[PP-F4] Unsettled Regret (Tristan Delaney)

[Kiru 0]

With an impatient sigh I tapped my fingers along the wooden table in front of me. The hot chocolate I had ordered ten minutes ago was still not here. This situation would be normal if the place was crowded, but, it wasn't. Only four other players occupied the other tables, which was only out of twelve other seats in the cafe. I sat near the front by the big glass windows. It wasn't my ideal location but since the other players decided to sit where I wanted to this was my only other choice. I didn't like the table I was at because of how exposed I was. The windows made it so that you could see the entire shop and everyone inside with just one glance. I didn't like the idea of people staring at me outside but I had heard good reports of the hot chocolate sold here. Apparently it was the best in Aincrad's Floor 4. Even with high hopes I was displeased with the amount of time it took to make just one. I peered over in my chair to see if any progress had been made on my drink. Disappointment settled in me when I saw the shop owner was still carefully heating the water and milk. My eyes shifted from the owner to the window, revealing the snowy town of Floor 4. 

 

I shifted in my chair and crossed one leg over the other as I stared. Something was unsettling right now. I couldn't quite explain it but something was off. It was just starting to get dark in the town but strangely nothing seemed to change. It was like everyone carried out their duties the same, no matter how light it was outside. I kept staring at the continuously falling snow until I heard the bell above the door chime, another customer. 

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan had been deep in thought for quite some time, wondering how to approach Kiru now he was back on the field. He had gone through hell and back to pull that friendship back together, and he knew next was Kiru. While he was never sure what he felt for her, she seemed totally off course during his dazed moment at the party which involved a mix of alcohol and a potion which upped his bravado sky high. After h sobered up, he had realized just how big a mistake he had made in his haze of chemicals. For now though, he needed a tea to calm his mood. 

 

Tristan walked into the coffee shop and ordered himself a tea, which came quickly since a jug of hot tea was ready for pouring. He was also given a hot chocolate to give to a customer with a free seat if he could, which he did. Once he saw who said customer was though, he nearly dropped both mugs in his hands

Tristan breathed slowly, then walked to where Kiru sat and put in front of her the hot chocolate. Sitting opposite her, he took a sip of his tea and raised his hand before she spoke, which he knew he would. "Let me explain myself first before you give me domestic abuse again."

[Kiru 0]

When the door opened, my attention was drawn from the nighttime snowfall to the player that walked through the door. At first I merely glanced at the player, ready to continue my wait, but something was wrong about the appearance of him. It was way too familiar. His red and tall stature was enough to make me certain that he who just entered was none other than Tristan Delaney. He walked to the front and ordered a tea from the NPC waitress, who poured it right away. I scowled at how fast he was served and glared at him from afar. I stared at him the entire time he waited, practically burning a hole through the back of his head. Once he was handed his drink and was about to leave he was stopped again and handed another mug. The waitress pointed directly at me and scurried away to make more beverages. I could tell by the whipped cream and the delicate chocolate drizzle on top that the drink was mine. He was holding my drink. For a moment I contemplated whether or not to get it from him, did I really want to confront him right now? Obviously I wanted it and was angry about it but did I really want to waste my time bantering with him? I pursed my lips and sat back in my chair, he was suddenly coming over. As Tristan walked towards me another player opened the door to the shop. This player however didn't close the door, leaving it open and letting the cold air rush into the space. The cold air filled the room before the startled NPC ran over to the door to close it. I leaned forward, glaring at Tristan as he placed my hot chocolate on the table and sat down. "Why-" I was cut off by his sudden hand movement, telling me to let him speak before becoming violent. This one statement from him got me so upset for no reason. I hadn't seen him in awhile and that's the first thing he says? Though I would be a lot more careless I would have at least said a greeting. I slapped at his hand, still telling me not to speak and kicked my foot under the table as hard as I could. "Actions speak louder than words. And since you don't want me to speak, I'll act." I gave him a hard look, not even smirking at my clever speech. 

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan found himself with a stare that could melt steel beams, along with a stamp to the foot, a slap to the hand and a tongue harsher than sandpaper. Which all in all, he did deserve even if he wasn't really himself that night. Tristan winced noticeably a bit, more emotionally than in actual physical pain, a placebo.

 

"Yes, I get it that that you're mad, you have every right to be. It was a really stupid thing that happened that night. I've already gotten Celes' forgiveness, now I'm seeking yours." He sighed as he spoke quietly, then sipped the tea to calm himself.

"I...wasn't myself that night. Along with being drunken, it turned out Celes had slipped a bravery potion into my drink. Apparently her intention was for me to well...confess to you. But with the alcohol, my brain instead decided carrying off my then guild leader was a much better option, which now sober I see it very much wasn't."

 

He had both hands together, the tips of his fingers meeting together, and rested his head on it. He looked down at the table surface in shame. "I'm sorry Kiru. It was so wrong of me to do. Would you forgive me?". His voice was pretty much dripping with emotion, strained. He may as well have been crying from how it sounded.

[Kiru 0]

I cupped the mug of hot chocolate delicately and brought it slowly towards my mouth. Compared to the rough and edgy cup, my porcelain and fragile hands looked out of place. As I sipped the hot liquid I noted that none of the wallpapers matched the design either. This place was supposed to be the best yet it had a poor decor. I was severely let down when I finally got a taste of the cocoa, it wasn't as good as it claimed to be. It didn't have the right amount of chocolate and it wasn't fully dissolve, leaving a chalky texture. The whip cream was fine but overall it wasn't the best. Disappointed with it, I set it aside and pretended to care what Tristan was saying. My eyes were trained on a single strand of red hair that stuck out, cascading down the side of his shoulder instead of neatly in place like the others. 

 

He was currently on the topic of the party. He claimed that Celes mixed a bravery potion into his alcoholic drink, with a different intent. He was apparently supposed to confess to me. If this wasn't a serious conversation I would have laughed and left at the mention of love. But this wasn't a joke. I pursed my lips and thought about it for a moment. Tristan always was drinking something alcoholic, potions from Celes were common, it all made sense except for one thing. Lessa. If the potion had a certain affect of attraction then if he liked her more than me then naturally he would go to her. It wasn't hard to tell by the way he swept her off her feet that he liked her, even if it was just a small tinge. I could believe him, end this now, but something was stopping me and I didn't know what. From the way he went out of his way to apologize, anyone could see that he meant it, so why? 

 

After he finished talking I leaned forward in my chair, placing my elbows on the table and resting my head on my clasped hands. The tone of voice he used I couldn't tell whether he was holding his emotions in or crying in front of me. I felt a slight pang of guilt for a split second and said the following in a hollowed voice: "Are you crying? Of the two of us, why would you be crying? It's not like you got hurt." I looked down at the table, then him again. He was asking for forgiveness. For a split second I thought I could forgive him, leave and move on. But I was also an extremely stubborn person. So, being me I decided to dig deeper, with the nerve to be smirking slightly. "If you'll indulge me...what are you sorry for? Sorry for making me socially unstable, embarrassing me? Sorry for making me think that you actually liked me? Are you sorry for literally making me feel like I could trust anyone or even show my face again? Or are you sorry that you made me think I could trust with my secrets, my feelings, and my life? Tell me Tristan, what could you possibly be sorry for?" The moment I stopped talking I felt my cheeks warm and my breath become uneven. My eyes began to water but I refused to cry right now. I had no real explanation for being so emotional. I guess it was just all the pressure of Tristan, the guilt, Keith, death, everything. Instead of covering my face however I stared him right in the eye. "It hurt me more than you could ever think. As you said, I have a wall. Unfortunately you tore it down entirely and it took a turn for the worst." 

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan was honestly not sure what to say. He had done the absolute wrong thing that he knew he should of never done and could think of nothing that he could ever do. She wasn't wrong and for once, there was no way to wipe that [censored] smirk off her face, because she was right. He dun fucked up and it was his fault and he had no words for basically destroying what he had painfully built up between them. Could he ever get them back to what they were before? He wouldn't be surprised if she estranged herself from him.

 

Tristan put his head on crossed arms, not even having the gall to look her in the face in sheer shame and guilt. His eyes were watering with tears, but it was not audible and he wanted to hide it in embarrassment. He choked out some speech somehow, saying "I know....i know. And I don't know what I can [censored] ever do about it. I screwed up royally and I don't know what to do. It hurts because its all my fault and I'm to blame. I just...don't know."

He stopped talking, as his already usually deep voice was rough and it was painful to speak. He sobbed further in his arms in guilt, with nothing he could do about it.

[Kiru 0]

Even with flushed cheeks and red eyes, I still maintained eyes contact. I made the decision to stare him straight in the eye, Tristan however did not choose the same thing. The red haired male tried to hide the fact that he was crying but it was painfully obvious that he was. His response wasn't really one I had anticipated. I thought of Tristan as a strong and unfazed leader who served for the purpose of the people. But that wasn't what he displayed with his behavior. He was sitting there, regretting something he did, crying, and breaking down in front of me. The feeling of guilt came again as he continued to sob in his arms. It wasn't something I enjoyed watching either, I hated it when people cried. It was a sign of weakness to me. The only other time I witnessed something like this was when Keith began crying out of nowhere. He just suddenly began to hug me like I was dying and bawled on my shoulder. I didn't know what to do then and I didn't know what to do now. I guess the only thing I knew for certain was that everyone's emotions are malleable. With that in mind, I proceeded with caution.

 

I leaned across the table and placed my right hand on his head. I thought it was odd but I saw other people do it to comfort someone. I took a deep breath, as this was embarrassing for me, and closed my eyes. Slowly, guilt formed a pit in my stomach. He was to blame for this but even so I felt like this was my fault. "You did. You screwed up big time. So, never do it again." I paused for a moment in attempt to find the correct words, "move on." I said finally slid back into my seat. I had no idea what I was doing, at this point I just said whatever was on my mind. I owed him at least that much. "I don't know if you've heard but Keith is gone. He's been missing for over a month and people have proclaimed him to be dead. People say Vile murdered him, that he was kidnapped. Others say that PKers were looking for me but killed him instead. I don't know what to do about that either. In ways, we're the same. I feel guilty for not being by his side but I'm here aren't I? I'm sitting in front of Tristan Delaney, the guy who has the nerve to cry in front of a lady." I chuckled slightly but those tiny laughs turned unstable. My shoulders began to shake slightly. I tried my hardest not to cry right now, how pathetic would that be? Two people in a cafe crying? "So, just move on, you know?...." I buried my face in my arms on the table and began to sob, like Tristan. 

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan sighed, slightly raising his head and with his finger wiped away the tears from his face. His cheeks were still red, but oh well. The hand on his head eased him greatly, since it was probably the most caring gesture he had ever received her, seeing as he wasn't a masochist. He smiled slightly, eternally happy that Kiru could forgive him on it, which was all he could ask for.

 

Tristan sighed slightly and put his hands forward, gently holding one of Kiru's who also now cried. "I'm sorry for what I've done. I'm sorry for what happened to Keith, even if I have no power over it, though at the least i can console you on the matter. And you're right, I'll never do it again. From henceforth I will be a close friend, or at least try to be, and if I ever do something stupid like this again, then I give permission for you to beat the crap out of me for being a total fool."

The stroked the upper of the hand he held, he supposed trying to comfort Kiru, who now also let down her own walls. Well he supposed he finally got it down, even if not in the manner he intended. "And I'm eternally grateful that you've forgiven me. Thank you...really."

He then remained silent, continuing hold of her hand. He would hug her, but he wasn't sure if that was still out of place in this current tension and environment.

[Kiru 0]

I breathed slower to try and calm myself down, this was not the time or place to be letting out my feelings. A coffee shop with Tristan was not the ideal place to think about this either. I needed to leave before I made a bigger fool of myself. Though, just as I was about to leave I felt a hand clasp gently onto mine. I was a bit surprised to say the least, I didn't expect him to try and comfort me. I peeked at Tristan through my bangs that shielded my eyes, he still look upset but he looked a lot calmer than he was before. I nodded slightly at his words. "I'll definitely take you up on that offer." I muttered quietly and looked back at my hand under his. It was different then Keith's way of calming me but it sufficed. I needed a touch from someone else to let me know that I was there.  I took in a deep breath and lifted my head slightly whilst sniffling. I rested my chin on the table so only my eyes were visible due to my arm blocking the view. "I didn't say I forgave you yet." From behind my arm I smiled mischievously.  "Joking, and you aren't going to be a close friend. I refuse to have people taller than me be my friend. You could be my servant if you like?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Surely now things would go a little smoother. My eyes drifted around the room, we were being quite the performers. I glared at the NPC, who was staring directly at us. She nearly dropped the pot of boiling water and scurried away. I sat up and laughed at her reaction and couldn't help but smile, a weight had been lifted from my chest. I turned to Tristan with an evil look in my still red eyes. "So, my disgusting hot chocolate is now cold. I think for taking my precious time set aside for being lazy you should buy me a new one, from a better shop of course." 

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan chuckled with Kiru brightening up as she sat up and fired her mischievous remarks he knew her well for faster than a cowboy primed with his six gun in hand. This was the Kiru he knew, someone who could give such evil one liners, yet also knew that they were not always the most serious, since he could by now see beyond that.

He was certain he had heard about servanthood being announced before, but he wasn't quite sure. Either way, it made him chuckle. "I'll consider the offer. It depends on what benefits I get, along with how many days of holiday leave, terms and conditions and healthcare program." he said, discussing as if it were an actual job place to fill.

Hearing her comment about the hot chocolate, he noted his own rather bland tea also go cold. "Sure, I'll happily take up that offer and bring you somewhere else." he said, still holding her hand and using it take her with him to the town and find somewhere else better based on what he had heard. There was the Runcible Spoon that was rather close, which while he could not vouch for their cocoa, did make exquisite tea and coffee so would assume their hot chocolate would come soon as well. It was a bit expensive, but he at the least owed paying for that.

[Kiru 0]

"It worked." I thought, smiling a little. My intentions weren't to cheer myself up, they were to make Tristan stop crying. By making him laugh and pushing my feelings aside I could make him quit being so emotional. When he felt better then surely I would too. Though after seeing him break like that, the pit in my stomach only grew larger. He made me feel angry and guilt and just dark whenever I saw him, especially with his odd expression and tears in his eyes. Of course the laugh at the scared waitress was genuine but mostly I felt something strange, like I owed Tristan; and that confused me. I didn't know why I cared either. Mostly I would ignore anyone's wishes and do what I wanted. But that wasn't the case here. After not seeing him for so long I guess you could say I resented him but missed him. I pushed all that aside and had one goal: make Tristan not feel guilty, become friends again. Also enjoy the experience.  

 

I tilted my head so my cheek was touching the table and smirked. "Hm, the benefit is taking care of royalty, you will have exactly zero days of leave, and you are responsible for your own health. If a weapon is raised at me I expect you to step in the way of it. Die for me is your first order. Serve me until you die!" I exclaimed, a look of fake arrogance completing the act. "For I am a spoiled princess who has ticked off many players with orange crystals above their head. You must be alert and aware that one could kill me at any moment!~"I practically sang with sarcasm. The part about PKers hunting me was also true, which wasn't even scary to me. I was scared of losing everyone, everyone dying. Unlike the Kiru that started the game, I actually cared for a few people. 

 

"Okay, the drinks better be good." As Tristan moved out of the seat without letting go of my hand I stood up as well. I walked behind him, allowing someone to guide me for once. I stared at our hands locked together and frowned. It felt wrong. I tried to gently slip my hand our of his but we made a sudden turn and my chance was lost. I sighed again and walked, holding hands, until we stopped in front of the place Tristan apparently thought was more fitting. I took one look at the name of the building and glared at him. The last and first time he brought me somewhere, it also had a funny name. 

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan chuckled at her outburst of her terms of slavery. "Well if relaxed days spent with you could count as holidays, I'll happily take that as a substitute." he said teasingly. He could probably be more flirtatious in his teasing, but he felt right now wasn't the best time for such a thing, seeing as they both bawled their eyes out just earlier.

Tristan chuckled and said "Trust me, they are.". He let go of her hand as they walked into the rather lavishly decorated place that had a theme of of a warm red colour. He went to the front and said "One hot chocolate for her and one standard tea for me please.", paying the rather substantial amount of Col up front.

Seeing as they had a constant supply of kettles and such with everything ready to pour on entry, he got the drinks almost immediately and held them.

Tristan moved to one of the tables, which was a table short in height with cushions to sit on at either side. He placed the drinks in the relevant places for both of them and sipped on the hot tea, gauging its temperature. He waited on Kiru to sit opposite him for her own hot chocolate, which was with the price a far better quality than the one she had in the other shop.

[Kiru 0]

I punched him in the arms slightly for his first and way too soon attempt at flirting. "What do you think I do on my free days?! I am quite the busy person if you can't tell so I barely have time to rest. Do you see these bags under my eyes?" I pointed to the slightly darker skin under my eyes. It looked weird and almost out of place compared to my nearly porcelain skin but there was nothing I could do about it, it wasn't like I liked spending worthless money in an Inn anyways. "You see them, these bags are Prada!" The corners of my mouth began moving up until it was a complete smile. Once again I was laughing at my own joke. I looked back up at Tristan smiled, it was good to be friends with someone again. He wasn't my friend because he had to be, he wasn't there just to mock me, he was here to apologize as friend. Hopefully this time around we wouldn't kill each other though. 

 

We walked into the rather fancy cafe and my eyes began to sparkle, the decor was amazing. The theme of red stuck out on a floor like this. It was like a fire in the middle of the snow. The wallpapers were a subtle and slightly opaque red while the tables were tinted to the color of blood red. The carpet was chocolate colored and went well with the rest of the shop. I couldn't even pay attention to Tristan paying yet another large amount for us, I could only focus on how beautiful this was. I barely noticed when he started moving, so I stood for about five seconds until I scurried over to where he was and sat down on the cushion. I wasn't used to sitting on a pillow on the floor so it took me a while to find a comfortable position. Even then it wasn't that comfortable so I gave up and stretched my legs out under the table, sticking out the other side. I picked up my cup and began drinking it. I decided to take a giant gulp but I realized that wasn't a good idea, it was way too hot for me to swallow. Painfully to avoid embarrassment I swallowed it and practically burned my throat. I looked up and saw Tristan had the same problem and stifled an awkward laugh.

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan chuckled and rolled his eyes at her remark after. He did behind his laughter though leave a slight hint of the worry he felt from what she mentioned. She really did look tired, but he wondered what it was that sucked so much out of her that she had sleep deprivation. Was it from effort undertaken in SAO or from just not sleeping well, either through dwelling on matters or other reasons? He would have to ask her later. For now the tea and hot chocolate was far more on the agenda.

 

Tristan could feel Kiru's feet on his crossed legs on the cushion which were in a half-lotus position, clearly her legs far less adept at sitting in ways more suitable to yoga practitioners. He personally was just used to it from his own bit of jujitsu he did as a kid, which was nothing special but did mean he picked up a few habits.

He sipped on his tea, but was a bit too hot for him, so did a slight cough and breathed out a bit, his throat burning a bit. He shared a hoarse laugh with Kiru from their burnt throats, but then waited a bit. After not too long, the tea was to a temperature he could drink.

After a few sips, he lowered the tea so it was easier to speak and wasn't speaking with tea in his mouth. "So what has you depriving your sleep? Just sheer busyness, or something keeping you awake at night?"

[Kiru 0]

I set my mug down for a couple minutes before even touching it again. There was no way that I was going to drink it when it was that hot, otherwise I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. For the moments of silence I waited for my drink to cool my mind wandered a bit. "I wonder what he's been up to nowadays, is he still a lower level than me? It'd be a little embarrassing for him to be a higher level, plus knowing him he would probably find something to worry about. Did he plan to apologize when he saw me, or just did it on a whim that I would accept? I wonder..." I glanced at Tristan to see he was not taking a sip of his tea. Judging by his reaction, it wasn't to hot to consume now. My hands curled around the warm cup and I brought it towards me. The moment I took a sip I closed my eyes. "Now this is good hot chocolate." The liquid wasn't watered down, there wasn't too much chocolate, and it had just the right amount of sugar added. Also the cream tasted better than any I'd had in the past. "Man, this is good. I think I'll come here a lot now." I admitted, now making a mental note of this place. From behind my hot chocolate I looked at Tristan, who was speaking to me now. His question confused me to say the least. I knew what he was asking but I didn't know why he would care. With a sigh I placed my warm and delicious drink on the table. "I'll be blunt here: I hate Inns. They are a waste of col and other people stay there too. If I'm going to sleep I would rather be out of the town and the safezone and away from everyone. Yes, it's dangerous to sleep in the middle of a field but it's nothing that I can't handle." I said, leaving out three very important details. The first was that I was always being attacked in the middle of the night. Second, I usually traveled around the towns during the night, causing me to go to sleep later. And lastly, Keith. Normally I would find a quiet hill and gaze up at the stars, something Keith used to do. He was always on my mind at night. That way I could worry about him with no one else around to fuss about it. All of these things together prove to make me lose sleep. During the day when I try to sleep people always think it's funny to poke me. Plus I have other business to attend to during the day. "Why do you ask? I've seen my reflection, and I know you can't be saying I don't look flawless." I teased and took another sip of my cocoa with a raised eyebrow. There were so many things I kept from everyone, even Zelrius.  

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan sipped on his now consumable tea without it burning him inside out like a demon drinking holy water. It was smoky but well prepared and not overwhelming, so very suitable to his tastes. Had a hint of honey with it too extra, and he was a great fan of honey over sugar. He sipped further on his tea patiently as Kiru spoke.

 

When she told him of her sleeping habits, he surpressed himself from spitting out his tea in surprise. She has been sleeping out on the fields?! That's nuts. He did an exaggerated sigh and put down his tea. "You should consider some way different then. I know we can't buy houses, but I for one use my shop as a place to live on the second floor. That could be an option for you, to get a shop with a profession and then live that way. Or even something more sheltered. You'll have me dead with worry with that kind of sleeping habit!". He wasn't shouting, but his voice was more enunciated and voiced clear intent with how she sounded nuts.

 

He sighed again as he remembered his own fight with himself, remembering all too well. "I am far too familiar with the Gemini. That was...life changing for sure. The only thing I can recommend to face your issues is the quest <<Calming the Soul>> like I did when I was suffering from internal strife. Sadly it is a solo only quest and thus cannot assist you in it directly, though if there is anything else in my power that can help you, then do say so."

[Kiru 0]

(For some reason I don't like the word "achoo" )

 

 

My upturned eyebrow slowly went down and my eyes gave off an "are you serious" look when he began speaking again. "Stop treating me like a child. I am more than capable of taking care of myself. I can do things alone." I said, nearly slamming my cup on the table. All this talk about myself was really getting on my nerves, I hated it when the person I was talking to only focused on my health. Keith did that and it got him hurt, he worried about me way too much. People worried about others so much that they got into trouble, and I personally would prefer to avoid that with the people around me if I could help it. I wasn't the Kiru at the start of the game anymore, I actually cared for my friends now and wanted to create some long lasting relationships between them. I sighed and closed my eyes slowly. "Seriously, don't worry about me, I'm completely fine." I tried, knowing he probably wouldn't dismiss the "issue" so easily. Tristan was only looking out for me like he did before, but this time around as friends it was annoying. I was a whole lot stronger then I was back then, and he should acknowledge that after seeing me for so long, Seriously this guy hadn't seen me since before the holidays, it was crazy.

 

I leaned back a little and used my hands behind me to steady myself. "If you honestly think I would start a profession this late in the game then you obviously haven't met me. I don't want to greet people or make transactions. I don't want to craft or anything. I think the rest of my days spent here will be on the front lines, murdering things to get to the top floor. I'm not in any rush to get back outside but I want to explore the other floors. Hopefully there's one covered in flowers or something, even I would buy a house there." There was a pause before I began again. Mostly it was to calm down a bit but it was also just for the sake of rethinking. I needed to choose my words a little more carefully right now, I didn't want an argument. 

 

"I have no issues with myself so that quest is useless to me. But now that I think of it there is something you can do for me: stop worrying about other people. You need to focus on yourself a little mo- achoo!" Out of nowhere, I sneezed. Of course I did it in my elbow but it was still unexpected. I shook my head and rubbed my hand over my forehead.

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan sighed and lowered his head, looking at his half drunken tea and watching his reflection on it. She slammed the table and was obviously displeased with people worried about her. "Yeah, but-" he thought back to for example while camping with others he got attacked by the <<Iron Knight>> in the middle of the night. He sighed though and decided right now was not the best time.

"Just...don't think telling me you're perfectly fine all the time and hide problems will make it any easier. I would rather you actually told me when there is something." He thought on how Celes said for ages that she was fine, then had to deal with a breakdown she had in her room. The only reason he was there to help her from fully collapsing was her sending a message to Tristan for help.

As though giving a case in point, she tried to tell him to concern about himself more and then she sneezed. He chuckled darkly and gave her a tissue from his inventory. "I worry about myself just fine, it's not often I neglect myself. You all of people should know though that I enjoy helping friends close to me. I mean, that is why I have a build which helps keep the heat off other players. Though I can't tank colds for you because you sleep outside..."

[Kiru 0]

"Now of all times. I just had to be in front of probably the only one to care if my forehead was a little warm." I removed my hand from my forehead and opened my inventory. I clicked through a few tabs until I pulled out something that resembled a hair tie. It was a black, simple string but it would work for right now. Carefully I pulled back all of my hair and made sure to include my bangs. Then I tied the black ribbon around the mass of hair and leaned forward, placing my right elbow on the table and my chin on my palm. I gave an irritated look towards Tristan. "You're seriously giving me a headache with all of this worrying. I mean it's like you want something to be wrong with me so you can fix it. And just for the record I sleep with a scarf on and I don't have a cold!" I sighed and locked eyes with my hot chocolate on the table. The color was deep brown but since I had drunk most of it already it wasn't as vibrant. Also the whipped cream was no longer on top of it. My eyes slowly closed shut after staring intensely at the warm liquid. "For some reason whenever I'm around him nowadays I'm either angered past the point of return, normal, or just guilty. He always feels the need to take care of everyone, it's helpful but it's also not...ah I don't know anymore!" I frowned and opened my eyes, returning another look of annoyance towards Tristan. 

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan raised an eyebrow at her as she spoke in her rather irritated manner and challenged what she said. Well Kiru was one of the feistiest people she knew, though for a lot of the time not for the better when he was with her. He thought about his response, sipping on the latter half of the tea to bode his time in thinking. After putting the teacup down and looked at her to speak with a neutral face, saying "Well it doesn't really help that nearly always when I've met you there has been something to fix, though that can just be put to misfortune on our parts. I'd be around you and your friend regardless if there was something to solve or not. To an extent you are right though, I do receive happiness from being able to help my friends. This doesn't have to mean fixing though, this can be assistance in nigh anything.". He finished his tea by drinking the rest of it, then spoke again, "Well if you're sure. But I'm here for you either way, feel free to make use of such an asset.".