[PT-F28] Amber

[Mari 1]

Mari wasn’t entirely sure where she was, all she knew was that she had wandered far into the fire forest. Sunlight barely broke through the crimson foliage above. Originally…Mari came here with a plan to relocate her home to a warmer floor. One that wasn’t covered in frosty snow. Mari adored the aesthetics of this floor. Of the forest. She enjoyed the smell of the loamy earth.

But the trees were so dense.

It’d potentially be a problem for her firestarter husband.

Husband.

The woman paused, bringing her hand up to inspect the small ring he had made her. Turning it to and fro so the light caught it just so. The tiny red gem glimmering in the sprinkling light from above. Their wedding didn’t seem real. It was rushed, fuelled by Lancaster's desperation to ensure they stayed together - as though through some miracle being married by Aincrads laws and systems meant that they’d keep their little fantasy, for just that little bit longer. Mari couldn’t blame him. She felt the same. The entire thing was like an explosion, literally and figuratively.

If Mari were being completely honest, she’d have liked to have invited some friends, to show the world the man she loved. Despite his past. Despite their trials…the two had found an innate and immediate connection - and …what was wrong with sharing that? Aside from the fact that half of Aincrad probably wanted the man dead.

Maybe…

This place wasn’t a good idea for her home, but it was still pretty. Mari continued on her path till she found a small clearing that seemed to run by a river. This seemed as good a place as any to take a small break.

Mari opened up her inventory, and pulled out a small flask filled with whiskey, she took a drink from it as she headed toward the river, kicking off one boot then the other - followed by her socks till her feet were dipped in the cool stream. Mari threw her back into the wet earth. Her eyes staring at the dancing leaves above, listening to the songs of birds - the pitter pater of woodland creatures. Signs that the place was teeming with life. Such a stark difference to the frozen and dead wasteland that was her home.

This…was nice.


Non Combat: Mari | HP: 1140/1140 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 24 | MIT:163 | ACC:4 | AA  | FL.AURA: 8 | BH:63 | BRN: 56 | ENV-O: 32 | PARA-V | LD:5 | Tier 14

Edited September 3 by Mari

[Jomei 0]

  

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 34 | Paragon: 88 | Tier: 4(13)  Jomei | HP: 1020/1020 | EN: 140/140 | DMG: 21 | MIT:44 | ACC:3 | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:4 | BH:56 | HB: 45 | VAMP-D: 112 | BLI: 32/-20 | LD:3     Equipment: Vicious Mockery : ACC II | Taunt | Blight  Fencer's Regalia - Trepidation: Vamp D II | HB | MIT  Token of Serenity: HB| EVA III   equipped Vicious Mockery Fencer's Regalia - Trepidation Token of Serenity battle-ready inventory Listed Below skills Spoiler Skills Rapier R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist MA R2 Howl Fighting Spirit Quick Change Extended Weight Limit Searching R2 Extra: Concentration Survival   Parry Forgotten King's Authority Assault Mode  Lady Luck Meditation Mods Athletics Emergency Recovery Vengeful Riposte Justified Riposte Night Vision Addons Stamina  Focus Precision Nimble Focused Howl buffs Spoiler Buffs Dimensional Backpack +1 BRI slot Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat     Squeaky Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)     Tasty: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.  Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll Item Stash: +1 BRI slot Advanced Training: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

 

Wings hardly disturbing the fiery canopy as they beat once - twice before perching on a branch above the small brook. Head turned from side to side as if on a swivel, before taking notice of the player lounging beneath. Black, beady eyes looked down at the woman, tilting her head curiously to the side before calling out with a sharp twit. After a moment of taking in the stranger, she took to the skies again swerving in and out of the trees until she was out of sight. 

A short distance away, a green cloak trailed behind the ginger haired player as he walked the grassy path that cut through the Fire Forest. Not many players walked the path this deep into the wood, and many of the creatures that roamed kept to their own devices unless provoked. It was almost always peaceful, and quiet; and that was why Jomei chose it for his home. He once enjoyed the rustle and bustle of a busy Taft street. Waking up to soft morning conversations and wooden wheels rolling on the cobblestone pathways. Somewhere along the way, however, he found the quiet life to be much more appealing. No one really knew where he lived, aside from Lessa, so he never had any visitors. Every once in awhile someone would wander the forest and find their way to his front steps, usually lost and looking for directions back to Glyndebourne. 

A squirrel, fur as white as snow rushed across the path before scurrying up a nearby tree. Jomei watched with a soft smile on his face before another animal caught his attention, this one more familiar to him. Adare, his owl familiar, returned from scouting ahead and landed upon his shoulder. Hunched over, her feathers almost standing on end, Jomei knew it was some sort of sign from her that there was possible trouble ahead. 

A new monster? Or possibly a player..

A flash of white light at his side, and a rapier materialized, falling into place at his hip. Whatever had spooked Adare lurked ahead, and he would be ready. Using the nearby stream to his advantage, he used the sound of the gently trickling water to mask the grass and leaves crushing under his boots. 

He noticed the crystal before the player it belonged to, and his breath caught in his chest for a fleeting moment. Laying there, resting with her feet in the stream, was Mari. With a soft sigh to release that tension, he straightened up and scratched Adare under the chin. "Its alright, she's a friend." he would say softly before pushing through the brush to greet her. 

"Hope I'm not disturbing your nap." Jomei would say as he stepped up beside her. "Not very often I run into someone else out here, let alone someone I know."

With a hand gesturing to the space beside her, he would ask, "Mind if I join you for a bit?" 

Edited September 3 by Jomei

[Mari 1]

Mari hadn't heard him approach, she only turned at the sound of a familiar voice, and it being familiar was the only reason she hadn't rolled onto her side or heaven forbid into the river with one of her many disarming tricks ready to strike.

The man who very, very clearly had ginger hair and whom she never - not even once accidentally mistook it for blonde asked if he could sit. Mari would look at Jomei silently for a moment. He was a guild member, one she had only met a handful of times. Most, if not all of them had been pleasant - although the two never really got a proper chance to talk like this. Not since she had been imprisoned. "Jomei." Mari would say with a cautious smile. It was...very odd to see someone out here like this. The woman couldn't help but not in agreement at his words. "Yeh...." Azure eyes turned back to the river. Mari watched the ripples her feet made as she kicked them to and fro. The water felt nice, and every so often she'd feel a nibble of a curious fish at the sole of her feet.

"I...Really like this floor."

The floor where her and Lancaster had accidentally set a field ablaze with a passion filled tryst, the place they then in turned married. The scents of the earth - the way the leaves were washed in colours of red and orange, green gave way to the most placid of flames that reminded Mari of a warm hearth. Mari would gently pat the ground next to her, realizing she was probably being rude. "Sorry I - a little lost in thought yanno?" Mari said as she waved the hand carrying her flask in the air, to accentuate her speech. With all the confidence she had with those she trusted; it all fell way to an awkward mess to those she didn't know well - and wanted to know well. It was easy when you didn't care what people thought of you. "Lot has happened recently. Wasn't nappin' but -" she'd yawn, her own body reminding her that a nap sounded like a fine idea indeed. Mari didn't finish her sentence, instead- she'd offer him a reason as to why she was here, followed by asking his.

"I was considering moving my home - and this is one of my favorite places, but its a little too..." How should she word it? Truthfully? That would seem the best. Mari wasn't going to shy away about who she was with. "Burnable. The company I keep would make a mess of the floor, and I'd rather keep that to a minimum. I come here every so often though, the trip is long and tiring." She'd pause to take a swig of her flask before pointing it up at her orange cursor.

"What brings you here?"

Edited September 3 by Mari

[Jomei 0]

A pleased hum and a warm smile, Jomei would join Mari. Pulling his cloak over his head and off of his shoulders, he would drop it on the ground behind him before sitting himself down in the damp grass beside her. He sat with his legs crossed at first, but eventually gave into temptation as he watched the water gently flow around Mari's ankles. Placing his own boots beside him, he'd slide his own feet into the brook. Exhaling softly through his nostrils as the cold water sent a chill all the way up to his shoulders. The suns light hardly managed to break through the tree cover, merely poking through gaps between the leaves as the breeze shuffled them around. It provided just enough light so the two weren't sitting in complete darkness. But, on the flip side, it meant that there was no sun to warm the water. 

Still, it didn't bother him one bit. 

"This place became my favorite very quickly.. The floor, the forest. All of it." Jomei admitted, leaning back onto the palms of his hands while gazing up at the leaves above. "Autumn has always been my favorite season, the summer- the heat- and I don't really mesh well." his nose would scrunch as he shook his head. "So frequenting a place where its fall all the time was a no brainer."

"Actually, I live-" Jomei would point off into the distance. Nothing to be seen but more trees and foliage where they sat, but beyond that his house sprung up at the edge of the forest "-about over yonder. In fact, pretty sure this creek flows right into the pond beside the place." He would smile, flicking a small leaf that rested beside him into the water. He watched as it twirled atop the surface and the current carried away and out of sight. 

"Its quiet, plenty of privacy, and the view out every window is like something out of a holiday card." Lips curling into a smirk, he would offer Mari a sidelong glance, "So I'd prefer if your company didn't set the place ablaze. I'd rather the forest not live up to its name.. in a literal sense. But if you ever find yourself up here and need a place to crash, I've got plenty of space. I can only imagine not being able to teleport between floors." Brows pinched as he frowned slightly. Under most circumstances, he would not show anyone marked with the orange crystal of a player killer any sort of sympathy. Mari was different. He felt comfortable around her, just as everyone else seemed to.

One day he wanted to know her story, at least what she was willing to share.

[Mari 1]

Mari straightened her back, arching it as several places in her spine popped. Another yawn fell from her - Mari covered it with the back of her hand before rubbing her eyes. Maybe she should take a nap after. Especially before making the trek back down to the fourth floor. Mari shifted her weight as Jomei sat next to her, readjusting herself so she was more comfortable. She'd lean forward, arms crossed over her thighs as she stared down at the clear water - she could see large silvery fish swimming against the currents. Mari listened as Jomei told her it was her favourite place. "We have that in common," Mari said softly, allowing the flask to fall to the ground so she could pick up one of the many leaves that carpeted the earth. She spun it to and fro in her fingers. Mari couldn't help but hide a laugh behind a snort as she watched him visibly shiver.  Small things like that... it was a reminder that they were all human.

"Autumn is my favorite season too. Where I'm from...summer is...unbearable." She said the word with clear distaste, Australian summers were terrible, a dry unrelenting heat in some places - and a humid mess in others. "I got a home on the 4th floor to practically spite my home country. I had never seen snow before this game. But..." Mari sighed as she crunched the leaf in her palm, opening it she let the broken pieces flutter down - carried to the river by a gentle breeze.

"Actually, I live-about over yonder. In fact, pretty sure this creek flows right into the pond beside the place."

 

Mari lifted her head, following where he pointed. A sudden concern lurching in her stomach - but thankfully he had pointed in the opposite direction of the...quite literally fiery tryst her and her husband had. As Jomei told her the creek more than likely flowed into the pond by his home Mari exhaled. She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath. It was a relief... the last thing she wanted was to cause problems for people who lived here. Mari glanced side ward at Jomei, he seemed like he was at peace. Much like she was. They were in this place for different reasons. But - the meaning behind their stay remained the same. It was simply a place of solace. In the calm of this warm day, the two wandering souls found comradery in each other, and for Mari...it was an odd feeling. She wasn't used to being able to relax around others. Ever on alert, head always on a swivel.

"He's...a little hard to reign in sometimes." Mari mused with a laugh, she'd pull her feet out of the water and press her legs to her chest. Resting her chin upon her knees. "But that's what I love about him." It felt good to admit her feelings to someone else. "It takes.....mmmmm...." Mari hummed in thought as she calculated the distance. "Usually about a day? Depends how often I want to stop. Which - when it comes to climbing some 20 plus flights of stairs, is often. But - tomorrow I'll be at least trying to rectify that."

Mari was surprised as he offered her a place to stay, his home. They barely knew each other, sure they were guildmates - but... "Don't you think that's kinda stupid?" She blurted, then quickly regretted it. So much for trying to amicably get along with her guild members. "I mean-" Mari began to speak quickly, an attempt to rectify her foot-in-mouth syndrome. "I mean, you don't know me, not that well. Hell to be honest I don't know if I could invite you to just sleep at my house."  For a number of reasons, most involving Lancaster.  "So, I mean..." Mari rubbed the back of her neck. "I mean, I appreciate it I just. I don't get it."

[Jomei 0]

"Hah!" Jomei barked a laugh at Mari's blunt response to his offer, "Guess it is, isn't it?"

His cheery, wide grin faded, but a small smile remained "You're right, I hardly know you at all." his eyes would instinctually look up at the orange crystal that spun above Mari's head for a moment before meeting her gaze "But I trust Baldur. I trust Mac. Hirru. The rest of our guildmates.." He would ponder it for a moment, squinting his eyes, "Most of the frontliners..?" A small shrug of his shoulders and he would continue, "And they trust you. So I don't think I would regret putting that same trust in you." 

Closing his eyes, he would tilt his chin upward as a passing breeze cooled his exposed neck. "Enough to let you sleep on my couch if you really needed to, at least."

Silence followed for a moment as conversation broke, leaving only the sound of the water gently trickling over rocks. It was broken first by a nearby bird call before Jomei spoke. "Pretty certain the last time we spoke, we did a quest together. I think there were monkeys- blue monkeys... flying blue monkeys?" He shook his head with a husky chuckle, "I don't know, whole quest sounds like a fever dream more I try to recall it. But, what I do remember, is that you left an impression on me. So there's that. Good place to start." He would flash another kind smile. 

"So, I've gotta ask.." Jomei began, finally addressing the elephant in the room. 

"Jail? What'd you do to get yourself locked up?" he turned slightly at the hips to face her more. "I honestly don't think I've ever heard of someone getting tossed in jail." 

 

[Mari 1]

Mari's gaze shifted down to her hands, her fingers fiddling with each other, using her fingernails to pick out bits of dirt from other fingernails. For all her bravado lately, coming face to face with someone genuine left her... feeling a little awkward. Baldur had always trusted her, same with Macradon. Mac had defended her against Bahr - heck...she was one of the founding leaders of the Ladder initially. So why lately...did it feel like she didn't really belong? "Yeah..." Mari admitted, her voice small. She was unable to rebuke his words. 

"Enough to let you sleep on my couch if you really needed to, at least."

Mari managed a smile, shaking her head as she shifted. Leaning back on her hands so she could instead watch the dappled sunlight through the trees above. "If I ever find myself stuck on this floor, exhausted - I'll be sure to think of your couch." An awkward phrase, but Mari wasn't the best at gentle conversations like this. She was so used to being abrasive. "I'm used to...always being on guard yanno? So it's unexpected."

Mari blinked, listening as he talked about one of their quests together. Flying Blue... Her brows furrowed as she tried to remember. "Honestly, I vaguely remember that but the details...not so much. Hmmmm...." Mari tilted her head, to, then fro - trying to recall more details. But none came to mind.

"Jail? What'd you do to get yourself locked up?"

Ah, and there it was. A question Mari always found herself asking. "There are many people in this world..." Mari began, barely missing a beat - as though she had gone through this spiel countless times before. "Who only see black and white - I was being hunted by some kind of self appointed task force, it was relentless. One of the many reasons-" She placed emphasis on the word. "I left the frontlines. Eventually, they started threatening the people I cared about. I couldn't have that. So...I contacted Raidou. Someone who was pragmatic, whom I couldn't exactly trust - but trust enough to do the right thing. He took me in and acted as my warden. So I was imprisoned, and those I cared about were safe."

Mari sighed as she shifted her arms, letting her back hit the ground with a fwoomp. Her motion causing a flurry of leaves to fly up into the air and settle back down and around her. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "It was...terrible. All I had was my own thoughts. It was cold. Dank...I never knew if it was day or not night. The constant sound of screams, monster and player alike meant I never really slept. Food came in the form of stale rations once a week." With each sentence her voice grew more and more quiet. Mari never realized how much she had denied herself. How much she had punished herself. "You could....say I imprisoned myself. A part of me felt I deserved it, I hated myself. heh...Baldur called it torture."  And he wasn't wrong. What Mari hadn't admitted to Jomei, was that the length of her stay was entirely her own choice. She could have left any time - but her own self hatred caused her to stay curled up in that dark cell. Without hope, her own personal hell, and yet her own reprise away from a world that hated her.

A long silence filled the space between them before Mari spoke again.

"I guess..I was sick of a world that hated and hunted me, but most of all,  I was just sick of living. But - I'm much better now."

 

Edited Wednesday at 02:53 AM by Mari

[Jomei 0]

"Who only see black and white -

Olive eyes shifted from Mari's for a moment. There was a time when he felt the same way.. he still felt that tug to an extent. The orange marker that hovered above Mari, and many others, meant they had done.. something. Committed some sort of crime, stole something, hurt someone. Though Jomei knew enough that anyone he experienced with that same crystal had carried out a murder - Mari included. 

Realization of why his offer sounded so outlandish set in, but he quickly dismissed it. He said it earlier himself, his friends trusted Mari.. so he could as well. Whatever happened, she seemed to regret, and that was enough for him. 

He sighed heavily before speaking, "I'm sorry." Sorry for his past feelings, for almost reconsidering his alliance with her.. but more than anything else, he felt compassion for what she had gone through. "That sounds.. awful. And Baldur was right, it does sound like torture. I'm glad you're in a better place now though." He flashed a quick, yet sincere smile. 

"I've seen the opposite in people, in-" he would look to the orange crystal once more, "-player killers. I had a friend, she was a handful but... we were close. Closer than.. I'd admit to many people.." A hand snaked around the nape of his neck, sheepishly rubbing at the skin as he recalled him and Opal's one night stand. He still wasn't proud of it. "Anyway, they suddenly snapped and killed.. somehow got Oikawa on board. Zelrius and Ssendom. Dead in seconds. I don't recall if you were there when it happened. But I could tell she didn't regret it, and embraced her new life." 

"But with you" he would catch Mari's gaze again, "I can tell that, whatever happened, you're trying to keep it in the past and come out a better person. And, at least in my eyes, you're well on that path." Jomei shook his head as he looked down into the water at their feet again, "None of us are innocent, not completely. I don't think about it much anymore but.. a long time ago I took someone's life." He would pull his lips between his teeth as old memories resurfaced. He pointed to the space above his head, where Mari would see his green crystal, "They had an orange crystal, so I didn't get the punishment for it but.." his stare deepened until his eyes closed, "The guilt is punishment enough. Even though they weren't a good person, I still struggled to come to terms with it." 

"That point on, I stopped seeing everything in black and white - or green and orange, in this case - We've all dealt with our own shit, and we're all facing the consequences of said shit. We're still human, and we deserve to live as such." 

[Mari 1]

Jomei apologized.

Like so many before, he apologized for his prejudice, but - truth be told Mari didn't need the apology. She had killed, a total of 10 names were written upon the rule, all by her hand. Some by accident - by request, and others were simply bad hands dealt to her. But there could have been ways to avoid those names staining that monument. There could have been other answers and solutions. It would do the woman no good to think of what-ifs - but her remorse did not make her a good nor just person. "You don't need to apologize. I mean, my name is on that wall. Many times. If anything - some would say it deserved. " Even as she said those last words, she felt a tug in her chest. Telling her she didn't deserve it to that extent, she had suffered enough by her own hand. Her own actions. Denied herself everything and everyone. A simple warm shower - the comfort of a warm bed. Fresh food, all things she had denied herself for years. Years.... "Don't tell Baldur I said that, he'd get upset." 

Mari pulled her legs out of the water and moved to press her knees against her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and nestling her chin between her knees.

"Anyway, they suddenly snapped and killed.. somehow got Oikawa on board. Zelrius and Ssendom. Dead in seconds. I don't recall if you were there when it happened. But I could tell she didn't regret it, and embraced her new life."

Mari nearly lost her footing, her grip on her legs releasing and her foot sliding on the wet earth to land back in the water with a splash. Cerulean eyes whipped to meet Jomei, wide. "Opal?" She asked. It was rhetorical. There was no other woman who met that description. "You...knew Opal? And How she...." Mari pushed her hair back out of her face, tucking it behind her ears before crossing her legs. Just how many times would that woman's name come up?

"I..miss Oikawa..."

The words were spoken in a pained whisper, a man who confessed his love to her before disappearing, a man she searched for, for a year - only to find nothing. He had offered her a light, and a hope, only to vanish from her life as though he and her were nothing. Mari was happy with Lancaster, but it still hurt.  

"-And, at least in my eyes, you're well on that path.

Mari blinked. She wasn't a good person though. Mari didn't look at Jomei, but offered him a weak smile all the same. "I'm not too sure about that." Just thinking about Zelrius caused a fire to bubble up in her, a fury that would never quell.

Her fingers curled into fists. Her jaw clenched and she drew in a deep breath. Holding it for a moment before exhaling with a low tone. " Cuz...I'm...I'm glad Zelrius is dead." She placed emphasis on those heavy words. Of all the deaths in Aincrad, his was deserved.  "He...." Mari closed her eyes, it would do her no good to rile herself up now. She wanted to make sure the words she said were right, the truth - and not things fueled by blind emotion. "He was one of the ones who had it out for me, despite claiming he'd killed dozens before- and being proud of it. Heh-" Bitterness fell from her lips like venom. "Dunno if I ever believed him, if it were true - he was a fuckin' hypocrite- and if it false...why lie and take glee in something like that?" Mari asked Jomei, opening her eyes to shift her questioning gaze at him. Why take pride and gloat in such a thing? Not even Lancaster did that, and he was Laughing Coffin. "You know...when I found the path to the Yorochi boss floor, Zelrius got so mad. Because it wasn't him that found it. He demanded me to hand over all my information to him during the raid meeting - I willingly gave it to whomever was there, but then he demanded I hand over the lead of battle - and step down from the fight. When I told him no. He straight out banned his entire guild from the fight. I hear he even threatened those who would join me.... That boss battle..." Mari shook her head with a sigh. The anger was gone from her voice and replaced with an exhaustion that had set deep in her soul. "There were maybe 4 of us - by the end of the battle I was one of the few who could land hits on the thing. We all could have died. Our fight to get out of here could have ended - all because some brat was having a fucking tantrum."

Mari shifted her eyes to the water. If Oikawa hadn't done the job, Mari felt like she would have come close to doing so herself. Opal...didn't regret her actions, huh. That was different to what she had heard. "I Think..." Mari said quietly, picking at the dirt from underneath her fingernails. "In some small way, she did regret it..In the end." Mari couldn't tell him how she knew that. As it was all just assumptions, from what Oikawa said. She couldn't tell Jomei that according to Lancaster, Opal had an obsession with bringing Mari 'into the fold' whatever that may have meant, or entailed. She did not know. "If that's any consolation." A small smile fell on Mari's lips. Opal...was an interesting person. "You know - we shared a kiss once." Mari tried to make light of a grim situation.

"We're all just human, after all."

[Jomei 0]

Jomei nodded solemnly, "I was there when it happened. Tried to stop her but I wasn't fast enough. I wish she hadn't roped Oikawa into it, he was- is a good man." He could hear the pain behind Mari's tiny voice. Offering a tight lipped smile, he decided not to pry and rip open any lingering wounds. 

The victim of Oikawa's attack, Zelrius, seemed to have much more history with Mari than Jomei had realized. Though, there were most likely no fond memories from the way Mari spoke about him. Though hearing how he had acted in the past didn't surprise him, but only left a sour taste in his mouth. "I can't say I'm glad he's gone but.." Jomei pondered on the words for a moment, "Well, its bittersweet, I suppose. We could have really used him some of these past boss fights.. but I definitely don't miss his snide attitude, or his Napoleon complex. He didn't deserve to be taken out like that, in my opinion.. but he had it coming. He spent too much time burning bridges, making enemies rather than finding people he could rely on. Thinking back.. I don't even know if I could have called him my friend but.." He really did not know what else to say, so he simply shrugged. "With how he was, it was bound to happen eventually, I suppose. I miss Dom, though. He and I were close. Brothers of the hunt, as he used to say." he chuckled.

There was silence for a moment before Mari reverted the conversation back to Opal, claiming that she believed that she did regret her actions in the end. Jomei shrugged again. "The last time I saw her, she definitely didn't seem like it.. But then again, there was a lot of time in between then and when she.." 

Just how many of them had died up to this point?

Shoulders drooped and Jomei leaned slightly forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. He would scoff at Mari's confession that the two women had kissed. "We shared.. a bit more than that.." Jomei admitted, clearing his throat with a cough immediately after speaking. He couldn't help but laugh, what a life the two had lived. "I actually don't think I've ever admitted that to anyone.. It's not something I'm proud of but.. like you said. Human."