[PP-F11] Holy Crap, Zel Finally Made the Thread.

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius made his way up out of bed and took a second to sit on the mattress side and rub his eyes. From what he could tell, they were dry at the moment, though they currently stung. He took a second to turn his torso and head around and look at the other side of cushioned bedframe. Unlike the side he had just gotten up from, it was empty and clean. The golden haired boy quickly turned away from gazing upon that sight, fighting off the memories of Erin being there for the short time she was. Of course, the two had stayed in an Inn room on the Eleventh floor while they were "together", but now he was in his customized room in the Guild hall that Azure had recently bought. He stood from the bed, changing from his silk lounging clothes into his normal black and white tuxedo, the black and golden cloak with the flame symbol on the back appearing around him. Within moments, the pendants appeared in a sparkle of blue lights around his neck, and the two sheaths for the blades Michael and Lucifer on either hip. He pulled back the golden and white gloves of Midas around his hands before taking a second to look at the mirror that sat above his bedframe on the wall. On the fancy marble walls and in the center of a decorative golden frame stood the reflection of a boy, his hair messy, his eyelids red from emotion, and his face tired and pale. With a sigh, Zelrius went through his inventory that he shared with Ssendom, pulling out the Hydra Skull and placing it around his head. Though he hated the hideous helmet, he was in no mood to put on facades today.

The Commandant wanted so badly to just stay locked up in his room for the day and not do anything, but he fought the urge strongly, knowing it would get him nowhere, and with a clearing of his throat, stepped out into the Main entrance of the Guild Hall. His heels clicked along the Marble floors until he reached the giant meeting room, lined with Azure and Knight of Christ Flags. He took a seat at the far left of the Commandant chairs that sat on the far end of the table. There, he waited for the Brigadier he had made plans with, Lessa, to arrive so they could begin their day.

[Lessa 1]

Her alarm went off for the third time. Or maybe it was the fourth. In her drowsy stupor, the woman had lost count of how many times her fingertips had kissed the snooze button. Through the crack made by her drooping eyelids, she snuck a glance at the time on the silver clock. Only ten minutes before she was scheduled to meet with Zelrius. Her guild leader. It was still such an unusual concept. First and foremost, it was odd that she had a guild leader at all. The Guardians had allowed her to be her own boss, and being a part of new hierarchy was taking some getting used to. But there was also the fact that Zelrius was in charge. The most powerful player that she had ever met. The man she had run into only a handful of times, most of which had ended poorly. What a strange world.

Eight minutes now. With a groan that spanned various octaves, and was anything but ladylike, the blonde flopped about on the mattress a few times. Then, she threw back the blankets, wincing as the chilly air met her bare legs. She kept her room cold, as it made for the best sleeping conditions, but it also resulted in a rude awakening come daybreak. She wasted no time queueing up her menu, and equipping black breeches, black boots, and a long, red tunic. By the time the ribbons ceased their criss-crossing about her body, she stood, fully clothed, before the full-length mirror. It was framed in silver roses, and was one of the few items in her new bedroom. It still felt strange to her to have her own place, though on day soon, she would dedicate the necessary time to decorating.

It would take her a few minutes to locate the meeting hall; navigating the enormous building still proved difficult. As such, she paused just long enough to rub the sleep from her eyes, run her hand through her hair, and pat her cheeks to give them a bit of color. Then, Lessa exited her bedroom, and wandered the hallways until she encountered the double doors. With a groan that seemed impossibly loud, one swung open with a mighty shove.

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius didn't say anything as Lessa approached the room. He stood, and greeted her formally, trying to avoid suspicion of any kind. He approached the woman himself, still finding it strange that they were now in the same guild. It sent a shiver down his spine and nearly brought tears to his eyes everytime he looked at the Guardian, remembering his past encounters with her, and just how badly they had turned out. "Morning, Brigadier." His voice was flat, unintentionally, and muffled from under the Hydra Skull as he held out the Cloak with the proper color trimming for her. "Proper Azure Brigade uniform. I am not going to force you to wear it, nor will any other Commandant. Though I personally will be quite thankful if you at least put it on in Public events. Other than that, you're free to lock it up in a dark closet somewhere if you really want to." His tone was lacking the usual flaunting and arrogance it had, even under a facade. It seemed to him as though most if not all of his energy was sapped and he had little to no will to actually do this. His dark blue orbs looked at Lessa a moment, half begging to ask her if they could just call it a day and try again some other time.

Again, he fought the ever burning desire to do so, swinging the giant door to the meeting room open and holding it there, making a gesture for them to leave. Once outside of the Guild Hall, Zelrius began to wander off to the nearest town, intent on teleporting to the Eleventh Floor for their day's search. I am going to get my familiar and then hide in my room the rest of the day, F*ck everyone else.

[Lessa 1]

The woman accepted the offering with a polite nod. A cloak had never been her attire of choice, but considering that all Azure members were issued one, she had been expecting this exchange. What she had not been expecting, however, was the thought and careful craftsmanship that had been put into the garb. The side of her thumb gingerly traced the lacy rose pattern that appeared to be etched into the heavy black fabric. Roses had once been a motif associated with the player, yet those days were long behind her. Now, as the reminder stared up at her, her throat closed and her stomach churned with a crippling nostalgia.

"Thank you, Zelrius," she managed finally. When she glanced back to her guild leader, his attention was directed elsewhere. His features were masked by the gaudy helmet, but the tension hung thick in the vast room. He was clearly uninterested in whatever sentimental exchange she had planned, so she shelved the words she had meant to say. Instead, she placed her newly acquired vanity item in her inventory. "I mean, Commandant." Lessa said nothing else as she chased the young man to the eleventh floor.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Lessa