[IC] Fateful Convergence

[Vocalia]

"B-But..." Eryn was now finding herself cornered by Sean's proposition. He had raised some valid points: not only would she be able to see her sister everyday of the week, she'd also live in what looked like a safe and luxurious residence, apparently free of charge. On the other hand, it was some distance away from the university and she didn't have any personal vehicle to get there should she chose to move in with Sean, among other things. "S-Sean, I wouldn't mind moving in with you, but I do have a few problems to bring up. For one, I still need to get to and from the university during the weekdays. I also need to move in my belongings if I choose to move, not to mention the rent agreement... I don't think I would be able to pay to live in such a nice place."

[Daxam]

Sean grins and says, "I can drive you to and from school or you can take one of my cars. Isaac, Nigel, and I can easily move your stuff from your dorm and into here. And I can pay for the rest of your rent, which would be no skin off of my back." Looking at Eryn, he says, "Trust me, whatever problem you might have, we can easily overcome it. Besides...after what happened to Sarah, I think everyone would benefit from having you around. I know I sure do."

[Vocalia]

Seeing that she had no way of making Sean change his mind, Eryn decided that she could use a change in scenery and housemate. "If you insist, I think that can be arranged," she replied with a timid nod. "First thing's first, I need to let my parents know that I'm moving here. As the owner of the house, I'd really need your help in convincing them that I would be safe with you and everyone else. Next, I need to inform my dorm administrator that I'm moving out. Unfortunately, that may take a while. I heard that he is notoriously lazy with paperwork... Then, I would need help in moving my belongings here. Once we get those issues out of the way, I'm good to go," she informed him.

[Daxam]

Sean grins and says, "No problem. I can take care of all of that, myself. But, for now..." Walking over, he rests his hands on Eryn's shoulders and turns her around to face the room and his collection again. "Take your pick," he says. "Anything you want, you can have. I can replace whatever you take, no matter how long it'll take me."

[Vocalia]

"A deal is a deal, I guess. Thank you very much," Eryn smiled, nodding gratefully at Sean. The young lady proceeded to go around the room, examining the items and trying to find what she would like to acquire. In the end, she decided on two figurines, a few anime-related trinkets and accessories, and two limited edition artbooks about her favorite video games. "Sean, I didn't know you like playing video games as well... To be honest, it is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine," she said timidly,

[Daxam]

Sean looks at Eryn for a few moments and suddenly blurts out, "I think I love you, Eryn." His face beet-red, he quickly ushers her out of his room, saying, "Uh, never mind what I just said! Let's, um, let's go play some games, shall we? I have all of the latest consoles and titles!"

Isaac, who was giving Hayley some pointers as she cooked, heard Sean and Eryn hustle out of one of the rooms, Sean steering the both of them to the large television set mounted on the wall. Seeing Sean's red face, he asks Hayley, "Sean looks flustered. Wonder what happened?"

[Vocalia]

"Beats me," Hayley replied and noticed that Sean wasn't the only one with more blood than usual on his face as Eryn stepped into the connected living room and sitting down on the soft couch, "but looks like he isn't the only one... Maybe she just happens to stumble upon his stash of cute porn or something rather... I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about, knowing him."

[Daxam]

Watching how awkwardly Sean moves as he attempts to set up one of his many game systems, Isaac finds himself wondering about Hayley's last comment. However, he shrugs and turns back to his girlfriend. "So," he says, looking around her shoulder at their lunch, "is it ready yet?" Better be, Vincent says. I'm fucking starving!

[Vocalia]

"Almost. I think it should be ready soon," Hayley replied with a proud smile, looking at the simmering stir-fried vegetables and meat. Approaching optimum cooking temperature. I would highly advise that you remove the food from the vicinity of the heat, Alexis said to her. "I think it's done!" Hayley grinned and turned off the stove, ready with all the food she had prepared under Isaac's direct guidance. "Might wanna get everyone out or they'll miss out on the food. That includes you two!" the blonde said to a still-flustered Eryn and Sean.

[Daxam]

"I'll go get Nigel and Arlia," Isaac says as he steps out of the kitchen. Walking to Nigel's room, he knocks and says, "Nigel, it's time for lunch." A few long, worrisome moments pass until Nigel, his voice quiet, says, "I'm not hungry." Isaac sighs and opens his mouth to attempt to talk him into eating. Realizing that it may be futile, he sighs again and walks away. After looking for a few moments, he finds Arlia and says, "Arlia...I think you should talk to Nigel. I'm a little worried about him."

[Vocalia]

The concern in Isaac's voice was enough to make Arlia jump to her feet. "Please leave him to me, Isaac Ryder," she replied and walked out of the study room, then glanced at her happy sister as she played with Sean and his console gaming system, the sight making her smile softly before she made her way to the room where Nigel had kept himself in. Standing in front of the door, she calmly asked him, "Nigel dear, may I come in?"

[Daxam]

A few moments pass until the door quietly opens just enough for Arlia to see the darkness inside. Nigel wasted no time in lying back down on his bed after opening the door, his back turned to his lover. "I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm sorry I can't get over this...I know she would want me to move on...but I can't...I just can't..."

[Vocalia]

"I don't blame you, love," Arlia replied as she entered the room and closed the door behind her, not even bothering to turn on the light. "You've lost a family. I doubt it's something you can move on from so easily, especially knowing how close you are to her." The auburn-haired woman proceeded to lay down beside her beloved and looked at him. "I wouldn't ask you to simply leave all this behind, but you have to start taking the first step to ensuring that we don't let others suffer what Sarah did and let her death be in vain."

[Daxam]

"I know I do," Nigel says, lacing his fingers with Arlia's. "But, I...I feel like I'm...abandoning her, trying to forget her, if I try to move on so fast." Wrapping his arms around his lover, he pulls her close as he buries his face into her shoulder, his own shoulders beginning to shake. "I just can't help but feel...like it's my fault she died...I should've stayed with you and Hayley, I should've done something! I couldn't even get revenge for her!"

[Vocalia]

"Love... We've done all that we could, but perhaps it was not meant to be... I blamed myself for failing to protect her as much as you blamed yourself for failing to do anything. We both felt that guilt, but it wouldn't do us any good to dwell on it for too long," the auburn-haired woman replied, understanding the level of grief and sorrow Nigel was experiencing. "This will sound very odd indeed, coming from me," Arlia paused and wrapped her arms around her lover's head, one hand caressing his cheek and another gently running through his silver hair, "but Sarah wouldn't desire vengeance. She would want us to not mourn for her forever. We have to continue fighting, not only in memory of Sarah, but also for the sake of other people so they don't have to go through what we all go through."

[Daxam]

As Nigel listens to Arlia, he realizes that she was right. The last thing Sarah would want would be people dying for her, whether they were seeking vengeance or if they were the ones who had a hand in her death. Sniffling, Nigel says nothing. Instead, he pulls Arlia as close as he could and presses his lips against hers in a passionate, loving kiss. Minutes pass until he finally breaks away, breathing heavily, but smiling, as well. "You're right, my love," he whispers, touching his forehead to hers. "I'm lucky to have you to guide me through my grief. Without you, I would have done something stupid, by now."

[Vocalia]

"I am your angel, Nigel. It's my duty to guide and protect you in times of joy and sadness," Arlia smiled, overjoyed to have finally accomplished something on her own, even if it was something as minor as bringing Nigel out of his funk. To her, it was a monumental achievement. She may had lost Sarah, but she still had Nigel and she would be damned if she let a repeat incident on her watch. She gave him a few minutes to calm down and sort his thoughts out before saying to him, "Come now, love. Apparently Hayley Summerland has prepared something for us to eat. Of course, I'd certainly test it for poison or any drugs, but I doubt she's crazy enough to do that with me around."

[Daxam]

Nigel chuckles as he sits up, saying, "I don't think Hayley would stoop that low, love. Especially if there are the odds that her beloved Isaac would get poisoned, as well." As he leads Arlia to the door, hand-in-hand, he stops and turns to her, pecking her cheek. "After we eat," he quietly says, "would you mind coming back here with me? I want a few moments alone with you before you spend the rest of the day with Eryn, something you do deserve."

[Vocalia]

"I'd be glad to, love, though something tells me that I wouldn't be the only person Eryn would be spending her time with for this visit," Arlia replied as they exit the room. To prove her point, she led Nigel into the living room where Eryn and Sean were now glued to the screen, engaged in a friendly competition of fighting game. Behind the couch were Hayley, who was cheering for Eryn, and Isaac, the two having decided to watch them play with the food placed on the dining table nearby. "Well, looks like we're just in time for the party," Arlia said to the gathered group. Looking back at the pair, Hayley smiled and said, "Heh, about time. Looks like the whole gang is here. Now, can we please eat? I can hear my stomach growling."

[Daxam]

"You guys can eat," Sean says, as he mashes furiously at the controller. "I've finally got Eryn on the ropes! I figured you'd be good, but not this good!" Nigel chuckles and sits down at the table next to Arlia, his arm automatically going around her waist and his head on her shoulder. Isaac looks at the couple and asks, "Everything alright?" Nigel smiles and says, "Yeah, everything's fine." Looking at Hayley, he says, "I'm impressed. It actually smells edible."