[PP-F3] Old Friendship Rekindled

[Piera 0]

Piera's jaw clenched and unclenched as she walked through Delilah village, beating herself up once again for not keeping in contact with those she cared about. No wonder she hadn't heard from Teion since her no show at that Halloween party. She had been dealing with her own personal issues. How self centered and selfish did she have to be to-?! The alchemist suddenly lashed out, kicking at a random bench she was walking past, causing several elven NPCs to startle and stare at her, their scrutiny making the woman blush in embarrassment. She couldn't right past wrongs but she could at least reach out and see if there was anything she could do at the moment. Sitting down on the abused bench, she poked at Teion's name on her friend's list and started a message.

Quote

 

TO: Teion
FROM: Piera
SUBJECT: sup girl

Insert excuses here. Small talk small talk small talk.
So I recently had the astonishing self realization (totally made all on my own, no other help needed. NO DON'T ASK ANY OF MY ONE OTHER FRIEND IF THEY DRAGGED ME OUT OF MY MANSION.) ....that I might be a bit of a hermit. I ain't as young as I used to be, guess I turned into the old lady that yells at NPCs to get off her lawn. Aha....  Knowing that, I'm not going to force you to meet with me or even respond back if you don't feel up to it. I'm just hoping you're holding up okay in Ye Olde Aincrad. I'm going to be chilling in the default inn of Delilah (floor 3 ftw) for linner. No pressure (seriously, no reverse psychology), if you show up you show up, if you don't, I'll just have linner, no biggee. Take care Tei Tei.

 

Sighing as she finished up the mess of a message, she felt that was as good as she could do. Groaning lightly, her head suddenly bent as Jareth landed atop it, causing Piera to chuckle lightly, picking him up off her head and cradling him like a baby, showering the owl griffon with kisses much to his protest. Jeez she didn't want to think about how much more depressed she'd be without her familiar. Even with Lee's support. Ya just can't beat a small furry animal.

Standing and throwing Jareth up into the air where he took flight, the woman made her way to the village inn where several NPCs were beginning to gather after their day of work, including one, maybe two other players who made their home on the floor. Nodding in a friendly manner, she ordered an iced tea and waited for a bit, trying to decide what she even wanted to eat.

Edited January 30, 2018 by Piera

[Teion 0]

With long violet locks sprawled out over the surface of her drafting table and hanging down past her shoulders, Teion sat in silence. Her forehead had been pressed against the wooden surface for a while now. This was right around the time as of late when she might head to the nearest tavern in the center of Fortaleza, but for once in the past couple of weeks she was even feeling apathetic about pouring the growingly-familiar acidic liquid down her throat.

The small chiming of a message sounded in her ears, and Teion took plenty of time before lifting her head to inspect its contents. "Probably Max checking on me again..." She mumbled under her breath. Cobalt eyes widened slightly when they fell upon the sender of the message, spotting a name she hadn't seen in far too long. She lifted her head, spine straightening just enough to give Piera's casual message a proper read.

"Gods, I miss that girl..." Teion sighed, rereading over the words her friend had written with the tiniest smile tugging at the corners of her lips. After several long seconds the violette dismissed her menus and planted her palms flat against the table. "Alright Thea, time to get off your ass for once." She scolded herself in a quiet voice, pushing herself to her feet.

[Piera 0]

Sipping on the sweet cool tea, Piera caught the attention of a simple but pretty NPC waitress, "Could I get a menu please?" The girl smiled and nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind her pointed ear before handing over a simple paper pamphlet. Spreading it out, the brunette scooped up Jareth and set him on her lap. "Alright buddy, go 'head n pick somethin' out. ...That won't break the bank." She tacked on at the end.

 

The tiny griffon set his paws on the table and rested his head atop of them, his nose right over the pancakes. Huffing a laugh under her breath, she murmured to him, "Of course you'd pick breakfast for dinner, silly." Waiting for the waitress to come back around, the alchemist then ordered, "Could I have a stack of pancakes? And a bowl of whatever the daily soup is? Thank you."

 

With that done, the brunette leaned back in the chair, glancing back at the door as she heard the bell jingle signaling it opening, but it was just someone leaving. Sighing, she ran a hand over Jareth's ears, giving them a scratch before sending off a message to Lee letting him know where she was now and what she was doing...or rather hoping to be doing, so he wouldn't worry.

[Teion 0]

Teion walked with her hands hiding in her pockets. With the teleport plaza now residing in Fortaleza, getting to and from other main settlements no longer required the long trek she had grown used to. As her avatar was whisked from the fifth to the third, she started to feel the knot forming in her stomach. It was similar to the one she had felt during the Halloween party some months back, but the fact that she hadn't actually worked up the courage to approach her friend at that time made her stomach twist with all the more guilt.

She pushed open the door to the cottage-styled inn, standing just past the doorway while her eyes scanned over the room littered with tables and NPCs. The turn of a brunette head caught her attention, and she froze up for a moment before her feet carried her to where Piera sat. Her right hand slipped away from her pocket and slid behind her curtain of violet hair to stick to the back of her neck. "Hey Sophie... Sorry about the whole, 'not talking to you for a long time' thing." She offered a sheepish greeting once she stood beside the table.

[Piera 0]

It wasn't long after she'd finished sending off the short message to Lee when the waitress returned and placed a bowl of soup topped with croutons and shredded cheese oddly enough. "There you go ma'am, one onion soup, enjoy. The rest of your meal should be done soon." Piera nodded her thanks, before picking up a spoon and offering a spoonful of the liquid to Jareth. The owl griffon sniffed at it hesitantly with suspicious wide eyes before taking a sip and deeming it non-toxic and semi-satisfactory. Before promptly stealing a crouton. "Oi you, leave some for me."

 

Hearing the bell of the door open, her head turned once more automatically and this time actually saw a familiar figure. At first she wasn't sure if it was truly Teion as the woman simply froze in the doorway. But then she began to approach and the alchemist had a better view of her old friend. Eyebrows slanting upwards in surprise and mild sympathy at the obviously awkwardly tension filled woman, Piera quipped back nearly word for word, "Hey Tei, also sorry about the whole, 'not talking to you for a long time' thing, heh." It wasn't like she hadn't done exactly the same as Teion, if not worse.

 

Seeing that she hadn't taken a seat, the brunette offered, "Are you hungry? If not, we don't have to talk here if you don't want to. I can just get my stuff to go." Always leaving her an out. She knew how hard it was to be social again after a long period of absence and just wanted her friend to be comfortable. "And if you're worried about money, I got you." She tacked on as an afterthought. Belatedly, she realized that the outstanding blacksmith probably wasn't strapped for col. Didn't hurt to cover all the bases though.

[Teion 0]

A small smile took over her features, and Teion promptly took a seat opposite the alchemist. "Oh, uhh..." She actually had to think a moment when the question was presented to her before giving an honest shake of her head. "Think I'll just get a drink."

As if on cue, the same elven waitress came back around, having registered a new player at their table. She smiled sweetly until Teion requested a strawberry lemonade, if they had it, and responded to the violette with a quick nod of her head. With the waitress hurrying away to fetch a drink and an order of pancakes for the table, Teion turned her attention back to the brunette and her furry, feathered companion. She eyed the creature as he picked at a piece of their meal while she thought of something to say.

"So... Have you been busy? Or just the opposite?" Her smile turned wry, and she propped her elbows up on the surface in front of her. She could say that both applied to her, after the however-many-months that had passed since she'd last seen Piera. Hell, the last time they chatted they were talking about going on a double-date with her new boyfriend at the time, Beatbox.

[Piera 0]

For a moment there when Teion said that she would get a drink, Piera wondered just exactly what kind of drink her friend might order, but certainly wasn't about to judge. It was just a strawberry lemonade though. Taking a sip of her iced tea as Jareth lapped at the soup, she considered the question posed to her.

"Well if you ask Jomei or if I had anyone else to lie to, them, then oh yes, very very busy." Piera grimaced out a smile before shaking her head, "But no. Just...been trying to work through some stuff honestly. It's...hard...to try and.." The woman's sentence dwindled off with her mouth open, unable to articulate properly and realizing that she was starting off to a depressing start and so forced a smile. No, this wasn't about her. she was trying to reach out to see if there was anything she could do to comfort Teion, not the other way around.

"Guess I'm just being shy and antisocial, heh. Same ol' same old." Speaking of being antisocial, jeez she felt awkward. It was just like she had tried to explain to Jomei, she just didn't know how to be herself anymore. How did she act? What would Piera say or do in this situation? She just wasn't sure any more. But she could try.

"I've pretty much been holed up in our manor, I don't even open my shop every day any more." Honesty. That was a start. Nothing too depressing. But how to turn it around to Teion without making her feel pressured? 

Fussing with one of Jareth's feathers, Piera brought up, "I'm sorry we didn't get to see each other at Halloween. I didn't end up staying for very long. There was just a lot of people and...a lot of memories." It didn't help that it was the Halloween before last when herself and Lee had been kidnapped. She had kept looking over her shoulder and latched onto Lee's side for the entire night.

[Teion 0]

Jomei. She knew that name. And from somewhere recent, too. Teion was surprised to think that the two knew anyone in common--moreso from her own tendencies to disassociate rather than anything to do with her bespectacled friend. But now seemed like an incredibly poor time to try and prompt for the reason she might know that name. She'd have to try and remember to bring it up again when a better opportunity presented itself.

The wry smile she wore persisted. "Hey, I get it." She tried to offer a hint of understanding. At least, she thought she did. Hoped she did. It was both relieving and unsettling to think that Piera was going through anything like her own depressive stints. On one hand, she felt as though she could actually relate. On the other, that was a horrible thing to use as a bonding point.

Piera brought up the topic of the Halloween party, and Teion's smile faltered as she felt another hint of guilt. "Ahh, yeah. About that..." She didn't know whether or not it meant anything to confess her cowardice, but maybe it would smooth out the knot in her stomach. "I, uhh... Well, thanks for the costume. It was really cute." She started with a chuckle. "I kinda chickened out when it came to saying hi, though... Like you said, a lot of people."

With the fingers of one hand loosely curled around the other, Teion gently rested her chin on them. She frowned slightly, "I'm sorry to hear you're in kind of a...slump, I'll call it. If it helps, we should do stuff like this more often." Her expression shifted and her lips pursed into a tiny smirk. "I'll force my butt out of my shop if you drag yourself out of your manor."

[Piera 0]

Lifting up two open hands as a show of peace, Piera smiled with a shake of her head and replied, "I totally get it, I was in the same boat in the end, didn't even stick around for the end. And I'm glad you liked the costume. Maybe you can use it at some other event. Or privately, I won't judge." She teased her friend with a wink, feeling a faint spark of their old teasing. At least until she remembered the entire reason why she wanted to check up on her friend in the first place. How long should she beat around the bush? Should she not force her? She felt like she was much better at this in the past.

Trying to cover up her own social incompetence, the alchemist ate some more of her soup, Jareth drinking up some occasionally. Pursing her lips as Teion referred to what she was going through as a 'slump', she tried to push it aside for a sentimental smile as she nodded in agreement to the statement that they should do stuff like this more often. "We should. Gah I feel like an old white lady just saying that. But seriously, we should."

An actual genuine smile began to grow at the violette's friendly jab. "Hah, but I feel like Batman~ I should show you around sometime. I'll bet you won't want to leave. But that would defeat the point, huh?" Setting down the spoon in her hand, Piera let out a long sigh, watching as other players filed out after finishing their own meal, leaving just themselves and NPCs. "In the spirit of...friendship and honesty there's a reason I've been so cloistered away." Pursing her lips before licking them, the brunette decided to not completely disclose everything that had happened. But the relevant things at least.

Jareth lounged on the table to her left as she clasped her hands, eyes lowered as she gathered her courage to start, "A ... A very close friend of mine that I'd made in SAO was murdered a while back. It, uh, was actually before we met here (in Aincrad I mean...of course) but I hadn't really processed it yet. His name was Lowenthal... Was actually my guild leader for a while before he went to the KoB, but that's not the point." She realized she was rambling and had thus far managed not to get emotional.

"Th-The point is...I learned recently from a friend that-" She swallowed once more before charging on and finishing, "that Beatbox had died." Piera's eyes finally flicked up to meet her friend's with understanding and empathy swimming in them. "I'm so sorry Teion."

[Teion 0]

A glass and a plate were set down in front of either of them, and Teion barely acknowledged the NPC before she had moved to some other scripted task. The violette fanned her fingers over the edge of her drink, pulling it a bit closer as they joked for a moment. "Maybe I'll sneak in and just live in your attic then." She let out another small chuckle at the thought.

The mood shifted, and Piera seemed to have much more than small talk in mind as their conversation continued. Teion waited patiently while her friend worked through the heavy words, and her brows knit in concern at the news presented to her. Lowenthal. That was a name she didn't recognize, but it would have been a bigger surprise if she had. And then she felt her breath catch in her throat when Piera focused on a different name. "Oh..." She managed the breathe out. "Y-yeah." Her eyes dropped for a moment, but not before catching sight of the look that the brunette offered her. Her hand turned in order for her palm to press into her cheek, curled fingers resting below her temple.

For several long seconds, her mind was blank. "I'm sorry, too. About your friend Lowenthal." She offered in return, knowing that the words would do little to ease the pain of either of their losses. The woman let out a tiny sigh, her finger idly running over the rim of the glass sitting in front of her. "I've almost been trying to forget about it recently. And...there's been a lot of other sh*t to deal with since then." She said bluntly. Her eyes turned back up to Piera's a tiny half-smile on her face to combat the somber atmosphere, "Is this the part where we start gushing our virtual life stories?"

[Piera 0]

Lifting up her iced tea, Piera chuckled and replied, "You're welcome too. Not like it's getting much other use. Though we have actual guest rooms that are more comfy." Nodding thanks tot he waitress that set down Teion's drink and the plate of pancakes, butter melting atop the fluffy circles of deliciousness as she began pouring syrup over them. Jareth began perking up as the smell reached him, his feathered ears rotating forward as he inched closer, his neck extending. "Hold on, hold on." The alchemist consoled as she began cutting up a bit of the pancakes into bite sized pieces so her familiar could scarf down. "You're welcome to some if you'd like. This is way too much for just me an him." If she just focused on simple motions and what was right in front of her it was easier to deal.

And so when Teion offered her platitudes about Adachi, she smiled sadly and nodded, petting her familiar idly as she waited to see the other woman's response about what she said. It somewhat surprised her to hear that she was trying to forget about it, until the brunette remembered that the couple hadn't even been dating long likely. It still didn't make it that much better, but perhaps her deep seated fear for her friend was a bit over-scaled. Letting out a breath of air, "There always seems to be a lot of $h!t to deal with in SAO. C'est la vie."

Stabbing a chunk of pancake, the woman shoved it into her mouth with a sigh, chewing and savoring the sweet treat. At the question posed, Piera raised an eyebrow and the other soon followed before somberly considering and swallowing. After a tense moment of weighing the pros and cons before quietly replying with a shrug, "....I will if you will." 

[Teion 0]

Teion couldn't help herself from staring at the stack of golden-brown cakes as Piera poured the sweet amber liquid to run over the top and spill over the sides. Why did she have to like pancakes so much? And why did Piera have to order pancakes in the middle of the afternoon? Finally bringing the rim of her drink to her lips, Teion took a long sip of its sweet pink contents before acknowledging her offer. "I might have to take you up on that. I don't know how they can make fake food look so good." She mumbled.

A minute later, Teion caught the hint of hesitation with Piera's response. Her brain instantly responded with a small sense of regret and apprehension. Was this not the right time or place for this kind of venting? Was it possible that her friend didn't actually want to hear or share all of the unsavory details either of them had to offer? Or was there something about herself that she just didn't want to talk about? Teion's bottom lip stiffened as the bottom of her glass met the wooden surface of the table. "Mmm, you don't have to, of course. I'm not gonna push you to share anything you don't wanna talk about."

"But if you really don't mind listening to me ramble... Gods, where to start." She drew in a sharp breath through her nose that let out into a soft sigh. "I think I told you, ages ago, about that guy I work with. The cute redhead who's a twin? Well, him and his brother ended up in here, too." She went on to explain her fallout with the Endilix brothers--their dating mix-up, and how the pressures of the game caused them to drift apart. "After that, well... I stopped trying to make friends. Just kind of did my own thing, y'know?" Her eyes shifted back down to her drink as the slowly-melting ice cubes shifted slightly. "Then I met Beatbox. He was pretty stubborn, and got me to care about him." She mentioned the Valentine's Day dance nearly a year ago now, and went on to explain the circumstances in which she'd found out about his passing. "An...acquaintance of mine ended up playing messenger. Shield is his name. It was a good thing he was around when I found the stuff Beatbox left at my shop, or..." She trailed off, not wanting to think about how much different her initial time of grief would have been without her temporary caretaker. "Anyway, he was very kind to me. Basically took care of me for a little while." She mumbled, almost embarrassed to admit.

"Things were okay for a little bit after that, but..." Now was when the past was catching up to her present, and Teion shifted slightly in her seat. She felt another small sigh slip out of her, and she urged herself to continue. "I ran into someone, maybe six weeks or so ago. I...stopped him from getting himself killed, and then babysat him for a bit. I even dragged him with me to the Halloween party." She recalled with a small chuckle. She recounted their subsequent fight, skimmed over the worst of her depression thus far, and nervously recalled her assault in the desert. "And... Well, after all that was over with... We're kind of dating now."

And she wasn't even yet finished. She uncurled her fingers to gently rub at her temple. "And then there's this other guy..." Teion went over her brief and incredibly awkward history with Ryo--from their meeting at the fireworks festival, to his confession, to the poisoning incident and the four-day adventure that followed. "That whole mess finally ended, what... Two weeks ago? I've been spending a lot more time in the tavern on floor five after getting back from all that." She grimaced, still a bit sore that the burning alcohol she wanted to turn to wouldn't do much of anything to let her forget all of those stressful situations.

She took another long drink of her flavored lemonade before bringing the glass back down to the table just a little harder than she had intended. "As if the whole 'fighting to survive' thing wasn't hard enough, I feel like I'm in some Korean drama." She huffed out a complaint. "I mean... Not too long ago I seriously thought about trying to get to the frontlines. Give myself a real goal here, y'know? And now I'm back to not being able to sort out my stupid feelings, again." Finally, without anything else to prattle on about, her words fell into a silence while the thumb of her free hand moved to fidget against the rim of her glass.

[Piera 0]

Piera smiled around her mouthful of pancakes and nodded, sliding the extra fork over to the violette since Jareth certainly didn't need it. He was picking up tiny bits of syrup soaked pancake with his beak easily, swallowing them whole. The alchemist similarly tucked in as she patiently awaited Teion to find where to begin. When she mentioned a former coworker, Piera paused a moment, eyes squinting slightly as she thought back before then nodding in sudden remembrance as her friend described him further. "Oh snap. Guess the game drew in a lot more people than we realized."

Nodding along as she listened, the brunette attempted to suppress a snort as Teion called her past boyfriend Beatbox stubborn. She'd only met him but twice but she had definitely gotten that impression. When the blacksmith reached the part about how she learned of his death though, Piera's eyebrows raised faintly in surprise. "Shield?" She echoed softly before smiling sadly. "I'm glad. I probably don't know Shield as well as you." At least in some respects... "But I know he's a great person. And who better to lean on than a tank, right?" Offering her friend a kind smile at the gentle tease. "Don't be ashamed about needing a little help for a while. Everyone has low points."

Taking another bite of pancake, Piera began to smile as Teion said that things were okay after that low point but of course there was a 'but'. There always seemed to be. And it seemed that the 'but' was also a 'butt', her optimistic smile quickly turning into a frown. This Aereth sounded a whole lot f%#&ed up himself and just dragging Teion down with him. And she was dating him?! Upon that revelation a long silent pause stretched until her friend mentioned 'other guy', at which the brunette barely managed to keep from cursing aloud. Though these accounts were bringing a slight smile to her lips. She was liking this 'Ryo' guy a whole lot more, though that might change once she met him. I mean he was going after a clearly taken girl, but maybe he knew she wasn't that into this 'Aereth'.

Wiping a bead of syrup clinging to Jareth's beak, she took another bite with raised eyebrows and began to piece things together. The whole 'spending more time in a tavern' thing, as well as the fact that it had been for two weeks, was throwing up all sorts of red flags and sirens and what have you for Piera, having been there before. Taking a moment to try and consider what next to say or how to approach the situation delicately, Teion lightened the mood considerably, huffing about how her life was a Korean drama. Snorting and chortling, the alchemist tried covering her mouth before giving up and just laughing whole heartedly and commenting, "I like how it's specifically Korean drama. Not just any drama."

Shaking her head in disagreement with what Teion was saying next, Piera retorted, "Hey, at least you got strong enough to even get to the front lines. I don't think Lee and I ever will. Don't be so hard on yourself. You gotta take care of yourself before you can push forward, right? It'd be dangerous otherwise. For you and for your teammates. But most importantly.... For your heart~" She slapped on an extra sweet tone, making a heart shape with her hands as she blew a kiss to her friend and laughing. "And maybe other lower areas too hahaha."

"Seriously though, if you're having doubts, you're having them for a reason, right? Think of it this way though. Say Ryo never confessed or kissed you, or maybe you never even met him. Would you still want to continue your relationship with Aereth? Just because it's happening at the same time doesn't make it wrong. Think about what you want, and if you can't figure that out, then just try going step by step on what you do know. What's your opinion on Aereth? Do you see you guys still together in the future? Do you want a future with him? It's okay if it was just a fling or just not that serious of a relationship. But you gotta stay true to yourself." The older woman nodded sagely, feeling very wise and yet also very old.

Taking a chance, Piera reached over the table to put a hand over Teion's. "Seriously, you don't have to bottle all of this up." Offering her friend a crooked smile she asked, "Doesn't it feel so much better to be open and vent?"

[Teion 0]

"Hey," Teion started after Piera's stint of laughter, reaching for the fork that had been offered to her and finally giving in to the temptation that sat on the plate in front of the brunette and her familiar. She jabbed the prongs into a stray piece, pulling back and taking the bite almost greedily. "If other shows were as good, I wouldn't have to be so specific." She continued the jest with a small shrug, inwardly thankful that her off-handed comment did well to take some of the pressure off of the situation.

Piera's mixture of sincerity and playfulness was refreshing to say the least. Teion was able to smile and chuckle at her friend's jokes, but still heard the notes of truth in her words and advice. After placing the now half-empty glass back down on the table, the violette reached over again to steal another bite of syrup-covered cake. As the alchemist continued, she frowned in thought. Cobalt eyes dropped to the table sitting in between them, and she idly twirled the silver fork in her hands.

Her head felt so busy--a frustrating feeling that seemed to be more common for her lately. Aereth was a killer. But he had a purpose behind it. Did that make it okay? Justifiable? Was it just a part of his past, or was it also going to be a part of his--or their--future? She was being pulled in two different directions, and it was close to giving her another headache. "I...don't know." She sighed, bringing a hand up to place her cheek in its open palm. "I guess that's a telling enough response on its own, huh?" Teion filled her cheeks with air in a small pout at her friend's question before replying with a begrudging, "Maybe..."

It was true that she was worried about her future. It was clear that Aereth cared for her, but what was the reason? Or rather, was it for the right reasons? What did their futures look like--together, or separate? Her uncertainty, combined with the fact that she was keeping these feelings hidden away from Max, was making her feel sick to her stomach.

Teion's eyes turned back up to Piera. "Alright girl, your turn." The corner of her mouth pulled up into a small, expectant smirk.

[Piera 0]

Green eyes stared into the glass of her iced tea, stirring idly as she considered if she should censor or gloss over anything. But Teion had been honest with her...shouldn't she pay her back the same respect? Even though it felt like scratching an old scab, Piera opened her mouth to tell her part. "About...frick I think it's been a little over two years now. I don't know if you ever heard of a guild called the Velvet Room before, but a friend of mine started it. Lowenthal. Well and his best friend, Jomei. They invited Lee and I to join but Lee's too...iunno, 'lone wolf-y' to accept. I think he thinks not being in a guild is his guild, heh. Anyway, we got a little bigger over the months and we were holding a Halloween party two years ago. The party isn't really the important part but anyway, Lee and I were on our way home after everything wrapped up and someone called out to us. They were dressed up so we couldn't see who they were, but..." The bespectacled woman gave a wry smile, "We didn't think we needed to worry about anything. So stupid..."

"As soon as we were focused on him, we were hit from behind and Paralyzed. Used teleport crystals to warp us to the fourth floor. Fuckers had a whole abandoned fortress to themselves. They made us give over all our equipment but we'd left everything at home. Were just wearing our costumes. Turns out they ran an entire operation." She explained matter-of-factly, as if she were removed from the past she was talking about.

"Not like a kidnap and extort kind of thing, no. They only captured crafters. Had dozens of others already. They started kidnapping pairs recently I found out, so they could threaten them with their friend's or lover's life. There were a lot that simply didn't care if they threatened their own lives anymore." The alchemist shrugged, taking a long draught of cool liquid as she moved on. "I learned that lesson the hard way."

Finally she began to show a little bit of emotion as he grip on the glass tightened. "You see Lee and I were in a party. We always are actually. So we can always see each other's stats and health. And know that they're okay." Her voice broke a little at the last word before licking her lips and continuing, "They brought his health down into the red repeatedly until I was completely complacent. And so I crafted...day in and day out. The perfect little potion making slave. For....about five months according to Jomei. Didn't even know what was going on during that time. Least not until I saw my guild symbol disappear from next to my health bar when Lowe disbanded the guild. Nobody was allowed to open up their menus y'see. Couldn't have anyone try and call for help. Pretty much thought that was it. I mean if my guild couldn't find me...who else would even notice or care?" 

A small smile twitched at her lips though as she met Teion's eyes and tried feebly to joke, "And then I died, The End...heh..." Knowing it was in poor taste, Piera continued as she poked at Jareth's paws, the owl griffon beginning to doze from all the talking.

"Obviously we survived. The very guild members I thought abandoned us were the ones to rescue us. Not sure exactly how they found us and never got a chance to ask. But Lowenthal extracted me and Jomei got out Lee and we never looked back."  Leaning back in the chair with a shrug, "After that it's kind of a mess. Lee and I were pretty messed up emotionally. And I was having a hard time trying to go back to my profession. Kept having flashbacks, felt wrong. Another friend, Mack, tried to get me to go out and be more social but didn't really work out. Was just awkward. Wasn't ready yet."

Her mouth opened again to speak about Jomei's troubles but that wasn't her story to tell and not relevant truly so skipped ahead. "Vented to another friend of mine." She internally debated whether to name said friend or not before her mouth saved her the trouble, "Opal. Vented to her and we had a long talk for a while. Last I saw of her. Apparently she and another player, Oikawa killed Ssendom and Zelrius right before a floor boss raid. Not sure if anyone's seen them since. Dom and Zel were my best customers. Shop kinda dried up after that. Pretty much just stuck to ourselves me an Lee. Lee and I, I mean." The older woman corrected herself grammatically with a shrug.

"We had a lot of issues to work on. And yet we didn't. Just hid away. Depression makes it really easy to just ignore things. Shut everything out. I'd seen that Lowenthal wasn't on my friend's list anymore but my mind just...glossed over it. Things finally came to a head and Lee and I just blew up at each other. Our first big fight in six years. Made me realize I needed to make a change. Take in reality. Went to the Monument of Life. Finally took time to mourn. That's where I met Shield. He's a good guy. Beatbox came in later. Apparently he knew of Lowenthal. Learned how Lowenthal died there too. PKed by Ariel. B!tch tried to play it off as suicide apparently. Nobody called her on it. Even when the truth was revealed, nothing was done. Either everyone didn't want to start trouble, weren't strong enough or just didn't want to take away another strong player away from the front lines."

Her head shook, tears making the green of her eyes shine brighter at the injustice of it all before a sudden laugh burst from her. "You wana talk soap opera, the woman who killed him was the fiance or wife of his protege, Hikoru. Who apparently hadn't suspected a thing." Head continuing to shake back and forth like a bobble head before she sniffled and took off her glasses to wipe her eyes under the guise of rubbing her entire face.

"Anyways, wasn't long after that that I got a message from Jomei calling for help. He'd been captured by the same b@stards that'd got Lee and I but managed to escape. Had to break the news to him about Lowenthal's death. Then Jomei's girlfriend shows up and says she's with the b!tch that killed him! Just...ugh.." Fingerpads rubbed her forehead as Piera's elbows supported her weight over the table.

"Reconnected with Lee and made up. Let Jomei crash in our newly acquired Manor, made a new friend, went on a few quests, reconnected with an old friend~" Her foot nudged Teion's as the brunette gave her companion a genuine but slightly haggard smile. "And here we are."

Then laughing again she stated, "And that wasn't even my life story! Just the last two years, hehe.....ahhh..." Piera ran her left hand along Jareth's back repetitively.

[Teion 0]

It had been months since she and Piera had run into each other in her smithy on floor five. But over two years ago? The guild she named was one she had never heard of before, but then again she was a stranger to such things. She had backed out from joining the last and only guild she had been invited to, and that was a long, long time ago. She mentioned Lowenthal again, the friend and now guild leader that had been murdered, and again the name Jomei surfaced, as a friend to them both. Teion listened, calmly at first. When she described their assault and subsequent capture, the violette's eyes nearly glazed over. She couldn't--or just didn't want to--believe the things she was hearing. She felt a chill run down her spine, through her limbs, and back up again. The hairs on the back of her neck grew stiff, and she didn't feel the light tingling sensation as the tips of her nails dug into her palms.

It was hard to focus on the many words that made up the rest of Piera's story. The fact that anyone would want to--had--hurt the woman across from her, and for what was it? Five months? The number didn't even matter. Teion was trying not to grind her teeth together with the distracting thoughts that ran through her mind: how she wished she knew, wished she'd been there, wished she'd been a fraction of the friend she used to be for the past however-long since she'd last seen Piera.

More names she didn't know. Frontliners, by the sound of it. More sadness, more tragedy, more heartbreak. Teion was hardly able to take solace in the fact that, at the very least, Piera and Lee were still together. Those two still had each other, and she could only pray that would always remain true. She was silent through the whole of it, the life coming back into her eyes when she felt the tip of Piera's shoe bumping into hers beneath the table. And with it came the sting of hot tears she had been fighting back all the while.

While Piera's laughter weakened and trailed off, the violette pushed herself up from her chair. Teion took quick steps to her friend's side and slid her arms passed the brunette's shoulders. She pulled the woman aside, bending at the waist to draw her into the least-awkwardly-angled hug that she could manage from their positions. Teion's cheek pressed against the top of Piera's head, and she still struggled to keep the mess of angry tears contained. "Sophie, I don't... I wish--" She wanted to push words out of her, but she could think of nothing that sounded 'right'. As if saying she was sorry she had to go through all that would mean anything. Like regretting the fact that she wasn't there would change anything.

She only let her hold on Piera loosen when the threat of tears became too real to ignore. Teion hurriedly and aggressively rubbed at the corners of her eyes to banish the moisture before her hands fell back to her sides in defeat. "Sh*t, I'm bad at this..." She mumbled, still searching for the right thing to say. "I'm just--I guess, I'm happy you're...okay? After all that." Even those words felt wrong. She wasn't happy. Maybe relieved that her friend was still in one piece, but even then she didn't feel a want for any positive emotions. Her shoulders fell half an inch, and her head shook lightly side to side. "I'm...really sorry for not being around more. I'm starting to think we could both use more friends, more often. Keep each other from getting into too much trouble, or something." She joked lamely with a forced smirk.

[Piera 0]

Eyes raising up from her lightly purring familiar, Piera blinked with glassy eyes as Teion stood, bangs falling over her eyes. Before she could ask anything, the violette was drawing her into a hug and upon hearing her friend's choked voice, the tears began to spill over even though her expression stayed the same for a moment before crumpling and then smiling sadly, hugging the other woman back with trembling hands. "Me too. Me too." She understood what couldn't be properly conveyed in words or even a neat sentence.

Sniffling as Teion pulled away, the brunette pushed up her glasses to wipe away the moisture, letting out a wet chuckle at the curse. "Hey, I don't mean to put you on the spot Tei. Trust me, the hug spoke volumes." Even though her eyes were watery, a genuinely happy smile shined on the freckled woman's face. Reaching to take the blacksmith's hand, Piera's thumb rubbed over her knuckles. "Don't apologize. I'm just as guilty." She gave an extra squeeze of her hand to assure her friend of that truth.

Though at Teion's suggestion the alchemist could only bark out a laugh. "I'm pretty sure that'd have the opposite effect if the friends are us. At least together. We're almost mild mannered apart, but together?" The brunette gave a coy wink at the girl before finishing, "Unstoppable. ...And possibly terrorizing. But hey, more fun that way, right?"

Breathing in deeply with a softer smile now, green eyes glanced down before meeting blue as she stated, "It really is great to talk with you again." Realizing finally that they were still holding hands, Piera pulled hers away with a breathy chuckle. "Goodness, look at me. Can't help but try to steal you away from whoever you're with. Good thing your new guy...'s...aren't around."

[Teion 0]

Piera's laugh, and the following playful words she always seemed to be able to find, elicited a short chuckle from the violette as well. "True, true. It's a miracle we haven't torn Aincrad apart just the two of us by now." Her soft laughter fought away a lot of the lingering frustration, as did the squeeze of Piera's fingers around her own hand. The brunette's sentiment, and expressed contentment with being able to talk to each other again as they used to resonated with her. Though before she had nodded her head or offered a verbal agreement, the speed in which Piera pulled her hand back to her front drew her attention. Teion could only half-succeed at stifling another laugh at her mention of the multiple men in her life, but her expression then took on a short grimace, as if silently asking the alchemist not to remind her of her 'troubles in love'.

The blacksmith crashed back into her seat across the table, legs pulled over the side of her chair while she brought the half-empty glass of pink liquid to her lips and took a couple of seconds to nearly drain its contents. Teion let out a sigh and swirled what little lemonade resided in the glass alongside the few melting ice cubes. The negative feelings had just about subsided, and Teion grasped for a new topic of conversation to keep nudging the ones that lingered behind them. "Ahh, we oughta do something more fun sometime soon." She frowned in thought, continuing to wrack her brain. "We still have yet to team up and kick butt in VR together." She noted, smiling fondly at the thought after all the teamwork they'd displayed in the past in their previous game.

"Oh, you're an alchemist!" She sat up a bit in her seat as she called out the fact like she had forgotten. Teion's cheeks puffed a bit and her gaze carried itself back to the brunette with new interest. "Hmmm, I don't suppose I could bother you about some potions sometime," She started with an exaggerated innocence in her voice before she broached the details of her request. "I don't need any exactly, but I picked up a few that I can't see the stats of. I dunno if that means they're worth anything or not, though."

[Piera 0]

"That would require effort. And a willingness to get out of the bed most days." Though her words were serious, her tone was fairly light, ending with a chuckle paired with a sigh. Squeezing her friend's hand back, Piera leaned forward a little, her elbows resting on the tabletop, adopting a more relaxed pose in her seat.  Seeing Teion's grimace about her quip concerning the men in her life, the brunette adopted a contrite expression. "You'll have to sort it out eventually you know. It's best for you all. But that's for another day." Not intending to push the issue now by any means.

Smirking at the blacksmith's comment about doing something 'more fun', she couldn't resist ribbing, "Whaaat? What could possibly be more fun than pouring out our whole sad stories to each other?? Y'know besides...literally anything else." The sarcasm was possibly oozing from her even with her wide grin, shaking her head before perking up at the mention of 'teaming up'. But nearly just as quickly, Piera seemed to wilt slightly. "I'd love that to be honest, but..." The older woman seemed distinctly embarrassed as she explained, "Well I mean you're on my friend's list...you can see my level." It was over a dozen levels lower than Teion's.

"I mean I guess there might be a few things we could do, but mostly I'll probably just slow you down or be a liability." She shrugged with an understanding smile, pretty much used to being the lowest leveled player out of all of her friends since she spent the majority of her time in her shop or at home. She didn't even have to fight to get the majority of her materials since she kept getting donations or customers paying for their items with materials. But still, it hurt to realize that she couldn't have that same camaraderie that she used to share with Teion when they used to game together.

Blinking in surprise at the violette's sudden outburst of the rather obvious statement, Piera's eyebrows raised in question before chuckling as she replied, "Last time I checked, yup." As said alchemist was stared at rather intently, her gaze shifted to the sides in mock nervousness before a loud, "PFfffff-" erupted from her at the 'innocent' question. "Oh, that doesn't sound suspicious at all Tei Tei~ What, planning on drugging your boyfriends and need help? Haha." Leaning her chin on her hand, Piera hummed in interest as her companion explained. "Ohh, sure sure! Anything fer you, hun~" Slipping a wink in before stating, "I'm about rank six now so I should be able to see the stats unless you somehow picked up a unique potion or something. But I wouldn't be able to do it here." Gesturing to the inn/tavern that they were sitting in before stating, "I think I left my Potioneer's Kit in my workshop at home though... If you want, we could walk over and look at them there? I live on this floor. Or we could do it some other day." Giving her friend an out so she wouldn't pressure her.

Edited February 23, 2018 by Piera

[Teion 0]

"Uggghhhhh," Teion let out an exaggerated groan at Piera's teasing, pointing out how 'fun' their conversations up to that point had been. Her quick switch to a discouraged, embarrassed tone caused her brow to turn up in slight concern. A second later, they shifted downward and she took on a disapproving pout. "Oh, hush." She said dismissively, waving away Piera's concern about numbers with a flick of her wrist. "I don't care if you're level one, we're going on a quest to kick ass together." She decided nonchalantly. The woman stopped a second to put a more serious tone behind her next words, coming to the quick decision that she shouldn't push her friend's worries aside only for them to fester. "And y'know, if you want to get your level up you know I'll help you out." Her arms folded over her chest as she leaned back in her chair, locking eyes with the alchemist. "Like, do whatever makes you happy here. If you wanna quest, or do alchemy, or both. Just don't be hard on yourself."

Piera managed to easily fluster the blacksmith with more teasing words, causing Teion's lips to purse. She relaxed a bit after her friend explained they could go to her house for some potion examining, more interest showing on her features after she seemed to remember something. "You said you live in a mansion? Of course I wanna come snoop around your gigantic house." The corner of her mouth hooked into a smirk as she accepted the offer.