Noctua

"That's because that's how people have made it feel lately," but he did have a point, he wasn't trying to shy away from talking to her, and he seemed to not mind her company. Perhaps she shouldn't be so hard on herself. Alright, so that was easily said than done right now, and she knew it, "But, I'm glad to know that someone doesn't feel that way. Makes living in this game just a little easier." And doesn't make her feel like she should just empty her friends list and go hide in her inn room until the front lines have cleared the game. She was quite content with being called lazy or anything like that if it meant that she wasn't going to die. It wasn't like she actually had someone to keep safe anymore after all.

So, he had the same kind of troubles talking like she did, that made her feel a little better. It made her feel like she wasn't currently being a bother, though, who knows, her mind could still tell her that she is. Goddess knows that is what the look that Koga had given her made her feel like. "That's how talking is for me too. Over the years, I just learned not to talk to others because my accent would always be made fun of." Now, there might come some kind of confusion at that remark, because she was currently hiding her accent. She had also learned that most people couldn't understand her sometimes when she let the French accent out, because not a lot of people could listen through it. Hiding it had always been easier, much like hiding herself.

"When my family moved away from the beach, my escape had becoming reading. Mainly things about Greek mythology, or just something that could help the escape from reality a little better." There was oh so much more that could go with that statement, but she didn't. Mainly because only one person knew how her mind and her memory worked, and she kind of wanted to keep it that way right now. No one else needed to know that she could remember everything that she's ever read or heard. As she stared at the ocean, one thought did come to mind though, why did things have to be so difficult no matter how good or nice someone was? "Have you ever wondered why the bad things happen to those who don't deserve it? Like for instance, many of us stuck in here more than likely don't deserve this, but here we all are anyways."

@Alkor

"Alright, you have me there. Even the smart have a hard time learning from past mistakes." A part of her wanted to yell at her stating that she should understand this, that she needed to learn, but, she was content with just beating that part back down to the depths of her anger and heartache. That was where it belonged really. He didn't want to talk about the things that he came to think about, and honestly, that was possibly best with how her mindset currently was. But, even just hearing someone else's voice seemed to be keeping her grounded, so that was a good thing, right?

"The offer stands for however long you can suffer my company." She kept her gaze on the ocean, her fingers interlacing with one another, holding her knees as close to her body as humanly possible. She could almost be seen like a little kid who was trying to hide by doing this, but in reality, for her, it felt safe. She was small, at least smaller than she already was, so that meant that she was a smaller target. This had been how she stayed out of the sight of bullies as a kid, of course it stopped being useful as she got older, but it was still a sort of relaxer for her.

She turned her head, her chin still staying on her knees, to look at Alkor. He had a point, just by talking to him about mindless things, it was helping her mind relax a little, but she knew her mind, it wasn't going to stay that way. "I've never been one for talking to people about random things, shy by nature. But, I can agree with that sentiment, this has been helping me feel like there are fewer things to worry about in my mind." Anyone who knew her would be able to hear the mental 'for now' that was at the end of that statement, but, thankfully, Alkor didn't know her well enough for that.

"When you would come to the beach, did it ever feel like the ocean could just sweep your problems away?" As she asked this question, her gaze seemed to focus back to the flowing ocean. It was calming to look at, and she wondered if it was possible to just stand in the water to let her problems just... wash away with the waves.

@Alkor

At least she could make someone smile, if she couldn't smile, at least she could make someone else smile instead. "Sometimes, a distant civilization can be a good thing to learn from. We see the past, and the smart can learn from it, or at least, so I like to hope." She always wondered if the ones who refused to learn from the past did so on purpose. Could the want to purposely make sure that things don't get fixed? These were the kind of thoughts that used to keep her awake at night, but not anymore.

She gave a curt nod, "I know the sorting of thoughts thing. But, perhaps I can help you with your thoughts? I might not be able to give advice, but I can possibly help you think through things." She gave Alkor the offer with a soft look on her face. It couldn't be called a smile, because there definitely wasn't one of those on her face. She knew that she wasn't in the best of mindsets to talk about things, but she was always willing to listen to someone else.

She was too kind-hearted to let someone be without someone to talk to. "Of course, I know that I'm a stranger, so you don't have to if it's uncomfortable." She looked at Alkor for a moment before looking back at the water. She soon placed her chin on her knees as she waited to see if he was willing to talk to her or not.

@Alkor

Wow, her sleep-deprived brain was really making this hallucination real. It also felt weird to be talking to herself basically, but hey, it wasn't like there was anyone here to see it right. But still, just the mere mention of him having a conscience made her scoff and roll her eyes. "Don't worry, that requires you actually having a conscience anymore to begin with." There was an unknown venom in her voice when she said that, perhaps it was because she still saw that non-Koga look that she had gotten a few days ago. That look was just burned into her mind, but there was something that she didn't miss, his look at the ring that she still wore.

That look probably just proved to her that she should give up on holding onto the Koga that she used to know. The Koga that was apparently gone, dead, missing, she didn't know how to describe it, but it wasn't him. There was no love in that face anymore, no love in those eyes. The eyes that she had once loved to stare at for hours on end, or just to get lost in while thinking about things. Yeah, she still loves him, that much was clear, but not this him. This wasn't Koga. This was a stranger, someone who she didn't know. Did... did that mean that she wasn't actually staring at a hallucination this time?

She didn't want the answer to that really. "Who said that I want to sleep? Who said that I want to have to relive every moment of happiness that I had, that is now gone? Who said I want to see you the moment I close my eyes anymore?" She stopped talking for a moment before looking at the ring that was on her hand. "Guess I shouldn't wear this anymore since the Koga that I loved is obviously gone. Especially since I can't even sit down with you and attempt to have a decent damn conversation." She bit back the tears that she felt threatening her before she gave him this... not normal look from her.

"I figured you telling me not to worry about you anymore was your way of saying to stay away. But I guess that didn't work for you, only me. So here, I'll say it, go away and unless you actually want to talk to me like a normal damn person, don't come back. You can put this with that necklace too, I don't think the reminder of what I once had and loved constantly being around would be good for whatever mental health I have left."

With that, she slid the ring off of her finger, stood up, faltered for a moment, before grabbing Koga's hand and putting the ring into it. Immediately afterwards, she dropped her hands to her sides and looked at Okami. "I don't know if you're mad at me or not Okami, but take care of him. Someone has to, or he'll do something stupid, and you know it."

@Koga

There was a slight nod before she sat down, pulling her legs to her chest. It's funny how one large body of water could be a potential healer for multiple people. "Thank you," she looked back at him after a moment and thought about things. She liked to come to the beach to be alone, but what if meeting someone who might just be able to make her see a different output on things was good? She doubted that honestly, she doubted that anyone was going to be able to help her at this point. She screwed everything up, and she would have to live with that.

"Knowing that some things will be there for the future, it's kind of nice. It reminds me of mythology, it originated from so long ago, but it's still around now." Maybe when the game was beaten, and if she was still alive, she should go to school for mythology, she'd probably excel at it with how she already seems to be obsessed with it. She looked back over to the water, wondering what it might feel like to actually go and touch the water in the game.

She sighed lightly, trying hard to not pick at her nails or fiddle with the ring on her finger. She had hoped that just smelling the saltwater would start to make the pain and heartache go away, but that was far from what was happening at this point. "If I stumbled upon a session of meditation or something, I do apologize." She was constantly the nice person, never seemed to be a mean bone in her body, in real life or in game. Funny how things worked like that right.

@Alkor

Some would question why she wasn't sleeping. Well, that was a simple answer, nightmares. It was amazing how well someone's already asocial mind could take a simple, yet hurtful, interaction and make it a million times worse when their eyes close. When you factor in the fact that Noctua's mind remembers everything that has ever been said around her, read to her, sang to her, etc, it just makes it so much worse than normal. But, lately, the nightmares have been turning into daydreams, or in Noctua's case, day nightmares. It really sucked.

It was the very reason why she had been forcing herself awake the past four days. The reason why she had been out of the safe zone killing things. But, of course, there was always a limit to what the human body could handle, and apparently even in a video game. Athena, wanting to be sure that her master was fine, screeched angrily when Koga walked up. Yes, the owl knew who this was, but there was the factor that Athena had been there when Koga thoroughly destroyed Noctua's mind and heart.

Because of that, the owl didn't trust him, nor the wolf that was with him whom she used to perch on. The moment that Koga started to nudge Noct with his boot, the owl nose dived for the man, only to stop a moment later. "Wha-..." She peeked through and eye before sighing and rolling her eyes. "Go away." Athena, more worried about the exhausted girl than pecking Koga's ear off landed beside Noct's head, just glaring at Koga. Noct slowly sat up, and just stared at the person whom she thought to be the same hallucination that she'd been seeing for that past two days.

"Why do you even care? Wouldn't it just be one less person for you to have to worry about running into. I bet you forgave your sister fast after whatever "talk" you had with her." Oh Noct honey, why do you have to be so crabby when you're sleep-deprived? Something sparkled on her hand, the very engagement ring that she still hadn't taken off. She didn't stand up, and instead just sat in her spot, still even in the most lady like manner. She couldn't even look at Koga though, knowing that her irritated sleep-deprived mode would just vanish.

@Koga

So, Greece might not be home to her, but it was something that she knew and cherished. She spent years learning and studying Greek mythology, and that is exactly what the seventeenth floor was based around. It was probably the closet to home that she would ever feel. She was starting to feel a little better, well, no not really. That was just a lie that she told people that she ran into. No one needed to know that she wasn't sleeping, and that she hadn't slept since she last talked to Koga.

That look on his face still haunted her whenever she closed her eyes. It just, wasn't him. It's been what, almost a week since she last spoke to Koga? She looked at her HUD and confirmed it, it's been four days. Four long and agonizing days of no sleep and just pure exhaustion from not knowing how to help Koga. So, Noctua had gone to the seventeenth floor, in hopes that it would help her feel like she didn't need to sleep. If a goddess didn't need to sleep, then she shouldn't need it either, right?

She knew that wasn't how things worked, but it was what she was holing close to her thoughts. She was attempting to make herself stronger, if she was stronger, then she really wouldn't need to sleep, right? There was a very stern sounding hoot that came from the white owl flying around her head as Noctua dispatched of the final monster that had come near her. But that wasn't the end of it apparently, and instead of trying to fight the next oncoming monster, she ran away, putting distance between herself and the monster.

But, running was possibly the worst idea to do at that moment. The moment that she was clear from monsters, she felt the fatigue finally, and she collapsed.

@Koga

She looked at him and shook her head lightly, "No need to be sorry." There was no true need for him to worry, she had been lost in her own thoughts when she heard him say something. She didn't bother to try and grab a hold of her rapier, there was no need. She wasn't one for mindless combat against another player, and well, if this guy kills her, then she obviously deserves it for stopping there.

Instead, she just looked over to the ocean, watching the waves, feeling a little closer to being back at home. But not by much. It was possibly just the fresh air and the fact that she wasn't in that inn room anymore. But then, she really didn't feel as free as one probably should have. Perhaps it was because her mind wouldn't let that image of Koga go. The one where he told her not to worry about him. Yes, she had heard that, and yes, hearing that hurt like none other.

She blinked back a few tears for a moment before looking at the man she ran into. "Mine is the ocean. It reminds me of home, of when I could just walk on the beach and pretend that no one else was around." She was talking, so perhaps that was a good thing, she dropped her hands though, feeling the weight from playing with the ring that was on her hand. "I'm Noctua," she paused for a moment, "would you mind if I sat down?"

If he was to say no, then she would part her ways then. She didn't want to intrude on anyone, she never did really, but right now, her mindset was in a place that just wasn't safe for her to get yelled at or chastised. Or really anything of that sort.

@Alkor

She had heard something about a beach on the twenty-fourth floor. She hadn't been exploring in, well apparently a year, that was still something that she was trying to wrap her mind around, and it wasn't easy really. She looked at the owl who was perched on her shoulder, like usual, and she lightly stroked the snow-white feathers of one of Athena's wings. "How does a trip to the beach sound?" There was a comforting hoot before the pair went to the teleporter and were whisked away in the blue light. That was a feeling that was a bit odd after not leaving her room for a year, as was the night sky.

But it was the ocean air that made her feel a little more comfortable and relaxed. She knew that she would be in deep trouble if she was found by a monster here, but, it wasn't like she mattered to others anymore, right? She needed to figure out what she was to do, she didn't want to lose Koga, but she had a feeling that it was something that was going to happen anyways. That look that he gave her... it wasn't him. That wasn't Koga.... Had, had she already lost him? She didn't want to think that, she didn't want to think that the person who looked at her yesterday was the new Koga.

That was a very horrifying thought to really think, and it wasn't until she heard someone else as she walked the beach that she stopped in her tracks. She looked up and actually took a close look, the night sky reminding her of some of the times that she held near and dear with Koga, but she still nodded, "They are, aren't they." Her words were soft, which wasn't good, because that was the old Noctua, the one who didn't like talking to others, the one who could stutter at a moments notice.

That was just how bad her interaction with Koga had been earlier that day. It hurt, no broke, her. She didn't feel like she had anyone in her life anymore, so perhaps, just perhaps, running into a monster here wasn't a bad idea. At least then, she didn't have to face the pain that she was causing the man whom she still loved. Just the thought of that, made her twist the engagement ring on her finger. She probably shouldn't be wearing this anymore, but she was, she didn't want to let it go. She didn't want to lose the only thing that held the old Koga, the one whom she knew and cherished, close to her heart.

Funny how break-ups hurt, right? If that was what this could be called. This wasn't just a normal break up, was it? It was a shattered relationship, because she just couldn't talk to the man whom she was supposed to have married.

@Alkor

She sighed before grumbling lightly, moving to be in front of Koga, hopefully making him stop, so he didn't run right into her. "Koga! Stop ignoring me, please. You might not believe me, but I still care, and I don't want to see you go down this road. I saw that look in your eye with the old lady for the quest, you don't need to do anything stupid!" By this point, any passerby might have stared, because she was actually shouting at him by this point. She was just tired of her being the only one who seemed to care.

But, at the same time, she could tell that it still wasn't going to work, so she moved with a solemn sigh. "Just... don't get killed... please." With that, she just turned around and went back to her inn room, because she didn't want to watch him destroy himself. No, that would probably hurt more than anything else that she's seen him do, and she's watched him nearly die enough times, watching his actual death, wasn't on her to-do list.

@Koga

Alright, so he knew where his sister was. Cool, could he at least slowl down? "Koga, slow down at least, please? You're worrying me that you're going to do something stupid, and even if we aren't together, I don't want to see that happen." Okay, that really hurt to say, even though she was still wearing her engagement ring, she didn't want to think that they weren't together. But today, well, that proved that they were. But she still wasn't going to take the ring off unless she was asked to, or if she noticed that it was causing Koga immense pain.

She really hoped that it wouldn't though, and by this point, she gave up on the heels and stopped for a moment to take them off of her feet before chasing back after him. "What are you about to do?" There was an unspoken 'how can I help you change your mind' but she couldn't voice that anymore.

@Koga

He didn't say anything, he just sat there, if you could call that sitting, and listened. At least, until he checked his HUD, then he was up and out. She looked at Jonna and quickly paid the bartender for their drinks before she ran out the door and after him. She had thought that they were actually talking things over, and yes, she might have said that she wouldn't chase him, but he was too angry for her to ignore him right now.

"Koga, what did I say? Or do? Or what? I don't know I just don't want you hating me..." She tried to keep up with him with how fast her was moving, and she was cursing the fact that she was out of practice in running in her heels. Funny how things like that happens. "Talk to me, please? I want to fix this to at least make us civil with one another."

@Koga

There it was, he finally remembered that this was her first game, and she didn't know shit about anything. That was at least a good sign, right? She really wanted to smile, but that wasn't happening still. She knew that even her smile wouldn't help at the moment either. She just sat there and let him talk though, and the moment that he asked what note, she knew instantly what had happened, and it hurt. Tala messed with them, again.

"Dear Masato,
I'm not leaving you, I promise and remember, I keep my promises. I'll be on the tenth floor, I just need a few weeks to think on things. I think we might be moving too fast, and that hurts to think about. I just want to give you a little time to be certain that you know that this is what you want. I'll be back before the month's end, I promise, unless you come looking for me.
Je t'aime, Christelle"

She repeated the message, as if she were reading it from the paper that she had written it on. Of course, she did whisper their names, just so that no one near them could hear them. But, as she said the note aloud, it could be heard that she was hurting even more, knowing that something so precious, hadn't been seen by the one that it was intended for.

She hated Tala now, but, she was still a passive enough person to not do anything. She didn't move to help Koga when his head hit the table, she didn't have that right anymore, right? That hurt just a little more. But, when asked where Tala was, she could only guess.

"I saw her this morning before I left for the quest. My guess is, if she isn't in town, then that's because she saw you and ran. I... I assumed that she was here to keep you updated on me. I... I thought that she was messaging you...." The cracking of her voice could be heard, and she instantly shut her mouth and just looked to the tavern's door.

@Koga

She just stared at him, the facade of being a stronger person right now, crumbling, shattered. Had it really been a year? What... what happened? How in the hell could it have been a year? She blinked a few times before she shook her head. "It hasn't been a year, has it?" At that moment, she played with her HUD, realizing that her date and time settings had been changed. That explained a lot. She hadn't even gotten notifications of events because she shut those off when she was planning the wedding. The events had gotten so annoying.

"I... I had shut off the event notifications because they kept interrupting my planning for the wedding. But my date and time... I… that was never up... It... it was shut off." But the talk of messaging, she looked at him. She raised an eyebrow, she just stared at him. "You, you don't remember do you?" In all the time that they had been together, she never once left him a message through the game system, only actual paper notes.

To accuse her of not sending a message, was hurtful. She shook her head, a very small smile on her face, but that disappeared just as fast. Did he still have those notes? "I don't know how to use the message system remember? I always left you notes. Even when I left, I left you a note, did you not read it?" She watched him, trying to judge his reaction, only to shake her head when he tried to give her back her necklace.

"No, I don't think so little of you, I just... I don't know anymore. But, you keep the necklace, I don't deserve it anymore, if I deserved it at all."

@Koga

"I never said that it makes it right. Not once did I say that." The comparison between them right now, he was yelling, and she was oddly calm. It had to be quite the show to those who were in there as well. "I don't expect you not to trust your sister, I never said that either, even the day when we sort of talked things over. It was you who had said that you shouldn't have trusted her." She paused for a moment, almost as if she was able to recall a conversation so well, before she spoke once more, copying their words exactly.

"It's okay, you know your sister better than me. I…I don't blame you. I'm sorry though, I said some horrible things.... No, I deserved them, and you're right. I know my sister better, which is exactly why I should've believed you in the first place. She's still you're sister."

It was scary on how well she could remember things, the curse of having an eidetic memory. But,  it was the fact that he didn't believe her at all when she said that she loved him. She didn't know if he was just saying that to save himself or if it were true this time. She was only gone for what, a month or two? How in the world could he think she was dead? That was something that wasn't making any kind of sense to her.

"Koga, I only planned on being to myself for a month. That's how long I have been gone. I don't know how you could have thought that I was dead, it's only been a month." Just the fact that knowing that he was willing to write her off as dead so quickly, that hurt her a lot. "I came out today because I was going to do this quest, as a reminder that I have the courage to not be the coward that I naturally am. I didn't know that you'd be there too. That, for me, was a happy coincidence, but a horrible one at the same time seeing the predicament that you were in when I saw you."

She had to stop herself, she could feel that defense breaking, and all because she was trying to defend herself to someone who was acting like he didn't have feelings for her anymore. That hurt more when she thought about it. She looked at the wine that was brought to her, and sighed, not even thinking that now was a good time to drink it. Perhaps later, she'll just take it to her room and lock herself in again. Jonna has probably learned to keep her room as it was by now after all.

Hopefully.

"I would have loved to make us work, hell, I still want to make us work. But at this point, I'm just waiting for you to slap me or something and tell me to leave you alone. I'm waiting for you to tell me to jump off of the edge of Aincrad." She paused for a moment, because this next one, hurt her to even think about it, "I'm waiting for you to tell me that you hate me, like I hate myself." There was a difference in her voice with that sentence, but that could only be heard if Koga could pull himself from his anger long enough to hear it.

He would be able to hear just how much hatred was in her voice as she said that, she really did hate herself. She took off her necklace, the system recognizing her as unequipping it as she placed it face down on the table, sliding it toward him. "In case you still don't believe me." His name and I love you could be seen on the back of it.

@Koga

He said nothing, just stood up and walked out. She really, really wanted to chase after him, but she told him that she wouldn't. She was going to keep her word, no matter how much it hurt her. She watched him go, a sight that seemed to hurt more than the silence that he gave her. She didn't bother to slowly lower her head onto the table, instead, it just fell. The purple hexagon showed up, and her forehead now hurt, but she didn't care.

She just started to curse herself out under her breath in French. It was the easiest way to make sure that no one would try to tell her that she was wrong with what she was saying. She knew that he was right. She knew that she just let the only good thing in her life, walk right out of it. She didn't look up when she heard the door open, signaling that someone came back into the tavern. At least, not until she heard those three words.

She looked up, and just stared at him. She couldn't even deny that, she had been scared, she ran. She told him that she could do this though. She warned him, and he wants to blame her! But when he mentioned the promise, her demeanor changed. She just stared at him, the hurt still there, the tears stopping though. She left him? She left him?!

"I left you! You're the one who left me first. The one who believed a complete stranger over me. The one who believed Tala over me! The very Tala who had been trying to break us up from the start. That promise was broken that day Koga. That. Very. Day."

She locked eyes with him, hers no longer showing the want or need to cry, but hurt, pain, and anger. "Yes, I'm a damn coward, but you've known that from the start. I've told you that I'm a person who can just vanish if things become too much. You were warned. Yes, I made that promise, but you promised it to me too, and you broke it first."

She stopped talking, and just... took in a deep breath, her eyes closing once more as she slowly let the breath go, collecting herself. Once her eyes opened, the first thing that she did was wipe away the tears that were on her face. They were useless and not needed at this point. The heartache that she had been feeling, it was there, but not for a normal heart anymore, it was broken now, shattered.

He had changed, while she stayed true to herself. Guess what they say about video games and the internet is true, no one is who they say they are. When she finally looked at him from fixing herself, she almost looked like a different person. There was no emotion on her face anymore, she locked that away. A nice little defense that she had learned over the years of moving for her father's job.

"I'm sorry I left, believe it or not, whatever you wish. Yes, I loved you then, and I still do now. But I am not going to sit here and pretend that I need to take the anger. The names. You want to know why I didn't go to you to talk about this, go look in a mirror, you'll find out real fast." She didn't say anything else, she just held his gaze with her own empty one. Even her words were empty of emotions, and of the accent that he loved to hear so much.

If he wanted to be able to not have her hide her true self from him anymore, he needed to prove that he was going to actually want to sit down and talk to her. But right now, with how he was acting, she didn't think that that was going to happen. She looked at the tea that was in her cup and pushed it aside before waving Jonna down and ordering some of their wine. If she was going to do this, she was going to need an alcoholic placebo effect.

@Koga

She physically flinched hearing the sharp tone that he used. She had been expecting this, and, it hurt just as much as she thought that it was. She sighed, closed her eyes, and just sat there. She let him ask his questions, and she waited. She waited to be able to tell him her answers, if she actually had any. She knew the answer that she wanted to give him, but she wasn't sure he'd accept that. Especially when it came to why she never messaged him.

"I... I couldn't face myself... You can ask Jonna, all the mirrors were removed from the inn room in renting here. She puts them back up, but I take them right back down. I just... I knew that I hurt you. That I destroyed what we had. Because of that... I just... I didn't want to make things worse. I... I thought that by staying away... you'd get past me, but I should have known that that wasn't going to hurt."

Her gaze was on her hands again as she said her piece. She knew that she could say more, but she didn't know if she wanted to or deserved to for that matter. She did know one thing though, he deserved more, he deserved better. "I'm sorry Koga, honestly and truly, I am. I..," she paused and shook her head, "No, you deserve better than me. If you wish to leave, I won't chase after you. I won't bother you if you wish for me to be nowhere near you. I... I'll even unfriend you... if you wish for that...."

Oh, that did it, that caused the tears to roll more, but she hid that fact. How? Her hair fell in front of her face as if her hair was a curtain. She didn't want him to feel pressured to stay in her life after this because she cried. Quietly, she wiped the tears away, and she steeled her face and her heart. If it was going to break again, it wasn't going to be in front of him.

@Koga

He hadn't said anything, didn't even seem to notice that the bartender knew her. He was just... quiet. That didn't seem like a very good thing to her, and it honestly scared her. She didn't want this rift to be between them, but she had a feeling that it was there, and only growing larger with the amount it was taking her to come up with a response to his question. Why hadn't she shown up to the wedding that she had planned for them? Simple, her mind got to her.

She did the only thing that she could think of, she, verbatim, stated the two sentences that had been in her mind for so long to him:

"I thought that you were someone I could trust Koga...please don't make me regret telling you anything. Don't make me regret staying with you after our first quest... Trust, Noct? Quite frankly, I don't know who to trust...Maybe one day I'll know the truth. And maybe I'm wrong, 'cause God knows I hope I am. If I'm not...well, I hope it was worth it to you."

She seemed to speak in perfect clarity, without any kind of stutter, but perhaps that was just because those two lines that they had said to each other, was just beating at her mind all day every day. How was she to get past that, she had learned that day that he didn't trust her, and she never got to fully know if he did trust her or not afterwards. They kind of just... never talked about it really. They apologized, that was it, then he proposed to her.

"We... never truly talked about anything that was said between us, and the closer that the wedding got, the more that kept going through my head. I just... I didn't know what else to do. Talking to you... felt like it does right now, like I'm being an idiot, but my mind, just wouldn't... let it go..." She tore her gaze from him, not wanting to see the anger that was bound to flash in his eyes. To see the hurt that she might have just caused.

She wiped away a tear before she put her hands on the table, her fingernails being picked at once more. She felt like her world was about to fall apart again, and this time, it was her fault. Funny how things work like that.

@Koga

The walk seemed to be a long one, a quiet one. She was still remembering what had been said during their first fight with each other, the one that had sent her to the fourth floor without even being prepared for it.

Quote

 

"I thought that you were someone I could trust Koga...please don't make me regret telling you anything. Don't make me regret staying with you after our first quest..."

"Trust, Noct? Quite frankly, I don't know who to trust...Maybe one day I'll know the truth. And maybe I'm wrong, 'cause God knows I hope I am. If I'm not...well, I hope it was worth it to you."

 

She had already broken his trust once before, and now, now she's done that again. Was there ever any kind of rebuilding any kind of relationship from that? She didn't know, she didn't even know if Koga was going to want to talk to her ever again after all of this. She just had those two lines from a memory going through her head.

Plus, there was the fact that he nearly killed an npc out of... she didn't even know. Was this the Masato that she had fallen in love with? Put her life on the line to save not only him, but his brat of a sister? Was this the person whom she had spent so long leveling up beside and learning about? It didn't feel like it, and right now, it didn't look like it. She took a moment to steal a sideways glance, and she could just tell that things weren't going to go over well.

Thinking just that, she walked into the tavern and found them a seat, her back going against the wall. Talk about her own trust issues showing up again. She looked at the bartender who walked over, "You're regular Noct?" She simply nodded as she started to pick at her nails again while the bartender got Koga's order before leaving the table. That nervous habit was going to get her into a lot of trouble. But, there was something that had normally calmed her down, and she lightly held onto the silver wolf necklace that was around her neck.

She had made it when she and Koga started dating, but there was something new in it, she had managed to find a way to etch his name on the back of the wolf, with a single line on it 'Je t'aime', I love you in French. It was her way to keep him close, even though she had run so far away. She thought on all of this, and she couldn't stop the first tear that rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry... I... I just... I..."

She stopped for a moment, and couldn't even look at the bartender when her and Koga's drinks were brought over. "Noctua, is everything alright?" "Yeah… thanks, Jonna." The bartender gave Koga a look before she nodded and left them be. "Th-this might be... easier if you ask... y'know, questions." With how nervous and distraught she was, she would be surprised if Koga was even able to understand her through her French accent, it seemed to be thicker than normal at this point. Possibly because she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

@Koga

Name: Winged Armor
Your Profession: N/A
Your Rank: N/A
Roll ID: N/A
Roll Result: N/A
Item Type: Light Armor
Tier: 2
Quality: Demonic
Enhancements: Cursed / EVA / EVA / Regen
Description: A black lightl leather coat.
Post Link: 

Her reminding him of his protector role seemed to hit a chord, one that she knew and loved in him. But, either her eyes were messing with her, or there was some kind of hesitance with it. As she backed away, he rushed forward, finishing the banshee off. But, she didn't die like the rest, and she watched as the banshee changed images, just like everything else that happened with this damned quest and floor apparently. She might not come back here for a while, this floor was messing with her head, or so she thought.

When the old woman yelled out, she just stared at the woman. "This... this was the quest? You encountered me in town, just to come out here and defeat you?" She sighed and shook her head, her eyes closing as she just tried to focus on anything but the pure confusion that was going on in her mind now. She should have known that this was some kind of trick. But still, who even was this damn lady? How was she not dead? There were just too many questions now, and she didn't like it at all.

Instead, she turned to Koga, and instinctively reached for his hand, before stopping herself. "Sorry... um, we should go to town, grab and drink, and I'll answer your questions." It was the least that she owed him after all. He did save her life, and all, and yes, she was ignoring the fact that she saved his life too. That didn't need to be repaid, she had a lot of things that she needed to do to make anything better between them, if that was even possible.

To keep herself from attempting to reach for his hand again, she instead just started to pick at her nails. That might not be a better option, but it was going to at least help with that. But there was something that she was still noticing, he could kill the old lady right now, and that wasn't something that she wanted to deal with. "Koga, don't. Just let her be, the quest didn't say to kill the old woman, just the banshee." She was hoping that she still had some kind of pull on his mind, she didn't want to see him murder someone who didn't deserve it. "What if she was just a pawn for the banshee?"

@Koga

Yeah, she had a few things to explain to him, and just the fact that he didn't know that Tala was alive, was something that she didn't know how to explain. She wasn't his younger sister after all, she didn't know why the young wolf didn't tell the elder wolf anything. "Can I please explain this when we aren- ...." She paused when she heard the cackling, it was a spine crawling sound, something that she knew from reading, but had never heard it before.

She felt a bit woozy from the cackling before she noticed that Koga went to attack, but he hit... a ghost? Damn it, this wasn't going to bode well. She instead looked around, trying to find the real Banshee, the one that was taunting them and seeming to be playing a game. "I'm not in the mood for this you ghostly... thing." Her voice seemed to say just as much too as she lunged forward with great speed toward the Banshee. Only, unlike with Koga, the Banshee didn't have time to pull her apparition thing with Noct like he did with Koga.

She was too fast, and when her attack hit, she watched as the Banshee's health dropped below half. Good. She noticed that the Banshee was about to attack her in return, only she saw it soon enough that she was able to jump back to avoid the hit. "Koga, missing is my thing, don't let our situation stop you from being able to protect everyone alright. You can yell at me in town, or on the way to town, deal?" She was trying to remind Koga that he was the protector, not her. It was him who had always protected Noct, not Noct protecting Koga.

@Koga

So, he went from trying to kill her to suddenly saving her. She felt like she was being dragged through some kind of emotional whiplash, and it didnt seem fair. But even as she thought that, she know that she hadn't been fair either, and it made her sigh. The biggest factor for her sugh, besides the dimming anger, was the question that he was all but demanding answers to. She didnt know how well he would take this, and that hurt her more.

"I... I needed to think. I've been staying at inns so that I could think..." Now was the moment that she expected his anger, his fury. But she also expected his pain and his sorrow. She didnt deserve his forgiveness, or even just him standing here letting her talk to him. What she deserved was a slap or a punch or something, just something so she knew that she wasnt being forgiven. But, Koga wasnt mean enough to do that. To her at least, Tala, well that was different.

Oh right, Tala. "I'm surprised Tala didnt tell you. I assumed she was watching me because you asked her to."

@Koga

Well, he seemed to be alright. So that was good. She watched though as two more were defeated, and within moments, she was staring right at his blade. Had... had he just tried to kill her?! She just stared at him, he didn't even have a damn word to say. Not even an apology! That just seemed to fuel her rage, which was something that she didn't feel all too often at all. But it only ever seemed to be the thing that helped her hit something and attempt to kill them. But right now, she couldn't see a damned th- there it was. She gripped her rapier tighter, before she spun around, instantly hitting it.

She stared at the health bar on the guardian. It should have died with that hit! Why didn't it, wait... the damned thing had mitigation like her didn't it! Gah! She seemed to be ever more mad at this point as she moved to be beside Koga. Forget standing in front of him, he might just try to kill her again! She still couldn't believe that he did that! Did she really, and she means really look like an undead damned zombie? She knew that it was dark in here, but obviously it was still light enough that he could see the other two zombies! She didn't even look at him, she didn't know if she could. She needed to trust that he wasn't going to kill her, but he just tried to.

"How about, you try killing the zombie and not me." Cold. Steely. Angered. Perhaps Noctua should be nicknamed a Phoenix for this temper, and not an owl.

@Koga

That was the question that she was trying to avoid. She didn't want to face the reason why she left. She didn't want to tell him. She just wanted to go back to her inn room, forget the quest at this point. But just feeling him holding onto her hand, it made her stop in her tracks. She didn't want to leave him if he was going to ask for her to stay. But at the same time, she didn't know if she could stomach the truth and the pain as to why she left. Instead, she was standing here, hurting, and hurting him as well by holding back the truth.

But he hadn't been able to finish his question, she heard it too, and she felt it. It was the same horrible feeling that came when an earthquake was about to happen. But this wasn't an earthquake, instead, the ground under them both fell, and down into a dark lair they were. "Ow...." She had landed on her back, and felt the pain horribly. She didn't like it. It had taken her a long time after she broke her foot kicking a rock, and this almost felt like that same exact pain. She rolled to her side and pushed herself to her hands and knees.

"K-koga?" She wanted to be sure that he was alright, but, just as she was starting to think that they were alone, they weren't. She heard something coming near them, and it put Athena on edge. The owl was able to see in the dark cave, and she started to screech an alarm. The alarm that Noct had come to know as a creature was nearby. "Koga, the banshee's guardians have found us." She pushed herself to her feet, and she looked around, before she spotted one of them.

She wasn't happy with them, because this meant that they were being surrounded. She wasn't going to take the chances either, so she lunged for the first Undead Guardian Zombie that she saw. With a giant burst of speed, she hit the zombie several times, only to watch it turn into red dust as it died. "One down."

@Koga