[PP-F4] Titles are hard

[Mari 1]

Mari took a long and deep breath as she stepped out from her house into the cold snow. She exhaled steam - already she could feel the twinge of the cold air turning her ears and nose a rosy red. Mari didn't mind. She enjoyed the cold. Why build her house on a floor she hated, after all. Mari stepped off the small wooden porch, booted feet crunching in the snow. Today was one of the few days where she didn't have any plans. Nothing going on. The Easter event was over - and the guild planning was underway. Macradon was busy - and Mari wasn't sure she should reach out to Shield, Baldur or even Oikawa right now. Things were...a tad awkward.

Granted that was her fault but still.

Mari slapped her freckled face a few times to shake negative thoughts from her head. "Don' think like that Mari." She said to herself. Maybe it was all in her head - she was sure if she messaged any of them they'd respond. So why, why did she still find it so hard to reach out and make that connection?

A few more feet lead her to the frozen lake her house was built by. Mari's gaze drifted out across the lake - she could see the line of thick trees on the other side - helping hide her home away from others. Not that it was hard to find; it just shielded her from Snowfrost Town, and those prying eyes that'd attack before asking questions.

"Maybe I should take that quest." Mari muttered to herself.

@Snow



 

 

Spoiler

 

General
Level: 66 | HP: 1350  |Energy: 132

STATS
DAM: 16 | EVA 3  | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | 

BATTLE COPY
Mari    [H:0/0/0] - HP 1350/1350  | EN: 132/132 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 67 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 |

SKILLS
Rank 5 Weapon (+5 DMG)
-Weapon Mod: Precision (+1 ACC)
Rank 5 Charge (+5 Damage -1 ACC)
Charge Mod BULL RUSH: Successful charge stuns target 1 turn
Rank 5 Light Armor (+25 MIT)
Light Armor Mod Athletics -  Gain +1 base damage and +30 HP when wearing light armor
SURVIVAL
Rank 5 Battle Healing (5% of total health rounded down start of each turn)
Familiar Mastery Expert - +1 (*Tier) Damage - +9 Damage
 

EQUIPPED
Name: Kusanagi | Item Type: Dagger | Tier 2
Enhancements: Bleed 2 | Burn 2
'Bleed Damage of 24 for 2 turns on a roll of 8-10'
'Burn Damage' of 24 for 2 turns on a roll of 8-10 - Unmitigated

Name: Beacon Necklace | Item Type: Pendant | Tier 2
Enhancements  +3 ACC 

Name: Infernal Shadow | Item Type: Light Armour | Tier 3
Enhancements:  +2 Eva | +1 Flame Aura
'Effect: Prevent (6 per slot * Tier) damage per slot from successful attacks against you. Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (5 per slot * Tier) unmitigated burn damage to the attacking enemy.

 

 

 

 



Edited May 4, 2020 by Mari

[Snow 0]

The weather reminded Snow of her home. She chose to spend most of her free time on the fourth floor, usually at her restaurant, because it felt comfortable. That, and it was the closest to a place to stay she could afford. Today, however, the young blonde opted for a light stroll to enjoy the fresh powder from last night’s snowfall. Back home, she used to go into town after a fresh fall to look at all the white clinging to the trees. Instead of dead, dark sticks, they appeared as tall, white sculptures, glistening and sparkling in the light. 

She followed the tree line, and paused from time to time to admire the occasional ice formation or to warm her ears and nose. Time slipped through her fingers until the urge to double back crossed her mind. That was when the problem arose. Unlike home, her memory of this place wasn’t the same as the back of her hand. The blonde looked to the frozen horizon and realized, “Heck, how do I get back?”

Fresh tracks in the snow helped her a few feet back, but the system only registered so many footprints before purging them and Snow lacked the tracking skill to see what the system had erased visually. With a sigh, Snow opened her map. She raised a brow and narrowed her blue gaze at the topographical layout of the area near her marker. It looked like a body of water was eerily close to her. How had she never noticed? It was a detour she felt was necessary to take. For curiosity’s sake.

Snow’s clothes were not meant for an adventure of this magnitude and she began to feel the chill reach down to her bones. Unlike in the Republic, the cold posed to imminent threat to her life, but it did wear at the back of her mind. She couldn’t help herself from feeling the chill force her body into a brief quiver from time to time. Yet, she persisted and as she emerged to her destination, she saw she was not alone. A quarter of the way around the lake, Snow saw what her mind perceived as someone who shouldn’t be alive. Snow blinked once, twice and after the third time, she ruled out her eyes playing tricks on her.

”Daire?” The name escaped upon the soft cloud from her lips. “Couldn’t be.”

”Hello?!” Snow’s voice rang out with the help of a half cupped hand against her cheek. The bright blue wool mitten of her other hand waved toward the stranger like a beacon. A part of her hoped that she’d hear her name in reply in a friendly tone and accent she’d remember. Snow know she wouldn’t but the hope alone helped warm her heart just a bit in this frozen wonderland.

[Mari 1]

"Hello."

A voice called out to Mari, one filled with vibrancy and hope - an energetic greeting the woman was not expecting out here. Mari shifted her eyes to the source of the sound. About halfway round the lake stood what appeared to be a girl, long wisps of blonde hair billowing around her. Did Mari know this person? The only blonde Mari knew was Ariel, and Ariel was not one to just happily wave hello at her. 

Mari awkwardly rose her hand in a return wave. Just who the heck was this? Mari thought to herself as she rounded the edge of the lake, black boots crunching the freshly fallen snow beneath her feet. Closer and closer Mari came toward the girl, till she was able to talk without raising her voice.

"Uh - hello?" Mari said, confusion in her tone. "Can...I help you?" Mari asked. Her eyes shifted to glance behind the woman, to see where she had come from. It didn't look like she was followed. So she was alone? "Why are you alone out here? Aren't you...cold?" Of course she was. Everyone was on this floor - it was just a question of if the stranger liked it or not. 

Mari stood but a mere few metres away from the stranger; giving her enough space to turn and run if she wanted. Afterall, Mari was like a flickering flame amidst the snow. With clothes and hair of burning orange, a colour that bleed up to her crystal; that painted her as a sinner. Ever conscious of how she made others feel, Mari wanted to ensure the woman felt like she was safe. Or, well, safe-ish.

"I'm Mari, and you are?"

@Snow

[Snow 0]

The stranger approached and the closer she came, the more Snow’s unrealistic hope faded away. The shade of hair looked a few shades darker, and her face a little softer than Daire. Snow noticed one feature out of place immediately once it came into view, and orange marker. Her chest tightened but only for the briefest of moments. She remembered Opal, who she also learned was one of the lost. The initial instinct to be wary of a player killer lingered and Snow readied a menu as a precaution. Mari’s greeting disarmed her further.

”Oh no,” replied the young woman, “I was taking some time to appreciate the fresh snowfall. It reminds me of home, you know?”

She offered a smile. Snow also noticed Mari’s attention elsewhere. She seemed just as wary of Snow as Snow was of her.

”I... I might be a little lost,” Snow chuckled. “Unlike home, I don’t have this place memorized as well. And I am a bit chilly. Didn’t expect to get sidetracked.”

Snow remembered why she deviated from her path and a question popped into her head.

”I’m Snow,” she shared, “but why are you out here? I was surprised to see a lake on the map so close to town. Sad it’s on such a cold floor, but I wanted to see for myself. Are you on a quest or something?”

Her lack of mentioning Mari’s orange marker hopefully proved her openness to the status and a part of Snow wanted to hear the story. Opal had her reasons. Perhaps this girl had hers?

@Mari

[Mari 1]

"Home? Ah. Right." Mari shifted her gaze away, coughing awkwardly. "I forget, not everyone lives in satans armpit." She tried to joke. "Where I come from. There isn't any snow. So - floors like this..." Mari turned her attention to the lake, a small wistful smile appearing on her face. "I...really like it. I enjoy the cold. It makes me feel ...I dunno, alive."

Mari shifted her eyes back to the blue eyed girl. Mari relaxed her stance a little, she seemed friendly enough. Mari had to remind herself that not everyone was out to get her. Not everyone wanted to see her head on a pike.

"You are here now, and like it or not, you are slowly being surrounded by people who trust you and think well of you-"

Shields stern words echoed in her head. "I'm sorry I'm not who you thought I was." Mari said. She had noticed the way the other's shoulders had sagged, how her smile faltered when Mari grew closer. No wonder the greeting was so friendly. "Still." Mari continued, feeling it best to move on from the subject. "It's fairly easy to get lost here - there are various lakes scattered across the floor, different sizes and shapes. I use them as landmarks." Mari suggested. It was how she navigated the area.

"Why am I-" Mari glanced over her shoulder at her small cabin. "I live here." Came her simple reply. "I built my house by this lake for a number of reasons. It's about an hours walk from Snowfrost so not too far - but not too close to the main settlement. This lake is where I got my familiar too." Mari left out the part where nearby, sat a grave marker for someone she had killed - and that she built her house here so it'd be easier to tend to Tom's Grave. Snow didn't need to know that. She was a stranger. Hell, the only person who did currently know that was Crozeph, Tom's brother.

"Today, is one of the few days, where I am not on a quest." Mari replied.

Crap. Mari was terrible at this small talk thing. Snow seemed lively enough, friendly enough- and yet Mari still struggled with talking to her.

@Snow

[Snow 0]

Satan's armpits? Snow thought to herself. Compared to the Republic, Japan certainly had days that fit her description. Low to mid forties with a hundred percent humidity was a recipe for a thin t-shirt dipped in cold tap water and straddling a fan. The little AC unit in her dorm unit choked on days like that. She remembered it only being useful at night.

Snow wondered what Mari meant by feeling alive. The blonde thought only those that felt numb said things like that. Her memory relapsed to seeing Last_Chance scratched out on her friends list. She identified that moment with numbness, emptiness, and loss of purpose. It took time and several silver linings to make her feel alive again. Snow focused on Mari's orange cursor, something she forgot might be noticed, and thought about the strife and pain the marker meant for those involved. She visibly frowned.

The words that followed fit the mood. Snow took a deep breath and visualized that breath becoming a bottle for those dark, pained feelings to be stuffed into. As she exhaled, that bottle of unspoken concern and pain drifted into the cold air for someone else to discover another day in a distant place from here. The cheerful, persistent glimmer of hope and friendliness returned to Snow's aquamarine irises.

"Living out here must be nice," she thought aloud. "Always able to light a fire, wrap up in a blanket, and sip something warm off the stove? My favorite."

Snow smiled. Her eyes stung a little and glistened in the light of the overcast sky.

"I'm sorry," Snow let out a single pained laugh. "Didn't mean to be a bother" She turned to the side and used the sleeves of her hoodie to quickly work the something out of her eyes. 

"Well, your house is lovely and the scenery is beautiful," Snow added as she looked up with a little redness to offset her eyes.

@Mari

[Mari 1]

The answer that fell from the other womans lips was not one Mari expected. She blinked. Mild confusion etched on her flushed and freckled features. She was so used to people questioning her sanity. Questioning why she'd pick a floor of eternal winter above all the other more amicable floors. The confusion melted away and Mari offered snow an amused smile. "It is. I like the cold. I also like curling up in front of the fire; or beneath a kotatsu - staring out the window at night. Watching everything."  Most thought the floor a dead wasteland, but it was far from the truth. At night; whilst that was when it snowed heaviest that was when it was really magical. The sky would light up in a wash of various colours, stars would dance above them - and on the rare occasion. The lake would defrost, and the water would glimmer like a midnight blanket of diamonds. One day, Mari had hoped to share those moments with someone. But she doubted she'd ever be granted the chance. Not that she deserved it.

At least they had some common ground, Mari didn't have to feel so awkward - nor pressed to force unnatural conversations.   "You're not a bother." Mari said as she wrapped her arms in her scarf. Unlike Snow, she was not dressed for the weather of the floor. Mari gave her last jacket to a player a while ago - and had yet found the time to pick up another. "But, aside from the amicable weather - what brings you here?" Mari asked. "Not many really wander through this way. Did you need directions to Snowfrost?" There was a pause as Mari hesitated on her next words. Unsure if she should offer, or if Snow would even accept. Still - Mari would be amiss if she did not at least try. "I can walk you there if you like, although I'd have to leave you before we hit the safe zone."

@Snow

[Snow 0]

Snow appreciated the mention of a kotatsu. Her and Daire would sit under it in the winter to study and work on their studio projects. Daire’s feet always ran cold, and she laughed every time she made Alyssa peep with discomfort. At least inside the Nervegear, that’s as far as the cold could do to a player, just mild discomfort — like that feeling of an arm falling asleep but all over the body. With her hoodie and cotton pants, Snow felt that tingling discomfort hug her all around. Czech winters made it laughable.

”I just wanted to see the fresh snowfall,” Snow admitted. Her attention drifted to the trees. “I just love the trees when they look like white statues. They look so delicate and only last for a few hours before the wind and sun take it away.”

The impact of her words struck herself. Perhaps it was the presence of Mari, her orange marker, the familiar setting, or the combination of it all. The theme of fleeting beauty meant so much more in their situation.

”No...” Her voice trailed. “I think I’ll stay a bit before I head back. I only now noticed this lake and wanted to check it out. I just started a sushi bar in town.”

She turned back to Mari with a smile and slid her chilled hands into her back pockets for a bit of warmth. 

“Never hurts to have a few local sources. I bet the fish down there are really fatty and rich in flavor. Do you like Sushi?”

@Mari

[Mari 1]

Mari watched as Snow's gentle gaze rose above her, to rest high above - dancing along the treeline that kissed the sky. They seemed to share the same thoughts when it came to the weather. Although snow was much more articulate than Mari. "I agree." Mari said as she kicked at the snow with a blackened boot. "There's just a sort of serenity to it all."
Snow denied Mari's offer of help. If not back to the town then...

Mari cleared her throat - "You look a little cold." She said, gesturing to the way Snow had shoved her hands into her coat. "Did you..." Why was this so damn hard?  Was it because Mari had very few female friends? Or was it the ethereal beauty that Snow had? Mari always felt a little awkward in front of beautiful women, especially since her own was nothing to write home about. 

"Did you want to come into my home?" Mari asked as she stepped to the side; glancing at the wooden cabin behind her. "I have a nice floral blend of milky tea - similar to Earl Grey. The fire and Kotatsu are always on. It's small but...it's home." Mari said as she shifted her gaze back to Snow. "Sadly, I don't have any sushi." She added with a wry smile.

@Snow

[Snow 0]

Snow giggled at Mari's play of words. She didn't expect such hospitality from an acquaintance, moreso from someone with a public history floating ominously above their head. Still, for someone with a checkered past, Snow found Mari exceptionally open and receptive. Despite the blonde's trusting personality, the small voice in the back of her head warned her. Any day could be her last, and any player could put a knife in her back out here -- colored marker or not.

"You don't have to," Snow politely began, "but that does sound lovely."

Above all the caution and instinctual warning, Snow yearned deep down for her anchor. She yearned for that pillar of support she found in Daire and felt that promise of companionship in her new acquaintance. Of all the players the blonde met, nearly half had taken a life and bore their sin to bare for all to see. To Snow, she looked past the obvious and searched for the person under the label. Even the worst of them all had reason for their actions. Sometimes those reasons were as simple as not believing the threat of death was real. And to Snow, she understood that kind of coping. Even for those players with hands thickened in the blood of actual people's lives, she couldn't help but see the fear and anxiety of a person under the false confidence of digital numbers. No one wanted to die. And those that did...

"Are you sure I'm not being a bother?" Snow spoke to divert her thoughts. "I'd hate to have you feel obligated."

@Mari

Edited May 7, 2020 by Snow

[Mari 1]

Mari gestured with a wave of her hand for Snow to follow as she turned back to her house. Not like she really had anything better to do today. Tomorrow, mayhaps - but today? No. Her light footsteps left tracks in the snow as Mari breached the small length of space between where they were conversing and her small, stone cottage. "I only have a single room." Mari began. "So it's really not all too fancy. I can't exactly afford more space right now - I had the money but it's kinda been donated for a guild hall instead." Keep the conversation light, right?  Mari normally didn't have such trouble with these sorts of things. Normally she'd not talk at all. Or just blow someone off. But a few wise people had told her to try and open up a little more. And Mari couldn't lie; it was kinda nice to talk to another female. One that didn't immediately depend on her.   

Lovely she says. Lovely Like sipping tea beneath a warm Kotatsu by the window as they watched snow fall gently down would be - okay that did sound pretty damn lovely to Mari. She didn't know many others who would enjoy such a thing. Maybe Baldur. Maybe. But how was she meant to ask him of all people to just sit quietly and watch the scenery? 

"I'm not obligated at all." Mari said. "Honestly, if I didn't feel like it - I wouldn't invite you in. I'm not exactly good at trying to be all nice and hospitable." She coughed. "I'm tryin' but gosh - I wouldn't invite someone into my home if I felt like it was going to be a bother. 

Mari stepped up on the small wooden porch and shook the snow off her. "Home sweet home." She muttered as she pushed the door open.

The inside was wooden walls and stone floors, the single room was styled as a living room. Directly opposite them was a small square table; enough to fit two if they were to squish together - a place for Mari to eat.  To the right; a roaring fireplace, there was a place to put a pot to cook food, but the hook was currently empty. The floor before the fireplace looked like it had been draped in a few different indescribable animal skins. In front of the fireplace were two chairs facing opposite each other; made from a rich red velvet, adorned in pillows.  There was also a small mirror on the left hand wall, round without trimming, a cloth was hanging over it; as though someone didn't want to see their reflection.

To their immediate left, right by the window was a small corner that looked like it didn't quite belong in the room - cobble floor fell away to a light tatami mat - and atop that sat a Kotasu table. It's surface made of a wood that had been stained a golden brown. The surrounding material, thick and plush made of black. Atop the table sat a small ornate teapot - painted with the images of the 'Great Wave of Kanagawa' and beside around it four matching cups.

Mari stepped to the side to allow Snow to come in "See, nothing fancy."

@Snow

[Snow 0]

Snow nodded at Mari's gesture and followed the footprints left by her small feet. The place seemed smaller up close, but the smaller footprint likely kept the roof from collapsing from the layers upon layers of powder atop its roof. Snow remembered having to climb on the roof with her parents as a kid to help shovel it clean after several days of snowfall or a particularly bad storm. She smiled at the thought and shook her head solemnly. She felt silly thinking a mechanic like that would exist in a fantasy world like this.

"No worries," Snow assured. "I like small. It's more cozy and personal. Reminds me when I was a kid."

As she entered, Snow bowed her head to Mari -- a custom she adopted and instinctively performed from her time in Japan. The interior didn't impress, but the warmth and quaintness of it brought ample peace and comfort. Snow noticed the small table with room for two at best. The kotatsu also seemed small, but adequate for one or two. The blonde made way to the middle of Mari's humble cottage and turned to her. She felt the next question on her mind out of place, but decided to ask regardless. 

"You don't get very many visitors, do you?" Asked Snow. She felt rude the moment the final word left her lips.

"Shame," she tried to correct. "It's a hidden gem."

A short, nervous laugh followed.

"Thank you for inviting me."

[Mari 1]

 "You'd...be surprised." Mari said as she scratched the back of her neck. Her thoughts trailed to all the visitors she's had...Baldur - who was there when she created her home. Oikawa who had spent weeks, maybe months trying to find her so he could find some sort of advice, and solace in his actions. People like Crozeph who cried silent tears before falling into dreamless sleep at the Kotatsu. Even Shield and Beat had joined her here.

"Yeh..." Mari added after a moment of silence had washed over the two. "This place has sorta been acting as a halfway house of sorts." Mari opened her HUD, quickly removing her 'outside' attire, and replacing it with a warm, long sleeved Yukata - a dark blue robe adorned with white etchings of Koi fish over it. Mari wriggled her toes, now covered in nothing more than white socks. Enjoying the feeling of freedom and how they thrummed against the stone.

Mari gestured for Snow to follow her; as she headed over to the Kotatsu; she lifted up the plush royal blue material of it and slid her feet under. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, letting the tickling warmth travel up from her feet, to her legs.  Mari grabbed the small teapot and poured a small cup first for Snow, then for herself.

"To explain, people kinda find their way to me when they need help. I...." Mari paused as she carefully set the pot down. "I don't know why they seek me out..." Mari added quietly, it was clear she didn't believe in herself half as much as those who looked up to her.  Mari smiled as she lifted her eyes up to Snow. "But, It kinda makes me feel glad to hear you think it's a hidden gem."

@Snow

[Snow 0]

Snow, unfortunately, lacked the clothing options to settle into something more conformable. Those remained in the storage trunk of her room at the Inn. However, the light hoodie, blue shirt, and base layer leggings she wore afforded plenty of comfort for the time being. She followed Mari to the kotatsu in the corner and took a seat on the tatami floor. Snow oddly preferred sitting on the floor. When she was young, her parents struggled to afford fancy furniture or even a home that would fit much at all. Her fondest memories were sitting on the floor with her back against the small love seat couch and her dad's legs draped over her shoulders. As Mari poured tea for her, the blonde started to feel the numbness of the cold melt away and with it, a sense of security. She began to understand why some choose to visit the redhead and escape from their problems.

"Thank you." Snow again nodded her head with thanks before taking the tea in two hands and sipping gently from the warm rim of the cup. "Delicious. And lovely chinaware, too."

She looked around the cottage one more time, pausing to admire the cold outdoors while feeling warm and safe inside. "Sounds like you enjoy helping others..."

Snow kept her focus outside as small, round birds jumped from branch to branch. Their tiny bodies pushed the delicately balanced powder off and to the ground below. 

"Was it always that way?" The question came from the girl in a tone of innocence. She remembered that her own circumstances weren't always as selfless as they were today. "Until recently, I only worried about myself."

@Mari

Edited May 10, 2020 by Snow

[Mari 1]

"You're the first person to comment on that." Mari said as she turned her own cup in her hand - fingers tracing over the great wave design. "I love little pieces like this." Mari said quietly. The great wave of Kanagawa was one of Mari's favorite artistic pieces. It bought her a sense of relief, and serenity. The way the waves created a circular centre point, the boats...everything about it. Mari wished she could find reason for such love. It wasn't like it was linked to a memory, or a defining moment in life, she just liked the art. "It just makes things feel more like home." Mari snorted. "Even though home isn't exactly Japan. But hey." 

Mari took another sip of the tea. She couldn't take credit for the tea itself; but she wished she could. Mari loved brewing teas; enjoying different types - trying different flavour combinations. Pairing the perfect tea to the perfect day- the perfect moment. She couldn't do that here. I miss that 

Snow made a comment about how it seemed that Mari enjoyed helping others. Do I? Or am I doing it out of a sense of obligation. Mari kept quiet. She...didn't mind helping others - but sometimes it did feel like a chore. Especially at times where people were relentlessly throwing themselves into danger. Or were foolish enough to unwittingly wander into it. "I don't know..." Mari said. "I think...I just - don't want to see anyone hurt themselves. I've seen enough death to know I don't want it to happen anymore."

Mari shook her head. "No, I was always fairly cold and rude to people. I had this mindset - 'why bother getting close to anyone? They're either gonna die or get out and forget you' " Mari carefully placed her cup back down on the Kotatsu. "It took me a long time to open up - and I was betrayed over and over and over for it. I honestly..." Mari shifted her gaze to the window - watching the snowfall. "I honestly just kinda gave up caring. But strangely enough ....that's what helped. Along with people whom I can trust now."

Mari waved off her words. "I'm sorry. That probably sounds a little silly. Huh?"

@Snow

[Snow 0]

Silence filled the air between the two girls. Snow stared into the verdant tint of the tea in her cup. The truth hurt to hear no matter how much Snow tried to push it down beneath the surface. Mari’s words strummed a few chords. Those that she remembered were lost and they those she met kept her at a distance. Distance seemed safe. Everyone was scared, everyone hesitated to trust. Yet, here the blonde sat in a stranger’s home who clearly knew more about loss and death first hand than Snow. All she knew was the lined out names stuck on her friend’s list and on the black slab back in the Town of Beginnings.

”It’s not silly at all...” She broke the air with a solemn affirmation. “I think...”

Snow swirled the contents of her cup. Steam softly billowed from its rim and the two little leaves at the bottom danced around one another delicately.

”I think we need more of that.” Her voice remained soft as thought lost in her own head. “I think it’s more brave to have an open heart here than to pick up a weapon and fight. Everyone is scared and some are scared to talk about it. Most don’t want to listen because, well... they’re too busy trying to deal with their own problems.“

Snow looked up and met a reflection of her own expression In Mari. 

“I don’t think it’s silly at all. Trust is more valuable than any other resource here. It’s scarce and fleeting.” The girl felt a bit of her normalcy return and the mask of positive optimism settle back into her cheeks. She cracked a faint smile and brought her tea to her lips for a sip. 

“That’s why I want to help, too. I want to do my part. I want to be something positive surrounded by all the negative. We have to make the best of a bad thing, you know?”

She took a deep breath; some weight shedded off.

“Like sitting here with a new friend, enjoying some tea in a warm house as the snow comes down outside.”

@Mari

Edited May 11, 2020 by Snow

[Mari 1]

"You think?" Mari asked snow when she broke the silence with her small, lilting voice. Mari could detect an accent - but had yet to chance what it was. Only that Snow lived somewhere 'cold' but that could be very many places - except perhaps Mari's own country. Mari shrugged. "I'm not sure - I find it surreal - after having been so long since I bothered to open up to others. And to have everyone from my past betray or lie to me at some point...you'd think that would make me bitter. Uncaring. But I guess when I did stop caring it flipped some sort of switch. Like a reset button." 

Mari lowered her eyes down to her hands. Truth be told, even though she had managed to surround herself with people who wanted to see her succeed, people who had her back and wanted good things for her - Mari couldn't help but shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, that something worse was waiting out there - that something would just shake everything and leave her tumbling down the tower she had built, only to fall back into the dirt where she belonged. "I'm honestly just waiting for it all to crumble and I'll be back where I started." 

Snow was right though; there was little reason for one to dwell on the what-ifs. The negatives. "Trust is so hard to gain, and so very easy to break." Mari mused as she took another sip of her drink. "I kinda wish I had the capacity to deal with my own problems - but I'm a little busy helping everyone else. I think..." Mari paused as she lowered her cup.

"If you wanna help, you're doing a sh*t tonne more than many others right now. You've offered a stranger a friendly smile and decent banter - not many can claim that." Mari offered Snow. "Everyone moves too quickly. We just need to stop - and watch the snow fall sometimes."


@Mari

[Snow 0]

"I mean, it does make for a good laugh when I fall, but rude..." The blonde laughed a little at her own horrible joke.

She looked to the window as the powder fell. She felt comfortable, happy even. Even though Mari wasn't who she thought she was, in this moment, Snow felt as though everything was okay. Things were normal and tomorrow would be just another day. She knew that wasn't the case, but she let herself be swept away in the feeling.

"Mari," Snow began in her light, foreign accent. "If you'll let me, I'll keep it all from crumbling."

She turned to the redhead with a rosy hue in her cheeks and serenity glowing off her smile.

"Let me do what I can to help you. Let me be a pillar. I lost mine, but I know how important it is to have one." Snow placed her hand on the table palm up. "I don't know you. I just met you, but I feel you deserve to smile and laugh just like everyone else."

From the outside looking in, Snow realized how asinine she must look offering something she knew all well she had no right to promise. Each encounter with a lower level beast put Snow in the jaws of fate. However, her chest swelled with a determination and passion. She felt lost but believed her purpose now laid in what she once had. She wanted to be a pillar of support for anyone that needed it. She'd stumble, she'd fall, she'd get back up and try again.

"And if you fall, let me help you get back up."

[Mari 1]

What

That conversation went from 0 to 100 real quick, what was Snow saying? Why was her hand there? Did she want Mari to hold it? Why did she stare at Mari with such a sweet and demure smile, offering her warmth and happiness - a person to lean on. Mari felt a myriad of things - she wasn't sure how to act nor what to say. Then, came that single word. Pillar

"HA!" Mari exclaimed loudly. She jumped at the sudden noise then tried to cover her mouth but instead of stopping she just snorted.

"Sorry I just..." Mari gestured toward Snow, still stifling her laughter. "You're sweet, you know that? I just - that's like something straight out of an anime or somethin' all you're missing is a background filled with blooming flowers." Mari drew a deep breath. "Snow, I'm actually kinda already a Pillar too." Mari added - trying to explain her earlier outburst.

"I'm uhm...." How should Mari explain this? The concept was very new to herself. Being involved in a guild- helping others. "I'm a Pillar in a guild called Jacobs Ladder." Mari said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "It's...a guild that more or less does exactly what you said. We want to keep things from crumbling, we want to be able to help others - build them up - and to help everyone else escape from this place. So...I guess I kinda found it ironic when you started saying those things. Then maybe the nerves so I guess that's why I laughed I didn't..."

Mari reached out to place her hand gently in Snow's her hand was soft, delicate - and Mari's enveloped it with a small squeeze. "I didn't mean to laugh at you I'm sorry. I don't really know if I deserve those things - but I can't stop you from believing I do."

@Snow

[Snow 0]

Snow felt embarrassed. She took many risks between Mari, venturing out this far, and making bold statements. She nearly pulled her hand back before the redhead placed her hand in Snow's. It was a fantasy. Believing she could find another Daire. There was one and she was gone. 

"Jacob's Ladder," she repeated, her mind adrift in her thoughts of regret. The name sounded familiar.

"No," she shook her head and pulled her hand away into her lap beneath the kotatsu. "It's okay. It was silly. I just felt..."

What did I feel? This isn't how I help people. God, Alyssa... What did you expect her to say? Stupid. Just stupid.

"It's nothing really." Snow smiled, her expression painted but believable. "Let's just pretend that didn't happen, I feel embarrassed. I don't even know you."

Snow looked down to the kotatsu, to the tea. A bite of silence strummed her anxiety. She looked outside, then scooted herself out from beneath the table.

"It's coming down real hard out there. I should probably head out before it gets bad."

@Mari