[IC] Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

[DruSM157]

Location:The Laughing Warg Tavern - The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

"Well, if we're discussing money and resources, I guess your brother would be useful as a pack mule. Almost as smart as one at least." Siegfried’s antics were met with the usual Benkei reaction: a muted response to the older man getting into worse trouble, as always.

“He’s smarter than he looks.” She remarked, giggling. “You should see him in the forge.”

So, Siegfried could do something other than stand around and complain while he got hit by enemies. Benkei actually felt a pang of surprise."Well, at least he could use that skill for some use. I wonder how many players focused on smithing." Benkei's brow furrowed. "I wonder what five hundred expert smiths would do to this world's economy."

“Before or after the inflation bubble bursts?”

Sif brought up a good question and something Bsnkei hadn't considered. Economics were far from his strong point, and it was nice to have someone else to discuss plans and theories with that wouldn't just nod or ignore him."You're right. Also, it's now even more mouths that will need to be fed." He thought back to her thoughts on their in-world needs. "Money scarcity is going to become a problem. Desperate players might resort to anything if they run out of gold."

“I suppose you don’t think many will take up farming.”

"My trade skill is in...uh...fishing, at least. But no, I don't think everyone's going to consider these factors like we are. A lot of people are going to think the game rules apply. They didn't see what we have." They needed to secure money, food and shelter. That was the first big hurdle. Kazuki was good at making money; something he didn’t put too much focus in. Not until now.

“That’s good in Thorinn. The Waking Sea is right there.” She said as she pulled out one of her books and opened it; an atlas. As she spoke she’d motion to each region on the map before them. “We’ll be able to survive here pretty easily. It’s not a desert like Iblenar or dense mountains like Theremia or Ktharia. Worst part about staying here is the humidity.”

He nodded and followed her as she discussed the various regions. “I agree we should focus on Thorinn first. But once we have ourselves established here, traveling to the other city states will be important; namely finding other players and also getting information that isn’t available here.” They were mapping out a plan, and everyone else was drinking, fighting and mumbling. At least he had Sif, Kazuki, and hopefully Alex and Graves on his side now. Seele also seemed to be someone he could count on, and with her, perhaps they could get Alja and Kalie on their side as well. Kalie would be enough of a carrot to bring Siegfried along, anyways.

“This might actually work,” he said, smiling at Sif.

[Mcmolly]

Location: The Laughing Worg -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

This was…unideal.

Not only were the denizens getting involved—shockingly more involved than she’d ever seen them able to get before—but the players weren’t making things any easier. One of the dungeoneers from the other day, bless his soul, was venting his frustrations in what could really only be described as an “unproductive” way. Another denizen, one of the snazzily-dressed matrons, settled him down, and Rael skulked away upstairs.
…
In any other circumstance, she would have taken the cue to sit back and let things simmer down, but Seele wasn’t so sure anymore how long they’d have that luxury. It was plain enough to see that somehow the city and its inhabitants had changed seemingly overnight, and if tensions were this high in one tavern among people who, at least in her opinion, ought to have been able to see eye-to-eye, she couldn’t imagine how raucous things were going to get elsewhere in Thorinn.

Mustering up some of that high-demand-low-supply resolve, Seele pursed her lips, smoothed out her robes, and made for the stairs. She bowed her head respectfully to the matron standing there, trusting that she looked about the furthest thing from a problem as could be, then went up.

Rael was sat at a table alone, with her food and her notebook and a surprising calmness on her face. Or, well, she supposed not so surprising. Seele had meant to talk to the girl earlier, to thank her for her steadfastness in the dungeon, and the helping hand she’d leant to Kalie, and also to simply talk. Perhaps she’d waited too long, or perhaps she simply wasn’t interested. It didn’t matter much now.
…
“Rael,” Seele said, approaching the table slowly. Calm though she looked, the last thing Seele wanted was that clenched fist swinging her way. “I’m not here to yell, or argue. I’d just like to talk, if that’s alright with you.”

[Hero]

---

---

Wow, they agreed! A massive relief for sure, but Kazuki was so sure he was going to have to make more of a case. Maybe he undersold his diplomacy. It was a nice boost of confidence considering the last twenty four hours and he wasn't going to complain. Both men had already more than proven themselves and he felt he could trust them both. Graves' confidence would be a boon and he didn't seem as wild as he was before. Alex had already given him a good feeling and his acceptance did wonders for his nerves, even if his drinking concerned him a little. But he still trusted the two more than most, and he knew his brother would put any differences aside for the greater good.

However, the same could not be said for the entirety of the group. To his dismay, Kazuma was already talking to Sif, but he supposed it couldn't be helped. And of course there was something of an argument that further cemented the thought--apparently Alja and Rael were going at it, and who was next to them but Kalie, who looked like she was on the verge of tears. As quickly as it started it ended, though he caught Siegfried going over to probably tell Rael off. He didn't even have to know what happened to guess that the 'roleplayer' had caused it.

"That being said, we should be careful who we do choose to associate with. I'll be the first to admit I'm wary of certain people," Kazuki would admit that much, shaking his head. "For one, I sincerely doubt anyone from Mystic Prophecy would want to even look at me right now, let alone associate with me. For another...we should all at least try to get along. Anyone that causes issues should be avoided, no matter how innocent they look. Other players can be unpredictable, and it helps to be wary."

He couldn't quite stop the bitterness in his voice at his last sentence, but he felt the need to address something Alex mentioned. "So long as we keep our heads on our shoulders and take things as they come, we can probably handle it for the most part," He replied. "We have to throw away most of the things we knew about this 'game' and treat it as reality. For some, it'll be easy. For others, not so much."

---

---

[Supermaxx]

Location: Laughing Worg Tavern - City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Graves didn't make a point of hiding his stares. He'd never been good at that- hiding how he felt. It'd gotten him in a hell of a lot of trouble throughout his life. Gotten more than one black eye for an off-hand comment at the wrong person. Still, he never learned. Refused to, he supposed. It wasn't like he had some idealistic attachment to naked honesty, or some high-minded reason for his stubbornness. Truth is, Andrew was just kind of a lazy asshole who could get away with showing his heart on his sleeve.

Sif's dumbass brother with a name too stupid to remember was picking a fight with Rael, even after the denizen had broken up the last one and told 'em to buzz off. Was he bein' some sorta blowhard prick, defending Kalie's 'honor?' Or did he just like the look of a fight?

'Wanna knock his block off either way.'

Once that altercation was broken up- by another denizen acting out of character- he watched Seele go stumbling up the stairs after Rael. That put his mind at ease. She was better at talkin' people down; he knew from experience. Something about her demeanor disarmed people. To Graves it was as much weird voodoo magic as the shit she did in the dungeon.

Kazuki started talking again. Talking about being wary of certain kinds of people. About how reaching out to Mystic Prophecy would be a mistake. That made Graves' face twitch, but he didn't comment. He still hadn't shifted his gaze to look at the bard; he kept them locked on the stairs. It took him a little longer than he'd like to admit to realize who, exactly, Kazuki was talking about.

"Stop pussyfooting around it." Graves all-but-snarled, his eyes snapping up to Kazuki's. "Don't have time for that schoolyard shit. You don't trust Rael, what, 'cause she's an ass? Hate to break it to ya, buddy, but so are half of us. 'N she's better than the rest of 'em, too."

He paused, turning around in his seat to face Kazuki fully. A few seconds went by as he allowed himself time to gather his thoughts. "The girls from MP are good people, too. Even if Luci's been..." He sighed. It hurt to be a jerk about it, even if it was true. "Insufferable 'bout blaming us for somethin' outside our control. She's good. Not just-" Graves motioned swinging a sword. "-But, y'know, good."

"Rael, Pris, the...leaf...girl. All of 'em are. Just gotta give 'em a chance to prove it. If you don't, I'm out. S'that simple." It was sort of uncomfortable being this nice for so long. Maybe he should hit Alex to balance it out?

[Hero]

---

---

Kazuki had to resist the urge to roll his eyes--why in the world did Graves assume he was talking about Rael? Was he the only one that saw it? Well, Graves was all about battle and violence, maybe picking up on subtleties wasn't one of his strengths. Which wasn't a bad thing, but he supposed being diplomatic would only get him so far. While he would have chosen another word for it, Graves was right, he should be his usual blunt self. There wasn't any point in hiding his intentions, and the last thing he wanted was for him to think the wrong idea. This was definitely ironic considering he had previously hoped he wouldn't end up with either of them yesterday, but no one needed to know that.

"Fair enough," He decided to be as plain as possible. "I don't believe the Augustine assassin is to be trusted. Their contributions were minimal yesterday and unlike the rest of us, doesn't seem to be able to hold it together without causing issues. Clearly she's the reason behind both altercations that had just happened; she'll bring nothing but problems going forward."

Biased? Yes. But it didn't matter, no one knew enough about him to call him out on it. Rael was too valuable of a DPS to let get away anyway. He would have to figure out how to get Alja on board since the argument, but he figured so long as the troublemaker wasn't in the way, he could probably figure something out. Weeding out the weakest was probably for the best. If she wanted to spend all her time sobbing, she could do it in the safety of the town and not while they were doing things.

"I know Rael has shown some personality issues in the past, but I think she's more reliable in a fight. She handled the news the best out of everyone--it's telling of her character," Kazuki continued. "I'd rather have her as an ally. She's a little reckless but it produces results."

"But I have to ask," He couldn't really stop his curiosity. "Why did you think I was talking about Rael? Alja and Sieg also got into it, too."

---

---

[mickilennial]

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

The red-haired girl sighed as she went over her notepad, drawing out a sketch of the matron who had grabbed Siegfried’s arm when he decided that he needed to stand up for Kalie’s honor; to poke his nose in business that wasn’t his.

She didn’t make eye contact with Seele as she spoke up, insisting she wasn’t here to yell or lecture—that she wanted to talk. Rael simply shrugged. Talking didn’t bother her. Being honest and talking about things wasn’t a weakness to her. Similar to when Graves approached her in the town square she offered Seele the opportunity to have a conversation.

“If you want to talk, talk.”

The witchy woman nodded politely and took the seat next to Rael at the table, rather than the one across from her. She folded her hands neatly in her lap, and kept her posture straight, as if she were dining with royalty. Her eyes flitted briefly down to the paper, and she made a small, appraising sound.

“That’s all you, isn’t it?” she said, more than she asked. “Drawing doesn’t seem like a gift Pariah would give. Are you an artist in the real world?”

She shook her head, “Nah, this is just… a hobby. I’m no artist. Just a girl.”

Her mother’s words still stung. “Nothing about you is interesting. No talent. No skills. No interests. Disappointing.” she told her sometime ago; before her final year in senior high school was over. Living in Kōriyama for most of her life had left a mark, though her parents never saw how much she tried. Her interests were vast and she tried pretty much everything. Tried out for team sports. Student Council. A variety of clubs. Nothing really stuck. She supposed it was a weird irony that she was good with a sketchbook and pencil. She never fancied herself a mangaka nor did she ever share it with others outside of the internet. When she realized she was getting better at it she hid it from her parents, afraid they’d just scoff at her attempts like everytime else.

She finished the strokes of the matron’s scowl as she heard Seele giggle. "You make it sound like a disease."

“I guess.”

“But that’s not true now, is it? In here, I mean. You aren’t ‘just a girl’ in Pariah. I’ve never paid too much attention to the old leaderboards, but even I’m at least somewhat aware of you.” Seele took a breath, she seemed to be thinking. Her tongue pressed around her mouth like she was physically molding her words into shape. “You were very good yesterday, you’ve obviously earned your position. Most of us had some sort of, oh, moment I suppose, but for you, it’s like that switch just never flipped. You went right on, and you and Benkei pulled us through that dungeon. I think all of them, in some way or another, owe you a thanks for that.”

“Is that how you see it? Nah. I’m no less important than anyone else. Graves took down the bat. Kazuki solved both of the puzzles. You made sure we didn’t die.” Rael moved her glance to Seele as she put the piece of graphite and cloth down. “Nobody owes me anything. I did what I had to do.”

It was weird. Rael—no, Hanako—had been waiting for this moment. Acknowledgement. Respect. Gratitude. She had been waiting for it her whole life. Not just with something inane as her drawings, but her decisionmaking and lifestyle. She pined for being recognized as someone who was important and that people looked up to. Yet, strangely enough here she was refusing to bask in it. Her sketches were just hobby work and her decisions in the dungeon were no more important than anyone else. “Why?” She wondered to herself, though when it came to it she had no answer for being such a hypocrite. She just trusted her gut and her gut didn’t sit right if she didn’t speak honestly on the subject.

Seele nodded. She didn’t shy away from Rael’s glance, but there wasn’t an ounce of fight in her eyes either.

“You did, but that’s the problem, isn’t it? You did what you had to do. The dungeon is done, we’re all—most of us—back in the city. Used to be that was it. You could do the deed, and then you could log out, and all of this...” She motioned briefly around. “...well, all of this just wasn’t. Clearly, that hasn’t been an easy transition for a lot of people to make. And something tells me the people having the hardest time with it, are the people who are, like you, very good at doing what they have to do.”

“Yeah. What’s your point?”

She sat back, shrugging with her lips, and again she chiseled out her words. “Someone with a bigger chip on their shoulder than me might tell you to ignore all of it. They’d say something like ‘buck up’ or ‘so what?’ or ‘who cares what these silly people think about you? They’re silly.’ They’d probably tell you that if you’re strong enough and smart enough, you don’t need allies you can trust, you don’t need friends, you don’t even need to be friendly.”

“I’m going to respectfully disagree with that hypothetical person. Because that was certainly the case before this glitch, but now…” She sniffed, thumbed her lip. “The valleys are bigger now, Rael. Deeper. It might not be enough to simply leave your bridges unburned. You may have to strengthen the ones you have. You might have to build new ones. Otherwise you could end up stuck, and alone. You don’t deserve to be alone, Rael.”

“That’s a whole lot of words to say ‘don’t be a bitch’, isn’t it?”

The red-haired girl had considered the spellcaster’s words. Seele was right that the “valleys” were bigger now—the game was fundamentally different and it wasn’t simply limited to rules of gameplay. The stakes were higher and people were on edge. Chewing out Kalie might’ve not been the smartest choice and admittedly Rael wasn’t sure why she did it. Something about it just offended her to her core and she acted. She wouldn’t apologize for it.

Not now and not ever.

“I’m not leaving town or anything, so I wouldn’t worry about me too much. You’ve got plenty of other people to be concerned with. I’ll be fine. Go talk to Graves. He's planning on talking to Priscilica after lunch. I’ll be around if you need me, but don’t expect me to be dishonest.”

[Supermaxx]

Location: Laughing Worg Tavern - City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

"...Clearly she's the reason behind both altercations that had just happened; she'll bring nothing but problems going forward."

"What is your damage, exactly?" Graves's hand hit the table hard enough to knock over the rest of Alex's ale. He did his best to keep from yelling. Just breathe. Big, deep breaths. Yelling was easy. He did it all the God damn time growing up. It was easy to yell- to get physical. It was a whole lot harder to keep the peace. And that was what they were arguing about, wasn't it? Keeping the peace. Building something better so nobody else had to die.

"Its Kalie's fault she cried, did I get that right?" He pushed out his chair before he'd realized it, but he didn't get up. Not yet. Keep the peace. "Its her fault she watched people die and lost her shit? 'Cause I don't know if this'll come as a shock to you, Kazzy, but not everybody's been through the ringer. Not everybody's seen what I assume you n' me have. It takes normal people time to adjust."

"-And you wanna talk about 'minimal contributions?" And now he was up, and a handful of words he didn't really mean were on the tip of his tongue.

[Lemons]

---

For a second, Alja just...stared. A Denizen had just...used magic. Touched her. Interacted with her. Moved her. Scolded her. Something absolutely insane was happening, apparently. So she stared blankly until Seele arrived, bringing with her a semblance of sanity, and Alja's mind clicked into gear again. Just...roll with it, I guess.

She dropped her head, sighing. "I'm sorry," she offered to the innkeeper, whose name was unknown to her. "I've had a bit of a...long day," She motioned at the table where she'd been lying in a drunken daze since late last night, swallowing a lump in her throat that had formed for some reason, "but that's no excuse for disturbing the peace. It won't happen again." She listened to Kalie speaking as the assassin went on, but her thoughts were already far away.

Kelly wasn't very good with people. She'd never learned to read their body language, go by the unwritten rules, figure out what she needed to do. But Alja was. And she had done all those things. She was good at social perception. And Rael's body language had...well. It had shut down. Something Alja had said had touched a nerve deep inside of the smaller woman, it seemed. And she felt horrible.

As Siegfried came to sit down on Kalie's other flank, it all grew too much for Alja. She knew that Seele was better at this kind of gentle touch than she was. Rael wouldn't be keen to listen to her just then. So she bolted to a standing position and strode rapidly--if a bit unsteadily--over to the more crowded table, where some of the other survivors of the dungeon raid had begun to congregate, pulling a chair up and plopping herself down into it as their voices escalated, much like hers had. When she spoke, her voice had largely returned to normal, though there was still a touch of Scot in it.

"I'm sorry y'had to see that. 'S not like me to lash out like that." Another heavy, tired sigh. "So then, what're ya discussin', and can I possibly convince ya to calm down?"

[Hero]

---

---

So much for things going smoothly.

A small, tiny voice said that Kazuki should apologize. His initial assumption was completely biased and aside from an unpleasant comment before everything happened, he had no real reason for his words aside from a gut feeling. Nothing Graves said was wrong. Nothing he said was inaccurate. Well, this is probably what he got for trying to be social. He should have considered this a possibility, but he hadn't really thought Graves would get so emotionally defensive over someone not worth it. No, the best thing to do was to calm down. Apologizing was for the weak, but for the sake of unity, it was probably needed.

At the last sentence, however, Kazuki's eyebrows shot up for a second before he narrowed his eyes, his eyes cold and every previous thought thrown out the window. He knew it. He knew he wasn't just being paranoid or hard on himself. He knew that this is what they'd pin on him.

“I’ll never forgive you.”

"Say it," Kazuki challenged Graves, ignoring Alja for a moment.

---

---

[DruSM157]

Location:The Laughing Warg Tavern - The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Raised voices. And now Graves was on his feet, looking like he was prepared to deck Kazuki.

His brother.

“Excuse me-” he said quickly to Sif, realizing he had to act fast. Right now everything he’d worked for was going up in smoke, and he had no idea why. Honestly, he didn’t care why. Someone was being aggressive to his family, and there was no way in hell he was going to stand by and watch this.

He felt a tremor in his hands. He forced it down. He had to force it down because right now Kazuki was in trouble and he wasn’t going to be a coward. He wasn’t going to collapse.

“Hey!” His voice rose higher than he wanted as he approached Graves’ flank. ”The owners already said to keep things civil in here.” His voice was less calm and more tinged with anger and venom. The fact that Graves of all people was pulling an aggressive card with his brothers-his brother-of all people was already out of the question. ”You need to walk away and cool your head before you cause trouble for everyone.” Benkei was serious. And not serious as he had been yesterday. This was a colder serious. The kind of attitude that followed with a thrown fist.

He’d been in enough fights. Lost enough too. But he’d be goddamned if he let someone push his family around.

[Supermaxx]

Location: Laughing Worg Tavern - City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

'Even if Luci's been insufferable 'bout blaming us for somethin' outside our control.'

Graves knew he didn't believe it. He knew he was only thinking it because Kazuki was being a massive asshole and Graves knew just where to stick the knife to hurt him- that was somethin' he'd learned at home too. He knew just how to hurt somebody bad enough for it to last. He'd been watching Kazu. He watched him during the fight, watched him afterwards. Watched him at the graveside. He'd been watching the man and he knew just how much the guilt weighed him down. It was a terrible burden he'd put on himself and it was one he didn't even deserve.

But that didn't matter. What mattered was Kazu had pissed him off and he needed to be hurt.

Graves got close. Close enough he could whisper it. Make it dig deep. "You could'a saved-"

Somebody else cut in, interrupting him. Benkei, the boy who thought he'd be king. All it took was a glance- he looked as heated as Graves felt. Everything about how he was standing, how he was speaking, how his hands trembled just a little told him their auspicious leader was ready to explode the moment he had an excuse.

He turned, facing the bigger of the two. "Civil." He practically spat the word. "I'on't know what you are to Kazuki, Kazum-something, but I'd step the fuck back n' let him take responsibility for the shit he says for once in his God damn life. He's gonna apologize, or yeah, we're gonna have a problem."

[Hero]

---

---

He couldn't believe he let himself get so emotional. Fighting was stupid, arguing was stupid, but there he was getting all worked up. He was supposed to be banding together, not egging on a hothead who was coming at him prepared! But for the first time in a long time, Kazuki had to admit to himself that it hurt to hear. Graves didn't even have to finish the sentence--just hearing it out loud shook him. It was cathartic in the strangest way, he couldn't wrap his head around it. What the hell was wrong with him? Why would he want to hear that? It made everything so much worse, it made it so much more real than he wanted to be.

Seeing Kazuma had snapped him back to reality, recognizing the situation. For fuck's sake, this was literally the opposite of what they were supposed to be doing. And once again, it was his fault. Kazuki moved between Kazuma and Graves, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder to stop him as he looked him in the eye, shaking his head. He knew he needed to properly explain himself, to get things back on track. Not that he thought there was a point--any hope of unity was shattered because of him. He had to at least try to salvage it.

"Stop," Kazuki said, his voice a little louder than intended. "Stop. Please. He's--Graves is right. It is my fault." In every possible way.

Choosing to bite his tongue and feeling like it wasn't going to help anyway, Kazuki looked directly at Graves, having to resist the urge to look away. "I am sorry," He stated it clearly. "I spoke based on what little I know and a terrible first impression." And a bad second impression, and bad third impression...in an odd sense, he was right that that girl caused issues. Go figure.

"This isn't what I--what we came here for," Kazuki made an effort to put things back on track. "And I'm sorry. I wanted us--all of us--to come together."

---

---

[DruSM157]

Location:The Laughing Warg Tavern - The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Benkei’s eyes widened. His heart rushed. His fist clenched and he was ready to punch that smug fucking gaijin in his stupid jaw. Every word that followed out of Graves’ stupid mouth just made Benkei’s heart pound. In the corner of his eye, he spied a glass of ale. Every instinct said to smash it in this ugly fucker’s face and-

"Stop."

Benkei stopped. "Stop. Please. He's--Graves is right. It is my fault."

No, that was wrong. What happened in that dungeon-

“Enough Kazuki.” Benkei looked around the room at the eyes focused on them. He met their cold gazes with the glare he’d done so well to define during his days yelling at shitty scrub players. ”I don’t know what the hell you two talked about to get so heated. And I don’t care.” Kazuki could have said the vilest shit and Benkei would have backed him up, even if he disagreed with it. Because he wasn’t going to watch his brother get yelled at, spat on, talked down to. That was what he had to deal with. The fights, the broken noses, the black eyes, the bruised ribs. That was his normal.

”What I do care about is your shitty insinuation that my brother caused Aaginim’s death.” Every word of that hurt. ”If you want to start throwing blame around, you’d best remember who agreed to go into that dungeon. We’re all to blame for going in there when everything felt off. Aaginim. Atlas. Enos. I killed them. You killed them. Every one of us killed them when we entered that fucking dungeon. Don't you dare imply that they're dead because of my brother. Because if you think you're high and mighty, remember that you would be dead before you even left the third room without him.”

What was Graves? Just another bigger guy. Just another person who fucking threw his weight about and beat up punks like himself. “And don’t you dare fucking think I’m going to sit around and watch someone stand over my brother and threaten him. I don’t care how strong you are or how big you think you are. If you have a problem with me or my family, we can take it somewhere else.”

[HokumPocus]

Location: The Laughing Worg -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

One by one the dominoes that composed the Laughing Worg fell around them, bringing more chaos with every successive crash of words. What Logan's brother had once told him rang in his mind again, about games bringing out the worst in people. This wasn't a game anymore, though, and Alex didn't want to think about the possible repercussions in a true fight between players.

In a brazen moment spurred partly by alcohol, Alex stood up from the tavern and took a couple of steps back. "Woah, woah, woah. These aren't fights you can just have anymore." He gazed longingly at his spilled tankard and swallowed the irritation. If someone like... himself... had to be the voice of reason, he'd try his hardest. "Between all of our abilities, it's like all of us are carrying loaded guns at all times, all right? If you're gonna fight, keep it to words."

He felt like that last bit hadn't been the best thing to say. He didn't like the idea of telling someone to be dishonest though, it'd just make him a hypocrite.

"And I'm sorry. I wanted us--all of us--to come together."

Crud. Crap. Fuck. This wasn't good. This was not good.

One of his arms clasped Kazuki's shoulder. From what little he could gather they had both lived very different lives, but Alex knew that question was roiling in his mind. The "what if" that led to a neverending downward spiral of regret and self-loathing. He wasn't going to just stand there and watch another person get dragged into that. "We... don't know how anything here works yet. No one, not even you. Anyone who tells you anything else is lying. We can't reach any answer now, and even if we did down the line? It would never change us not knowing now." It was a microcosm of his life philosophy, running and never looking back.

[mickilennial]

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

“Fighting in the tavern is prohibited.”

Arie’s voice was polite but pointed as the five-foot-four woman seemed to come out of nowhere, as if she materialized while the group was shouting at each other and making accusations. Her eyes looked to Alja and Alex who were trying to calm things down, though personally Arie didn’t care one way or the other how the wayfarers settled their personal dispute. She’d be happy to relocate them if they insisted, however.

She looked to Graves and Benkei with an eerie smile. “Are you going to continue or do I have to personally involve myself in this matter?”

A surge of magic could be felt by any enhancement users as the snow-haired girl clutched toward the backside of her belt.

[Supermaxx]

Location: Laughing Worg Tavern - City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Regret came knocking on Andrew's door like an old friend the moment Kazuki spoke up again. He knew what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing, he just didn't care. He didn't care until he saw the other man's face twitching- holding to a remarkable calm, given the circumstances- and he agreed. That was the worst part. Graves could've handled being hit. Could've handled Kazu getting loud back, trying to dig in some needles of his own: that was all business as usual. It was another thing entirely to find the dagger had gone a little too deep.

But you couldn't take words back. They were as permanent as a punch to the face.

There was the apology Graves had asked for, freely given and plain as could be. It would've satisfied, probably. It might've even been enough for Graves to stick around even after this shitshow. He still believed in what he'd said, after all; he still cared about these fucking insufferable dipshits and didn't want anything to happen to them because he had too much of an ego to stick around.

Then Benkei opened his giant God damn mouth.

”You killed them.”

"Don't you throw that in my face!" Graves all but roared, lowering his face down until there was less than an inch between them. He never touched Benkei. He felt the rage boil the center of his gullet. That burning, ugly hate he'd felt every second since they left that accursed hall. "You think I wanted to be standing here instead of him? He's the one who deserved a second chance, not-"

You can't fix everything, Andy.

And for the second time in that argument he was interrupted by someone who didn't belong in it. One of the women who worked the bar had apparently had enough of their shit flinging, and threatened to have them removed if they didn't put a stop to it. He had half a mind to keep going anyway. Half a mind to let her try. Right now he felt like he could tear an elephant in half. But he didn't want to kill anyone. He didn't want to hurt them.

'You gotta learn to accept that sometimes- sometimes things just are a certain way.'

Everyone was trying to stop them. Alja, Alex, even Seele was on the move. Nobody wanted this to go there, but if Graves stayed in that tavern for another thirty seconds he was sure that was how it'd all end.

Adapt.

His hands were up in the air. He was shaking his head, taking a step back. It wasn't worth it. No matter how angry he was, no matter how much he wanted to let it all out on this bastard right in front of him, he knew it wouldn't be worth it. So he turned away, grabbed his belongings and threw them back over his shoulder. His whole life was in the bag. It'd been with him since he started playing and it'd be with him at the end. He took it, and he started for the door.

"I knew this wasn't gonna work." Graves kept his face low, walking slow. Had to keep up appearances, right? Even now. "Good luck with the whole together thing. This group was always a fucking time bomb anyway."

He shoved his way outta the door and into the street, and he was off. He was off to try to fix the mistakes that'd been haunting him since this whole thing began. Or maybe he'd die trying. Either way worked.

That's how you survive.

[Hero]

---

---

Fuck.

There was no stopping any of this. Kazuki couldn't stop Kazuma, he couldn't stop Graves, he couldn't even stop himself right now. Alex was kind, but much like Priscilica, he was wasting his time. Kazuki had literally shot himself in the foot--how many times had the same thing happened in school? He was asked something, he answered honestly, then everyone got mad and things would happen. It would've been funny if he had any sense of humor. The game was just mimicking reality at this point, letting him know that no matter where he went, things would stay the same for him.

Kazuki watched Graves leave, running a hand over his face. Graves was wrong, if they were a bomb, they wouldn't have survived yesterday. They wouldn't all be standing there right now--as much as he hated to say it, they succeeded where others didn't. But there were a million other ways Kazuki could have gone about it--for one, he could've shut up, for two he could've gotten Kazuma under control a lot sooner. No, he was pretty sure Graves was going to explode anyway.

It was all his fault.

Looking back down at his feet, he shook his head, letting out a tiny, shaky breath as he gently took Alex's hand off his shoulder. He couldn't handle anything right now, he needed to get his shit together and he wasn't going to be able to do that with everyone staring at him. "Please excuse me, I need to be alone," Kazuki apologized to the group with a bow, unable to look at any of them properly once he straightened up.

He made his way to the door without another word, the outside air a little fresher than the tavern's heat. He almost laughed at himself--where did he think he was going to get to run away to? He had nowhere to go. Still, being outside was a little better, and so he picked a direction and walked, a hand gripping the strap of his bag as he let himself drown in his thoughts at last.

---

---

[mickilennial]

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

As Seele went to stand up a commotion could be heard from downstairs. Yelling. Some kind of argument. It sounded like Benkei and Graves. Benkei and Graves. She sighed as she noticed Seele immediately go for the stairwell in a huff after giving the red-haired girl a polite “Excuse me.” As the event unfolded. Rael didn’t join her particularly, deciding to instead go near the second floor’s railing to have a closer look from a distance.

Her group, or parts of it, in the corner. Graves looked absolutely out of his mind—offended by something Kazuki said before Benkei rushed over to his brother’s defense. It was hard to make out given there were dozens of conversations happening throughout the two floors of the tavern. Her brows narrowed as she quickly returned to her tabled and packed her things away. She was no de-escalator. No leader. Not really. But Graves had been the only one to give her time of the day since they buried Aaganimm, Atlas, and Enos. Hell, Graves was the one who buried them. He had her attention and respect, even if he did throw in a pointed comment in her direction now-and-again.

“Bunch of idiots.”

Graves threw his hands up in the air and gathered his things and Rael gave a heft sigh as she looked over to the direction of the doors and followed it upstairs until she reached an adjacent window.

The windows were all already open. It was an awful humid and hot day. She jumped through the window, her feet landing on the stone-brick awning below.

“Hey!” She called out as Graves made for the town square. “Moron! Where do you think you are going?”

He stopped at the sound of her voice. Probably would’ve kept moving if it was anyone else. They were the only two who had some kind of bond she supposed, even if it was a fickle and weak one. He had dragged her to the tavern to work out a plan with Benkei and the others and he was just going to ditch her when it got tough? No way. She was not having it.

She moved to the left before jumping down like a cat, or she supposed a ‘monkey’. Her boots hitting the stone road with a nice ‘thunk’ as she did so. She supposed it was time to cool off, or find Priscilica. She doubted the man wanted to go back inside after the scene he had just made. She moved toward him as he said a few things before the two were in non-shouting distance. She wanted to ask if he was okay. She didn’t.

[Landaus Five-One]

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

It was one thing or another, and all these events made Kalie remember all the times. Other people used her for an easy out because of how smart she was. All she did was try her best in school and got excellent grades and a high-grade point average to go to any college or university. However, she chose K-State for specific it wouldn't require her to fly by plane to it. It hurts massively, but some people did care about what she was going through more than others. In the back of her mind, Why am I such an idiot? It was the only thing in her mind; she has caused herself some self-harm with her primarily being not good enough or not beautiful enough. All because she's so average outside of the game, it hurts much.

Kalie tried to smile while listening to what Alja said to Dariel, but her smile disappeared slowly. She was a bit lost for words since she could see Alja being a bit distant, but she didn't want to make it worse. All she does is make things worse with her speaking to others, and it is hard for her to understand others. It hurts slightly, but she did hear someone come close to her. She looked over to the person who was moving a seat, and it was Siegfried. The only thing she could do was blink at him slightly, still hurting, and she tried to smile. It was all wrong, with everything going on, and it mostly because of her. However, what Sig said made her feel a bit better, but she was still hurting.

" Hey Sig, I am not okay. Though you are right, your words are encouraging."

Kalie did hear Alja leave the bar to go somewhere else in the Tavern, probably to talk to the others. It was a bit hard on her, but she didn't want to make anything worse than it was already. She did have a problem with wanting to talk frequently without understanding others' feelings or desires. It has been one of her most significant weaknesses in her life that causes her never to gain any friends. She sighs sightly at all these frustrations, and it isn't like anyone would want to be her friend now. All she does is continuously sabotage herself, but thankfully the food she's eating was good. In the back of her mind, I dislike this feeling of utter helplessness... She took a while before she looks back to Siegfried and sighs slightly.

" Um, I might as well introduce myself. It's Dawn Sara Hughes. I just wanted to, Sig."

Kalie felt like it was the least she could do for Sig because she can tell there is something up with him. It is only around her, though, but she cannot place her finger on it. Her beautiful smile returns to her face. She has a long way to go to feel better, but it is something. However, what shocks her was an argument behind her, near where the others were explicit. It was over as quickly as it came up, but the voices that were apart were Kazuki, Graves, and Benkei. She shakes her head in not understanding why it was happening in all honesty. It was trying to keep herself from breaking down by trying to ignore the yelling. It would be better if everyone cools down before she involves herself in their business. However, it's so hot in this place that it might not be able to cool down.

' It's never this hot in Kansas. It feels like temperatures from Florida.' Kalie thought to herself. She moves her hand in front of her face to cool herself down slightly. She drinks her ale and eats her flat cakes, with a slight smile on her face. It was a bit of a dumb idea to get an alcoholic beverage, but she ordered it. At least, she was taking small sips of it, though.

[DruSM157]

CW: Suicidal Thoughts

Location:The Laughing Warg Tavern - The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Graves left. Kazuki left. And Benkei was left alone.

He felt the eyes on him. The cold stare of the matron, and the glares of other people. He’d gone off, like he always did. And this was the price he paid.

He preferred the beatings.

He turned away, not speaking to anyone else as he made his way towards the door as well. Not following anyone, just...leaving. Just finding somewhere else to be. All he felt right now were feelings of anger and shame, something he played Pariah to escape from. And yet, here they were, following him here too.

He didn’t look at Sif as he left, but he did say, “Sorry,” out loud to her as he passed her by. He didn’t want to see how she looked at him right now. Probably with disgust like everyone did.

I can’t believe I have to be saddled with that useless brat. At least Kazuki is going to that nice prep school. But Kazuma…

It’s fine Noriko. Once he graduates he won’t be your problem any more. Then we can focus on our family.

His mother thought he was busy studying in the other room. He’d kept quiet enough when he’d heard that. He’d always assumed she hated him. He existed as a way to avoid paying child support, after all. She’d shacked up with Kazuki’s piano tutor, and they’d planned on marrying after he graduated high school. After that, Kazuma assumed he’d no longer have a mother. Not that he had much of one to begin with.

But that was how it was. No one wanted him. No friends, no family--at least, outside of his older brother. And Kazuma assumed he was dragging him down as well. So it wouldn’t be long until Kazuki left him behind on Pariah as well. He had money, and an apartment. He had skills and fans. Kazuki didn’t need his little brother.

He walked through the streets, constantly eyeing the river that passed through Thorinn. His thoughts wandered to leaping into the river. That was the Japanese way when you’d brought shame upon yourself and your family, after all. To end it there. It’d be quick, and no one would really miss him.

He’d planned on leaping into the Sumida River after hearing his mother discuss her future plans with her lover. A phone call from Kazuki had instead taken up his time. He’d calmed down after talking to his brother and instead stayed at home. Thinking back to that moment, the self-destructive thoughts abated for now, and Benkei simply sat on the stone streets staring out over the Thoros River.

Why did Aaginim want him to lead? Why did everyone else follow him and listen to him. He wasn’t a leader. He buckled under pressure. He relied on other to get him out of problems. He made more problems then he helped. He was the weakest link out of the entire group. He buried his face into his hands and sighed deeply.

What the hell was he supposed to do?