[PP-F4] Beware the Frozen Heart (Macradon)

[ErinVyce 0]

Flurries sprinkled over the snow covered town even today as the seasons all became a blur from floor to floor. Vyce peered up and shivered instinctively as she curled up within a cloak her finger pushing the glasses back on her nose as she held a book in her hand. Since her recent abandonment of old friends she had been finding herself attempting to right down a journal of sorts. A Manuel of monsters and friends whom she had found to be quite close to her in recent years. If it wasn't for Ariel she probably would have become another casualty of this game. An Aincrad jumper as she has begun to consider the group of people who couldn't bare to live with the hardships of losing others to this death game. The only glimmer of  hope being that the friend request she linked to one person still was lit with life. "W-where is that tavern?"'

[Macradon 0]

A yawn would escape the boy's mouth as he would lean back onto on of the walls of the tavern. Sitting alone at a table close to one of the windows. Macradon would turn his head slightly to look out of the window. "Why do I even bother go to the 4th floor ..." he muttered for himself as he would turn back to wards one of the waiters. He raised his hand "Another, please" he called out. It would take long before another glass would be served for Macradon. It wasn't an alcoholic beverage Macradon was served, it was a soft drink, a ginger ale. Macradon had never liked alcoholic beverages and it didn't seem like he would be having any even in a virtual world. He sighed as he would take a few sips from his drink. He was fully clad in guild uniform armor. Everything was donned by the knights, all except his helmet that was placed on the table. He wasn't in need of any helmet right now and wasn't really feeling like placing it into his inventory. With yet another yawns, Macradon would lean back again, closing his slightly.

[ErinVyce 0]

Vyce continued to clamp her hands upon the journal before looking up to see the dusted sign of the tavern a few meters ahead of her. Hastening her pace she now sprinted for the door and strolled through. Snowy shards coating her cloak and hair as she walked into the tavern. She grumbled now peering through her glasses that had gotten fogged over. She winced and took them off now and slid them along the top of her shirt as she looked about the inn looking for a space to sit and hopefully enjoy a brief meal. A glimmering man in uniform caught her eye as she slowly strolled over and sat beside him asking the bartender, "Hey could you get me something ... strong I guess." She sighed deeply as she propped herself up on the counter.

[Macradon 0]

6 empty glass were in front of Macradon and his helmet. His 7th glass now emptied. He wasn't sure why he was drinking so much, he wasn't even thirsty. With 7 glasses on his table, the helmet besides and now ... a person he did not knew at the table. He was confused. Who was this? "Uhm ... excuse me? Who are you? Do I know you?" he would ask. He was very confused right now, she didn't seem like a person he knew, nor was he sure that she knew him. Macradon would quickly as a waiter to grab all the glasses and leave, so there would be more space for the girl's ... whatever she ordered. With a confused look, Macradon glanced over the girl quickly to see if anything would peak out and catch his eyes.

[ErinVyce 0]

As she looked over the table the knight seemingly was lodged at for what appeared to be at least a good hours worth of glasses if not more depending on his drinking habit. "I'm afraid not sir," she murmured rather softly now taking a seat opposite of him as she simply tried to wait in silence. Hardships had been upon her and she wasn't the best at socializing to begin with but now it left a sour taste. She placed the journal upon her lap and began to fidget both her hands each finger attempting to peel the tip of the nail off as she took deep labored breathes. Her head tilted down so she didn't have to look her table companion in the eye. Briefly though curiosity got the best of her and she looked up through her bangs curious to see if she had seen him before.

[Macradon 0]

A stranger, that was who it was, though Macradon did notmind, the more the merrier. He would sit back straight up into his seat again and order a coffee as the 4th floor's cold would get to him now. Some warm drink seemed to be a good thing to take right now, as all the cold from the 4th floor wasn't all that pleasant. Clearing his throat with the usual cough that everyone did, Macradon would initiate a conversation as the table's aura became awkward having the two silently sit there. "What brings you to the 4th floor?" he would ask the girl sitting at the same table as he did.

[ErinVyce 0]

Vyce merely sat there hearing as he asked what brought her to this winter wonderland, or wasteland depending on the individual's personal experience. His question wasn't an easy one for her to answer, it was coiled up within a variety of reasons. Number one, Vyce had always found herself returning after hardships and joys which she associated with her old girlfriend. Second, she had just lost two of the closest people she considered family in this world and was now searching for a place to simply mull the possible actions to take now and the fourth floor was always a soothing cold. "I suppose I am just in search for a change in pace in this zany world. What brings you here, other then to drink this small tavern out of house and home?" Her voice as cold as the outdoors but also weak as she was still a bit broken up.

[Macradon 0]

The girl didn't seem to be at top peak at all. She sounded more broken and rather fragile. Macradon was unsure if he could find any reason for her to be so or not, and her answer was not really what he was looking for, he was hoping more of something like a job he could take as he was rather bored. "Well, I'm on a break here these days. The guild is having a big vote fuss going on and I just took the freedom to go to the 4th floor and grab some drinks" he would say. "I don't particularly like the 4th floor ... it's too cold, too dark, a wasteland" he began "Me nor my armor likes this weather, but this tavern has the best ale that I've encountered" he said. It truly was a zany world as the girl said. People have died recently, and some of those were his close friends. "A change of pace you say, well why don't you find someone to settle down with?" he would ask, taking a sip of his coffee.

[ErinVyce 0]

As they remained seated the bartender came over and dropped a smaller mug half the size of her new acquaintance, the world still tried to cater properly to females which wasn't something she was looking for today. Today was a day for grieving in her eyes as she also recently changed her own life now as she swore to never be as useless as she was before. "Amen to that," she sighed agreeing with him as she now took a swig of the ale. It was some of the best she had tasted which was praise coming from her as she hated alcohol perhaps it was her new mood that made it better. As he referred to another option of changing her life she laughed and now put her finger into her drink stirring it as she shook her head. "Trying to settle down is what got me into this position ... no I need to get stronger." She went silent before speaking softer, "That is what she would have wanted me to do."

[Macradon 0]

It seemed like the girl really had some problems, but Macradon was in no position to comment on anything as he wasn't a part of it. He would shrug it off and take another sip of coffee "I've used my time on the frontlines and it only gets more hectic for every raid ... but seeing your state right now makes me want to stay at the hectic murder raids ..." he said with a concerned voice. He really wanted to settle down and get a nice house, but seeing how it had affected his table mate didn't really spark any good thoughts about it for Macradon. "I also want to get stronger, even though I'm getting more and more praise about my work ... even from the Cardinal system" he said with a less entertained voice. He excelled at hitting many things with as strong as an attack he could at the same time, which in result gave him Demonic equipment he wasn't in need of. Of course it was a boost to his self esteem on the frontlines, but he still felt like his old him. There wasn't anything that pushed him to get stronger, other than that situation that happened at the frontlines.

[ErinVyce 0]

"Hmm?" She mumbled now looking over with a glazed look as she reached down and grabbed her glasses and slipping them back over top her nose up so she could peer through them. "This state? Oh now this is because of a curse I guess to never find true happiness. My parents always told me that true love was just a joke." She laughed and smiled, "I guess they are right about that love is just something for you to lose when the other of side can no longer keep up their side of it. Not to put a downer on any of your plans." Another sip being taken from her mug before continuing her thoughts on the subject. "I'm sure you are a lucky man who will find a girl or guys who will keep you heart healthy. I'm just wanting to find myself to a quick and maybe useful end in this dump." This time she took a larger gulp and placed the empty mug of ale on the table as she laid her head down her eyes glittering with an innocence which new players had.

 

[Macradon 0]

Quite a harsh statement "never find true happiness", even though Macradon was unsure of it be real or not, he had nothing to say against it as the girl must have a reason to say something as bold as that. He looked over at the girl, not knowing her name "Now that I think of it, what's your name? Mine is Macradon" he would say, hoping for an answer from this person. He would ask the waiter for another glass of ginger ale, it was one of his favorite beverages he could acquire in this realm of Aincrad.

[ErinVyce 0]

As she finished her emotional rant she looked back to her companion and sighed, "That was a bit over dramatic of me wasn't it." She smiled and reclined in her chair now as she closed her eyes contemplating how to apologize. Before she did though she happily was questioned about her name. "You can call me Vyce, although my username is ErinVyce. Most people know me by both but I don't see myself as an Erin any more." She rested her against the back of the chair before now looking over to the man. "Pleasure to meet you Macradon."

[Macradon 0]

"ErinVyce, eh ..." he would say and take a sip of the ginger ale that had just been placed at the table. He would begin to seat himself for comfortably and try to make a good conversation running, all this dramatic talk wasn't really that entertaining to work with, he had gone through a lot on the frontlines, and on his day off he didn't want to engulf himself into more drama than what he already experienced. With a light sigh, Macradon would lean back onto the wall, looking up into the ceiling. "So you don't really have any plans for now, other than getting stronger?" he would ask as he looked back at Vyce.

[ErinVyce 0]

She began to play with the empty mug as she now slouched back over resting her head in her arms as she was now practically resting her head and arms upon the table. "I guess I had plans, but most of them have since been ruined with the loss of friends. I don't know maybe I should head on back out and find myself some sorta beach resort to take a break in what do you think?" She softly spoke now looking up from behind the mug toward Macradon. "Although I basically started off this adventure by merely taking a breather and watching as other grow up around me, so yeah I probably should head out and do some missions."

[Macradon 0]

Macradon smiled at Vyce "If you feel like taking a break and relax, do it. I'll sure be able to help clear the floors so we both can escape this world" he said with a confident voice and would take another sip from the glass. "But if you need help to advance through the levels, I will stand in to help, if you allow me to do so" he would say with a slight chuckle as he would drink from his glass, emptying it and leaving it on the table. With a quick sigh, Macradon would would quickly get something hot to drink, the cold was getting into the tavern and no heat was turned on as of yet. He ordered a hot coco to heat himself up as well as asking the tavern workers to light up the fireplace for the heat to distribute through the tavern.

[ErinVyce 0]

"Like I said earlier, I was to relax that is why all this crap happened to me in the first place ... I intend to get stronger by any means necessary. "Maybe later on if I start taking missions once again I will call you for assistance? I know there is no way I can take on half of the bosses required to level up. I'm sorta useless like that ..." She sighed peering back down and shivering as she was also quite cold, "H-hey can I have a hot cocoa to?" She shouted to the barkeep now realizing that her times of moping about needed to come to and end.

[Macradon 0]

Macradon smiled "I will gladly help you with level up, tanking the bosses and if you can't yourself, kill them" he would say and lean back as his coco would arrive. He would blow slightly on the hot liquid as he would then take a light sip from it so he wouldn't burn himself. With a satisfied smile form the delightful taste of the hot beverage, Macradon leaned back and would take a deep breathe before exhaling again. The fireplace was lit and the hot aura from it would engulf everyone in the tavern, the light heat that would warm one's body like a delightful hot winter's evening. "I'm not too busy, so if there's something you want to do, you can send me a message" he would say as his HUD would open up. He would send over a friend request to Vyce so they could keep in contact with each other.

Quote

MACRADON has sent you a friend request.
Do you:
Accept/Decline

 

[ErinVyce 0]

Here she was seeking out assistance once again, she winced and shook her head a bit uncertain if it was wise for her to try and accept such assistance after what happened the previous. "I guess it would be nice to have some aid in the next dozen levels that I have to pass through." Sighing and blinking as a friend request popped up on her screen. Her fingers hovered over the buttons swaying back and forth over the accept and decline. Her gaze once again raising to Macradon and nodding as she simply pressed the accept fully accepting the horrors of his name possibly disappearing upon her as well.

[Macradon 0]

He smiled as Vyce accepted his friend request. "The more the merrier" he said with a en even broader smile, nearly laughing. He leaned back and looked up at the roof. he thought of all his friends that he had achieved through all his time through the death game, so many people he had met, so many friendly people ... that one evil person and the small group of mean people. He laughed and would look back at Vyce, not really fitting in with any of the people he had met ... yet. Most of the faces he remembered were still with him, though some were not seen again.