[PP - F4/11] The Search Goes on (Telrenya)

[Jomei 0]

Jomei half expected Telrenya to stand there, or ask Jomei to let him go once she had removed the items from his bag. He prepared to release his boot and put his sword away when Telrenya dropped the empty bag back onto the man's stomach, however, Jomei noticed a different expression on Telrenya's face.. one that matched his at the moment. Her words drove fear into the man's eyes, expecting the girl to be the compassionate of the two. Though in the end, he saw that she was acting just as cold hearted. After she asked him why he stole from the other player, his voice came out somewhat cocky, just saying he did it because he could; for fun. With a scowl on his face, Jomei pressed the heel of his boot into the hip of the man, "Wrong answer" Jomei simply said, poking at his throat yet again with his rapier. 

It was after the two threatened him as such did he reveal his true intentions. He needed food and money, he had nothing. The thief tried to tell the two that they were unable to fend for themselves because his brother had turned himself orange accidentally. Petty crimes did not come to mind when the man mentioned 'orange', only the killing of others. Jomei brought his rapier back as he glared at the man, piercing the blade forward. The tip of his blade crashed into the icy floor next to his throat. Jomei simply looked at the man, "You're lucky its not you thats orange.." 

Telrenya then took the bag back from the man and opened up her own inventory, Jomei's eyes were no longer on the thief, but on the girl. He watched as she placed multiple foodstuffs into the bag before shoving it back into his hands. Jomei's heartless gaze dropped as Telrenya gave him an irritated side glance. Jomei stepped off of the man, letting him rise to his feet. "Get out of here before she changes her mind.." Jomei barked at the man, brandishing his blade once again. He watched carefully as the man removed himself from their sight by rounding the corner of the cave. The man put his sword back into his scabbard and turned his bod to Telrenya, his face still in shock. "Tel.. that.... That was incredible." 

[Telrenya 0]

The man let out a terrified gasp when Jomei's blade sank through the icy floor beside him. He stared up at the players fearfully, even after the blonde girl had dropped the bag of supplies on him. When Jomei ordered the man away, he hesitated for a moment before scrambling to his feet and rushing out of sight while he clutched the bag to his chest.

Once the ordeal was over, Telrenya's expression softened and she let out a heavy breath, as if it was one she had been holding in. The woman sank to the floor, knees pressed together as she sat back between her legs. The experience had been draining, and Telrenya had walked away from it with a strange mixture of feelings. Jomei's stammered comment caught her attention, and the woman looked up at him blankly before her expression filled with a shyness that had her turn her head back down. "I'm..."

'I'm a big softie,' She thought about saying. But was that true? Did the man deserve to be punished after giving them his reasoning? She gave a shake of her head.

"That was a mess." Was all she could think to say. When they had first caught the thief, Telrenya had felt a fire ignite inside of her. It was as if she had the perfect chance to take out her frustration for all the times she herself had been wronged. She could have brought justice to someone who had preyed upon a victim. Instead, she sent him away with a care package. She brought a hand up to run it through her hair, troubled but unsure of what she would have done differently if she had been given the situation anew.

Telrenya hadn't much time to dwell on the encounter when a faint rumbling sound would reach their ears. Pieces of crystal and ice that jutted out from the ceiling above them began to gently sway with the cavern's vibrations while the sound grew louder by the second. As if a herd of wildebeasts were trampling upon the mountainous ridge above the crystal caves, huge pieces of jagged crystal were dislodged from the formations above, crashing and piercing the ground as they fell.

[Jomei 0]

With a terrified look on his face, the their scurried off back towards the entrance to the cave, slipping and sliding on the ice as he hugged the full pack in his arms. Jomei had watched the man run off before turning to Telrenya, who sunk down to the ground along the wall, pulling her knees into her chest. In her mind, that did not go well. "What are you talking about?" Jomei questioned her, a tinge of excitement in his voice. He placed his back on the wall next to the girl before letting his body fall, sitting next to her. "Tel, I've learned that its much harder to be the bigger person like that. If we were to let the man go without anything, he may have stolen again, or worse, him and his brother may have died from hunger out there.." He took in a small breath, his foggy breath blowing out in front of him, "but what you did.. giving the man what he needed like that.. it was much more admirable. It shows that being a criminal would do you no good..but that being kind will get you what you need." He chuckled, "And.. I gotta say, you have to be a lot stronger of a person to show compassion to a man like that, rather than punishing or killing him.. That's what I thought was amazing about you." he turned his head to look at the girl, giving her a warm smile.

Suddenly, Jomei felt the ground begin to tremble beneath their bodies. The mean heard echoes from outside the cave, like a freight train getting closer and closer. "W..what the hell?" Jomei questioned. Ice and rocks from the ceiling began to crash and shatter onto the ground around them, and throwing his gaze upward, he saw that more were on the way. The louder the roars of the quake got, the more debris began to fall. Jomei quickly turned to Telrenya after he saw the stalactites above them begin to tremble and shake, "Keep your head down!" he yelled, before raising to one knee, throwing his arms around the girl, and pulling her head into his chest. Pieces of the ice structure above them began to fall, some hitting the cold ground around them, others pelting Jomei in the back. As Jomei protected Tel from getting hit by the ice, he watched his health drop little by little as each one hit him, some doing more damage that others. Through the loud echoes of the trembling, Jomei heard the familiar scream of the thief from earlier, followed by sound he recognized as one when player's avatars ceased to exist. 

Once the trembling had subsided, and the debris ceased its attack from above, Jomei slowly moved back from Telrenya, eyeing his health bar, which had dropped a bit below half. Jomei returned to his original sitting position with his head against the cold wall, eyes closed, and breathing heavy. "Thank God that's over... It sounded like some sort of avalanche outside.." Jomei's assumption was correct, due to the layers and layers of snow always being added to the top of the mountain they were currently inside, a large chunk of the snow had broken off and slid down the side of the mountain. Unknowing to the two players, it had now blocked the entrance, and their only known means of escape. 

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya's eyes widened slightly when the man questioned her. Her head turned to face Jomei as he took a seat beside her, his gentle voice echoing lightly off of the cave walls. For a moment, the conflicted feeling in her heart continued to clash. She had never before believed that acting as the 'better person' would do any good. In her experience, those who chose to overpower and bully others wouldn't change, and a show of kindness wouldn't make a difference. But Jomei's words brushed those thoughts aside, and his smile alone felt as though it warmed her heart, causing her to forget about their icy surroundings.

The avalanche outside had snapped the woman back to reality. She felt the vibrations along the ground and against her back as they grew stronger, and as she sat shocked and dumbfounded by the quake, Jomei's alarmed voice called out beside her. She felt a strong force pull her to the side and she soon recognized Jomei's arms wrapped around her. For a brief moment, a feeling of safety and warmth washed over her as the man's cloak draped around them. She felt her hands drift towards his arm, gingerly wrapping her fingers around it as if to cling to the feeling of his protection.

The clear scream of the thief reached them through the winding tunnels, but it was the following sound that caused Telrenya's eyes to go wide with shock. The telltale sound that Cardinal recited when something was destroyed. Or killed. For a moment, she didn't believe that the sound that signaled the man's death. She didn't want to believe it. Without thinking, her grip around Jomei's arm tightened, as if he would be safe as long as she held onto him.

As the ground settled beneath them and signaled the end of the danger, Telrenya realized her actions and loosened her grip just before Jomei pulled away and pressed his back against the sturdy crystal slab behind them. Her breathing was slower than his own, but ragged nonetheless. She felt her heart fall to her stomach and leave a heavy weight as the sound replayed in her mind. "A-are you alright?" She choked out, trying to force herself away from the morbid thought.

[Jomei 0]

Telrenya's concerned voice rang through Jomei's ears as he took in a couple deep breaths. He could not feel the pain that the falling ice and rocks caused him, but he could feel the deep red gashes and welts on his back. He opened one eye and looked over at Tel, a forced smirk curled on one side of his face. "heh.. Haven't seen my health go that low in awhile.." he took a few more breaths, each one blowing fog in front of his face. If Jomei had not jumped in the way of the falling debris, Telrenya may have experienced the same fate as the unlucky thief who tried to make his escape. He leaned his body forward, looking at the ground, the temporary tears in his cloak and clothes, as well as the damage done could be seen. "More importantly, are you okay?" Jomei stood up slowly, making sure to keep his balance on the slippery ice that made up most of the cavern. He made his way around the corner towards the entrance to the cave, which was now much darker as if there were no light entering through the mouth of the cavern. That was when Jomei saw it for himself, "[censored].." he cursed to himself, looking at a thick wall of snow blocking their way out. He turned around to meet with Telrenya again, "So.. unless we find another way out, we may be here for awhile." He sat back down against the cave wall, letting his health regenerate before they ventured any farther.

He thought about before, when he almost killed the thief for mentioning his orange brother. Jomei sighed, "I'm..sorry I almost lost control of myself after he mentioned that his brother had an orange crystal.... I've.. had a history with orange players.."

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya felt a spark of guilt surge through her as she met Jomei's pained expression. She turned her head to stare past her knees at the cavern floor. The light that spilled in from the outside of the caves was no longer present to reflect off of the crystal structures, leaving their surroundings dimmed after the avalanche. Scattered throughout the area, however, a few of the smaller crystal formations let off  a soft light of their own in varying pale hues. It left the space around them illuminated, albeit less so than before, so at least the pair were not left in total darkness.

Telrenya blinked as her vision adjusted to the low-light, the sound of their breathing filling the empty air until Jomei shifted from his seated position. He had asked if she was okay, and the woman felt the heaviness in her stomach fester slightly at the question. She hadn't offered a reply, and luckily Jomei took a moment to survey the area, his findings serving as a bit of a distraction. She felt as though she didn't want to move even if the path outside had been clear. She still didn't feel that they were safe in the crystal cave, but after the string of events she just wanted to sit and think for a while.

She didn't expect to hear Jomei speak with such hesitation, and it prompted her to look over to the ginger. He alluded to something she didn't understand, but his statement left her curious. She had heard about orange players before--"your cursor turns orange if you do something bad" was the explanation that made up a majority of her knowledge on the topic. She wasn't so naive, though, to deny that there were players who would harm others. She'd heard of player killings in passing, the gossip among the busier towns almost impossible to escape from on the rare occasions when a notable player was struck down by another.

Her arms wrapped loosely around her knees, her fingers lacing together as she hugged her legs. She stole another glance at Jomei before hesitantly speaking up. "What do you mean...?" She asked, treading lightly around what she was sure was a sensitive topic. Since they met, Telrenya had gathered the information resting on Jomei's surface--which profession he chose, his kind nature, and what she presumed to be his favorite color. Before now, he hadn't offered much about himself, leaving the girl to wonder if he would end up preferring to keep it that way.

[Jomei 0]

Jomei closed his eyes again and sighed, thinking on Telrenya's question about what he meant by dealing with criminal players before. He knew this day would come, where he would need to explain the story to Telrenya. It would pain him to do so, but he wanted Tel to be able to trust him.. and if he wanted her to care for him the way he cares for her, he would need to have that trust. He stared at his boots in front of him for a moment, the look in his eyes like he was searching for where to actually begin. 

"Well.. I'm sure you already know how a player's crystal turns orange." he pointed at the green crystal over his own head as he said so. "Usually, criminal acts like stealing or harassing, would cause a temporary change.. But.. Actually ending a players life, permanently turns it orange. He knew that there was a way to turn it back green, but that was aside the point for this conversation. "I've experienced the latter.. more than I'd hoped to in my time here." He looked over at Telrenya, who was listening to him with a look of concern and wonder, causing him to close his eyes again and let out a single chuckle, "Guess I should start from the beginning."

"Now, I had met player killers before.. Hell, I had a friend or two that were. but.. I grew to trust them. They were not criminals, they merely made mistakes. However, the first time I dealt with real player killers, was with my old guild, The Velvet Room... They had kidnapped two of our members, and good friends. My friend Lowenthal and I found out through a contact of his where they were being held. It was a dangerous task we put on ourselves, but we rescued them, and everyone else they held captive.. They tried their hardest to kill us, but we escaped." Jomei thought it best to refrain from telling her about the real reason that night pained him, however... "I..." his voice got shaky "One of them trapped me.. was going to kill me.. He tried.." he bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes. ".. I.. killed him first.. but.. since he was a player killer with an orange crystal.. Cardinal doesn't punish you with your own orange crystal.. A form of justice.. I guess. That memory still pains me though..." His voice trailed off at the end, before he wiped his eyes and continued.

"But that's not where it ends.. Not in the slightest." He let out a sad, shaky chuckle. "Like I told you... I was on the front lines for awhile. We were all preparing to go into the boss' lair. When all of a sudden, one of my good friends rushed into the dungeon. I saw in his eyes what his intent was, and I tried to stop him.. But moments later, I saw his blade pierce into the chest of a friend of mine..." he let his head fall back, leaning against the crystal formation behind him, tears rolling down his cheeks, "Seconds later, I watched another one of my closest friends cut another best friend of mine in half.. Two of my friends.. killed in front of my eyes in seconds."

"And yet... It still isn't over... That's still not the reason I had to pull out of the front lines.." He hesitated for a long moment, trying to gain his composure for the last part of his story, "The group I had rescued my friends from... I.. I guess they decided it was time for revenge.. They somehow found where I was and... they kidnapped me.. They took me back to their lair. They took my armor and weapons from me and locked me in a cell.. They tortured me.. day after day, to where I was used to seeing my health bar become nothing but a red sliver. They wanted to reveal where the others were, so they could exact the same revenge." Jomei shook his head, "I refused to tell them.. I refused to tell them for six months... It was not until then, that I finally made my escape... Lucky for me, my friends found me, seconds from death in the snow.. On.. on this same Floor. It was on this same floor that they also told me my best friend, who I considered a brother, was killed by another player..." 

Jomei's head fell back down, looking staring at his legs, tears falling from his cheeks to his pants, "Well... now you know my story..." 

[Telrenya 0]

Every time Telrenya thought his story would come to an end, that he was finished retelling the events that pained him so much, there was just more to come. Her heart felt like it was locked in a vice grip, the memory of the stranger's death now far away and replaced with even stronger feelings of despair. She remained silent, even as she felt her chest tighten each time his voice faltered with emotion. Every piece of his story left her lost, unable to imagine the extent of the pain he had endured. She remembered their first meeting, and the first time she had seen his kind, trusting smile. All this time, it had been resting on top such traumatic memories.

A heavy silence hung in the air until Jomei shakily declared the conclusion of his tale. Telrenya's own tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the man. She blinked past her blurry vision, as if she hadn't realized the moisture that had spilled over.

First Ruby, and now Jomei. The two people she had grown closest to had shared such terrible experiences with her. Wounds that would often tear open, and scars that would never fully heal, and memories that couldn't--and some that shouldn't--be forgotten. How long had he been carrying these burdens alone? What could be done to ease these pains that had festered for so long?

Seeing the droplets of moisture fall and soak into the fabric of Jomei's pants, Telrenya felt her body move, as if she was no longer in control of it. She pushed herself to her knees beside the man, leaning forward as she faced him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. The woman's cheek pressed against the back of his head, his messy ginger hair brushing lightly against her skin while her own tears continued to flow. "I don't-- You--" Her words came out through a cracking voice, the urging need to say something--anything--causing her to blurt out unfinished sentences before her mind could catch up. She held onto the man tightly, swallowing past the heavy lump in her throat as she tried desperately to think of words that could bring him some comfort. "I'm...so sorry..." Was all she could manage.

[Jomei 0]

The pain of thinking of all those memories again pained him, what pained him just slightly more was what Telrenya would think of him after that. Would she not trust him for killing another man, despite being to save his friends from certain death? Would she want to stay away, thinking this group would follow him to his death? However, he also felt relieved.. relieved that he finally told her his story. He would still face these burdens alone, but he did not need to hide it. Despite the freezing air coming off all of the ice in the cave, he suddenly felt the warmth that emanated from her body as she moved closer to him. Her arms gently wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him in close to her. 
"I'm...so sorry..." He heard her say to him, her voice was low and cracked from her own sadness,  but since her lips were located close to his ear, he heard her clearly. Slowly, he turned his body so he faced Telrenya, he rested his forehead on her shoulder and brought his own arms up. He gently wrapped them around her waist, placing his hands on her back and holding onto her. 

"Tel... I... I'm sorry I .. dropped that all on you.." He pulled her in a little tighter, lifting his head up slightly so his voice was not muffled in her sweater, "but... you don't know how much it means to me... that I was able to tell you all of this.."

[Telrenya 0]

She felt the tightness in her chest pulse again, causing her to squeeze Jomei a little tighter. The warmth of their now mutual embrace seemed to nullify the cold ground and air beaneath and around them. She sniffled as the raging storm of emotions between them showed no signs of subsiding. "Y-You don't have to be sorry for that..." She managed in a quiet voice. Her cheek rested against the side of his head again after he had shifted in her direction. She brought up the palm of her hand to wipe a fresh stream of tears from her other cheek before letting her arm fall back to his shoulders.

"I... You've always treated me so kindly." A small smile pulled through her otherwise sorrowful expression. "I had no idea...that you'd been through all that." She swallowed again, letting out a tiny, nervous chuckle after she'd caught her breath. "You're the one who's incredible...really."

[Jomei 0]

Jomei wanted this moment to last for awhile, though he did not admit it in words to the girl. With no light aside from the crystals around them entering the cave, the cold began to intensify, the ice thickening and spreading to areas where rock was still exposed. Though Jomei did not feel the bitter weather, but only the warmth of the two's embrace. 

 "You're the one who's incredible...really."

Jomei's eyes opened as his cheeks warmed up when he heard her call him incredible, he could not help but break his frown and smile from ear to ear. Slowly, he broke away from the embrace with Telrenya. As he removed his head from her shoulder, he looked into her eyes, glistening from tears and the bit of light from the crystals of the cave. His head slowed its retreat from hers, his face still hanging relatively close to the blonde woman's, when a thought crossing his mind.. a crazy thought. His mind sat on the idea for a moment, chuckling and looking down, their bodies still leaning into each other's slightly. You'd be crazy to try that now, don't do it, he thought to himself. Slowly, his eyes went back up to Telrenya's, trying to see if he could tell what she was thinking.

[Telrenya 0]

The tears that trailed down her cheeks had stopped, the moisture drying and beginning to stain her cheeks when she felt Jomei begin to pull away from her. Their eyes locked, and the smile that stretched across his face began to infect her. The condensation that formed from their breath danced together with the proximity of their faces before it disappeared, the cycle repeating itself until Telrenya noticed just how close they were. Her cheeks turned red at the realization and she let out another nervous chuckle of her own. Her arms pulled back as she retreated slightly, using the backs of her hands to wipe away the lingering moisture at the corners of her eyes.

"Thank you...for telling me all that." A shy smile returned to her lips as her gaze trailed back up to meet the man's olive eyes. For someone like Jomei--the man she'd seen as nothing but warm, helpful, and unconditionally trusting--it meant just as much for him to reveal such a side of himself to her. She sat back on her ankles and for the first time in a while she felt the cold bite of the air after a couple more inches grew between them from her movement. For a split second she regretted the action, longing to return to the warm embrace, but she quickly pushed the embarrassing thought aside. She broke their gaze, a hint of pink still touching her cheeks as her chin tilted upwards. The blonde looked up to the ceiling, her eyes trailing between the scattered crystals that let off a gentle glow. "Do you think the game will just...fix itself?" The words that left her were just above a whisper, but the stillness in the air carried the sound clearly.

[Jomei 0]

As Telrenya’s head moved farther away from Jomei’s, he cursed himself in his mind. He had let the moment pass, and now he regreted not acting. The woman looked up at the ceiling of the cave in wonder, asking if Jomei believed that the game would ‘fix itself.’ He did not know how to initially answer, he wanted to tell her that anything was possible.. but he remembered that 1st day, when Kayaba revealed their fate to them. Jomei shook his head, despite her not being able to see his head. “No.. I think we are stuck here until we clear out floor 100.. its the cruel, cruel truth.” He looked down to find Telrenya’s hands. After taking in a shaky deep breath, he reached across with his own, grabbing hers tightly in his, gently caressing the side of her hand with his thumb. “B-but I want to do it with.. you by my side.” 

[Telrenya 0]

The answer that Jomei offered wasn't one that she had expected to hear. The smile on her face had dimmed, and she froze for a moment, trying to comprehend his words. 'No... That's not...' Her mind began filling with all kinds of thoughts--their guild, Ruby and Spencer, the small, but functional lives that had created in this world, and her brother. Before she had the chance to spiral into a panic, the feeling of her hand in Jomei's brought her back to reality. "Wh-what?" It wasn't clear which part of his response her whispered question was directed to. She had looked down, staring back across at the ginger-haired man as his words sank in. She could feel his thumb gently stroking across her skin, his hold warming her cold hand.

Her heartbeat had quickened, whether at the thought of being left to their fate trapped inside of a cold, dark cavern, or at the man's bashful confession of sorts. Her cheeks hadn't returned to their normal color for long before they flushed again. "H-hey, Jomei..." She dropped her gaze to her lap, where the sight of her hand resting comfortably in his only deepened the shade on her cheeks. Her mind went blank. Out of everything she could have said at that moment, there was one thing she wanted to know the answer to. "Was this... Was tonight a... d-date?"

[Jomei 0]

The man’s visible eyebrow raised when Telrenya spoke his name, the starting of another question or statement he assumed. That man watched as she seemed to fidget around in her mind for the words to speak, staring down at her hand in Jomei’s. Everything seemed to freeze, wondering just what it was she wanted to say.

His cheeks flushed a bright red when she asked Jomei if this was a date. At his point, he could not keep eye contact. His eyes darted to the side, trying to think of a way to answer. If he said yes, she might feel upset that Jomei invited her out to ‘chat’, but was calling this a date... but on the other hand, what if there was hope behind her question. Hope that this was, in fact, a date to him. Jomei swallowed down the ball in his throat. “Well.. uhm... it, could be.. if you’d like.” Jomei’s answer was just as awkward as he felt. He chuckled at his own stupid answer, his head dropping to stare at his own legs.

[Telrenya 0]

Her eyes ocassionally flickered up towards his face before darting back down, watching the man become just as awkward and flustered as she felt. The blush on her face persisted the whole time, and as he began to stammer out an answer she lost the ability to look up at him, her eyes now glued to the empty space between them.

There was so much on her mind. How did she feel about Jomei? Despite all their time together, she felt as though she had never thought to ask herself a question like that. Perhaps she had often taken their encounters for granted; the times he had shown concern for her, protected her. She wished that she had the courage to look back up at him. And then there was the entirely different matter of their surroundings. Jomei's response hadn't yet sunk in. They were going to be trapped...until the game was cleared? 

'I wish we could've gone to see the StarGlades.'

Before she realized it, droplets collided against her skirt, leaving tiny stains before Cardinal returned the fabric to its normal color. She surprised even herself, tears continuing to fall and slide down her cheeks as she lifted her head. She wore a smile when she faced him again, but her expression was torn between one of admiration and sorrow. "Then... I guess, that will make this the longest date ever."

[Jomei 0]

Telrenya’s face as she looked at Jomei was a pool of emotions. Tears running down her cheeks, but a small smile on her face. He was happy that she agreed with him, that this was a date.. though her sorrow came from the thought of never being able to escape this cave. 

Jomei could not help but match Tel’s happiness though. Bringing up his free hand, he wiped the tears from her face and gently placed his hand on her cheek. He stared into her glistening eyes.

“Well.. if this is the longest date ever.. then I’m happy I get to spend it with you.” 

The man’s mind went back to his thought from earlier, when their faces were mere inches apart. There was no denying it now. Slowly, Jomei closed his eyes, fog seeping from his mouth as he exhaled. His lips slightly pursed the closer he got, and eventually, he felt the warmth of Telrenya’s kiss as he pressed his lips into hers. In that moment, it did not matter to him how long they would be stuck in this cave. Nothing mattered to him but this moment.

[Telrenya 0]

The gentle graze of Jomei's hand across her cheeks had brushed her tears away, followed by the warmth that eminated from his palm pressing lightly against her cheek. His movements were unexpected, but comforting, and Telrenya felt the bittersweet smile that she wore widen slightly as his half-obscured gaze met hers.

His words let butterflies loose in her stomach, accompanied by a quickened heartbeat that only increased its tempo as Jomei then leaned forward to close the gap between them. She blinked, attempting to dismiss the lingering blurriness from her vision while the man's face grew closer to hers. Although his intentions were immediately clear, Telrenya couldn't help the feeling of shock that ran through her as their lips met--a feeling that was soon replaced with bubbling excitement and overflowing warmth. 

Her own eyes closed as she gently leaned back into the man's tender kiss, lingering as if she wanted the feeling to last forever. As they would eventually separate, Telrenya's face rested just inches from Jomei's once again, and the condensation that spilled from their mouth swirled together before vanishing. The woman offered him a shy smile while her cheeks were still hot with a pink hue and her heart continued to pound in her chest.

[Jomei 0]

Despite the lips of the two separating, Jomei still felt the warmth and fluttering feeling in his chest. His eyes opened, their faces still mere inches apart, each breath creating a fog that circled between them. Jomei’s pursed lips stretches into a soft smile as he gently rubbed Telrenya’s cheek one last time before taking it away. Now, he figured, he had made it very clear how he felt about her, and she did the same. 

His small smile expanded as he turned his body and used his hands to raise up to his feet. His cloak returned to its normal position from being bunched up between the two. “Despite how much I was starting to think that you and I should just live here the rest of our lives..” he started, in a joking matter. He reached a hand out to the blonde who still sat on the icy floor of the cavern, “I think we should try and find another way out.” 

After helping the woman up, Jomei looked at the opposite end of the cave. It was darker, much darker, for the ice crystals did not have as much light to reflect at that point. However, the darkness may have been hiding a path from them. Jomei looked back to Tel with a smile and a nod, “You ready?”

[Telrenya 0]

With her tears subsided, the flushed girl looked up at Jomei curiously as he stood himself up. She took his hand without hesitation, getting back to her feet and instinctively brushing off the front of her skirt. Despite how quickly her heart continued to beat when his olive eyes turned to meet hers again, she smiled in return. "It's worth a shot." She agreed in a soft voice.

The two pressed forward, walking along the winding path she presumed would have led them to an exit on the other side of the mountain. The air was still, save for their footsteps and steady breaths filling the silence for a while. The woman stared off at the crystal formations they passed by, some refracting the soft light of the illuminated structures. Her thoughts were distracting her from their main goal of searching the place for a way out. 'Come on Estelle. He already did that, so...' She thought, urging herself along.

While the two walked side-by-side, Telrenya shifted her gaze back in front of her so as to catch a quick sideways glance of the empty hand that hung beside the Irishman. After another few moments of hesitation, she subtly moved her own hand towards it, gently brushing her fingers against the back of his hand as if announcing her presence or asking for permission. After another quick mental urge, she slid her palm against his, beginning to lace her fingers with his.