[PP-NK-F1] The Return Part 2: The Familiar Stranger (Hydra, Wolfie, Nixon)

[Wolfie 0]

Wolfie felt Hydra’s hand on his shoulder, his immediate reaction was to pull away. But this isn’t what he did, he pushed himself into the man, not hard enough to knock him over and hugged Hydra. Wolfie had tears streaming down his face. “thank you… Take you for listening…. Thank you for caring.” He couldn’t begin to express how much it meant to him. No one had ever asked him for his story, no one had ever been able to be trusted enough for it. But hydra was different, he was able to gain Wolfie’s trust, able to listen. He didn’t walk away or just not care. Something moved in Wolfie, though he wasn’t sure what it was. He let go of Hydra’s neck, his eyes still watering, his voice still shaking. He looked back into the fire, wishing he could just burn away his memories wishing he was someone he could never be. 

@Nixon

Edited November 26, 2016 by Wolfie

[Nixon 0]

Nixon walked out of the cart, His Armour glistened off the fire, black. His piercing eyes searching the grounds for someone. “I swear, I heard that voice before. It has to have been Hydra, it’s been too long sense I’ve seen him.” It had been a long time sense he tried out that lighting device that Hydra had made him. It had done something to him because he must have used it wrong, or the game wasn’t ready for it. When he woke he was on floor 8, and lost. He locked onto Hydra, he approached the men, he was quiet and unheard. He leaned down next to Hydra and said in his soft, calm, and happy voice. “I am proud of you man, you did a great job!” Looking to the man, Nixon observed him with a friendly smile. “I am Nixon the Abandon, But you can call me Nix.”  He was proud, as if his words were higher than what they really were. 

@Hydra

[Hydra 0]

(OOC: This is an awesome surprise! Thanks ^^)

Hydra continued to comfort Wolfie, tears now streaming down his friends face. People use to tell him that crying was a weakness, however the spearman knew that not to be true. He cried all the time, it showed acceptance. And that was something which sometimes took more bravery to face than anything else in the world.

"I am proud of you man, you did a great job!"

Hydra felt his whole body seize up and freeze, the words cut through him sending a chill down his spine, as though he felt like he was hearing a ghost. Hydra very slowly twisted his head to where the sound was coming from and had to blink, and then blink a few more times to check if his mind was playing with him. "I... I..." The spearman didn't know what to say but his whole body began shaking, when Nix turned to Wolfie and introduced himself he suddenly realized that Nix was there. In person and not dead. Hydra just sat there for a moment in dead silence, confusion hit him first but then all the emotions came out once and the spearman found himself laughing. This time a friendly laugh, one which sounded like it had been relieved of something for a very long time.

Hydra looked towards Wolfie, "Don't worry about this one. You can trust him." He said still half laughing and a happy smile spread across his face.

@Wolfie

[Wolfie 0]

Suddenly, as if from no were, Wolfie heard another voice. Seemingly it was Hydra’s friend. He quickly began wiping his face and regaining his composure. “So this is the man you had mistaken me for? I see.” He looked Nixon up and down, his voice hardening but still shaking. “Where did he come from?” Wolfie’s mind asked him “why weren’t you more careful with your story, why did you let others hear you?” Wolfie winced, a chill rang throughout his body. “There wasn’t anyone following you was there? You are the only one?” Wolfie looked worried, he hoped Hydra was right about them being able to trust Nixon. But to him something seemed off. The overwhelming aura of kindness penetrated everything around, it reminded him of the girl who took him in. He shivered remembering the pain. “I will always be broken” He thought to himself “That is my curse for living."

 

@Nixon

@Hydra

[Hydra 0]

"Yes this was the one." Hydra responded his voice once again had a light hearted tune to it. In any case the spearman was no fool either, seeing Wolfie's reaction and remembering back to the first time they met, he looked between the two players. Then turning to Nix he said "It has been a long time friend, but if there was anyone else with you please tell us now." In the corner of his eye the brunette then saw Wolfie shiver. "I wonder what he is thinking now." The spearman pondered, a sadness rang in his heart for a moment, but Hydra knew it wasn't going to be as easy as saving someone in the space of a night. It would take time and for now he would guide the way step by step, rather than leap by leap.

At the same time Hydra couldn't turn down Nix though. This was an old friend of his, one of his first and it had been so long since they had spoken. The player gestured to his friend to come sit by the fire, all in the meantime still glancing at his other to ensure they were okay. Hydra turned to tell Wolfie. "If anyone stands against you, then I will be your sword. Please remember that." Hydra said it in his normal voice so Nixon could hear, not so that it seemed to be Hydra making a threat at Nixon, but rather Hydra believed Nix was just as trustworthy as him if not more. If he were to whisper then that would show Hydra would have doubts about him. Which of course he didn't. The spearman believe he would be the type to understand what he was trying to achieve by saying that.

@Nixon

@Wolfie

[Nixon 0]

Nixon sat down by Hydra. “There is no one with me, I have been traveling with this caravan for some time now, trying to find civilization. Turns out I found something better.” Nixon smiled warmly at Hydra. The Abandon man seemed to have earned his title the hard way. “Pay me no mind for the time being. I just want to sit and observe for a little while. I am egger to see what a man you have become sense I left Hydra.” Nixon was what some would say is an old soul. He both spoke and acted as if he was ten to twenty times older that he actually was. It was humorous to him, the amount of knowledge he had, the amount of wisdom. To some it would be scary, he knew that, But to most it was a untapped well that was begging them to use it.

@Wolfie

Edited November 28, 2016 by Nixon

[Wolfie 0]

Wolfie sat listening, Hydra turned to him and gave him very reassuring words. He looked around, scanning the area, making sure no one else could sneak up on them. “I really do appreciate that Hydra.” Wolfie said, his voice still shaky, though returning to its normal gravel. “I will try to do the same for you.” Wolfie was not sure how he felt about Nix. There was an aura of pleasantry that Wolfie didn’t like, reminded him to much of his past. “So, Hydra, I have told you my story. Would you be willing to tell me yours?” He was looking at Hydra with a blank, expressionless curiosity. He did want to know Hydra’s story, he was just horrible at showing what he wanted, at least when it came to emotion. He did, however, hold hydra to a high regard. He could have killed Wolfie at any moment. It wouldn’t have penalized him at all. But here they sat, both very much alive.

 @Hydra

[Hydra 0]

The fire crackled as Hydra considered Wolfie's request. He had no reason to turn it down but it wasn't nearly as dark and rich as Wolfie's. "I shall share my story, but please don't waste good time to sleep if it begins to bore you." The spearman said, his voice still friendly but slightly drained from the day's events itself. Looking towards Nix he then nodded "Yes my friend, it has been a long time." 

Turning his head slowly back towards the fire, he began to think upon his past. Something he hadn't dived deep into for a long time. There was a brief silence then he began to speak. "I was born in England. Into a well off family with a large house in the countryside, for the first few years of my life I experienced nothing but comfort as a result. You see I was naive at that age, I barely knew anything about the world, about cities, towns, corruption, death. Evil and good. The vastness of it all." He paused trying to think how to phrase the next sentence before continuing.

"Now at that age it's quite common, most people gradually get use to the world as they age and for a long time I believed that as well... However of course it was just a facade. A lie I told myself over and over again hoping the problem would go away. Of course it didn't, it got worse and worse. As it grew worse I found myself becoming lost inside my own minds and ended up forging a character, an enhanced version of my real life self and personality... called Hydra." He shifted his eyes slightly as he finished the last sentence, wondering if he sounded like a fool and unsure whether to continue with the rest. 

@Wolfie

[Wolfie 0]

“Must have been quite the shock entering the game then, huh?” Wolfie said without emotion “To learn that such troubles are possible, such things that can cause death as this game. Oh, and I don’t really sleep ever anyways.” He thought for a moment. “I wont compare his story to mine, and I hope he doesn’t ether. Both can be considered equally bad, thought in two different ways.” Wolfie watched the fire. A question came to his mind and for the first time in a while he couldn’t stop the words from forming in his mouth. “Hydra… what’s it like… Having a family?” Wolfie’s tone became saddened, depressed and full of remembrance that was so hard to find. He couldn’t believe he had asked Hydra that, but at the same time he couldn’t take it back. He couldn’t bring himself to revoke his question. Staring at the fire, Wolfie recounted to himself the nights he spent alone like this, the nights that Abigale were asleep, and he was keeping watch over her.

 

@Hydra

[Hydra 0]

(OOC: Wasn't sure if I was suppose to take Nix's post here. My bad if so.)

The tone of Wolfie's voice bought a sadness to the atmosphere. Not an unwelcome one however. Hydra sat there for a moment then looked up. "I suppose..." He whispered before letting out his own sad sigh, one which had a hint of shame and guilt to it. "What it was like... I guess I'll need to tell you about my family then." The spearman said, his voice once again picking up in volume. "My parents were much like yours when I was first growing up, loving and kind. They taught me the value of emotion and that I had a heart more caring than most, that I was empathetic and insightful when trying to understand others... However that it was also my weakness." It was hard to make out in the dark, but the glow from the fire illuminated Hydra's face for a moment, there was a deep happy-sad look to his eyes as though for the first time in a while they were unlocking his past.

"I was always terrified of everything before SAO and as a teenager I developed a social anxiety, unlike the character I created in my head I was a coward. Pressure started to build as I was expected to achieve and I eventually broke from the stress. I was weak. Anyway, I hid away barely speaking. Wanting to escape the real world, to just live as Hydra for even one day! And that was how I joined SAO... I treated my whole family poorly, they wanted to help me and I turned there help away. I only realize that now." The spearman felt guilt, Wolfie who had nothing had been through so much more. He had lost his whole family. Whilst someone like him had turned his own away because he was frightened and fragile. 

@Nixon

@Wolfie

[Wolfie 0]

(OOC: No, Nix is just sitting and listening right now, he isn’t going to post for a little while)
Wolfie listened to the Spearman, his words circling in Wolfies mind. “None of that makes you weak, Hydra.” Wolfie said, with a tone of almost determination and comfort. “I don’t know for sure, but if family love is like the bond between Abigale and I then I have no doubt that your parents are waiting for you, and still love you. It isn’t weak to push people away, it is natural. I do it, you have surely seen that. And the tragedies people go through are different, they let us find ourselves. Just because you close off yourself to family doesn’t mean you are broken or weak-willed. In fact, to an extent, shows how much you care. Maybe you don’t want their help because you are scared to bother them or scared to spend their money, or afraid they will just think your stupid. That is not unreasonable. What I do is unreasonable. I push people away because I’m selfish. You push them away because you want to help them. Right?” Wolfie looked at Hydra, Wolfie was trying his hardest to have a face of acceptance and understanding, though it may not get through so well.

@Hydra
 

[Hydra 0]

"Thank you." Hydra said his voice lightening a little. Somewhere on the distant horizon the light of the sun broke the darkness of the light. It reminded the spearman of hope further bringing a smile to his face. "And from what I have seen I would not call you selfish." He said responding to Wolfie's own self doubt. The young adventurer suddenly let out a loud yawn, Twilight seemed to join in letting out her own weird sound, which one would probably not hear from any other creature in the rest of the virtual or real world. "Haha even my own story bores me a little." Hydra laughed jokingly. Noticing how silence Nix was he turned to his companion.

"So what about you friend, what have you been up to these days." Hydra's friendly nature certainly contradicted the black plated armor he wore that had the actual cosmetic Hydra coiling around it. Thinking back on it the last time he saw Nix he wasn't even sure he had any armor, or if he did it was most likely made of leather or another low quality material.

@Wolfie

@Nixon