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

[Ryo 0]

Ryo snickered at the exchange between Grammy and Teion, trying to hold in his laughter. Ryo stepped up beside Teion when Grammy gave him her attention. "What is my color then Grammy?" Ryo asked, snickering.

Grammy scratched the back of her head as she thought. "Reds, blues, dark violets, anything that gives of that wonderful hair of yours." She said, smiling at Teion. Ryo smirked as he gave a small wave. "Grammy, I'm over here." He said. Grammy turned her head, looking at the two before exclaiming. "There are two Ryos?" She asked, scratching her head. Ryo chuckled again. "No Grammy. That's, Teion. She's going to the ball with me." He said.

The eyes of the woman grew wide as the sudden realization hit her. "Oh, you mean this is a girl! That's going with you! To the ball tonight!" She said loudly, reiterating what Ryo had said.She reached up and patted Teion on her cheek. "You do him proud, as he does me. That boy works too hard around here. Helping me shop, and carry things my old body can't do. He's too precious for this world." She said before scurrying off. "I got something special in the back. Lemmy grabs it." She said over her shoulder.

[Teion 0]

Teion frowned at the clear enjoyment Ryo was getting out of the mix-up, unable to stop herself from shooting the man aside her a quick, unamused glare. The old woman's sudden confusion between the 'number of Ryos' standing in front of her caused the violette to have to stifle a laugh of her own shortly after. After Ryo once again informed the eldery NPC that there were indeed two different people standing across from her and that Teion was indeed a woman, she was startled for a second with the hand that met the skin of her cheek.

Teion let out a sigh she held been unknowingly holding in the few seconds they were left alone at the front of the shop. "Very...interesting design." She remarked, commenting on not only the physical appearance, but the programming of the woman before she hurried back over to them with a garment of varying violet hues draped over her arm. "Now I know the purples might be a bit much, but trust me dearie, this will look stunning on you." Grammy first took Ryo by the arm to lead him over to a changing room, but switched her focus to Teion once she was corrected again. The hesitant girl followed as she was led several paces to a row of booths standing against a wall farther back in the shop.

After a short minute for Teion to unequip her current clothing and select the dress that Grammy had insisted she try on, Teion took one look in the mirror before a pink hue of embarrassment coated her cheeks. "No way, I'm not wearing this." She had spoken the words more to herself as she stood in the changing room, but the old woman's voice called from the other side of the door. "Hm? What's that? Oh, nonsense! Come out here and give us a little show, eh?" Teion gave a start when she heard the door swing open behind her, and another pull on her arm had the violette stumbling back out into the main area of the shop.

Her expression was flustered as she straightened up. The dress she wore featured a softly-sparkling bodice and detached sleeves. The wavy, layered skirt reached the floor in alternating shades of lavender and a barely-tinted white. A trimmed sash wrapped around the girl's waist and hips, and the most noticable feature was the gown's plunging neckline. "Come on, dearie!" Grammy urged, nudging at the girl's arm before she had a chance to voice her objections. "Give us a spin!" Begrudingly, and with a fresh blush on her cheeks, Teion turned herself around, the hem of her skirt flaring just slightly with the movement. In the brief window when the girl's back was turned, Grammy took the opportunity to flash Ryo a quick thumbs-up.

Turning back forward, Teion's eyes were fixed on the floorboards. "Nnn, I don't want to wear this." She whined in a small voice, waiting to be either given something else to try on, or to be told she could change back to her other clothes. At this point, she would be grateful for either option.

[Ryo 0]

Ryos cheeks flared up with a bright pink as Teion was revealed to him wearing the dress. It was, extravagant. Ryos only complaint was the dipping neckline. "Y-you look stunning," Ryo said aloud, trying to make the woman feel better. Teion said that she didn't want to wear it, and she looked uncomfortable in the dress. "You can change back. Not forcing you to wear it." Ryo said, standing up from the chair that was provided.

Ryo replies the spin in his mind. Letting his mind wander about the place. The skin that showed, the blush if her face, the sound of her voice. He shook his head as Grammy poked him with the end of her cane. "Yes, Grammy?" Ryo asked, his voice calm.

"I may be nearly blind, but I can see the way you look at her." She said, turning to face the dressing room. "And I can see the way she looks at you." She said tapping her cane on the floor. "Here. While she's changing, put this on and come out when I give the signal, okay hun?" She asked, throwing a bag at Ryo. Ryo looked at the bag and nodded.

He stepped into the next dressing room and swapped clothing. He waited in the dressing room before a cane was tapped. He stepped out of the room, straining the tie and adjusting the glasses. The suit he wore fit him nicely. And for added effect he does his hair up into a tail, giving what he thought was a more professional look.

[Teion 0]

Upon re-entering the changing room, Teion waited an apprehensive moment, almost worried that the woman might surprise her by plucking her from the room again. As she was truly alone in the small booth, Teion opened her menus and panned over to her inventory, swapping back to the forest green off-the-shoulder long-sleeved shirt, tan shorts, and high black stockings. A tiny sigh escaped her, and she hoped that the eldery shopkeeper might allow her to make a choice before thrusting another garment upon her. Or at least take a look at it before having to put it on.

She pushed open the door of the changing room a minute later, taking a couple of steps to return to the other two in the shop. "I dunno, if there's something less revealing, that would--" She paused for a second, cobalt eyes only finding Grammy standing beside an empty chair. Before she had a chance to ask where Ryo had disappeared to, Grammy gave a small wave to beckon her closer. "Oh welcome back, dearie. Don't worry, we'll find the right one for you in no time." The cane she held tapped innocently against the hardwood floor after she spoke, and the sound of a door opening behind her caused Teion to turn.

The deep shade of crimson that flushed her face was one it hadn't taken on in quite a long time. Save for the festival attire he had worn when they first met, she hadn't before seen Ryo in any kind of formal clothing, and so the sight of the man in the suit that he wore left her cheeks hot and mind blank. Teion stared in stunned silence until she felt a sharp prod from the end of Grammy's cane against the side of her shin. The girl jolted to attention, realizing her silent swooning and cleared her throat as she hastily moved a hand to tuck her hair behind her left ear. She tore her gaze away from the man with the nervous motion, her fingers running through violet locks pulled over her shoulder and idly twisting the ends between them. "I-it looks good. Is that...what you're wearing to the dance?" Her tone was still way more flustered than she wanted it to be.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo could feel Teions gaze on him and ran a hand through his hair as he struggled to find the words to speak. "Oh hunny, you look marvelous!" Grammy replied, complimenting the violet-haired man. Ryo returned Teions gaze and was met with the same warming sensation in his cheeks. Ryo cleared his throat and nervously put one hand into his pocket, moving the jacket slightly back. He chuckled in nervousness as he looked at the floor, then back up to Teion who was now toying with her hair. His dress shoes clacked against the wooden floor as he took a few steps to Teion. "Do you t-think I should?" He asked, his nervous starting causing him to blush even further. He still searched his mind for something to say. "If you want me to, I could. We, could find you something that matches?" He asked, wanting to spend more time with the woman across from him. 

[Teion 0]

Why couldn't she just will the color to fade from her cheeks? And why was she getting so embarrassed in the first place? Her eyes darted back to Ryo, but she ripped them away again when she quickly realized the danger of falling into the same silent stare while her heart stubbornly fluttered in her chest. "W-well, you already had something, right?" She started, avoiding a direct answer to his question. She cleared her throat one more time, if only to try and stop her damned stammering.

Taking advantage of the awkward air between the two, Grammy scuttled forward, having already retrieved another garment for the woman to try on. "Ouh, matching is easy, hun." She chimed in matter-of-factly, prodding at the back of Teion's knee with the edge of her cane in order to herd the girl back to the changing room. "Now we just need to find the right style for your lovely lady friend." She chuckled.

Banished to the dressing room, Teion swapped out her clothing for another dress, this one a bit more modest, which she was thankful for. Still, although the color and pattern on their own were appealing, she frowned at her reflection in the mirror, unsure as to whether of not the dress was really her style. Knowing it was only a matter of time before she might be dragged back out, Teion revealed herself in the sleeveless dress of shifting blues and white. Grammy motioned with a twirl of her cane, and so the girl obeyed the silent instruction by giving a quick spin in place.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo caught himself staring, but couldn't pull his gaze away from Teions. It was when she jerked her head to the side that Ryo found that he was able to speak again. His warms cheeks flexed as he spoke in response to Teions question. "W-well I'm good for a-anything." He stuttered out. "I mean, I don't mind ch-changing outfits if you like t-this one." He got out before shoving his hands into his pockets.

Ryo jumped, albiet slightly, as Grammy tapped her cane between the two. She gave Ryo an affermitive Pat on the chest as she spoke about finding Teion style. Ryo took his seat beside Grammy as Teion went into the dressing room. Ryo leaned over to Grammy and whispered. "You think we could try a backless one next?" He asked, his face still flushed. Grammy chuckled as she revealed yet another dress in her hands. "I've got you covered child. Don't you worry." She chuckled alongside Ryo.

Teion stepped out and gave a twirl to show off the dress. "How do you feel about it?" Ryo asked, finding Teions beauty still too much to handle for speech.

[Teion 0]

Teion purposely didn't answer him when the man spoke about changing his outfit to her preference, although she was tempted to denounce the offer if it meant she would stop acting so strangely around him. 'So annoying. She mentally growled, working against the flustered blush that coated her cheeks. 'It's just a suit. It's not like it's weird to see a guy in a suit. Sure, sometimes they look really good, but why the hell would I get embarrassed about it?' She was arguing with herself now, absent-mindedly displaying the white-and-sky blue dress that she wore.

Ryo's question of how she felt about it pulled her back to reality, and she took half a step back to look down at the garment she wore. "Oh, uhm." She took a moment to run her hands over various pieces of the dress. "I dunno. The top part fits nicely. And I like the veil thing on the skirt." She took the edge of the sheer fabric in one hand before Grammy shuffled forward again.

"Ooh perfect, we're getting there, dear." She offered a few words if only to keep the violette cooperating for more of their little 'fashion show'. She ushered the violette back to the fitting rooms along with the next garment she held on her arm. Another minute later, Teion emerged again in a darker blue backless gown.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo had little time to react before Grammy was flinging another dress into Teion's hands and putting her back into the changing room. He stood and crossed his arms and patiently waited for Teion to appear again. As he placed his hands back into his pockets he patiently waited for Teion to appear. As she did, his jaw couldn't help but drop. "I-I-I don't even know w-where to begin." Ryo said, taking in the site that was Teion. The white underdress complied with the blue overlay was just, marvelous on Teion. Seeing her blushing face, Ryo took a few steps closer. He reached into his inventory and grabbed a spare hair tie of his. "H-Here, turn around r-right quick." He said, his cheeks flushing red once again. As Teion turned, he reached out and grabbed what hair he could get his hands on. He wrapped strands of violet hair around his fingers as moved in a pattern so that he could braid them. After the braiding was done he tied it up with the tie he had provided and took a step back to look it over. He was, amazed at how much it did. Her spine was mostly covered with her hair, but enough of her back was exposed. Ryo felt his cheeks flush yet again, and a hand slowly reached out to touch her exposed skin. His hand pulled back quickly however and Ryo spoke. "A-Alright. Got y-ya covered." He said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the chairs beside the two unable to bring his gaze to the violet-haired woman own. "How does this one feel?" Ryo asked, his stammering becoming under control.

[Teion 0]

Feeling Ryo's eyes on her again, Teion averted her own gaze with a fresh tint of pink on her cheeks. When he drew closer and asked her to turn around, suspicious blue eyes turned back on him and quickly found the tie in his hand. She almost opened her mouth to tell him that she could do it herself, or something to that extent. But she held the words on her tongue before they could go anywhere, giving in to his request and slowly turned away from him.

The feeling of his fingers running through her hair sent a tingle running down her spine. For a fleeting moment she was incredibly grateful that Ryo couldn't see her face with how flushed it was. Sure, it felt nice when somebody played with her hair, but this kind of situation was too much. Her heart beat a little faster from the sensation, though luckily for her the color gradually drained from her cheeks by the time Ryo stated he was finished. Teion reached a hand back across her neck as she turned back around, pulling her now-braided hair over her right shoulder so the tail rested just over her chest.

"It felt nice." Her gaze was already dropped to the floor as she answered without thinking. As her words compared to Ryo's original question in her mind, the realization hit her and Teion's eyes pulled back up as she hurried to correct herself. "Th-this one is nice! Uhm... I dunno, I mean, if you think it looks good I can stick with this."

[Ryo 0]

Ryo's head shifted backward in surprise as Teion admitted that him playing with her hair felt nice. Not good, not bad, but nice. Which was always somehow better than good overall. His cheeks flushed red as Teion revealed her full back to him. "N-no. I think you're perfect." Ryo said before he could catch himself. "I-I mean, you l-look good in it. It looks good, on you?" He rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness as he spoke, trying to regain his composure.

"So, have we decided on this one then?" Grammy asked, stepping up to the two of them. Ryo nodded. "Yeah. I think we're happy with this one." He said. "How much for the dress, and the suit?" He asked Grammy. Grammy just laughed as she waved her free hand. "Ryo dear, think of it as a gift for all those times you've helped me. It's about time I paid you back." She said, not accepting any payment. Ryo blushed as Grammy gave him the two items for completely free. "Grammy, you sure?" Grammy chuckled again. "Seeing a young couple of kids like yourselves warm this woman's old heart." She grabbed the two players hands in her own and placed them together. As the hand intertwined, she patted them with her own. Ryo's face turned a bright red as his hand was forced into Teion's own. Memories of the moment they shared in the misty tunnel and forest flashed back to Ryo's mind. "You two have the night of your lives. And never forget the feeling that you share with one another." Grammy said, before chuckling and waddling away. "I'll see you later Ryo. Deliveries come on Sundays now." She said, before disappearing into the back of the shop.

[Teion 0]

Teion didn't know how much more of this awkward stammering she could take. If this was her real body, surely she would have felt dizzy from the amount of blood that had rushed to her face over the course of this whole shopping experience. Had she known things were going to be this painfully weird between them, she wouldn't have let herself agree to all of this. Or at the very least she would have insisted that she would take on the task of finding appropriate attire on her own. She drew in a breath that was deeper than normal in an attempt to calm herself, taking a few extra moments to remind herself that she shouldn't be getting worked up like this.

She was about to quite adamantly protest the notion of Ryo paying for her dress, but when the elderly NPC brushed off the subject of payment the violette hesitated to chime in. It was then that she felt her hand pulled to the side and the warmth of Ryo's palm against hers as Grammy's hold curved to encourage their fingers to wrap around the other's hand. Teion froze up with the combination of her gesture and words. Forcing herself to wait until the woman had vanished from their view, the violette pulled her hand away and back to her side, turning herself slightly. "It doesn't start for a few hours still, yeah? I'm gonna go change." She stated flatly.

Back in the changing room, Teion swapped out her equipment more hastily this time, letting out a sigh in an attempt to even out her nerves as she was left in the same earthy-toned outfit she had arrived in. With her braided hair still pulled over her shoulder, she would walk towards the door of the shop so they could make their way back to the streets of Taft.

The woman rolled her shoulders, taking a moment in the fresh air of the European city despite the overabundance of heart-shaped decorations that littered the shops and stalls that offered holiday-themed wares. "Hmm, so now what?" She hummed, more or less back to normal while she tried to put the whole dress shopping encounter behind her.

"Hold on there, sweethearts!" A peppy voice chirped out at their side. A teenager with cropped, hot pink hair looked at the two players with literal hearts programmed into her reflection of her bright teal eyes. As soon as the NPC had their attention, she trotted up to them and eagerly forced a small card into Teion's hand. "There's a special quest for today only!" She informed them with recited words. She leaned forward slightly, pointing a manicured finger to the words written on the paper Teion held. She recogized a couple of the listed names as locations, at least one of which she distinctly remembered visiting on more than one occasion. "All you gotta do is go to these places together, and the game will automatically put a stamp on your card. Just come back here when you get all the stamps and you'll have a special prize! Easy peasy!"

[Ryo 0]

Ryo quickly removed his hand from Teions the second that Grammy was out of view. "yeah no, I'm gonna change back as well." He said, flustered as he stepped back into the changing room. Quickly changing back to his normal attire, he stepped out meeting Teion back in the lobby. The pair walked outside, and Ryo thought about what the pair could do to waste a few hours in the meantime, at least until the party was starting. That was until a small flier was forced into his hands. It had several locations on it, that showed off as 'romantic' high points. The woman also said, that there was a special prize for visiting all of them and returning. "Wonder what kind of reward it is." Ryo said, pondering the thought of items and rewards. "Could be a special valentines day reward. You want to do this?" He asked, waving the small pamphlet in his hands.

[Teion 0]

Teion gently chewed on the inside of her cheek as she eyed the pamphlet that the spritely NPC handed over. She scanned over the named locations once again, most completely unknown to her. She was lucky they were so kind as to at least give them a floor number for each entry. Teion shrugged when Ryo turned the question of whether or not to participate onto her. "Sure, why not. Don't think I've ever done a holiday quest before, and I can't think of anything else to do."

The topmost in the short list was conveniently marked on their current floor. The name of the point of interest, however, had her immediately regretting her answer. 'Tunnel of Love? Ugh...' She held in the sigh of defeat that she was tempted to release as she swallowed what little pride she held onto, dropping her hand back to her side. "Well, you wanna pick the first place?"

[Ryo 0]

Ryo stared a the list, noting several of the locations. Tunnel of Love was at the top, and later down was the fields of crossing, a familiar venue for the pair. Some sounded even more Anime theme song then the Fields of Crossing.  'Resonance Gardens', 'Colors of the Wind', 'Your Inner Universe'. He rubbed his head at the titles. "Sheesh, some of these sounds, so reached out for." He said, losing interest in the 'secret prize' altogether. "May as well start at the top of the list, and get this 'Tunnel of Love' thing out of the way. It is the closest on this list." He said, not wanting to subject himself to whatever cutesy heart themed hell that they were to 'sail' in. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, might as well rip off the proverbial band-aid and get right to it, yeah?" He said, taking the lead.

As they approached the tunnel of love, Ryo could sense something was off. And judging from the look on Teion's face, she could too. He felt this feeling once before, but he dare not try to recall it. As the two approached he knew what the cause of uneasiness was. "Oh, goddammit! Not you, again!" He cried out, summoning his Katana to his side, taking a step in front of Teion. "The actual hell are you doing here?" Ryo said, yelling at the sharply dressed NPC in front of him. "Ouh! Bonjour Ser and Madem! It is a great pleasure to see you two again!" The French 'waiter' blurted out, giving the two a wave before approaching them. Ryo readied to draw his blade, but the NPC stopped him. "Non non non," He said, wagging a single finger. "This is still a safe zone. And even if you tried, what good did it do last time?" He taunted. "I see that the two of you are here for the Tunnel of Love, non?" he said, pointing to the pamphlet in Teion's hand. "I had it specially created for this joyous occasion! It is such a wonder to see couples madly in love, view and relive their romantic pasts together." He said, clasping his hands in front of his chest, and swooning.

Ryo lessened his stance, giving the NPC a quizzical look. "Relive, romantic memories?" Ryo asked back, unsure of how it happened. "Yes. You forget, that in this world. I am akin to a god, non?" He said, crossing his arms behind his back. "Follow me, and I'll show you." He said, turning and stepping back to the controls of the attraction. Ryo looked at Teion with a sideways glance, trying not to take his eyes off the French man. "I don't trust him. But, It's curious isn't it?" He asked, not wanting to just leave. Even though the man had poisoned them, kidnapped them, and had basically mentally tortured them, he still somehow made things interesting. "I wanna see what he's talking about. I'll keep you safe." He said, giving Teion's hand a quick squeeze before stepping ahead.

[Teion 0]

Of course he had suggested they started off with that one. Well, she could hardly blame him. If they were going to do this quest, they would encounter it sooner or later, and it's not like most of the other named locations sounded any less cringe-worthy. Now the sigh of defeat seeped out from her lungs. Teion tried to think little of it as she followed after Ryo, but something began to just feel...off.

Her eyes widened when they landed upon the familiar moustached face of a peculiar NPC. The man beside her took a step ahead to place himself in between them, and for a moment it was a good thing he had. Teion's blood had hardly started boiling any more quickly before, and had it not been for the player in her way she might have very well tried to offer him a rough greeting of her own. Of course, the Frenchman responded calmly, as if they were old acquaintances, causing Teion to bristle with a fresh wave of annoyance.

She glared daggers at the NPC's back, unamused by his explanation. But Ryo's tone had shifted, and the sudden feeling of his hand wrapping around hers to give it a short squeeze snapped the woman back to reality. She pulled her hands to her front, instinctively and silently denouncing the gesture, and watched the purple haired man take another step forward while her expression twisted into one of reluctance and distrust. 'I don't wanna do this...' The complaint stayed in her head, with only a small grumble escaping her vocal cords before she gave in and followed Ryo the rest of the way to the attraction.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo followed, keeping himself well away from the man's reach and making sure that Teion was safe behind him. The ground crunched underneath their boots as they walked closer to the attraction. The attraction looked innocent enough. A simple boat with small silver handles on the inside, a shallow river just deep enough to keep the boat afloat, and of course the decorations. If literally, anyone else was here hosting the ride, it may have been a bit awkward and embarrassing but now it just felt, wrong. "What's the catch?" Ryo questioned, knowing full well that there was one, or at least going to be one. "Non non, you're mistaken. There is no catch. Not today, at least." The NPC admitted. "I made this ride for the festivities, not for some plot to bring two lovers together. Although, this does help that second case some." He said, chuckling at his own joke.

A pink ball of light appeared from the tunnel and danced over to the NPC. There it hung for a little while before darting back into the cave. "Idéal." The man said, before opening the small gate to the boat. "The ride is now tailored to you two." He said, leaning back on the ride. "Tailored? How so?" Ryo asked, questioning again. The NPC sighed, as he gave a snap of his finger. Another ball of pink light, or was it the same one, appeared from the cave and danced in front of him. "These here, are my eyes and ears. They are what gave me the ability to make such things for this joyous day." He said, the fairy now dancing between his hands. "Imagine them, much like a camera. Except the camera is automatic and drawn to love." He said, trying to explain as simply as he could.

Ryo watched the fairy dance, then disappear back into the cave. It made sense. And as disturbed as the NPC was, it was at least truthful in each regard so far. The letter that had poisoned him had told them where to find a cure, which was truthful. But there was a catch. There was only one cure, and he had poisoned both of them. And the poison that afflicted Ryo, had only just brought him to near death. Ryo had every right to dislike, and downright hate the NPC, which he did. And he had every right to not hop on that boat, and just leave it at that.

"Teion. I don't want to, but at the same time, I do." Ryo said, turning to speak to Teion about the situation. "And I can tell from your face that you don't want to." He said. Ryo conceded defeat and rubbed his neck. "If you want to, we can just abandon this whole thing and head back to the manor." Ryo offered to want to spend the day with Teion, but at the same time, he would choose her happiness over his curiosity. "You both have my word that no harm play will happen. Whatever my word means to you." The NPC said, trying to coax the pair.

[Teion 0]

Teion watched and listened with narrowed eyes as the Frenchman went on to explain his intentions and how the Valentine's-themed attraction functioned. They were expected to believe him as he claimed no ill-will towards them this time around, but Teion's guard would be hard-pressed to budge an inch around the NPC. Her eyes followed the small, pink ball of light that danced through the air, and the gears in her mind worked to recall a memory that seemed to match all-too closely to what he was saying about those 'eyes and ears'.

"The pictures..." She muttered under her breath, eyes widening slightly as they drifted downwards in remembrance. "In the darkroom, th-that was you! Taking actual pictures of us!" Her words were accusatory and her gaze re-sharpened at she looked back up to the moustached man across from them. He simply chuckled, leaning back again and crossing his arms while he addressed her claims. "Oh hon, and here I thought you'd figured that out ages ago, mademoiselle." His chuckle was condescending, and while the violette seemed to bristle with irritation at his provocation his shoulders picked up into a shrug in response. "Do your human researchers feel any guilt when they take pictures of animals, out in ze wild? Your reactions are far from logical, mon ami. Ahh, but zat is the beauty of human emotion, non? Mais...peu importe. Will you ride, or non?"

Teion's brows were still narrowed with the NPC's nonchalance. She stared him down for a few long seconds, getting absolutely nowhere, until she finally gave in. The woman sighed, and her shoulders dropped. "Just--fine, yeah, whatever. At least the other NPC with this quest seemed moderately normal, so I'll try it." She finally agreed, giving the pamphlet in her hand a small wave through the air as she referred to the quest objective that had led them there in the first place.

[Ryo 0]

When Teion said that the Frenchie was taking pictures of them, and others. Was he? With those faires of his he could, but could they cover all of Aincrad? There had to be a range on them or something. There was no way that an AI could just, manipulate Aincrad like that. He gritted his teeth when the NPC called them nothing short of animals, however. He was going to interject more, but Teion was still talking. She then agreed to go on the ride, under the ruling that the NPC at the beginning seemed normal, at least. Ryo held a hand for her to take as she entered the boat, and when she had he entered afterward.

"Alright. Keeps hands and feet inside the ride at all time. Do not stand, or rock the boat." The NPC said, giving them the standard lecture one received when riding an attraction such as this one. The boat rocked slightly, the water underneath them displacing as he crawled into the boat. The boat was small, smaller than normal it seemed. Both of them were smaller people, so how was it that the boat was so, cramped? He looked back up at the NPC, having seconds thoughts only to be greeted with a sly smile. Wait, he planned this. He knew that they were coming. The asshole.

The boat moved forward with the currents, moving slowly along the 'track' that kept them in place. The entire ride felt, awkward in a sense. But at the same time, it was just nice being with Teion. Sure, maybe the cheesy ride was a bit too much, but it was something. Better than almost dying on the floor, or hiding away in a shop. As the boat turned and entered the building, it immediately grew darker. A light came on beside them, showing them, them. It took only a moment to remember what moment it was. It was the day of the fireworks festival. The clip showed Ryo trying to win a prize and failing. Followed by the pair sitting atop the hill, enjoying the evening. "I still need to pay you back for that attempt too." He said, chuckling quietly.

[Teion 0]

Feeling uneasy, uncomfortable, and generally anxious, Teion's fingers fidgeted amongst themselves in her lap. The sensation of the boat they sat in drifting forward was oddly nostalgic, vague memories of some pirate-themed amusement park ride she'd enjoyed when she was younger coming back to her. The tunnel they entered into was dark, with only the fading natural light from behind them left to illuminate their way. Luckily, another light source presented itself after a few moments, its hovering shape akin to a screen or one of the many menus they'd seen in the game. A picture flickered to life, and Teion barely recognized herself in the soft white and sky blue hues of a yukata, a single braid pulled along the side of her head to join the rest of her violet hair in a high ponytail. She watched the small retelling of their first meeting until Ryo's quiet voice beside her broke the silence between them.

She paused for a moment, questioning whether or not she should air the loose thoughts in her head. Her eyes were locked onto the rectangular display where she watched the fireworks that burst and twinkled for a second time, over her own shoulder. "I thought you were weird when we first met." She stated bluntly, recalling how taken aback she had been by the man's lively charms. "Well, I still think you're kind of weird sometimes." The small chuckle that followed her tease forced the woman to crack a smile. "But honestly, I didn't think you'd be so stubborn. Like... I dunno, I thought you'd get bored or something trying to hang out with me." She shrugged, eyes still locked on what would be the last few seconds of the recorded scene.