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[PP-F4] For Old Times Sake [COMPLETE]


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Emerath sat in his chair in front of his fire, as Mist pruned her feathers in her cage. He had been busy since Endilix had come back to find him. Questing, socializing, a whole new world had opened up. But that was as Emerath had hoped for. But his mind still flashed back to the day he had gone to the waterfall to find Dirke. He had failed to face his inner demons. They had turned out too powerful for the man to accept. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he leaned back in his chair. His eyes scanning the fire for an answer he knew it wouldn't have, he brought up a finger, and with a thought the fire was obscured by a menu. Slowly he moved through the menu. Meticulous and careful, he pulled up a message box to an old friend. Flints, the username read. Kita, as Emerath knew her.

Another deep breath, followed by rapid typing: "Kita, it has been a long time since we've talked. I'm sorry that I haven't messaged sooner. At least I know you're still alive. I'd like to go on an adventure, if you're interested. For old time's sake." He signed his name, and sent the message. It wasn't until he was finished that he realized that his hands had been shaking.

Edited by Emerath
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Flints’ eyes scanned the skies briefly, they strained as the winter snow of the fourth floor that reflected the sun into them. she moved slowly, hoisting herself into a near by tree and watching Antilian rest at its base. They spent a lot of time hunting together, changing floors often they didn’t stay in one place too long. She didn’t feel comfortable resting for long anymore.

A short ding of her notifications reminded her that she was still trapped in this “game”. Opening her inbox she couldn’t help but rub her eyes to clear what she thought was some strange trick for the light. Looking around to make sure no one had seen her she replied to Emerath; the name caused a throbbing pang in her chest. Had he seen her? Hunting on his floor? She was careful, she didn’t want anyone to see her, but an adventure? She hadn’t been on one of those in a while. 

“Yeah, I’m still alive. An adventure? Uh..sure.. I’m already on your floor so I’ll stop by if that’s okay?” Quickly sending it before she could change her mind and looking down at Antilian. “Why can’t you be the voice of reason?” 

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Emerath tried to relax, but he was still tense from sending the message to Flints. He had managed to ease his nerves a little with some tea, but that hadn't done as much as he had hoped. Admittedly, he hadn't expected a reply, much less one so quickly. He was startled by the notifications telling him that he had a message, and half expected it to be his brother talking about this quest or some girl or something dumb like that.

But no, it was Flints. Of course it had been. Emerath rubbed the bridge of his nose as he let out a sigh. Not because he didn't want this to happen, but because this whole train of thought was just making him into a stressed out mess. After another cup of tea, he pulled up the reply box and ran his fingers across the keyboard: "Of course, I'm at my shop along with Mist. I'm not entirely sure where Endilix is, but if you would like I could get him to join as well. Up to you. Feel free to meet me here in the meantime. No need to knock."

Once again, he signed his name, and went to take a drink of his tea, only to watch it visibly shake in his hands. Why had he done this to himself. It wasn't even that he was afraid of Flints. But he didn't know what would happen. Last time they had met Emerath had almost died, thanks to his own stubborn nature. He sighed and put the cup down without taking another drink and threw another log into the fire instead, stoking the flames for the arrival of his friend.

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Flints gave a short growl to the sound of her notifications rousing her sleep, shaking her head she hadn’t even realized she fell asleep. These days the small doses of sleep was all she got. She didn’t really take the time to rest anymore, and only stopped exploring occasionally to bathe, that was something she couldn’t live without. Looking in the direction of the city she readied herself to head towards Emerath’s Home, not before replying to his message. “I haven’t seen either of you in a While, but inviting him is entirely up to you. I don’t mind either way, I should be over in an hour or so, I’m not quite in town.” 

“Endilix huh?” She grinned at Antilian who gave a short huff, he always preferred Emerath, for whatever reason. Jumping from her spot in the tree she began to trudge through the thick bed of snow, petting her familiar along the way. “I think I should visit a shop before I go..maybe wear something other than sharp armor..? I mean..maybe?” Blushing she couldn’t help but fumble with her fingers as she considered being around other humans again. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her armor, she did. The tight wet suit like material beneath it she could do without but it certainly kept her warm in this weather, her armor was pretty..? What was she thinking. This was a weird journey her brain took. Going through her inventory she unequipped her vanity, both her necklace and her ring before sighing and realizing she was at Emerath’s door. Giving it a soft knock before pushing it open and scanning the familiar space, mentally  asking herself if this was a dream before speaking into the open. “Long time no see” 

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Emerath had sat there in the lounge, having made a cup of tea for her arrival. Though he was almost entirely certain that she wouldn't drink it. He had pulled another chair out of his study for her to sit if she chose, unless they had decided to go on their adventure straight away. Emerath had no idea what was going to happen. His nerves had managed to calm since she hadn't seemed upset in her messages. Even the last one seemed to just be pointing out that, you know, it had been forever since they had actually done anything. Emerath shrugged it off though, as he sighed and leaned back before being startled again by the door being knocked on and then opening. For a moment, he was worried that someone aside from Flints had decided to stop by, but Mist most likely wouldn't have given just a soft hoot if it hadn't been someone she didn't recognize. Instead, Mist found herself flying towards the woman, before landing on her shoulder and giving her a light nuzzle.

It took Emerath a minute to remember that Flints had been there when they had found Mist, and that she had ended up liking the woman almost as much as her own master. Emerath chuckled, standing in his vest and tie, accompanied by simple slacks and a belt. "Welcome, I made some tea," he said, indicating the cup on the table, "though I don't know if you would actually want any of it. I haven't given much thought to what exactly happens after this point, but it is a pleasure to see you again." Emerath managed to keep his voice straight, despite the raging storm that rang from his chest in his own ears.

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Flints gave a smile at the familiar flash of white that glided towards her, and leaning her head on mist as she nuzzled. “Well now is almost believed that you’d forget me~” she joked, watching as Antilian pranced his way to Emerath, settling his large horned head unpon his lap to beg for attention, something his rarely did to Flints, let alone anyone else. She took her seat and gently pushed at the tea, it wasn’t something she liked, but she tried it just to be polite, the warm, bitter taste hit her tongue and surprised her. It still wasn’t something she liked.

Clearing her throat she tilted her head and felt her body tense a little. It had certainly been a while since they had been together, she looked him over and couldn’t help but remember her slight crush on the man in the past, not that she would openly admit it. Her large green eyes settled on his own, locking on his briefly before she looked down and away, she felt as though she would get lost and all the thoughts and feelings she had been avoiding for the past year would come flooding forth and ruin her visit. To recover she spoke softly. “So..have have you been Eru?” Now that they sat together she wasn’t sure either where they would go from here. Her mind was still dawning on the fact that they were even in the same room together. She hadn’t been around another human in ages. 

Edited by Flints
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Emerath had sat back down, and gave the pup that had strode up to him a nice pat on the head, before scratching behind his ears and horns. He considered the question, wondering if he should tell her only the latest news, or if he should come out and be honest about his deep depression and hermitage. He looked away and thought it best not to mention that, as Flints would feel like it was entirely her fault. No, best to just tell her about recent events. "Well..." he started, with a sheepish smile, "Endilix and I have started working together again. It has been rough, but we're trying to make the best of it. We definitely aren't the same kids we were in high school." Emerath gave a light chuckle and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, which suddenly seemed as if it were on fire given the sudden warmth of the room.

Emerath cleared his throat and tried his best to give an awkward smile before continuing with, "I'm traveling in a costume now. A plague doctor outfit that I had a local tailor make for me. Something to take the edge off of those who knew me before and give me a bit more flair in my adventures. It's silly, but I've been having fun with it. I even convinced Endilix to dress up in his own knightly costume. We haven't been able to figure out how to take care of the pumpkin shield though."

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Flints blinked and listened to Emerath words, and taken back by his new persona he spoke of but couldn’t help herself but to  give out a snort and chuckle at the thought of him in something wildly different than what he probably wore. 

So you guys are super heros? And you probably won’t be able to fix that shield for a damn thing. It’s god awful, but useful.” She giggled and relaxed a bit into the chair, this was nice. She missed the man to say the least. “Ah..well now you have me stuck In trying to imagine you two in highschool. Sounds oddly cute.” Flints tried her best to avoid talking about her avoiding her life yet again, picking up and leaving..again. All because she wasn’t sure how to deal with people as a whole. But if anyone knew that it was Emerath. 

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Emerath shrugged, "We were nothing special in high school. I was just a bookworm who took all of Endilix's tests for him, and in return he went to my P.E. classes for me. Really, it wasn't any more complicated than simple twin switches like that." Emerath chuckled and leaned back, finding himself relaxing a bit more as he eased more into the conversation with Flints. He rubbed his chin as he thought about Endilix's shield some more, before saying, "I had asked a blacksmith about attaching a vanity shield on top of it. He said, at best it would work, but would probably crumple and be destroyed on the first few hits. And then at worst, both shields would be destroyed when trying to fuse them. It just ended up not being worth it in the end. So now he's a renaissance knight with the most ridiculous shield you've ever seen. He told me you are to thank for that."

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“really now?” Flints grinned and shook her head “I would have expected you two to be heart breakers, or at least a little daring in highschool~” she giggled and took yet another sip of the bitter tea, not because it was getting any better but more to calm her nerves. Thinking on Endilix’s shield she couldn’t help but chuckle, it certainly was ugly. But she wasn’t sure if she honestly had anything better for him. Maybe she did. She would have to go through the laundry list of equipment her and Tristan shared, maybe if she dumped the good stuff on Endilix she wouldn’t have to feel so guilty for holding on to it. “Well Tristan wasn’t much for style. So unfortunately I don’t think I have anything that isn’t..tacky.” Her bright green eyes settled on Emerath’s and she wondered if she had anything in her inventory for him. Not that he ever actually needed it, or would accept it. “Well at least he’s memorable with an ugly shield like that!” Flints joked. 

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Emerath gave a light sigh to Flint's response about the shield. "Memorable, sure, but probably not in a way that we really wanted him to be," he said, but gave a light shrug. "Either way, I'm sure he'll get a better shield from a boss or something eventually. We're going to fight on the Frontlines someday. At least, I know Endilix is gung ho for it. He's the heroic one of the two of us." Emerath shifted a bit in his seat, not really wanting to admit how nervous fighting a boss made him feel. It was not lost on Emerath that he had taken nothing to mitigate his damage as of yet, despite that he wore what now amounted to light armor through his costume. Either way, he shook off any sour thoughts that began to float through his head, before slowly standing and giving a light stretch to try and ease the tension in his muscles.

"How about instead of endlessly discussing the man, we go and pay him a visit? He's at home next door. He's actually been staying put so that we can properly quest together lately," Emerath finished the last bit with a chuckle and smiled at Flints to await her reply on the matter.

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Flints cocked her head curious about Emerath’s words. “Frontlining?” She felt her throat tighten, making it hard to swallow. She hated when Tristan would leave to frontline. He was an important At the time to say the least. But she always feared his impregnable defense would fail. That he wouldn’t come home. The thought of both the brothers not coming home struck a nerve with her. 

“If frontlining is something you two want to do, you’re both going to need better armor..better weapons..better everything..” She trailed off, not wanting the conversation to stay on the subject she loathed. “Ah so you’re telling me he is home for once?” She blushed, trying her best not to give away her interest in the man, their last couple of meetings were pretty charged with..something. They certainly were very touchy and close to say the least, Endilix had even managed to win a kiss despite Flints being very much engrossed with Tristan at the time, maybe it showed just how foolish she was for jumping into a relationship after not really getting over her first love. At this point Flints was a deep flush of red, clearing her throat she stood straight up and shook her head. “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s pay the dork a visit. I have gifts for you two and it’s better you open them together.” 

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Emerath raised an eyebrow at Flints' reaction to going to see Endilix, more than a little confused at her sudden... intensity over it all. "I mean, needing good gear is a given. My stuff is good, but I have no real defense. It's something I've become a bit painfully aware of lately." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, before heading for the door and pulling it open for Flints. He was a little taken aback by her comment about having gifts. "You say that as if you've been planning a meeting with us for some time now. Is everything okay?" Emerath couldn't really hide his worry for Flints. No matter what had happened in the past, she was still a friend, and she had never committed any actual crimes. He let the question hang so Flints could answer as he walked with her to Endilix's shop right next door, before indicating the door for the woman. "Would you like to go first? Surprise him?"

Edited by Emerath
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Flints followed Emerath, gently tugging on his arm and lightly caressing it as he led the way, not really for his attention but because she missed him, testing Emerath’s boundaries was something Flints was known for at this point. “Well that’s something I feared for, for both of you. Armor can hinder a player sometimes..” she grinned at Emerath. “I’ve been considering it. Antilian and I have both spent the past year or so wondering around Aincrad, actually since my last couple of quests with Endilix right before the last time I saw you.. I haven’t really been around another player...” Flints’ couldn’t hide the flash of sadness that cross her eyes, or the pang in her chest. Her eyes met Emerath’s and she gave a weak smile before taking a deep breath and kicking at Endilix’s door after a quick turn of the knob. “Guess who’s home?!” Flints shouted into the quaint bar, grinning wide with her arms poised wide in a strange stance waiting for the red haired man to notice her. 

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Endilix had never crafted. He had never worked to make items and so he never expected to have anyone show up at his bar. Occasionally, when he actually lived in the bar, he'd get the occasional patron asking if he sold anything that he'd have to politely turn down due to his own inconsistency with crafting. And so, when someone nearly kicked down his door, Endilix found himself nearly scared out of his skin. With no warning, suddenly there was a woman in his doorway shouting at him. A woman his brain would recognize, but not before he dropped the glass he was holding in shock, which shattered into a million pixels. At least in Aincrad Endilix didn't have to worry about cleaning up glass.

Once Endilix came to his sense, he focused on the woman and her words, before letting out a shocked, "Flints?" He stepped to the end of the bar, holding onto it in a bit of disbelief. "I mean, what... what brings you here today?"

Edited by Endilix
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Flints relaxed from her pose after her eyes settled on the crimson haired man’s face. She gave a warm smile and giggled. “Well that wasn’t really the reaction I was lookin for but I’ll take it none the less.” She winked at the bewildered face of her favorite knight. Despite her showy entrance she was shaking both inside and out. “I come bearing gifts for you and the little one!” She nodded in Emerath’s direction behind her. But before that. How are you my dear~” she cooed. Her heart racing but she couldn’t help but speak as much as possible, it was probably all that was keeping her together. 

Looking around the bar was pretty much the same, Endilix probably wasn’t much for decorating or updating it, it looked the same as her first night here all those years ago. She tried her best not to hold onto the past, maybe it was best if she laid those feelings to rest. No point in driving the man mad with confusion. 

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Endilix was definitely thrown off by how flirtatious Flints was acting in this sudden reunion. "Kita, what's going on?" Endilix looked to Emerath for answers, but knew that his twin wouldn't be able to actually shed any light on this situation. "You're acting very odd for not having seen me for so long. Did she act like this with you too?" Endilix asked to Emerath. Again, this was mostly rhetorical as he rubbed his forehead and quickly turned away to hide his further confusion. "Gifts? First Emerath dresses me up and now you show up out of the blue with gifts. This has been such a strange time," but as he said this, he pulled glasses from the shelf and grabbed a few bottles of various drinks from the fridge, before placing them down and waving a hand. "Please, take your pick," he said as he rubbed his forehead again and avoided eye contact with either of the two standing in his bar. If he was being honest, he wasn't even sure which bottles he had grabbed.

Edited by Endilix
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Flints found her way to Endilix’s bar and jumped up onto it, sitting neatly beside the bottles he placed, grabbing one as she spoke. “Is it a crime to miss you, Dael?” Her large saucer eyes looked into his in a begging manor, she topped it off with a slight pout of her lower lip, that usually earned her anything she wanted and more. placing the bottle neatly back down she cocked her head and folded her leg neatly over the other and clasped her hands together as she spoke. “I’m sorry I’ve been gone for so long. I didn’t mean it. I guess I had some soul searching to do..again. Things haven’t really been well for me, and I was in a bad place for a long time...” Flints eyes settled on Antilian who seemed content with curling up in the center of the bar, snoozing in the company he had probably missed. “Anyways, I worry about you two, I don’t really know what you have been up to, but not a day goes by without me thinking of you both...” she felt her cheeks start to warm up. “Just..shut up and take these..” she quickly pressed through her inventory and offered up gear to both brothers. Endilix received a notification for the infamous Twinfire Reflector and Emerath received one for The Burden of the Fallen. Flints’ eyes stayed glued to the ground as her body stiffened. If there was anyway to tell them how her life had shifted this would definitely give it away. She felt tears start to well up in the corners of her eyes but she stayed firm on her choices. 

“Its not much..but I hope it will help..” her voice croaked.

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Endilix took an involuntary step back from Flints, mostly in surprise of her sudden actions. She was acting far too aloof, and Endilix wasn't sure how to handle it. And then came the trade notification, and for a moment the world just stopped. Endilix had never been the most attentive. He had never known a whole lot about the Frontlines, or the men and women that fought there.

But one thing he knew was that Tristan, the man Flints had married, had been famous for one thing, and that was his impenetrable defenses. And a major part of that was the shield that seared any foes that dared attack him. As Endilix looked at the words on the trade window, he realized that this was the real item. The Twinfire Reflector. Not just a demonic level item, but a legendary item.

His breath caught in his throat, and his finger hesitated at the button before he said, "I... I don't think I can take this. I'm not a hero yet. I have done nothing to deserve this, but be a part of some very strange circumstances..." but he didn't deny the trade yet. He looked to Emerath, pleading him for an answer.

Edited by Endilix
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As Endilix seemed to flounder in the moment, Emerath came to a better understanding as everything began to fall into place. He had been watching the two go back and forth since they had walked in, and it was only becoming more clear with these sudden trade offers.

Once the trade window had popped up in front of Emerath, he read the item, scanned the stats, and immediately declined the trade, but quickly followed this action up with, "I get why you just sent that to me, and I want you to know that as your friend, I appreciate the gesture and what it means. But I simply have no need of such an armor."

Emerath walked over to Endilix and put a hand on his shoulder to try to relax his very confused twin, before nodding to him and saying to Flints, "Something has changed. You're offering up items that aren't yours, to people you care about. Relics of a bygone era, certainly. Nobody has seen Tristan on the Frontlines since Zelrius' death. But the fact that you are giving these items to us, means that he has no intention of returning to the Frontlines, is that correct?"

Emerath didn't so much say these things because he needed Flints to confirm them. But he needed Endilix to understand, "The hero that used that shield may never use it again. So she's protecting the other people she loves with something that can legitimately save your life someday." Emerath turned to Flints and said, "As for me, Endilix is my shield. I don't plan on leaving his side again. We're going to go home together. For all our differences, it's time we focused on what really matters. Our home."

Emerath gave one final pause before smiling at Flints and saying, "If it truly is as I say, and Tristan will no longer fight, you're welcome to join us again. You know you have a place by our side, no matter the past."

Edited by Emerath
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