood home to see if he can see anyone without going inside. No, that was too masochistic, even for him.

Obviously the solution is to keep his hands busy since fun is not on his list of things he knows how to do.]

You look stiff. Let me give you a massage.

B

[unbridled_strength]

[She was actually in the middle of stretching, when she heard a deep voice behind her. She turns, and is immediately surprised, by who it is.]

It's you.

[Reno's partner. Though he looks, much less buttoned up this time. And much like with Reno, she isn't defensive or hostile. She recalls that he barely laid a have on her, back in the fight for the plate.]

It's Rude, right?

[goons]

[What better way is there to get to know what people are up to than speak with them under the disguise of providing a generous service. All he had to do was steer the conversation towards other--oh fuck.

Tifa approaches and immediately his face heats up as though he were sitting in direct sunlight and not enjoying the breeze from the shade. Rude opens his mouth to speak, but words fail him and he just kind of blinks at her for a while. Rude? Right, that was his name. Even in a bikini her eyes were so warm he couldn't look away from them to appreciate the rest of her.]

I..Yes. Tifa you...are. [He takes a breath and tries again.] You must be Tifa.

B 👀

[redlines]

<sub>[Stiff? He's not stiff! Just... nervous! Yeah, nervous. Except Roche has only been nervous three times in his life; The first time he'd gotten his bike up somewhere it shouldn't have been, when he hotwired a motorcycle belonging to a Shinra soldier in Junon, and in the labs back at HQ. A little text message from someone he hadn't heard from in years definitely wouldn't make him nervous, but that's a big fat lie.

Good luck getting him to admit that one, though.

Distractions were always good, and since he didn't dare take Delilah out on the beach? Spending time around the Turks was a very, very good alternative. Roche didn't know them nearly as well as he'd like, but he knows they're fun. Much more fun than his fellow Thirds and Public Security.]</sub>

Far be it from me to be discourteous to decline an offer like that.

_{[And hey, it has been a hot minute since Roche has really had a chance to loosen up properly.]}

[goons]

[The guy was clearly with SOLDIER, but his name rank and details were largely unfamiliar to him. So Rude dismisses him as harmless. He might have recognized him with the bike because there were only so many men that fit Roche's description. In a way he was popular--but not for any of the better reasons.

Rude gestures casually to the blanket laid out. He wouldn't give him much information on Avalanche, but he would still follow through with his offer for a massage. Maybe he would know something about all of the madness going on here. Why there were multiples of some people, and why Zack was still alive with a better set of abs than he had. Well, maybe not the latter.]

Have we met before? You seem familiar.

[A lie, but it might break the ice while he oils his bare hands.] Face down, please.

A bc i'm a rebel

[electroburst]

[ Appear casual? Yep, Reno's all over that. Casual as can be in his skimpy little swimsuit, sporting a fancy new scar. Honestly, he's not exactly hot for a party right now, but there's just no saying no to a vacation at the beach. Especially given, y'know, current events. There's a whole lot of good reason to just check the fuck out right now and do whatever they feel like. I mean, is it even really a vacation if your bosses are there, too? Like can't he just chill with Rude and literally everyone else on the planet can just fuck off?? No??? Okay well whatever then, yacht party it is.

Trouble is, Reno burns like a crispy critter at even the suggestion of harsh sunlight, so he probably should just stay under the umbrella forever. Not that he's going to. He's all set to hit up the cabanas and be as trashy as he can be to compensate for not wanting to do anything, because that makes sense, naturally as woefully underprepared as ever. When Rude stops him, he clearly forgot all about that magic thing called sunscreen. ]

Oh, yeah. Yeah, go ahead.

[ fuck the cabanas lmao just sitting right back down on that towel. ]

B

[ambitiousblond]

That would be nice.

[Rufus had yet another glass of some colorful drink with an umbrella in hand as he sat in front of Rude on the towel without hesitation.

The bite mark on his neck had mostly faded by now but Rufus hadn't made any attempt to hide it. He had no regrets about what had happened in the bar and he refused to make it something that made things awkward between them.]

It's nice out here. I've only ever been out here once before and I was too young to appreciate it then.

fuck ur prompts!!!!!!!!!! omg i dont mean that theyre wonderful im so sorry

[beenhad]

[ Yeah... no. Tseng isn't going to your stupid yacht party. Not because he's been awake for over 24 hours now, most of which was spent staring blankly into space as his thoughts succumbed to static and his will to live bled from him much like Reno bled and bled and bled until he died. That's not the reason. It's because he's too cool for parties.

So this is just a phone call. He figures he should call instead of text; even if he can't think right now, some rules are just ingrained in your head, you know? So ring-ring, muthafucka. ]

rufus | ota

[ambitiousblond]

[Thankfully it hadn't taken much convincing to be taken along with the Turks to the beach that day. It would be a day where he could lay out in the sun and just enjoy himself. Approach him with actual work-related issues at your own risk.

He decided to wear a pair of white slacks and an untucked white button-up shirt with the top three buttons actually undone- it's about as casual as he knows how to dress. He even completed the look with a pair of large sunglasses. See, normal.

He wasn't going to go in the water- being wet and covered in sand and who knew what else didn't sound like fun to him. Instead, he decided to park himself on a beach chair under a large umbrella, a colorful iced drink with an umbrella in his hand most of the time. Whenever he held out his hand for another drink, one seemed to magically appear- one of the advantages of being Rufus Shinra, it seemed.

[electroburst]

[ Yeah those drinks??? Are Reno on drink duty. He's been out and about long enough to fill a cooler full of shit and grab enough snacks to last him awhile and has stayed basically in the same spot the Turks all parked themselves since they arrived. He'll go out again later, he doesn't intend to babysit Rufus all day, he just. Doesn't feel like going anywhere right now. And since he's here, and this bitch keeps acting like the drinks are magically self-replenishing from some mystical fountain of alcohol, Reno decides not to ruin the illusion and just keeps making them. He stopped trying to make them good a long time ago, just to fuck with Rufus, but he hasn't seemed to notice. So that's fun.

That last one he hands over is all they've got left, though. ]

Well, you've officially plowed through all the vodka basically on your lonesome. Congrats, boss.

[unbridled_strength]

[So when he holds out his hand for that next drink, well it's not a tropical concoction in a coconut with an umbrella, that he gets. No it's a face full of water, from a moderately pressured water gun. You know, the big kind that you need to pump like a shot gun.

Needless to say his nice white shirt is pretty soaked too. Whoops.

Of course, Tifa is just laughing into her hand. So this is what catharsis is like! She likes it.]

roche | ota

[redlines]

<sub>[The message alone had been enough to pique his curiosity, but it had also left Roche with a feeling of unease and frazzled nerves. The name kept echoing in the back of his mind throughout the entire trip (as short as it was), and it continued long after the boat had touched shore. And if Roche was honest with himself? For the first time in a good, long time, he isn't sure how to confront any of it.

So he doesn't.

At least he'd been able to get Delilah on the boat, and even found a quaint little spot in town to park her. Normally, he'd take her out for a spin to work some of that nervous energy off, but the beach wasn't the best place to let the engine roar and rage. Sand wouldn't agree with the big gal, and if she didn't deserve her own little vacation, then who did? There were plenty of other ways to get that energy out, and while Roche himself hasn't set foot in Costa since the early days of his basic training all those years ago, that's what the locals were here for.




Which is why later on in the day, Roche can be caught anywhere after some of the locals had gotten their hands on him with a drink of some sort dangling from his fingertips. He'd gone from that stuffy Third class uniform to a more comfortable pair of blue hibiscus-print trunks, if only to match the same white, red and yellow flowers that sat in his hair that had been braided by said locals over his shoulder. They didn't have to convince Roche to do that, though. If anything, he encouraged it.



Unfortunately for everyone else, that peace doesn't last throughout the night because as it gets darker? There's a distant roar of an engine - not Delilah, thank gods - laughter, and a crash coming from the harbor port. If anyone feels bold enough to investigate for themselves? They'll find Roche and a dirt bike of some sort, both perched on top of roof of the lighthouse. See?! Roche told them he could get up there! And if it's someone he recognizes, then that's all the more reason for Roche to whistle for their attention. Hello, down there!]</sub>

[backwater]

[ Yeah, uh, what the fuck is that? The sound of a mean-ass hog miraculously ascending a lighthouse is enough to draw Zack out of the yacht cabin. The picture he's seeing here doesn't quite resolve itself immediately. He just can't believe his eyes.

So now he's stepping closer to this wild fucking scene. Barefoot, sex hair, hastily replaced bathing trunks, just strolling down the street. It's a real great look for a tearful reunion. And then there's that whistle—

No way.

Zack whistles back. Waves his arms in the air wildly. ]

Roche?! Dude!!

[ Wait. Fuck. No. Uhhh, you're Shinra's most wanted, Zack? Maybe fucking keep that in mind before you go signaling their special forces down. Time to turn around and book it down the street. Roche has a motorcycle to run him down with, so that sucks, but there's no time to think of a better plan. ]

[unbridled_strength]

A.

[Now that she's settled into Beach holiday mode, she's found herself, often, surrounded by other beach goers. Mostly male. So she decides to take advantage of it, in a unique way.

She's at a table, under an awning, with that crowd of dudes. All of which are cheering. It gets louder, and louder, until it crescendos, and another challenger is defeated.

Tifa is arm wrestling. And has gotten a large amount of gil, from the wagers.]

Wanna try your luck?

B.

[Out of no where, someone's getting nailed with a stream of water. And the culprit is Tifa.

There's a cache of water guns, and a big igloo color filled with colorful water balloons. There's a hand made paper sign that says "Take Some! Water Fight!" It doesn't matter where it came from. What matters is Tifa is pumping the pressure valve on her neon squirt gun, ready to take aim again.]

En garde!

C.

[Okay, yes. Eventually she's going to sunbathe. She's got her big towel, and is rubbing sunscreen on herself, in preparation.

But she's got a massive amount of hair, and it's a bit of a bother to work around, when she's trying to do her back. Maybe she could use an extra set of hands?]

[redlines]

<sub>[At some point he had joined the crowd, seemingly content with staying near the back and watching. It had been impressive enough when she'd first started taking people out, but when the last challenger, a stubborn Muscle Head who refused to back down came along, that's when Tifa had Roche's full attention.

The poor man didn't last fifteen seconds, and it earns a low whistle.

He's thoroughly impressed, but he can't help but think there's something a little... off. She wasn't holding back, was she?]</sub>

Why not? I promise I'll put in a good effort.

reno ( ota )

[electroburst]

( a - cabana party )

[ Reno has rented a cabana for himself and His Peeps, which is really basically just everybody here. It was supposed to be just Turks, then it turned out to anyone he considers a friend, then it turned into anyone whose first name he knows, and now it's pretty much just anybody who wanders by and wants a margarita. Or a shrimp cocktail. Or whatever the hell else is going on in there. There's all kinds of shit. They've got a local gal coming and going with drinks and food as fast as they can get it ordered, and she is making absolute bank. If there's one thing a Turk's got too much of, it's money to throw at stupid shit.

Especially Reno, who's lost control of his life and doesn't care what he does anymore. He's dressed in close to absolutely nothing, a black speedo made of the skimpiest fuckin' material ever invented and that is all, fam. Not even the goggles! He's also sporting a really wicked fucking scar, right in the chest (thanks Jeffiroth). He doesn't even bother with showing off; he just naturally has a cocky way about him, like he knows he's being looked at and isn't the least bit bothered. So go ahead and stare.

Anyway he's mostly vegged out on the couch in there, dinking around with a miniature guitar he found somewhere, playing a few chords, maybe a familiar tune or two. He's not... half bad. Come in, help yourself to a drink or some nosh bruh. ]

( b - gay sunset prompt )

[ Late in the evening, when the sun has sunk nice and low on the horizon and the temperature's come down a bit, Reno finally emerges from the safety of his shade to go for a stroll on the beach. He bypasses the water—not a strong swimmer, not a big fan of the ocean, sorry—and heads for the pier to walk along the edge. He's still dressed like an absolute skank, but he's at least thrown on a white button-down, to guard against any errant UV torture, although is it really any help at all if he just leaves it fully unbuttoned and barely draped over his shoulders? Whatever. When he gets to the end of the pier he sits down and lets his legs hang over the edge to admire the sunset.

This would be a nice time for a Meaningful One On One Final Fantasy Moment. Or like, just come up behind him and push him into the water. That'd be better, probably. ]

( c - midnight rendezvous )

[ What, you didn't think he was going to avoid doing trashy shit forever, did you? Late at night, you'll catch Reno coming back from the local tavern looking all kinds of disheveled and also probably pretty drunk, stumbling along and grinning ear to ear with a bottle of some extremely top shelf shit in his arms. Chances are that isn't actually stolen from the bar, but the look on his face can only mean the story of how he came into possession of such fancy liquor is no good all the same. Bump into him, and he'll most likely just cackle under his breath and hold the contraband up indicatively. ]

Check this shit out. Fifty thouuuusand gil. I'mma go to the Gold Saucer 'n smash it on a moogle.

[ Yeah he's FUCKING trashed. ]

c is for chaotic dumbasses

[redlines]

_{[Oh, he can see how trashed Reno is, and that's exactly why when he's close enough? Roche reaches out to steady him by the elbow with a laugh of his own. It's a shame he wasn't in there to see just what sort of trouble Reno got up to, but that's what stories are for, right? ]}

And just how are you going to get there at this hour?

_{[Stupid idea? Definitely a stupid idea, but you know what? Roche is all for stupid ideas.]}

B-cause

[unbridled_strength]

[Tifa has been having a delightful vacation, terrorizing people both intentionally and not. Look, girls just wanna have fun. The song is for real. And Tifa's been having a blast.

And seeing Reno be all moody, sitting on a pier at sunset, like he's in an art film, just begs for her to liven things up for him. She's light as a feather in the dock, in bare feet, so she doesn't make noise as she gets in range.

And then she softball pitches a huge fucking water balloon, right between his shoulders.]