[IC] Side Quest - Sword Art Online

[Zelosse]

Day 17 / Afternoon / LVL 16

[]HP[]100%//////////[]

Indominus just shook his head and finished cleaning up the camb, packing whatever was left and throwing a party invite to the fox girl. She accepted the shiny green yes button thingy predictably. Dom frowned as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in close, despite his old body he was strong with a grip like iron. His opposite hand raised the crystal and he spoke, the soft glow enveloping both of them as it built up into a glare of bright light forcing him to squint. "Teleport! Bulls Run!" In a flash they were gone

-----------------
Bulls run
-----------------

The glow faded away instantaneously to reveal the fur-clothed bearded fighter in his glory, released Nena to go about her devices, if she had the thought power to have any. Maybe they would set her free and she could regain a bit of her old self before whatever bootleg batshit nonsense had invaded her head. Realistically, how long could she have been in that gorge to be so off her rocker. The thought was useless and summarily discarded. Dom slapped Smart on the back and nodded, starting the long walk to the Inn. All players knew its location, having a quest giver in the town of beginnings make them do a delivery of food and drink to the tavern as a way to familiarize everyone. For once it had been worth the waste of time.
Dom glanced at Smart as they approached the door and tossed him a wink. Slouching over and seeming to shrivel up ever so slightly, the proud straight back of Indominus gave way to the weak appearance of his elderly self. Practically shuffling as he 'struggled' to open the door. A quick glance found Scarlet at a far table with two men. One masked, the other a simple face, guardian pet at their ankles. Scarlets eye had been covered and the- Scarlets eye was covered?! Dom hid his shock and rage expertly as the two men made their way over, giving a slight shout to alert the table of their approach.

"Scarlett, my granddaughter, you are ok! I feared the worst." Even his voice had taken on an meeker tone.

"These must be the two men you were with."

Not knowing the details of the event didn't mean he wasn't about to do something really stupid. It just meant he was willing to do it with more emphasis. The two heard the the implication that he was her grandfather, and tensed up from what could likely just be the awkwardness of the situation but he pat his hands in the air with an inviting smile to relax them and show he meant no harm. Both visibly calmed and even dropped their guard.

"I heard what you did."

It was almost like a dream, a man who crouched over heavily and shuffled his feet had taken a running stride and leapt clear across the table, hands touching the wooden surface for perfect balance as both his heels slammed dead center into the masked ones chest. Now, in a safe zone you could not physically injure anyone, that was common knowledge, but little known fact was that you could still attack players barehanded.
Dom used the momentum from the kick to flip back on the table into a standing position, in the same fluid motion he tilted the table and bulled forward, using its bulk to carry reaper further into a nearby wall.

"Touch MY granddaughter will you! I'll show you pain!" Doms eyes sparkled with the ghost of tears, truly believing he was protecting the purity of his last shining treasure. He growled and pushed harder on the table, hoping to prevent the masked fighter from gaining any advantage at all.
Smart would have to take care of Edgar.

--------------------------------

-Delcastle-
-Afternoon / day 17 / LvL 12-

Delcastle had returned from the shopping district with a series of items in his inventory, nothing expensive or rare, but enough to make progress. Armor had been made, a token for a weapon of choice from a reliable vendor had been crafted (It could be given to any player, allowing them to charge Delcastle VIA PM for gold on completion), and a small pouch of coin. Enough for a weeks stay at the inn with food and drink. It wasn't much but money was always going to be tight on the first floor. Very few things were going to pick up if the players as a whole did not advance to better tiers of loot and better rewards for quests.
Bags in hand, Delcastle opened the door to the room he had rented for the two girls, thankfully not noticing the barfight that was just beginning downstairs, and entered without bothering to look around. Used to sharing a room with Bulwar, it was never an issue of what might be seen or not. The moment he closed the door he heard to soft moan and froze in place, only now glancing up to see the fox girl and Cinera.. exploring their options?

"I uh.. Clothes. You. You're uh.. carry on."

Delcastle bowed in what could be seen as a moment of embarassment but was infact just him being polite. He had never been ashamed of his actions and misunderstandings could be explained. It was just a little strange for him to stumble into that situation so completely off guard. When they were finished, they would find him standing outside the door with a bright red face. Nobody in the Inn would ever know..

[DestinyStar]

ScarletRain
Day 17 - Afternoon - Lvl 15
@Zelosse@Tracyarmav@BlackPanther@Haeo

As Reaper spoke, Scarlet grew more and more irritated. Sure, they were weak now, but it honestly wouldn't take serious training for them to work together would it? The movies never worked that way. Games came easily to her; she knew that she could get used to her blind eye by the time they finished breakfast, for pete's sake! "Well who died and made you captain of the party?" She asked Reaper indignantly, crossing her arms stubbornly. "Look, I know it's a risk but it's one I'm willing to take. With or without help. I've never been afraid of anything in my whole life, and I'm not about to start now!" Of course, that was a blatant lie, but the last thing she wanted was to look weak in front of men who already had to save her. She was only acting like a child again, but sometimes it was just part of her nature.

Reaper's gaze really did break through that wall of hers, though. Scarlet couldn't exactly just leave on her own journey when they had done so much to help her up until now. Plus, he had sort of gained a soft spot in her heart... Reaper seemed to really want to do things this way, and even if she was disagreeable he did make her second-guess herself. He seemed to be very keen at breaking through her defiant, teenage barrier. "Level nine, huh..." She mumbled a bit as her gaze hesitantly shifted to Edgar. Poor guy. He might be a royal pain in my ass, but he risked his life to save me against a Level 18 creature when he knew he was only level 9. I couldn't exactly force him back into combat, at this rate... She fidgeted in frustration, shifting in her seat as she tried to hold her confidence. However, she finally came around and decided that two more days couldn't hurt. Maybe nobody was at quite a high enough level to get through the dungeon safely, yet. Or maybe they wouldn't take the risk within those two days. It really wasn't that long of a time, right? And if he says he can make us strong enough by then...

With a big groan, Scarlet leaned back and allowed herself to slump over the back of her chair, staring up at the ceiling. "Fiiiiiine! I guess we can take just a little bit of time to train..." She sat back up and looked sternly at Reaper. "But only two days! I can't risk someone else finding what's at the back of that gorge..." Her eyes traced slowly to the ground, once again filled with a painful expression. I couldn't live like this forever...

Amidst their conversation, she had not seen the return PM from her grandfather, so it was a huge surprise when he came bursting through the door. He was walking strange - as if he were frail and weak- and Scarlet could feel her face turning... well, scarlet red. Oh my god... He's acting so embarrassing! Immediately, she stood from her chair and clenched her fists. Just the sight of him had her fuming. "G-... Grandpa?!?! What the hell?" As soon as he addressed her companions, her heart sank. She knew exactly what he was doing here, and she didn't like it. Didn't I tell him to leave them alone? I meant to... Shit, they saved my life and now they have to deal with him! This is so fucking embarrassing... "Look, you crazy asshole, I told you to-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Dom launched himself at Reaper. Her eyes grew wide as she saw her companion fly across the room and then become tackled by the old bat. So that was why he was pretending to be frail... to harm them? Honestly, Scarlet had thought he was just trying to get in her business, but now she saw he had made assumptions about the pair of men she was with. And where there's one old man, there must be... Smart came busting through the door before she could say it. ... two. All she could do in this moment was watch the old men in shock and horror as they suddenly trampled her friends.

---

Cinera
Day 17 - Afternoon - Lvl 13
@Zelosse[@PyroDash88]

Cinera's face flushed bright red at her fox friend's initial comment, as her mind struggled to think of an explanation for the sudden groping. I-I was just half-asleep, still! I didn't realize! It was an accident! I didn't mean it like that...! What could she say that would make the embarrassment go away? Sapphira seemed equally flustered as she answered, but her words hardly registered as Cinera struggled to regain her composure. "T-That's... That's good, then. Uhm... I, I don't really know... We'll, um... find something soft, probably..." Cinera blushed even more at her mistake. "SAFE! I MEAN SAFE, WE'LL FIND SOMETHING SAFE TO DO!"

Sapphira suddenly got a really creepy smirk on her lips before covering her face in the most adorable way. She's like a puppy... Cinera thought this without even hesitating and then smirked a little, herself. The whole situation was kind of funny, but more than anything she was glad to see her friend doing better. Even with the accidental perversion Cinera had displayed. Just then, she noticed a figure standing in the doorway and looked up to see a very frozen Delcastle. She couldn't place it at first, but then she followed his eyes to Sapphira's... well... she could tell he had seen everything that had just happened. Her face immediately returned to the tomato red it had been before, and she instinctively jumped to her feet and straightened her shorts, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. Of all the people to see this accident, Delcastle was the last person who should have. It made her heart ache a little to think of all the assumptions going on in his head. He probably thought she was into girls, or maybe just... exploring? Or that she was some creepy pervert. Whatever the case, his stuttered speech said it all.

"U-Uhm... H-Hey..." That was all she could choke out before he left the room. Her heart sunk as he left and her eyes glanced over to Sapphira while her heart raced faster. This was bad. Really bad. It had only been an accident! As usual, Cinera propelled the situation way out of proportion and let out a groan as she sunk to the floor, now covering her own face in a manner much like Sapphira had just done. "I can't believe this..." She murmured. As she pulled her hands a bit from her face, small tears could be seen in her eyes. It wasn't something to bawl over, but Cinera did not do well with misunderstandings or with embarrassment. I don't think I'll ever be able to look him in the eye, again...

[Haeo]

@DestinyStar@Zelosse@BlackPanther@Tracyarmav
Smarter'n'me
Lvl 15/Day 17/Morning
[HP]98%/////////[]

Smart didn't feel the need to stay close to Dimitri as he executed his old man routine. He just hung back a bit until all eyes were on his friend. Then, in that moment when great flashing blows were slamming into the masked youth, Smart made his move with a feral smile.

It wasn't hard to spot the table that was about to erupt into chaos. Two men and one familiar girl. He didn't know what to expect, but her having breakfast with the two after sleeping in the same room was going to make this ugly. If she was making choices like that then she wouldn't take kindly to what they were about to do. But, Dan had worked hard his whole life with long hours and wretched coworkers. He knew that a single smudge on a reputation could shatter a career before it begins. And, curse it, she was going to have a career or a husband with one and no filthy digital prison was going to impede that!

Walking through the door in his snake skin leather armor, including tights, he suddenly seemed to tip forward and fall. But, shortly before face planting onto the floor he vanished in a puff of dust only to reappear with his feet against the ceiling above the other young man. His right hand began to glow with the activation of a combat skill. He jumped down with all his force and drove the skill into the young man who hadn't been assaulted yet at the place where the neck meets the shoulder. The flash was dramatic as the boy was driven through his chair and into the unyielding floor in an instant. The poor chair shattered into pieces that flew across the room before scattering into azure sparkles. Smart followed up with a staccato series of flashes as he let fall a rain of unyielding blows on his victim, striking many sensitive points repeatedly.

He was also shouting in his customary shriek as he sought to hold his victim to the ground with his legs.

"You pre-pubescent-cat-kissing-soda-sodomizing-wretched-ingratiating-bastard-son-of-a-llama and a blow-up-doll!" Amazingly enough, he never seemed to take a breath. "Maggot-addict-weasel-huffer! Your house was made of fermented pubic hair and diseased reputation you leech-fingered-operatic-onomatopoeia-centipede-stripper!" And so he continued, in like manner.

[BlackPanther]

@Zelosse@Haeo@Tracyarmav
Ikanus nods to Scarlet. "Deal" He then looks between the two. "So we can st-" cut off as an older man shuffles in. He knew better then to think the man was as frail as he was acting. Considering that the guy had that armor and something about him was telling ikanus not to slip up. When he says that he is scarlet's grandfather his guard drops. Figuring that he would be happy to see his granddaughter.

Apparently that was a mistake. Before he could react he gets both feet to the chest, knocking him back, this cause him to immediately unequal his cape figuring that the guy would use that to his advantage. He stands just in time to get pushed into the wall with a table. "The hell...What did you want me to do let her bleed to death in the gorge" Being caught off guard lets his full emotions out. With a glare that could murder a person if it was able to he leaps straight up and lands on the table legs. "You have misunderstood a situation" He flips off the table and picks up Anubis who has started reacting. The canine snaps his jaws and lurches trying hard to get to the attacker his growls deep and loud. "If you would put the table back and get your friend off of my party member I could explain what happened" Trying to diffuse the situation even though he's a bit angry about being attacked. His chest still hurts now....his grip on the lurching snapping canine increases just to make sure it doesn't make things worse. He's also quite insulted that anyone would assume he would take advantage of a woman. That isn't who he is.

[Tracyarmav]

Day 17, afternoon.
Edgar_Walther
@BlackPanther@DestinyStar@Zelosse@Haeo

What the blazes was wrong with Scarlet's grandpappy? Oh... That was all the young man had time to think before Smart hit him and then everything was pain and agony. Unable to properly defend himself, pinned to the floor as he was, Edgar jackknifed, or tried to and got just enough wiggle room, to bring a hand up the inside of Smart's thigh, which he pinched as hard as he could, right where it joined the pelvis, if he'd done it right, there was nice nerve there to pinch. It might serve as enough of a distraction for Smarter that he could wriggle out from under him completely. Not trusting a single attack to succeed, Edgar bit at the man's hand as it came down again at his neck, he'd probably loose a few teeth for his trouble but at least he'd still be breathing, or at least that was his rational a the time.

So far he'd had little time to do anything but feel the pain being inflicted upon him, but the less trusting side of him remembered the PM Scarlet had sent during breakfast, and made some erroneous conclusions of it's own. With his mouth full of smart's hand, he couldn't say anything so he simply glared Scarlet, who though she seemed shocked, was apparently content to do nothing. Some thanks this was for saving her ass in the gorge, hell if he'd known all this was going to happen he might have let her die out there... well, no he wouldn't have, it just wasn't in him to do that. But he would have thought about it, long and hard. Looking back to Smart he yelled around the hand as best he could.

"Fu oo oo oh an!"

[Ookawa]

At first Sapphira was quite amused by Cinera's bumbling tries to de-embarrass he situation even laughing about her wrong words. But when, after Delcastle had seen he scene and probably misinterpreted it, Cinera seriously seemed hit.
Through all the beatings she had taken in the last couple of days, Sapphira's caring attitude had never actually completely vanished and so, when she noticed Cinera crying over this, the tiny fox girl put her similarly small and petite hand on Cinera's back and petted said back.

"You like him, don't you?", the fox whispered endearingly. She knew she had to like him, such a reaction would otherwise be highly unlikely. "I'm sorry I put you into this position... I can go outside and explain it to him.

She had just noticed the clothing Delcastle had brought in and frowned a little at the hooded robe.

[Zelosse]

Day 17 / Afternoon / LVL 16

[]HP[]100%//////////[]

Indominus dropped his offensive posture and stared at the masked man. Was he deaf or just dumb, to not realize this was going to be a fight like it or not. Scarlet had raised no opposition beyond a curse, to which he shot her a look that promised a smack in the mouth to her too, and turned his attention back to Reaper and the barking dog. Dom calmly grabbed the table and gently put it back into upright position. But did not motion for Smart to stop what he was doing. Instead, Dom kicked the table into reaper all over again and launched another violent flurry of punches forward, one such attack took Anubis in the face and sent the dog away, where it did not stand to retaliate. Pets did not attack in town. They barked and growled but that was about it.

"A misunderstanding eh? I can believe the lass got hurt, that's pretty obvious," Dom threw an uppercut hoping to connect with Reapers chin but instead managed to clip the mask. Dom followed up the strike with a straight thrust. "But I cannot, will not, ignore what you may have done while she was asleep. Take off the mask and apologize or I'm kickin' your pretty face up and down this tavern."

[DestinyStar]

Cinera
Day 17 - Afternoon - Lvl 13
@Zelosse@PyroDash888

Cinera glanced up as her friend approached, only to once again bury her hands in her face as the tears secretly escaped her eyes. She didn't even want Sapphira to look at her, right now... It probably wasn't that big of a deal, but she hated the embarrassment. Her heart raced and she just wished that she could fade away into the air and disappear from sight, for awhile. The young fox had just been through a lot, and she wasn't trying to make things any harder on her friend. What if she were upset from the whole encounter? Her head swirled with all the different ways she could apologize when her friend finally spoke.

"You like him, don't you?"

The unexpected words were spoken so softly, so suddenly, that Cinera almost didn't understand them at first. It was such a strange thing to say at a time like this! Not only that, but it wasn't helping with the embarrassment factor. Her face grew redder, if that were even possible, and she slowly peeked out from under her fingers to gaze at her friend. She was... serious. Extremely. Sapphira's comfort felt like that of a mother, and rather than run from it as she had been Cinera now relaxed and shifted her gaze to the ground. This was a question she hadn't really considered seriously, if she were being honest. Of course, being around Delcastle made her happy... and he was always looking out for her... but was that really love?

Do I like him...? Cinera didn't have the slightest idea. She was such an airhead sometimes, she hadn't ever had a real romantic relationship in real life. Love was something she preferred to avoid thinking about, having seen the stresses it put upon her own parents. A sort of aching feeling crept up her chest, and she slowly dropped her hands into her lap. Do I... like him...? As the blush slowly faded from her cheeks, a faint cherry red rested on her youthful expression. All of the memories of these few weeks with Delcastle ran through her head in this moment - meeting him in the inn, training the next day, their picnics, camping together, training together... their kiss... - and the more she thought about, the more her chest ached. She couldn't deny what she was feeling, no matter how much she wanted to. Even if she had only known him a few weeks. Even if she knew how badly love always ended. Even if she had decided to never love someone in that way. Somehow, some way... here she was.

I... I... The thought of admitting it out loud was too much, so she simply and sadly gave her friend a brief nod. Sapphira would knew what she meant. I... I don't know why I'm nodding... She's going to think I like him... Cinera's thoughts swirled in her head, making her feel dizzy and sick and nervous all at once. I... I... Even so, he saw me like that... Sapphira had offered to go talk to them, but the idea of it made her even more sick. Shaking it off, she stood and wiped away any remaining tears. "I... It's okay..." Those useless thoughts of feeling and such could be thought of later. It was too much to think about, right now. "I'd probably just be in here worrying. I can go talk to him." Cinera reached out to her friend to help her from the ground with a weak smile. "You should be resting, anyhow. And Delcastle brought you those clothes to change into. I'm... I'm sorry about that... awkwardness..."

She gave a bit of a laugh and helped Sapphira to the bed. "By the way..." Before she left, she turned to Sapphira with her own face once again bright red. "Can you, uhm... m-maybe not mention to Delcastle... u-uhm... Well, you know..." She looked down at her hands, fiddling them together. "I-I still don't... know... a-and I hadn't really thought about it, so... uhm... Just don't mention it, okay? I promise you will be the first one I tell if I ever have feelings like that!" Once again, she laughed a bit and looked up at her friend. She really does understand me so well... A genuine warmth crossed her eyes before she left to find Delcastle. I want to help her... Somehow, we'll get her ear fixed...

As Cinera opened the door, she looked over to see Delcastle standing there, his face full of warm, rushing blood. Oh, god... Her own expression mirrored his as she very nervously closed the door behind her. "U-Uhm... H... Hi..." She held her arms behind her back, rubbing her hands stressfully. Delcastle might recognize the signs of stress in her, but she did her best to hide them anyhow. I'm sure he got the wrong idea... Unsure of what to say, she just kind of looked at her feet, shifting a bit as she stood there. "Uh... S-Sapphira's changing, so... y-yeah..." Cinera mentally slapped herself for that one. What the heck do I even say?!

---

ScarletRain
Day 17 - Afternoon - Lvl 15
@Zelosse@BlackPanther@Tracyarmav@Haeo

Scarlet gawked at the sudden terrible situation to befall her comrades. Edgar was suddenly pinned on the ground, with Reaper thrown clear across the inn, tables and chairs broken, blood flying. It became a mess in the less than 10 seconds it had been since her grandfather had walked in the room. Why were they here, anyhow? And why did they know where to find her? Had they followed her here? Even if it was the only inn in town, it did not give them permission to follow her around or attack her fucking teammates! She had just sent Dom that PM about how they saved her life! Why were they attacking in a safe zone, anyway?!

Scarlet now understood their intent. They wished to cause her party members pain. Even if they couldn't kill them, they wanted to see them suffer. Even after they had risked their necks for her, the two old bats had jumped to insane conclusions about these strangers and decided to rip them apart where they couldn't die or hardly defend themselves. The glare from Edgar said all about what they were feeling, too. As this all quickly played out in front of her, Scarlet could feel a hot fire burning under her skin. Enough was enough. Even after she had told them to leave her alone, told them to mind her own business, told them she didn't need their help... Even after I made it VERY clear that I wanted to be LEFT ALONE, they still... still...

Her hands shook with her growing rage, and her eyes struck daggers into the vicious form of the fat asshole she had to call family. Enough WAS enough. Scarlet moved in the blink of an eye to equip her axe, immediately taking hold of it as she charged forward. "GET THE BLOODY FUCK OFF OF THEM YOU GOD DAMN COCKSACKS!!!" This was her battle cry of choice as she slammed the flat edge of her axe against Dom's body, like a painful wall of metal pushing him back in the blink of an eye. The force would propel a normal person clear through the opposite wall of the inn and into the street. In an instant, she turned the other way and did the same to Smart, aiming him like a baseball to the other side of the room from her grandfather in an attempt to break it all up.

Her sudden entrance into the fight seemed to create a pause, and it could be seen that she intervened only to quickly end this "skirmish" of sorts. A small tear of frustration had formed in her good eye as she tried to take hold of just how fucking furious she was, in this moment. With this break in the physical contact, Scarlet settled her gaze on the old fartbag she could no longer stand. In this moment, where she was already feeling very raw and alone, she could no longer hold back the fear and pain she had been holding inside. Like a child, she let it all out at once.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!?! I replied to your PM to let you know what happened, because you seemed so damn concerned, but shit..." She laughed a bit angrily and placed her hand on her head. "You just don't fucking understand me at all anymore, do you?! No, of course you don't. You're too fucking old to understand anything that I'm feeling! Or to even have decent human courtesy, it seems! You could at least fucking introduce yourself before you beat the shit out of the guys who saved my fucking life!!! Which, by the way, I TOLD YOU IN THAT MESSAGE YOU WERE TOO FUCKING STUPID TO READ BEFORE RUSHING OVER HERE TO ATTACK MY NEW FRIENDS!" She pulled her hand away from her head and stepped down from the table she had landed on, dragging her axe behind her as it gave a loud scrape against the floor.

"They didn't do anything to me while I slept. In fact, they've been nothing but gentlemen since I met them. Edgar might be a fucking sarcastic asshole sometimes, but god damn it I chose to be in their party! We have the same goals, and we're strong together! Is that a fucking crime?! NO! None of that even matters, though, because what I do is none of your goddamn business! I told you to stay away from me, but you didn't listen! Neither of you fucking listen!" She turned to glare at Smart now, revealing the tears that had now formed down her cheeks. "You old fartbags want to know what happened to my eye?! Here! Since you couldn't wait for me to just fucking explain it to you!"

In one swift motion, Scarlet ripped off the already-loose eyepatch to reveal her clouded eye. Once Smart saw, she turned to her grandfather, who was now right in front of her, as tears fell from only her good eye. "I fucked up, okay? I ran too far and hit the game's barrier. Fell off a fucking cliff. This guy-" Her finger pointed harshly at Reaper. "-patched be back up when my arms and legs were all but falling off!!! And this guy-" She now pointed to Edgar, her heart racing as she let it all spill out. -this guy fought a monster at the gorge that had locked onto me and was twice his level! You still want to accuse them of being bad people who took advantage of me? No. I didn't fucking think so." Having boiled all her anger down into this sharp, concentrated fury, she now unequipped her axe, allowing herself to be fully vulnerable to her grandfather for the first time in years.

"We tried potions, bandages, everything... No matter what, I can't see out of my fucking eye, anymore. At all. And you know, this normally would have been the sort of thing I would have gone to you about. I used to think that you could fix anything in the world, Grandpappi..." Her face twisted into pain as she forced out that endearing nickname, not at all caring how guilty she might make him feel. "You used to be the only one who understood anything I felt. Mom was just trying to make up for all of dad's shit, but you were the only one who would actually give me my space and let me figure things out in my way. You knew that I needed that. But when mom left, you... you..." Her heart ached heavily as sobs escaped her chest. "... You started to act just like her! Trying to make up for her being gone the same way she made up for dad leaving! Trying to 'get to know me' or 'spend more time with me' to make me feel better! I never wanted any of that!"

She took a few steps back, feeling her overpowering emotions taking control. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and Scarlet had no idea what to do with herself. "I just wanted my Grandpappi... I just wanted you to be there when I cried by myself at night... to be that person I could go sit with at night and watch late-night TV and forget about Mom crying over Dad's letters in the other room, or forget the fighting, or the bullshit! I don't want anymore of the fake smiles or caring. I don't want to be spoiled. I just want a fucking normal family that treats me like a fucking normal person! I've only ever wanted that! A normal family with TWO parents, not one... Where I got scolded, had to do chores, could have friends over... The more you try to make up for the emptiness in our house, the more lonely I feel. I thought you were the one person who understood that..."

Scarlet clenched her fists tight as she stared hard at the ground, letting the tears drop at her feet. Now they had heard... All of them had heard her... She kept her gaze fixed on a small pebble in front of her, not wanting to look up to face anyone. It had just spilled out, but she didn't want everyone to know. She didn't want to admit that she felt lonely. It felt like her family was all gone, now. Of course she wanted to stay in this game forever - she was just a normal person in here. Her mom always treated her like an angel, like she could do no wrong. Her grandfather's discipline had been her last foundation to make life feel real after the divorce drama. When her mother left, that reality had faded into special breakfasts together and random trips to the mall. Just like her mother, he tried to force her to get friends at school and even let her skip school once or twice (though to be fair, that was kind of a grandpa thing to do). He probably thought he was helping, but she hated it. Scarlet hated being treated like she came from a broken family, because it was just a constant reminder of all the shit she had endured through it all. Her shoulders shook with the released sobs, full of the pain from her secret feelings. "... I-I hate you..." She sobbed, angrily wiping her tears away. "J-Just leave me alone..."

[Zelosse]

Day 17 / Afternoon / LVL 16

[]HP[]100%//////////[]

Dom crashed into the wall with a thud that should have turned bones to powder. His vision swam as he slumped to the ground in a heap, mouth open and a blank stare. Despite not feeling much of the pain or taking damage it was excruciatingly disorientating and every sense left screamed to get up and fight off whatever hellhound he had just unleashed, to see it dead at his feet and protect himself and everything he held onto in his lifetime. Those small amount of years, months, days, he had left to live. That same horrible mounting dread of a life ended had him at wits end and for once he felt it keenly.
With a groan he managed to rise to his feet and shake off the debree, unaware that the other patrons had all but fled the inn incase they be caught up in this. Others were blissfully making sure nobody else entered warning of a couple of town-killers on the loose and prepared themselves to keep them from exiting the town. Fear continued to play on everyones sense. Even his own..

Before he could even mutter a swear he saw her there in the light screaming. Felt her pain like a hot knife enter his heart and forced him to choke back that last bit of pride. He had acted like a fool, a big one, and made a gigantic scene over something that was not his to control. He had dragged Smart along too, AGAIN, into his crazy delusional old rampages and forced everyone to participate in his nonsense and violent selfish actions. There she was now pouring her heart out, screaming her fury and cussing like a sailor so bad it made his hand tense with the urge to silence that mouth good but the words finally clicked. Her mother.

So that's it.. That's been it all along. I tried too hard to get in and you didn't want me to.. The memories came in a rush of mixed emotions as he half remembered her talking of her mother and father, his own son who had shamed himself and his father by abandoning the girl and just disappearing. Dimitri had tried hard to reconcile with that fact but couldn't bring himself to be angry with his own child, let alone Scarlet. When Scarlets mother had relinquished custody to him it had been one of the hardest days of his life. Taking in such a young girl had been difficult to say the least. He was old now, nearing 70. It hurt to just walk around the house, to go up the stairs, to stay awake.
But he had ignored everything to try and make his Granddaughter feel welcome and comfortable. Tried to give her whatever she needed, get her where she wanted to go, and keep her from feeling guilty or worried about her parents.

Can I do nothing right. Decorated officer, chief of police, and a complete fuck up of a father.. of a grand father..

Dom took some cautionary steps forward, ignoring Reaper entirely, as he tried to approach Scarlet. His precious jewel. That last bit of sunshine in the darkness that was his life after retirement. His feet would not move and he could not lift his arms in an invitation for any kind of hug, all they did was hang uselessly at his side as he stared at her.

"Scarlet..." He took another step forward. "Why didn't you tell me? You came to my home and I just.. I wanted to spend time with you. To see you let go of it all and start new.. I.. I can't.." The words were stuck in his head as the jumble of emotions took hold but only one could grip him now. He straightened his back and pointed a finger at her. "You want to be scolded for doin' wrong? Fine. Why did you never tell me you felt this way? Why did you never tell me any of the damn feelings stuck in that head and heart of yours! You're fourteen! If you wanted space just tell me. If you wanted to talk just TELL me. If you were hurt just tell me. You say you hate me but you hate what I do. What I do is CARE, care for you, care for your emotional well being, care for how you adjust to living with two 60 year old men."

He slumped his shoulders and took an aggressive step forward, planting both hands on her shoulders and squeezing tight as he could. "I am 65 years old and retired. I am tired, girl. I raised a child before and look how that turned out. My inability has gone down a whole generation and I was trying to fix it. To be a better parent. I was strict with your father. I didn't want that for you. But I cannot give you that space, and do you know why? You have your whole life to live. In 51 years you will be my age, in five years I may be nothing but a memory to you." the faint ghost of tears had begun to swell in his eyes as he expressed that fear once more. "To you I am your grandfather, to me you are my daughter now. You are my responsibility and I love you, Scarlet, with every bit of my soul. You're all I have left. You will survive this even if I have to kill every man that glances at you. Do you understand me?"

---------------------------------------------------

-Delcastle-
-Afternoon / day 17 / LvL 12-

Delcastle leaned on the railing and grinned ear to ear as he turned to look at Cinera all in a blush. The writing was on the wall and even if she didn't admit it he knew the truth. They were compatible, they worked well together, and something like that was more humerous than anything. He put his finger to his mouth and arched an eyebrow, motioning with his head to the fight below. It was coming to an emotional end and that was important to Delcastle who never liked a one-sided fight. He had briefly considered jumping into the fray if this turned into a big event.
Thankfully the Inn was almost empty.

"Dramas high in town today in seems. First you and Sapphira now the old dudes." He couldn't help but laugh as he leaned and and turned to face Cinera. "For the record you don't have to be shy. Truth be told I wanna touch the fox girls tail but I doubt she would like it." He arched an eyebrow again with a dirty grin. "I'd rather grab yours." He gave another laugh and held up his hands. "Kidding. Kidding." Del leaned against the railing and crossed his arms. "Finally come to a conclusion then?" With a little luck she would admit her feelings. A good step forward.

[Ookawa]

Sapphira smiled when Cinera left the room up to the point when she closed the door. "I am so stupid...", she whispered. She was sure, her short burst of feelings was only because Cinera had nursed her to health, but she was still quite... well... jealous? She didn't exactly know and couldn't figure out her feelings at all. On the one hand, she was pretty happy for her finding somebody to get close to, on the other hand she wanted her just for herself. Of course she knew how selfish that was and Cinera most certainly only saw her as a friend, nothing else, and that was pretty okay for her, or at least that she thought right now.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up that much, Saya, there are a lot of good and nice girls out there. One of them will be your soulmate...", she said loudly to herself. "Now for the clothing..."

She stared intently at the pile of clothing, Delcastle had brought in and picked up a few pieces. "What... how did he manage...", Sapphira exclaimed surprised as she picked up a pair of white-blue striped panties and a similarly coloured bra. "Besides that... how did he get my measurements...", she muttered when, after putting both on, they fit perfectly. This was definitely worth investigating... after she was completely dressed, of course. Quickly she slipped into the skirt and into the cloak, which just covered the hem of the short skirt.
She'd have to be careful, the clothing designer was probably a bit of a pervert, since the skirt, with sufficient lift, could really reveal her underwear. Somehow though, this was a bit of a thrill for Sapphira and also not as likely, since she was so short anyway.
In her last VRMMORPG, she had tried pants, but skirts allowed her more freedom of movement and it cooled her legs down as well, so she stored the pants in her inventory, then turned around and opened, with the hood of the cloak not over her head, the door to find Cinera and Delcastle in conversation of some kind, so she just butted in, starting her investigation.

"Two questions, Del... how did you manage to buy a bra and panties... and how did you know my measurements... for everything... including the underwear...", Sapphira said staring into Delcastle's eyes suspiciously and then into Cinera's as well, which must have looked quite amusing, seeing as the fox girl was almost foot shorter than even Cinera and more for Delcastle.

[BlackPanther]

@Tracyarmav@DestinyStar@Zelosse

Ikanus gets shoved yet again, but he refuses to fight. The first punch glancing off the edge of his mask along with several more punches that he manages to start dodging. "I refuse to apologize for things I did not do" a look aimed the old mans way. One that seemed to be very defiant. He was about to leap up again when scarlet ran through.

He slowly stands up and heads over to Edgar to help him up. Making sure he's okay...once Edgar is up he looks at scarlet, hearing everything. He stays back, giving the both of them space, after all it isn't his business. He watches as the grandfather approaches her both of them dishing out their feelings. He quietly gets Anubis by him and goes through his inventory and states. Basically giving them as much space as he can without leaving the room. When he's done with that, he starts crafting leather things. Still giving them space and remaining quiet. In his mjnd he thinks over where and how he plans on helping strengthen and level them. It would be tough on them but he thinks they can do it.

[DestinyStar]

Cinera
Day 17 - Afternoon - Lvl 13
@PyroDash888@Zelosse

Cinera was confused when Delcastle motioned for her to be quiet, but then she heard the ruckus downstairs. It made her jump a bit, and she walked over to peer down from the railing at the chaos. Drama was an understatement. These people seemed to really be going at it with each other. Maybe they wanted to cause a scene, or maybe they were really mad at one another. Whatever the case, the inn was practically destroyed in their wake. Attacking each other in a safe zone...? Well that's mature...

Delcastle's comment about her and Sapphira made her blush once more, glancing away from him in embarrassment. Then towards him in flustered shock. His comment about wanting to touch her seemed oddly out-of-character for him, but the moment she looked at him he had a sly smirk on his face that indicated he was joking. Cinera simply gazed at him for a moment, and then started to laugh, a little. She could see from a mile away that he was trying to both lighten the mood and move past the situation, so she decided nothing really needed to be said. Instead, she smacked his arm playfully for the perverted comment. "You pervert," She commented and smiled as she turned to look out over the railing.

Thanks, Delcastle... That could have been a really embarrassing conversation. She was super relieved that he seemed to understand it was an accident, and that she didn't need to try to explain it. Though she knew he was going to joke about it for quite awhile. The thought of it just made her want to groan, but she sort of deserved it for groping her friend. It was an amusing way to wake up, to say the least. His question caught her off-guard though, and she looked toward him with an inquisitive look. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

This was part of why Cinera had never been in a relationship. Things like this always went right over her head. Even so, Sapphira's question from earlier was still ringing in her ears, and for a moment she wondered... He couldn't be talking about that, right? No... Of course not... He didn't know how she felt, after all. Unless he was thinking about their relationship as well, he would have no reason to mention those thoughts. A light blush rested on her cheeks as she gazed up at him, wondering just what a relationship like that would be like. Would he even be happy, like that? Did he even see her in that way? Did she even see him in that way, or had Sapphira just planted these thoughts in her head? It was confusing, and Cinera wished she could just forget it.

In moments, her fox friend joined them outside the inn and began to question Delcastle about her clothes. The undergarments thing was a little surprising. Cinera flushed red once more and looked at him, feeling flustered like she had before. NPCs obviously wouldn't let male characters buy female panties and bras, so he must have bought them from some pervert who crafts them, right? Was he really a pervert, after all? Feeling a bit awkward, she rubbed the back of her head and walked over to the door of the room. "I, uhm... I should go get ready, too... We gotta turn in the key, soon, so... yeah, then." And with that she entered the room and closed the door, looking through her inventory for a fresh outfit. Casual clothes today, maybe, since there probably wouldn't be much adventuring. As she changed, thoughts and memories of her time with Delcastle swirled through her head, and she tried to come up with some sort of answer to Sapphira's question. Why am I so stuck on this...? I doubt she really wants to know, anyway... I'm just thinking too hard about it. Even if I felt that way, he probably doesn't. And if he did, now isn't really the time for that sort of thing with where our guild is at... is it...?

[Haeo]

@Zelosse@DestinyStar@BlackPanther@Tracyarmav

Smarter'n'me
Lvl 15/Day 17/Afternoon
[HP]98%/////////[]

Smart was actually almost done. He could tell that the boy under him hadn't taken advantage, he would have been far more embarrassed if he had. Though, biting was a bit too desperate a move, in Smart's opinion, for a safe zone fight. Still, he was about to jump off and take stock when he suddenly heard a decisive clang followed by a crash. Scarlet was screaming.

Then everything went black for a little while.

When his eyes opened he was hanging halfway out of one of the back windows with an uninspiring view of the back of the next building in line. He blinked. They were talking, something that hardly ever happened at the house. He pulled himself back inside and crouched there below the broken window. Listening hurt. Seeing her eye hurt worse.

So, these two had saved her life, behaved themselves, and formed a party with her. He looked piercingly at the two boys. The older was keeping a respectful distance from the conversation. His level of maturity was actually impressive for one so young yet. The other was both honest and decent. At least, that's what it had felt like while he was beating him. But, all of this brought about two important conclusions.

First, he owed Scarlet and the boys an apology. But, after following Dimitri on such a fools mission, he couldn't think of a way to do it. His eyes grew sad and hard and his bearded chin drooped toward the floor. It might not be too late for those two to fix things but, in the end, Smart wasn't anything but her grandpa's housemate.

"Boys." He said at last, turning his grieved gaze on the two victims of their assault. "Thank you for saving her. And, sorry." His voice was serious and flat, the same voice he used to use in court. The voice he hadn't used in almost twenty years.

He turned the same look toward Scarlet. "I'm sorry, Scarlet." Then he started walking slowly toward one of the undamaged tables that still had undisturbed chairs. It happened to be in a far corner. On his way, he looked at Dom.

"Scarlet slept in a room with a couple of boys, they are in for a world of hurt." He quoted cooly. That was all he said to his friend. His head still rang and his eyes just didn't want to focus well. He stumbled once on the way to a chair and missed it with his hand on his first try, sinking onto it exhaustedly. Once again, he was on the fish-butt-end of a situation and he wasn't even getting yelled at. Just like at the house. It really made him feel... expendable.

[DestinyStar]

ScarletRain
Day 17 - Afternoon - Lvl 15
@Zelosse@Haeo

Scarlet kept her gaze fixed on the ground as silence seemed to fall over the group. After a moment, she could hear her grandfather's voice, and something in her chest ached to hear the sad tone in it. She knew that he had only been trying to make her happy. She knew that he was trying to help her heal from it all. But even so... Things weren't going to just get better. Nothing was going to go away, especially this pain. The feeling that she drove her parents away just by being born lingered with her always. Why didn't she tell him? Well...

"I tried to tell you." Her voice practically came out as a whisper. "I tried to tell Mom, too. You both just kept insisting that it wasn't my fault, that everything would be fine... Here, have another piece of cake. Here, let's go see a movie on a weekday. Nothing's wrong, everything's fine, nothing fucking terrible happened..." The tears fell even harder as her shoulders shook under the weight of her grief. "I wanted to talk about it... not pretend it had never happened. Mom didn't want me to have to face it, and neither did you. But ignoring it and just going about our business..." Her gaze looked up sharply at Dom, then, filled with pain and discomfort. "You sent me to fucking school! The day after my mom abandoned me! You said I shouldn't let it hold me back, that I shouldn't be sad from Mom's mistake, but... damn it, I wasn't ready to move on! I'm still not!"

Without warning, she leapt forward and hugged her grandpa tightly with both arms, something she hadn't done since her mom was around years ago. "I-I want my mom and dad! I-I didn't want to drive them away... I-I tried to be good... I-I tried..." Scarlet felt all of the aching and pain from her life in this moment, and all she could do was cling to Dom in a desperate cry for comfort. After her dad had left, as a child, she turned to her grandpa for anything she would have asked him. He was more of a dad to her than he seemed to understand. But he stopped all of the little things she had loved when her mom left. Though they still spent time together, it wasn't her reaching out to him but rather him reaching out to her. She wasn't watching Letterman with him, he was watching whatever Disney show she wanted. She wasn't sneaking cookies behind his back, she was being given them for no reason. They were slight differences, where she would get what she wanted, but it wasn't as enjoyable. Something about getting what she wanted didn't feel as real. Life felt fake and the virtual world felt real. It was fucked up, and in this moment she realized that she did not want that, anymore.

Scarlet was surprised to hear what the old man said about failing as a parent. Did he really think he'd failed? No, he had done a great job. The problem was when he changed without realizing it. He had altered his parenting to suite her special case of abandonment, which was not what she wanted. "You didn't fail, Grandpappi..." She sniffled, looking up at him. "I... I really loved Daddy... H-He's the one who made the stupid choice, right...?" Tenderly, she wiped her eyes and then took a step back to see him more clearly. A little smile formed on her lips. "D-Didn't you always tell me that...? Whenever I even thought Daddy leaving might be my fault... or Mom..." She now took a moment to compose herself before placing a finger on the middle of his forehead. "Besides... Like hell I could forget a crazy old bat like you." Scarlet gave her grandpa a genuine smile now, the first in a long time, as she felt a warmth close over her heart. "I don't hate you, Grandpa... I'm sorry..."

She felt better, honestly. All she had really needed was to cry, a bit. It felt good to get all of this off her chest. Now he understood... Was there time to fix anything? She didn't know. What she did know was that she knew her grandpa just a little bit better, and she knew that he did love her. That was most important, right now. Hopefully he understood that she cared for him, as well. Not that she'd ever call him Dad or anything like that... but she did appreciate him. I know those times aren't ever coming back... I know my parents won't ever come home... A bit of her heart still felt sad, but the patches were sewn one by one. This was real healing.

Now her attention was drawn to Smart, who appeared rather... sad. And in pain. If anyone of the two looked old, it was him. She slowly made her way over to him, not quite sure what to say but knowing that she needed to say something. After all, she had practically been raised by him, as well. He always had her best interests at heart, even if he was not as direct about it as her grandfather had been. Smart was sort of how Dom used to be to her, in the way that she felt she could go to him when she needed. Yet, something about him not being blood family kept her from ever really doing that. Even if he had always been there caring for her... She sort of realized, in this moment, how little she had opened up to him. Perhaps it was because she had been bitter about her mom dumping her in that home, she didn't want anything to do with the things - or people - around her.

Shyly, she walked up to Smart and stood in front of him, gazing at her feet as she shifted nervously. Scarlet sort of looked like a child getting in trouble, in this moment. "U-Uhm... D-Dan..." Once she had his attention, she looked up at him with an awkward smile. "You... You don't need to worry." Slowly, he hand went up to cover her injured eye. She knew. His expression always gave away what he was thinking, and right now she knew that he was worried about the eerie cloudiness she had revealed. "I mean... I don't think it'll be alright. Not this time. But that's... that's okay, right...?" Tears filled her eyes as, for the first time, she opened herself up to Smart. "I-I know I never really went to you when I had problems... Y-You were always there, and I never talked to you... I-I'm sorry..." Gently, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder to hide the fresh tears. "I'm sorry, U-Uncle Dan..."

[Haeo]

Tailpin
Lvl 11/Day 17/Afternoon
[HP]100%//////////[]

Tracking was proving to be a difficult skill to train. Perhaps he just needed to gain a few more levels and keep practicing. Dark blue eyes slowly closed. Tailpin took a deep breath where he crouched in a patch of high grass. Then he squeezed his eyes shut, hard. The lack of progress was frustrating. But, even more frustrating than that was the fact that he was just treading water.

As much as he wanted to make progress and advance the guild's development, he couldn't forget his limits and become careless. This meant that he wasn't able to hunt solo at his own level. The monsters here, near Bull's Run, weren't any help for training combat skills or gaining experience anymore. Materials and money came in at a tolerable pace but that wasn't so important right now. He needed to be prepared for the upcoming mission and for going up against other players.

If Delcastle tried to recruit that merchant, and he probably would, then there was a chance that the entire guild would become a target of these "Glitch Fixers". He was one of the lowest level members of the World Walkers. Range wouldn't be such an advantage against other players. He needed more power and better close combat practice. The upcoming mission would give him a major boost if he took advantage of it properly.

He opened his eyes again. He had to stop worrying and start concentrating. There wasn't time to be reckless or distracted. He had to be efficient and effective. Since this method wasn't working, it was time to switch tactics. He started running toward town at a ground eating jog. He would see what he could find at an info broker.

------------------------------
@DestinyStar@BlackPanther@Zelosse@Tracyarmav
Smarter'n'me
Lvl 15/Day 17/Afternoon
[HP]100%//////////[]

Dan had been waiting for this reunion for a long time. But, it was bittersweet to watch from a corner while the storm of buried feelings raged between his closest friend and the deepest and truest love of his life. This little girl was precious. She was the reason his heart had grown so much in retirement. That organ that had tightened and shriveled while he handled one courtroom after another, making them see things the way he wanted them to. This brave girl was the reason why he could feel it beating again.

The ache in his chest felt hot and tight. Smart felt pretty dumb for following Dim-the-dom in here like he had. But, he couldn't bring himself to regret it. This result was well worth it. He was happy for the two of them, seeing them finally build that bridge that they needed. But, he couldn't smile. He was sad for the long memories of things not going right, watching his friend try to fix something that couldn't be fixed. But, his eyes wouldn't shed any tears. He'd been right there, watching and waiting for the two of them to figure it out. And here he was, at the end of his vigil, with the most important lady in the world standing in front of him like a school girl waiting for a scolding.

Dan waited and listened, as he had before. But, with her arms around him and her tears wet on his shoulder, he finally found a tear of his own. It traced a lonely path down his face as his arms came up to rub her back with his bony hands. He knew what she was getting at.

"Shhh." He whispered softly. There were so many things that he wanted to say that they crowded each other and got stuck in his throat. He wanted to tell her that they'd find some way to fix her eye, that he knew things would get better. He wanted to tell her that he was relieved that she and her Grandpappi had finally made up. He wanted to tell her that he was proud of her, more than ever. He wanted to tell her that she was right. Strength is like happiness and faith and hope. You have to build it yourself. Other people can only give bricks and time. And she was really starting to do it right.

He was so very glad that he had lasted long enough to see this. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tightly, tighter than his weakened body ever could have in real life. After all his noise and rowdy behavior, after waiting for so many years for this moment, the ex-lawyer was speechless. It took him a long few moments before he found a few words that worked.

"You're not just our pride and joy. You're our glory and treasure too. Keep on shining bright and keep on winning battles." His voice was hoarse but he managed a smile as he loosened his grip. "Just, let us keep close enough to watch. Alright? I still want to tease that old tangle-beard for crying at your wedding one day, you know."

[Zelosse]

Day 17 / Afternoon / LVL 16

[]HP[]100%//////////[]

Dom could only stare on in shocked and blissful silence, the weight of existence itself had seemed to lift from his tired old soul. Scarlet, beautiful little scarlet, was growing up and was gonna be a queen in her own right. If she could get used to having two old fleshheaps with her it would make his world all the better. Truth be told Dimitri and Dan had been playing games their whole lives, some virtual and others on friends and family alike, since they were just a pair of ankle biters no bigger than she was. Something had changed though, the years in the courthouse had shriveled them both. Years of police work and yellow tape had taken the humanity from Dimitri as surely as speaking to those idiot jury members had ruined Danny. Stopped being about enjoying the fun and more about escaping the little white death of their existences.
He turned to look at Reaper and Edgar, both boys hadn't intervened a word and did their best to wait it out. Not run off, not defend themselves, not speak a word of anger. They had acted like the men and women Dimitri had called partners for years and felt a kinship form. These were boys who would grow to be men, real men, with a morale compass that may yet steer the world to a better place.
While Scarlet and Smart shared their moment he moved over to stand in front of both of the two mistreated lads. Clearing his throat and standing tall as possible before offering his hand out.

"I don't usually get the chance to apologize in my line of work. Jumped the gun a bit here, and I appreciate you both for bein' good sports about this mess. Promise ta make it up to you both. I uh.. Been through the gorge, whole thing, and can guide your little group through to the fresh spots. Not much for compensation but it's a start. What say ye' both?"
His face was a brimming smile of unfamiliar warmth, it spread through him like fire as both men clasped his hand and nodded. Smart and Scarlet had finished up so he gave a light bow and told them to wait just one more moment.
He came up from behind Scarlet and wrapped his arms around both of his long time best friend and his Granddaughter, crushing them as he felt a trickle roll down his eye. His virtual body denied the appearance of a frail old man he was as he lifted them from the ground with a hearty laugh and enjoyed the fleeting moment.

"A weddin' if she don't scare them off. Girls pure fire and boys won't know what ta do with er! Now girl I want you to know honest and true that issues with your parents ain't ever your fault. People aren't always black and white. Only thing you can do is keep your chin high and swear by the sun and stars never to lose sight of yourself."

He put them both down and tossed a wink her way, playful and meant to tease her. Lass would figure boys out one day and if they got a bit grabby well.. Dom figured he knew how ta solve that issue now. Granted he would investigate a little further before dragging Smart into this mess again. Turning attentions back to the boys, he waved them both over.

"Come on lads, bring 'er over. Got some wrongs to right." He glanced at Smart. Starting with.. And waited for what was inevitably coming.

[Tracyarmav]

Day 17, afternoon.
Edgar_Walther
@BlackPanther@DestinyStar@Zelosse@Haeo

Well... Edgar took his time gathering himself together... He gladly accepted Reaper's aid in standing up again, and quickly found a pillar to lean against while his muscles complained viciously about the severe abuse he'd been subjecting them to recently. What with the full day's training, stretching into the night, and already low on sleep, this was going to to be a painful day without the beating he'd just gotten compliments of Gramp's sidekick. He tried not to listen to the conversation, which was difficult considering the volume that most of the wrods were said. It was sweet, getting to see Scarlet make up with her gramps, but at the same time, it was an unpleasant and very sharp reminder of the very thing he'd likely never get do himself.

Scarlet was lucky, what family she had was here with her, Edgar's wasn't. And there probably wouldn't be anyone waiting for him when he woke, if he woke, and there certainly wouldn't be a funeral of any significance if he didn't. His family was probably gone by now... dad's company had given him two months to get himself, and his family moved to Malaysia. It was a promotion, his new position would be overseeing production of several key components used in the latest high tech gear, even the the nerve gear they were all wearing used some of the parts manufactured at the facility his dad was surely overseeing now... They'd had some issues getting everyone visas, and had been on the last week before Dad had to show up for work, when Edgar had jumped into this death trap. Everything was packed, everything was ready to go, but the plane didn't leave for another three hours, so Edgar had jumped in just to get a feel for the game, before the long trip south. And then he hadn't been able to leave. The first day he'd assumed it was just a bug, it wouldn't be a big deal, and he'd kept playing, until the announcement.

That had changed everything for him. Edgar wondered if anyone had even noticed him in the back room, as the movers grabbed the last of the boxes and everyone left for their flight. Would anyone have stayed? How could they have? His sisters were both to young. His mother would need to go to care for them, His father had to go, or they would have nothing. He didn't even have distant relations, both his parent's were only children, and their parents were too old to care for themselves, much less anyone else. The touching words and family reunion before him reminded him o just how little he had to get back to. Something he'd been ignoring from day one, hoping it wouldn't come up, that he'd be able to get through this game without being reminded that this was all he had, in more ways than even most of the other players here.

As Scarlet and Gramps finished up and she turned to Smart, Edgar slipped out of the room, his only parting gesture a bird to Dom. Outside, he saw the players arrayed to contain the trouble and arrest any PKs. He waved them off gruffly, saying it was all just a misunderstanding in the family. They remained alert, but were glad to hear the screaming and fighting had stopped, and seemed reassured that this wasn't an instance of Pking. Edgar moved quickly and relatively quietly to a an alley, empty and out of sight of players and NPC's alike. The torn and roiling emotions tear out of Edgar in a feral scream of anger, agony, and despair. Knowing players would investigate the sound, Edgar moved on, his eyes blurred by tears that he fought to keep from spilling out onto his cheeks. He stumbled through town, trying to put his emotions back in their box. But they wouldn't go back, and he was soon sitting outside the town wall, away from the gate, crying quietly while he struggled to make sense of why everything had happened the way it had. Why did he have to log in? why couldn't he have just waited a few more hours? Why was being away from his family so hard? He'd never spent all that much time with them anyway? He'd always wanted them to just leave him alone, and now that he was alone, all he wanted was to hear their voices again... even just his sister nagging him to come play with them, his mother fussing at his messy room, and father berating him for not being more helpful to his mother while Dad was busy elsewhere. Even those would be a sweet symphony of comfort to his ears today.

But the only sounds he heard was the sweet chirping of birds, the gentle breeze in the tall grass, and his own bitter sobbing.

[BlackPanther]

@DestinyStar@Zelosse@Tracyarmav
Ikanus looks up when Dom speaks to him, holding a belt for each of them except for himself, made this a little bit comical. He tilts his head. "Accepted, and as for a gorge run...two days. We are going to train some...get prepared." He watches Edgar leave and makes a mental note to follow him in a few. "I understand how protective families tend to be" Well....understand and experiencing it are two different things. There is more then one reason he refuses to remove the mask. "With that in mind if you would like to watch from the sidelines you may" He sends a map his way, a map that appears to be of a forest...a forest with a few sparse clearings. "To warn you...my methods are a bit...different but edgar should be bumped up by two levels in two days and scarlet will be better at fighting" He then walks to the table and lays down the belts, each one unique. A red one seems to match scarlet's eye patch and it too has stats designed for her. There is one that is black and white and seems to be of snake skin...apparently he had taken down a snake and got hide from it. It has good stats, but he wasn't sure which o exactly go with so they are a bit general. The next is a solid black belt, designed for Dan. Again not certain on the stats so they are a mix. The last is a rust colored belt...clearly meant for Edgar and he doesnt put that down, rather puts it in his inventory.

He then turns to the older man. "....I don't mean to sounds rude but....please...dont...hug me" He looks down. "I um..." He rubs the back of his neck...he suddenly seems...very young...and very vulnerable. His voice goes down to a whisper. "Ive had some...bad....experiences" He seems to tense up waiting for the question...the why. The explanation...the uncomfortableness...the things that usually come as soon as people see his face. Though now...its because he is afraid...afraid of being enclosed. Afraid of being close to someone else body...mainly...afraid of being held close to another man. A fear engrained in him early on. Even though he actually likes interacting with other people...his real life job and his goals showing that despite everything he still likes people.

[DestinyStar]

Cinera
Day 17 - Afternoon - Lvl 13
@Tracyarmav
Cinera heaved a sigh as she finished changing into her new clothes - a cute green tank top and tan shorts with brown strappy sandals. Honestly, it was a bit girlier than what she usually wore, even in reality, but the clothing selections in this world seemed to be more geared toward attractiveness than comfort. She shifted awkwardly as she saw the low-cut top in the mirror, practically glaring at the tiny lace at the bottom. I guess it isn't terribly uncomfortable... and it wasn't as bad as the other clothes... She was a bit embarrassed to wear this, but her fighting uniform was too form-fitting to be comfortable. In fact, this would probably be her first day not wearing it... But if they weren't going to be fighting for awhile, she wanted to wear something more relaxing. I miss my over-sized t-shirts, though...

As she attempted to brush through her tangled orange hair, Cinera was interrupted by some sort of cry outside. A... A scream? Her instincts kicked in as she immediately dropped the brush and ran to the window, prepared to help fight off any kind of danger there might be. As she flung open the window though, she didn't see any immediate threat in the alley below. In fact, it was just a single player standing there by theirself. What were they doing in the alley, anyway? Well, it isn't any of my business... As she went to shut the window again though, she noticed the player's shoulders were bobbing up and down. They were... crying? She knew it still wasn't any of her business, but something ached in her chest to see someone crying by theirself. She was brought back to that first day in the game, when she wandered around in her cloak and cried by herself, afraid to take one wrong step. That seemed unlikely this far into the game, but whatever the case they seemed to be in a lot of pain. She couldn't just leave somebody who was hurting, like that.

"Hey... Are you okay?" She called out to the person below. They did not seem to hear her, though, as they suddenly started walking, heading out of sight. "H-Hey!" They still didn't seem to hear her, and she wondered if she should chase after them. I don't want to pry... Sighing, she closed the window and picked up the brush, once again attempting to fight the massive tangles in her hair. Still, the name floating above his avatar stuck in her head. Edgar, huh... He probably just needs time to deal with whatever he's facing... Something in her felt guilty for not chasing after him, but surely he had comrades who could pick him back up, again. Hopefully...

---

ScarletRain
Day 17 - Afternoon - Lvl 15
@Zelosse@Haeo@BlackPanther

Scarlet shut her eyes tight as Dan hugged her tight, allowing herself to just cry. As embarrassed as she was to have broken down like this, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Sometimes a person just needs to cry, and be held, and told that everything will be alright. Especially a young child trapped in a death game that has already left her half-blind. This moment was extremely comforting, and exhausting. If she had been younger and wasn't in front of her teammates, she might have fallen asleep in her uncle's arms. He slowly released her though, uttering words that she really needed to hear. They did care for her... She had known that, but hearing it like this made it feel more real.

At the mention of a wedding, Scarlet flushed red, only to be squished in the middle of the two burly men as her grandpa gave them both a tight hug. She couldn't breathe for a moment, but it was a good kind of breathless. She laughed a bit as he released them, gently wiping the remaining tears from her face. Everything felt so calm and warm in this moment, very much like how it used to be... She wondered if things had really changed so dramatically, or had she just been a finicky teenager all along? That question would probably never be answered. But still, she was happy. Nothing could make up for the lost time, but she wanted to try and grow up; she didn't want to be a stubborn brat forever. Her cheeks flushed red at her grandfather's comment. "H-Hey! I'll get a boyfriend! Someday..." What, did he think she couldn't? "If they can't handle me, then maybe I'm just too good for them." She gave her signature playful grin. Of course, it was too early to be thinking about any of this, especially since she was already embarrassed by this whole ordeal. Stupid old farts...

Of course, when Dom explained to her about not blaming herself, she sort of glanced to the side, rubbing her arm. "Yeah..." Her voice was quiet as she responded, not wanting to press the matter further. Honestly, after all of that she didn't feel like opening up about how she still blamed herself, a bit. Her grandfather had always told her not to, and that people just make stupid choices, but she secretly still felt like the undesirable child to her parents. It was unusual for both birth parents to leave their child behind, wasn't it? Had she really caused them that much trouble? I won't dwell on it, though... I've got my Grandpappi and Uncle Dan. I'm... I'm okay...

Pushing the negative thoughts away, she waited for her party to come join them, only to be surprised as Edgar flashed a little finger and left. What the hell? Dom and Smart had apologized, hadn't they? She was sort of irritated to see how unreasonable he was being, but something about it didn't surprise her. He had been kind of a snarky asshole since they first met, and it really rubbed her the wrong way. He seemed to be reserved from the group, and it made her suspicious as hell. But Reaper at least seemed to forgive them, which brought her a lot of relief. Not only that, but he seemed to have made a bunch of belts while all of this was going on. Wow... His composure is unreal...

As he explained, she silently noted the belt that matched the eyepatch and realized that each one was for a different person, including the old men. He seemed to want to take the reigns on this whole operation, and in her exhaustion she didn't feel like protesting that. However, she did give the old men a stern glance before quietly returning her eyepatch. It still felt vulnerable to her, showing the world her weakness, and the stats on the patch were pretty beneficial. Not only that, but after all of the crying and debris blowing, her eye was really hurting. The sunlight seemed to practically burn it. Putting the eyepatch back on didn't provide immediate relief, but she hoped it would. The pain barely showed in her expression. Damn, that stings...

In this moment of high emotion coming to a close, even Reaper seemed to be close to the breaking point. Surely he had something confront him after all of that, but something about the look in his eyes told her not to touch it. Even if the old men decided to say something stupid or ask about it, she felt like she knew her partner a bit better after all of this; he obviously didn't want to discuss it. Maybe she would send him some hints that he could talk about it to her if he wanted, but right now she wouldn't bring it up. The question of his mask did come to mind, though. I wonder if that mask really is just for show...? Something in her eye burned again, this time making her wince just ever-so-slightly as she reached up to touch the patch.

[Haeo]

@DestinyStar@BlackPanther@Zelosse

Smarter'n'me
Lvl 15/Day 17/Afternoon
[HP]100%//////////[]

Smart was in a great mood to share hugs of glowing affirmation and filial love with Scarlet. Dom, on the other hand, was owed a very different kind of affirmative contact. The crushing hug was something he could easily bear and Dom's words did deserve to be heard. So, he didn't complain or fight. He just stayed relaxed until it was over.

Dom looked at him. He knew what was coming. It was almost impossible for him to not know how far over the line he'd gone this time. But, the other people around them were a more urgent and important thing to pay attention to.

One of the boys had left in a huff, justified though it was, with a parting flip for Dom alone. At least he seemed to respect Smart's own apology enough to not send him a share of the bird. The more mature one was offering the fruits of his labors to them. Mask or not, he really was the leader type. But, for all his planning and strategy, Scarlet had more raw magnetism. It would be fun watching how they sorted their group dynamic out. The boy was offering belts for all, but he was paying most of his attention to the dominating-hug-master. So, Smart didn't respond right away.

But he found himself laughing softly at Scarlet's embarrassment. Of course she would get a boyfriend someday. Their were going to be plenty of eager candidates for that spot with how she was developing. But, that meant a different problem. Where to hide the bodies.

"Scarlet, you talk like there's doubt. Of course they wont be good enough for you. Hell, the right one wont be good enough for you ether." He said with a chuckle and a smirk. "You vouching is all that'll save that one." The smirk froze for just a second when she touched the patch. It was hurting her, but she was handling it.

Smart stood up and crossed the space between him and the clearly-uncomfortable-mask-wearing-leather-and-buckles-fan. He accepted the trade quickly for the belt that was offered to him. It had the same armor as the one he had but the stat boosts were a plus so he put it on right away. Besides, those stats would come in handy sooner rather than later.

"Thank you, young man. If you pick up a trade in real life like you have here, you're sure to be successful." He said, smiling. "Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment."

He equipped his tonfa. The two weapons materialized at his hips and he readied them quietly before jumping straight up. With a flip, he planted his feet against a rafter and kicked off powerfully. His downward lunge drove his reinforced punch into Dom's chest hard enough to carry him through one chair, which shattered to bits, and into another which slid backwards until it fetched up against the wall with a thump. The moment after that thump, a crash signaled the end of another chair as it careened into Dom's head, shattering into shards that bounced about the room, providing colorful lighting for the split instant when Smart landed just in front of Dom.

All of that jumping power went into an uppercut with the blunt tonfa. Only the immortal object status of the ceiling spared the room above from having a suddenly installed emergency exit. For the briefest moment, the two old men hung there. One with his head pinned between the ceiling and a tonfa, the other with an expression similar to a man conducting a somewhat unpleasant dissection. Their eyes met. Then they started falling and Smart raised his knee and kicked backward, throwing himself into a forward spin that abruptly ended in a single blurry instant.

Then he hit the ground, landing on his feet. He stood up and returned his tonfa to his inventory. His boney hands briskly brushed his sleeves as though to remove dust.

"Now, we're even." Said the ex-lawyer.

As for Dom, he landed outside, in the remnants of the window through which he had been ejected by the force of Smart's downward slash. While the remnants were reduced to shards of light, the bearded man remained. Smart approached the window and raised his voice to announce a matter of great importance to the slowly thinning crowd outside that was now frozen in place by surprise.

"And, THAT! My good people, is how you conduct a proper defenestration! Thank you. Have nice day."