[PP - F20] A Bit of Backstory

[Beatbox 0]

Beatbox had chuckled at her response, he obviously knew what her favorite color was due to her obvious hair choice. It was almost adorable at her response upon the question, but then she had asked him to ask of her something... Beatbox looked forward and thought to himself for a moment, he was quite unsure on what he would ask her... matter of fact he wasn't too great with this whole dating thing... he thought it would all go naturally to him. Beatbox had grinned for a moment and scratched his head, he let out a small hum before getting a quick bite of some fruit. "I dunno... how's about your favorite animal? as you can tell..." his fox had appeared from his basket as ran off and around in circles before grabbing a little bit of the fruit and began eating himself, only for Beatbox to chuckle and say "I like foxes, that if you want to include mythical creatures, Dragons would make a great second choice." he chuckled.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

The moment Ocarina made himself visible, Teion blinked in surprise before staring at the creature in awe. 'So cute...' She thought, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as she watched the orange fox take some food for himself. Her attention turned back to Beatbox after another few moments, registering his question. She looked to be caught by surprise at his inquiry, but didn't hesitate to answer. "Sloths." She replied definitively. "I guess my second would be cats." She added on after another moment.

Another light breeze caused the grass to sway in waves, causing the smell of flowers to wash over them. Teion admired the peaceful feeling the field provided, remaining silent for a bit before another thought entered her mind. "Alright... Sticking with favorites, what floor do you like the most so far?" While she had seen the swordsman on a few different levels of Aincrad so far, Beatbox didn't seem to be the type to stay exclusively in one place for long.

[Beatbox 0]

Beatbox had looked forward upon that question, and he chuckled, he didn't really have one... he liked almost everyone equally and every floor has its sights to see, whether it'd be a endless ocean and stretches out to the edge of Aincrad, a wonderful mountain side combined with a sunset... or just anything that can be considered pretty. He looked over to Teion and with a smile spoke out to her "Well... I don't really have one you see, what I love about this game is to enjoy the scenery, and well, nowadays I don't stay on one floor long enough to even have a favorite floor as of the moment. I enjoy all of them only for the scenery though of course. I have a home on floor 11 sure... but sometimes I think that its not a great place, and I would like to go on a lower floor, but its a little too late for that right now, and I would need to find the necessary plot. Anyways, How about you darlin'?" he said with a chuckle and a smile across his face.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Teion reached out and picked up a half-sandwich that had been resting nicely beside a few other uniform sandwiches. As she took a bite, the violet-haired woman immediately appreciated the idea of a picnic. She was so unused to spoiling herself with anything more than the most basic of foods, even something as simple as a sandwich would impress her. Teion mulled over the blonde's words. 'Mm, fair enough.' She thought in response to his explanation. When he was finished speaking he shot the question back to her, the gears in her mind beginning to turn before his last word registered in her mind. It didn't take long for her cheeks to turn pink, but she tried her best to ignore the embarrassment and simply took another bite of her food while formulating her response. Needless to say, Teion wasn't used to pet names or terms of endearment, so when the swordsman would casually address her with a smile, she suddenly felt her heart beating a bit faster.

"A-a home?" What was supposed to be a casual thought aloud got caught in her throat, but as she focused on the topic she began to regain her composure. "Oh right, there's a housing system..." She mumbled the words before giving a small shake of her head. "Oh, well... It's not very popular, but I like the fifth floor. I've spent so much time there after setting up my shop." She explained. "I haven't been to a lot of the higher floors, but if I had to pick a second from the ones I've been to..." She tapped her chin a couple of times with her free hand. "Eight was pretty nice. That one town reminds me of a massive treehouse or something." She gave a soft smile at the thought.

[Beatbox 0]

Beatbox had chuckled as she had gotten red faced followed up with her saying about a home "Careful, I am not asking you to come live with me yet right now, I just figured I'd mention it." he chuckled some more as he had continued to listen. He agreed with her for the most part, a treehouse home would entirely be lovely... along with placing whatever store Beatbox wants to open in their, and if they'd eventually move in together, she could do it too! It had seemed like it was a pretty good idea to him. "Yeah, floor 8 seems like a pretty good place to get a home, especially if you want to have a tree house of some sorts... yeah, that seems like a perfect idea, hell if I could I would want to do it now! ...however I don't have the plot land for that..." he lightly chuckled before going back to the food to get somethin' to eat, he had been hesitating to eat something up until this point, but if he doesn't now the items durability will expire, and he wouldn't want that. 

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Just when Teion thought she had recovered, the blonde let out another string of teasing words that caused the violet-haired woman to freeze up yet again. "Wh--" She started, about to question his meaning when she quickly decided against it. She looked away after seeing him chuckle, assuming the swordsman meant nothing by it.

He continued to agree with her, going on about having a house on the eighth floor. She girl had calmed down a bit again at this point, tilting her head in curiosity. She was surprised he took so quickly to the idea at the mention of the forested floor, but her mind quickly filled with confusion when he brought up the intricacies of the housing system. "Err... How do you get that?" She asked. The blacksmith hadn't the faintest idea on how player housing worked in this game, only the vague notion that it existed. She had more or less treated her forge as her home ever since she completed the quest for her profession and obtained the building for her shop.

[Beatbox 0]

Beatbox had chuckled at the responses from Teion, and apparently she doesn't know how the housing system works in this game, he shook his head and said out to her "Well, its actually easy. There is a NPC architecture store where you can build homes on floors 11+, however if you find a housing plot on a lower floor they will build in the lower floors. However it's very costly. My home unfortunately costed me 140,000 col." he had shrugged it off for just a moment "If a couple buys together, their total col amounts can be combined into one. And as for finding the land plots... er, I have no idea. Some players have been reporting it as it being placed into their inventories. For me though, living on floor 11 isn't the best... essentially its living the cheap way in all honesty." he had chuckled before eating a bit more, he had looked over and then back to Teion "Give it time though, I never got my home till... er... level 30 or so is when I got my home." he stretched his arms up to the sun and lowered them back to the ground.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Teion blinked in surprise, taken aback at the cost Beatbox had stated. The woman didn't even have half of that amount saved up, and she had been very careful about spending her col. Still, the swordsman's level was much higher than hers, and perhaps farming monsters for col was a more immediate form of income than running a shop. Still, the woman frowned in thought; obtaining a house would be nice, but not something should wanted to drop all of her col on. Without thought, a small sigh escaped her lips. When she had realized it, Teion gave a small shake of her head in reaction. "That's...quite a bit." She murmured before leaning her head back to look up at the clear blue sky. "Ahh well. My shop has always been plenty, and it would feel weird to move away from it." She thought aloud. She spent a few long moments in silence before her eyes flickered to the blonde and back up. "I can help you research that land plot thing, if you want." She offered. The man seemed interested in it, and although she knew nothing about the housing system besides what he had told her, she could at least track down an info broker to poke around for some more details.

[Beatbox 0]

"That would be appreciated Thea." he had gave her a warm smile as he looked back forward back at the food that is slowly starting to dwindle as all three: Teion, Beatbox, and Ocarina had been eating. He didn't really know her thought process going on at the moment, but he certainly would only hope that they were good things, lately he had been seeing her plaster some form of smiles on her face, which made him smile himself, she's not one to honestly smile and its a good thing that she is finding some joy in her life here. He gave her another smile as he chuckled at the thought of a comment, but he would instead ask anyways "So, I know it might be a little odd, but you wouldn't mind on us bein' official? Or, well at least go on another date with me sometime? When we find the time of course, we do still need to finish up some of the dragon quests we've been pushin' off a little bit." he chuckled a little nervous upon her response would be.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

"O-official?" Despite her best efforts, the woman still found herself stammering. Her cheeks had probably gone pink, but she wasn't focused on her appearance. Too many thoughts were running through her mind, she found it difficult to even focus on formulating a response. Sure, she wouldn't mind doing something like this again, but the more she reflected on their circumstances, the more conflicted she felt. They had a goal--an obligation--as players to clear the game. Things like dating would only slow their progress. But could they really be expected to push aside all aspects of normal life here? Was it selfish not to?

Teion gave a mental shake of her head. Now wasn't the time to debate her purpose. The question she should be asking herself wasn't so much whether she should or shouldn't, but what she wanted. At this point, the blacksmith realized she was still fixed on the blonde swordsman, and she quickly averted her gaze. She knew so little about the man, and he knew so little of her. Still, he was kind, and for whatever reason took an interest in her. Being able to depend on someone, having someone who cared about her--the thoughts formed a knot of uncertainty in her stomach, but her heart beat a little faster in excitement. The woman's cobalt eyes flickered back to Beatbox for a brief moment before the feeling of embarrassment had her looking away again. "Mm, okay." She said softly, feeling the heat on her cheeks. "I'm fine with that."

[Beatbox 0]

Beatbox didn't really know how he would react at the moment as she had gotten red and thought about things for a split moment, was this just... a bad time to ask? Or did she really gave it anymore thought? He didn't really know, nor did he have the capacity to let out a sigh at the moment, things had just felt... tight, to say the least. His heart had beat fast, and he could honestly barely breathe due to his throat tightening up. Honestly, he's unaware of how things are going to go in all due honesty. However, she replied calmer than he would have thought, she was still embarrassed: but she had still agreed to be together with him. With a growing smile, he didn't really know what to do, he was excited, yet he just couldn't really say anything. Hence, he did the only thing he could really think of at the moment, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug. 

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Teion's mouth didn't have time to form a question, or even a sound of surprise. With quick movements, Beatbox had reached out to her and took her by the arm. The action would normally warrant a less favorable reaction; after some time of reflection on past events, the violet-haired woman would not take kindly to forced movement, especially if the intent of the other person was questionable.

This was different. Teion's brain was still trying to process the blonde's actions as she felt his arms wrap around her shoulders. Her cheek pressed lightly against his shoulder, the gentle breeze that rolled across the meadow brushing against her forehead and causing her bangs to sway just slightly. The closeness reminded her of the dance just twenty-four hours prior, though so much had happened in just a day's time.

The two stayed in that position until Beatbox would eventually loosen his grip and the woman would needlessly smooth the skirt resting on her legs as she leaned back to her previous position. Her cheeks still felt hot, and the pounding in her chest made it difficult to mold her thoughts into words. "So, erm..." She felt as though she was just trying to fill the silence, which might have been the case. "Is there anything else you want to talk about? Or anything you want to do?"

[Beatbox 0]

Eventually, all things that you would hope would soon end and she had if there was anything that they wanted to do or say... and to be honest, he never really thought this far. Sure, he wanted to know just a tad bit more about the female that he would now consider "his"... but in all honestly, he never really thought this far ahead of time. Was it okay to be honest that he has no idea? Or should he just try to figure out a question at a moment's notice? He sighed, maybe its just better if he would be honest "To be honest Thea, I never really thought that far ahead." he chuckled at his own embarrassment "And even then, the next boss raid is coming up soon, and I need to be prepared..." he looked down for a split moment "With the status of most front line players and the performance by many, I doubt most of us will make it out alright. If anything, I know somehow that someone will perish in that damned room." he had gotten a little mad, but had calmed down, he can't let it happen, but its bound to happen.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Teion shifted slightly at the silence that followed after her question. Beatbox seemed a bit unsure of how to answer before admitting just that. He went on, talking about the floor boss raid and the danger that it brought. The woman's stomach nearly turned as the topic of conversation went from one extreme to the other. She should be surprised that the blonde was a frontliner. With his level, other players would be infuriated if he wasn't contributing to the game's advancement, or so she assumed. Her own position at the blacksmith was probably something that gave her some slack in the eyes of others; instead of increasing her own combat stats, she had spent her time crafting gear for others. That was an 'acceptable' use of her time.

Her fingers involuntarily curled around the hem of her skirt as she wasn't sure how to react to his statements. He spoke so casually about frontliners perishing to the floor bosses, as if he wasn't one of them at risk himself. Teion was sure he was well aware of that, however, which had her feeling even more uneasy. "Just be careful." She finally spoke up, staring past her knees at the blanket beneath them. The color had subsided in her cheeks, the feelings of embarrassment being overwritten with a mixture of worry and anxiety.

[Beatbox 0]

Beatbox felt a little bad upon seeing her get a little more upset upon his comment, he knew that it was rather... inappropriate to say at the current moment, but regardless it was something he wanted to say just in case if... y'know, he did perish in that boss fight. But regardless, Beatbox was not going to back down, not now not ever, and the stakes and reasons to keep himself alive had just become more and more reasonable. He pulled Thea into a hug once more as he exclaimed to her "I will keep myself alive, and I will do my best to make sure that you'll make it outta here too. Just promise me you'll come see me and try datin' me in the real world as well" he had chuckled as he then looked at her and said "I promise." he gave her a smile and kissed her cheek before standing back up and offering her a hand "Come on, its gettin' a little late for us to keep out here. I had fun, lets do it again sometime." he gave her another smile, before leading her the way back to town to get her back home.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

"Mm!" The woman let out a small noise of surprise as the blonde embraced her again. His words of reassurance did well to ease the knot in her stomach, and she slowly began to relax after her muscles had initially tensed at his contact. When the man finished speaking and pulled away, the feeling of his lips against her cheek--as brief as it was--quickly caused her to grow red again.

She envied his his confidence, wondering in the back of her mind if Beatbox was more nervous than he let on. She supposed this kind of thing came more naturally to some people, but Teion's lack of experience when it came to dating was doing nothing to help her keep her emotions in check. They had a tendency to overwhelm her if she wasn't careful, but agreeing to date someone wasn't a situation where she could continue to distance herself.

The violet-haired woman let out a sigh as a small smile took over her features. "Yeah, okay. Deal." Whether he had been serious or only joking with her, Teion accepted the blonde's request to date him in the real world. In this moment, she tried to push away the skepticism, not thinking about the odds of them both getting out alive. Taking the man's hand and rising to her feet, Teion released another drew in a sharp breath through her nose and brought her arms over her head with a stretch. She smiled softly, looking out over the field of scattered flowers. "Mm, me too." She nodded. "Thank you, for everything so far."

[Beatbox 0]

"It's no biggie Thea, thank you for allowing me to at least try to place a smile on your stone face at times." he chuckled knowing that he was only joking around, he didn't really know much about Thea's past... matter of fact he never really heard about her since their meeting and agreeance to perform the Dragon Hunter Anthology together, not even a information broker could tell him much about her, only that she had some involvement in an old guild that used to exist. However that guild had very low activity, lead by Emerath and Endilix, a twin duo that seemed... too confident. He shrugged that part off though, it doesn't matter. Obviously she now is someone that he could trust and love to his heart's content. Despite the fact he pushes his own safety for his pride he now knows that he must learn to prioritize his own safety for her. The last thing she wants Beatbox is sure is for him to be perished by someone from the Laughing Coffin, or a floor boss for that matter. Today was a good day to say the least.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

As the couple made their way back to Urbus, the sun hung low behind them. An orange tinge took over the artificial sky as night threatened to take over the floor. Teion walked in silence, fingers laced while her hands rested against the hem of her skirt. While she had enjoyed the scenery, the food, and the company, the events of the past two days were beginning to catch up to her, and the mental exhaustion was close behind it.

The blonde's comment on getting her to smile caused the corners of her mouth to twitch upwards once again. 'Can you blame me?' She stopped the thought from leaving her just in time. Those words would only put another damper on the delicate mood hanging between them. "You're welcome to try." She said instead with another small smile, giving the swordsman a sideways glance. She faced forward again, the sight of the capital city drawing closer.

[Beatbox 0]

He had gave her a smile as they had walked back to the main town, its been quite a long day, as they had gotten to know each other a tad bit better on this date of theirs, and darted back to her as she gave a small smile back "Oh, you don't need to give me permission to, I will do that all on my own." he chuckled before looking down the basket in his hand noticing his fox familiar laying down in the basket sleeping after all that eating. He chuckled once more and said to his fox familiar "Ate enough little buddy? Or are you just trying to look tired so you can eat more when we get home?" however his familiar Ocarina hadn't done anything at the moment, and instead continued to sleep. Beatbox had shrugged it off and looked back to Thea "So, just take a load off for a bit, the boss battle is going to be intense, but I'll make sure that I will stay alive for you. I promise. Just promise me you wont do the same and die from a simple mistake fighting against enemies." he chuckled before placing a hand around her.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Teion's eyes drifted over to the snoozing fox, contentedly curled up in the basket Beatbox was carrying. The blacksmith smiled while she watched the familiar for a few moments. 'Cute...' Aside from admiring the small animal, a breathy chuckle escaped her when the blonde swordsman stated that making her smile would be something he would do regardless of her permission. "Well alright, then." She stated with a tiny smile.

She nodded after his explanation on the upcoming boss fight, taking on a more serious expression. The woman wasn't expecting the weight the man's hand against her shoulder, however, and took a moment to adjust to walking so closely together. Her eyes drifted towards the ground, feeling a bit awkward in their position, but tried to focus instead on Beatbox's words. With a small nod, the blacksmith opened her mouth again to speak. "Hmm, I promise." She mused.

Thread Complete:

Beatbox: +2 SP, 400 col

Teion: +2 SP, 400 col