[PP:F5] Shades of Red <<Blood in the Sand>> (Life)

[Mayuri 0]

Mayuri had been curled up on Life’s side of the bed peacefully dreaming when she heard the soft tinkle of bells from down below on the main floor of her shop. She sat up instantly as she snapped wide awake, a huge grin crossing her face, “He’s home!” she said and jumped from the bed in a flash. Through the darkness she rushed from her room and down the steps with only the soft lights outside flooding in through the high windows to guide her way. She hit the landing; the soft padding of bare feet could be heard upon the dark mahogany wood floor. There in the soft moonlight she saw him. Even in the dark, she could tell it was Life. She would know her beloved anywhere. She took off at him at a full run and leaped at the young man throwing her arms around his neck and hung on him, her tiny feet having left the floor. “I’ve missed you!” Shay cooed in between the soft kisses she proceeded to cover Eric’s face in. The raven haired beauty nuzzled against the silk collar of his kimono as her long soft tresses hung in her face covering her Cheshire cat grin.

For the past number of weeks, Life had been very busy. Mai had no idea with what, and she never got much a chance to ask him about as he would return in the late hours of the night and in the mornings, he would be too peacefully at rest for Shay to want to disturb. Leaving her love to sleep, he would be gone again by the time she returned from gathering materials for the day’s crafting. It was only by chance that she had woken this very night. Normally she was a decent sleeper, but her subconscious must have answered her desire to see the one she adored. Dropping back down to the floor, Shay took Life’s hand in hers.

“Shall I make us some tea?” She smiled at him softly.

[Life 0]

It had been a while since Life had last seen his dearly loved Shay, he had quite a few things to mull over, as well as exploring the dangerous upper floors which seemed to over time slowly become bigger than he was. The game was picking up fast and he wasn't sure if he was going to be strong enough to face it along side everyone else. However, all he knew right now was that he was coming home to Shay. He sighed softly and entered the shop as the chime bells of the door rung softly throughout the cosy home. It wasn't moments before he heard the frantic patter of little feet echoing down the stairs. A gentle smile made its way across his face as she flung into his arms covering him in soft loving kisses. He gently wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly, squeezing her small figure. "I'm home" He said warmly as he kissed her forehead. She took his hand and offered tea, he gave a small nod before adding "I would love some right now"

Life knew that in time they would both had to become stronger, there were still a lot of quests Life had to walk Mayuri through, not that he was complaining about it. Any time spent with her was time well spent, being next to her always gave him a comforting feeling, because he knew she was safe. Life sat as she did tea and spoke in a concerned tone "I've been gone for too long from you haven't I?" He felt horrible for having left her for so long while he did his own thing, it wasn't like a loving partner at all. "I know you must have been worrying, I'm sorry" 

[Mayuri 0]

Shay tugged at her companion’s hand taking him toward the little nook where they sat and enjoyed meals together. Eric sat as Mai scurried to the kitchen to put a pot on and quickly returned with a stocked tray of things for tea. She began to set things up with a soft smile painted across her little face. Her love had returned and she was going to spend time with him. It no longer mattered that he’d been missing for a time; now that he was with her she felt as if they hadn’t been apart at all. He spoke up and Shay stopped what she was doing dropping her eyes.

“No…”The girl’s voice quivered and she bit her lip as she tried her best to lie. She raised her bright teal eyes to meet his, full knowing her words did not match her expression.

 “I missed you more so than I was worried.” Her delicate hand reached for his cheek and she placed it against porcelain skin. “At least you came home to me every night. If you hadn’t, then I’d have worried. Just keep coming home to me and I won’t have to be upset. There’s no need to apologize.”  Her tiny fingertips tenderly traced along his jawline and she leaned in to Life slowly meaning to press her supple lips to his, but as her fleshy lobes barely grazed his, the kettle whistled causing her to move back. “I’ll get that,” she said as she disappeared into the back and then reappeared once more.  Mai poured the water for their tea and set the kettle down upon the pot holder on her tray. Sitting down in her cozy little chair across from Eric she made herself comfortable. Now that he was back, she wanted answers and she would get them, or so she hoped.

“But what has been keeping you so busy?”

She knew there’d come a time where he’d go places she couldn’t but she did not expect it to be so soon.

[Life 0]

Life's heart couldn't take being so close to Shays lips, as she turned away to fetch the kettle, he took a deep breath. He knew she was just trying to be strong for him, and it was clear to see that she had been worrying, and had a lot of questions. His mind could only wonder as to why she was so loving and patient with him, but he had to make it up to her some how, some way. He looked down for a moment as she asked him where it was that he had been spending his time away from her. "Honesty trumps all i suppose. I had been exploring the higher floors, seeing how far everyone had gotten, how strong everyone has become. I feel like I'm slowly falling behind with each passing day.. but.. I can't bring myself to re-joining the front lines.." He choked up for a moment, not sure how to continue, the memories of the molten hydra battle coursing through his mind. 

"I lost Alkor that day... I watched him die, right in front of me. The smug bastard and I were competing to see how many heads we could kill, ended up killing one each.." He smirked for a moment and pulled back the tears as he recalled the light hearted jabs they took at eachother upon killing the heads. "I don't handle dying very well anymore. And the front lines are just one big death trap. I often think to myself, what if I just gave up now. Quit fighting and just, enjoy the time i have left? My time with you has been precious, and special to me. I feel like I can live again. But when I see everyone else fighting for survival. I just feel so pathetic, and useless. I feel like I'm letting everyone down, and it kills me." He stared into his tea, trying to keep from getting too emotional, he was still a man after all and had his pride. "I don't want to let you down, or fail you. I don't just want this to be temporary. I want to survive too now. I want to see you, on the other side... But I don't know if I'm cut up for this game anymore"

 

It was clear to see at this point, that even with Alkors words beyond the grave to him, that he was still psychologically damaged. The proud lion had lost his flame, and was desperately searching for it back again. That was really why he had been spending all his time on the higher floors, he wanted to be himself again.

[Mayuri 0]

So the truth had finally come.

As she expected, he was out exploring the higher floors and wandering about in places she could not go. But there was more, the man she loved had lost his nerve. Mai lifted her little blue teacup and sat back into her little chair as her eyes focused on the handsome figure before her. He told her about a man he’d lost to the battlefield, the reason he had become the way he was. He averted his light eyes and stared into the tea she’d poured for him unable to meet her gaze once more. It was clear to her that the one she loved was hurt beyond compare.

 But what could she do for him? She was only a girl after all.

Shay got up from her seat and approached Eric, kneeling beside his seat. Brushing her long dark wavy locks from her face, she reached for his hand she took it hers. The girl held it for a moment tracing her delicate digits upon his skin before kissing the back of it tenderly. Her large eyes turned back up to look at his pale face which looked as sullen and forlorn as the winter moon in the cold night sky. It was hard for her to imagine what he was going through and she wanted to help him, but there was little she could think of to do. There was some relief for her to know that it was not she that was holding him back. Her biggest fear was that he wasn’t fighting to his abilities because he was too busy helping her to level ; he was dealing with his own deep seated issues, ones that had nothing to do with her.

“I’m sorry Eric…” she began.

“I’m sorry you feel like you’re falling behind and that you lost your friend. I’m sorry that you’re afraid to die.” She gripped his hand more tightly in hers with her last statement. “I’m afraid to die too. I’d love to just hideaway, just you and I, in a little cottage at the edge of these woods where we could be happy till the end. You say the word, and that’s what we’ll do.”

Shay paused as she looked about the dimly lit room. Her eyes glanced over the barren shelves and the vacant display cases. There was nary an item or decoration or anything in the little shop that she owned and yet her home seemed so full. It was because she had him: the one thing that she never knew she always wanted. Her eyes returned to her companion and a demure smile curled over her pretty face as she continued.

“Someday my dearest, we’ll die, but it won’t be here. And we will meet out there because we made a promise. You promised me you’d keep me safe, and I promised to keep you alive, and that’s what we’re going to do. We’re just going to have to work harder to catch up. I know we can do this. I know you feel like you can’t, but I’ve come to understand that if you don’t do something Eric, you’re going to hate yourself. I’m not going to let you regret or hate yourself for inaction. If you need to rest, then rest. We’ll train and work hard and when you feel you can stand again, which you will, we’ll go fight together. You’re my party mate and that makes us a team. We’ll save as many as we can, and we will be thankful for making it out alive each and every time. I love you Eric and I’m not going to let you fall apart. I know I’m not very big, nor do I seem very strong, but you can depend on me. I’ll take care of you... I’ll always take care of you."

Edited June 28, 2016 by Mayuri