[PP-F4] A Chance Reunion (Kooh)

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus cut down white wolf as it lunged at him, sighing when he saw that it dropped nothing. He shouldered Gavel, looking around at the forest of evergreen trees. Cygnus didn't really like the fourth floor that much. He wished he decided to go somewhere else. He shivered and took a few steps forward, looking for more mobs to hunt, but ended up coming up with nothing. As he leaned upagainst a tree to take a break, he thought about Kooh. They hadn't spoken in two weeks and the warrior had actually begun to miss her, odd as that might sound. Since she kissed him on that day, he had tried to message her a few times, but he would always back out and never send it. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of what she did. Did she like him? For that matter, was what she said true and did he like her? He thought back to their kiss, trying to put aside all the embarrassment for a moment and trying to think about whether or not he did like it. It was a tough question, and one he wasn't sure he was ready to answer. He sighed and sheathed his weapon. Girls are complicated...

[Kooh 0]

A scowl rested upon Kooh's features as she trudged through the snow that crawled up her boots. The girl had been wandering the snowy woods of the fourth floor for what felt like hours. Every time an icy wind bit at the bare skin of her legs and arms she shivered, curling her fingers while her shoulders tensed until the unpleasant feeling passed. Snowflakes clung to the hood of her black coat, and her hands hid in her pockets for what warmth they provided.

Just when her legs began to ache, the blonde blinked as her gaze lifted from the white floor at her feet to the figure walking in the distance. Kooh perked up a bit, a sly smile crossing her lips as her way back to town presented itself to her. Taking in a breath of icy air, Kooh was just about to call out to the player when she froze up, recognizing the man lost in his own thoughts. Unsure of whether or not Cygnus had spotted her, Kooh hesitated. The girl bit at her bottom lip, weighing her options. If she could swallow her pride, talking to him was her most likely chance back to the safe zone, and in turn, away from this frozen nightmare.

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus let out one final sigh and just so happened to turn his head towards Kooh. He didn't recognize the player for a moment, but when he did, his face went bright red and he froze up. On the bright side, he wasn't cold anymore. He wasn't sure what to do for a second, and so he just stood there awkwardly for a moment. Eventually, he raised his hand and gaver her an awkward wave. "Um, hello!" He managed to get out at a volume that would be just enough for Kooh to hear. His face was still as red as a beet as he stood there, leaning up against the tree. The suddenness of their reuinion was more than a little jarring. He wanted to talk to her eventually, but he wanted to have some time to get over this embarrassment first. He wondered what brought her there. She looked lost. Cygnus knew that if she was indeed lost, he would have to help her.

[Kooh 0]

Kooh stood with her boots half-buried in the snow, staring back at the flustered man who had greeted her. She scowled ever so lightly under her breath, before placing a sweet smile on her lips and forcing her legs to carry her forward and close the gap between them. She could at least have some fun with it. "Hey there." She said with a tone that came off much more cheerful than their last encounter. She stopped at a normal distance, hands still resting in her pockets as she spoke casually with him, ignoring the embarrassment plainly displayed on his cheeks. 'Looks like he either didn't process what I told him, or he doesn't care.' She thought sourly, recalling that she had demanded he leave her alone when they last spoke. "Where are you headed?" She asked simply, forcing herself to ignore the feeling of another small, icy wind that passed through the trees.

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus averted his eyes, failing to meet Kooh's gaze as she spoke to him. "Oh, um... i'm just hunting. Haven't had... um... a lot of luck so far." He chuckled and scartched his head nervously. The warrior shivered as an icy wind bit through his skin all the way to the bone. "Oh, how rude of me." He whispered, his face growing redder. In his embarrassment, he forgot to respond and ask her the same. "What about you? Where are... you headed?" He choked out. Part of him debated with the other part about whether or not they should discuss that kiss. She told him to leave her alone, but she kissed him. What kind of mixed signal was that? Despite the fact he was embarrassed, he was actually happy she was here. 

[Kooh 0]

The man struggled with his words, widening the smile that rested on her features. "Oh, y'know. Just exploring, heading back to town soon." She lied with the same confident tone. While she wasn't necessarily lying about her intentions, the girl had sorely failed on both parts so far, though she wasn't about to admit it. At least now she had something to play with, and if she was lucky she could use it to her advantage.

The girl couldn't resist a sly smile curling at her lips. His reactions were just too good. "What, are you nervous about something? Seems like you've got something on your mind." She teased him, watching his expression curiously. Perhaps she could try another angle. She only hoped her plan wouldn't scare the man off completely before she'd at least gotten directions back to civilization.

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus's heart began to pound when Kooh asked him if he was nervous about something. Her acting like that kiss never happened was really throwing him off. Did it just mean nothing ot her? Was it just something she did without a second thought? Was it supposed to be innocent? If so, why did he feel like this? That was when he realized he had been standing there like an idiot for awhile. With a small squeak, he tried to form words. "Oh... uhm... I-I... there's not... damn it." He whispered, finally giving up. He thought about telling her why he was nervous. Perhaps that would help how he was feeling. Maybe Kooh would chastise him for being an idiot and he'd feel like he was just overreacting to an innocent little kiss. "I... i've just been thinking about that kiss we had a couple of weeks back. That's... why I haven't spoken to you. I've just been thinking about it."

[Kooh 0]

"Hmmm?" Kooh mused aloud. "That's why you haven't spoken to me?" She teased, trying to keep her tone from slipping back to the threatening one she'd held the last time they spoke. "So I was right not to believe you, then." She smirked lightly, pulling her hands from her pockets to cross her arms over her chest. "If you're getting that worked up, I take it you really liked it." She continued to flirt with the brunette before taking on a more serious expression, shifting her weight. As much entertainment as it would provide, her plan was flawed. It wasn't going to get anything done, so she was going to have to be more straightforward, at least for now.

"Look." She started, settling on an expression that tried to appear more honest than hostile. "I'm going to level with you. You don't want to get involved with me. Save yourself the trouble forget about it. All of it." She left out any details, sticking with vague but persistent commands.

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus instantly regretted bringing that kiss up. Instead of making him feel like an idiot, like he expected, she just pushed him even further, teasing him and saying he must have really liked it. His face went bright red, but he managed to maintain eye contact, if only just barely. The brunette was overwhelmed by a flood of emotions. He thought back to how that kiss felt. It was a difficult question, whether or not he liked being kissed by her. Cygnus came to the conclusion that maybe he really did like it. The kiss didn't mean much to her, perhaps, but it meant everything to him. He hadn't felt close to someone like that in a very long time. It also made him feel guilty though. In his heart, he felt like he and Miki were still together. He loved her just the same as he did the night she died. He remembered a conversation he and Miki once had, about what they would do if the other died. It was just a silly conversation, but Miki told him that night that she would want him to move on. Moving on was difficult though. But when Kooh told him to forget about everything, his resolve was strengthened and he only mumbled two words. "I can't..." A long pause followed. "You can't just kiss me and tell me to forget you. I can't do it." He paused again, his face growing redder. He followed up with a whisper. "I won't..." Cygnus came to decide at that time that he would stick close to Kooh for as long as possible. Whether he loved her or not, he knew he at least cared about her. He would protect her just like he did from those Dark Elves, and do his best to make sure that they both got out of this alive.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Cygnus

[Kooh 0]

The blonde brought a hand up, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes with an exasperated sigh. "Luna, you've really done it now..." The girl mumbled just under her breath, confident that Cygnus wouldn't hear her mutterings. Without bothering to address him, the girl moved her legs, beginning to pace through the snow across from the man and looking to be deep in her thoughts. Her icy skin appreciated the movement as she regained the feeling in her limbs.

Finally, after a long while of mumbling to herself as she seemed to be mulling over her options, she stopped in her original position, crossing her arms when she addressed the brunette again. "So, what do you want?" Kooh asked, as if it was the most obvious question. She shifted her weight to her right side, staring back at the man, tacking on more words before allowing him to respond. "Do you want to go out with me? Call yourself my boyfriend? I have to be honest, I don't understand." Her line of questioning may have come off as harsh, but in her mind she was only presenting him with the most logical thought process. "I'll chalk it up to infatuation, considering you still know nothing about me. So, should I just kiss you until you're satisfied?" Once the words left her, she realized the harshness that had slipped back in with them. She almost felt a twinge of regret, not wanting to dig herself a deeper hole, but even so her stubborn nature prevented her from backing down.

Edited August 13, 2016 by Kooh

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus had averted his gaze from Kooh as she spoke, his face still red. He didn't think he wanted to go out with her, or that he was interested at all in calling himself her boyfriend. "No... no it's not that. You don't understand... I..." He sighed. "I just care about you. I'm not going to lie, I... I liked it when you kissed me. But I can't... I can't be with a girl right now." The brunette felt like he was stumbling through his sentences. He wasn't good at being open and honest at all, at least before today. Kooh, perhaps unwittingly, had helped him in that regard, putting him in situations where he had to be open and honest. He stared at his feet for awhile before finally looking up. "I don't want anything like that from you. I just want you to not hate me is all and I want you to let me..." Cygnus paused, the words getting caught in his throat. "I want you to let me be there for you." He finally choked out. "I don't want to... lose you. You're a friend and... i've lost enough people in my life." 

[Kooh 0]

Kooh brought a hand up to rest on her chin. She was surprised at the man's words. Besides his awkwardness, his response wasn't what she was expecting. She felt a hint of embarrassment, having expected the brunette to fawn over her as she'd grown so accustomed to similar reactions in the real world. But with Cygnus essentially rejecting her, she had to take a moment before speaking. In stark contrast to his shy, stumbling thoughts, Kooh finally opened her mouth with a simple, "Okay."

Her arms crossed over her chest again, hands welcoming what little warmth they found against her torso. "We start over, then." She stated almost in a command, as if it was the most obvious solution. "None of this ever happened. And you don't tell anyone about it. Deal?" She held a small glare to show him she was serious, but quickly shifted her expression back to a friendly smirk once she'd let the words sink in. As long as he didn't screw things up, this worked out perfectly for her. If she wasn't going to get Cygnus to leave her alone, she'd just have to swear him to secrecy and everything could go back to 'normal'. 'And he'll never see behind the mask again.' She decided with a newfound determination. She couldn't afford to get close to anyone--not with her track record. As long as the warrior played his part and she made sure to never screw up that bad ever again, she would accept whatever strange friendship the pair had formed.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Kooh

[Cygnus 0]

"Um..." That was all Cygnus could say at first. He didn't expect this to go that easily. He quickly nodded, however. He didn't want Kooh to change her mind. "Okay. I... I can live with that." He stood up straight and the blush vanished from his cheeks. "Um..." He said again before stiffening up and giving Kooh a polite bow. "A good day to you, miss. I am known as Cygnus. It's a pleasure to meet you." He glanced up at Kooh and flashed her a smile to let her know that he wasn't taking her that liiterally and was just joking. He straightened up after a few seconds and rested his hand on the pommel of Gavel. "So, since we're here, what are you doing in a place like this?" Cygnus was eager to get the subject of the conversation as far away from what it was before as possible. The past few weeks had been trying, but now everything was back to normal. Hopefully forever.

[Kooh 0]

Kooh blinked in slight surprise at Cygnus' quick change in demeanor. After his formal re-introductions, the girl couldn't hold back a chuckle, bringing a curled hand to her mouth with a small, "Pfft!" She cleared her throat, exaggerating to regain her composure and bringing one foot behind her. She pulled up at the edges of the coat that rested at her sides, bowing her head with a curtsy. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir. You can call me Kooh." She matched his joking formality, returning a grin as her hands returned to her pockets and she straightened again.

Shifting her weight to one side, the blonde frowned at his next question, as if he was forcing small talk. "I already told you, I was just exploring. I haven't been on this floor before, so I figured I'd take a trip out of the town." She gave him a casual shrug.

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus straightened up and laughed nervously when Kooh pointed out he repeated his question. He was just so eager to change the subject that he didn't even notice. They didn't dwell on that, however. "Heh, well, this floor is beautiful, but it's cold. I can't handle the cold very well. Even though i'm not actually exercising, it seems to help a bit to keep active." The warrior grinned at Kooh. "Well, if you wanted to do some exploration, i'd be happy to help with that. It might be helpful to have someone with you while you explore. I'm certain I can handle any threats on this floor." Cygnus struck a confident pose, then looked over at Kooh again. "I've come a pretty long way since we last saw combat together. I think I can have your back here." The warrior took a quick look around, just making sure that there weren't any stray mobs nearby trying to sneak up on them. He wasn't really in the mood for an ambush.

[Kooh 0]

Kooh couldn't help but chuckle at the man's confidence. He was funny to think she would get even remotely close to putting herself into a similar situation as last time. The girl shrugged in response, and as the cold wind brushed against her bare limbs Kooh was quickly reminded of her previous goal of getting back to town before she became an icicle. "Ehh, so far it's basically frozen wasteland." She seemed disinterested, though it didn't help when all she'd seen is the same dead trees for an hour or two.

"Pff, well if you wanna pick a fight with something, be my guest. I'll just make some popcorn on the sidelines." It was weird talking to him, and she didn't know if she hated it or not. She was putting less effort into her words, not focusing as hard on picking and choosing the right things to say, and she wasn't sure if it was her letting her guard down or trying to establish some new perception of herself around him. Either way, the frigid environment wasn't helping her thought process, so she picked up her heavy boots and began moving herself once again.

"I dunno about you, but I was on my way back to town." Again, not technically a lie. She let the sentence hang, however, keeping her movement a bit slow and only really closing the gap between the two as they had been speaking at a generous distance apart. Now she mentally crossed her fingers and hoped she'd scored a guide back to the city.

Edited January 1, 2017 by Kooh

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus chuckled when Kooh mentioned that if he wanted to pick a fight, she would just stay on the sidelines. "Don't worry, I won't pick any fights." He closed the gap with a quick jog so that he was next to her. "Gotta get you back to the city after all. I could use something warm to drink and a fire myself, so I wanna get back as soon as possible." Cygnus smiled at his traveling companion. He was happy they got another chance to be friends. He didn't like leaving things unfinished; like he did with his fiance and daughter. At least he could chalk this one up as a victory. For now, at least. Cygnus looked over at Kooh. "Well, we're still a little ways yet. Not too far, but we're about half an hour away." Cygnus looked over his shoulder. The sun was setting. "Hm. We gotta pick up the pace. If we don't hurry, we'll be forced to walk through these woods at night. That's a little dangerous." With that, Cygnus picked up his speed a little to where he was power walking. "Gets a lot colder too." He mumbled the last part as another gust of cold wind blew across his face. The warrior shivered and crossed his arms over his chest. He new he would never get used to this place.

[Kooh 0]

'What's he so happy about?' Kooh felt like making a face as he closed the distance between them, but felt some sense of relief as he agreed to heading back to town. He positioned himself to walk beside her, the two side-by-side looked like starkly different characters. Cygnus, trudging along in his armor and bracing himself against the cold, and Kooh, clearly underdressed with hands shoved into her pockets.

As they began heading back to town, the man mentioned the trip's length, and again Kooh resisted a grimace at the thought of a half-hour walk beside him in the growing cold. She really didn't care for small talk. Still, if she didn't speak up she could only guess what topics of conversation he would get on. "So...hunting?" She asked vaguely, prompting the brunette to go on about something to fill the silence.

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus was walking along next to Kooh in relative silence before she asked him about his hunting. With a smile, he began to recount his day. "Yeah, I figured i'd hunt down some materials and XP.. There's a lot of stuff I need for my shop. I was in the mood for a different landscape than what i'm used to." The warrior opened his menu and checked his stats. "Yup. i've only got a short way to go to level 16, aaaand i've also almost Grandmastered my weapon skill. Wonderful." He closed his menu and turned back to Kooh. "I guess what i'm saying is, today has been a good day." Little did Cygnus mention, that wasn't the only reason he had a good day. Reconnecting with Kooh also had a lot to do with it. He was close to just dropping contact with her. Thankfully, he met her out here. "So, other than getting lost in the woods, how was your day?" He teased playfully. Now that they got a fresh start, Cygnus was going to try to build onto their friendship. He didn't notice, but he was thinking about his life outside SAO less and less. The longer he was here, the more this truly felt like reality and the more he forgot that there even was a home, family, and friends to return to. Even his fiance and daughter were slipping from his mind more every day. He forgot the sound of Miki's laugh, the silky smooth texture of her hair and how it always seemed to smell of strawberries. He forgot Himiko's smile and the lyrics to that song he used to sing to her every night before bed. It seemed all he hadn't forgotten were their faces, and even that had slowly begun to slip.