[PP-F1] Seeking Stars (_Miki_)

[Hawke 0]

Deep in the depths of the dark covered forest, the crimson-eyed Hawke traveled, his curved sword's hilt loosely gripped in his hands. By the intensity of the blackness that surrounded him, it was late into the night. Only the moon's shimmering rays illuminated the forest through the thousands of branches in the trees above him, allowing him to see at least the silhouettes of the environment around him, though he had little to worry about: creatures weren't a threat. All he had encountered thus far were easily revealed by their blaring red eyes; they could be compared to miniature moving stoplights. Not only that, but none of them seemed to be aggressive, and, on top of that, it was guaranteed none of them had paralysis-inducing attacks. Regardless, he was cautious enough to keep his blade drawn. Monsters weren't all he needed to fear.

In the midst of the trees and shrubbery that surrounded him, he found a single massive stump in a clearing. Unlike the rest of the forest he had traveled through, this spot was perfectly lit. Hawke found himself walking towards the stump. He stepped upon it, and went from crouching to lying on the wooden surface. Even with his full body on it, there was an abundance of space left. As his eyes gazed into the starry sky, his thoughts drifted from the virtual world back to the real world. Back to Ayaka, his first love. Tears began to flood over his eyes, forcing him to sit up and wipe them away. We used to do this, didn't we? With a deep breath, water stopped flowing.

There was just peace. Flawless tranquility.

[_Miki_ 0]

The forest was strangely calm today as Miki treads through the thick underbrush on the forest floor. Going through the tree branches would have been quicker and it wasn't that hard to get up there, but she felt that walking on the ground would be better for some reason. Walking seemed like a much more suitable method of travel at the moment and she just went with it. Moki realises it had payed off as she sees a break in the thick treeline just up ahead. It wasn't common to find a clearing in the forests so she always liked to explore them and what they had in store though she didn't always like what she found. Especially when it was hostile.

Blade drawn and by her side she enters the clearing with her eyes constantly scanning the area for any signs of monsters or players. It seemed like the perfect place to ambush someone but she hadn't heard ofanyone doing that yet. The clearing was empty aside from a rather large stump with a darker figure on top. She couldn't make out what it was at the distance and lack on sufficient lighting in the area and decided to check out what was on the stump. She quietly approached the log careful to make as little sound as she could as she progressed. Apon further examination she realizes that it's a player lying on the stump staring into the night sky through the break in the tree branches above them.

[Hawke 0]

Hawke couldn't have spent more than ten minutes lying on the enormous stump when his ears picked up a sound. There was something moving closer. He glanced in the direction of the noise only to find that someone, more notably a girl, had wandered through the forest and come into the same clearing he was currently occupying. What the hell is another person doing wandering around here at night? It wasn't completely uncommon for other players to grind experience in the later hours, but a forest like the one he was in now?

His eyes glanced over the moonlit girl. She was definitely better equipped than him, a fact that made him a little uncomfortable, though it wasn't rare for him to encounter. "Who are you?" Hawke spoke, his words lacking any tone but a serious one. "What are you doing wandering around all alone at this hour?" He supposed she could ask him the same, but it was still a question worth asking, in his opinion.

[_Miki_ 0]

She creeps ever closer to the player when he suddenly turns his head and questions her. She was startled from the sudden reaction from the player, though that's what you should expect from a player after all. She was a higher level and, though it wasn't much, her gear seemed to be somewhat better than his. She responds quietly to the player, "Miki, and I could ask the same to you." She slowly walks to the stump, never taking her eyes off the player and ready to draw her sword if needed. She places her hand on the stump and sits on the edge, keeping some distance from her and the player.

Truth be told, she was in the forest at this time simply for a walk. Walks seemed to always calm her, but it was probably the feeling of being away from everything that calmed her most. No one to follow, you were free to do your own thing when you walk alone. Though most walks through a forest like this didn't lead to meeting another player. It seemed strange, but maybe she wasn't the only one who enjoyed walks like this. "Who are you? She asks calmly.

[Hawke 0]

As the girl stepped closer to him, Hawke's hand drifted closer to the hilt of the blade he had sheathed before lying on the stump. By the time the girl, who had introduced herself as Miki, had taken a seat upon the stump, he had stood up and backed a few meters away from it, his hand still at the ready. His heart picked up in rate, though his eyes never left the girl, who, judging by the fact that she approached him so easily, knew she could take him out with ease. Unconsciously, his stance moved itself into his usual battle stance. If she wanted to attack me, why would she take a seat? To make me feel at ease? He couldn't help but doubt that, but he remained prepared.

"Does it matter?" Hawke challenged her question. "The name's Hawke." He answered regardless; there wasn't anything she could do to him with just his name. "Miki, you said? I'm just a wandering night owl. And you?"

[_Miki_ 0]

Why was she here? What was she doing out in the forest so late? They were questions she couldn't answer herself. Something about being alone in a place like this forest had always soothed and calmed her. The feeling of freedom like nothing mattered anymore, you didn't have to worry about things in a place like this was something she always enjoyed. "Just walking. I wanted to explore." she says softly, quickly frowning as the player stands in some kind of fighting stance a few feet from the stump. "He doesn't seem hostile... nervous?" She tilts her head to the side slightly and grins lightly. "If I wanted to attack you i would have already, but you know that already don't you? You don't need to worry."

[Hawke 0]

There was logic in what she said, and it went along with his own thoughts; she would've slaughtered him in seconds by now, had she truly wanted to. Though he was still weary, he returned to his seat on the oversized stump, still keeping a bit of distance between himself and Miki. You're attracted to the same sort of places I am. Isn't that intruguing?

Hawke's eyes drifted back and forth between the girl and the stars. "When you look up, don't you just have a desire to reach for them? Even in this virtual world?" There was a certain fascination carried in his voice. "I used to look towards the stars a lot in the real world and just reach for them, wishing I was among them." His gaze lowered and he shook his head. "I sort of still feel that way."

[_Miki_ 0]

She understood what he was saying and she had to admit she had sort of felt like that before, though not very often. "I'm not really that kind of person, dreaming things like that." she admits softly as her gaze rises to the stars as she tries to imagine what it'd be like to float among them, to be one of them. She felt a sort of nostalgia, but at the same time a but of depression. "Why..." she wonders to herself silently as she lays back against the stump with her hands behind her head. Why was it that she always felt that sadness within her when she tried to imagine things like that. Maybe it wasn't sadness at all, but maybe longing she felt. Longing to get away from everything. Longing for freedom from the bonds of the world. "Who knows..." she whispers quietly, barely audible.