Kiluia Seiko

He listened to her questions and thought for a moment on it. He wantes to ensure his answer would satisfy her thirst for knowledge. He casually glanced back at her before speaking to her while swinging on the giant root. "They sure do. I'm a martial artist by nature so I trained myself to do front line fighting. But also, I'm designed like a loot goblin for my set of skills. I can pick locks and look for extra information on floors as well. I'm not tanky at all but I was thinking I might switch to support later. While we do get our own materials, sometimes during floor fights, we go into overdrive. As for cliffs and stuff.. like waterfall diving?"

He hoped that would answer her question. The thought of her entering the front lines was far away for now. She didn't have to worry as much about that as the he looked at the cat. He only nodded in agreement to her watching his back. When she spotted the kitten, he would hush and urge her to go for it.

He stretched and looked at the surroundings while listening to her speak. He would look at her and soon just find himself staring at her a moment. She seemed to be having fun, and it was good. This was a good exercise as the duo gradually got to know each other. "The thing we can do is to provide each other with the necessary items. Being the provisional leader, I supply materials to those who need it. It's less of a burden on them. Lately, however, I haven't been able to do much since I don't have a partner to watch my back."

The wind took change as the two began to idle chatter amongst themselves. Perhaps he would invite her out again when they could do some gathering around nature or go down spelunking in caves. "Oh, I'm sure you'll be making memories with all of us. No worries. We protect our own and make sure to keep you alive. You'll have every opportunity to jump off a cliff or other things...Perhaps, even snowboarding." He would have to teach her that part if she ever wanted to. After all, their backyard at the shops were a good practice place.

A few critters jumped by and he stared a moment waiting for her familiar to appear. It would be nice if they caught it this time around.

He thought about the whole ordeal of getting her shop started. He stood at the hump of the tree that the familiar was seen last. Red eyes would glance back at her before speaking about the gathering. "Gathering the materials is more than likely the most boring thing ever. Its why I have Pingu to entertain me. I used to have a partner to help me out with the monsters. It was relatively easy and quick. We farmed a lot between the two of us." 

The vast majority of his fights would be treants or skeletons that would be found. He could always take her to a hot spot that had a quest. It would be easy if he could take them on one by one. He looked back at her for a moment. Perhaps she should do foraging while he fought and share in the experience and loot too if she was nearby. She wouldn't be able to take them on now but later she would be able to. "Freyd and I were on a ship... and uh a lantern fell. Lit the wooden ship up so if I remember right, I'm pretty sure I was pushed into the fire while fighting. It was quite an interesting time back then." He would fill her in with their shenanigans. A grin would spread across his face as he looked at her. 

The house was filled with the aroma of cooking as Kil was making breakfast, lunch, and dinner to prepare ahead of time. It was the busy season where he would hold himself up in his bakery to create more lavish dishes that only he could make here. He had been making provisions for himself and the penguin for a while now but today was just a day he wanted to be slightly lazy. It wasn’t like he had anything to do other than laze around the bed or clean when he needed to. Nor did it seem like his place seemed to be dirty either. It was more like out of habit that he was doing this dull routine. “Breakfast!” He shouted while waiting for the stomping of a particular penguin. He still stood there with his toast in his mouth preparing himself a cup of coffee with a heaping pile of eggs waiting to be dug into. 

He noticed a few muffins missing and stared at them for a moment before realizing that the penguin was not here yet. He needed not worry about her as it would notify him if his penguin were in trouble or fighting in combat. The creature was always at his party. A light shrug was given as he munched on his breakfast reading any news that interested him.

“My name… is Juanita Carlos Espada De Pastor! But you… you may call me… Pingu.” The penguin thought in her head as she waddled out and about on floor 1. Yes, floor 1. The familiar managed to go all by herself this early morning as she wanted to run “errands” for her master. Fake errands. Errands that would normally get a child in trouble without a parent. But in her eyes it was a mission. With her miniature bag stuffed with muffins and her toy wooden sword tucked away. She pressed on. Her consciousness was quite incredible as she managed to waddle down the market path.

This was part of her normal day with him, exploring the markets for foods or treasures. She would use her stolen goods to trade around the market area like her master did. He had shinies… she had food. Waddling around, she witnessed the trade of two people and stood in queue. It was the fruit lady. She knew the fruit lady. The fruit lady always gave Pingu a piece of fruit when she was around but this time, she wanted to buy the food with her own food. 

Time passed slowly and soon it was her turn. The penguin excitedly pointed at the apples that she wished for. Shiny and red delicious to eat, she thought in her head. The squeak of the penguin was easily recognized by the vendor as the vendor conversed. “Where is your master today, Pingu? Out by yourself?” Pingu nodded in return holding out two fins that had the muffin in tow. “Oh, a trade? You want an apple for that muffin?” The female vendor thought for a moment before examining the muffin itself. Realizing, it was made by the familiar's master, she agreed hastily to do the transaction. “You got yourself a deal little one! I’ll take this and you can have 3 apples.” 

The penguin narrowed her little eyes at the vendor. 3? 3? Was it a good deal? Was it a bad deal? She wouldn’t know. But 3 was better than one! Pingu squeaked like a dog toy and passed on the muffin for her apples. She stuffed the apples into her little bag and nodded at the vendor with a wave goodbye. Off to the next, she thought. The vendor was happy. The muffin itself was of good quality and cost about four of her apples instead of the 3. It was indeed a good barter.

The footsteps of the penguin could be heard waddling about as she made it through the first portion of the first floor. It was now onto dangerous territory… The church.  Her sneaky little figure hid behind barrels looking for a place to hide to enjoy her apples. She couldn’t just eat them at the market for fear of being mistaken as a thief. No, Pingu was now playing Spy. 

Kiluia | HP: 780/780 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 21 | MIT:78 | ACC:4 | AA  | PHASE | EVA:1 | BH:43 | REC: 4 | HLY: 8 | ENV-O: 32 | LD:3      

The worn path started to open up for the group as the top was well within sight now. The memories of escorting various people prior to this one had come across his mind causing a faint smile to slip across his face. Hearing the words of both Reese and Siren, he couldn't help but wonder if his life could have been slightly like theirs if only... He looked at Pingu snacking away staring at her beloved snack. The gluttonous familiar was always devouring something. He could never guess how that creature could not be full. He shook his head slightly pressing on with the pack.

"Me? I've been doing martial arts for quite some time. It was a no brainer for me to do this as I often would find myself fighting and training for years on my body. I try to stay fit, but I have to wonder what I look like now in the real world. Who knew that I could use martial arts here and put it to good use." He shrugged a bit before noticing the girls walking ahead of them. 

The gravel tumbled down under them as the path began to steepen but not bad enough for their footing. It kept root but he pointed a few things out of the path. "Watch out for falling debris. Sometimes, there are others already up here hitting the rock or the master is cleaning up the place for more visitors. Plus, don't look down." He gently reminded them that they were almost to the highest peak. He had taken Asmura some time ago and she was deathly afraid of fall damage. His daughter... A deep sigh escaped his mouth as they moved. 

Being rich had really nothing to do with it. Even when he was at home, he was left alone except for dinner with his mother. His face softened at the thought of his mother and for a moment he felt like he was a kid again. It was a few thoughts of his mother that kept him going and not going insane within this world. There was a reason why he was still alive. He wondered what was going on in the real world and how everything was. Was his father taking care of his mother? Perhaps they left him in a hospital so they could continue their lifestyle. Or were they at his bedside...?

His thoughts were interrupted by the name of Freyd. A slight shiver crawled his spine as the memory of him being set on fire was commonly associated with the man. Thoughts of revenge would cross his thoughts as he wanted to fight him one time but knew he would lose. Perhaps a prank of sorts. "Freyd huh? He's a good man. Eccentric and a little to himself for the most part. Stay away from fire though. I do have to say, meeting you is very nice. I haven't been out for quite some time. Usually just holed up in the bakery." 

He paused along the way to hear about her comparison to Europe and Asian about the cats. Eyes filtered the area for anything that may glitter as a material but alas, it was not meant to be. He returned back to the woman and placed a hand on his hip while thinking about how cultured she seemed. "I think the cat cafes in Japan are interesting. I've been to one and it was rather a fun time. Though, the maid outfit themed with cat ears were a bit extreme in my opinion." Kil did not seem interested in that type of thing or hung out around those places. Not that he had the chance, mind you. He had been too busy being proactive with the scene of frontlines. 

He filled his days helping new people, like herself, to escape the time and mundane routine of fighting and clashing with a way to get out. He preferred to take some time off. He listened to her about the whole ordeal about flying around and how she would if she could. "If I were to get out of here, I plan on just joyriding the world in an airplane. I'd stop at the UK to see you first. Then just go around and let the skies take us to places around the Earth." He phrased his words carefully as tomorrow could be the last day for him to draw breath.

A slight smile crossed his lips as he swung down a root and landed beside her. "Gotta admit, you meet a lot of different type of people here. I'm just enjoying the moment... " as if it were his last, he completed the sentence in his head as he looked at her. 

Not exactly the type to leave a board message hanging, he would simply click down upon the message and accept the terms and conditions. Lithe body stretched and composed himself to vacate the first floor and arrive to where he needed to be. Red eyes coasted among the civilian players that integrated with the NPC world before heading to the crystal. He reached his hand out and selected the spot where he would go. It had been a long while since he had been to the third floor. Despite it being a lower floor, the beautiful pixels still formed the gorgeous fantasy canopy when he emerged from the light sphere. 

Red hues glanced around the area and surveyed the landscape. He had discovered wagons trailing about hustling and bustling back and to from the path ahead from city to city. Most were already headed to the closest one to the gate. His eyes shimmered slightly as he watched the children wave, and a slight smile graced his features as he waved back at them. A slight sigh escaped his lips as he made headway toward the meeting spot. 

He was lost deep in thought as he watched the roots grow and shrink from the canopy. The blue sky and sunlight began to struggle to push through the trees and their massive branches. It would set the mood for when they hit the maze. Among the denizens, he caught a glimpse of the player who requested help. Exactly where he would be as he approached the other white-haired fox. "Heard you were looking for some extra help... Figured I'd meet and say hello." he spoke as he glanced around. Apparently, he was the only one to respond. 

Kiluia | HP: 780/780 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 21 | MIT:78 | ACC:4 | AA  | PHASE | EVA:1 | BH:43 | REC: 4 | HLY: 8 | ENV-O: 32 | LD:3  

The warmth of the sand kept him toasty as he allowed himself to sink into as Adelyte came to converse. The words were like a string of sentences that seemed to come out and rush at him but just only his imagination running a bit wild. It'd been years since the man had come out to such events to attend to and it was practically like his old days visiting a variety of players ranging from people who still were here today to those who were not.  

To answer her first question, "We met at a church helping kids. The ones who got the game and became trapped. They lost motivation so I've been visiting about once a month to provide them with food and care. She was helping them by learning the ropes of going out on the first floor." He spoke as he looked over at Bliss.

The words of how she presented how she was hurt was an exaggeration, of course, but it felt a bit stinging. The words of people who seemed to enjoy the game without a worry seemed to downplay such events of people who would try to risk their lives to protect and serve them. It left a disdainful taste in his mouth. As she walked away, he moved slightly to stop her but retracted his movements as the conversation continued.

Eyes darkened as she left but he spoke in conversation. "Yeah. Just trying to do my part in keeping people safe. Not many people volunteer at the church." His gaze seemed to follow Adelyte for a second before he feigned a smile. "No crush. Just a simple friend." Preservation of the heart mattered most now. If no one appreciated the threats within the game, then there was nothing he could do in the meantime.

Memories of the past flooded the landscape of his mind from when he returned. Few people showed but it was the two who mattered who came to his rescue. Lessa and Raidou who kept his memory alive. The portrait of people who had X's over their faces were people who died or went missing. A fair amount enough to scar someone. Adding to that list... perhaps he would just simply stay away for now and gather his thoughts as he looked at Adelyte. "Sorry but I'm going to see if I can't find some of those items by myself. Feel free to keep her company."

He looked at the ground to search and shuffled through the white sands to find two red tinted crystals. He dusted off the sands and tucked them away in his inventory. He looked at Bliss one more time only to see another young man approach. It seemed the butterfly would attract other butterflies. She wouldn't miss him. Or so he thought to himself as he wandered off. "Pleasure meeting you, Adelyte! I hope we run into each other again." He smiled and shot her a message of a friend request. They would meet again sometime. 

Click Clack. Footsteps would be heard moving from the distant rolling hills of the first floor toward the main town. Children frolicked and played around him as he wisped one of the kids up onto his shoulders and walked the rest of the children toward the church. He had business there today. He was a tad bit lonely these days with or without people. He figured it was a purpose. Memories of Asmura running around him when she was there like the child, she was bubbled away like smoke being replaced by these other children. He had met many people lately but for some reason the sense of urgency vanished for him to clear the pathways.

The laughter of the children seemed to wane to more of a series of inquisitive gestures of the upcoming pond that they were due to pass. Most were pointing, others started laughing again at the imagery. It had piqued his interest to see what the kids were pointing at now.  He watched a man sit there looking at pebbles. A new adventurer thinking about joining the adventure of this death game. More and more people seemed to appear nowadays, but he wasn't complaining. "Be nice." He warned at the children followed by an audible snicker here or there. 

He looked at his inventory and knew what the man was lacking immediately. Of course, horror stories of beginner quests. He opened it up and pulled out a golden crispy item and sat it on the edge with a plate so it wouldn't get dirty. "Enjoy it. You'll need a little bit of comfort." All the children gasped and awed at the dessert fawning over it as Kil walked away. "You'll get something if head back before the Church bells ring!" 

Kiluia | HP: 780/780 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 21 | MIT:78 | ACC:4 | AA  | PHASE | EVA:1 | BH:43 | REC: 4 | HLY: 8 | ENV-O: 32 | LD:3                                                                                                                            

His face was lost in thought as they continued to traverse the strange terrain once more. It was an interesting thing when she said Japan and he would look over at her. "When we get out of here, I can show you around." He would be all too happy inside if they actually met in real life. He hadn't had a normal friend in quite a while. Not since she left him. Red hues kept going to searching the grid of the landscape in hopes of looking for something. He figured he would also try to locate some items. 

He sifted through some brush, but nothing came to fruition for him as the hunt continued for her familiar. He brushed his hair back and looked back with a smile crossed his face. "We have cat cafes and various other places you may like." He stretched slightly and stood up walking once more trying to figure out whether or not he would maybe find a chest today. Both hands turned were behind his back and he looked at her walking backward. 

Whatever had been there, had vanished off of their radar. It was fine. He knew the mechanics of the quest; it would get easier with time spent on it but also relied on luck. He wished he had given her some of his dessert to increase her stat blocks. He sighed softly admitting it. "I forgot to give you some desserts at my shop. They would have at least given you an increase on this part." Unlucky. He pressed his fingers against his nose and pinched the bridge. He took a deep breath and looked at the better side. "At least, we can get to know each other more, Tara."

The roots became larger and tall enough for them to just walk under and around. Gaze returned over to her, and he spoke. "Let's see... Let's break the ice a bit more." He said placing both arms behind his back. "If you could have traveled anywhere in the world, where would you have decided to go? And why didn't you do it? For example, I wanted to go to Argentina to see the futbol team but never had a chance because my father never went in that direction." He mused a bit thinking what if he had just gone by himself. 

The deeper they went; the more light became absorbed by the canopy. It wasn't unusual but still it was enough for them to continue progress with the vision. The obscurity of it all was not impeded by their vision yet. It would only start to go down if they stayed out a later time than imposed. He wouldn't allow them to get too lost since he had already explored most of the terrain anyway. Red hues would lock onto her as he heard her actual name. "Tara..." With his accent in tow, it sounded very stiff as he spoke it aloud. He would have to practice this. He would offer her a smile and gaze upon her lightly while speaking. "A very pretty name." 

Their little moment was interrupted by rustling. Perhaps his imagination? The wind? He would motion for Ty to check and search the area. He couldn't participate in her own personal quest since he already had Pingu and wasn't replacing her. "Perhaps we wandered in far enough?" With a little luck on her side, he would hope she would be able to find the familiar of her dreams. Or at least, to her standards.  He offered her a reassuring smile as he stood there hoping to give her confidence. 

The seabreeze and the salt that rose amongst the wind and blew across the open beach. The scenery, albeit fake, was simply too amazing to ignore. The seagulls, the npc’s enjoying the beach, the players who seemed to be bustling around, and the serenity that surrounded it all made the day less threatening than most days.

While he placed his shirt into his inventory and placed black spandex on his legs, he felt eyes prying upon him and turned immediately to see who had been gazing upon him. He had been trying to spot people who he knew previously while doing a quick landscape check, but he felt Bliss’s gaze for a quick instant. Then it was followed by two others who had been there. His tense eyes softened immediately as the two newcomers introduced themselves to Bliss. “Pleasure.” He spoke to the two newcomers. “Call me Kil.” He would smile at the two. He would move a bit to them. With him around, Bliss could at least be somewhat safe…? Right…? Right?! 

No sooner than the announcement came, she started off dragging the other two newcomers off in search of an item. With one flick of his wrist, he gently placed a karate chop on her head. Bonk. Red eyes narrowed and he walked in front of her and stared at her reaching to her height. “I don’t need to educate you that despite everything, you should at least get to know your fellow new friends? Remember to check their icons over their heads… Also, don’t let anyone take you off course... Or in this case, don’t drag random people around.” He scolded. 

A sigh escaped his lips as the party sifted through the sands in search of items of the scavenger hunt. He glanced casually at Cobean and Adelyte. “Never seen you before.” He offered an encouraging smile to them. “Do you guys venture out a lot?” His words were soft and calm as opposed to when he spoke to Bliss. It was a different demeanor when it came to her anyway. He looked at Cobean, the odd man out who didn’t introduce himself. Did he seem nervous to him? 

His body language changed a bit to a relaxed stature to show he meant no harm to Cobean. Perhaps, if time moved, they would all gather together and meet together at his shop over some vanilla filled smores. It was food for thought. Pun intended.

@Bliss @Cobean@Adelyte

His wispy white hair blew slightly from the soft wind that winded through the jungle forest. With their departure, they left the woman behind who had wished them luck. She would have to be there in case they needed to return any extra bait or anything else. Eyes of red washed upon the area as they duo stepped in deeper into the darkened way. The canopy swallowed the light and caused a strange temperature drop, but not enough to drop the humidity. Cooler but still damp.

"I'm not sure how far we have to travel but it wouldn't be this close to the entrance. At least I don't think..." He thought for a moment as they continued their way along the roots of the trees. The sounds of wildlife were heard throughout with no real perception as to where they were coming from. They would just have to rely on their senses and luck to get through this. 

Eyes would glance over at Ty and he would start a conversation with her. "Wanna know something silly? I used my real name as my avatar...I didn't think I'd have to live my life here being called the same thing in reality." Funny part was that she was the second person who knew his name was what he used in reality. He hadn't revealed that secret to anyone. Not even their guild leader. He thought about it before looking at her. "What's your name?" If he was going to stay here for a long time, he would just figure that he would get to know someone. 

People from all sorts of the way came to. Some from the front lines and some new faces that he hadn’t recognized before. He knew of Zandra from the frontlines or in passing. Others he knew from quests like Wulfrin. Many others were just simply newer people he hadn’t crossed paths yet. It was a nice occasion to do so. He looked over at Bliss who took the champagne from him since it was just the first thing he had grabbed. Her nervous behavior could be seen like a shaking leaf.

Hand rested upon the slender shoulder of the woman. He wanted to calm her soul down so she just needed to take a breath before speaking. Eyes would look at Jomei and Cobean as the invitation was extended to them. Anyone really could have joined them. He was happy to join them and meet them all. Perhaps they would have a lot in common. “It’s okay. You are doing your best.” He flashed a smile to her as the duo were on the blanket.

Kil began to undress into his beachwear. White shirt that adorned his shoulders was taken away and soon his muscular form was exposed as soon as the muscle shirt was taken off and placed into his inventory. Long beach shorts stayed on still exposing just his calves. The man was pale and muscular. This is what he looked like in reality when Kaiba had exposed their entirety to the world of VR. He wanted to design himself as unsuspecting, but that was no longer the case.

Red hues looked over at Bliss and tilted his head a bit. He smiled at her and tried to reassure her again. “All you have to do is be yourself and everyone here will enjoy your presence. I bet you anything they’ll love you and if they have an issue... They can absolutely fuck off” He would grin slightly. Those words were foreign coming out of the young man’s mouth, but it was delightful for those who knew him. 

When he finished speaking, he would hope Night would be among the guest as a fabled warrior as the two had participated in some quests together and festivals, but she was indeed always stronger than he. He wanted to be on equal grounds with her one day but perhaps this would be a great time to ask her to do a quest with him once more. If she was on the quest with him, it would be simply easy. Reality swept back to him as a little sand brushed his nose causing it an itch. He looked up at the blonde and simply looked up at her waiting for a response.

Tags: @NIGHT@Zandra @Cobean @Jomei @Bliss @Wulfrin

The traveling gypsy stared at her quietly for a moment with a butterfly in hand. With the approaching girl, she held the butterfly outward and let it fly off to the jungle behind her. A smile washed upon her face upon the new traveling person and looked at her companion. She knew of him remembering of his initial quest. My how he had grown, she thought to herself. With the fleeting memory leaving, she listened contently over to the new player and reached into her bag. "Treat them with respect and they'll do the same. Each has their own personality and own way of relaying their love for their master." The gypsy smiled offering her bait. It would serve her well. "May the gods bless you with luck and a long life." 

His eyes watched over the woman hand over items needed to Ty. Her respectfulness to the NPC would be notated as he also respected them. They all had unique personalities, and he could only think that they may also be just either a program or based off of someone. He wouldn't risk it and would still save any fleeing NPC from danger. With that moment, he would wave to the traveling gypsy and a smile crossed both their faces. "You ready to do what you need to do? The humidity is a challenge, but I'll keep you safe here against the enemies if any show up." 

It wasn't a flex, more of a statement that he would do what he had to do to keep his guildmate safe. His eyes stared at her for a moment with a gleam of excitement. 

He laughed a bit before closing up the entrance and letting them feel the sunlight. Pingu tried but failed trying to slip out. She wasn't able to open these doors with her fins and sunk to the ground with large tears filling her eyes. She knew she was a hassle, but she wanted to be included. He looked at Ty and spoke to her. "It's more like special bait? We just need to lure them out, but it is what it is." He shrugged before walking down the steps and hoping down to the ground. He looked up at her from the bottom. He offered her a smile and made a movement with his head.

The two would take their time walking out toward the forest. The gnarled roots were seen well as the canopy of the jungle seemed to form overhead. The humidity rose quickly as they had stepped out of safe zone that prevented some humidity. He changed his outfit to another tank top but with a hood over his head. Shorts were replaced with a pair of cloth pants that would help him fend off the bugs from eating him. 

He pointed at the traveler who was making her way toward them. "And there she is. She's going to give us what we need but you need to initiate the conversation instead of me. I'm not looking for another familiar. Had Pingu for too long." He looked with a soft smile upon his face. 

His soft gaze landed on her as he finished his brunch and started putting away excess food back into the inventory. She was looking at Pingu and he would watch the penguin as well this time as the not starved penguin began to horde her share. He immediately started placing dishes into the sink and would start washing them quickly to get them cleaned up before going over the details of her quest.  

"The traveler is a random NPC who gives us food to start the quest. To lure it in..." He spoke while working on the dishes and setting them in place on the dish rack. Voice continued to announce the quest but in a softer way now. "Once active, we can go on the prowl for your cat. Just gotta locate her on this floor somewhere. Shes usually at the inn or at the entrance of the place where to enter the floor itself. So, we can check those two places. The broker just told her that today would be the day she would be traveling to this floor." With the dishes done, he wiped his hands clean and looked over at her as she finished off her meal.

He wasn't in any rush as this wouldn't take too long. He would pray for her luck in trying to catch the one she wanted. "Pingu will be staying here. Don't want her to scare the thing away since she is too rambunctious to control." The penguin looked at him with a sneer on her face. She would sneak out one way or another. However, Kil knew the ways to prevent this from happening by locking down the place while she was busy eating her food. She wouldn't have much option but to stay and keep guard of the house. 

Memories flooded at the initial time when he found Pingu with a faceless blue haired wonder. He slightly shook his head to cast away the memory heading to grab his gear. 

He was dazed. Beyond dazed at this moment as skin she had kissed upon generated heat. Thoughts raced across his mind as he stood there shell shocked at what had happened. He had no clue how to react or what to do at this point as it had been quite some time since he had felt affection. The feeling of want filled his thoughts and a certain blue haired woman had been locked away for a time had reemerged. For quite some time, his heart was wound tighter than a bank vault to prevent any type of emotion from spreading forth. Heart raced, veins pumped with blood, and neurons fired on all cylinders as the man felt the wave hit him. The blue haired girl smiled and then she was gone. There was no trace of her left. A tug on his heart was the effect now as he didn’t want to feel this. Having been hiding himself in his shop, he could only remember not saying goodbye to her.

Reality snapped him back. A birthday had been mentioned and her voice seemed to be distorted. He clearly realized the reason why he was dazed. A slight attraction had been established as words began to clear up to him. His eyes blinked a few times hearing her. April 14th was the day she was born, huh? He thought in his head. Words weren’t forming as the memory of Haine washed away. It was time for him to let go and move on with his life. He had a cruel length of time thinking about what he could have done and to prevent her from leaving him behind. He had been punishing himself for things he had no control of. He…Eyes looked at Bliss. She was here and Haine was not. With that, he pushed away all thoughts and focused on the moment. “How about a cake instead of a present? I’ll do something tasty, and we can share it with the kids.” A smile graced his features but still face heated like a sunburn against the pale skin of the white-haired wonder. 

His attention was now shifted to the young child who asked a question. The question burned with an intensity of innocence but with the radiant spark of a sun. Her reaction was even more priceless as he could tell body language relatively easily since he was always told to study the body language of politicians and upstanding people who he could notice right away. But she was plain as day showing off with her red face and his own stained with the red hue. Oh, the humanity. A laugh escaped his lips as he watched the kid run off. “They speak with no filter. No hesitation. At least, I’m glad they can see us as trustworthy enough to answer their questions.” He spoke, despite the humiliation factor that cost the two.

Her words came with even more panic as she rushed to get a handkerchief out of her pocket, and he raised both hands up as the tinge of lipstick stained his cheek. He didn’t want to erase the moment as he figured that she had left it upon his features. He could feel the outline of her lips still due to the aftereffect of the lipstick. It always felt strange when lipstick stuck to skin, but he knew the sensation due to his mother's affection even with protest, he could never escape the clutches of a lipstick kiss from her. It felt different when it came from a different woman though. He had never imagined how it would feel to him if it was anyone else and it felt…oddly nice. “Hold on there, champ. I’m okay." He kept his stance and hands up to defend himself.

“No need to be sorry… no boundaries were broken or crossed. It was good.” He spoke reassuringly.

Eyes lingered upon her small frame. It looked like she was about to cry and he couldn’t with good conscience let that happen. He reached out and held both her hands together and squeezed a bit to ensure it was okay. Head tilted to the left and his white tresses fell along with the way. Smile graced his features once more as he spoke to her. “I mean it. Promise.”

He was going to say something else, but he was interrupted by a screaming penguin. He expected nothing less as the penguin had her wooden sword out. She was being chased. She had clearly pulled that weapon out and that meant that the children had their own weapons drawn. Of course, nothing dangerous as these kids were still players but knew that safety would be the best way. A slight crest grin spread across his face as the penguin was diving into the fountain and stayed underwater for safety. The children rounded the corner and wondered where the familiar disappeared too. It was when the band of children stood there staring at the duo as the two were hand holding. 

He was wondering what they were staring at and then he looked at Bliss until he noticed they had their hands clasped together.

Oh.

How does one explain this? He let his hands drop slightly as he looked at the group. “I was just warming up her hands!” He lied straight out of his teeth as he tucked both hands behind his back. He would betray the penguin. "She’s in the fountain.” He pointed. He had to divert attention or else…the penguin screamed in terror as her own master threw away her location. 

Hearing her talk about what she liked and didn't like was a good note as he would listen to her infectious voice of happiness. He let out a slight laugh as he poured her a glass of fresh orange juice. There were things in this world that they could collect to trigger that taste of citrus. They had an actual orange he could use. "I'll remember that ham part. I just wanted to make sure you had enough food in you when we decided to go leaving and finding the traveler and then head our way to find that familiar." 

It was a good thing he had researched the info broker to see where the woman would be next to find out when they could start this quest. Pingu was already doing her thing by taking food in her arms. She wasn't afraid to eat. No no. She was always quite generous with her own portion. His eyes locked upon her; a smile was seen. He was wearing a black muscle shirt with his vest tied around his waist. Despite it being hot, he was most comfortable here in the house with its controlled temperature.

"So, did you think of any names for your pet? I'm sure you'll love it when your eyes land on the creature." He would place a muffin in his hand and take a bite out of it. He leaned back on the kitchen counter while watching her. He would take a sip of apple juice he prepared earlier and set it down when he had downed half of it.

He thought for a moment, as the cool air seemed to whisk away the leaves. It was a nice brisk breeze that would stoke chills at certain points of the day. The system was acclimating to the natural weather, since it was October. He casually glanced over at the blonde and he would lean his head upon the stone pillar. "I'll be 24, come January." His original goal was to learn economics and study Japanese history among other things to ensure his spot upon the polls if he ever decided to run as a politician like his own father but through his own merits. 

The screaming children and laughter caught his attention as she snuggled up to his scarf. It probably smelled like sweets if anything since it was worn around his shop. The man was a walking snowman when it came to bundling up. It was just cozy, and the atmosphere was so tranquil to him. When she finished her words about having the assistant do her talking, again the prying monster would be kept at bay. He didn't offer much but listened to her intently. When she showed interest in the kids again, his face brightened up. 

"My mother would go to the local places and help distribute items for the less fortunate. I would go to the orphanage to participate in programs like being a big brother or a mentor. Seeing them smile was good enough effort for me." He paused as he thought about the way she felt about speaking. "You can ask me or tell me. I'll communicate with whoever if you feel uncomfortable." Another gestured offer to her as she spoke about having communication issues.

The penguin was seen running across the fountain on the other side breathing heavy as she waddled staring at the kids trying to escape. It was a fun sight. There would be no saving the penguin in this case. When she took off his scarf and beanie, he raised a hand to motion for her to keep it. The weather was changing to suit reality here and it was obviously getting colder by the day. When those perfectly shaped lips caressed his cheek, the pale man went full red unable to hide the fact that he hadn't been affectionate with anyone in quite some time. Eyes would widen a bit before looking away shyly. "Just...ask for help..anytime." Voice seemed a bit shaky while fingers touched the place she had kissed. 

He listened contently to her words. The betrayal of her own voice gave way to a memory that may have happened to her. He wasn't even going to entertain the idea of prying about it as he spoke to her. "Yeah? I was a university student. Did a lot of athletics and other things while I attended. I'm a chef here, though." What an interesting girl, he thought as he looked at the kids hanging onto him and him waving them around. He set the rascals down and shooed them away to go play with the others so he could clean up the place too. The father of the church came out before he was able to grab a rag and Kil turned immediately to greet him. A smile pressed upon the father's lips as Kil handed him a bag of Col to keep the children safe and such with a place to stay. He wouldn't say anything, but the father blessed him.

When he turned around, he noticed her having a chill go up upon her frame. Inventory opened up as he loaned her a scarf. Since he was a shop keep on the fourth floor, he would carry these items around since he wouldn't know when poor weather would creep up. He also put his beanie on top of her head before stepping away. There was no spare rag for him and a frown pressed upon his lips. Eyes stared upon the children as he spoke. "Assistant? I don't mind. I'll bring sandwiches and some other things, so the kids and you stay filled."

The screaming of the penguin would be heard from a distance as he laughed to himself leaning against the stone pillar. It would be lovely if peace stayed like this for a while, despite the reality of the game being a trap. He could get used to this with not wanting to leave but he knew that one day it would end. He just had to think whether or not he would be one of the few who would step forth again to fight on the front lines. 

He had heard that there was a special event at the beach. Not being keen on the idea, he accepted fate to be this way since he was invited to go out. He had met plenty on adventures, but events were not on his to do list. Snow white tresses fell over his rose hues as the man looked at the message. A slight faint smile graced his features as he was called a goober. No one had called him that since elementary school, so it was quite funny to experience this currently. 
 

With a wave his hand, the window message closed, and the man was off with his familiar in tow. Pingu would be enjoying the free seafood she would get from swimming in the ocean freely. He was sure that the penguin could handle herself so long as she wasn't being chased by a shark. He pulled on his outing gear and tucked his swimsuit in his inventory before heading out the door. He wanted to bring up the fact that he was considering rejoining the frontlines. With a message of needing fighters from previous participants of the frontlines, there was that commitment he had to do for everyone. 

A flash at a teleport crystal, and he arrived with his penguin. With a glance around the surveying area, Kil had noticed a lot of vendors selling all types of items along the beach side. Various trinkets and odds and ends were being sold. He was more interested in the food that he would smell as he approached the sandy seaside. He wasn't here for those, no, he was here for something else. An invitation he couldn't turn down and a certain golden-haired beauty would wait for him. "Best beha..." He didn't even finish his sentence before the penguin bolted into the ocean. It was quite some time since the critter had seen sea water. Perhaps he would take her here more often so she could get used to the wet waters once again.

Shaking his head, the martial artist would make way toward the smaller crowds. There stood goldie. Her wild look gracing everyone with a look of beauty would overwhelm anyone who looked her way. When he last saw her, she was nothing like this. With a surprised look, a tinge of blush crept upon his upper cheek. One hand was shoved into his pocket while the other one waved in the air. "Hey!" He shouted. A glance was given to those around him, and his eyes landed on Wulfrin. He was the poor sod that wasn't able to land that fish. Freyd had showed him up. Perhaps the two would get along better now since he could spite Freyd in a friendly manner. 

Just kidding. No fire today, kids. 

He would look at a server and snatch two glasses of bubbly champagne from them and offered col in exchange. One would hand a glass to her, while he maintained the other one in his free hand. "Thanks for the invite." Smile graced his features despite the blush still stinging and heat exuded from it. It wasn't as bad but still noticeable. 

Kiluia | HP: 780/780 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 21 | MIT:78 | ACC:4 | AA  | PHASE | EVA:1 | BH:43 | REC: 4 | HLY: 8 | ENV-O: 32 | LD:3                                                                                                                            

His coffee had gotten cooler as he looked down at Ty. A tilt of his head was given as he waved to her with a slight smile upon his features. A little rose tinge rose upon his face as she seemed to dress freely. It was a good thing that this quest wasn't hard at all, but he would enjoy the mean time with her. "Come on up! I got some brunch ready for us." He offered a bigger smile. It may not be pasta for now, but it would be tasty croissant sandwich with ham and cheese. It was made from fresh boar that he managed to cure, and the cheese was made fresh two days ago. He had managed to cool it down to make it actually taste like the American cheese. He had left out several other foods and toppings for her to select.

Pingu waddled around and walked to the door to open it for Ty. She peered her head out and a beaked smile with her eyes stared at her. Pingu was happy that someone managed to come over as it had been quite some time. Kil kept the house clean at all times. It was a large house that had several rooms, many of them untouched for reasons unknown to others save for him. 

"Would you like some wine or orange juice? I have a lot to offer here." He smiled as she entered his house. He wanted to ensure she would have a great time doing this and not become static like some adventurers that did once they found out that this was harder with every quest.