[IC] Fateful Convergence

[Vocalia]

Eryn knew that it was inevitable for her to hear the news, given what his line of work was. When all was said and done, all she could do was sigh and shook her head. "I can't say I'd mourn for his death, but knowing that makes me feel somewhat sad," Eryn replied truthfully, but then she looked at Sean, her eyes filled with gratitude for his honesty. "Still, at least we're now free to live our life the way we wanted to. I guess he finally had what was coming... I'm just sad that he died in such a horrible way."

[Daxam]

Sean nods, having expected Eryn to feel some sadness. "At least he can't bother you or your sister, anymore. Maybe now that he's finally gone, your sister can have her own life. Maybe settle down with someone and not have to worry about all of this jacked-up shit, anymore." Realizing what he said, he chuckles and says, "Sorry, I didn't mean to swear. I think I've been hanging around my roommates too much, especially one in particular."

[Vocalia]

"You talk as if this person is such a terrible influence. I'm sure he's not that terrible," Eryn replied with a soft giggle, not knowing just how eclectic Sean's roommates were, to put it lightly. "Still, it sounds so fun to have roommates. It reminds me living in the campus dorm, perhaps only with less privacy than living in an apartment of small studio rooms."

[Daxam]

"I actually live in a penthouse," Sean says, seeing nothing wrong in bragging a little. "You should come by, sometime. I'd love to show you my place, especially my storeroom. It's an otaku's paradise." Chuckling, he falls quiet as a couple of waiters appear, carrying his order. After they set everything down, he grins and says, "That's what I like about this place; they give you nice portions, instead of those dinky things you get from most high-class restaurants."

[Vocalia]

Eryn had guessed that Sean was quite well-off, given how he frivolously spent his money at the convention for paltry snacks, manga, and trinkets, but she had never thought of how rich he was until he told her that he lived in a penthouse. She didn't dare dream of living in such a luxurious place, yet he talked about it as if it was a common knowledge for him. However, her shock was soon replaced by hunger as Sean's order finally came to their table. With all their meals in place, she started digging into her ramen, taking care not to burn her tongue with the hot broth. "Oh my! This is really good!" she exclaimed, feeling the broth's flavor blending with the ramen noddles.

[Daxam]

Sean, swallowing a mouthful of his udon, chuckles and says, "See? I told you so. This place is great." After a few more bites of udon and yakitori, he takes a sip of his water and looks at Eryn for a moment. After a few moments, he asks, "So, where do you wanna meet up tomorrow? The lobby of the hotel or somewhere in the convention center?"

[Vocalia]

"Why don't we meet at the lobby before we head for the convention center?" Eryn suggested, silently reminding herself that going with Sean was both a safe and fun option, given how strong she was. "I wonder what we could do tomorrow. I'm quite excited from just thinking about it," she calmly said, in contrast to her bubbling anticipation, as she took a mouthful of ramen. In her moment of genuine happiness and openness, her kind heart and cheerful smile metaphorically radiated with warmth and calming air.

[Daxam]

Sean nods and goes to take another bite, but stops, looking at Eryn. He wasn't sure why, but when he was around this young woman, he couldn't help but feel happier and calmer than he would otherwise. Smiling, he takes a bite. After a few minutes of content silence, he asks, "So, why are you going for a double degree? What do you wanna do when you graduate?"

[Vocalia]

"I thought that I could make better use of my time if I take a double degree and I do have a bit of interest in art, be it visual or audio art," Eryn replied, sounding rather thoughtful after spending much of her time being rather timid. "I'm actually still not sure, as embarrassing as it sounds. Still, I hope that, with my degree, I could work myself to be independent from my parents. They've done so much for me, a child who isn't even related to them by blood, and did a lot of things to bring me to where I am. At the very least, I want to be able to find a job to support myself, then hopefully save up some money so I can reward my parents."

[Daxam]

Sean chuckles and says, "Well, thanks for being honest. It's nice to know there are people like you in the world. If there were more with your personality, there would be peace on earth, I think." Deep inside, a primal force seems to react to Sean's words. Casting its' senses outwards, it feels the presence of everyone in the restaurant. However, one of them stands far above the rest: the soul of the young woman sitting across from its host. Drawn to her, the creature tries to surge forth, but, trapped, all it does is cause pain to Sean, who holds his hand to his head, grimacing. "Sorry," he mutters. "I think I'm getting a headache..."

[Vocalia]

Eryn flinched in shock when Sean suddenly grimaced in pain, one hand holding his head. It was so sudden right after their rather uplifting conversation and it scared her to a degree. Instinctively, she reached for her small bag to grab a packet of painkillers she always had with her, unaware of the true cause of Sean's headache. "I-I think I may have something for that!" she replied to him, her voice filled with concern, and then handed him a painkiller pill. "Here, drink this. It would take some time, but it should help ease your headache."

[Daxam]

Sean takes a few moments to take the pill from Eryn, surprised at the concern in her voice and the speed with which she reacted. Smiling, he reaches out and says, "Thanks." As his hand brushes against hers, his fingers taking the pill from her, he can't help but note how soft and warm her hand felt. Putting the pill in his mouth, he takes a sip of water and smiles at her. "Thanks," he repeats. "I didn't expect you to have painkillers on hand. Do you just carry medicine around with you wherever you go?"

[Vocalia]

Eryn, slightly flustered and shy, timidly nodded, her face now a faint shade of red. "Y-Yes, kind of... I carry painkiller pills and other over-the-counter medicines j-just in case something happens when I go out. I-I also have plasters, a-a small bottle of antiseptic, and hand sanitizers..." Feeling as if she was digging a deeper hole for herself, she trailed off and looked down her ramen bowl. How embarrassing! N-Now he would think t-that I'm a paranoid woman! she sadly thought to herself.

[Daxam]

Sean watches as Eryn slowly becomes more flustered as the seconds tick by. Chuckling, he says, "That's a good idea. You never know what might happen, after all. I should probably do the same thing, given how accident-prone I am." Deciding it best to change the subject, he picks up his taiyaki and breaks it in half, giving one to his new friend. "Here," he says, "try it. This is one of my favorite things about this place."

[Vocalia]

Although Eryn was hesitant, she eventually accepted the other half of the taiyaki and smiled with gratitude. "Thank you, Sean," she replied and bit onto the pastry, then letting out a joyful squeal as the sweet flavor burst in her mouth. "It's tasty~!" she said, her cheeks puffing up with chunks of sweet fish-shaped taiyaki. "I wish I had known about this restaurant before. It's a bit embarrassing for me to know that I've missed so many good food here."

[Daxam]

"Well," Sean says, munching on the other half of the taiyaki, "now you won't miss out, anymore, right?" Chuckling, he finishes the pastry and returns to his udon. Minutes later, he finishes, sitting back and rubbing his stomach contentedly, all of the plates in front of him devoid of food. "That was good," he says. "Do you wanna come back here again tomorrow?" he asks Eryn.

[Vocalia]

Nodding enthusiastically, Eryn smiled and replied, "I'd love to~! There are so many things I'd like to try before I go back to my dorm and get ready for classes again." In front of her were empty plates and bowls, all the food cleaned off the container, and she would had completely licked the plates clean if not for her table manners. "I know I've said this already, but thank you for taking me here. I'll remember to let my friends know about this place. It certainly deserves a little publicity."

[Daxam]

"Glad to hear it," Sean says, pulling his wallet out. After he pays the bill, and leaves a generous tip, he stands up and, taking Eryn's hand, helps her to her feet. Letting go, he leads the way out of the restaurant and to his jeep. As he opens the door, he gestures to the vehicle with a flourish, as if he were her chauffeur, and says, "Your chariot awaits, my lady."

[Vocalia]

Touched and somewhat bemused, Eryn curled her fingers and replied, "Thank you, good sir." She boarded the jeep, waiting for Sean to get onto the driver's seat while putting on her seat belt, then silently watched as the four-wheeler drove away to any place Sean fancied for the night. "Umm, Sean? "Lady" sounds a bit too formal and elegant for me... I could hardly be called a lady, all things considered," she said with a soft giggle.

[Daxam]

Sean chuckles and says, "Trust me, you're a lady. Especially when compared to one of my roommates. I swear, she has a mouth to make a sailor blush." Soon, he pulls in front of the hotel and climbs out. Once again, he opens Eryn's door for her and walks with her into the hotel. "We should hang out after the con," he blurts out, not even noticing he was speaking.