PP-F1 The Wallflower Speaks! (with Atzo and Telrenya)

[Kievla 0]

Kievla sat alone at one of the tables outside of a small café in the Town of Beginnings. She quietly took small sips from her drink, and did her best to try draw as little attention to herself as possible. She couldn't help but feel nervous with all these people around, sitting and talking as they enjoyed their drinks and food. What made it even worse was that she could see all the people who were walking up and down the busy street in front of the café. At this moment, she wanted nothing more than to log out of this game and curl up alone in her bed. She was definitely not cut out to handle being around this many people all at once.

She nervously stroked the side ponytail that she had pulled her hair into for the day. She had spent time curling it too, but with her nervous habit of running her fingers through it, the hair had already lost all of the curl that it had held earlier. When she noticed that she had began stroking her hair again, she quietly chastised herself and did her best to keep her hands in front of her on the table.

Kievla had come to terms with the fact that she was stuck in this world. She had even come to accept that she was alone and without friends. And it was this that gave her the most grief. She was never cut out to be a fighter, but to survive inside this game you had find someway to gather resources and make a living. She didn't particularly have any skills either, so learning a profession was off the table for now, too. As the gravity of her uselessness weighed down on her, Kievla did her best to shrink back inside her shell and wait for the bustling scene around her to die down before she would inevitably slink back to a tavern to cry in bed until the next morning.

Edited July 13, 2017 by Kievla

[Atzo 0]

Atzo found himself in the Town of Beginnings once again. He watched as the town bustled. His Cloak of the Changing Tide was blowing softly in the breeze. The emerald green surface seemed almost gemlike with strands of red and yellow color moving about it, as if they were dancing just below the surface. Misguidance his now cracked mirrored blade hung loosely at his side. He walked slowly and spotted a cafe. A young woman sat on the porch, she seemed to be anxious. He observed her gear as he approached “Either she is a low level player, or she is wearing starter gear for fun” He thought to himself.

Atzo walked past her and into the cafe. He ordered a glass of iced Chai Tea and walked back out to where the girl was sitting. “I ought to be careful not to scare her, she already looks as though she is going to have a panic attack.” Atzo approached and looked at the girl, the hood of this cloak down, exposing his face. He gave her as warm a smile as he could. Most of his smiles looked like smirks but there was good intention behind them. 

“Excuse me, Ma’am. Mind if I sit here?” Atzo motioned to the seat in front of her. As he looked at her he carefully hid each of the emotions he had been feeling earlier that day, making sure not to let anything slip. He waited to sit until she gave him permission. Instead he stood with perfect posture as he normally did and took a drink of his tea.
@Kievla

Edited July 13, 2017 by Atzo

[Kievla 0]

"O-oh! A-are you speaking to me? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I-I hope I haven't done anything t-to offend you. Y-you can have my seat if you want. I c-can find somewhere else to sit. O-or you could just sit at the table with me. That would be okay, I-I guess. I d-don't have anyone else to sit with, so... I'm sorry. D-did I do something to offend you?" the words escaped her lips at rapid fire pace as she tried and failed to reel in her anxiety. 

Kievla had been sitting alone for the past four hours. She had been too afraid to try and fight through the bust crowd, and feeling awkward whenever she finished a drink, she had ordered tea after tea. And now a man had approached her out of nowhere and asked to sit with her. She realized that the outdoor seating at this café was pretty packed, but surely this man could find someone better than her to sit with. And she sorely hoped that he wouldn't mistake her child-like stature for her being an actual child. She was always embarrassed to meet new people because her small frame made it hard for anyone to identify her as a 17 year old.

@Atzo

Edited July 13, 2017 by Kievla

[Atzo 0]

Atzo shook his head. And with a warm smirk said “Take a breath, you didn’t offend me.” he took the seat in front of her. Holding out his hand, so that he could shake her's he said “I am Atzo, The Forgotten King and leader of the Emerald Harbingers. It is a pleasure to meet you” Atzo made sure to move slower than normal, trying not to intensify her anxiety by making quick movements. “Don’t worry, I just saw that you were wearing starter gear and was wondering if you wanted someone to help you out. Also, I know what having anxiety that high feels like so I wanted to try to help you calm down if you will allow it.” 
“She has to be flipping out” he thought to himself “Perhaps this was a bad time for me to approach her. Oh, well in for a penny I guess.” He wasn’t sure he would be able to help her, though he was definitely trying to be a better person and that is what good people did, right? Atzo thought back to when he was in high school and was on the edge of a panic attack from a pop-quiz. Afraid that he would fail and have to face his abusive father. 
“If you would like I could escort you somewhere with less noise, I know of a few places on this floor and a few places on the second floor… then again if we were to go to the second floor I may as well just invite you to my house”
@Kievla

[Kievla 0]

"O-oh! This is a bit sudden. I-I've never been to a guy's house before. And I just met you. A-and you seem really nice but I'm not that kind of girl. NOT THAT I THOUGHT YOU THOUGHT THAT I WAS! O-oh no... Now I've got loud. A-and did you say your name was Atzo? I-I guess I should tell you my name too... B-but what if my name is bad. Oh, I should have stayed home today. T-this tea thing was definitely a bad idea. O-oh, that's right, I'm Kievla, b-but my name isn't all that special. A-and did you say you wanted to sit here? Wait t-that was from forever a-ago," Failing even harder to contain her anxiety, the words kept babbling out of Kievla'a mouth at an uncontrolled speed.

Kievla slumped down in her seat after she finally managed to finish speaking. She was so embarrassed at her inability to act like a normal person when she was in public. She was really in need of a quiet place to just unwind, but she didn't know of anywhere to go. Maybe going somewhere with this stranger would be a nice change of pace, but Kievla was so indecisive she would never be able to convince herself of the confidence to try something so suddenly.

@Atzo @Telrenya

Edited July 13, 2017 by Kievla

[Atzo 0]

Atzo leaned back in his chair. “I was just offering it as a suggestion, don’t worry I wasn’t trying to flirt” Atzo chuckled slightly “You have a lovely name, don’t kid yourself. Just take a breath, c’mon, let's walk somewhere that has less people.” Atzo stood up and waited for a response. He didn’t care that he wouldn’t be finishing his tea. He honestly wanted to help which was weird but he kept that thought locked away for later. “There are a few good places on this floor don’t worry.” It was going to be a challenge but not impossible. Still if she chose not to join him he wouldn’t force it. Everyone should have a choice in life. And while he knew how to control that choice and use it to manipulate others he didn’t want to. “Just how different am I?” He thought to himself as he awaited a response. 
The crowd didn’t seem to be even beginning to lessen in people, and it wasn’t even dinner time yet. He would need to make sure she got out of here soon so that she didn’t pass out from lack of oxygen.
@Telrenya, @Kievla

[Telrenya 0]

'Ack, it's so crowded today...' Telrenya had no destination in mind, and was quickly regretting her decision of going on a walk through town. She had been taking a not-so-deserved break from hunting for quests and killing monsters on the lower floors. Honestly, trying to do all of that stuff by herself was exhausting, and her desire to grow stronger simply wasn't outweighing that--not today, at least.

And so, the blonde woman strolled along as comfortably as she could past a string of player-run shops with a limited amount of personal space. "Aah, no way!" A feminine voice called out beside her. 'Hm?' Telrenya was just about to turn her head to see who was fussing about what when a force pushed roughly against her shoulder. A girl with short, jet-black hair had swayed to the side, crashing against Telrenya and causing the woman to stumble. Luckily, she had managed to catch herself before falling to the ground. Unluckily, though, she had only done so because she herself had bumped into a red-haired man that had stood up from a seat outside of a small cafe.

"Aaah! Ah, I'm so sorry!" As if her mind had lagged behind the past few seconds, Telrenya straightened up to face the stranger, bowing to @Atzo with her apology.

@Kievla

Edited July 13, 2017 by Telrenya

[Atzo 0]

A blonde haired woman bumped into Atzo, he remained unmoved. She was apparently quicker than he expected. By the time he had registered what was going on she was already apologizing with a slight bow. “You are fine,” Atzo said to her “No harm, no foul.” He put his hand out to her. “I am Atzo, The Forgotten King and Leader of the Emerald Harbingers. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am currently attempting to help that young lady calm her anxiety down and move her somewhere more peaceful if you are willing to assist me” Atzo looked back at Kievla. That was his main priority at the moment, though he wasn’t entirely sure how to calm her down. He didn’t know her well enough to do anything he normally would and didn’t want to make it worse by approaching her. “This is the start to what will probably become a very interesting day” He thought to himself “I wonder what will come of today, perhaps friendship. Perhaps I can convince one of them to join the guild. Regardless I need to see where this goes and map out my options before I even begin to think of anything like that”

OOC: Kievla asked me to go next

@Kievla @Telrenya

[Kievla 0]

Kievla witnessed as the crowd grew thicker and rowdier. She saw the girl with black hair make contact with the blonde and send her barreling towards the man in front of her. It was enough to make Kievla's anxiety reach surprising new heights. Moments before all of this, she was sitting alone, and now a man and a woman had appeared out of seemingly nowhere gotten close enough to Kievla to set her off.

"U-uh, I think that... I-I think tha-I thi..." After the impressive speed with which Kievla was rattling off words earlier, she now found it incredibly difficult to try and speak as she felt the world spinning around her.

So many people, so much going on. It was way more than Kievla could keep up, and frankly, way more than her poor brain could take in. She could feel the strength in her body waning as her vision went blurry. Unable to keep a grip on her consciousness, Kievla fainted and fell out of seat.

@Atzo @Telrenya

Edited July 13, 2017 by Kievla

[Telrenya 0]

'King? Leader?' Telrenya must have had quite a puzzled expression on her face when she finally thought to return his introduction. "Oh, my name's Telrenya," She placed her right hand across her heart and offered another bow, this one in greeting rather than apology. She blinked in surprise when her gaze shifted towards the girl with green hair that Atzo motioned towards. The player looked frantic, and it wasn't long before Telrenya watched her eyelids flutter while she toppled to the ground. The blonde gave a start, freezing for a moment. She was certainly a stranger to them both, but did Atzo know her? It didn't sound like they were close from his description, but Telrenya wouldn't let herself ignore this helpless girl. The woman rushed over to where Kievla had fallen, kneeling to the ground and hesitating a moment before moving the girl as gently as she could, propping her up into a sitting position with her back facing the blonde.

"Well, I can't say no after that," She looked over to Atzo, whom she could only assume would be just as quickly coming to the girl's aid. Telrenya's eyebrows tilted upwards with a troubled look. "Should we bring her to an inn? I don't have a place of my own to let her rest..."

@Kievla @Atzo

[Atzo 0]

Atzo watched as Kievla’s eyes closed and she slumped to the table. Telrenya had suggested an inn. Atzo shook his head and sighed “No, I wouldn’t want to leave here there knowing that someone could break in sense she didn’t lock the door herself. I have an extra bed in my house we can lie her in. I would appreciate you following me and assisting me. I will compensate you as much as I can, though I definitely don't have much right now.” Atzo the proceeded to pick up Kievla bridal style, and began walking to the teleporter. “Also, side note, I just met this chick. If you join me, it will hopefully be less creepy when she wakes up in my house if I am not the only one there.” 
Atzo then teleported to the floor two safezone. Once Telrenya had joined him he began to jog out of the safezone. “Follow me, the house is about three hours out of the safe zone walking. Though if I run I may be able to break that in half. I am more than powerful enough to protect both of you from anything we may run into.” 
-----------------------------------------------Time-skip to The Emerald Mansion----------------------------------
The trio approach the large wooden mansion. Atzo opened the door, he turned to Telrenya “Feel free to walk around a little bit. If you want to sit and talk instead then I will be going into be heading to the living room over there after I set her in the guest room” Atzo motioned to the door to the living room, before he walked up the stairs and laid Kielva on the guest bed. He then made his way to the living room.
 

(For referance as to my house: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/9096-sword-architecture-online/?do=findComment&comment=508989 Please note that the quoted text is not my current house but instead my house before renovations)

@Kievla @Telrenya

[Kievla 0]

Kievla awoke some time later.

She couldn't believe how soft the bed she was laying in felt. It was ten times the softness of any bed she slept in at the inn in the Town of Beginnings. The softness of the best really helped to alleviate some of the stress she had been feeling from earlier. She grabbed the pillow and squeezed it against her chest, cuddling it like a stuffed animal. She lay there for a moment, trying to remember what happened.

The red-haired man had sat down with her and talked with her for only few minutes before the blond haired woman had been shoved forth from the crowd. And after that, it was all black. She seemed to recall something about the man mentioning his house. Then it hit her. Maybe the two were working together and she was in his house now. What would they do to her now that she was here?!

She squeezed the pillow tighter against her chest. She began to uncontrollably brush her fingers through her side pony. She closed her eyes as tight as she could and curled up into a fetal position around the pillow. What would would she to get out of the mess?

Something made a noise outside of her window that deeply startled her. She screamed and rolled out of the bed, thumping her head against nightstand on the way down.

@Telrenya @Atzo

Edited July 13, 2017 by Kievla

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya followed after Atzo, keeping to herself for most of the journey to his home. She had no other plans for the day, so it wasn't like the trip was keeping her from anything. When she thought over Atzo's comment telling her he didn't even know the girl he held in his arms, the blonde couldn't have stopped herself from following them even if she wanted to. While she didn't want to have any negative presumptions about Atzo, it didn't seem right for her to leave what seemed like such a mentally frail girl alone with a guy she didn't know. At his house, no less. Hopefully her presence, though just as unfamiliar, might ease her mind even the tiniest bit.

At least, Telrenya could hope. She thanked Atzo for inviting her into his home once they had arrived, and took him up on his offer to walk around a bit while he laid Kievla down in a guest bedroom. She explored the common areas of the first floor, thoroughly impressed with the building and its contents. Player housing was an entirely foreign part of the game to her, and it left her a bit longing for a home of her own.

A tiny sigh escaped her lips while she moved back to the living room, hesitantly taking a seat. When Atzo appeared again, she offered the man a friendly smile. "Thanks again, for going out of your way like this." While her own schedule was a blank canvas, she only hoped the redhead wasn't too bothered by the turn of events. "I have to compliment you on the place, though." She changed the topic and took another look around them. "I'm still pretty new at a lot of this stuff, so I didn't know things like this were possible. It's really amazing!" Her tone was genuine, her smile growing a bit wider as she admired her surroundings.

@Atzo @Kievla

((Just a note, I don't want to ignore your post Kievla, but I figured I'll give Atzo the chance to react to the noise of her waking up first this time :P))

Edited July 13, 2017 by Telrenya

[Atzo 0]

Atzo swung by the master bedroom and placed Misguidance on the sword rack above his bed. “At this point, it would be best I not expose either of them to the effect.” He thought to himself “If I did the ramifications could be detrimental” He then walked down stairs, his gem-like cloak rippling like water as he moved. He entered the living room and sat down, returning the smile as best he could to Telrenya. 
“Don’t mention it. I have made it a point to try to help out lower level players whenever I can. Its part of the reason I started my guild actually. Someone helped me out when I was low level, bolstered by abilities and put me on a fast track. He told me that instead of paying him back he wanted me to do the same for others.” Atzo said to her “And with the amount of space I have, its not like I am suffering from this. To be honest the company is nice, I don't get non-guild visitors very often.” He chuckled. 
The was a scream from the upstairs room. Atzo muttered under his breath “[censored]” before standing up and looking at Telrenya “I am going to go check on her, I would appreciate you joining me so that I can cover my butt in case she flips out even more… and just so I don’t feel like I am creeping.” Atzo then walked up the stairs and knocked on the door to the guest room. Before saying in a calm but loud voice. “Hey, Kielva, we heard you scream. Are you okay?” Atzo planned to open the door if he didn’t get a response within the minute just incase something happened.
@Telrenya @Kievla

[Kievla 0]

Kievla rubbed her head as she pulled herself up to her knees. First she blacked out and couldn't remember anything, then she woke up in a stranger's home, and now she's being frightened by animals outside and hitting her head. This was definitely a contender for Kievla's worst day ever.

She realized she was frantically running her fingers through her hair about the time that she heard the footsteps approaching her room. She did her best to stop her nervous habit by hurriedly straightening the room and trying to act as casually as possibly. She knew someone would have heard her screaming. Kievla thought to herself about how embarrassing this whole situation was.

When Atzo called out to her from beyond the door, Kievla replied back in a soft voice, "Umm, I'm okay. I-I just sort of fell. But it's alright, I d-do stuff like that a lot."

She paused for a moment and tried to conjure up the courage to fight the shakiness out of her voice.

"You can come in... if you want."

@Atzo @Telrenya

Edited July 13, 2017 by Kievla

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya idly rubbed a hand at the back of her neck, standing and following after Atzo when he headed upstairs to the guest bedroom. She agreed with his logic, the same thought process that brought her all the way out here in the first place, but found the situation more than odd. She almost had to act like a mediator so the circumstances wouldn't look sketchy. 'It's a shame we have the tendency to think that way...' The woman frowned. Atzo was only interested in keeping the poor girl safe, but he had to worry about coming off like a creep or a kidnapper.

Telrenya waited behind the redhead at the door, straining to hear Kievla's tiny voice stammering behind it. It Atzo were to go ahead and open the door, the blonde would peek around the man to offer the green-haired girl a small smile. "Hey there," She tried to keep her voice gentle. "Do you feel any better after sleeping?" She asked.

@Atzo @Kievla

[Atzo 0]

Atzo could barely hear the girl but was still able to pick up what she said. He opened the door and let Terlenya in before him. He left the door open as he entered. He saw that Kielva was a bit calmer. He waited for Terlenya to get a response before speaking. “I apologize if waking up here startled you. I would have dropped you off at an inn but I feared that sense it wasn’t your inn room, the door wouldn’t lock and you would be at risk of getting killed by someone trying to duel you while you slept.” He looked at Terlenya, and thought to himself “She will probably be better at making sure that Kielva is okay than I will.” He thought for a few more moments before speaking up again. “Feel free to crash here as long as you need until you feel better. The only people who sleep over here other than myself are my guild mates mostly, and they are all busy so it's an open room. On that note, can I get either of you anything? Tea, coffee, water?”
@Kievla @Telrenya

[Kievla 0]

Kievla looked at the pair as they entered the room. Telrenya was a pretty blond, and more than a head taller than Kievla was. Her sweet, brown eyes and soft smile were enticing, an invitation of friendship made flesh. And Atzo towered over the small young woman. His striking red hair, angular eyes, and constant smirk gave him quite the unsettling visage. Kievla thought how she looked very out of place being in a room with these two. 

"I-I think I'll feel better when my head stops throbbing," said Kievla, as she took a seat on the bed behind her, "And I don't want to be a burden, Mr. Atzo, but a glass of water would be really nice."

Kievla sat there for a moment. She was trying to be brave in this situation. She wasn't really afraid of either of these two, but everything that was happening was so new to her. Kievla was on the verge of being overwhelmed once more, but she was doing her best to fight it off.

@Atzo @Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya wondered for a moment what could possibly be the source of all of this girl's anxiety. Was this simply her personality, or had the circumstances of the 'death game' caused this much strain on her? 'I'm not any kind of counselor or psychiatrist, though...' The blonde thought in minor defeat. She didn't know the first thing about dealing with extreme anxiety, depression, or any of those negative feelings.

When Atzo spoke up to offer each of them something to drink, Telrenya paused for a moment. She seemed to battle with herself for a fraction of a second, as if she was first going to decline before she spoke up. "Well, since you've offered... If you have a way to make that coffee taste sweet, I would love some." She smiled, hoping the request didn't sound too childish. Back home, she loved a warm cup of coffee, but only if she had some milk or flavoring on hand.

The woman turned her attention back to Kievla, holding her hands behind her as she tried to relax a bit. "Soo, is there anybody that you know here?" She asked gently, hoping that she took well to a bit of conversation rather than letting the silence hang over them. Telrenya glanced upwards, her gaze drifting to the window when she spoke, referring to the world that they were in--Aincrad--when she said 'here'.

[Atzo 0]

Atzo nodded “Sure thing, I will be back shortly. Oh, and you don’t need to us formalities with me. You can just call me Atzo” He then made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. “This has been interesting, at least she seems calmer now though. That is definitely a positive, I need to think if there is anything I can do to make sure her anxiety isn’t going to spike again.” He muttered to himself as he started the kettle and packed the coffee grinds into a filter. He had allowed his emotional fasad to relax, now seeming emotionless and stone-like “I wonder why I was so instinctive to help her as I did. I guess that is something that was unlocked when I started to allow myself to actually feel emotion and not just replicate it. I think the term is sympathy…” As the kettle started to screech, he removed it and placed the filter in a large cup and poured the water into it. It would be somewhat weak but he wasn’t used to making coffee, much less was he used to making it without a machine to help him. He assumed he should just let the grinds sit in the water, separated by the filter for the same amount of time he would his Tea. Once the tea and coffee seemed to be ready he added some milk to the coffee and some sugar to both the tea and coffee. Finally he grabbed a glass of cold water. While he worked Atzo made sure to listen for anyone coming down the stairs incase he needed to put his emotional mask back on.

@Kievla @Telrenya