[PP-F1] The Difference

[Zauis 0]

Standing in one of the tallest trees in the area near the town, it was no other than The Black Swordsman. The wind blowing his hair like it was a leaf that was broken from it's stem. Oddly, the young make didn't seem to have his Blackwrym trench coat. It was his favorite jacket and he had remembered that the young female Alciel had it. Shrugging at the thought, Kirito jumped down from the tree with good landing and balance.

Looking around the area wasn't the same as it use to be. Though this had nothing to do with his coat. Kirito has been going through a few sudden changes. He's been being somewhat of a jerk lately. Only he knows why. It's been eating at him for a while. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts as he headed toward the town entrance. Upon walking for a couple of minutes he finally makes it to the entrance of the town. Only to see Alciel wearing his coat with a weird look on her face. Kirito's eyebrows slanted downward as he stood a bit if a distance from her. "Alciel....give me my coat." with those simple words he reached his hand out for it. Though the look on his face didn't really fit the person she met before.

[Alciel 0]

Alciel had been loitering about the town square's pond for some time now as she pondered her situation. Breaking off small hunks of bread, she cordially alternated between eating and rationing it out to the low caliber critters which lingered around the safe zone for what she guessed was mere aesthetics. After her recent first quest she was taking it easy, but at the same time was at a loss for what to do next, though she had a few ideas thanks to this brief moment of relaxation. Kirito's coat which she had failed to return to him, (whether on purpose or by accident she didn't even know herself) still hung around her shoulders, though her arms stays out of the sleeves making the ebony toned attire appear more as a shawl than an actual coat. It was only then that she heard her name called from not far off by a familiar voice, though it seemed to be dulled to the point of being near unrecognizable. Not bothering to turn to face the voice, she instead gripped at the fence post on which she sat before cocking her head back as she leaned her body backwards, her hair brushing off her back and swaying towards the ground as she gazed upon the familiar boy who approached her with upside down eyes. A coy grin soon split her face before she raised her hands in the air as if in the makings of a greeting; completely managing to forget that her balance was based on that anchor and toppled backwards, landing on the opposite side of the fence with a meek thud and a pained whimper.

"Ow!" she hissed before sitting up, her legs in a criss cross and rubbing at her head. Brushing out bread crumbs which busted into cerulean pixels like that of fireworks, she managed to actually call out this time, though her voice falling short towards the end as she noticed a significant difference in her interest. "Kiri...to?" His immediate demand for his coat without so much as a greeting did a bit more than throw her off, causing her brow to furrow and her head to tip to one side. "Uhh...hi to you too?"

[Zauis 0]

Kirito, his dark black eyes seemed to be dull along with the entire look on his face. The young slender boy watched the clumsy girl who was merely making a fool of herself. Not sure if she knew it but she was. Not really caring about what she had to say, Kirito looked down at the girl who was sitting with her legs crossed. Hearing her call out his name was rather disturbing to him. He didn't understand why he got involved with things like this, but he always seem to do it over and over. Like he was rewinding a DVD scene he loved.

Looking at her from afar before slowly approaching the girl with both his hands in his pockets. "Tch..." a small sound coming from his mouth when suddenly a somewhat strange smirk appeared on his face. He looked down at the girl who was now right in front if him. Making direct eye contact with her when he reached his hand out to get his coat. "Hmph..."

[Alciel 0]

The difference in this person whom she had meant was uncanny in a rather unpleasant way and truth be told, it caused a tremor in her heart which bordered the lines of something she hadn't yet known to feel since entering this virtual prison; fear. Staring into his lackluster black eyes as his hand neared her with an unfamiliar expression, every hair on the back of her neck seemed as if it stood on end and sirens spun off like mad inside of her head yowling for her to back up from his grip and her body seemed to moved before she herself even really realized it. Utilizing the passive function of her «Acrobatics» skill, she did her best to hop backwards from his grip and scoot behind the safety of the fencing on which she had been sitting prior, her brow only furrowed further and her tone rather uncharacteristically biting.

"What the hell was that about? You could just ask for it, you know!" she seethed, still taken adrift in her spontaneous emotions before taking the moment to catch herself, closing her eyes and take a brief inhalation of tranquility. Reopening them, her magenta eyes softened slightly as her voice seemed to dot with traces of worry in place of the shock encrusted exasperation of before. "How about you tell me what's wrong? This isn't anything how you were when I last saw you... You seem, I don't know, distant all of a sudden. Like you hate my guts out of nowhere." Tipping her head to one side as if accenting her forthcoming question, she began to slowly remove the coat with stiff, cautious movements. "Did I do something wrong that I don't know about or something? Is it about the coat? If it is, I meant to give it back to you but I couldn't find you after we finished that quest...I didn't plan on keeping it or anything."

Taking the coat off, she pressed it flat against itself before folding it in place neatly as if being freshly purchased before finally standing to face him with an expectant expression, flicking with mixtures of hurt, uncertainty and befuddlement. She honestly had know clue what could have sparked this...change, but she did know that she didn't like it.

[Zauis 0]

Reaching for his coat, the female seemed to overreact like he was about to attack her or something. That's something that Kirito would never do, no matter how mad he is at the moment. She even used a skill which allowed her to get more space between each other which he didn't understand why. All he did was reach for his coat. She was acting more cautions than anyone he's ever saw before.

All the signs of the girls mixed emotions made Kirito slightly annoyed. He didn't understand a bit of this. "All I did was reach for the coat. What the hell are you talking about? I reached for my coat and demanded you to give it to me. My attitude has nothing to do with the damn coat. Just give it to me already. Geez..." Watching Alciel fold his coat as if it was just being bought from a store, Kirito reached and grabbed his coat from her and slowly started putting his coat on.

The young male turned his back while the wind slowly blew his trench coat and his hair. "Hmph...." he shrugged and started to walk away from the girl.

[Alciel 0]

Brisk, aloof and topped off with a hint of rudeness -- all the things that came to mind as she watched him walk off with a look of confusion, her mouth slightly agape due to her loss for words. What had she even done to bring about this reaction. True, maybe her sudden spacing between them and usage of her skill to ensure it may have been a bit uncalled for, even for her given all he had said about "wanting to get everyone out of this game", but to be so cold after they had been so friendly prior to this. It'd have been a lie if she said it didn't bother her in the slightest; in fact, it actually ate at her quite a bit. Though despite all these things that seemed to zip through her head like a gelatinous blob, she could do nothing to vocalize her worries other than clumsily spewing a single sentence, her voice shaking feebly as if it were breaking. She could feel her nose heating up at the tip as her eyes began to glaze over with the unsteady glimmer of liquid.

"So...I, uh...haha...I guess that picnic is out of the question, huh..?" she called as she felt hot tears rolling down her cheeks, though she let out not a single sob or sniffle to accompany them -- simply staring on after him as she let out her emotional vulnerability tear its way to the surface of her being in silence.

[Zauis 0]

His heart felt like it was about to burst from walking away from the female he had meant the other day who had became really close to him. Kirito stopped in his tracks, looking down at the ground with his hair hanging down and his dull eyes focused on the tip of his boots.he heard her few words but it felt as if they slowly faded away as he walked.

Clenching his teeth to prevent a few tears from coming his way he slowly started to turn toward Alciel. Eventually turning to face her, he shrugged and tried his hardest to look up at her. He knew what she was probably feeling. With a loss of words about the whole situation, Kirito dropped to his knees and placed both hands on the ground clenching the soil in his hands. "D-damn....it I hate everything about this." he whispered.

[Alciel 0]

She could feel everything, every conceivable emotion boiling up to the surface of her skin -- her anger, her frustration, her confusion, her despair, even her pseudo affection for this person all bubbling and condensing into bitter liquid animosity before pouring over on to her cheeks. To her, they seemed to steam up and even slightly sting her tender sorrow reddened cheeks as she watched him walk away as if it all meant nothing. Though in the midst of her woe, what she had said must have struck some form of nerve as Kirito turned about almost in a stagger before dropping to his knees, his exposed fingers digging into the coarse dirt as they gathered in his fists, whispering something to himself.

From their distance, she couldn't really make it out, but the action in of itself was enough to take her by surprise; though not nearly enough to clear her mind nor dry her misty eyes. All she could manage was striding up after him, half blinded by her tears as she stopped just short of looming over him.

"...Why...?" was all that seemed to hover off her lips as she stared down at the kneels ebon individual with a longing for a reason...or some rationale that could make it all fit into place. For as she was, she felt as though she were treading in a grove of thick, shadowed capriciousness that all but muted those which were unfortunate enough to be caught in its eerily honed fronds.

[Zauis 0]

His mind was affected by emotional strain from everything. His tension couldn't be contained anymore. The young male had he holding it in for a while but it wasn't like him to hold things in. Kirito is a very emotional person and lets his emotions control him from time to time. This was one of those times were he couldn't help but act this way. Holding back the tears that wanted to stream down his face he didn't let them.

Upon hearing footsteps of someone coming towards him he shrugged in anger. Right as the player appeared before, Kirito could already tell who it was from just looking at her legs and feet. He knew that the girl who whispered "Why...?" was no other than Alciel. Knowing she many questions on why he was acting like a complete different person along with a rude attitude that made him come off as an ass, he slowly started to get up without hesitation. Suddenly his face became even more serious but it was another look which didn't suit his face or his old personality. "Hmph....it's nothing. Don't even worry about it. Let's just yeah....were done here. I'm gonna go..." he spoke quietly and calm while looking her directly in the eyes. He wasn't sure what he felt anymore. Kirito finally walking away from girl without another word.