⠀ ⠀ Golden strands curl around his face, wet and cold. He is soaked from a sudden burst of dark clouds, rain falling from the ends of his hair like crimson pearls from the tip of his fingers. It washes it away, the blood, but red is a stubborn colour.

|| this weird app eating Anya’s replies again. I am mad. >:(

⠀ ⠀The rain has yet to stop, has yet to let blighted ground absorb water into dead soil. At this rate, his shelter will break—flood—before the storm finds its end.

⠀ ⠀ He’s made it into bed. Finally.

|| trying to catch up with outstanding replies on Cloud today, so plan is to catch up here today or tomorrow, too. Sorry for the absence. Anyone who doesn’t know me yet, I’m real bad at dealing with bad news and tend to just… poof 😅

|| h i. I’m still alive if anyone else is. Things have taken a downward turn ( just a ✨little✨) from my initial thought of irl calming down eventually, but I’m going to try and be more active across accounts again soon. :< I miss him.

|| I have finally managed to play the DLC, and maybe (maaaybe) once I’ve caught up with replies on Cloud, I’ll try and bring back my Phoenix boy. 🤭

Joshua is pretty sure he is older than her, but she has kind eyes and a safe little bar. Not mich to complain there.

Perhaps she should invite him first, talk to him over a drink and decide then.

Will nights ever be kind to him?

No. He’ll pay for her trouble. It is only fair. Her words are permission enough to finally peek inside, walk through the doors and sit in a more. . . quite corner of the bar.

Lifting his gaze, Joshua meets his brother’s eyes. A warm smile on his lips, he pretends to inspect his hands. “I would assume so,” he teases, “unless my body deceives me.”

⚜ ࿐ ➻𝕱𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃. ⚜

His smile falters then, almost afraid to step closer. Afraid to feel intricately created walls of strength crumble in the presence of his lost brother. “Everywhere and nowhere, I suppose.” A story that would take weeks if not months to tell. “At least, you look well.”

He sinks onto a chair, giving Tifa a small smile. “Joshua. Nice to meet you.”

“Lost all this time, and you’re already going to leave me to my own devices?” There is still a tease in his voice, and yet his eyes wander to regard the Hideaway for a moment. “Show me around, why don’t you?”

With a tilt of his head, Joshua regards the menu and then shakes his head. “My sincere apologies. I’m not from here, and I doubt it is wise to indulge in alcohol at a place as strange as this. You wouldn’t happen to have a drink that will keep me of right mind?”

“Lemonade?” A drink Joshua is not sure he’s heard of before. Cheek sinking against his knuckles, he lifts his eyes from the menu before him. “I’d love to try that.”