Teion 0 Posted March 15, 2018 Author #21 Report Share Posted March 15, 2018 He began to scold her. "Do you think that will make everything better? If you cry about it, and feel like sh*t, and tell yourself and everyone else how guilty and sorry you are, that it'll change anything? Self-pity isn't going to get you anywhere. Going on about what you meant or what you didn't do doesn't alter the things you did. Now," He loosened his grip on the woman, letting his arms fall back to his sides and taking a small step backwards. "No more tears, please." The corner of his mouth turned up into a pleading smirk. He looked back at her a bit softer now, taking on a more encouraging tone. "Sucking it up and telling yourself...me why you did what you did, without all the bullsh*t, won't exactly 'fix' anything. But it might make you feel better." He shrugged, still wearing half a smirk. ID#: 98723 | MD: 2 - Miss! Teion: 635/740 HP | 73/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 156/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 15, 2018 Author #22 Report Share Posted March 15, 2018 Teion brought her hands up to wipe the residual moisture from her cheeks, pushing the last of her tears away. The more her perception of Aereth spoke, the more she slowly came back to her senses and got a hold of herself. Her chin dipped forward into a small nod, and her hands dropped back down to her sides. Her palms pressed against the wooden surface of the counter directly behind her, fingers curling over the edge while she used it to stabilize herself further. Her eyes lingered on Aereth before shifting to the forms of the Endilix twins behind and on either side of him, looking back at her with their same untroubled and empathetic expressions. Teion took in a breath through her nose, swallowing down the remaining nervousness that she felt causing her heart to pound in her chest. "Right... You're right." She repeated, taking a few seconds more to compose herself. ID#: 98724 | MD: 3 - Miss! Teion: 635/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 156/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 15, 2018 Author #23 Report Share Posted March 15, 2018 "Well... I..." Despite trying to find the right words ahead of time, she still hesitated and paused for fear of thoughtlessly throwing out the wrong ones. "It's not that I didn't think it could work out, or that I stopped caring for you or any--" One look at Aereth's hooded gaze and pursed lips that expressed his fatigue from her poor approach caused Teion to bite her bottom lip and silence herself. "Uhm, right, well..." She sighed. Why was this always so difficult? Expressing herself, communicating, and putting complicated feelings into words was a challenge that nearly caused her to grind her teeth in frustration. "I was scared." She settled on a new starting point, dropping her gaze to the sandstone bricks lining the floor between them as she continued. "I never told you about the guys that kept coming after me, after that first time. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to get involved. Even though it directly involved you already." ID#: 98729 | MD: 6 - Hit! Teion: 601/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 156/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 15, 2018 Author #24 Report Share Posted March 15, 2018 Her lids slid shut now, and her brows knit with slight frustration. "I thought I could shoulder it all myself. It didn't matter if they came for me, if they wanted to use me as bait. I would handle it, I would be okay, and I wouldn't let them get to you. That's what I kept telling myself. But after the last time, and after telling Kimi, Hestia, and Jomei everything...it was clear that trying to take it all on by myself, like I usually do, was only tearing me apart. And, even beside those terrible people..." Her eyes opened again and cobalt met brown. New apprehension was building inside of her as she knew exactly what she wanted to say, and she began gnawing gently on the inside of her cheek as she hesitated to get the words out. "When we met, you were ready to end it all. And I wasn't so far behind you, honestly." ID#: 98730 | MD: 4 - Miss! Teion: 601/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 156/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 15, 2018 Author #25 Report Share Posted March 15, 2018 "We...became each other's lifelines. And while that connection was something special that both of us needed at the time...that scared me, too." She admitted with the weakest smile she could manage. "I thought--hoped--we were going to be okay. But I was far off from fully understanding you, and that unknown scared the hell out of me sometimes." The small chuckle that escaped her was a bit forced, but she pressed on. "So, having you there to rely on, and just spending time with you...it was nice. But the future terrified me, and I didn't want to make the same mistakes I've kept on making for years now. I...I took the easy way out and selfishly broke it off. Funny how I regret the way I did things, while I was trying to avoid more regret later on, heh." Across from her, Aereth's smirk grew a bit wider and the man let out a chuckle of his own that quickly turned into a laugh. ID#: 98731 | MD: 9 - Critical Hit! Teion: 566/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 156/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 15, 2018 Author #26 Report Share Posted March 15, 2018 "That wasn't so hard now, was it?" He lightly teased her, folding his arms across his chest again. The man's brow turned up in slight, residual concern. "Just... Whether or not you actually say all those things to his face one day, you can't keep holding it over your own head. It's just going to keep hurting and hurting, and all you'll have left to see is one big...mistake." The last word came with his hands fanning out to his sides, as if to gesture to the smithy and all of the figures still standing inside of it. Her shoulders dropped slightly, the truth of his words sinking in fully. As she swallowed, she felt the small lump that had formed in her throat, but she forced the corner of her mouth upwards into another weak smile. "Yeah. That's... Those aren't the kind of memories I want after all." ID#: 98732 | MD: 1 - Critical Miss! Teion: 566/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 156/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 15, 2018 Author #27 Report Share Posted March 15, 2018 "Alright, alright," Aereth brought up a hand to gesture the woman forward. "Please, I'd rather you slice me open with that axe of yours than having you cry again." He half-joked, and Teion couldn't help the short, sad laugh that escaped her. "Gah, why couldn't that have been how it actually happened...?" She mumbled under her breath with a wry smile, reaching behind her and reluctantly grabbing the handle of Requiem at her back. She drew the weapon forward in the small space of her smithy, meeting Aereth's gaze with a slight sadness. The curved blade pulled to the side while she took a step forward, and she took in a sharp breath to steel herself. Forcing her own hand, Teion brought the heavy weapon across her body, creating a single wide gash across the man's body. The corner of his mouth hooked into a smirk and Aereth offered her a short wave before his form shattered much like Beatbox's before him. ID#: 98766 | BD: 9 - Critical Hit! Torque Wave (x5) Active | MD: 1 - Critical Miss! (15 base) + (1 critical) = (16 DMG) x (5 sword art) = (85 DMG) - (5 MIT) = (80 DMG) Teion: 566/740 HP | 69/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 76/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #28 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 A steady, heavy exhale left the violette, and she now she stood facing her old friends once again. Emerath took the initiative to approach the purple-haired blacksmith, taking a couple of steps forward across the shop's floor and past the empty displays that stood on either side of them. "Don't beat yourself up over what happened between us. Or how I've been acting ever since then. You've got nothing to feel sorry for in that regard." The redhead shook his head lightly. "We've all got a lot on our plates in here. Don't worry about the could-haves and should-haves." He picked up a hand and placed it gently atop her shoulder again while he offered her a small, comforting smile. "I can't really speak for him, but... Whether we're fighting through this castle together or separately, don't let some distance come between all of us, alright?" His hand picked up from her shoulder, and Emerath gave her a quick cuff on her upper arm before taking half a step back. ID#: 98767 | MD: 10 - Critical Hit! Teion: 530/740 HP | 70/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 76/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #29 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 "And hey, for what it's worth... I--you actually enjoyed that date after all. Don't let this messed up game spoil those memories, okay?" He let out a short, breathy chuckle and brought up a hand to rub at the nape of his neck. "Alright, alright, enough of all that. You've got plenty more to sort out, right?" Despite the confusion Teion felt by his words, she understood the instruction he was getting at. She couldn't move on and get out of this place without destroying their illusions first. She was only grateful that they had been so kind to her thus far, as if some piece of her mind wanted so desperately for her to let go of these resentments and the bitter feelings she held onto with each of these memories. The violette released a long breath, sighing out the remaining regret involving the man standing across from her that she had been clinging to. ID#: 98768 | BD: 9 - Critical Hit! Ultimate Breaker (x3) Active | MD: 2 - Miss! (15 base) + (1 critical) = (16 DMG) x (3 sword art) = (48 DMG) - (5 MIT) = (43 DMG) Teion: 530/740 HP | 66/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 33/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #30 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 With a single swing of her tri-colored axe, Emerath's form was cut down just the same. And now there was only one figure left as the pink-orange glow of the sunset streamed through the tall windows in the dusty smithy. Endilix's shoulders dropped and the grin that he had worn earlier had shifted into a sympathetic smile. Wordlessly, the remaining twin took quick, long strides to close the distance between them. Bringing his arms forward, Endilix drew the woman into a tight embrace. Her grip on Requiem loosened, and the battleaxe gave off a dull clang as it dropped to the floor beside them. Her arms naturally snaked under his, hands pressing against Endilix's back as she returned his hold. Her head tilted down for her to bury her face into the crook of her old friend's neck. "You know I'm not gonna stand here and lecture you." He spoke softly. ID#: 98769 | MD: 10 - Critical Hit! Teion: 494/740 HP | 67/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 33/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #31 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 "We know that this stupid game isn't going to erase the past, what? Six years? More than that? Nah, we're way too stubborn for that." Teion released a short breathe through her nose against his skin in a half-chuckle, holding the man a bit tighter. "Really sucks that this isn't real." She shot back, lingering for several long seconds. It was the vision of Endilix that first pulled away, holding the woman at arm's length while he took on another lighter expression. He gave Teion a couple of quick, rough pats against her shoulder before finally breaking away, bending down and retrieving her axe from the ground. He held the weapon out to her, "Halfway there." Her brows turned up with a sad smile, nodding to the redhead while her fingers wrapped around the axe's dark handle. With a final downward strike, the last of the figures disappeared in a flurry of glowing shards. ID#: 98770 | BD: 3(+3)=6 - Hit! Ultimate Breaker (x3) Active | MD: 6 - Dead (15 base) x (3 sword art) = (45 DMG) - (5 MIT) = (40 DMG) Teion: 494/740 HP | 65/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT <<Second Inner Demon>>: 0/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #32 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 Another small 'click' signaled the unlocking of the door ahead of her that then swung open to reveal the same emptiness from before. With some vague semblance of getting the hang of this odd place by now, Teion moved back into the main area, where the presence of a new door to her left quickly drew her attention. Standing opposite the one that had led her to the memory of the sixth floor earlier, Teion took several steps across the lighted ground to stand before the newest path. Reaching out and grasping the brass handle, she drew in a deep breath before pushing the door open. Before her stood more familiar landscape. A soft breeze brushed against her cheeks as she walked through the free-standing frame and into the quiet, flowery fields. A bright sunrise shone in the distance, causing her to squint slightly while she easily recognized the area around her. [1] Teion: 509/740 HP | 66/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #33 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 But with no familiar faces making themselves known to her, she felt skeptically alone in the Fields of Crossing. The soft 'click' of the door swinging shut of its own accord behind her didn't disturb her in the slightest, but the accented voice that broke through the air from the same direction caused Teion's heart to leap to her throat. "Bonjour, mon ami." The violette spun around to face the cliche figure of the Frenchman that she kept having the misfortune to encounter, his arms crossed over a long-sleeved, horizontally pinstriped shirt while he casually leaned back against the darkened wood. Her eyes went wide before the brows above them came down to narrow her sights into a sharp glare. "And what the hell are you doing here, asshat?" She insulted the man, hardly giving him any time to explain himself before continuing. "What vital life lesson could I possibly have to learn from someone like you?" [2] Teion: 524/740 HP | 67/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #34 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 Puffing out her chest, the woman took purposeful steps to close the gap between them, raising her chin to continue staring daggers into the impassive man's hazel eyes as she placed herself directly in front of him. With the rest of her fingers curled, she extended her right index and held her hand in front of her chest, thrusting the back of an accusatory finger towards the Frenchman. "You've done nothing but make my life hell! Every time I thought it was okay, and maybe I didn't have to life in a constant state of paranoia, you show up! And I've ended up poisoned, or crying, or both! What is it going to take to get you to just leave me the hell alone?!" Teion's shoulders rose and fell with heavy breaths, her heart beating rapidly in her chest with the adrenaline that pumped through her veins. [3] Teion: 539/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #35 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 The man waited a moment, and then simply rose a single, dark brow while he wore an incredibly bored expression. "Are you finished, cherie?" He asked plainly, causing the woman's lips to purse in half-frustration and half-embarrassment. "For a moment, you make me wonder which of us you are talking to." He pushed off of the door and casually walked past the woman, unbothered by her threatening stance. Teion blinked, taken aback by his nonchalance. Though after a moment, she supposed she really shouldn't expect much different. Throwing her balled fist back to her side, she turned to watch as he strode out into the grassy fields. "Silly girl, don't tell me you still do not understand," He started, still facing away from Teion while he bent down to pluck a single flower from the earth. He began to twirl it slowly between his fingers, and then started to pull away the bright yellow petals one by one. Teion: 554/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #36 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 "No no, I get it." Teion grumbled with a sour expression, her shoulders dipping in defeat as she let out an annoyed sigh. "Out of all things, why him?" The question was rhetorical, but the Frenchman seemed to seize the opportunity to answer her. "Well, he is a prominent figure in your life as of late, non? Not every demon inside of you is some long-lost memory or far-off relationship gone wrong." He took a moment from separating the petals from its flower in order to wave a hand through the air with his comparisons. "C'est la vie. I am not here to analyze such things." He finally turned back to face her, pulling the last golden petal away and tossing both it and the empty stem to the ground on either side of him. Teion's mouth turned down, the annoyance still clear on her face, but now overpowered by even greater defeat. Teion: 569/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #37 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 "Fine, I give. Go ahead and do whatever speech or something you had planned." The visible tension she had been holding on to slowly drained away. The man tut-tutted in response with a shake of his head, his tongue clicking against the back of his teeth. "Non, non. There will be no long-winded explanations, or how do you say...preaching, here. Viens ici," He urged her along with a wave of his hand, turning again and making his way to the crest of a hill. The man took a seat in the grass and patted his hand against the ground beside him, motioning for Teion to sit as well. The woman scoffed, raising a skeptical brow. "What, we're gonna have a picnic among the flowers?" She was grasping for witty remarks at this point, stubbornly trying to find fault with the situation. "So then what would happen if I just killed you, too?" Teion: 584/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #38 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 The Frenchman didn't seem at all bothered by her childish attitude or her threats, instead looking out over the rolling hills in the distance while the gentle breeze caused the grass to sway in rippling sheets. He closed his eyes for a moment while he shrugged, "Zen you would 'defeat' me, and the door would open for you, I suppose. Are you so impatient?" He challenged her. A silence fell over them, Teion casting a hard stare at the man who looked out over the never-ending landscape wearing another bored expression. Finally, she gave in. The violette took a few steps to seat herself on the grass a generous distance away from him, hooking an arm around one leg that she bent and held close to her while the other lay straight out in front of her on the slight decline. "...So?" She broke the silence with a single, hesitant word, and the man aside her cast her a sidelong glance before looking back out towards the soft sunrise. Teion: 599/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #39 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 "When was ze last time you had fun, mademoiselle?" The question was as simply as could be, but just a second after he had aired it, the man winced with discomfort. Teion grew visibly uncomfortable while she mulled over the words, shifting slightly despite having just gotten comfortable atop the small hill. She stared at the grass over the top of her raised knee, and gently gnawed at the inside of her cheek. "Allez, speak freely." He encouraged her, and Teion felt herself try to swallow back the apprehension. "Uhm..." She tried to think of something. A memory that was untainted by misfortune, sadness, or her own detachment. "Well, uhh... Last time I played with Sophie, we broke our killstreak record, so that was pretty cool." She answered meekly, eliciting a scoff from the Frenchman. "Tiens, I was trying to make a point, but you mean to say you have not had any fun in zis 'game' we play?" Teion: 614/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
Teion 0 Posted March 16, 2018 Author #40 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 He lifted an arm to gesture to the scenery in front of them. Teion shrank slightly, letting out a low grumble of dissatisfaction at his reasoning. "Yes and no." She answered flatly. The leg that had stretched in front of her pulled forward, and she wrapped both arms around her legs now, hugging them closely to her chest. "Some things are great. I love the places that I can see. The trees, all the nature away from the city. The sights, and the smells. The food. A lot of it is stuff I never dreamed I'd have the chance to experience. Even if it's all a simulation, it's real enough for me." She admitted with a small shrug. The corner of the man's mouth curved into a small, contented smile as she gradually opened up. "So? Why did you first think it so miserable here?" He questioned, causing Teion to bite down on her bottom lip. Sensing her initial reaction, he continued for a moment. Teion: 629/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT Link to post Share on other sites
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