[PP-F5] Moonlit Confessions

[Teion 0]

Aereth's arms didn't even seem to hesitate as they returned her hold. The feeling of comfort that washed over her brought a soft smile to her lips and she simply rested against his frame while wishing the feeling would last a lifetime. She could feel his head shift beside hers, and shortly after an electricity ran through her, brought about by his lips pressing against the bare skin of her neck. Each kiss that he planted along his trail burned into her flesh, causing her heartbeat to steadily quicken. Finally meeting his lips with her own, Teion gratefully returned the kiss with the same gentle pressure he provided.

As Aereth carefully pulled her frame towards the bed, the woman felt herself lower to take a seat on the edge, still lost in their passionate exchange. Seconds later, her torso fell backwards and the back of her head met the edge of the pillow. With her legs still hanging over the side of the bed, the brunette's frame hovered inches above hers as their lips had barely parted during their movement. Teion's arms hadn't released their hold on the man, instead pulling him closer to her all the while. Her heart was racing in her chest while the feeling of bliss from each of the kisses they shared ran through her. Unlike when she confessed to him just earlier that night, she was no longer indulging in her desires in an attempt to silence the voices of anxiety and self-doubt that often plagued her.

No, the voices were nowhere to be found anymore. They had been replaced by Aereth's touch, his passion, his own soothing voice that always managed to settle her troubled mind. Her hands ran along his back and their lips would occasionally part only to find each other once again in a kiss more heated than the last.

[Aereth 1]

For the first time since who knows when, Aereth felt wanted. He felt needed. It was as if that purple haired woman alone managed to let the sun shine for him again. With every pull on his arm, with every smile he was able to get out of her, with every kiss she planted on his lips.... She managed to bring some peace into his troubled and darkened heart. Oh how many unforgivable sins he committed in the past... It didn't matter. Not now. With just one touch his purple haired blacksmith was able to make them vanish.

The intensity of their kisses quickly reached its climax as the fatigue started to catch up to them. It had really been a long day and both of them earned some rest. Aereth knew that he couldn't keep his word, when he said he would just sleep while sitting at the head of her bed. Nothing in this world would make him leave the warmth, the comfort Teion provided, so he took hold of the blanket and threw it over them before gently placing Teion on his side. He then turned his head to the side and locked eyes with her one last time for today. He said nothing. He simply smiled at her, pressed a last kiss on her lips and watched her as she slowly drifted into sleep, before also slowly passing out...

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Every time he carefully took her in his arms, Teion simply followed. As the two lovers continued to kiss, touch, and hold one another, a far-off thought echoed in the back of her mind. 'If this is a dream... Would it be okay if I really didn't wake up?' The last time she had dwelled on such a topic, the thoughts were lonely and full of despair, with no hope for the future. But now she longed to live in this world where Max lay beside her. With her shoulder pressing into the soft mattress, she faced the brunette and lost herself in his gaze before he left her with a final, sweet kiss. She returned his loving smile as her eyes closed and she took in the comfort of his presence beside her.

Several hours passed with another uneventful night in Fortaleza. The sunrise over the rolling dunes outside of the city brought fresh winds to kick up the sands as they always did. With the light beginning to stream in through the high windows of Teion's smithy, the violette's brow narrowed slightly as she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open while a cloudiness clung to her mind. As the world before her came into view, Teion felt herself blink as Aereth's sleeping face lay in front of her. She simply stared at him, drawn in by the look of peace in his expression sending a warmth through her while her brain carefully worked to piece together the situation around her.

'It wasn't a dream...' The obvious thought came to her and pulled at the corner of her mouth. She wore a warm half-smile as she found a sense of relief. The man beside her, along with the feelings they shared with each other that night, were very real. Her eyes closed again, and she allowed herself to continue enjoying the comfort of laying beside him--his arm still wrapped around her waist, her arm and hand resting across his chest and shoulder. For a long while, she felt content to just stay like this forever.

[Aereth 1]

Usually Aereth had a very light sleep when he was sleeping outside of his own four walls, if he he even slept at all. But this night was different. The brunette spent quite some time before he passed out with simply watching the sleeping face of his blacksmith, and gently caressing her. And after his eyes finally gave up the fight against his fatigue and tiredness, he fell into a very deep and peaceful sleep. He could always feel the warmth of Thea's body right beside him and it gave him the safety to finally let go of his worries for just the time being. They held each other, slightly shifting their bodies a little bit the one time or the other, and slept peacefully through the rest of the night. 

The next day, Thea was the first to wake up. He could clearly feel her stir a little bit next to him, but this wasn't enough to wake him up. The brunette simply pulled her a little bit closer to him, unconsciously trying to make her more comfortable. 

Some time later he also finally opened his eyes with a yawn. It took him some moments to regain control over his sight, but he immediately noticed the purple mop of hair on his shoulder/arm/chest. Thea's lovely locks were everywhere. "Thank god..." he mumbled in relief as he realized that the girl was still by his side.

"Good morning sunshine." he then said, pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I hope you liked your new pillow?"

@Teion

[Teion 0]

The light motion and sound from the brunette beside her beginning to wake pulled Teion's attention back to the present. She felt as though she was close to dozing off again, and for a moment she thought that sounded rather nice. Would it really be so bad if she simply lazed around all day in Aereth's arms? It was so warm, and comfortable, and safe...

The gentle pressure of his lips against her forehead caused her to stir once more, and his greeting caused a tiny smirk to form as her eyes opened once again to meet his. He asked her a question, and it was as if she hadn't fully realized their position until then. The woman blinked, the gears of her sleepy mind beginning to turn. 'We...we really slept together...' Her cobalt eyes stared into the deep brown of Aereth's that rested so closely with a look of realization and a faint pink hue surfaced on her cheeks.

After a moment of silence, Teion gave up. Her head was still too fuzzy and she was far too comfortable to protest their current position. With a lingering blush on her cheeks, Teion shifted forward to press her forehead against his. "What, did we meet the kissing quota for sleeping together already?" She teased. With a small smirk, Teion pulled her face away from his and her shoulder swung to the side until she lay on her back beside him, staring up at the wooden rafters above them. Her eyes softened, and after a few long seconds her mind gradually began to work at its normal pace. "Hey..." She turned her head to face him again, her smile stretching just a bit wider. "Are you busy today?" She let out a small chuckle after the question left her. "I think I'd like it if we can just stay like this for a while."

[Aereth 1]

At the feeling of Teions forehead pressing against his, the brunette started to smile. "Honestly? I really don't know." He replied, his smile slowly turning into a smirk. "Somewhere around you entering the room, and us falling onto your bed I lost track of it. So I have that bad feeling that we need to do them all over again, just to be sure." Said and done. Aereth quickly pressed a small kiss on Teion's lips and smiled at her.

When Teion turned around to lie on her back, Aereth never once lifted his gaze from her. Too beautiful was the sight. Too afraid he was that she wouldn't be there anymore if he just looked away once.

"Hmmm?" he replied when her "Hey..." reached him, and she asked if he had something to do for today. "Unfortunately yes... I am busy today..." he said with a sad voice and paused for a few moments. "I have to do a body-guarding job, and I have to go where my client goes. The pay isn't that great, but she's pretty beautiful..." the tone of the brunette now lighter and a small smirk resting on his face again. With one swift movement, he threw the blanket over them and gently pulled Teion on top of him. 

"Sooooo. What wants my stunning looking client to do if we are going to 'stay a while like this'?"

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Her smirk had grown wider at the playful comments he shot back, and the quick kiss that followed. When her gaze had fallen back on him, Teion blinked in slight surprise at his answer. The combination of his disappointed expression and sullen tone caused her heart to drop. After a short pause he continued to speak and the familiar smirk resurfaced on his features. THe gears in her mind began to click into place and his meaning became clear just before she felt Aereth pull her in close.

Teion's own expression quickly shifted, narrowed eyes pairing with a half-smile as she stared accusingly at the man that now lay beneath her. She thought about stopping herself from rolling her eyes, but let the motion continue as she shot back another line of her own banter. "Are you always this cheeky, or do I just get some kind of special treatment?"

Her forearms pressed into the sheets on either side of his head while she held her shoulders up over him. Her head tilted just a bit to one side as he asked her what it was she wanted to do, and as she gazed down at the man while she felt their bodies pressed together, she couldn't stop herself from lowering her face towards his. Her eyes closed and her parted lips crashed into Aereth's with an immediate intensity as she gave into the greed that had filled her. The electricity that surged through her was no longer paired with the lingering, nagging anxieties that had nested inside of her the night before. She simply wanted to enjoy every sweet, passionate kiss that they would exchange in its entirety.

She had lingered a long while, bringing their lips back together more than once after they had briefly separated. Eventually, the woman pulled back properly, opening her eyes to meet Aereth's gaze with cheeks lightly flushed. Teion let out a small chuckle, "If I don't stop myself, I would probably keep doing that all day." The blacksmith thought over the next few moments. As tempting as it was to simply spend all of her time lost in loving exchanges with the brunette mercenary, there was a curiosity that touched at the back of her mind. Was it strange that they were so drawn together, while knowing so little about the other? Her cobalt eyes looked at him carefully, as if studying the man so that she might find the answers to her questions written out on his face. She was suddenly filled with a burning desire, very different from the kind that always seemed to cause their bodies to gravitate towards one another.

Teion's eyes were filled with a newfound interest. The woman took on a soft, amused smile as she filled the silence that had began to hang over them. "What's your favorite color?"

[Aereth 1]

"Nope, that cheekiness is reserved just for you." Aereth said, satisfied with the reaction he got out of the purple haired beauty over him. He just lied under her with the most innocent look he could muster, and it even seemed like he was about the get rewarded for his cheekiness as Teion moved in for another intense make out session. Everything felt so natural, so mutual and easy. Just spending all day in bed and enjoying themselves didn't even sound bad. To be honest, he would make no amends to get out and actually do something other than staying exactly like they were right now. "Then don't. Let's just do exactly that. There isn't a single place in this goddamned floating castle that I would want to be right now other than in this bed right now with you."

Suddenly Aereth noticed how Teions gaze was resting on him, while she seemed to think about something. They gave out something new. No pain. No anxiety. No desire. It was curiosity. And as if to confirm his thought, Teion asked him what his favorite color was.

He was stunned for a few moments, because the question came so out of the blue, but quickly managed to put a warm smile on his face while gently pulling her towards him, so she could rest her head on his chest. Right now he didn't know where this was going, he couldn't read her mind after all, but he simply answered her question. "Hmmmm." he hummed thinking about his favorite color. "I'd say blue, but that might change in the near future." The brunette said with a small chuckle, while gently moving his right hand up and down Teions back and the other playing with a strand of her beautiful purple hair. "Your turn. What's your favorite color?" he then added, giving back the question to the beauty on top of him. 

[Teion 0]

A short chuckle escaped her with his playful comment, and for a moment after she had presented him with the rather out-of-place question, she wondered if maybe she shouldn't have. Of course it threw the man off, but the smile that appeared on his face soon after was contagious. Teion rested against him as he gently guided her, and her eyes closed while she took in the warm comfort of his hold. She felt his hand trail along her back, his fingers lazily twist and comb through a lock of her hair, the soft vibration from his chest as he gave a thoughtful hum before answering her. For the briefest of moments, Aincrad disappeared. She was Thea again, enjoying Max's close company.

The corners of her mouth stretched into a smile again at his response, and then she gave half a chuckle when he turned the question back to her. "Take a wild guess." She teased, keeping her eyes closed as she continued. "Hopefully it's not a deal breaker if this isn't my natural hair color." She joked, soon adding on, "And sorry, it isn't red either." She held her playful smile for a few seconds longer before she decided to continue with her game of questions.

Teion brought her arm beside her, letting her hand rest lazily against Aereth's chest as she thought of something new to ask him. She tried to steer away from the most basic personal details, instead going for the next topic that came to mind. "Favorite place to go for a vacation?"

[Aereth 1]

Aereth gently continued caressing the purple haired beauty on top of him. The warmth of her body, the touch of her hand on his chest, everything was just so perfect. He could stay like this forever. "Damn it. And here I was thinking that I finally found the first naturally purple haired woman on the planet.... Seems like I'm out." Aereth said and added a dramatic tone to the last part. "Just kidding. I don't care what your actual haircolor is. Even without hair I would still think you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever met." the brunette said and started caressing the back of Thea.

"Aaaah. That's mean." he whined, but quickly followed up with a chuckle. "But the wild guess would be: Purple." he said with another chuckle. "Suits you pretty well. And the second question is an easy one. Italy. The landscape, the food, the wine. Have you ever been to Italy before?" he asked curiously when another thought hit him. "Now that you know my favorite color and my favorite vacation place, I would like to know where you come from. So I can go and find you once we are finally out of here."

[Teion 0]

"You got me." She joked as he somehow managed to name her favorite color. Listening with interest as he continued, Teion gave a small shake of her head at his question. With her temple still resting against his chest, the motion inadvertently resulted in something akin to an affectionate nuzzle, though Thea simply took on a small smile as she assumed that Max wouldn't mind the feeling. "No, can't say I've been to Europe before. I'd like to, though. There are so many places that seem nice to visit." She added on, recalling for a moment the various points of interest she had always kept logged away in the back of her mind for that far-off time when travelling was a viable activity for her.

She blinked in surprise as she turned the conversation back to her--or rather, her surprise might have come from the way he chose to word the sentiment. She chuckled lightly after a short second before providing the man beneath her with an answer. "Southwestern United States. Vegas, if you want to get specific." She added on, closing her eyes and taking on a dismissive tone. "I don't recommend it, though. Italy sounds ten times nicer."

[Aereth 1]

"Yessss." Max answered with a victorious smile on his face that quickly morphed into a softer, more geniue one as she rewarded him with something like an affectionate nuzzle.

"Perfect." he hummed as she told him where she lived. "Now I know where I have to go in order to grab you and take you with me, so we can go and visit Italy together." he said with a chuckle as he continued to caress her back with his left hand. 

"You will never guess where I am from." After saying that he pressed a soft and gentle kiss on the top of her head and continued. "I'm living, or better, I lived in Austria. But I have British roots from my mothers side of the family."

Some silent moments later Max spoke up again. "I meant what I said. I will get you out of here. I promise it. And after that I will come to you and find you no matter what..." His words were filled with sadness, passion and desire. But they had power behind them. He would make sure at all costs that he would be able to see this Thea in the real world.

[Teion 0]

Thea breathed out a half-chuckle, her lips curled into a smile at his reaction. He spoke so matter-of-factly, like there was no doubt in his mind that the two players would find each other again and be able to bring these feelings that they shared into the real world. "Hmm?" She hummed back as she felt the faint heat when his lips pressed against the top of her head. He was right, at least--she really wouldn't have correctly guessed where the brunette was from. She had always assumed that the majority of players were from Japan, though with cases like hers and the people she knew from the real world that had ended up here, there really was no telling what the demographics were for people in other countries.

The sound of the untamed desert winds whipping around the shop's exterior permeated the walls of the smithy. From her unusual amount of time on the barren floor, Teion could tell from the sound alone that Cardinal likely wouldn't be producing any sandstorms too close to the city walls, at least not while the sun was still hanging in the sky.

Max's next words filled the air, overpowering the light rustling and whistling of the winds outside. He made a promise that practically caused her heart to skip a beat, and luckily her face was not in clear view as a light blush tinted her cheeks. She stared over the man's chest, her eyes resting on the light wooden doorframe while she felt his fingers continue to glide over her shoulderblades and along her spine. It would have been a lie if she said she wasn't nervous from the thought of meeting Max in the real world, where she couldn't hide behind her purple-haired avatar. 'Teion' was supposed to be someone else, at first. Someone who was stronger and more confident than Thea. Somewhere along the way, that line had blurred, and she couldn't help but wonder exactly how much these experiences in Aincrad had molded her.

She shifted, propping herself up on her left elbow while her long hair formed a thin veil that fell over her shoulder. Her back arched slightly as her shoulders lifted and she met his gaze with a soft smile. "You're really stubborn, huh?" Without expecting or leaving much time for an answer, Thea found herself drawn to the brunette and leaned forward to gently meet his lips with hers once more. She lingered much longer than she had originally intended, her right hand practically moving on its own as it traveled up, sliding across the side of his bare neck as her fingers curled and the heel of her palm met the corner of his jaw.

When she finally parted from their kiss, her eyes opened to lock with his once again. "One more question." Thea prompted, wearing a serious expression to stress the importance of her words before she would cease her interrogation. She waited a moment, to be sure she had Max's attention.

"Do you like cats?"

[Aereth 1]

Aereth didn't care about anything. Not the winds outside of the smithy, not the potential killers that were after them. He just wanted to enjoy every moment of the time they had together. Though he knew that he would have those moments more often now, he still wanted that none of them would ever pass. 

Once again he felt the beautiful blacksmith moving on top of him, readying herself for yet another intense kiss. It felt like the lips of Max' avatar were on fire when Thea rose her head once more, serious expression on her face, asking him the all important question if he would like cats. 

Max chuckled first, then started to laugh. "Yeah. I've got no problems with cats. But I also have one more question. I mean it sounds kinda stupid with the fact that we already spent a night in the same bed, but...." he paused and focused only on the cobalt colored of Thea's Avatar. "Thea, do you want to be my girlfriend?"

@Teion

[Teion 0]

"Hey, it's important." The sound of Max's laugh caused her heart to flutter lightly in her chest, but she forced the corners of her mouth down into a small, feigned pout to pair with her words. He continued after his answer, the deep pools of brown that stared up at her taking her full attention while his question cause a faint tinge of pink to dust her cheeks. She had to tear her eyes away from his, her gaze shifting off to the side while she replied, "Yeah... That's obvious."

Though they would spend the rest of the day together simply enjoying each other's company in the quiet smithy, time would continue to pass in Aincrad. As much as Thea would have liked to simply ignore the rest of the virtual world and continue her days like that with Max, that was an impossibility for them both. A few days had passed since the first night they spent together, and while Teion still spent the majority of time in or around her shop, it was not longer filled with idle, listless daydreaming or desperate distractions. The violette had just wrapped her fingers around the ebony handle of the scythe the lay propped up beside the doorframe when she received the alert of a new message.

Max's written words caused a light smile to appear on her face. The memory of his impressive cooking skill elicited a soft chuckle, and after a moment of thought she began to type out a reply.

Quote

To: Aereth
Subject: RE: Essence of Steel

There's a place on the outskirts of Fortaleza called The Desert Willow Cafe. I've never seen it busy, so we shouldn't have to worry about anyone giving us trouble. If you don't mind the trip to the desert again, I'll meet you there?

-Thea

She hesitated after signing her name, a bit embarrassed by the bluntness of her message when scrolling back up to Max's. She was never good at cutesy things, and she could only hope that her now-boyfriend wouldn't misinterpret her straight-forwardness.

In the span of a few of hours, Teion had gotten a bit of material farming done with the low-level monsters in the surrounding desert and returned to her shop to switch out her gear. She sat down on the closed lid of a wooden chest while she scrolled to her equipment and dismissed the tight-fitting leggings and leather bodice from her avatar. Left in a simple set of white underwear with violet hair cascading over her bare shoulders, the woman crossed her legs while she scrolled to her inventory, frowning at the lack of 'normal' clothing she possessed. She looked over her options with a growing discomfort--both outfits she would consider appropriate for a 'date' had distinct memories that clung to them, and she hadn't the heart to delete them or re-use them.

Finally reaching some kind of compromise, she tapped on a few items. A pair of dark brown boots appeared over black leggings, with a pleated cobalt skirt resting over her thighs. The wide black strap of a black halter top looped around the back of her neck, and a loose-fitting white shirt sat off her shoulders, with thin sleeves that reached to her elbows. She pulled a ribbon that matched the color of her skirt and eyes from her inventory before dismissing the menus, pulling her long hair over one shoulder to leave the other exposed. Her fingers twisted through the locks to form a loose braid, fastening the ribbon at its end and letting it stay draped over her chest while she picked herself up. The distance between her shop and the cafe that she had designated as their meeting place was not long, and it only took a few minutes for her to reach the restaurant's exterior. Pressing her shoulders up against the warm oak beside at the building's front, her eyes began to wander while she waited for Aereth's arrival.

[Aereth 1]

After they were done with the quest of defeating the field boss for the rare Essence of Steel, the blonde and the brunette made their way to the main settlement of the fourth floor. Their conversations mainly consisted of Aereth telling her when they would meet again for starting her training. At the city gates however, they separated due to Aereth needing to sneak into the safe zone in order to get to the teleport plaza. 

When Max finally arrived, he still wore his battle gear and his cloak that would help him hiding from the guards and to get into the safe zone. He spotted Thea and immediately walked over to her. "Hey purple. There you are." he said with a smile as he walked over to her pressing a quick kiss at her cheek. "I'm sorry that I couldn't make it earlier." he then took a couple of moments to look at the woman. He immediately noticed the different set of clothing she wore. She usually wore her battle gear, just like him, and he had already seen her in her sleeping attire obviously.

"You look truly amazing." he said with a big smile on his face, before realizing that he still wore his out of place looking battle attire. "S-sorry. Gimme a second. I'll change into something more appropriate..."

[Teion 0]

A soft smile followed after the kiss he placed upon her cheek, and Thea brought up a wave to wave away his apology. "Glad to see you." She answered, averting her gaze after his compliment. "Mm, I hardly have much vanity clothing. It's not like I really needed it." She forced a chuckle, bringing her right hand up to fidget with the ends of her braid, twirling her fingers around the violet locks.

"But hey, a wardrobe change is a good way to switch things up, right?" The words were more being used to convince herself that she needed a change of pace. Even if she didn't notice or refused to admit it to herself, the anxiety and depression that she had developed since Beatbox's death had taken a toll on her mentality, and she was still in the early stages of the healing that she needed.

Thea's eyes drew back to his with a small smirk at his flustered reaction over his own attire. Reaching her hand out, she slid her fingers into the spaces between his before turning towards the door and gently pulling Max along. "C'mon, you can change inside if you really want to." She said, expressing that she didn't mind what kind of clothing he wanted to wear.

[Aereth 1]

When Thea mentioned how she didn't have much vanity clothing, Max realized that she had indeed never visited his shop before. Hell, he didn't even tell her about his profession yet. "Maybe you won't even have to go far for a new wardrobe." Max said with an awkward smile on his face. "I think I never told you but I'm a tailor. And I'm not even half bad at it, so you can come to me and I'll make you everything you want. We would just need to talk about the price, since my clothes all have top quality." he said with a smirk. "Depending on how hard they are to make I may charge you about 4 to 9 kisses per piece?" 

It was still the same as always. If Thea wanted to go somewhere with him she would just grab his hand and pull him along. The only difference between now and the first time she did it, was that now she gently moved her fingers in the spaces between his own gloved ones before gently pulling him inside. It was a nice feeling, he felt... Safe.

The pair walked inside and quickly found a pretty separated place to sit down, and after ordering their drinks, Max let out a small sigh, thinking about how he should start to explain everything that happend to him today. He wasn't really sure if it was a good idea to bring the Beatbox topic up again in the public, since the last time they were talking about the matter, both of them had still struggled with their feelings for each other... 

"Did you know that Beat had a sister in here?" Max asked in a soft voice, really taking care of Thea's reactions on that matter. "Well, today a girl showed up in my shop telling me that she was his sister. She asked me about her brother, how he lived and what he did in here. Beat told me about her before he..." he paused, not being able to speak it out loud. "And ever since he died I tried to find her for him..." Another pause followed he wasn't sure if he should continue or not. Telling her that she met Beat's killer... He was wearing a troubled expression, waiting on how Thea would react to that kind of information.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Her violet brow raised with growing curiosity the more Max went on about his in-game profession. When his tone became more playful, and he made mention of payment in the form of kisses, Thea couldn't fully suppress a chuckle. "Oh? Is that your standard pricing model?" She teased him right back as she pushed open the cafe's door to lead them inside. The building was NPC-run, leaving it less populated than other restaurants by default. As time went on, players seemed to gravitate more towards shops run by other players, eventually shunning the stock managed by Cardinal's NPCs so as to keep their col in the hands of the playerbase rather than letting it disappear back to the system.

Whether her col went to an NPC or a player, Thea put more weight into their privacy than anything else. Though it was far from a date at the time, she wasn't looking forward to any more sour memories like the one she carried from Tomoika's inn. When the couple took a seat and they let the topic of clothing drop off, Max's sigh caught her attention and led the violette to search his expression. She was patient, waiting for him to gather whatever thoughts were on his mind and air them at whatever pace he chose.

Her expression changed little at first. The words 'Beat' and 'sister' in the same sentence caused a lump of unease and a twinge of guilt to fester inside of her, but she was also the slightest bit relieved that the blonde swordsman had entrusted the trapped girl's existence to at least one other soul in this hellscape. As the brunette's story continued, however, cobalt eyes went wide. The gears of her mind sped and faltered, and she was caught between a slew of questions and far too few answers. "...You found her?" She had enough self control to keep her voice steady and at an appropriate volume, but there wasn't enough left over for much else. Her gaze dropped while she worked to process the information she was provided so far. A few moments passed and her eyes shot back up to meet his, "And you're sure it's her?" Her tone was sharper, though it was not her intent to accuse or doubt the man across from her. The guilt she felt only grew more intense when the words registered that Aereth had been looking for the girl after Beatbox's death. A sense of responsibility that had been left behind that Teion couldn't--or perhaps refused--to shoulder. Something else seemed to click into place, or it tried to before she leaned forward slightly. There was a new urgency in her voice, almost as if she was demanding the newest question that came to mind received an answer before the others. "When did he tell you?"

[Aereth 1]

"Nope, that's just the special purple discount. And only one person in Aincrad has that currently." The brunette replied still in the same playful tone. He knew that the things he was about to tell her later on wouldn't make her happy, so he would use every opportunity to make her laugh now.

And just as he predicted she looked very troubled as he told her about his encounter with Estelle. "Yes... Well no... To be honest, she found me. Back in the day I spread messages all around the message boards in the big settlements with Beat's real name as well as contact information to my now destroyed info broker network. Somehow she managed to find a way to me..." he said as the NPC brought all the stuff they had ordered. 

Thea's question then broke the silence again. "Yes. Beat gave me her real name, date of birth as well as a general description on how she looked IRL. Estelle Cardona, blonde around 5 and a half feet tall." he paused for a few moments before he realized something "Wait. You knew about her?" After another moment he mentally face palmed. "Of course you would have known... I should have told you earlier about that. Sorry..." he added with a sad look on his face, but was surprised by the demanding tone in which she asked him since when she knew about her. "H-he sent me a message just before he passed away. Maybe one but not more than two days before..." Slowly panic was rising inside of the brunette. He was praying to god, the devil, really anybody who would listen that he wouldn't loose his girl because of that. Back when they had talked about Beat and his death he should have told her that he also knew about Estelle.

@Teion