[PP-F2] Out for a stroll! [Mari]

[Sasayakaze 0]

Sayakaze was just out in the woods, taking a nice relaxing walk as he needed to get away from the hectic life of sao, where everything always evolves around completing the game. It was a beautiful day with no clouds to be seen in the sky and the sun was gazing on him as he kept walking without any sense of direction or goal.

 

If the truth is to be told, Sayakaze has never actually left the first floor, which he never actually knew why. It's not like he decided to stay at floor one since he was scared or because of some other unreasonable thing like most player came up with, he had just been stuck there helping out other people with their daily lifes, not necessarily  with fighting or leveling but more on a personal level. If there is one thing Sayakaze have trouble with, it's watching other people in pain, so even though he has important things to do which he knows about, he just can't come around to ignore someones  need for help.

 

After a couple of hours walking, it started to get darker, as his journey had started quite late on the day already. This was not something Sayakaze had planned in, as it put him in alot more dangerous situation since he couldn't see aswell, and seeing he was only level 1 he had to act carefully so he wouldn't waste his life in something foolish like this.

 

"why did i decide to do this so late, i have no god damn clue of where i might be"  he thought to himself as he started to walked at a higher tempo.

 

Not knowing where he was, he decided that he should take shelter for the night instead of going deeper into the wilderness and get more lost. After a few more minutes, he had found himself into a small cave, which seemed to be empty where he decided to stay.

 

As it got closer to midnight, the weather setting started to get more and more chilly every minute, causing Sayakaze to freeze.

 

"I should have brought warmer cloths, but i suppose i never meant to get stuck in a forest..."

 

he muttered quiet to himself as he sat down leaning towards the cave wall shaking due to freezing.

[Mari 1]

Mari was a player killer, and being a player killer - she wasn't able to sleep in most towns or taverns. She had to make do with what she had. Mari had a severe hate, and sentimentality for the second floor. Being here made her feel like she was closer to her daughter. Yet it also gave her grave grievances. It reminded her of her sin, of her flaws and inability to contain her anger. Mari sat in a cave, amidst a warm pile of blankets in front of a dying fire; it was the second cavern in, she felt it was safer than the first.

Mari was asleep. Keyword. Was. She stirred when she heard rustling in the cave; she had some trouble before from players trying to attack her, was this another? Mari equipped her dagger, steeling toward the sound, it was a white haired player, he was shivering from the cold, but Mari wasn't about to let her guard down. No, Life told her, insisted that she could not trust anyone.

"Why are you here?"  She asked, her intricate dagger clenched tightly in her fists. "It's the middle of the night. You're green - why are you in a cave?"

[Sasayakaze 0]

Sayakaze quickly hoped up back to standing position in a hasty move as he heard a voice from someone which he assumed to be a female. As his brain got the figure of the person which had asked him the question, and also looked rather defensive, he saw that she held a dagger in her hand, and was also a red player. He had heard about players who killed just for the sake of it, and not for a particular reason, was this one of them?

 

"The only reason i'm here is cause my own foolishness, with other words, i got lost and figured it was best to seek shelter for the night." he said as he kept shivering from the cold. 

 

He then looked at the girl realizing she was also hiding in a cave, he assumed it to be since she was a red player and that they weren't allowed inside of town, but this was nothing he was completely sure on, maybe this girl just really liked caves he thought to himself. Then he once again realized she was a red player, perhaps he once again had put himself in a dangerous position.

 

He looked at her with a very serious face indicating that he was not joking around.

 

"Should i be afraid of you, i mean since the indicator above your head" he said as he quickly nodded towards the red arrow above her.

[Mari 1]

HIs movements were sluggish, and he seemed like he was going to drop dead from the sheer cold. Mari didn't feel all too cold, but she was used to being outdoors, even before becoming a PKer.

Mari lowered her defensive stance, then unequipped her dagger. He was no threat. If he was, he'd have killed her by now, or at least tried to. "You forgot to bring a teleport Crystal?" Mari asked, folding her arms. "First time out of the Town Of Beginnings - what are you? An idiot?" For anyone meeting Mari the first time, they'd probably think she was cruel, and stand offish. Anyone who knew Mari and her current mood and mindset, would probably be rejoicing at her quips and insults.

The boy tried to put on a serious face, his blue eyes shining with a steadfast determination, but the goosebumps on his arms, and the quiver of his lips said otherwise, Mari gave him a mock laugh as she approached him, grabbing him by the cuff of his collar. "You probably should be afraid." Mari said as she dragged him away from the first cavern and into the second cavern - she dragged him behind her, not caring if he were on teh ground or on his feet shuffling behind, once in the second cavern- Mari let him go. Not bothering to see if he fell forward or not.

She went back to the fire, if he was cold - she'd have to stoke it again, the cavern was small, about half the size of the average lounge room; on one side there was a pile of wood and kindling stacked - on the other there was a pile of makeshift blankets. Dried flowers also seemed to litter the cavern floor, Mari seemingly unphased at the potential fire  hazard this would cause. She grabbed a few bits of wood and poked it around the fire till it sprang to life again.

"You know kid, people are after my head - you'd probably be safer out there with the monsters."

[Sasayakaze 0]

Sayakaze gave out a small sigh as she asked about the teleport crystal. He hadn't even thought about the existence of those, and as it was his first time not on floor 1 he decided to not fight back at her, as he believed it to be no good, she had also lowered her guard which relieved him some.

 

"Atleast she hasn't tried to kill me yet" he thought when suddenly she was grabbed and dragged along, while the girl had implied that he should be afraid of her. Sayakaze had no clue what is was to actually be afraid of, since she just seemed to put up a big barricade in front of the real her to avoid emotions, but then again, this was just speculations from Sayakaze's side.

 

He managed to keep up with the girl dragging him alone, only tripping a few times but managed to recover without any hassle, and suddenly they were in another part of the cave, which seemed to have been so much better prepared for a cold night like this one. 

 

After she managed to spark some life into that fire, Sayakaze quickly sat down next to it while reaching out his hands to warm them.

 

"Firstly, i cannot say if i'm an idiot or since that is a matter of opinion regarding a person, but if you believe me to be one, so be it. And i think that you will be much better company than the monsters out there, atleast you've spoken to me more than they ever done." He said with a small smile, which quickly faded again due to the cold getting to him once more.

 

 

He looked at the girl, which had pink hair and noticeable short compared to many other people he had seen, maybe she was around his age, she also seemed to wear much better armor then Sayakaze, so it was safe to assume that she was higher level, and alot stronger than himself.

 

"I am afraid i got nothing to give but my gratitude for this gesture of yours; Thank you."  he said as he tried to smile towards her once again. 

 

He then realized he hadn't even given her his name, he felt abit shameful for not have done it already to someone which had helped him when he needed it.

 

"My ingame tag is Sayakaze, but you may call me Sasa which is my real life name if you would prefer that, i don't see why people should use their tag anymore as this is the life we are living" he said as he blankly stared out towards nothingness.

[Mari 1]

Mari shrugged, not exactly caring what he had to say right now - she was tired, grumpy and emotionally drained. She watched as he attempted to warm himself up. "Oh for Christ's sake!" Mari exclaimed, as she stepped to the corner, picked up a blanket and tossed it at him. "Stop shivering its pissing me off. Just warm the censored up." She chastised. For Mari, this was surprisingly kind.

She sat down pulling out a loaf of bread, piercing it with a stick she placed it over the fire to lightly toast it. "I may talk to you...." Mari began, her tone turning quiet, "But with the mobs, that's just it, they're NPCs - data. Nothing more. With me, I'm a living and breathing person....that other, real live people are trying to hunt down and murder." She rose her eyes to meet his, showing some sort of concern for the boy. "Sayakaze..."  His hair reminded him of Zero, who she affectionately called Cotton ball, Mari couldn't give Sayakaze that name - and to call him Cloud seemed....cheesy... "Hmm...I think I'll call you Rabbit." Sayakaze could protest, but it wasn't like he had a choice in the matter.

"Our lives here are different than that of the real world, Rabbit. It'd be wise not to give out your name so easily." Mari pulled the toasted bread away from the fire, she ripped it in half. "I am Mari here, but I am not the person here that I was in the real world." She mumbled the next part, almost inaudible. "I never will be that woman again..."

And it was true, Mari had denounced her real name, Amari - it bought back too many memories, it hurt. Amari had a daughter, Amari would never kill anyone. Amari didn't sleep with strangers in bars. No...That was not who she was any more.

"Here." Mari said, as she threw half the roll at him. "Eat it while you can, its durability is low now its been cooked."

[Sasayakaze 0]

Sayakaze got kind of surprised with how Mari acted next, where she seemed to be angry at him being cold, she then proceeded to throw him a blanket which he nodded for as a thank you. He did not quite understand how it could bother her that he was freezing, not in the way that you'd become angry anyway, but the gesture was kind and he quickly wrapped himself into the blanket and smiled at her.

 

She started to toast some food, but he couldn't keep the eyes of her, as she began to speak about something which seemed much more important than the food, and as she kept talking, Sayakazes face turned from a smile into concern, not for himself, but for the girl that spoke, she seemed to had given up life in some way that noone could even explain, not even herself.

 

He couldn't get himself to say anything while she was speaking, it's almost like he had frozen to place, which would have been a possibility unless Mari would have helped him.

 

"I wont ask why you are red, it is not something of my concern." oh then facepalmed himself  and quietly muttered something which couldn't be heard.

 

"what i meant was it's not my businesses to intrude your life."  he said as he kept looking at her to see if she was offended by the way he had spoken to her. but even how she kept talking about people being murderes, he was not afraid of it, he was rather happy that this girl have found him. She may have said his life, which is something that Sayakaze always would appreciate.

 

After a short while, she suddenly spoke up again and informed him how she was going to call him "Rabbit", which he found weird, but it's not like it bothered him in anyway.

 

"a bunny huh, well they are cute... and like carrots. Perhaps she thinks i am cute and also like carrots." he said to himself as he drifted away in thought of why she could have called him that name, since it just came very suddenly and it's not like the usual name you would get, especially not meeting someone for the first time.

 

 

She then told him that he shouldn't give his name like that, as it could cause danger. Sayakaze did not agree on this, he just thinks of it as something that you can shout when you need him, and whatever that name might be its nothing of importance. 

 

She then said something that Sayakaze couldn't hear, as she mumbled very quietly.

 

Even though he was close to dropping the food, he manged to catch it. He nodded towards the girl.

 

"Thank you, Mari. You know, i may not know what you've been through and seen, but i do know that you are the person that you are in real life, you just need to find yourself again." 

 

He then stood up, and walked and sat down next to the girl instead.

 

"If you wouldn't mind, i prefer sitting close to the person i am speaking to, you know so i can hear them, and not loose their words in mumbling." he said as he watched the fire the entire time.

 

"Isn't it nice to just meet a stranger, which don't know you, to meet someone that you can say whatever you want to?" he said while a smile showed up on his face, he then turned his face to Mari.

 

"So, tell me about yourself."

 

[Mari 1]

"Damn right it is not something that concerns you." Mari muttered coldly toward him before taking another bite of her bread. She gave a smirk as she watched him smack himself in the head. He seemed to stumble, and caught the bread. Offering her his thanks. "You can thank me by not mentioning that person any more." Mari didn't mind helping him, but she still felt a swirl of frustration and anger at the mention of who she used to be - a person Mari felt she had abandoned long ago.

Sasayakaze had shifted to sit next to her. Oh no, Mari did not like that one bit. "Actually..." Mari began as she shuffled away from him - creating a good Metre between the two. "I do mind." 

She turned her attention to the fire. "I don't think it's nice. I don't get along with people. I say whatever the hell I want, any time. I am not going to filter myself for some jackass I meet in a game, who if we do manage to survive probably won't see ever again."

The man asked her to tell him about heself, and Mari just laughed in reply. Kid clearly didn't know who he was talking to.

[Sasayakaze 0]

Sayakaze gave a small smile as the girl kept acting tough, i mean it was something he was used to, people usually don't go around acting like weakling.

 

"You can act like that all you want, it's not like it bothers me." He said while he kept looking very happy about himself. He noticed how she started to scoof away from her current position, and she just a few seconds lately that she minded being close to people, or just him perhaps. He looked at her as she did this, but he just kept smiling towards her.

 

"You're wrong though, considering this to be a game, is just foolish. Or i mean, the only one losing on that kind if thinking is yourself" he said as he ate some of the food that he had been given. he also noticed how she had started laughing when he asked who she was, which was just considered Sayakaze in the way that she had put up a barricade. 

 

"Being like this will be your own downfall, and now that you're introduced yourself and opened up yourself for me, telling all your secrets and such. I can't let that happen." He said as he gave away a small smirk towards the girl

 

"Since you know, BFF's don't let that happen" Sayakaze said as he gave out a small laughter waiting for Mari's reaction.

[Mari 1]

"No, it is a game. A dangerous game, but a game nonetheless. A false reality." Mari rpelied in an annoyed tone, already wishing that she had just kicked him out of the cave or ignored him. It wasn't like she could disappear right now, it was too cold outside and she didn't want to waste a teleport crystal just to get away from some low levelled boy.

 

"I've told you no secrets, stop acting like an arrogant prick or I might just have to  break my cardinal rule." Mari was somewhat serious as she said this, if one thing pissed her off beyond reason, it was arrogance and this boy dripped it right now.

[Sasayakaze 0]

((OCC: on my phone, autocorrects is mean, and efit feature is not here" ima fix it tomorow! Sowry :<))

As Sayakaze played around with her reactions, he started to notice her irritation towards him, which he considered was fine due to how he had acted. He looked at her with some sort of sad eyes, but still with a rather happy look overall.

"I am sorry if i offended you, it was not my intention to do so." He Said as he switched focus to the fire instead of the girl. He scratched the back of his head as he smiled down towards the ground.

"I am very thankful that i met you here, even though you may not think the same, i enjoy some company."

He then looked at her with a rather conserned face, almost as he was thinking about something unpleasant.

"But if you really do dislike me this much, why do you let me stay?" He Said as his thoughts started to wander of.

[Mari 1]

Mari gave a huff, but didn't insult him or say anything further. That was as good of an acceptance of an apology as any, at least from Mari. He said he was thankful, and Mari turned to him, analyzing him with her blue eyes. "I guess we differ that way. I don't like most company" She said to him, her tone of voice no longer angry, rather just weary. 

"I may think you are annoying but..." Mari turned her attention toward the fire. "Be damned if I would so easily let anyone perish like that. I'm not a heartless monster."
 

[Sasayakaze 0]

Sayakaze couldn't help himself but to smile abit towards the girl. He thought her to be kind afterall, even though she seemed abit rough around the edges, she had a heart like everyone else in this world. Many people became like her when they got stuck in this and for many different reasons also, but in the end, everyone is most likely caring, they just have to find that side of themself.

 

Without really know how to act anymore or what to say, he just kept staring at the fire, but from times to times, he couldn't help himself but to look at the pink haired girl. It never was his intention to actually make her hate him like he had did somehow, he was just trying to converse  with her, and brighten the mood in the boring cave they were stuck in.

 

"So, before all this started, what were you doing? You don't have to reply if you feel like it's to personal, you just got me on the spot were frankly, i don't know what to say" he said as he let out a small "Heh".

 

Sayakaze was usually never found in this situation, where he had nothing to say, so this was rather new to him and he felt awkward about it, almost to the point where he blushed cause he felt like she was mocking him, even though she most likely never did.

 

"I was working before i got here anyway, out on a field."

 

He then looked down again.

 

"stupid stupid stupid, why would she care, now she's just going to hate you more"

[Mari 1]

A Silence fell between the two, and Mari yawned - stretching with arms high above her head as she arched he back.  He had interrupted her sleeping, but she would probably have to stay awake. Who knows what he'd do whilst she slept. Especially since Mari was a Pker - she didn't have the luxury of a safe sleep, or a very comfortable one for that matter.

"What was I doing?" Mari asked as she covered her mouth, yawning again. "I was minding my own business." She muttered. It was clear that Sasayakaze wasn't going to get very far attempting to delve into her personal life. That was something very few people knew about.  "If you don't know what to say, you don't really need to say anything." Mari paused before suggesting; "You should probably sleep soon. Morning will be here in a few hours, maybe you could dream of that field thing of yours."

[Sasayakaze 0]

He looked at her, and she kept acting like she had did since they two of them met. He noticed how she kept yawning over and over again, so he made the conclusion that she was tired which was reasonable as it was rather late already when she first found him and well, it's not like time stops.

 

Suddenly she suggested that he could sleep, which he found very funny as she had been the one yawning, sleeping with a rude player like this which also were red, felt like a bad idea. He did not think that she consider killing him though, as she could already have done that a longtime ago, but still.

 

He then heard her say something, which did upset him quite abit. "maybe you could dream of that field thing of yours." Kept echoing in his head over and over again. She clearly had no clue why he had been working there, thus it's not strange as he haven't told her, but he still got irritated since she just assumed it to be something good.

 

He layed down with the blanket over himself and closed his eyes.

 

"Not that you care, but it wasn't a choice to work there." he said rather quiet, as the words almost got stuck in his throat as he said it. Thinking back to before the game was not a pleasant thing, especially since he had gotten used to live in here.

 

He then fell, asleep.

[Mari 1]

Mari watched absently as he hesitated, who wouldn't? A Player Killer suggesting someone fall asleep in front of her? Yeh, that spelt nothing but trouble to the unknowing person. Mari wasn't planning on doing anything - except maybe shoving duct tape over his mouth, but she didn't have any of that. So lucky him. Mari shrugged, "You're right. I don't care." She said coldly. Despite her cold attitude Mari made a mental note not to mention the place to him again.

The chatty man soon fell asleep; and despite being absolutely exhausted Mari did not sleep, she took out her sphere of symphony, and it flashed as it turned into a violin, she started to play an eerie sounding lullaby humming along to it as she played the slow tempo music.

[Sasayakaze 0]

As the night progressed the sun started to near, which would brighten up the cave they were in a bit. Sayakaze woke up, and he still felt like at was really early, and figured that the pink haired girl would be sleeping, but to his surprise, she was still up. He wondered why she was up so early, and got a rather strange feeling that maybe she didn't trust him, which he was rather confused about why she wouldn't, but he didn't want to jump any conclusions here, so he sat up and looked at the girl.

 

"What are you doing up this early? Or have you just been awake the whole night?" Is said with a questioning face. 

 

He then stood up and did some yawned again. He then realized that it wasn't cold outside anymore, which felt wonderful. "This has been a long night..." he thought to himself as he looked around his position. His eyes then landed on Mari. He gave out a weak smile towards her just to yawn a few seconds after again.

 

"Well, thank you anyway. Can i repay you in some way?" Then he realized he had nothing to really pay her, but that he had already said. Maybe he was being confusing towards her, not that it would mater much how she perceived him, the most important thing was that they both were alive, and that it had been a calm night with no real fighting.

 

But even though he did not care a lot, why did she find him annoying? He searched through his mind, what he had said and how he had acted, but found no sign on something that could be taken as something bad, why was she acting like this towards him he kept asking himself, going through the night over and over again in his head.

[Mari 1]

Mari played a variety of lilting tunes until the golden light of the rising sun began to filter through the darkness. It was the best thing she could do to keep herself preoccupied and awake.  Any anger she had, had long since disappeared and it was replaced with a weary calm. Mari continued to play, as she watched Sasayakaze stir, he gave a yawn and his sleepy eyes  fell on Mari as he asked her if she had been awake all night. Mari nodded. "Yeh. I have. Couldn't sleep."

 

Mari stopped playing her violin, it turned into a grey sphere and she placed it back into her inventory; the white haired boy stood and yawned. Mari couldn't help but yawn too, they were fairly contagious. He gave her a smile and asked if he could repay her in any way. Mari didn't even have to think before answering him. "Yes actually." She stood up and dusted herself off; "You can follow me back toward the town, then - you can go to town and do some shopping for me. Since I can't enter them. I need to restock on some food supplies."

[Sasayakaze 0]

Sayakaze looked at Mari, a bit concerned when she had told him that she couldn't sleep, not that he knew the reason for it, but he had never had a sleepless night without any real reason behind it, hopefully it wasn't his fault, quickly swooped through his mind. He saw that she had played a violin, he hadn't actually heard any of it but he did get a quick glance at the instrument before she unequipped it. "So that's what makes you calm" he thought as he gave a quick smile. This girl was a though girl to handle, but in the end she was really nice, and had been really nice towards him, he only wished that she could show that side more often, but maybe there was a reason for that also.

 

After he had asked if he could repay her in any way, her reply came a lot faster then he had expected, almost so fast so his brain couldn't really take in her words until a couple of seconds later. "So it was true, she was out here cause she's red." He thought as he opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it again and decided to reply with a nod and a smile towards the girl.

 

"You really are a nice person, thank you, again." He quietly mumbled, hoped that she could hear but still not, as they were getting ready to continue moving. Sayakaze couldn't actually go back to the town by himself either way, since he had no clue on where he was and how to get back, but he decided to keep that to himself, as he didn't wanna look dumb.

[Mari 1]

Mari brushed off his concerned look; answering a question that was never asked. "I rarely ever sleep any more; don't blame yourself." Mari guided him out the cave. It was early morning and the sun had just risen over the horizon. The sky was still painted in lines of gold and hues of red. The pink clad girl took a deep breath and gave a satisfied sigh. Giving a small smile as she recollected the talk she had with Alkor; and how his eyes had matched the warm tones of a sunset, and sunrise.

"Right, C'mon then." Mari said as she started walking, not checking to see if he'd follow. "Best keep up rabbit; else you'd get lost again."