[PP:F7] Not She [Lawfer] [Complete]

[Opal 0]

Nimbus, the sprawling mountainous region of floor seven and home to the Hidden Temple in the Mountains. And it was where Opal had recently come to. She was not one for looking into the past, but something brought her here that she could not explain. There were so many good memories of this place, now it seemed more like a shadow of its former self without a proper master at the home. Opal had spent weeks crying over his death, and yet even now...she was unable to shed any tears. She sighed as she kicked pieces of rubble rock away from herself. Hands on her hips as her amber gaze stared off into the distance. 

"Master Myoga...you'd be so proud of me. I Grandmastered the Katana a while back..." she said out to the open world before her. Of course he was no longer of this world to praise the woman, or to tell her what her next goal should be. No, she had all that planned out already on what her next move was. But the important thing was to establish communicaton with her former Master Myoga. The stern old goat would be proud of her and the achievements, although he probably would have looked a bit down for the fact she joined a militant guild. She sighed at even the thought of that but shook her head.

"I have become a strong Samurai. I keep to my code and now I keep to my Oath. Although I fear my path has been darkened somewhat. I have fallen into many vices over the course of the month. I have done some horrible things to myself you would be ashamed of...But I am trying, no one is perfect. And you are not here to judge me for it anymore! So...!" the woman's voice trickled off after she boomed in anger, her fist clenched as she attempted to ease the anger, not because of her vices...but because he was gone. The woman fell to her knee and slid a hand over her face, cursing out loud.  

A soft moan escaped her as she steadily rose as the Masamune X appeared in her hand. She examined the full length of the blade, it was perfection at every turn crafted masterfully, "The Masamune...You'd think I'd not have the proper hands to hold such a weapon. I remember you telling me of this Blacksmith from a long time ago. His swords were unequaled...And now I have a katana named after that master blacksmith. And yet..." the sword's reflection looked back to her, she saw the anger in her eyes, the tears that seemed to well up in the corner of her eyes. 

"Am I wrong, Master Myoga? Do my hands not deserve such an honorably named sword such as this? In my hands...it will soon see blood, will it call or cry out my name as I cut down those who I must. I don't know what to Master Myoga...should I allow the blade to sleep until I find my answer? Will you guide me once more to the true path I must take once again?" The woman stood there and closed her eyes, the blade clenched in her fist as the wind rolled by rustling the leaves.  

Edited February 26, 2016 by Opal

[Lawfer 0]

Thunder crackled as Lawfer looked up at the roaring ever darkening skies, it was if the sky was ready to rip open. Trudging up the winding staircase that Lawfer became acquainted with sometime back he smiled. The past memories of his last visit raced through his mind. It was the last time that he saw the honey eyed woman and her ridiculously strong master. In his withdrawal from society he became more familiar with this floor, but he had made a point not to travel this region. It was Opal's Master's home and he made sure to keep his distance. He wanted Opal to become stronger, and that required him to cut communication. He wasn't sure if that was some idea he concocted in his head, but he decided to go with it anyways.

His armor clanked as he made his way to the top of the trail. The first time he traveled this way he was completely exhausted, but it seemed his travels tempered his traveling ability. The golden haired man spear bearer stopped dead in his tracks as he took his final step up the stairs. The silhouette of a woman, was outlined in the darkening space. It was like time stood still, Lawfer knew that silhouette, he would never forget it.. 'Opal...' Lawfer thought. He had no idea what he was going to say to her, he wasn't expecting to see her this soon. The quite words of the woman were muffled by the thunder as she spoke to herself. Running his fingers through his golden hair, his patented grin came across his face, the spearbearer began taking a few steps toward the woman.

"Well this is unexpected..." Lawfer said softly. "Long time no see, Pretty Lady." 

 

[Opal 0]

Thunder seemingly cracked the sky, forked veins scoured the evening atmosphere sending a foreboding chill down the woman's spine. Was this answer she was looking for? The essence of her former Master filling the clouds and the air with his energy. Honey eyes glazed over, her once clutched fist now slowly softening as thunder once more boomed, causing her to tighten her hand again. And within that boom there was a voice, someone was here...behind her. She did not move, she froze, there was a muffled voice mixed with the rumbling of the quaking sky. No one would know she would be here this night, no one knew of this place but a few people. Her eyes cast and narrowed as she briefly saw only a shadow over her shoulder, "So you have finally come to attempt to finish me off, Sensui? Have you been lured out of your little shell long enough for me to cut you in half?" The woman egged the player on, not realizing it was Lawfer or any friend for that matter.

"I will tell you I am far stronger than I was before..." the woman lifted her hands upwards into the sky revealing the massive seven foot blade as she pointed it to the darkened skies, "I have yet to kill anyone with this blade...But I will not hesitate to kill you!" The woman, like glittering ice dust moved swiftly kicking off the ground, her blade in both hands as she moved quickly, soon enough to bring the blade down over the head of the player standing before her. It was only with a quick flash of lightning that she saw the face of the man before her and the horror etched upon her complexion. Immediately she slammed a foot down into the ground, her blade falling from her hands and her hands reaching out to grab something to keep her steady. When she fell over, she clutched the iron with her fingers, digging into the plates with her digits until her eyes met those eyes once again. 

Her mouth trembled..."La..Lawfer?" it was him, the sky once more filling with lightning as thunder boomed and a slow rain started to fall and moisten the land. She recovered her sword, lifting it up slowly but continued to keep eyes on the male before her, "No...it is not you. You can't be you...You are gone..." she murmured looking into his eyes. But as much as she was in denial...he was there standing but a foot away. Rain cascading down from the sky, droplets becoming heavier and heavier as time passed. 

"[censored]..." she grunted, the displeasure of the rain causing her to shift her gaze upwards and away from him. The woman stood there, her skirt billowing in the breeze, "Come on...Let's get out of this rain. You have some explaining to do before I cut you open." 

Her voice was anything but pleasant sounding. The man Lawfer, the one she had been emotionally attached now just shows up out of no where as if nothing happened. But stuff had happened, between them and between everything else. The woman he knew was gone...dead...somewhere in the remains of the temple where she left old self. But now...this rain...

She grabbed him by the hand and tugged on it as they headed towards the Temple Housing, the old japanese style building remained as it was when she left it. Nothing had been moved from her last time being here. Her amber eyes fell towards the ground as she shifted the door open, her hand falling limply away from his own as she removed the warm grip. She turned to face him, her eyes despite the warm honey glow they once had, stared back at him with much ferocity...

"Why...are you here? You shouldn't be here...No one should be..." She sighed and shook her head, the ebony locks of hair forming together in a mess as she attempted to smooth the wet locks from her face. There was no light within the temple, save but a torch she found that was alchemized before she had left. If she could not find her peace in civilization again, this was her domain until she felt ready. But she left as soon as she could and never looked back upon it until this day, this night, of all nights with Lawfer standing once more only feet away. 

She took the torch and lit the candles about the dinning room where they once had sake and dinner with her old Master. Now a vacant room with nothing but a few pillows and overturned table. 

 

[Lawfer 0]

As the thunder rattled, Lawfer could only hear the jumbled words of the woman as she begrudgingly spoke with her back turned. It was too hard to hear anything, taking one step forward Lawfer watched as the woman turned and jetted towards him. Elegant and flawless were her movements, as the blade lifted then fell. Lawfer just stared at the woman. She had finally realized it was him, as she declared that he couldn't have been who he appeared to be it felt as if her Masamune had actually pierced his chest. That would have been painless, but he knew that he had hurt the honey eyed beauty by leaving. As he stared earnestly into the woman's eyes he was taken back to all of the memories he had of the woman and the short time that they shared. "It's me Opal..." he uttered, not knowing what else to say. As the sky ripped in two and the rain began to fall, he reached out his hand.

"Well i dont think i would like being cut in two... even if it was by you." He said, as he helped the woman up and followed her into her private sanctuary. The old Japanese style home had lost all of its previous luster, there was no sign of Myoga around. It didn't take a high intelligence rating to know that. But that was the least of his worries at the moment. The hand of Opal fell from his own as she brought a torch out and asked him a question that was not so simple to answer. 

Running both of his hands through his wet golden hair, he pulled back all the loose strands. "I know I shouldn't be here and that's a little hard to answer, but the only real answer I have is it felt like I needed to come here." he paused for a moment as he stared into the woman's eyes. Trying to distract himself from the mess that was her hair at the moment. "Part of me thinks it was to find you, but at the same time I can't say that for sure. But regardless, I'm happy that I found you." He finished with a slight laugh. Thunder roared from outside the house, but Lawfer remained unflinchingly fixated on the woman's honey eyes. "I'm alive and I'm back safe and sound. I'm sorry if I worried you. There were countless times that I wanted to talk to you and find you. But I couldn't, I wanted to and agonized over it, but I couldn't." He stated as his blue eyes pierced through the dimly lit room, resolute in his gaze. 

[Opal 0]

"Pfft..." the woman made a noise with her red lips, "I moved on...that was the only thing to do." The woman tossed the torch to the floor, causing a makeshift bonfire to light and warm up the small room. The rain outside did not seem to let up, and the rolling aggressive thunder and lightning seemed persistent on keeping them within. Although it was just water, Opal did not enjoy thunderstorms as much as she used to. She had rather been in an Inn relaxing perhaps, but this day had gone from bad to worse. The woman sighed and shifted her weight, her back and body falling towards a wall as she slid down it and sat down. 

"You still shouldn't be here..." she repeated in a low tone. Her hands over her face as she swept the curtain of black hair from away from her amber eyes, the blue piercing gaze of Lawfer's met her once more and she could do nothing more than turn away from his look, "Stop...looking at me like that. Many things have changed since you have been...whatever it was you were doing. I wasn't worried about you, you were alive...I knew that much. But I guess the blame could be on both sides. I didn't come to seek you out when I finished my training. I didn't go to see anyone...I just lost myself for a little while." the woman brought her knees up to her chest and folded her arms over them.

"But I am glad you are safe still..." the woman ran a finger over her inventory, selecting an item to which she needed badly. Once it was selected, the woman's finger was decorated in an citrus scented cigarette. Her amber eyes stared at it as she placed it to her lips, inhaling deep and expelling an orange plume. She sighed and relaxed allowing the alchemized item to take its effect on her. The tension in her body was slowly coming undone as she slid her legs out before her and continued to lean against the wall.

"Mack has been missing for a good while. It seems a lot of the Crimson Blades members had gone on a hiatus, each one of them looking for a piece of themselves in this world again. Just recently I brought most of them back together, they are now the Elite Strike Team of the Knights of the Blood Oath, the same guild colors that I wear. You are looking at the Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood. But you'll be happy to know most of them are safe and sound. Mack, Abalasster, Grave, Beoreson, and even Hirru came to join...." she was attempting to give him a heads up on what had been happening while he was doing his own thing.

The female flicked her thumb against the burning orange stick, orange ashes coming undone and pixelating into nothingness as she looked around the destroyed room, "I had fond memories of this place once...I still do every so often, but this place is now a shadow of its former brilliance. Without..." the woman cleared her throat, "...it's just nothing what it used to be..."  

[Lawfer 0]

Lawfer paused for a moment as he listened to his former interest utter the words 'moved on'. "All that matters is that you are happy Opal, that's really all I ever wanted you to be, ever since we first met." He said with a genuine smile, the news may have struck deep at his heart but he was happy for her. The storm continued to rage on outside, as Lawfer continued to listen to the woman. "I know I shouldn't be here, I knew that before I decided to come back. But I still had to come here. Maybe that's just my pride talking but you know me..." He paused once more after the honey eyed woman purposefully broke eye contact. A slight smirk snuck on his face, but the spearman quickly regained his composure. Walking to the same side of the room as the raven haired woman, Lawfer picked up one of pillows from the ground. Leaning his back against the wall, he slid down and sat near the woman, allowing the appropriate amount of distance between the two as he listened. Placing the pillow between them as a buffer.

"Yeah I know things have changed." Lawfer stated rather dully, "A lot of things could have been different Opal. I could have decided not to disappear and stayed with everyone, but that's not what I needed to do. I needed to clear my head and see everything I could about this world. I decided that I would find the edge of the world, the edge of every map in the the lower levels, and it was something that I needed to do for me to find my center once again." He stopped realizing that she said that he had lost herself. He had known the feeling. He had lost everything close to him in the real world, every bit of his family. "I know what its like to be lost beautiful, I'm just sorry that I couldn't be here to help you find yourself." Looking over to her once he felt the weight that seemed to reside on the woman's shoulders. "Opal, I'm sorry. Even though I know you will say that you didn't need me. I'm still sorry I couldn't be there." 

As the woman lit up her cigarette, Lawfer laughed. "So you still haven't kicked that habit yet huh?" He said playfully trying to raise the mood a bit before she began going into the update of current events and the estate of their old guild. "Congratulations, looks like little Opal got a pay raise." He joked, but then he quickly became serious. "I'm glad you could help keep the guys together. I'm sure it was tough, but I'll be here again to help you. You can depend on me now to be here for anything."

As he listened to her speak of fond memories then suddenly fall silent the azure eyed knight knew something was off. Standing up, Lawfer began walking towards the middle of the room he knelt down and turned the overturned table over, even if they weren't going to sit there it just didn't seem right to him to leave it in its current state. Standing back up he walked back over to the wall and plopped down on the floor, this time almost right next to her. "So when are you going to tell me what happened to Master Myoga?" he asked with a serious tone. He had already summized enough, but he knew that she needed to clear her thoughts and the best way to do that is to talk. The thunder cracked once more, and Lawfer looked over to the honey eyed beauty waiting for her reply. 

[Opal 0]

The woman watched as he turned over the dinner table. Opal kept her eyes one him and his actions as he moved about, plopping down next to her again. She knew why it was like that in the first place. Much of the destruction in this place was caused by her hands when Master Myoga left this world. Yet, she said no words about it until he asked. The woman took a long drag from her cigarette again, the orange smoke billowing out of her mouth as she hung it open before blowing outwards. She listened to his reasons for not coming back, or even returning for that matter. Personal reasons...She was fine with it, she had no choice but to accept that, "You don't need to explain yourself to me. It's fine, it really is. I've kept myself occupied. Sure, I thought about you and how you were doing...but...Like all of us, we just needed time away. I get it." the woman breathed out through her nose, the orange smoke split from her nose passage as she shook her head as he asked about Master Myoga.

"Master Myoga passed away. He was getting sicker as the days went on by. I spent the last remaining days of training in his room just helping him be more comfortable... There is nothing really anymore to say about it. He passed away...After he died...I felt guilty I couldn't do more for him. After that...things got worse for me. I couldn't leave this place. I became destructive...and I needed a way to vent my anger." 

The woman flicked the orange embers from her cigarette as she looked into the burning torch in the middle of the room, "I...have done some pretty horrible things to people to take my hate and guilt on. I made them suffer, especially those that chose to do harm to me. I scoured Urbus, hearing about reports of some shifty activity coming from the city. Slave trading, human trafficking kinda stuff. Of course, no one knew it was me pummeling those people. But...it was the only way I felt alive..." the woman scoffed, "It's funny...how fast I let things get out of hand for me. It took me a while to figure out that my destructive path was doing nothing good for me...I hated too much, I couldn't let the pain go. I ended up hearing about a rumor of a guild that had long succeeded more than the others, Knights of the Blood. That's when I met with Azide, the former Vice Commander. And then...things were going well. We were searching for new recruits, and like many men in my life..." she looked at him, her expression a simple smile, "left...without a word, without a goodbye. Just disappeared...I was hoping he would come back, but..I saw that he wasn't. That was the day...I decided to take charge of my life once more and forge something new. I asked Commander Heathcliff for the position and was given the title. After that, one by one the pieces started to fall. I made a name for the Guild in this era. You can't go without a block or two in the cities and not know who the Knights of the Blood Oath are." 

She took another hungry drag from her cigarette, the citrus flavor filling up her mouth and then expelling the smoke in a single stream with her pursed ruby lips, "I don't blame anyone for leaving when they need to. And I don't blame you for soul searching. I'm just glad you are back...But I should confess something..." the woman flicked the cigarette to the side of her, into the blazing torch in the room as it just blew up into digital dust. Her amber eyes looked him over and smiled, "I met someone new...his name is Teselmar. He is kinda new...just finding his way. But there was something in him that I became attracted to. I had waited for you to come back...But..." The woman rubbed her arms out of guilt for having not waited longer.

"I wasn't sure if you would ever come back or if you ever wanted to be found. And I wasn't searching for a boyfriend or anything, it just...happened. I'm sorry, Lawfer. But I wanted you to know..." the woman quieted herself, her gaze once more downcast as she couldn't look into his eyes. She felt like she had betrayed him somehow, betrayed herself. With Lawfer showing up now...everything was...confusing...

[Lawfer 0]

"I know I don't need to explain it, beautiful. But i wanted to. You mean a lot to me after all." He said a he paused. Running his fingers through his hair, the feeling remained heavy as she explained how Myoga had passed away into the next life. 'There are worse ways to go.' Lawfer thought to himself as he remembered his own mothers passing and how it had taken nearly a year for her illness to take her. "Well at least he had you there with him. He kinda hit the jackpot with you here." Lawfer stated with a smirk as he imagined Nurse outfit Opal. 'Yeah I could live with that.' he thought to himself as he refocused on the conversation at hand. Taking a small breath in through his nose, he could smell the citrus that was flowing in the air. The woman continued to explain the evil acts she committed while being lost and vengeful. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't slightly surprised, but all of it was understandable. 

'So she already found someone that can take take care of here.' Lawfer thought to himself. Initially it shocked him however, judging by the raven haired woman's lack of affection, he had already summized that much. Siting forward, Lawfer came up to one knee and pivoted kneeling down in front of her. as she struggled and looked down Lawfer smiled. Taking  his right hand he used it to prop Opals head up to look directly into his eyes. His azure blue eyes locked onto that amber jewels that were hers. "Well I'd love to say that I am surprised that you met someone, but I'm happy for you beautiful. You deserve someone that makes you happy. I mean it. As much as I wanted that person to be me, I don't deserve it anymore. You deserve the very best, a man that can take care of all your needs. Not just the physical ones we had so much fun entertaining." Letting go of her delicate chin, he stood up. "But you should know, that if a time comes that your unhappy again, I'll be here for support." he commented with a wink. "It's not in my nature to steal things, I may be flirt, but I'm not a homewrecker." He let out a laugh to break the tension as he walked back to the table and leaned against it. 

"So were do we go from here, pretty one?" he asked. "Or should I start calling you boss lady?" he finished as he readjusted his shirt then pulled back his newly grown long golden hair. 

[Opal 0]

The woman breathed slowly, getting lost in his eyes as she had done so before on numerous occasions. His hair had got long since the last time they spoke, he aged, but his romanticism never changed. Once more her eyes darted away, looking away from him. It was hard to look into those eyes of his, he did not understand the issue of her insensitivity, or her apathy towards him. There was much to tell him, but how much should she tell him? Was it even necessary to go that far. The woman's right hand trembled lightly, her digits on her right hand opened and closed as she made a fist to ease some of the tension. She cleared her throat, "No." she simply replied to his last list of questions. 

"I am Vice Commander, if you wish to retain the rank you once had, I would suggest finding Mack. I am sure he could use your spear at his side. He is in charge of the Elite Strike Force for the guild, they still bear their colors, but they also hold the banner of the Knights of the Blood Oath. They all fall to Command by myself and Commander Heathcliff. I'll let Mack know if you are interested in coming back. As for what we do from here on..."

The woman paused, the rumbling of the outside continued as the rainstorm continued to pelt the outside realm. Opal shifted uneasily in her position and looked around the room, "I will be staying here for the night. I wanted to be here alone to get away...and just to talk with Master Myoga, but I guess since you are here now..." the woman looked about the room, her amber eyes looking about as if she were searching for something, "I believe I left a few camping supplies in the chest in my room. I can bring those out if you...If you want to stay here for the night. You are not obligated to do so though if you wish to leave. I only suggest because...The storm outside doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. I'm not sure how you feel about walking in such weather." She was trying to convince him to stay, because it would be nice to be in his company. Honestly, she didn't think too much ahead of her situation. It was true, she intended to stay the night by herself, but the pain and the memories that lingered here, they were a difficult combination of things to deal with. But the company with Lawfer, it would ease her mind of things rather than seeping through horrid memories, she found light and comfort in his presence. 

But there was also temptation...heated and lust. His touch on her chin from before, the gaze of his eyes. They enchanted and charmed her once before and yet again, now, powerless under his careful and warm gaze. There was no telling what might happen if they ended up in the same room during the night, perhaps...she should leave. Opal was a woman, she felt strong as a warrior...but deep down, she was also just that...a woman. Clearing her throat, "It's up to you on what you wanna do..."

 

[Lawfer 0]

Lawfer smiled, it was odd looking at how much Opal had grown. Not only had she matured with her level and skill, she was now the vice commander of one of the strongest guilds in Aincrad. He would be lying to himself if he didn't find that attractive but he knew that he should probably keep that little bit of information to himself. "Thanks. I'll find Mack after I head down from the mountain. I appreciate it." He said with earnestness. Turning his head he listened to the storm that had been brewing outside, it was getting much worse than he had originally thought it would be. Lawfer had grown accustomed to the rain of this floor in his time away, he had spent a lot of time here on the other side of the map. "If you truly dont mind, I'll stay." He paused for a moment as he fixed his sight back onto the raven haired woman.

"As much as I enjoy the rain on this floor, it sounds like it will get worse before it gets better." He knew this from experience, the rain cycles in this game were random, but on this floor it was a never ending malestrom when it really started to storm. "That, and, we still have more catching up to do." Lawfer said playfully as he winked then stood up from leaning on the table. Raising his right hand, he opened his inventory. His cloak and armor had gotten wet in the rain and was still not drying. Scanning through his equipment, he selected his out of combat gear. In a flash of blue, he was re-equiped in a blue tunic, and white pants then closed his interface. 

"I've been alone for the past four months, sleeping on the ground in the middle of no where on all the lower levels. Sleeping on this floor, in this home, while catching up with you sounds like a way better alternative than getting wet in the rain and finding an inn." He commented with a slight laugh as he moved a few strands of away from his face and smiled. Walking back over to the wall that Opal seemed to be cemented to, he extended his right hand to the woman. "I know it's probable being washed away at the moment, but do you want to join me at the zen garden?"

 

[Opal 0]

"Huh? You...want to go to the Zen Garden now? While it's raining? You ask this just after you change into dry clothes? Haha..hahahaha..." the woman laughed, a hand held to her face as she shook her head, "No...I do not wish to venture out right now. I would like to visit it once again, but when I don't fear I will be washed away in this storm." Opal did notice his change, she felt a bit uncomfortable herself sitting here with her damn clothes on. The caplette she wore sticking to her in a rather uncomfortable sloppy mess, but for the most part, it was far away from her attention at the time.

However, she would not let Lawfer stand there with his arm extended out for nothing. She was lifted up by his sturdy arm, her eyes once more locked on to his, it was an awkward moment as she smiled nervously, tucked hair over her ear and turned away from his gaze, "Yes, well." she gave a small cough to clear her throat, "The sleeping equipment should be in my old room. I'll be right back..." The woman moved quickly away from him, her hand lingered on his just for a moment as she made her way towards her old bedroom. QUickly she entered her own domain and slid the door shut, her back against it as she lowered her head, "What the hell are you doing?" she asked to herself. Her hand moved through the icons of her menu and selected the appropriate sleeping attire for tonight. Her body lit up for a moment, transforming her from the panoply into her pajamas. A simple white pair of lounge pants, and a white tank top. She was not doing this to entice the male, far from it, it was the only thing comfortable she had to wear to sleep and sleeping in armor was not comfortable, especially of the wet variety. 

Breathing in deeply, she examined the damage of her former room. The furniture was upturned much like the table in the dinning area. She was so angry that day, being destructive and yelling and crying, the tears didn't feel like they were ever going to stop. She found the inventory chest she had kept her for her person items in case she ever needed them. Two sleeping bags and a set of alchemized fire potions to keep the fire going. She looked about once more in her room and sighed, returning to Lawfer in the other room. 

"I found those sleeping bags. Unfortunately, most of the sleeping mattresses were...destroyed a while ago. But I kept these here for safe keeping just for emergencies like this. Although I didn't imagine seeing you here tonight of all nights. Looks like we are once again spending the night together...!!!...I mean!...Not together!!...You will sleep on the opposite side of the room from me!"  Face flushed hot with redness as she said those words out loud. Mentally she cursed at herself for doing that. It was almost torture, the confused feelings burdening themselves upon her shoulder once again. 

"Ugh...So, you said you slept outside a lot on the lower floors? That must have been adventurous. You didn't run into any player killers while doing that? I hard their activity was pretty high for a little while then it slowly dwindled again..." Opal attempted to make casual conversation after her little miss meaning of words. The tank top shoulder strap kept sliding off her right arm, which she fumed out while keeping it place while she was laying down and patting her sleeping bag. It was a decent quality item, nothing too fancy, but it got the job done. She sat down on her bag and threw in one of the alchemized fires pots into the small fire. It burst into a large flame as it roared to life but quickly settled down to a small roar. She had been able to control the size of the fire with her precise calculations, using just the right amount of materials to keep the fire controlled. 

 

 

[Lawfer 0]

Lawfer's cheeks gained a slight tint of red from the woman laughing. He really didn't think about that part, "Haha. I guess your right. You spend four months in solitude and the little things like rain don't register on your radar." Lawfer said trying to contain himself, it was comical indeed. After helping the woman up, he could feel the slight lingering of her fingers. His mind flashed back to the last time the two were in this house. That was the first time he had held the woman's hand, it was also the time that he thought he might die if he broke the old man's rules. As she left the room, Lawfer turned from the door way. "What did you get yourself into Lawfer?" He asked himself under his breath as he looked around the room, taking note of all the damages. He knew it probably wasn't the best idea, but seldom does the head win out over the heart. Hearing rustling in the other room, he quickly snapped back to his senses. 

As the raven haired woman made her grand re-entrance, he was caught off guard but the perfect amount of cuteness her PJ's portrayed. 'I think this the the first time I've ever seen her in PJ's.' Lawfer blushed once more as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Thanks!" He said as he began cracking up laughing from the repeated foot that the amber eyed woman kept putting in her mouth. "It's alright Opal, I know what you mean." As he looked into her eyes once more, and placed the sleeping bag on the ground, a few feet away from hers, trying to give her enough space to feel comfortable. "Yeah, I pretty much mapped out all of the bottom seven levels. I mean.." he paused for a moment to regan his thoughts as he was constantly being distracted by the woman fixing her tank top. Raising his right hand, he opened his inventory and selected another one of his shirts. "Here, you can use this tonight so you can relax a little better." As the white shirt appeared in front of him he tossed it over the her. "Its a plain white shirt. It should still be clean. I washed it a few days ago and haven't worn it since." Smiling once more, he laid back on top of the sleeping bag staring into the newly started fire. 

"I pretty much traveled all 7 of the bottom floors trying to see just how far each of them went. I know that there are information brokers for that information, but I really just wanted to see everything myself. I saw a lot of beautiful places, places that you would have to spend a fortune to see in the real world. But everything has a price. I ran into PKers a few times, and luckily I'm still here. Like you I've hurt a lot of people the last few months but I'm glad I'm still alive." Turning on his side he propped himself up, and looked at Opal. "And now I'm here sitting in front of you."

[Opal 0]

A hand stretched out when she caught the fabric, it was nice of him to offer the shirt to her. It would probably be better to wear it instead of not meaning to to tempt him into something and then both of them getting into trouble and regretting any future action. If that had happened, she wouldn't know what to do with herself or to how to look at Teselmar again. She nodded her head, "Thanks." Shirt lifted over her head as her arms swam through the large arm holes of the shirt, it was longer than she had expected to and was far more roomy. Her small body fit into it easily enough, at least she didn't have to fiddle with that strap anymore. 

The woman looked into the fire as he told his story, about his adventures on the lower floors and the collective places he had visited. The woman smiled, her red lips turning a bit brighter as she listened to his story unfold. And then there was the unpleasantness of such adventures as well. Those vagabond Player Killers. She had suspected he might run into a few of them, but he was strong both mentally and physically and smart enough to deal with the pressures of such things. 

"That's neat, I mean the stuff that you have seen while out there. I have mapped out a good portion of the lower floors as well. I spent a lot of time on floor four, still call that my 'home' I guess. Ugh, I have revisited floor five to take on the other quests, but I didn't stick around long enough to get map data. Although, while I was with a friend, she mentioned there was a hot spring located on that floor. Might be worth investigating at night, since the temperatures drop quite a bit in the desert." 

The woman swept the raven hair from her face over one ear again as she leaned forward, her arms wrapped around her legs that she pulled into her chest, "I'm glad you are safe and back. But since you've run into player killers, have you run into a player named Sensui or Volcano by chance? Both of them are green players, but they run a PK Guild. I owe a debt of pain to both of them..." the woman held a tinge of anger in her voice, but allowed it to drop as she turned over and laid out on her sleeping bag. She shifted her arms under her head and stared at the ceiling. She wasn't sure what to say next, it had been a while since they spoke. But even then their nights before weren't filled with talking so much as it was filled with lust and action. So it was awkward to sleep in the same room without him beside her, but it was for the best. The woman slid her finger over his menu once more revealing a dark purple vial. The woman uncorked it and drank the contents from within as the glass shattered with blue pixels. The woman sighed lightly allowing it to take effect. 

"I don't think you would enjoy the company of the female you see tonight, Lawfer. I changed a great deal since the last time we saw each other. Not that I feel guilty about my change, just that...the woman you used to know. She doesn't exist any longer. Whatever feelings you might have or had for me, it's better to just...I dunno. If we are working together in the future, it might be a little awkward. I'd love for us to remain friends though, you'll always be special to me." the woman had shifted her pose once more, looking out over to him while she had her head propped up on her arm. 

[Lawfer 0]

“Your welcome.” Lawfer said with a smile as he took a moment to examine Opal in his shirt. “I think it looks better on you than it does on me.” He said with a wink. ‘Trying to hold back compliments is a lot harder than I thought.’ He thought to himself as he turned his gaze back to the fire.

Lawfer laughed as she talked about the hot springs, he had found plenty of those in his time away but they weren’t as much fun when he was alone. But had he had a few women with him, it might have changed that narrative. “I told you floor 5 was beautiful. Hot as the devil’s playground but the sky was still in a league of its own.”

As she spoke of Sensui and Volcano, Lawfer thought back to the few run-ins that he had with the PKers he ran into. “No sorry, I didn’t have direct contact with them. But if you know what floor they operate out of I could probably give you a few hints as to where they are. I tried to stay away from groups of them, but they all head back to their nests like ants.” As she tossed and turned and finally drank her vial Lawfer was at a loss for words.

As he sat up from his lounging position, he sucked on knee in and propped himself up while wrapping his arm around it. “We are both different now Opal. You need to stop worrying about what you have done, who you are now, what we are now. To me you are and will always be just Opal. I’m just as guilty as you are in this world. I’ve hurt people, I’ve hurt you. Even if you don’t want to admit it to me, or yourself. I know that the lingering feelings we have probably will never change, I don’t say that with pride or arrogance.” He paused for a moment. “When tomorrow comes we will be friends like we always have. I’ll probably be jealous of your boyfriend, but I wont let that get in the way of my duty to you, or the blades, or the knights. Its life and I have to live with it, just like I have to live with how I left you to begin with. Its how this cruel world works out.”

Standing up, Lawfer reached out his hand once more. “Follow me will you?”

[Opal 0]

She was happy for the most part that they could move as friends. But he was right, what they had shared in the past, those feelings just don't go away. You can talk of duty, honor and all that other stuff, but in the end...the heart can overpower anything. Temptation was a chaotic creature, look at Adam and Eve. A single snake, an apple turned the world upside down. A fling like Lawfer and Opal lost in the passion of night not be as catastrophic as eating an apple from a devious snake, but it would still turn world's upside down for the actions that followed.

The woman pressed her fingers to her forehead and swept the ebony hair from her amber eyes. In either case, she would have to be weary not of Lawfer, but of herself. It was easy to get lost into emotion, something she had been dealing with a lot and being a woman...her needs were sometimes stronger tied to desire than she could control. But she was happy with Martin, she is... 

Looking to Lawfer, she didn't notice the man move from his previous spot. She was already lost in her own world as those collected thoughts were piecing back together. A hand out in front of her, eyes narrowing lightly, "You are not thinking of dragging me outside in the rain..." she said giving him a questionable look. She smirked, red lips curling to one side of her face as she lifted her petite form to his, a hand warm and gentle once again. A fleeting, yet mind flooding sensation that caused her body to warm up from the cool dry air that seemed to expand to the inner dwellings of the thin walled house. 

On her feet, barefoot now. The woman once more released herself from his hand and hugged her arm, "Ok. I'm up...where are you taking me?" 

[Lawfer 0]

A small laugh crept out from Lawfers, mouth in response to her first question. Of course we are going out in the rain, was the first thought that crossed his mind. But he wasn't going to just spoil the surprise just yet. As the woman stood, his heart skipped a beat once more as the woman's slender hand touched his for an instant. "Just follow me and no questions, just trust me." He replied to ease her mind. The thunder rumbled and the sound of the pouring rain almost completely smothered out the sound of the small fire that was so close to them. The golden haired man had wanted to continue to lighten the mood in the only way he knew how, by making an awkward situation into an unbearably entertaining one. 

As he walked down the darkened hallway, he thought back to his first time in the home of Opal's former master. He had remembered all the details of the doorways and where exactly they were in the hall.  Making their way past the tattered and destroyed bedrooms, Lawfer lead Opal to the doorway to the Zen garden, as he opened the sliding doors he looked out to the sand garden that had been completely ruined by the pouring rain. Carefully, he stayed back making sure not to let either of them get wet just yet. "Do you remember the first time we were here? You asked me what I saw in the garden." he paused for a moment to let the thought seep in. "I gave a really long winded answer that at the time I believed to be my truth. Then you gave your answer to the same question. Then I'm sure both of us were even more confused about what the garden really meant." Pausing once more, he recollected his thoughts. "What do you see now?" Lawfer asked as he reached over to the raven haired woman and placed he hand on her shoulder, in a show of what seemed like compassion. 

Without hesitation, he stepped on step closer to her and shifted his hand to the center of her small slender back. With a slight shove he pushed her into the rain, that was falling on the Zen Garden. "I see a wet, slightly pissed off Opal now." Lawfer said with a loud laugh following. Stepping into the rain, himself he smiled. "See the rain isn't such a bad thing afterall."

[Opal 0]

Once again her eyes narrowed at him, but she smiled give him those bedroom like eyes. She nodded her head and followed the male. The destructive path to which they walked brought back harsh memories. Even as they passed by her old master's room, there was a pain of guilt in her gut as she passed the room. She only looked at it for a brief moment before they found themselves to the other entrance to the Zen Garden. 

She folded her arms over her chest, the cold weather rushing over the both of them as the rain splattered inches away from their feet, The woman looked out as Lawfer explained their first time out in the scene. She smiled once more, the memory bringing back a warmth to her body as her amber gaze looked out to the mess of the Zen Garden. He had asked her to what she saw in the garden now. She bit her lower lip as she searched her mind for an answer. She was already under the influence of her potion, a serum that acted like Opium to help block unwanted memories of her past while giving her a feeling of being high. The woman was in no condition to give a sophisticated answer, and yet she felt the movement of his arm. She stood still, her heart beat accelerating and thumping loudly in her chest. What was he doing? Was he really going to make a move on her? Would she let him do that? Why wasn't she stopping him...and then--

"Umph!" the noise escaped her, her feet falling forward as she reached out to grip the rail in front of her. Her petite form now soaked to the bone once more as she was covered in the downfall of rain. She turned to Lawfer as he laughed making light of his prank as her eyes glared at him. The woman's mouth quivered not from anger, but from the cold rain. She balled up her fist though and was ready to give him a wicked right cross when she noticed the white shirt was sticking to her thin frame, her ample bosom and perky nips now accented from the stuck material as her face grew a beat red. Of course, it was nothing he had not seen before, still...

"Lawfer!!!" she roared out over the rain, but she was not alone in the downfall of the weather, he too was soaked. The woman shifted her feet on the wooden planks of the house, her arms over her chest once more as she batted away the strands of wet hair. She shook her head from his prank, but the woman allowed the rain to devour her body as she looked up into the sky, thunder rumbling and crackling, lighting giving life to the dark clouds with their luminous strikes. She turned to him, his long golden hair sticking to his body and she smiled, "This was kinda cruel, ya know? I don't think I'll ever forget this..." Her hand reached up to his face, moving the wet locks of hair from his eyes. 

"I wish you came back sooner..." she whispered under her breath as she stared into his brilliant irises, of course her voice was drowned out by the thunder overhead. She wasn't sure what to do now...continue to get soaked to the bone? Was this really necessary? She shooker her head, allowing her hands to fall to her side again and looking out over the washed up Zen Garden, it was a mess...chaotic, natural, as things are. Just like this moment was...natural and chaotic. 

[Lawfer 0]

The raven haired vixen's reaction was more than what Lawfer was hoping for. As her scream muffled the surrounding thunder, he couldn't help but laugh lightheartedly as he felt the rain engulf his body. The rain was heavy, a little more so than the spear bearer had originally thought, but he enjoyed the feeling of the cold rain beat down on him. It was better than the harsh snow storms he became accustomed to. As he looked over to his companion for the night, the golden haired man watched as the rain accentuated her "assets". Trying not to stare, he corrected his gaze. Looking up at Opal’s beautiful face, Lawfer smirked, "I know you won’t, but you looked like you needed to cool down just a little. I just wanted to help you out." Lawfer commented back as he watched the woman’s expressions, ‘I wonder what happened to her.’ He thought to himself.

As he watched, the woman's delicate little hands had made it up to his face to pull back the matted wet mess of his now longer blond hair that covered his face. 'Her hands are warm.' Lawfer thought to himself as his eyes were locked onto hers. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, thunder rumbled, and the sound of the rain grew heavier and heavier, disguising Opals words. To him, it looked like the woman's lips were quivering. The spearman's heart race, it had been too long since he felt to touch of the woman that he cared deeply about. Through all the chaotic feelings that pulled on the strings of his heart, Lawfer’s face and gaze remained calm as a slight smile began to creep across his face. 

He wanted to grab her, and pull her close close and not let go, but there was still the issue of Teselmar. As he stated to her before, he was a lot of things, but he respected the relationship that she was in. He wasn’t going to be the one that ruined her chances at happiness. Lowering his head, he placed the crown of his forehead to hers. “Come tomorrow, I’ll be the spearhand that rends the heavens for the Knights.” He said, disheartened as he pulled his head from hers, placing a small kiss on the top of the womans forehead. “I guess, this is as far as we go beautiful one.” The words that he uttered tore at his chest, as he took a step back. Looking up into the falling rain, he let the water cleanse his melodramatic expression.

“And don’t worry, I still have another set of dry clothes for you when you’re ready to head back in.” Lawfer said as he looked back down towards the now drenched woman.

 

[Opal 0]

She simply closed her eyes, the touch of his lips upon her head, the sensation and feeling of those hot messy nights reliving in her mind. Then all too brief, like a whisper passing on by that feeling was gone. She nodded, looking out once more to the weather torn Zen Garden. Taking a few steps back inside, the woman felt the chill of her bones from the soaked clothing, her skin crawling with goosebumps as she wrapped her arms around her body, "Yeah, I'm gonna need that change of clothing from you..." the woman responded with chattering teeth as she drew herself to the fire lit in the room and draining out the water from her ebony hair. Making her way back over she sat down and leaned in placing her hands up by the small fire. 

Her amber eyes taking in the warmth as she felt the comfort of the heat enter her body, she couldn't very well stay in this clothing, and it was not like he had not seen anything of her natural body before. The woman placed a hand over her menu once more as a decorated light enveloped her body. In a flash, she was only in a bra and panties of black and lace. She had covered herself with the sleeping bag as she slipped inside of it and zipped the casing upwards to her head. 

She settled herself in the warm cloak of the sleeping bag, the amber glow in her eyes and the dark lids slowly blinking away as she stared at the ceiling. She gave an exhausted sigh, it was not how she was expecting this day or night to go. Whether she was lucky or unlucky for running into Lawfer, or him running into her...The mass confusion of feelings that shambled her mind, the exhilaration of his touch, the sweet velvet feel of his lips on her head. She was guilty of these bad things, allowing herself to be sucked into his warmth like that. Was she weak for being a woman? Past feelings stirred up like that, could she not just simply swallow them down, was her heart not true to Teselmar alone? The woman turned over, could she sleep knowing all of this? Would she be able to look Martin in the eyes and still say she had feelings for him? 

[Lawfer 0]

As he watched the raven haired vixen, step back inside away from the cold rain, Lawfer looked back out to the washed out Zen Garden. “You got it.” Lawfer responded, not making eye contact. “I’ll be in shortly.” He finished as he walked to the railing once more. In the time before his departure, the raw nature of their relationship was simple and fun. But time changes everything, simple times become complicated, and the reverse. The spearman knew what he wanted to do, and what he needed were on two opposite sides of the spectrum. As he squeezed onto the railing tightly, his knuckles turned white, with the roaring thunder he exhaled and his grip loosened. A few minutes had passed, and the cold rain had finally calmed his mind. As he walked away from the railing, he made his way back inside, closing the doors behind him.

As he entered the room, Opal had already made herself comfortable in her sleeping bag. Raising his right hand, Lawfer opened his interface. Of the different clothing he had collected in his time in Aincrad, he selected a long sleeved white thermal he used to insulate himself in the colder regions of floor 4. As it materialized in front of him, he took it in his left hand and placed it at the feet of the sleeping bag. “Here use this, it should help you warm up a bit.” Lawfer said with a smile as he walked up next to the fire and began to warm himself. “You should probably get some sleep Opal, I know how you are if you don’t get your rest.” He said as he propped himself against the wall next to the fire to dry out.

With Opal’s back turned to him, Lawfer watched and waited for the woman to fall asleep. Standing up, Lawfer made his way to the door. As he looked back at the sleeping woman, he raised his right hand and equipped his shemagh, and halberd. As he slid it open gently tyring not to wake up the sleeping beauty. Opening up his interface in the rain once more, he began typing.

‘Hey there Opal. I decided to head back down the mountain. I had wanted to stay until the storm passed, but I knew that if I got too comfortable then I would ruin everything that we fought hard to resist tonight. I will always care about you, and try to protect you. If I wasn’t the fool who left you, maybe everything would be different. But I have to live with my mistake. There is so much more that I want to tell you, and share with you. But that will have to wait until we see each other again, in less tempting situations. Goodbye Beautiful.’  -Sent.