pp [PP-F11]Manor and Chill with Teion

[Ryo 0]

The Manor creaked as the autummn wind blew, shaking the shutters and curtains. Again Penny worth was called upon to send a letter, an inventation. The elderly man, donned his travelers cap. He stepped onto the teleporter and said his destination.

The desert floor was hot, but not as hot as the kitchen was back in his day. His destination was a blacksmith. He rapped his knuckles on the door, the opening under his light touch. The first thing that came to his mind when he entered was that the place could use a good dusting. The sands had not treated the wood fairly. He wiped his feet clean, as best he could before entering fully, and introduced himself. "Greetings, Master Teion." He said, with a bow. "I am Pennyworth, Master Ryos butler. He has sent me here with this." He said, producing a fine letter. "It's a written inventation, that much I know. I would love to serve you dinner, if you're able." Pennyworth said bowing his head, bidding his leave as he left again.

Quote

Hey Teion. It's been busy here at this manor. And, I forgot to add you to my friends list at the summer party. If you're free today, why not come over. I'll show you what I've been up to, and maybe we can enjoy dinner together? All up to you.

~Ryo

@Teion

[Teion 0]

A week or so had passed since Shield had stopped coming by to visit. Teion still spent most all of her time in her shop, slowly getting back into the routine of a more-or-less normal life. She sat at the wooden counter towards the back of her smithy, sketching out a new design for a gauntlet when a knock at her door caused the woman to raise her head. A stranger--an elderly man dressed in a simple outfit befitting a butler, announced his presence and greeted her with a bow. Teion rose to her feet, walking over to the man who called himself Pennyworth, curiously eyeing the letter he handed over to her. 'Master Ryo...?' She echoed the name in her thoughts, confused for a moment before the memory of the fuschia-haired man resurfaced in her mind.

"Uhm, thanks..." She nodded her head back towards the butler before he turned to head out. She cocked an eyebrow while closing the heavy wooden door to the shop, flipping the sealed letter over in her hand. She tapped on the envelope, choosing the option to read its contents when Cardinal presented it to her, and her eyes scanned the hand-written words on the paper now displayed in her hand.

"This manor?" She echoed the words aloud after reading the letter's contents. A frown formed on her features, and for a moment she struggled to decide what to do. She looked over her shoulder at the rather empty shop, a sigh escaping her lips after a few moments of thought.

Later that afternoon, Teion found herself in the middle of Taft, referencing the coordinates Ryo had included in his letter as she tried to find the man's house. It didn't take her long before she found herself in front of one of the largest buildings in the residential districts of the city. She craned her neck to take in the full structure, one that certainly made the presence of a butler feel almost necessary. She felt uneasy about the whole situation, but approached the manor nonetheless. She walked up to the large double-doors, giving a short knock.

[Ryo 0]

A few moments escaped after the woman's knock occurred. The large wooden double doors opened wide to reveal the same butler that had met her earlier. "Ah, miss Teion. A pleasure it is to see you again. Won't you come in? Master Ryo is expecting." The elderly npc said, motioning her in with an outstretched hand. "Now, please pardon our dust. We're under a few renovations, and most of the manor is sealed off. For safety and contraction reasons." Pennyworth said, somewhat disappointed that Teion did not have a jacket for him to take. "But alas, Master Ryos is this way, in the study." He said leading Teion across the hall.

Ryo sat in silence, the turning of a page filling up that silence for a brief second. He sighed, and closed the book, setting it aside. A knock made him stir from his spot, the leather seat crunching at his movement. The door opened to Pennyworth. "Good afternoon sir, miss Teion has arrived." Pennyworth said before leaving the two alone.

Ryo got to his feet, almost like a dog would would someone would come home. "Ah, Teion. It's a pleasure, and a surprise to see you again." He said, honestly expecting Teion to ignore his inventation. "How have you been? I haven't seen you since the festival." Ryo asked.

[Teion 0]

She shouldn't have been surprised when the form to greet her was the same mustached man that had delivered Ryo's message to her. Teion hadn't been out 'adventuring' in some time, and so she had simply arrived sporting a loose deep green knit with half-sleeves and a pair of dark brown pants that covered most of her charcoal boots, leaving the basic outfit an earthy color palette.

She followed the butler wordlessly, resisting the strong urge to cock an eyebrow once again while she led him to the study where Ryo was sitting alone. The elderly man made his leave after she had stepped into the room, and the player across from her greeted her eagerly. "Oh, uhm," She was a bit surprised at his enthusiasm, not to mention their location that he had aptly referred to as 'the manor'. Her memory of their meeting at the summer festival resurfaced, and while the amount of time that had passed hadn't been great, she had been through plenty to darken her already gloomy demeanor. "Yeah, things are fine." She lied as her eyes drifted steadily around the room. The uncomfortable pressure of small talk quickly rested itself on her shoulders and she found herself grasping at the first topic that came to mind. "I didn't know they had houses like this in the game." She remarked simply, trying to be careful with her choice of words.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo held back a sigh as Tion lied to him. He didn't quite know what had happened with Teion, but he didn't want to pressure it out of her. She'd talk about it when she felt like it. Ryo chuckled however at her later comment. "Yeah, to be honest I didnt think so either. But hey, here we are. House and butler all. It needs work, it's far from the glorious mansion that it was, and will be." Ryo said, looking around the room. After answering the question, a sort of uneasyness took the air as Ryo scrambled for a question. "Would you like something to drink? Pennyworth makes a mean cup of tea." Ryo offered, trying to come up with conversation. As he said that a knock arrived on the door as Pennyworth entered.

"Anything to drink, Miss Teion?" The elderly butler asked carrying a tray of various things. A teapot, teabags, tea cups and sugar were all laid out nicely. "Ah, Pennyworth. Speak of the devil." Ryo jested, as he waved for his butler to come in.

[Teion 0]

Teion felt her hand rise to graze lightly across the nape of her neck. She hadn't always been this uncomfortable with social interactions, but the past year in Aincrad had caused her to grow more and more withdrawn. Recent events had only served to shut her away further, and for a brief moment she wondered both why the man before her had invited her to his home, and why she had accepted that invitation.

Just as her thoughts began to swirl, Ryo spoke up again, moving to the topic of drinks. Teion had to resist what would have been a reactive frown. She normally put little thought into what her avatar ingested, so long as the artificial pangs of hunger wouldn't much bother her. Although Shield's supervision had provided a bit of normalcy such as a proper lunch now and then, her apathy towards such things continued looming overhead.

She was struggling for a moment to decide on an answer for Ryo when the same butler stepped up beside her with an impressive-looking teaset resting on a silver tray. Teion let a small, wry smile take over her in defeat and her hand dropped back to her side. "Sure, tea sounds fine."

[Ryo 0]

Pennyworth gathered the ingredients needed for the tray. He had placed them all on there perfectly. It was a more heavily loaded tray than usual, he didn't quite know the young woman's preferences yet so he wanted to cover all the bases. He included three kinds of flavored tea, sugar, honey, milk. But he felt like he was missing something. He rubbed his chin in forethought as the kettle whistled behind him, almost causing the man to jump. "Aha!~" He exclaimed pulling the kettle from the stove and placing it on the tray. "That should do it." He said to himself as he made his way into the living room. The reception from the new woman was a pleasant surprise. "Thank you, madam. I have Earl Grey, Chai, and Master Ryo's personal favorite Chi." Pennyworth said, bending over slightly so that short Master Ryo could reach.

After getting his tea, Ryo moved to the nearby window and leaned next to it. All of a sudden, out of nowhere a pun entered his head. Ryo chuckled aloud. "Hah, TEAon." He muttered to himself, unable to contain his own idiotic joy. "My, apologies." He said, containing his chuckle down to a snicker. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to offend if I did." He said, unable to read the stoic women's expression. 

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Indeed, it had been quite a time since she enjoyed a nice cup of tea. The woman chose an Earl Grey with added honey, taking the cup and saucer in her hands to hold them in front of her torso. Much fancier than the plain mugs she had back home, the warmth and aroma that wafted from the porcelain had managed to stir up those old memories.

She would wait a few minutes before having any, unsure if she might still be subject to any kind of burning sensation if the liquid had just been boiling. A chuckle from the man caught her attention, and she blinked at his speaking of her name, as if the comment had her dumbfounded for a moment. Soon after, the back of the woman's hand found its way to her mouth as she gave a chuckle of her own. She held on to half a smirk when she lowered her hand and replied. "No offense taken. That was pretty silly. Although, it's pronounced more like Tay-on." She noted with a lighthearted tone. After a few more seconds had passed, the woman curled two fingers around the handle of her teacup, pulling the object closer to her chin. "So, was there anything in particular you called me here for? Or is it just to...hang out?" She felt a bit odd using the term after so long, but her expression grew a bit more relaxed as the conversation went on.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo smiled at Teion, her finding humour in his poor joke filled him with delight. He was enjoying his time with Teion, however short it currently was, but he felt like he could spend hours at a time with her. "Teion it is." He said, pronouncing it correctly this time around. He brought his tea to his lips, enjoying his cups contents. Teion then brought up a question, that somewhat caught Ryo off guard. Guess he needed to work on his writing skills. "No particular reason." He said, lowering the cup from his face. "I invited you to try to get to know you better. Were we not inside SAO I would invite you to a tea shop near my home. But sadly, SAO lacks such amenities. And Pennyworth does an excellent job regardless." Ryo said, explaining his best to the woman. His best guess was that this was somehow a date, at least in his mind it was. "So, how did you react in the beginning? When Kayaba trapped everyone here." Ryo asked, planning on sharing his take shortly after.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

After taking a sip from her own teacup, Teion's light smile disappeared with Ryo's question. How long had it been? It felt like she had trouble remembering her time in the beginning, or perhaps she just didn't want to. Before Beatbox's death, before the decline of her blacksmithing business, and before even her fallout with the Endilix brothers. It was as if she'd become a different person. Then again, hadn't most of the people she knew?

The underside of her porcelain cup clinked lightly against the saucer in her hand. Her gaze drifted down, staring at the barely-visible reflections in the dark liquid. She continued to ponder the question, trying to remember her days as a starry-eyed greenhorn in the world of Sword Art Online. "I was scared, of course." She answered matter-of-factly, a solemn expression taking up residence in her features as she spoke. "I immediately missed my family, my friends...my cat. I wanted to play the game, sure, but I didn't want to live here." With her first two fingers still looped around it, her thumb began to idly stroke the handle of the cup as she continued. "Still, I tried my best to cope. Can't say I would be upset if we woke up one day and this was all a dream, though." She lifted the edge of the cup to her lips once more, taking another small drink before looking back to Ryo's face. "Unexpected question, though." Her smiled hadn't returned, though she looked less somber than moments ago. "How about you?"

[Ryo 0]

Ryo pondered the question. He already was going to tell her, it was a matter of finding the right words. "Back then I was, troubled." He said, looking out the window beside him. Gazing out into the yard of the mansion, he continued. "I did things that I'm not proud of. I couldn't handle the pressure of it all. Like you I had a life back home. Loving family, friends, I even had a bird." Ryo said, more than certain that his pet was long gone by the time he had spent in the game. "I was scared at first, but that was short. I then turned to anger and hate. I hated Kayaba and the world he trapped me in. Then my anger shifted to the people around me. When the first players started to go out and the first couple bosses we're cleared, bandit groups appeared. I worked for them. I would coax people out of the comfort of the city and lead them to these groups in exchange for coin." Ryo said, setting his tea down now. He stared at his clear reflection in the window, disgusted with himself. "But that's when I met him. There was a player whom I was told to Target specifically, odd but I did it anyway. And surprise surprise the bandits betrayed me." Ryo said, his thoughts going back to that day.

Ryo walked down the street, gathering up his courage, before stepping into the shop. A voice called out as he did. "Hey, welcome to Albatross and Finch. Take a look around and if you don't find what you're looking for, lemme' know." The sand haired player said. He was adorned with a white coat, with an apron, embroidered with the shop's logo. Ryo looked around at the various items, swimsuits and the like adorned the place but there were other items like jackets and armor. Ryo stepped up the front counter. "Yeah. I actually need something other than swimsuits." The man raised an eyebrow at the question, presumably in mild shock that someone would want something besides a swimsuit. "Well," Lowenthal started, leaning beneath the counter and producing a piece of paper. "Write down what you need, and I'll see that it gets done. It might be a while seeing that I'm out of materials." Ryo's mind went active, this was perfect. "Well, what say that I help you get those materials?" He offered. "I mean, I'd get my items faster, and you'll get all the materials we find." Ryo offered. Lowenthal scratched his head. "Yeah, that doesn't sound too bad. I'm Lowenthal." He said, reaching a handout. Ryo took the mans hand and shook it.

"He blindly trusted me. With that dopey ass grin of his." Ryo laughed, back in his manor with Teion. "We set out, 'looking' for materials. With me leading him on all the way. We actually managed to find a few." Ryo said. "But, the trap was already set."

The bandits had them surrounded. Lowenthal drew his kunai, spinning the weapon on his finger. "So Ryo. Think we could take 'em?" Lowenthal had asked. But Ryo knew better, that Lowenthal would be by himself for the fight should it happen. Ryo drew his weapon, as a feint. But apparently, the bandits didn't like that. They yelled. "Kill the both of 'em!" Before they charged, at them. Ryo was caught off guard and began to panic. What was he supposed to do now? He wasn't ready for this, not in the slightest. But then a pull came at his arm. Looking down, he saw Lowenthal's encompassing his hand within his. "Come on!" He shouted, before running into the crowd. Lowenthal parried a blade, shoving the bandit aside but had left his back turned to the bandit next to him. Ryo shoved his blade under the bandit's own and shoved it upwards, tossing it aside. The two ran past the bandits and ran.

"We ran. We ran for what seemed like miles." Ryo said to Teion. "We ran all the way to the second floor, hoping to lose the crowd within the tight corridors of the maze and monsters that roamed there. But we didn't expect the trap there." He said.

A click was heard beneath their feet as they ran. "Ah, shi-" Lowenthal cried out as the floor gave out beneath the twp, casting them into darkness. The two bounced off of walls, and each other before slamming into the ground. Ryo opened an eye to see the trap door close back up. Leaving the two in darkness. "Well, we lost them didn't we?" Lowenthal said chuckling. Ryo, still in disbelief of what had just happened began to laugh alongside Lowenthal.

"I was leading him to his death, and I felt like he knew that. But we survived. The bandits, the fall, the three days of navigating that darkness." Ryo said, picking his teacup back up, and taking a sip from it. All this talking did a number on his throat. "But he told me. That anyone could achieve greatness. And that he believed that I would." Ryo said, staring into the light brown pool of tea and milk. "Sorry. I didn't mean to prattle on like that." He said, sure that he had ruined the mood now.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Teion listened to his story, her eyes drifting between the cup of liquid in her hands to the bookcases lining the walls of the study to Ryo's profile as it stared out of the window in front of him. Finally, her gaze returned to her teacup, as did Ryo's to his own. He offered a short apology, likely getting the impression that his lengthy story had soured the mood. Teion gave a small shake of her head in return, "Nothing to apologize for."

She had learned more about the man than she had ever thought she would, and for a few moments she was still trying to wrap her head around things. Everyone in this game had a past, that much Teion was quick to realize. Some heavier or darker than others, but it wasn't until the man had recited the extent of his tale that she realized the players untainted by the evils of this world were possibly more few and far between than she had thought. But perhaps Ryo had found one of those souls, after hearing about this man named Lowenthal.

Her hand slipped from the handle of her teacup to join the other around the saucer beneath it. She held the small surface between both of her thumbs, unsure of what to say. She felt a twinge of obligation, as if she should share some of her own past in return, but the vague memories of her earliest time in Aincrad filled her with a bittersweet reluctance. While Ryo had shared with her his story, she couldn't help but sense a sadness in his voice. Something more than the regret of his days working for bandits. She opened her mouth to speak, about to ask the man about Lowenthal in the present time. But no sound left her. She stopped herself, her lips meeting again as she cast a nervous glance towards the floor.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo set his teacup down beside him. "Thats why I need to become a hero on the frontlines." Ryo said. "To make it up for the lives I've taken. For the people whom I've enslaved. I can save everyone else if I try." He said. "And when I do save everyone, who's going to save me?" He said, more so to himself. Ryos face flushed as he nervously went to correct himself. "Ah, ignore that last part. I'm perfectly fine. See?" He said, mustering up a laugh and a grin. It's what Lowenthal would've done. The hero of Aincrad can't be seen as a sad child. He chuckled. "But thank you. For listening." He said to Teion. "Now, shall we do something fun to escape my depressions?" Ryo asked, kicking his son story to the curb. "You any ideas?" He asked his female companion.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

As he continued with heroic proclimations and brave goals, another comment seemed to slip that caught both of them off-guard. Teion wasn't sure how to react as Ryo let out a nervous laughter that was about as convincing as her earlier statement that she was doing fine lately. Then she caught the past-tense of his next statement. 'What he would've done...' Now convinced that the man named Lowenthal was no more, the woman shifted her weight as an aura of unease filled the air.

She averted her gaze when he had passed on a question to her. "Something fun...?" She echoed in a tiny mumble, as if the concept was foreign to her. Before the discovery of Beatbox's death, she would occasionally leave her shop to travel, or grind for materials if she needed them terribly. Afterwards, however...

"Mmm..." Her brow narrowed slightly to pair with her mumble of thought. Her shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "I used to...explore." She hesitated before finding the end of her sentence, as if she started to speak without thinking and had wanted to take it back halfway through. Feeling the pressure to continue now that the topic was out in the open, she opened her mouth again. "Just, well, traveling, I guess." She almost seemed embarrassed while trying to explain herself. "A lot of floors are pretty big, and there are some nice places that aren't so easy to find. Makes me think of them like Easter Eggs."

[Ryo 0]

Ryo racked his brain. He finished his tea, and made his way across the room setting it down. He opened the doors and called out for Pennyworth.

"Yes sir?" The elderly butler asked, stepping into the doorframe.

"Cancel. No, reschedule my evening plans." Ryo said, looking at Teion. Pennyworth nodded, agreeing before taking his leave. "So, my evening is free." He said, opening his menu. "You mind showing me how it's done?" Ryo asked Teion. He hadn't taken the time to look around his house, let alone the floors he had been on. And who knew, maybe this was the sort of thing he needed to ear his mind about everything. "So, any camping gear on you, or do we just go hiking?" He asked, inquisitively.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

After finally taking another drink from the cup in front of her, it took Teion a while to understand what Ryo was getting at. Her brows knit into a look of confusion while she watched the man pull open his game menus. Finally, the gears in her mind began to turn at a regular pace and she instinctively set her own cup down with a look of surprise plastered on her face. "O-oh, what?" Her head gave a small tilt to one side, pulling her gaze away from Ryo while she mulled over his sudden plan. "I mean..." The woman mumbled. There wasn't really any problem with going outside of the city together, right? But where would they go? She hadn't been out to any places like that since...

Teion let out a small breath through her nose, as if she had conceded. "Mm, whatever you want to do." She normally wasn't picky when it came to finding a place to sleep outside of her shop, whether she was close enough to a settlement and had the spare coin for an inn, or if she had to find some secluded space where she would be safe from those with much less friendly intentions. "I usually just...wing it." She gave a shrug, still feeling a bit unsure about the whole thing. But, if they were going to go adventuring together, she might as well start wracking her brain for some point of interest she may have come across in the past. "Err, which floor do you like?"

[Ryo 0]

Ryo chuckled as surprise took over Teion's face. "I'm sorry. I forgot to ask, did you have time?" Ryo was so excited to have the company of this kind of caliber, he had completely forgotten to ask if she wanted to go out with him. "My apologies on springing this on you so suddenly. I just want to make sure that you have a good time." Ryo admitted to the violet-haired player. As he apologized, however, it seemed that Teion was fine with the entire thing. For the most part at least. She just winged it, all the time or just when she was feeling daring. Ryo motioned for the woman to follow him. Before he left, he grabbed his jacket from the rack and placed it onto his body. "Y'know I'm sure we can find some kind of neat thing nearby." Ryo said, getting ready to leave. "So, you said you used to explore. What made you stop?" Ryo asked, actually curious. It could've been a multitude of things. Meeting some guy, owning a blacksmith, the frontlines, guild work all sorts of things came to mind immediately. It also could've just been boredom. From the rate the front lines were going, he'd be an aged man by the time they were all free.

[Teion 0]

Ryo seemed apologetic yet again, but when she had expressed her consent for the impromptu adventure the duo made way towards the mansion's entryway. Teion felt no need to change her attire, simply watching while the man pulled on a jacket. She should have expected the question that naturally came to mind as Ryo put it out into the open--what had made her stop exploring? Even though she should have seen it coming a mile away, the words still caused a tightness in her chest that she couldn't prepare for. They had stepped outside into the bustling city of Taft while Teion wrestled with her mind over the right words to say.

Finally, with a destination in mind and a heaviness in her heart, she blew out a huff of air through her nostrils in a small sigh. The woman faced herself forward, walking towards the teleport plaza in the center of town when she finally decided to bring up the topic of her personal life that she had been avoiding. "My... The person I was, seeing..." She obviously hadn't picked out the words before they started to leave her mouth. She hesitated another moment, unable to find any other way to present the subject. "He died about two weeks ago." Her voice was flat, swallowing in an attempt to push down the apprehensive feeling that lingered inside of her. "I, uhm, haven't been very motivated to...well, do that kind of stuff lately." She felt more embarrassed to admit her apathy than anything else.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo saw the look on Teions face, and knew that he had crossed a line. He reconized that face as one he had made before, and one he could relate to. She walked silently, trying to gather her thoughts and find the words before she brought up the unbearable. 

'Dammit, good work.' Ryo said to himself. 'Had to pry didn't we? Had to go prodding around.' His mind said, taunting him.

Her loved one had died, two weeks ago no less. Ryo wanted to help. Console her somehow, let her know that everything was going to be alright. But, he knew better. He had felt that kind of pain once before, and he knew the ache it left. The hollow emptiness, the stinging pain of regret, anger at yourself and others around you. You kick yourself for not being there, and then kick yourself for thinking that. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"My, condolences. I didn't know that he." Ryo said, a halfway attempt of apologizing. "I can't imagine how you feel, but I can relate. Which is more than most people." He finished, before they had made it to the teleportation plaza. "We'll go exporling first. Get our mind off of things. And if you're willing," Ryo said, looking at Teion. "I'm willing to listen."

How long ago had it been since Lowenthal had died? Two months? Three? The early days went by the slowest. Ryo was a slimmer before he met Lowe, and after Lowe met him and inspired Ryo to change he went and died. The weeks after Ryo could barely function. He couldn't imagine the pain Teion felt, was feeling now. He could only relate.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

A twinge of guilt pulled at Teion's heart when the man's apology reached her ears. At least the notion that she was 'perfectly fine' had been dispelled, and the reasoning was now out in the open. If the man with fuchsia hair really did have an interest in hearing about her life or getting to know her, however, she supposed it was only a matter of time until such topics surrounding her came to light. She brought up a hand towards her collarbone, where her fingers began to twirl around and run themselves through the ends of her hair. She didn't meet Ryo's gaze beside her, but as she felt his eyes on her she forced a weak smile in appreciation for his words.

They reached the teleport gate and Teion explained they would start in Urbus, Floor Two. After they were both whisked away and reappeared on the lower floor, the woman once again led the way towards the edge of town. She was hardly great at small talk, as Ryo was likely aware of at this point, but she still gave some sort of attempt as they walked through the quieter city. "There's one place that you might know of--it's not really a secret," She started with a vague mention of their destination. "but past that I know of a place that has a good view. If you're into that kind of stuff." She still felt a bit unsure about the whole ordeal, as if she doubted that Ryo would truly hold any interest in what was essentially just sightseeing. Perhaps she'd have to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary along the way that might add some appeal to their excursion.