[PP-F11] A Valentine's Breakfast Teion and Hestia (Tunnel of Love)

[Ryo 0]

The moment had finally arrived. The moment where Ryo's plan would finally come to fruition. He wiped the sweat from his cheek, leaving a small trail of icing on it. He ignored it and pressed on making his deserts. After the masquerade party, he was going to host a second party, an after party of sorts for all of the guild members, and he wanted to make sure that there was plenty of food. He made a mental count in his mind, Jomei, Tel, Hestia, Spencer,  Kimi, Kai, himself. As well as any other plus ones that they may bring. It was valentines day after all, who knows what would happen. The sun had already set, and the event was scheduled to happen tomorrow. But Ryo still had all kinds of convections to make. And so he worked deep into the night.

Pennyworth shook the shoulder of the man who had fallen asleep on the kitchen table. "Sir, it's morning. Today is your big day. Or so you have kept telling me this past week." The aged butler said, letting his passive aggression get the best of the situation. Ryo stirred his eyes fluttering open, as he sat up. He let out a loud yawn followed by a stretch. He had got all of his baking done in time and stored away. Now, it was time to execute the plan. The first message he sent was for Hestia.

Spoiler

Yo' time to activate Operation Love Triangle. The plan is for you and Teion to show up for breakfast, and then you leave, giving me and her some time alone. Just like you suggested. Don't worry, you'll get some food out of this.

With that message sent, he prepared another one for Teion.

Spoiler

Hey, today's the day that Aincrad gets 's all, festive for valentines day and stuff. I'm making breakfast for a few friends, feel free to show up. :pancakes:

1

Ryo chuckled as he attached the emoji of pancakes to the message and sent it away. Ryo stood from his chair and began to prep the kitchen as Pennyworth gathering ingredients for him. Pennyworth had different attire on today. instead of his usual black and white attire, it was a bright red, dark red sort of suit. Still butlery though. "Special suit for the holiday?" Ryo asked his butler. "Yes sir, I have a suit for every holiday."
"I didn't see one for Halloween." Ryo said, remembering that holiday. "You didn't sir? I went as a butler." Pennyworth said, cold-faced. Ryo's laugh echoed in the kitchen, He didn't expect that answer, and Pennyworths grin made the moment all that more special.

(Yui's Grace activated)

[Hestia 0]

I hear a loud blip of a message as i groan softly as i glance over and see a message from Ryo as i open it up and reads the name once, then twice, then three times to figure out its meaning. When i do so my eyes quickly open up as i get out of bed as i chuckle a bit nervously realizing that the plan is going to be a bit weird since me and Kairi have broken up, but that doesn't matter it just needs to happen enough to let the two be together. It can be seen as a friendly get together instead of a double date type of deal like they initially planned. With that i quickly equip some vanity clothing as i walk down my stairs and quickly dashes on over towards the teleport gate to get towards Ryo's place.
 

Spoiler

 

@Ryo

Got i'll be right over to make sure this works out for you. I want you to end up with that Teion girl since you seem to be really wishing to end up with her. You have my support, and my attempt at trying to allow you to get the alone time with her.

 

With that message sent i quickly run and jump up the side of the area as i reach the top then continue sprinting towards Snowfrost, and when i arrive i get to the teleporter as i step on it and quickly says. Teleport, Taft! I say as i feel the area around me surround me in a blue light as i quickly teleport to Taft.

[Teion 0]

Had it already been a year? Unwanted memories of the first and last Valentine's event she'd attended in Aincrad--the Dance of Crossed Paths--resurfaced, no matter how many times she tried to push them away. Teion heaved a sigh and turned to her side in the small bed that stood tucked away in the storage room of her smithy. Max probably wanted to do something together today. Hell, he might even go to that masquerade ball she'd heard talk of if she asked him to. The thought of the brunette at such an event caused the corner of her mouth to lift up into a small smirk. But Teion had gotten such little sleep the past few nights, and found herself looking over her shoulder much more often nowadays. Maybe she would give in and they could at least spend the evening together at one of their shops.

Just as the violette was considering the bare minimum of social activity, the sound of a new message played in her ears. She groaned softly, pulling open her menus after a few seconds and staring at the short invitation from Ryo. She practically glared at the words, and especially the tiny image of pancakes that appeared after them. As a regulated pang of hunger hit her, Teion let out another irritated grumble as she rolled onto her stomach, her face pressing into the cream-colored pillow aside her. She hadn't bothered to close her menus, but the semi-transparent window disappeared shortly after it clipped into the bed while it tried to move with the direction her avatar faced.

Maybe half an hour later, Teion stood outside of the intimidating manor that belonged to Ryo. Violet hair was pulled over her otherwise bare shoulder in a loose braid, and her casual clothing consisted of mainly earthy tones. It wasn't her first time paying the man a visit at him home in Taft, but she felt almost as nervous as if it was. 'What am I even doing here...?' She questioned herself as her typically impassive expression was seeming to fail her and her brows knit in mild frustration. Letting out a small sigh of defeat, she picked up a hand, bringing her knuckles down against the door in a short set of knocks.

[Ryo 0]

The door was met with knocking and a few short seconds afterward the door swing open. An aged man dressed in red answered the door and recognized the young women on his porch step. "Ahh, madam Teion. A pleasure is to see you again. Young master has been talking about this day non-stop. Please, come in." He said, stepping out of the way for a moment. His eyes gazed at Teion, a more distrustful gaze than the last time she had arrived. "Young Master is awfully smitten with you. He talks about you non-stop, and he was awake into the wee hours of this morn making sure that today was made perfect. Just for you." The aged butler said to the woman. "I do trust that you're at least trying, aren't you? I mean if you were to say, somehow break the poor lad's heart in any way. Well, needless to say, things would be, disastrous?" He offered the word, giving Teion a smirk as she passed him. "Good morning again sir, Madam Teion has arrived." He said, announcing her presence before she could say anything. Pennyworth excused himself and went back to affairs on the second floor.

Ryo opened the door from the kitchen and dining room area. "Hey, Teion glad you could make it. Please, come in." He said, his hair slightly dusted with pancake mix and pulled back into a tail. "Teion, this is Hestia. Hestia, this is Teion." He said disappearing into the kitchen. He shortly returned carrying a small silver tray for Teion. Buttermilk pancakes were prepared in the shape of hearts. Icing and strawberries were adorned on top. And syrups were provided on the table. "Thank you, both. For coming." Ryo said, wiping his hands off on his apron. Hestia had shown up earlier, and the two talked about their plan. After Hestia was done eating, presumably before Teion was, she would check her messages and say that she needed to go meet up with a friend, leaving the two alone.

Ryo returned from the kitchen, his hair cleaner and his apron removed. He sat down at the table, only carrying his drink. "Hestia, before I forget. You mind telling everyone else in the guild that I'll be hosting the after party." He said, the idea coming as aforethought.

[Hestia 0]

I make my way through the town of Taft till i arrive at the manor with a smile as i knock upon the door to the rather imprison building that i didn't expect Ryo to have owned. With the door being answered by a butler that coming as more of a shock. 'What kind of money did Ryo inherit to get all this.' I think to myself in surprise as i follow the butler through the building as i just look around the house as i just feel more of a want to go out and do lots of mob killing to try and afford a place of my own like this. Even if such a thing is in the very distant future most likely considering the cost of these places. I look over to Ryo with a grin when i arrive. So then ready to get you and Teion hopefully together. I say in a cheerful tone of voice with a small chuckle as i then talk and the plan nodding my head with a grin as it will make sense at the very least to go about doing so.

Eventually the girl arrives as i look at her with a grin and gives a kind wave when Ryo introduces me, and when he disappears into the kitchen i then say. SO how have you been since the Arabian Nights? I hope at least somewhat well. I ask in a cheerful tone of voice as i do wonder when the third and last quest will become available for the group to finish off. After the food gets set for the table i sit down at him with a smile as i then hear Ryo ask this of me as i nod my head and opens up my menu and quickly sends the message out to the entire guild in a mass message. Telling them that Ryo will be hosting a after party after the masquerade at his place in Taft, and then having put the where the house is located at with as much detail as possible to avoid people possibly getting lost.

[Teion 0]

'Ack, right, he has a butler...' Teion remembered at the sight of the elderly man with the English accent. She gave a small, hesitant nod at his greeting before stepping inside to the foyer, cobalt eyes dancing around the generous size of the entryway. She hadn't expected the man beside her to speak up again, and so she cast him more than a sideways glance. She almost immediately regretted meeting Pennyworth's steely gaze, the weight of his words causing her to shift uncomfortably where she stood. It was as if she was being lectured by an elder figure she would dare talk back to, and so Teion's eyes simply widened, a bit of color draining from her face as the butler's vague threat sunk in.

Pennyworth turned his attention forward, wearing the same calm expression while he greeted Ryo ahead of them. The violette faltered before she finally tore her gaze away from the NPC as he went about his business. She blinked, her legs automatically carrying her forward when she was invited into the dining area, and the woman finally came back to her senses when she found the other player in the room. Ryo gave her a familiar name to match to the vaguely familiar raven hair of the girl standing beside the table. "Oh, right..." She started, shaking off the last of her distracted feeling as Hestia addressed her.

"Yeah, I've been fine." She lied. Things had been far from fine, starting long before their trek through the desert with the other two members of their guild, but she wasn't about to make any more conversation than she had to. Luckily there wasn't much time for an awkward air to settle before Ryo emerged from the kitchen again with an impressive-looking breakfast. She took a hesitant seat after the two, her fingers quick to start fidgeting amongst themselves in her lap under the table. "So, uhh... A 'few' friends?" She questioned innocently enough.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo rubbed the back of his neck as Teion questioned about a few friends. "Well, I tried to get more to show up. but Hestia was the only one who showed up. And you of course." He said, chucking innocently. Maybe he should've got a few more people in on this before initiating the plan, but no matter this would have to do. "So, do you two know each other?" Ryo asked. He did ask because he had heard some commotion from the two. "Or am I imagining things?" He counter asked, making sure to cover himself. He leaned back in his chair, not enjoying the awkward air that was present in the room. He didn't know why it was their either, maybe it was just Teion not wanting to be here. He sighed as he took a long drink. It was too early to be dealing with this entire thing, perhaps this was a bad idea.

[Hestia 0]

I chuckle a little bit to myself at the few friends thing realizing maybe that they should've had at least one or two more show up, but it is to late for that now. Well it is the morning of the masquerade Teion i think that they are all being busy doing some last minute shopping or something like that, or some kind of last minute adjustments to their outfit to make sure they are perfect. I say quickly throwing in my own little suggestion to try and explain away why their is only the three of them their. Hoping that it could work better then just randomly not knowing why they haven't shown up for this. At Ryo's question i do nod my head. Yeah i met Teion during the Arabian Night's questline since she was doing it with Jomei, and Kimi also. I kinda got added in last second. I say with a small chuckle at that as i then give a quick glance to Ryo to see if their is any sign of him wanting me to get out of the home soon for the two of them to be alone.

[Teion 0]

"Mm," She let out a small mumble of acknowledgement at the explanations the two players offered, not seeing a reason to question the topic any further. "Oh, yeah." She went on to affirm Hestia's words as she recalled their recent meeting. "I think we were going to take on the second one pretty soon." She tried to extend the conversation, only feeling more awkward after she did so.

She followed the others' leads and didn't wait long before giving in to the tempting plate of food in front of her. She drizzled the portion of syrup over the sweet cakes before stabbing at a cut of them along with a slice of strawberry. As she took a silent bite of the breakfast, she wondered if either of the other two players in the room felt as strangely as she did. 'No, of course they wouldn't.' She answered herself rather quickly. "Your guild seems nice." She broke the silence with another attempt at conversation.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo smiled. "Ah, so the introduction wasn't needed then. Always glad to look the fool." Ryo said chuckling. "The guild is nice. Friendly people, always willing to help the others. It's better than most other guilds." Ryo said, proud to be a member of his guild. Ryo turned his head to face Hestia and gave her a wink. Signaling her that she should go. "Hestia, about that dance. You have a date lined up for it, or you planning on going solo?" He asked, trying to set it up so Hestia could leave.

Ryo stood after Hestia had, and showed her out. He returned to Teion, still sitting at the breakfast table. "So, as you may have heard there was a dance today." He explained, leaning on the door frame. "And, I know that you're with Aereth still, but I don't think he'd be able to enjoy a masquerade in a safe zone." Ryo said, dodging the question. "And what I'm trying to ask, is t-that i-if you wouldn't mind showing up at the d-dance with me?" Ryo asked, finally managing to get the question out through his stuttering.

[Hestia 0]

I see the wink as i quickly swipe open my menu and glances over my friends list, and tabs everyone's names in the guild except Ryo's and i. Then proceeds to send them all a after party invitation to Ryo's mansion, and then presses Kimi's name and nods my head at the message that isn't related to me needing to leave at all. Well i'm sorry to cut my stay short, but it seems that wearing casual clothing to a masquerade is not appropriate, and now i'm being forced shopping. I say with a frown stating my true opinions and emotions into that statement. Trying to hide the lie by mixing in truth about things. With that i give a wave. You two have fun alright. I say kindly as i then see Ryo move to escort me out which i do so just happily as i exit the mansion and then looks around the outside as i head back towards the teleporter. Welp. Time to figure out what to do for the next twelve hoursish. I say out loud.

[Hestia exits the thread.]

[Teion 0]

She was halfway through her meal when Hestia's fingers danced over her menus. The woman hardly paid it any attention, keeping her eyes down towards the table and what remained of the stack of pancakes sitting in front of her until she heard the sound of the chair shifting and the raven-haired woman stood. Teion blinked, taking a few seconds to comprehend what was going on while Hestia was escorted out.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, unsure if she should take another bite when Ryo's voice sounded from the doorway. She turned her chin towards him at his mention of the same dance he had asked Hestia about minutes ago, and the very same she had heard talk of a few days prior. She was surprised at his mention of Aereth, but his off-handed comment didn't sit well with the violette. She felt her temper flare for half a second, although she couldn't place the exact reason why. Because he assumed that she wasn't already going to the ball with him? That she didn't already have plans with the brunette today? And while it was true that she didn't, in fact, have any set arrangements with Max, that was far from his fault. She had been the one to avoid the topic of Valentine's Day and the 'celebration' that came with it.

And then he started to stammer. She saw that shyness take him over again, and she had to tear her eyes away. A knot formed in her stomach, but she tried to ignore it. She forced half a smirk, "You're so bold as to ask a taken woman out on Valentine's Day, huh?" She teased, though the enthusiasm she had tried to slip into her tone was far from convincing. What was left of her smirk faded, and her gaze drifted farther away from the doorway Ryo stood in, down the length of the table. "Ignoring how...wrong and uncomfortable that sounds." Despite the twinge of guilt she felt from the blunt words, she gave up on trying to put it more nicely. "Parties, dressing up, dancing. It's...not really my thing." She said in a small voice.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo's faced turned red as Teion teased him. Of course, he would, he had only admitted to loving her and practically said that he loved her every chance he had, but there was something off-putting about him asking her on a date.  "But do you not want to be with me, that much?" he asked, thinking back on her actions. After they first met, she had avoided him completely and even shacked up with another man. And after they had met up again, he had almost died, followed by her almost dying, followed by them both almost dying. There was a lot of, almost dying with her around.But, Ryo didn't care. "Because every moment I spend with you is a blast," Ryo said, unknowingly thinking aloud. "And that, every time I see you it reminds me of what I've changed for. What I fight for. Who, I fight for. Not just mobs, or bandits or other outside enemies like that. But, myself." He said, taking in a breath in through his nose. "Every day grows harder and harder to not just give up. Give up, and sit here recluse in the mansion, having only Pennyworth as a suitible company. But with you around, it's like all of that self-doubt goes away. I feel like, I'm someone different, someone, who can matter." He said, his face now turning red. "Oh lord, d-did I j-just say th-that aloud?" he said, looking back up to Teion. he coughed, before turning his head again. "You can always say no. I won't pester you about something you don't want to do." Ryo said, crossing his arms.

[Teion 0]

The question immediately caught her off-guard. What did he mean by that? It wasn't a matter of not wanting to be with him. She had Max, and allowing her feelings to waver wasn't fair to him. She shouldn't be considering going to a Valentine's ball with someone else, she shouldn't be having breakfast with a man whose butler sent her on a guilt trip. She shouldn't continue going on quests and getting into trouble with the person who'd confessed to her on more than one occasion, she shouldn't be letting herself develop feelings for that person. 'Wait, what?' It was as if Teion's brain suddenly shorted out as she realized the thoughts that were running through it.

An immediate soft reset later, and her thought process seemed to have started over. It wasn't a matter of wanting to be with someone or not. She shouldn't be with anyone. Her head was a mess, her heart was a disaster, and misfortune seemed to follow nearly everywhere she went, tangling around any other players who were close enough to get caught in the crossfire. Just looking at everyone else she had gotten close to was plenty to cause her heart to sink to her stomach. Endilix. Emerath. Piera. Beatbox.

The continued boldness of Ryo's statements, seemingly answering and subsequently dismissing her own negatively spiraling thoughts, pulled Teion back to the present. She frowned with a pang of unwanted familiarity. How many times had she given in to that same feeling? Holed herself up in her shop, just letting the days pass her by. And then his cheeks took on a deep shade of scarlet that easily caught her attention. The return of his nervous stammer elicited a small, involuntary smirk to appear on the violette's face, and she couldn't help but twist her interpretation his last comment into some kind of pout. Teion turned her eyes back down to the plate of half-eaten pancakes still sitting in front of her. She finally took her fork to once again stab at a piece of the golden-brown cake, dragging it through a small pool of syrup before taking another bite. A short silence hung in the air, and then she finally answered. "Fine. I'll go with you." She had kept her gaze lowered at first, but sharpened it slightly and picked it back up to the man's face as she tacked on an afterthought. "But I'm not calling it a date." She pointed the prongs of her fork towards Ryo in an attempt to emphasize the point.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo's heart skipped a bit as Teion said that she'd go. "Y-you mean it?" he asked, excited. he clapped his hands together and gave himself a small affirmative yes, before recomposing himself and quickly going back to leaning on the wall. "I mean, that's great. y-yeah, that's great." He said, his cheeks becoming a light shade of pink. But before he could forget, he needed to tell her one more thing. "So, the party is a formal masquerade, as you know," Ryo said, reiterating. "So, you'll need a mask. And a fancy dress. If you don't have those, I can happily help you get some. We could make a day of it." He said, saying that last sentence pretty quickly. Now that he thought about, a day out with Teion, and seeing her get to try on fancy clothing for a ball did sound nice, and besides what was the worst that could happen? Ryo waved his hands in dismissal. "And no, we won't call it a date. It'll be an," He waved his hand, trying to think of an appropriate word. "Outing. Of sorts." Ryo said, deciding on the word.

[Teion 0]

Teion once again forced her eyes away from his after she saw his face light up with excitement. She went back to finishing what was left of her breakfast, running the teeth of her fork through another sliced strawberry and bringing the fruit to her lips. He went on to remind her of the dress code of this dance, and she internally groaned. Did she actually have any formal attire? Like she had any reason to dress up. Her inventory hardly contained more than a handful of outfits that weren't enhanced pieces of gear, and so her variety of vanity clothing was limited, to say the least.

The only dress she had was one she hadn't worn since she had gotten it a year prior. The same ensemble she had worn during the Valentine's dance she had attended with Beatbox. The thought of reusing the item caused her stomach to twist, and so she quickly wrote off the thought. The woman shifted in her seat, a flustered frown working its way over her expression. "Nngh... No, I don't." She had just finished the last of her pancakes before answering with a tiny groan. She leaned back in her chair, bringing a hand up to idly play with the end of the loose braid that fell over her shoulder. "Well... I won't be any good at picking things out or whatever." She was practically pouting at the thought of going out dress shopping.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo smirked. "Well, I've already got an outfit together, so helping you pick out a dress or two is gonna be easy." He said, confidently. But then he had to think where they would go to get fancy dresses and other clothing? He rubbed his chin, thinking of shops in town that would hold such items. A few came to mind, but he doubts they would have such formal clothing, but perhaps there was a sale of sorts what with the event going on. It was a shot they had to take, well, him at least. Ryo grabbed his jacket and threw it over his own shoulders. "Well, let's waste no time then." Ryo said, excited for the day's venture.

He opened the door for Teion and allowed her to exit first. "You two have a lovely day now!" Pennyworth called out to the pair before they had left, giving Teion a 'look' before she had left. Ryo waved back to him. "We'll be fine Pennyworth. We'll be out late." He said before closing the door. He walked beside Teion down the hill from his home and into the main settlement. The sky was clear, and the day was warm. The breeze that carried was cooled from the ocean and felt nice against Ryo's exposed skin. "Today is nice." Ryo said aloud, enjoying the day. "It's a good change, you know from the usual 'almost dying' kind of set piece that we tend to have." Ryo said, thinking aloud again. His hands shoved into his pockets, as he continued his walk down the hill.

Entering the city, the festivities had kicked up. Paper hearts were assorted everywhere, dozens of roses were on every shop table, and many many dresses and suits were being carted about like it was some new hot commodity. Ryo took in the new sights, looking for a good place to start their shopping adventure. "So, I know of three shops that specialize in clothing. One of them is bound to have something we're looking for." Ryo said, making a mental note of the shops in the area. "So, you ready?" He asked, giving Teion a smile.

[Teion 0]

'I really hope I don't regret this...' She kept the thought in her head as she twisted the split ends of her hair between her fingers. With the conclusion of breakfast, Ryo wasted no time in ushering them out of the mansion. Before she had cleared the door, the newly-familiar voice of an elderly butler caused Teion to stop and cast a glance back over her shoulder. Meeting Pennyworth's eyes caused a fresh chill to run down her spine, and she turned back forward quickly so as not to draw attention to the unnerved expression that took over her features.

Ryo's good mood did a bit to take the edge off, and his comment on their constant brushes with death caused the corner of her mouth to pull up into half a smirk and elicited a short hum of agreement.

With the streets of Taft busy and decorated with a combination of the town's popularity as well as being the host settlement for the ball itself, Teion's eyes worked to take in all the busy sights. The woman shifted her weight as they stood at the edge of a plaza, unknowingly gravitating just a bit closer to the man beside her while the fingers of her right hand curled around the long sleeve that covered her opposite elbow. "Ready as I'll ever be." She agreed, already out of her element in the busy European-styled city.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo took a step forward, trying to get his bearings. As often as he visited the city, the sudden bustle of people and different decor made it difficult to get his sense of direction working again. After a few seconds of thinking he snapped his fingers. "Right. First stop is with Grammy Bakem." He said, taking the lead. "If the crowd gets the rough, feel free to hold my hand." Ryo teased as he pushed his way through a small crowd of people.

Reaching the first shop Ryo opened the door. "Oub, Ryo. It's a pleasure to see you again." She said, as Teion made her way inside. "Ouh Ryo, is it my failing eyes or is there two of you?" She asked, as Ryo stepped into the store. "No Grammy. It's a friend. She needs a dress for tonight." He spoke loudly, and clearly for the woman. The woman's elderly body shook at it moved and leaned in. "What?" She replied, causing Ryo to let out a sigh and a smile. "Friend needs a dress Grammy." Ryo spoke again.

"Well, why didn't you say so. C'mere girly let Grammy get a look at you." She said, waving one of them over.

[Teion 0]

Teion opened her mouth to retort with a sarcastic jab of her own, but faltered as she recalled a time where they actually had held hands before in the foggy tunnels before they had managed to find that cabin in the woods. The woman kept herself silent, her focus then shifting to shoving the memory of those few days as far back in her mind as she could manage.

"Pfft," Teion stifled a laugh when she realized she had been mistaken for the player that entered the shop behind her. She remained silent otherwise during the short exchange between Ryo and the elderly NPC, a violet-colored brow rising with a hint of skepticism as she was beckoned in closer. Teion stepped forward to face the old woman properly, who then squinted while she brought her face unreasonably close. The violette was lucky that she held several inches over the shopkeep with her hunched posture, keeping the scrutiny from being even more uncomfortable.

After staring a moment the woman hobbled back a step and brought the end of the cane she clutched forward. She slipped the wooden staff in the small space between Teion's waist and elbow, pulling the girl's limb up with practiced movements. The violette gave a small start, but obeyed the silent instruction to hold her arms away from her body as her opposite side was given the same treatment. She was studied for a moment longer before the woman gave a disapproving shake of her head. "Ouh Ryo, green is just not your color at all." She tutted in a small voice, causing Teion to blink before she frowned at the misdirected criticism. "N-no, I'm not--" She started, pulling her hands back to her sides. "I'm the friend. Teion." She tried to clarify, only half-expecting the words to stick.