[PP-Floor 2] Night Terror, with Teion

[Ryo 0]

Ryo rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. "Ha yeah, I figured you take the couch. I'll go ahead and get the bed red-" He cut himself off as he realized what Teion had actually said. She did just say it was alright for them to sleep together? Didn't she? He checked in his words, and was unable to move. He stared out into space as his face turned into a pink hue, then fulley evolved into a deep red. He began to stammer, unable to get words out at first, but grasping at some finally after a few attempts. "I-I-I mean, i-if you're f-fine with it, then, then, then I'm to-totally down for it. I mean sleeping, not like sleeping sleeping. Like, that kind of adult sleeping but like just sleeping. Unless you'd be fine with, but then I would want to make sure that you're okay with it all and I'm just gonna shut my mouth now " He said, trying to remove his foot from his mouth. But where did that attitude of hers come from anyway? Was she actually wanting to sleep beside him, or was she just going along with his joke. Ryo calmed down, albiet only to speak. His face remained warm to touch, and bright red. "After you then?" He asked, holding out a hand for Teion. 

[Teion 0]

Had she ever tried so hard to hold a straight face in her life? Teion watched as the man suddenly registered her few words, and the near-immediate change in color to his face had the girl holding back a giggle. He struggled, stammered, and stumbled over his words, and it wasn't until his hand extended itself towards her that Teion gave in. Her lips curled into a smile and she burst into a fit of laughter. "I-I'm sorry," She struggled to get the words out herself, bringing a hand up to cover her giggling. "Really sorry, that was too mean. I just couldn't resist." She admitted, catching her breath as she cast an apologetic glance up to him.

Fully recovered now, she gave a small shake of her head. "No, you were right, I'll stick with the couch here."  She pulled her other knee up to her chest so as to solidify her choice as she curled up in her seat.

[Ryo 0]

Ryos face calmed down slightly as Teion began her chuckle. "Oh yes. It was a joke." He said, somewhat solemnly. Of course it was, why would she be serious. He gave a smile but for a different reason that Teion was. She found her joke funny, while he found it funny that he could be so stupid to believe that it was real. Ryo laughed before giving Teion a slight slap on the shoulder. "You had me going for a moment there." He said walking to the bedroom. "I'll see you in the morning. Pancakes again?" He asked. After getting a response Ryo nodded and went into the room and closed the door. The window was open, causing the drapes to move gently in the slightest breeze. Ryo closed the window, the wood squeaking as it did. Ryo sat down on the bed, and lied down his face burried deep into the pillow. His sleep couldn't come fast enough.

[Teion 0]

"Oh," She hadn't expected his prompt for breakfast, but she gave a small nod before he had left. "Yeah, that sounds nice." She said in a small voice.

Left alone in the spacious living room, Teion's eyes drifted back to the dancing flames. She stared into them for several minutes, the smile long since fading from her features as she was left alone to her thoughts. 'Why did I say that?' She questioned herself. The woman leaned to the side, falling until her shoulder hit the empty cushion beside her. She repositioned herself after a few seconds to lay more properly on her side, still lost in thought long before sleep would claim her.

She tried closing her eyes, but she was only left in darkness for a few seconds before the sight of Ryo's blushing face reappeared in her mind's eye. She quickly returned to staring at the wall across from her to disperse the image, a small scowl of irritation on her face as she did so. 'His reaction was just funny, that was it.' She told herself, shifting slightly again. She struggled with her restless mind for a while longer, but eventually exhaustion caught up with her and allowed her to sleep.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo lay awake, his chest hurting. He gripped his chest, trying to choke back his sadness. It was a joke, all in good fun. And if so, why did it hurt so? After hours of lying awake, unable to shake the feeling of dread, and sadness. He offered to share the bed as a joke, he didn't expect her to actually say yes. And he was the fool to take it seriously. His hands shook, and Ryo knew that he needed to walk or something to get this out of his head. He stepped out into the hallway, and the first thing he noticed was that Teion was uncovered and the fire was dying. He sighed and grabbed the blanket from the bed, and covered up the violet-haired woman. He stepped over to the fireplace and tossed in a few more logs to get it back to its normal size. Ryo sat down in the chair across from Teion and watched as her shoulders dipped up and down from her breathing. "I wish I could show you, just how much I can love you." Ryo said to himself, believing that Teion was asleep. Ryo relaxed more, his body becoming heavier. He slumped down in the chair, his head bobbing up and down as he entered sleep.

A few more hours pass and the sun of daybreak entered the room, making the floorboards glow as the suns rays touched the grainy wood. Ryo still slept in this chair, finally able to fall asleep.

[Teion 0]

How many doors had she tried? Teion walked a long hallway, one that she couldn't remember how or why she was there. The last door she had attempted to open was locked--barricaded even, as she couldn't force it open no matter how hard she tried. The one before that looked as though the room on the other side had been abandoned completely. She took a deep breath, grabbing onto another identical handle, and turned.

A blonde swordsman stood, his back to her with the tips of two blades running him through. "Beat...?" The woman's eyes went wide while empty air escaped from her lungs before she urged herself to rush forward. Beatbox turned, casting a glance over his shoulder with that same confident smirk she always saw him wearing. "Thea, I--" The man's words were cut off when his form glowed brightly and his avatar shattered into pixels.

What felt like hours later, with the stains of tears down her cheeks, Teion continued down the same hallway, stubbornly searching for something. She turned the handle and pushed open another door just in time to see a faceless man break and dissolve in a flash of light. She stiffened again, but the wielder of the blade that had ended the stranger's life was a familiar one. "Max, what are you--" Before she could finish her thought, she felt his strong arms wrapping around her shoulders. She couldn't make sense of his words, no matter how hard she tried. Then, without warning, she could feel her body pulled to the side and gravity took hold of her, the overwhelming sensation of falling taking her over.

Teion jolted awake, her breath short and her heart pounding in her chest. She had sat up on the couch, and her eyes quickly worked to take in her surroundings and make sense of everything. "Just a dream..." She muttered after a few long seconds. Her gaze fell on Ryo, his familiar frame fallen asleep on an armchair across from her. After registering the blanket that she didn't recall going to sleep with she put two and two together and her shoulders fell slightly. She watched the man while the corner of her mouth picked up into a half-smile, and she pulled her legs over the side of the couch moments later.

She walked over to him and draped the blanket over his body just the same, lingering beside him for a few seconds longer than necessary. Bringing a hand to the nape of her neck, Teion turned her attention to anything else in the room. She spent a short while looking it over before eventually plucking a book from one of the shelves and making her way back to the couch. She sat across it casually--one arm propped up on the on the edge with the book in her lap, while her legs stretched over the rest of it and crossed at the ankles.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo laid still, fast asleep on the chair unmoving except the steady breathing of his chest. He stirred slightly as Teion draped the blanket over him. Ryo's body began to shift some more, becoming a bit more restless. His body moved, and Ryo began talking in his sleep, albeit only slightly. Amongst the various sleepy groans, and yawnings a name was given out. "Teion..." He said, giving a sleepy smile, before rolling back over in his chair. Minutes would pass before Ryo sat up in the chair, the blanket falling from his torso and onto the floor.

He looked a bit confused, he didn't remember the blanket being there. He looked over at the couch, eyeing the Teion reading a book. "Good morning lovely." He said, still half asleep. He stood up, grabbing the blanket from the floor and giving it a quick fold. He went back into the hall and set the blanket on the foot of the bed. He moved from the bedroom and into the kitchen where he began to prepare breakfast for the two. His brain had to think carefully back to the sleepy hours of last night to remember that they had decided on pancakes for the second time. That worked for him as he still had some batter left over from the day before.

A few minutes in the kitchen and a much better breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs were made. Ryo again brought a plate to Teion with appropriate sides. A choice of sweet maple or strawberry syrup and fresh fruit were provided to help the meal along.

[Teion 0]

Teion largely ignored the sleepy grumblings of the man across from her, but she couldn't stop her eyes from flickering his way when she heard the familiar sound of her username mumbled into the air. She caught sight of his smiling face as he turned, having to urge herself to look away when she caught herself staring.

Shortly thereafter, Ryo caught her attention again when he woke. She froze for a second at his greeting, forcing a more casual reaction as she cocked a brow, but offered a simple reply as she turned her eyes back to the book in her lap. "Morning." She went back to skimming over theories of different types of mythical creatures living within the deep forests of the second floor with half-interest while Ryo moved about the cabin.

Minutes later and she lifted her gaze to see a plate being handed to her. Teion couldn't say why she felt so awkward accepting the food he offered her, but she couldn't shake it. "...Sorry you have to keep cooking for me." The apology sounded stupid to her ears, but she couldn't think of anything else to say that might disperse the weird feeling. Leaning forward to place the now-closed book across her shins, Teion turned her attention to what she couldn't deny looked like an amazing breakfast. "Uhm, thanks, though. I appreciate it."

[Ryo 0]

Ryo had a fork full of egg halfway to his mouth as Teion apologized for him. "I'm sorry?" He retorted. "I mean, if you don't want it, I'll eat your portion." Ryo said joking. He ate a few his eggs, moving on to his pancakes. "Look, cooking is what I like to do. It was a passion of mine for a long time. And if I get to do it again, for a pretty girl who enjoys it, I'll keep doing it." Ryo said, making his point clear to her. He enjoyed cooking, well enough to actually study it and at one point make it a career of his. Ryo looked up at Teion and remembered his dream about her. His face flushed a brighter red as he thought about it more. He shook his head and went back to his food. "You sleep okay? Normally I can't get a good night's rest when I sleep on a couch." Ryo said, asking Teion and trying to get his mind off of his lewd dream.

[Teion 0]

Teion retracted a bit while Ryo reiterated the foolishness of her question. She kept her eyes focused on the plate in front of her as she moved to pour the strawberry syrup over the top of her pancakes. The sweet red liquid soaked into the soft pastry as she brought a triangular cut to her mouth, and she paused before taking another bite to answer his question.

"Oh, yeah. Just...had a weird dream." She answered honestly enough. Thinking back, her mind worked to remember as much as possible, but overall it was still hard to make sense of. One thing she was able to remember clearly was the sight of Beatbox's paling face before he shattered into pieces. And then there was the sight of Max's sword piercing through a person whose features she couldn't recall. The images playing back in her mind caused a chill to run down her spine, and she forced her hand to bring another bite of pancakes to her mouth to detract from the memory.

How long had it been since they ran into each other on the sixth floor? Teion thought back over recent events for a few seconds. 'Three days...' She stared at her food as she continued eating. "Maybe we can actually get back to town today." She thought aloud in a quiet voice. Despite the vague want for things to 'go back to normal', Teion didn't know what she was going to do when this whole endeavor was finally over. She thought about seeing Max again, but why did the concept fill her with such a crushing sense of unease?

[Ryo 0]

Ryo chuckled. "Yeah here's hoping." He said, taking another bite of his food. he chewed it for a moment, then swallowed before speaking again. "Still though, if I'm trapped with someone. I'm glad it's you." He said giving Teion a warm smile. Ryo was curious though. "What kind of dream was it? If I am allowed to ask, that is." He said, not wanting to sound to upfront about it, but he needed something to talk about and subjects were becoming harder to grab. He felt like he already knew about Teion and her history. But he didn't know a thing about her future. What she wanted, where she saw herself, where she wanted to go. None of it. He couldn't place her ambitions other than just trying to survive another day. He ate another few bites from his plate, unsure of what to ask her next.

[Teion 0]

Teion had to force herself to swallow a little bit more than she naturally would have and paused a moment to think. She considered avoiding the subject, or otherwise declining to answer, but the visions wouldn't stop nagging at the back of her mind. Her bottom lip stiffened in a small frown, "A...confusing one. " She was still hesitant in her answer before she tried to offer a bit of an explanation. "Endless hallway, tons of doors. I watched Beatbox die. And...someone else I don't know." After the heat of their conversation a couple days prior, she left out the more important detail of who she saw doing the killing in the last of it.

She brought a hand up from her breakfast to twist the ends of violet locks that fell over her chest in between her thumb and first two fingers. "I dunno. It feels like my head has just been so...busy." She struggled to find the right word, and then immediately stopped to question herself. Why was she going on like this? Despite the sudden realization, Teion gave a small shake of her head. "It's almost like it's hard to keep myself focused on the present, or something."

[Ryo 0]

Ryo leaned back in his chair, his plate now empty of food. Teion had explained that she had a confusing dream, where she had seen Beatbox die, and someone else she didn't even know. Ryo pondered the thought. He wasn't a major of dream science or anything of that sort, but he did know that that kind of dream wasn't good. "So, who killed them? In your dream I mean." Ryo asked, pressuring on with the question as he added his plate back to his inventory. "And what do you think about? The future or the past?" Ryo asked, further pondering the idea. It would also help him figure out what he had been missing if Teion would give him an answer. And hopefully, after all of this conversation, a walk would be in order. Again he would keep his dream a secret, unwilling to share his more intimate dream with the woman he just so had to have sat across from him.

[Teion 0]

Teion froze up when Ryo pressed for more details. She pulled her hand away from the ends of her hair and hesitated a while longer before her childish stubbornness eventually won. "I don't wanna talk about it." She almost wished she had lied, claiming she didn't remember or she didn't recognize the person's face. With both the scenes from her dream and the memories of the assassins in the desert fresh in her mind, she felt more than a bit uneasy.

He added on with another question. Teion dropped her chin a bit, almost wishing that her stubbornness would persist. But for whatever reason, she found herself answering him honestly. "I'm stuck in the past. Have been for a while now, if not always." She let out a short, dry chuckle at the realization. "I'm always thinking about the friendships I screwed up, mistakes I made, all that junk."

She shifted just slightly, still keeping her eyes forward. "What about you?" She turned the focus onto the purple-haired man across from her.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo held his palms out. "Hey, that's fine," he said, confirming that it was alright for Teion to not share her dream with him. It was probably better that she didn't anyway. She then mentioned that she was stuck in the past. "I think we're all stuck in the past. I mean, I'm trying to forget what I've done and become someone different from who I was after all." Ryo said, still trying to find the courage to seek forgiveness. Teion then posed him a counter question. "What did I dream about?" He repeated. "Well, nothing special really. I mean,  it was special, to me that is. Just a run of the mill sort of thing, ya know?" Ryo said, lying his cheeks glowing pink. Ryo crossed his legs and leaned on his knees, hoping that Teion bought his bold lie and wouldn't notice his tells.

[Teion 0]

She finally cast Ryo a sidelong glance when his responses grew a bit more hurried. She caught sight of the color on his pale cheeks, and with the signs of his embarrassment registering in her mind Teion couldn't seem to help herself yet again. With the focus turned away from her, the discomfort she had felt moments ago began to drain and she took another bite of her pancakes. "Oh, huh. Anything interesting happen? I definitely heard you mumbling in your sleep. Sounded like I was there." Her lips curled into a devious smile as she taunted him.

Why was it so much fun to tease him? Was it mean of her to keep doing so? Watching him stammer with that flustered expression, and seeing the color of his face deepen was just priceless. His reactions were too cute for her not to take advantage of them. 'Wait, what?' She tore her eyes away from Ryo and finished her breakfast while the sudden conflict and confusion caused her mind to go blank.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo's face became more flustered as Teion called him out of his bluff. Damn him, and his inability to keep his mouth shut during his sleep. Why couldn't he sleep normally and not talk during it? Teion's lips pursed into an evil yet sly smile. She knew she was taunting him, and she got off on that. Ryo's face blushed, even more, knowing that fact all of a sudden. "Well, I mean. Y-yeah, you were. And nothing happened, you just kinda laid there. STOOD, there." He said correcting himself. The memories of it flooded back, his mind unable to comprehend the things he saw, it was all so vivid in his mind. her eyes, her mouth, her skin, her voice. Ryo's shook his head, his face beaming a bright red. He coughed and cleared his throat. She wanted to tease him, fine he'd play her little game.

"Yeah." Ryo started. "I dreamt of you last night, and since you were so kind to ask, and if you're willing to hear it out." Ryo leaned more forward onto his knees. His red face now whispering. "I'd be willing to share every last detail of what I dreamed." He said, giving her a smile before leaning back into his chair and covering his quivering mouth with his gloved hand. Holy [censored], I can't believe I just did that. No, play it cool. Gotta keep it cool. He told himself as he tried to keep his eyes serious.

[Teion 0]

Ryo's tone seemed to shift slightly. His stuttering had ceased, and even if it was forced he held more confidence in his voice as he leaned into his words. Teion was almost glad for what she considered a distraction from her frazzled thoughts, turning her cobalt eyes back on him and his bravado.

She blinked, his response catching her off-guard. Before her big mouth could make the situation any more awkward than it already was, the violette leaned forward to retrieve the book that sat across her legs. She pulled herself up from the couch, doing her best to keep her tone casual as she replied with a small, forced chuckle. "That's alright, I shouldn't be so nosy."

'[censored], good going.' She inwardly cursed. Not only had she pushed him again when it wasn't her place, but she backed out after he pushed back. Gods, she was just starting the day off great. Teion moved to return the half-interesting book back where she had found it, instinctively bringing a hand to the back of her neck after she had done so. "Should we head out then?" She offered, avoiding eye contact with the man all the while.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo let out a half nervous sigh. Oh, thank god she didn't call that bluff. He said to himself. The color in his face returned to its normal hue, a nice light pink instead of the solid red. From the amount of blood rushing in and out of his head these last few days, it was a wonder that he still was conscious. He ran a hand through his long hair and stood up as Teion did. Ryo let out a small cough. "Yeah, let's get going. While it's still light out." He said wanting to get the day moving on.

The outside was actually quite calm. Clear sunny skies loomed above, casting bright warm rays onto the two players. The fog had lifted entirely, leaving them together in a nice and tranquil forest. Ryo followed Teion as he let her lead the way. he had been taking charge for so long, basically ever since their little adventure had begun. The two came up to a hill that overlooked large plains. And in the distance, he could see their goal. Urbus, the main settlement of the second floor. The two had made it out of that accursed hell spawn of an area, trekked through the woods, survived a night in a haunted house and overcame some personal boundaries.

However, as Ryo stood atop the hill, and gazed down at the settlement, he couldn't help but show his excitement. "Holy [censored]! We did it!" He yelled, jumping and hollering. But the morning dew had made the grass he stood on slick. Ryo lost his footing, and instinctively he reached out to grab the nearest thing. Teion. He grabbed her sleeve, but his momentum was already too much. And the two tumbled down the hill together. It wasn't a steep hill, but steep enough to keep their momentum going. Ryo grabbed Teion, as best as he could, and pulled her close to him trying to keep her protected from anything that they may bump into along their way.

At the bottom of the hill, Teion was laid atop of Ryo. Breathing heavy, Ryo started laughing again, enjoying the moment despite having Teion roll on top of him.

[Teion 0]

Teion wandered, silently thankful that the forest was no longer enveloped by the thick fog of the night before. They walked for a while, mostly in silence, until they finally reached the forest's edge. The plains in the distance gave them a clear view of the main settlement, and Teion could feel the wave of relief that had washed over her. "Finally..." She breathed out while Ryo celebrated more excitedly beside her.

She felt a jolt of surprise when something pulled at her arm to force her down and forward. In a flurry of motion, Teion wrenched her eyes shut until she finally came to a stop on the ground. "What the hell..." Although she had expected to feel dirt and grass immediately beneath her, she blinked when the surface her head rested on rose and fell, and the sound of a continuous thumping reached her ear. At the delayed but sudden realization of her and Ryo's position, Teion hurried to push herself up. "[censored], s-sorry..." She didn't know what exactly she was apologizing for or why, but the two simple words were the only things she could think of.

Her gloved palm found the grassy floor beside Ryo's head, and she leaned her weight against it to pick herself up. She didn't make it far before the slick, dew-covered foliage beneath them had her lose any traction she had. Her support slipped out from under her and the violette fell forward again. Facing forward, Teion's lips crashed into Ryo's.

Though it was not the first kiss the two players had shared, Teion's eyes went wide at the unexpected sensation. Her heart began to race in her chest, and she broke away just as soon as her frozen mind could manage to function. Teion pushed herself off of Ryo, successfully this time, and backed herself away a bit as she now sat on the grass a short distance from the man. Her hand lifted to hover in front of her mouth, cheeks stained pink as she stammered out the first words that came to mind. "S-sorry, that was an accident, I-I didn't mean to--" She promptly shut her flustered self up to keep herself from rambling.