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[PP-F1] Diners and Dragons (Violet Smith)


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"Tomorrow night, 7 PM, Loraine's Diner."

Vandrin didn't remember the last time he had gone out on a date with a girl. After everything that had happened with him, and he shifted his focus to work and school, Vandrin did not take out much time in his life to pursue relationships. Aside from that fact that he didn't expect many women to want to settle down with him if they knew anything about his past (or worse, found out at a later date), the man really had put all of his focus into bettering himself. Especially now, when finding a way to escape this game with his top priority, all while trying to avoid any potentially dangerous situations that could cause form him to lose his life, dating was the last thing on his mind. However, here he was, standing in front of a small vanity mirror within the room he rented atop the Northshire Inn, hoping he looked appropriate. Violet had mentioned to him that it was not a fancy place, and the name Loraine's Diner pretty much confirmed what she said. But that did not mean that he wanted to stroll in there wearing his default player armor, or just the tee shirt that he sometimes wore when within the city's walls. Instead, Vandrin decided to sport a long sleeved navy blue shirt with the sleeves pushed up just below the elbow and a pair of chocolate brown slacks. Satisfied with his look, the man took his leave from the quiet rented room and started off towards their meeting location.

The sun had set, the streets of the Town of Beginnings illuminated by lanterns atop tall poles, alternating every 20 or so feet on either street. The air was a bit brisk, Vandrin deciding to equip a black, waist length jacket atop his blue shirt to block out some of the cold as he walked to the other end of town. He continuously battled himself within his mind about this date that he was about to go on, with a woman who introduced herself with a knife to his throat and an intent to ending his life. Why was he risking his own life to meet with this woman? Aside from being quite physically attractive, he felt the two connected during their initial encounter; both having dealt with a checkered, pained past.  He knew that he would be safe around Violet if their friendship continued to blossom, that the bloodlust would, hopefully, subside.. at least for Vandrin. 


As he arrived at the restaurant, which had some elements of a diner, yet in a fantasy world, he swiped a hand upwards to check his menus. It was a couple minutes short of their decided time of meeting. Vandrin took a quick look up and down the street for the short bob of blonde hair, as well as a scan of Loraine's interior. When he saw that she had not arrived yet, the man found a bench just outside of the front door and sat, waiting for her to arrive. 

@Violet Smith

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Violet looked at the clock on her display. 6:50 PM. "Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t..." she muttered to herself as she threw open her menus and started throwing clothes about. She had expected for her hunting session to only take a good part of the early afternoon, but she had become absorbed in the adventure and danger. Before she knew it, the clock was at 6:00 and she had been roughly an hour away from her apartment. She had managed to sprint at full speed and made it to the second story room over a tavern with 10 minutes to spare. Now to throw off her armor and throw on something... at least a little more presentable. As she flipped through the few pieces of clothing she had in game, she finally decided on a shorter navy blue, pleated skirt with a white v-neck shirt and a short navy-blue jacket that fell to just below her midriff. 

The clock now read 6:55. She took a glance in the mirror and smoothed her hair down with her hands. Good enough, she thought to herself as she raced out her door, through the tavern of surprised and bewildered customers, and out onto the main road in the second floor. After a few minutes more of sprinting at full speed, she finally made it to the teleporter. She breathlessly uttered the name of the town on the first floor and was instantly teleported to her destination. As soon as she saw another world materialize in front of her, it was a race to the finish. Right before she rounded the corner that led to the diner, she took only a few seconds to compose herself and try to catch her breath. She smoothed her hair down quickly and walked in a non-hurried pace up to Vandrin, who she was pleased to see had been waiting for her. The clock on her display read 7:00 PM. Right on the dot, she thought to herself, relieved. 

She smiled and casually walked up to the man in front of her. "Glad you could make it," she said, at a loss for words. God, of course he would make it. It was planned prior, she thought to herself. It had been years since she had been on a proper date, and it seemed that words for this situation eluded her. She did her best to keep a casual expression, trying not to display any sign of nervousness. "Would you like to go in?" she gestured towards the door. 

@Vandrin

Edited by Violet Smith
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Now sitting still, the air felt a bit colder than when he was walking. Placing his hands into his pockets , Vandrin let out a shaky exhale, a light fog expelling from his parted lips as he did so. He did not need to sit in the cold for long, however, as Violet stepped forward into his view. His dark eyes rose to meet hers, quickly taking in her choice of attire for the night as he did so. It was always nice to see players out of their armor and in a more casual setting, the same went for Violet in this moment. His lips curled into a smile as he rose from the wooden bench to meet her. "I'm not one to turn down an invitation for a night out."  As Violet gestured towards the door, Vandrin nodded and walked towards the closed entrance to the building. Taking the handle in his hand, he pulled it open towards him and stepped to the side, looking back at Violet. "After you" , he said, with his own hand gesture towards the door. 

Violet's choice of eatery, Loraine's Diner, was brightly lit, booths with tables lining one wall, and a counter that lined the entire wall, with a door that lead to the kitchen and shelves with various, unmarked bottles of liquor and other alcohols behind it. In the center of the restaurant, were various other round tables scattered about, many of them occupied by other players and NPCs enjoying their dinners or drinks. The aroma that wafted into the main room from the kitchen doors that constantly swung open had a familiar smell to them. Different, yet simple, foods from various cultures to suit the different players from around the world who would, hopefully, end up in their diner due to the diversity. Vandrin was a bit surprised he had not heard of this place before. 

Towards the opposite corner where they had entered, Vandrin lead the two of them to an unoccupied booth. As he sat and looked across the table at his date, small talk eluded him. He was not a shy man in the slightest, yet here he found himself not able to figure out what to talk about. Luckily for him, an NPC waitress approached their table and welcomed them, asking for their orders. 

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Violet smiled as Vandrin held the door at for her. What a gentleman, she giggled to herself. Once they had both stepped inside, they sat down, and an NPC waitress approached them. She was a familiar face in this large game world. Violet looked up at her, and a soft smile came to her mouth and eyes (a rare expression for the woman). "Hi, Lola," she addressed the waitress. "I'll have my usual. Steak medium-rare and put some of Loraine's special gravy on the mashed potatoes." The NPC quickly jotted this down on a notepad she held out in front of her pink and white apron. As the waitress turned to take Vandrin's order, Violet quickly said, "Oh, and let Loraine know I'll be here this evening." The NPC smiled and nodded her head. "I will, ma'am." 

Once Vandrin had ordered, Violet explained her connection to the owner of the diner. "Loraine and I go back before the game world. She was an American who I happened to do a few jobs with in the United States. Fun gal. Very neat and thorough." She smiled to herself, looking into the past as she took a sip of her water. "I'm selfishly glad she's stuck here with me. It gives me at least one familiar face." She giggled and blushed, turning her attention back to her date. "Ah, and here I am being selfish again. Talking about myself." She cleared her throat before saying, "How was your day?" Small talk was not her forte, but she was trying her best at it. 

@Vandrin

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"Uhm.." Vandrin thought for a moment, not thinking that they would have been met with a server so soon. His mind was so racked with what to talk about with Violet, that he had nearly forgotten to figure out what he wanted to order. His eyes trailed down to the menu that sat on the table before him, quickly scanning through some of the items offered on the first page. He chuckled, before looking up at Violet for a second, and then to the waitress. "Actually, I'll have the same thing. A steak sounds pretty great right now." With a nod, and a small interaction with Violet, the waitress was off for the kitchen to put in their order. 

It turned out that Violet had chosen this location for their date for reasons other than their good food. She went into little details about it, but explained that she actually knew the owner, who turned out to be a player she knew in the real world from jobs overseas. Vandrin tried to keep the thought of asking 'what kind of jobs?' out of his head so they could try to avoid talk of assassin work, but the probability of that being the case already sat in his mind. However, looking back up into Violet's eyes, seeing her smile, laugh, and even blush painted an innocent personality for the girl. Vandrin had gotten a taste of this side of her from their last meeting, and he liked it.
"Its good to have a familiar face here. I personally don't have anyone I know here. Possibly someone from school at some point.. but I never kept in touch with anyone from early schooling." he shrugged, it didn't bother him that he had no one he knew here. He wanted to start over, start a new life. "But that's alright, I don't mind making all new friends." 

Vandrin scoffed when Violet apologized for talking about herself, I don't mind you talking about yourself, I want to get to know you, I like hearing about your day, he thought to himself. He wanted to say those things, but the words did not come to fruit. "My day was alright, can't say I did anything too productive. Been doing a lot of searching around town for other quests that I could handle at my level without putting myself in too much danger. And what about you?" 

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Vandrin mentioned that he didn't mind making new friends. To this, Violet nodded in agreement. She wasn't too popular on having a lot of friends, but a few close ones were nice at times -- like a nice safety net to fall onto during tough times. Back in the real world, she had had a few safety nets, though in a different way: she was on the run half the time after finished a job, so she always needed somewhere to wait it out a few days or so. That was how she had met Loraine. They had both used the same safe house after separate missions. During their three days of hiding, they grew close and promised to see each other again one day. Violet couldn't help but smile to herself. Turns out they had run into each other again -- and now they were stuck in the same hell hole. Though, she thought to herself as her eyes met Vandrin's and a slight flush came to her cheeks, maybe it's a little less of a hell hole with him around. 

She listened closely as Vandrin spoke about his day. He mentioned trying to find quests that didn't put him in danger, and Violet's eyes automatically went to the player status bar above his head. Level 5. She frowned. Only a few levels below herself, but she knew just a few levels made a great difference between the chances of life and death on a seemingly each beginner's quest. "If you like, I can accompany you on some quests. Then you can meet my new familiar." She smiled and giggled. "She might be a little protective when you first meet her, but don't worry. Her bark is worse than her bite." Then she took a moment to think about her day. "Let's see... Ah, I went out into the snow on floor 3 and had a lovely time hunting in the snow. The eery silence and quiet of that floor is... alluring." She didn't know how to describe it, but it felt like time was stopped when she was busy tracking a boar or deer on that floor. All she could here (if there weren't large monsters nearby) was the wind blowing through the trees. Besides the quiet wind, it was silent, the sound seemingly absorbed by the deep snow. 

"Maybe you should join me for a hunt on floor 3 once you get stronger." A grin came to her lips. "I'm sure we would have plenty of fun together." 

@Vandrin

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Vandrin did not need to think long on Violet's offering to help him out on quests that, on his own, may prove to be perilous. It was obvious that Violet had a little bit more battle experience than he did, so having her there with him would definitely help. The man smiled, "Sure, I would like that." She went on to mention her new familiar, to which Vandrin nodded his head, "I've heard about those.. familiars that players can get to help them out. Even seen a few around here and there. Maybe I should look into finding one too." His eyes rose to meet hers, "What type of familiar did you tame?" he was curious what type of animal, or creature, Violet would choose as her companion. Was it something that fit her outside, rough personality? Or possibly something that mirrored the Violet Vandrin was getting to know. 

When it came to floor exploration, Vandrin had really only been to the first and second floors, mostly within the safe zones at that. He had been curious about the fourth floor, with varied from the others in the fact that it was almost always covered in show. It definitely was on his list of places to check out soon, and now, with Violet's invitation to hunt some mobs with her on that floor, it went to the top of his list.
"Yeah, that sounds great." he said with a small chuckle, before smirking, "And if I recall our meeting in the forest, it was I who handled most of those boars." he poked a bit of fun at the girl, claiming he needed to 'get stronger' first. Though, he did know this was true.. with raising floor numbers, the difficulty levels of the monsters who made their homes their surely must go up as well. Despite, that wouldn't stop him from teasing her back. "But I'm sure we would have plenty of fun." 

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Violet's eyes lit up and her smile grew as soon as Vandrin asked about her familiar. "Her name's Dahlia, and she's a midnight black leopard! I found her on the third floor in the jungle. The gypsy said we were destined to help each other out." She smiled and giggled. "That is, if you believe in such a thing as destiny. Do you?" she asked, her head tilted to the side. 

Then he teased her about their first meeting. She blushed, a little ashamed at the way she had acted towards him at first. Brash and irrational. She was glad that he had given her a second chance. The time she spent with him was her favorite part of life in this game world -- even though they had only known each other for a short while. She teased back. "But I'm still the one who did the most damage." She stuck her tongue out and laughed. "Though in all seriousness, just let me know what mission you want to do and when, and I'll lend you a hand." She moved closer across the table and smiled, "It'll also give us a bit more time to spend together, too." She winked and moved back to her original position. 

@Vandrin

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Vandrin's eyebrows rose in a bit of surprise, "A leopard?" he said with a chuckle. Though, he was more surprised that you could claim an animal like that, of that size, as a familiar. It didn't shock him that she would chose such a vicious predator. However, if it was tamed, he was definitely interested in meeting this Dahlia. He smirked after thinking the name again to himself and making the connection. "Midnight black.. Dahlia." he let out a small laugh, nodding his head at the woman across from him, "Fitting name. Clever." Continuing her spark notes retelling of her encounter with this leopard, she told of a gypsy who claimed it was her destiny to be paired with such a beast. Destiny.. he thought for a moment on the word, and whether or not he believed in it. Vandrin wrapped his fingers around the glass of water before him, the condensation that had formed on the outside of the glass dampening his fingers. He took a sip before placing it back on the table where it once sat. thinking on what to respond with. "I'm.. not really sure." His eyes did not rise to meet hers, remaining fixated on the glass he loosely held in his hand. "My life was going a certain way for so long.. with no sense of direction, only acting on impulse and desire. But after that, everything changed.. Was it my destiny to make that change and life my life as I am now? Or am I just one of the lucky ones." he let out a small sigh, wishing not to speak more on the topic of his past.. but with Violet it seemed to pop up more and more.

After relating their first encounter fighting boars together with the possibility of a future hunt, Violet did bring up the point that she did more damage than he did, "I suppose you have a point." he said smirking over the rim of his drink as he raised it to his lips yet again. He appreciated her willingness to help him out on any quests he wanted her to tag along with, though it seemed she had another small motive of her own; his companionship. As she closed the distance a bit between the two, offering a wink and hinting at her want to spend more time with him, a single, dark eyebrow rose over Vandrin's eye. Finally setting down the glass of water, after a slightly longer drink, he smirked, "I guess you have a point there. In that case.. who am I to refuse a lady what she wants." 

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Violet smiled once Vandrin noticed the connection between the name. He was the first person she had told about how she had found her companion. Hopefully she would accept him quickly. However, after she brought up the topic of destiny, she saw Vandrin's mood sour. His past must still be something he needs to accept, she thought to herself, knowing the familiar pain. Without thinking, she reached out and held his free hand, a look of concern and understanding in her eyes. She used her thumb to rub the side of his hand gently, slowly. "It's going to be okay," she said. Those were the words she had wanted to hear during that time years ago, but no one had said them then. 

Once the conversation had jumped back to a more positive tone, she smiled with Vandrin, glad that he didn't dwell on the past for too long. She knew the pain that could come from living in the past. "So, what's the next quest you had in mind?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation focused on the present for now. She could tell that Vandrin didn't wish to touch on what had happened before the game any more than he had to. Her hand still rested on his. 

@Vandrin

Edited by Violet Smith
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Vandrin's eyes trailed down to the table as Violet placed her hand on top of his. The sympathy in her eyes and voice made the touch of her skin feel so much softer. He exhaled slowly as the gentle caressing of her thumb against the side of his hand soothed him, and kept his mind a bit more at ease. Finally, he looked back up to her and smiled politely, "I know. Things are already looking a lot better." After sharing a smile with her for a bit longer, and realizing he had allowed his still hand to linger under hers for just as long, the man gently pulled away, bringing a fist to his mouth to clear his throat. "What happened to me, the person I used to be is gone. It was maybe a year or two ago. So I've recovered since then. Honestly, I'm just trying to start a new life, bury those memories so I can just be this new me." He looked across to her again, biting his tongue at first, but then deciding to speak up. "Maybe, if you wanted to choose a different path in life, maybe you could even do the same." 

Once the conversation had passed, and they resumed speaking about actual game mechanics, rather than bad memories and their real lives, Violet had asked what quests he was considering going out on. "Oh man.." Vandrin said with an exhale, letting his back melt a bit more into the cushioned seat. "There's so many, probably anything that can be taken care of on one of the first few floors. I think there's some mini boss that was discovered on maybe the second floor? I think I've also heard of a few simpler ones that just require hunting some mobs. I really looked at the list quickly and didn't put too much thought into it. Are there any that you would suggest?" 

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"Maybe, if you wanted to choose a different path in life, maybe you could even do the same." 

Violet's lips formed a soft, sad smile. "I've considered that before. But this was what I was raised and trained to do." She breathed deeply, and her brows furrowed. "And I can't leave my men. I was the youngest leader in the gang, but I was considered one of the best. Sure, I might not have the nicest bunch of guys to look over..." she paused, looking at the corner of the shop as if she was looking back into the past. She sighed, and her smile deepened. "But they are my family." She looked back at Vandrin. "They're the only family I've ever known." Those words hung in the air, and she looked away from his gaze. Then she thought for a moment longer. "But you can't forget your past, Vandrin. It may change you, but it will always be a part of you. For better or for worse." Her eyes had a look of understanding in them. 

Then he asked what quests she suggested. At this, she brought her menu up and brought her hand up to her cheek, tapping it with a finger as she scrolled through the quest list. Her eyes rested on a quest titled <<The Venomous Warg>>. It was based on floor 2 and in the recommended level range for Vandrin. "Ah, The Venomous Warg is a good one for us to start out on." She smiled and looked across the table at Vandrin. "What do you think? Wanna give it a go?"

@Vandrin

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Vandrin was a bit torn by Violet's story, trying to see both sides of the situation. Who was he to tell her that she should start a new life, and walk away from a group that she had come to see as a family. At the same time, however, he knew how 'families' like this worked. They would stick together through thick and thin.. but the moment things went awry, they would throw you under the bus to save their own skins. Vandrin's upper lip twitched at the thought, not able to prevent the small scowl that formed as the thought crossed him, staring at the empty table space between the two of them. It was what happened to him, and he had to pay for it. He didn't know if this group Violet was a part of would do the same thing or not.. He sure hoped that she was right and that they really were a family. His eyes finally rose to meet hers again as she continued to speak, but he broke eye contact again when she turned his comment about repressed memories back on him. He took in a heavy breath through his nostrils before dark eyes looked into crimson. "Still doesn't hurt to try." he finally said, a bit coldly. He knew Violet cared about his well being, and he appreciated that. However, her words fell on deaf ears. Vandrin did not want that part of him to be in his life anymore. After a moment of keeping it to himself, he finally spoke again, leaning forward in his seat and interlacing the fingers of each hand. "You know, when this game first launched.. and everyone was running around, screaming their heads off that they were stuck here in this world.. not able to return to their families or friends." he spoke in a low tone, as so only Violet could hear him, "To be honest, I felt relieved. This is a new life for me, a fresh start. I was able to literally leave the man I was behind, laying mindlessly in a coma in some bed that I no longer see as mine. Call me crazy... but I'm happy to be here." he finally sat back in his seat, closing his eyes for a moment and taking another deep breath. 

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Violet stopped speaking and listened closely to what Vandrin was saying, her brows furrowing in deep thought. She was quiet for a moment as she mulled over what he had said in her head. She sighed. Once before, she had tried to run away from her problems too, and it had gotten someone very close to her killed. Closing her eyes a moment, she could see the color crimson everywhere. On her clothes, in his hair, around his face... Her breathing quickened, and she had to focus for a few moments to keep from having more flashbacks. Once she was composed again, she cleared her throat. "I once tried to run away from my problems as well." She paused and took a sip of water, continuing to look at the table as she spoke. "I wanted to drop my responsibilities and run. I was frustrated. Stupid. Young." She closed her eyes and winced. "I tried to go off on my own and go solo. I had gotten in an argument with one of the other leaders, and I felt it was my time to leave. But that's the thing." She laughed dryly. "Once you're in one of these organizations, you can't just leave so easily." 

"I had been chasing after another member of one of the other gangs. He was just taunting me, and I foolishly followed after him, believing that it would be another easy kill. But I was wrong." She bit her lip. "Instead, they trapped me, and I had to watch as the one person I ever truly cared about..." She caught herself, and stopped before she could finish her sentence. "People form gangs because there is a strength in numbers. Once you section yourself off from everyone, both you and those you care about become vulnerable. I should have had my team with me..." 

She looked back up at Vandrin with a sad smile. "What I'm trying to say is that your past will keep chasing you until you face it. I also enjoy it here in the game. But I also miss the fresh air, the actual dangers and real pain of real life. I miss being free. Even being in a gang has more freedom than this." She gestured to the world around them. 

@Vandrin

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Vandrin was once again reminded that he did not have it as bad as some others. His past was bad, but Violet's seemed to make his seem petty in comparison. However, this wasn't a contest in who's life was more tragic, because, despite that it seemed it was Violet's, both of them would still feel just as miserable about their owns pasts. With arms crossed about his chest and shoulder blades pressing into the cushioned seat back with a slightly slouch, he listened.. or half listened, at least. He listened to her stories about her time as an organized killer,  but didn't take her advice to heart. The stories also served as a constant reminder of who Violet really was, and reminded him that murdering Vandrin in cold blood was a thought that had originally crossed her mind. Now he was sitting across from her on a date. But like he continued to tell himself, there was a part of her that he liked, and if telling these stories was a way for her to reminisce and vent when need be, then who was he to stop her. 

Once she had finished, Vandrin simply sighed heavily, sinking deeper into the seat. He stared at the table between them in silence, not sure how to respond to all of this. He knew he would find a way to forget what happened to him in the past, to leave Shoji Tetsuya behind and to live this new life as Vandrin, but he knew he could not let Violet know that was how he truly felt. Lucky for both of them, they were saved by the bell; the ringing of a small desk bell placed outside of the kitchen to signal that an order was completed and ready to be delivered to its table. The same waitress who had greeted the players before made her way to their table, a tray carrying two, juicy steak dinners. Vandrin looked up to the waitress and nodded, "Thank you." Once she had finished her job and left the two to their meals, Vandrin cut a sliver of the meat and popped it into his mouth. "Good choice." Vandrin said with a smirk, pointing his fork to the steak before him.

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Violet sat in the silence. Crap, I brought the mood down once more, she scolded herself internally. Luckily, the arrival of their dinners interrupted the awkward and heavy quiet before too long. Digging in enthusiastically, Violet sighed happily, her mood improved once more. "She always makes the best steaks," Violet responded happily to Vandrin. "Back in the real world, she was also a wonderful cook. Even butchered and preserved certain parts of meats as well. Ooo and she made the best beef jerky and salami!" Violet's eyes lit up with the thought of all the food that her friend had made for them over the years. 

She shook her head and brought herself back to reality, apologizing, "Haha sorry, it's just I absolutely love the food they have here. And it's so hard to find the right type of food in this world that I'm craving." She continued to chow down happily, loving the bloodiness of the steak and the saltiness of the butter in the mashed potatoes. And the gravy -- oh the gravy was to die for. It's what tied the whole meal together. 

@Vandrin

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