[F7-PP] Sneaky Sneaky

[Kityuisa 0]

The weather, being mildly sunny with only a few clouds in sight gave the terrain around Kityuisa a certain glowing warmth. The scenic display of the grassy and rocky outcrops that one would call mountains aided in the glowing feeling that she felt in the pits of her stomach. Ha..ha, you're quite right Yui. What a beautiful landscape for a friggin death game. Get yourself together, and stay alive. Kityuisa had no idea what she was doing on floor 7, it had not been that long ago that she had adventured out of the inn she had stayed in for two whole years. Yet here she was skipping from the small floors to floor seven. To others, it would not seem that difficult... At least to those that actually got their life together before two years had passed. Kityuisa had centered herself in the unsafe, "safe" zone known as Deepedge. Her fingers on the hilt of her dagger, her eyes glancing back and forth. That's right, Yui. Stay alert. It's not everyday you lose your sister.. Kityuisa tried to shake her thoughts away but with each passing second they became more and more chaotic, leading to small laughs gracing off the soft lips of the pink-haired female. To anyone, she would seem unknown... weird... crazy... And, that's exactly what she was. A nearby NPC looked at her with a weary and cautious expression that caused Kityuisa to get herself together. Brushing her thoughts away she marched to the NPC, "Hello..." The NPC seemed even more caught off guard with the fact that the once-laughing player was talking to her and offered a shy hello. A smile lit up on Kityuisa's face now, and tried her best to ease the mind of the NPC, but to no avail. With small talk here and there, Kityuisa finally asked the uncomfortable NPC if they had seen her sister. This caused the NPC to dismiss themselves and go into their house.  A frown flittered across Kityuisa's face, and her thoughts follow.. HAHA, what else did you expect? You have no clue how to ease the minds of others when you can't even ease your own mind. Not sure what else to do, Kityuisa walked to the center of the village. Running her fingers through the tips of her hair she looked to the sky, spotting the clouds. A small smile replaced the frown that the NPC had given to her as she felt the warmth of the sun. The sun was pasted on Kityuisa's pale-ish skin and her eyes glanced down from the sky scanning the area around her.

Edited July 9, 2019 by Kityuisa

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru let out a small sigh as he breathed in the crisp, mountain air. He had needed a vacation from his home on the 21st floor, and needed to get away from the places that he was comfortable in. He wanted to take an innocent adventure, something that he hadn't been able to do in a long time. After the boss fight and being frozen to the rock for over half of the fight, he decided that he needed a few days break from training, and took it as a sign to help himself out. If he worked all day and never rested, then how would he be able to have a healthy mental state? He wouldn't, and he realized that. He had decided to go a little incognito and had taken off his iconic blue cloak, hiding it in his inventory. He knew that this item was the thing that made him stand out. He had decided to don a lighter-looking outfit, wearing only T1 Armor with no enchantments in the shape of a Blue and Purple, and a pair of black shorts. He couldn't get rid of his goggles though, those were his comfort items, and it helped him to feel normal out of his regular armor.

He strolled down a quiet road, enjoying the mountainous roads that existed within this vast floor. While it was a floor he hadn't really explored in his personal time, he had heard a lot about it. Mountainous areas all around, towns that weren't Safe Zones, a place where PK players could thrive and live, and always find some nook and cranny to hide in. While he didn't have his cloak, he could still escape and find many, many places to hide in and not be found if someone tried to hunt him down. He found himself arriving into a small village, and he decided to take a look around, stopping at the NPC shops and finding food items he could use for his bar he was going to open, making sure only to buy the most unique ingredients only found on this floor. He would make sure that the Ingredients were listed, so people could try and make their own. However, he would never tell anyone about the unique sauce he was deciding to add, so that it would never be the same meal.

Hik's Outfit:

Spoiler

 

[Kityuisa 0]

With her face no longer pointed towards the sky, Kityuisa started to look around the small village. Her eyes boringly glancing at the different stores and stands. There were not that many shops around. From what Kityuisa could see, there was only a handful, which was to be expected from such a small village. There was a blacksmith near her and an inn behind her, a couple shops besides those two stood in a some-what circle around the center of the village. Everyone in the village seemed to be doing the same thing. Waiting around for players like herself to go and buy the things that they wanted to from each individual stand. Kityuisa had next to no col in her inventory.

She has spent quite a lot of her small earnings on the inn room she had taken over for her first two years. Kityuisa had about 2,500 col give or take. Her eyes scanned the village, seeing if she could find any players. She for, some odd reason, felt to be in a rather friendly mood. Her sister could wait a while longer. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a blue and purple streak of color. What the fu-- Her face turning to get a full look at the colors. The only person that wasn't an NPC in the entire village. A boy, who appeared to be around 17-20 years old stood near a food store. Not sure whether he was about to go in or out, Kityuisa moved her feet towards his direction. Careful, he might be a PKer... This town isn't a safe zone. Her eyes first looked for the cursor above his head, seeing that it was green, Kityuisa let out a sigh of relief and walked even closer. He could still hurt you, so watch out... The man seemed to be around the same height as herself and his hair was black. Quite a contrast to her own, pink hair. Fiddling her right hand up towards her hair, she wrapped a strand of hair round her finger. Twirling her hair, was definitely a comfort thing. Kityuisa's attention was mostly on the man she was approaching, but the rest of her attention was on her surroundings, making sure there was no one that could attack her. Especially due to still being a low level for Floor 7. 

Along with the purple and blue pastel-colored shirt that the man wore, he had a pair of black shorts on. As Kityuisa got closer she could see the side of his face. He had a pair of what seemed to be goggles on top of his head. With a smile, Kityuisa called out to him, trying not to spook him. "Hello there!" She was finally at his side, her hand resting on her dagger, ready to take it out if there was trouble. "I couldn't help but notice your shirt. I love the colors and wanted to know where you got it or whether you crafted it yourself!" Ha ha ha, you're such a creep Yui. Best to admit it. Kityuisa brushed her thoughts away, Not now voices, I am obviously in the middle of something. Kityuisa's internal battle seemed to continue and a number of other thoughts were traded back and forth, all of it passing by before the boy could even react to her comment about the shirt. Blinking herself back into reality, Kityuisa tilted her head slightly. Her crimson red eyes focused on the man in front of her. Her thoughts having subsided, she would be able to give most of her attention to his reply. The man triggered the curiosity within herself. He definitely had the looks of a cutie, but looks could definitely betray you.
 

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru checked on the vegetables in his vision, making sure none that were rotten, that he didn't hear the voice that called out to him a first. He recognized it after a few moments, and he was able to make out that the character had asked him where he had gotten it. He looked down, and remembered that he wasn't in his armor or cloak. A small, awkward smile formed on his lips. "Well actually, I had a friend make it for me awhile ago, but now I think their store is closed. Not a lot of Tailors anymore, although we are in need of some." He said with a small chuckle. He finished his transaction and took a look at the young girl that had asked him. She seemed to be about the same age, but he wasn't sure anymore. With the pixels never really able to show wrinkles well, this young looking girl could be in her 30's, and he wouldn't be able to know. It was both a blessing and a curse of this game. He gave a sigh and checked his bag. He had a few vegetables and some fruit, but he needed to get some meat. He waited to hear what the girl had to say, but his mind kept wandering to what he would choose as his main course.

[Kityuisa 0]

"Well I like it! You can tell your friend that they make clothes very nicely. The colors look great together!" Kityuisa offered a crinkle of her face before relaxing again. "Well, I could have always chosen tailor... But, lass I chose to go down the path of the bard... Or the performer... Whatever you want to call it... I probably should have introduced myself first, huh..." Dropping her hair, she scratched the nape of her neck, "The name's Kityuisa! What's yours?" She offered her hand now for a handshake, and noticing his distraction her eyes filled with curiosity, "What are you thinking about?" 
Looking at him with the fruits and vegetables he held, "Are you a cook?" Her mouth watered a bit, You haven't had a decent meal in forever... Maybe you could do something for him, and he could make you a meal. Opening her inventory UI, she grimaced at the total col she had, Not that much.. But maybe he'd offer me a decent meal... "If you are, I wouldn't mind paying for a decent meal sometime!" 
Your thoughts are all over the place, get it together Yui. Kityuisa stayed silent, waiting for the man to reply to her, he had vegetation, perhaps he was looking for some sort of other part for his meals, if he was indeed a cook... 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Kityuisa

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru just nodded and smiled, agreeing with his sense of style his friend had. Although he hadn't seen him in awhile, he'd have to try and get into contact with the small tailor when he got the chance, he needed to get some new outfits for the coming months. The girl explained that she was going for a performer, he absent-mindedly nodded, focusing on the food, she introduced herself, and he nodded a third time. "My name is Hikoru." He spoke simply. She asked what he was thinking a bit, then immediately asked him if he was a cook. He looked and realized that he had been a little rude towards her, but he had been so focused at getting the right ingredients that he couldn't help it.

"Uh, yeah. Just started as one actually. I used to be a Merchant, but it wasn't cut out for me." He said with a small chuckle. She said he could get a decent meal. He nodded. "Well, if you ever want tavern food, look for the Hungry Pumpkin. I won't tell you what floor, because that takes the fun out of it." He said with another lighthearted laugh. He finished his transaction with the NPC and gave some col, grabbing the items and putting them into his inventory.

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa frowned a bit as the man kept nodding to her. When he finally presented his name to her, Kityuisa smiled, "Nice to meet you Hikoru." Hearing his story about changing from merchant to cook, made Kityuisa feel like she too could always switch if she didn't want to be a performer anymore. "I will definitely keep an eye out... Buut, I was thinking that maybe I could go back with you after you're done here, I mean I'm not doing anything today... And it wouldn't owe either of us any favors either. I could be helpful.. at least I think so, and you'd be helping me out too!" Kityuisa thought a bit more on the name of Hiko's tavern, "The Hungry Pumpkin... I like the name. It actually reminds me of this one game I played back in the real world.. Skyward Sword. It was really fun, and you could fly to this little sky island where there was a Pumpkin-shaped tavern..." Kityuisa realized that she was probably being rude by mumbling on and on about playing a game in the real world. A lot of people here don't talk about the real world.. Get yourself together, Yui.

Kityuisa's eyes glanced at the items that Hiko had gotten, "Are we going to keep shopping? If I remember correctly, every meal needs a good meat added to it, no matter how many vegetables you have!" Kityuisa had no plans for the day, and she could always use company, and more friends. Kityuisa fiddled with her fingers again, waiting for Hiko's reply.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru listened as the girl asked to tag along with him to the shop afterwards. He blushed and scratched his chin awkwardly. "Well uh, the thing is... I don't quite, have the shop ready... I'm still having a lot of it constructed to my liking, i'm just gathering ingredients so I can experiment at my place for meal ideas..." He said, avoiding eye contact. "So unless you want to join me at my home, I really can't offer anything." He spoke, looking around for the next ingredient area. The girl asked if they were going to keep shopping, and he silently nodded. "Yes, i'm looking for the rarest ingredients on this floor. If I can find them, I could make a fortune for my meals, since they're ingredient specific." He saw an area that looked to be some sort of popular Bazaar, and he motioned towards it.

"Come on, lets see what this place has to offer." He said, then made his way towards it. Inside the bazaar was a few merchants, yelling out their products and trying to get people to buy their items and materials. Hikoru ignored most of them, flipping on his "business face," and his eyes growing cold and calculated once more. Playing the character of being a cold person made it easy to flip the switch between his "Master of Shadows" persona and his actual self. It made bartering easy, he came to a large man who was selling meats, vegetables, and he had a mushroom on a pedestal behind him. Bingo. He came up to the man. 

"How much for the mushroom?" He spoke bluntly. The man turned from tending to his col sack, and turned to the Master of Shadows. "Not for sale, come again later." The man said, with a rough russian-type accent. Hikoru just chuckled. "Fine, guess your just afraid that the other ingredients will be better, I just wanted it to make you a sale." He spoke, egging on the man. The man eyed him. "This is no ordinary mushroom. Mushroom come from top of mountain many meters away. What make you think you have earned it?" He spoke. Hikoru eyed him, then pulled out an Info Broker emblem with his insignia underneath. "I'm here to test it and see if what your seeing is true. If you refuse, I can ruin your business." The NPC eyed the item, picking it up and looking at the player, a cold sweat beading his forehead.

"500 Col." The russian man said. Hikoru took his slip back. "250, and I will give you a chance to get a good review." He spoke. The man thought, then nodded and the transaction was made. The mushroom appeared in his inventory and he nodded, then turned to the girl. "Shall we go?"

[Kityuisa 0]

Watching Hiko's awkward reply to her blunt question, she couldn't help but close her eyes a scrunch her nose. She let out a soft laugh, "It's okay to not have it constructed yet! I'll just stick around and go home with you~" Kityuisa pondered for a second, before tapping open her own UI screen. She sent a friend request, Hikoru's way, along with a party invite. "Just to make things easier~" Thinking of the ingredients, Kityuisa thought for another second. "Well, if I come across a rare ingredient i'll know just who to give it to!" Kityuisa offered Hiko a thumbs up before following behind him towards the look alike bazaar that he had motioned to. His footsteps always a short pace in front of her own.

Every single NPC that the two walked past kept getting in the pair's faces. Showing them what they had for sale, taking note that Hikoru was walking past as if it were any other normal day, Kityuisa felt like she was in a completely different environment than she was use to. Kityuisa dropped back a bit so that she could walk right behind Hikoru so he could take the brute of the attention. All the NPCs that sold stuff on floor one were nice about it, they never shoved things in your faces. With her uneasy face, everyone that got shut down by the cold attitude of Hikoru saw her as prey. So, despite being a mere inch shorter than Hikoru, Kityuisa, now behind him, laced her fingers through the back of his shirt. "I don't want to get lost... And I need something to hold me back." Was all she said as he kept walking. She really wanted to get these people out of her face, but she knew she would regret it later, plus she didn't know Hikoru's take on using any means necessary to get the result you want.

A rather large man was selling meats and vegetables, all of it appeared to be normal under all circumstances. Not even noticing the mushroom until Hikoru spoke up, Kityuisa poked her head out from behind him. Her eyes falling on the mushroom. It was beautiful.. Kityuisa began to watch the exchange between Hikoru and the mushroom NPC. Huh... Take notes, Yui. This is how you barter. Eyeing the info broker emblem, Kityuisa's head popped back behind Hikoru. Listening to the rest of the conversation, she heard him finalize the deal. He had gotten the mushroom for 250 col! Kityuisa silently cheered and let go as Hikoru started to turn around. "Sure thing, that was amazing bartering skills." Kityuisa wondered where he had gotten the info broker insignia from but Kityuisa didn't want to breach this man's personal space too much, as she had already breached it quite a bit. 

Thankfully, by the time they were done with their little bartering, most of the NPCs had backed off, because as it looked the two only wanted the rarest of items, and all they had was common trash. 

Kityuisa smiled, "I'll take the lead this time!" She began walking towards the rest of the Bazaar, eventually they would reach the end. Kityuisa thought for a moment and tilted her head towards Hiko. "Hey, if you're looking for uncommon and super rare food items.. I heard of this one monster type.. A pure white deer that supposedly lives on this floor but only appears during the night. It's supposedly really rare. Maybe one of the NPCs have hunted it down? If not, we could definitely go out a try to get it tonight, that is... if we can't find it here within these shops. I would be down for it.. If we can't find it..." Kityuisa scanned the nearby shops and stands. Not seeing any sign of it, she continued, "Then we could definitely go out and hunt it before we head to your place? ...Though, not sure what all I could do against a monster... Or anything for that matter on this floor..." Kityuisa frowned, looking away from Hiko.

Her stats definitely had something to say against the matter, "If I work hard.. Maybe I could hunt it down by myself in a few more months..." Kityuisa opened her stats, grimacing even more with the look of them. If Hiko were to look over at her screen he would be able to see just how low her stats really were. Everywhere she went, she seemed to never be good enough to hurt things. Minus the small things on floor one. But even then, that bunny had almost killed her...

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru started to walk out, but Kit seemed insistent on being the lead. He just nodded and followed her quietly. She then brought up a creature that he had heard of before. He had read up on it from the IBS, and he knew that it didn't exist. they had sent parties for months, some of the most skilled scouts he had, and they couldn't even find a trace. He just chuckled and grabbed his dagger, treating it as a drum stick and fiddling with it in his hand as he listened. He looked over her shoulder to see the stats, and they were very, very low. He shook his head silently, knowing a fight wouldn't be a good idea. He tossed his dagger up and down in the air, always catching it on the blade side, almost cutting himself but never quite making it that far

"As much fun as that sounds, there would be no point. I've sent multiple scouts searching for it for my own personal Intel. It's just a myth that people made to believe that something like that existed. Sorry to let you down like that, but no fights for you to try out. Besides, i'm sure you wouldn't want to fight something with me in your party." He caught his dagger, looking into the semi-transparent blade. "I'm far too strong for you to even stand a chance against the monster. It would probably one-shot you if you got too careless..." he spoke silently. He looked around once more, but saw that there wasn't much more here. "Well, I think we've expended out welcome here."

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa just assumed that Hikoru had accepted her party invite and friend request as she closed out of her stats, the remark that Hikoru had made her feel only more stubborn on the matter, "Well, I bet you that I could find it! It might take some time, but it surely will come our way~" Kityuisa didn't want to brag or anything so she left it at that. Kityuisa had a way with animals in the real world that she only hoped carried into this world. "Well, then its a good thing that we are in a party, that way we won't have to worry about my carelessness." Kityuisa looked back at Hikoru and grinned, he had obviously seen her stats. Normally anybody else, Kityuisa would have flamed alive, but Hikoru wasn't that bad a person.. So far he had only seemed to act with ease around her.

Her crimson orbs gazed right through Hikoru as he tossed his dagger in his hand, she definitely admired him because they wielded the exact same weapon. She did not find very many people like her, that was for sure. Kityuisa agreed as Hikoru suggested that the two of them move on, "I agree, let's go on a deer hunt! Then we can head back to your place~" Kityuisa held up a thumbs up and lead the way, exiting the Bazaar, "There surely is some place you haven't looked yet." 

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru just shook his head. She was stubborn, that he had to admit. He let out a small sigh and sheathed his dagger, the black hilt disappearing as he unequipped the dagger as to keep his incognito mode complete. He shed all evidence of the Master of Shadows, and was just himself, was just Ace. When he put on that armor, he had a name to live up to, without it he could be himself, a man who is imperfect and broken. He sighed and just pat Kit's head, his hand shifting the cotton-candy-pink hair that the girl wore on her head.

"No deer hunt, lets just go and get a meal prepared." He said with a laugh. He motioned towards the middle of town, where there would be a teleporter. "Now, to warn you, we're going up quite a few floors, so i hope your prepared. We can sight-see on the floor for a bit, as I love to look at my home floor just as much as everyone else." he said with a small smile. He liked showing off the caverns of Floor 21, as it was a gorgeous floor in its own right, and he loved the feeling that it gave him being in the illuminated caverns. He sighed and looked at the Pink-haired girl and gave a small smile as he offered a hand up onto the teleporter. "I hope you know how to use one of these, else it'll be awkward for you to climb all the stairs." He spoke with a laugh.

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa watched as Hikoru shook his head at her. She puffed her cheeks and let out a small 'hmph'. He then displayed himself unequipping his dagger. He was definitely not in the mood for a hunt. Kityuisa was taken back when her head got pat, she had never felt a hand on her head before. It was different than anything she had ever known. Not even her own parents pat her head. Kityuisa's eyes closed, and a small blush crept across her face, "W-what was that?" She honestly didn't even know why anyone ever pat other people's heads. Other than the fact that there was a small feeling of fulfillment.

Listening to his response to her statement, Kityuisa nodded her head understandingly. "I get it, my goal now is to find it later, on my own, and present you with only the highest grade material for your meals! I will one day achieve greatness in finding this deer." Kityuisa nodded as if to confirm her own very statement. Cocking her head, she nodded once again. She was doing that a lot, nodding... Going with the flow. "What floor are we headed too?" She followed behind Hikoru now, "Don't make fun of me, but to be honest this is the highest floor i've been on before..." Kityuisa fiddled with her thumbs, a bit embarrassed by how little she had explored. "I've used a teleporter before though!" She took his hand graciously until she stood, now by his side on the teleporter. She smiled widely, "I would honestly, love to go sight seeing.. If you would have me, I mean." Kityuisa turned her face away from Hikoru. "Say, Hiko.. To tell you the truth, no one has ever patted my head before..." Kityuisa looked back at Hikoru again. Her blatant honesty showing across her face.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru just shook his head. She was stubborn, and she wanted to provide him with the greatest materials. He wouldn't complain, but it was definitely odd to hear something like that from a person he had just met. She asked what floor they were going to, and he gave a small smile. "Floor 21, my home." He spoke quietly. He just shook his head as she said it was the highest floor. Of course it was. From her stats, she would be staying on floor 1-5 for awhile until she got enough experience to progress higher. He gave a smile as she said she would love to go sightseeing.

"Alright, we'll take a look at a few areas that are well-known, I think you'll like them, but stay close in case any Mobs spawn, they will be way stronger than you can handle, so we need to play it safe." he spoke with a leader-like quality to his tone. As he stepped onto the teleporter, the Pink-haired lass said she had never had her head pat. He was confused for a moment, then realized that he had in fact done that. He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry, I had done it without thinking. You remind me of my little brother. Spunky, sparattic and always wanting to go on an adventure." he said with a laugh. "It's not a bad thing though, so please, take it as a compliment." A small smile formed on his lips thinking about his brother. "If he were here, in this game, I think he'd be just the same as you are, but fighting on the frontlines at this point." He said, a gleam of pride in his eyes.

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa tilted her head, "Floor 21, let's go..." Kityuisa stood next to Hikoru feeling small despite the two being oddly close in height. She was fine with visiting higher floors, it would just make her want to work harder. Kityuisa tugged lightly on the bottom of her dress, her feet were rooted to the teleporter.. "I'll stick close, but if they do spawn I don't want to make you do all the work..." She kicked her foot lightly, showing her determination, "It's not a bad thing, I actually kind of liked it... You're brother, he sounds nice... I would love to hear more about him some time... Though, I wouldn't go as far as to compare him with me! Especially due to the fact that I am definitely not a child. In fact, you and I seem to be around the same age. I wouldn't be surprised if I were older than you." 

Kityuisa crossed her arms, "And I would've been on the front lines if it weren't for my intense search for my sister... She's my younger sister, y'know.. I'm worried..." Kityuisa felt a frown cross her face. I genuine feeling of sadness, she turned her face away from Hikoru as she wiped her face, a small tear had escaped and strolled its way down her cheek. "Anyways, let's get going... Maybe you can tell me more about you, maybe even about your brother as you show me around..." Kityuisa wanted to change the subject from her own sister, I'll find you one day... She turned her gaze back to Hikoru.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru shook his head as the girl said she would help fight and make him not do all of the work, even giving a small kick. This made him laugh, right out loud. He calmed down a moment later, and let out a sigh. "Young lady, I don't think you know my level." He said, and showed her his stats, and how exceptionally high his Crit damage was. "I don't need to worry about anything on Floor 21, but you do, as I saw your stats a little bit ago." He said with another small laugh. The young girl spoke that she was not a child, and she said they were about the same age. He just smiled and put on his goggles.

"Oh I had a feeling, however maturity wise I feel i'm a bit wiser, seeing both our level difference and our experience." He said with a weaker laugh. "Although, I wish I could go back to that innocence some days..." He smiled and looked at her. "Ready?" He said, then looked up. "Teleport, Floor 21, Tomoika." he spoke, then soon crystallized, probably with Kit next to him, and appeared in the glorious cave system that Floor 21 held, the glowing mushrooms and crystals all on the walls. He sighed and breathed in the crisp cavern air, feeling his body relax as he was back in a comfortable place. He looked at Kit. "Welcome to Tomoika, home of myself and many NPC's. All of them are kind I promise."

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa eyed Hikoru's stats, she dismissed them with her hand, "So? I've conquered my demons and lived to tell the tale, even at my level. I've fought hard already and i've been through a lot already..." Kityuisa was exhausted to tell you the truth. All of her adventures had made her stronger, for sure, but it also brought a lot of mixed emotions to her table. "Well, you may be wiser in this game, but what have you accomplished in the real world?" Kityuisa was ready to explain to Hiko that she wasn't the child that he viewed her as, she was just as old as him... Kityuisa touched her hair, "Is it my hair that makes you think of me as if I were a mere child?" Kityuisa was mainly speaking to herself but Hiko would definitely have been able to hear her... Kityuisa remembered how pretty much her entire life she was made fun of for her super pink hair.

Kityuisa felt uncomfortable with her hair in that moment and thought of dying it a different color... Kityuisa nodded her head as Hiko asked her if she was ready, she followed his lead and they appeared on floor 21 in Tomoika. Kityuisa's eyes widened as she looked up, the cavern air was incredibly clear and Kityuisa felt her body feel almost as calm as she had been sitting in front of that waterfall, before she had battled her demons. Kityuisa looked at Hiko with the biggest smile she had ever had on her face, "I love it...." Kityuisa walked forward a bit, her body walking over to one of the glowing mushrooms. She crouched down and touched it lightly, small dust sprinkling onto her finger tips. She wiped it off and stood back up, "It's so beautiful and relaxing here...." Kityuisa felt a peace she had not felt the entire time she had been in the game. Her head moving away from Hiko as she continued to look at all the sights the cavern held for her.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru heard a few words before he teleported, and remembered them for when they appeared back onto Floor 21. He waited and let her take in the beauty of the floor, sighing. "Yeah, its why I chose my home here. Should have been here before we beat the Floor boss though, it was super dull and you could feel an air of fear. The floor boss demanded sacrifices of what the NPC's mined, so they lived in poverty or they would die, as much as code can die anyways." He said with a small chuckle. "And to answer your question, I had actually done a lot in the real world. I had graduated at the top of my class, and had just moved to Japan from America to take a prestigious college that my parents wanted me to go to. I got in and I was planning on getting a business education, maybe even a lawyer." He said, taking off his glasses. "However, I got stuck in here, so i've probably lost my scholarship." He said with a slight chuckle.

He motioned towards the road. "Let's get moving, shall we?" He spoke, then started to walk the familiar roads, waving to a few NPC's he passed by, going through some caverns until they found themselves at the natural Hot Springs. "Here we are, the first stop of our little sight and see. These Hot Springs are the most relaxing ones that have been discovered out of all of Aincrad. They soothe your troubles, and are a great getaway from the frontlines." He laughed. "I even have some delivered to my house for when I want to take a bath." He spoke, and let her explore the area a bit in silence.

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa raised her eyebrows as she heard Hikoru sigh, she turned from the sights to see and looked at Hikoru instead. Taking in everything he said as she had taken in the lovely cavern. "Hmm, well at least you had a degree in mind, I may have had a hard upbringing but up till the time that I graduated. I went through a lot.." Kityuisa felt a frown cross her face, "But despite not knowing what I wanted to major in, I still have a very large skill set in the real world.. Lot's of experience too.. Not something i'm very proud of to be honest..." Kityuisa glanced away from Hikoru, not the most comfortable with reliving her experiences. "I suppose I took the time to study, I had all of my credits done early so I didn't need to go to school for the last semester of my senior year... I had just graduated before we got trapped here, we moved to a nicer neighborhood when I was about nine and that taught me a lot.. I actually live in Japan, so if we get out of here, we should meet up!" Kityuisa grinned, "But i'm pretty good at English too! Since I did live there for an entire summer... So you wouldn't be forced to speak Japanese or anything.." Kityuisa kicked the floor lightly, "Don't worry about the whole scholarship, i'm sure everything will work out for you!" She gave Hikoru a big thumbs up and nodded her head, following in comfort right behind Hikoru.

The roads were beautiful and the NPCs that Hikoru waved at made Kityuisa remember her times befriending the NPCs on floor one. Kityuisa's eyes widened and began to sparkle as she saw the hot springs, "Can we come here later?! I haven't been to a hot springs in forever!" Kityuisa pleaded with Hikoru, she really did love the way that the hot springs felt back in the real world. Kityuisa began to look around, the hot springs truly felt magical, "Everything here feels so peaceful and magical... I almost am happy I didn't come during the boss fight... Though I can imagine the fact that you were there only makes this all that more meaningful.." 

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru just chuckled and nodded listening to the girl. It seemed she had a large skill set, which was impressive all on it's own. She also seemed like she had something to hide from him. Whatever it was, it wasn't his business and decided to leave it alone. As they explored the cavern, the girl asked if they could come back to this spot at a later date. He shook his head and sighed. "You can come back here on your own yknow. No mobs spawn on the trail here, so it's safe." He spoke, looking at the hot springs with longing. His body was a bit sore, but he decided that he would just take a bath when he got home after Kit had left. He would bathe for awhile and let the water soak into his digital body. He needed the relaxation. He just chuckled as the girl said that things felt magical. "Yeah, it felt nice to free these people, but it was a tough fight. It definitely made the door to Tier 3 hard to get through. But, it was worth it." He said with another laugh.

He motioned her to move forward with him, and after a few more trails and sneaky shortcuts, they appeared at the underwater waterfalls. He looked at it and felt the cool mist land on his forehand and feel cooler. "And here are the Waterfalls, one of the biggest date spots for players, although it's not the best of all of them, it's still one of my favorites." He said with a chuckle. "It's nice and cool, and no mobs spawn here, although we are out of town, this is a sorta safe haven. But if you leave, just be careful since there are technically mobs here." He spoke with a sly smile on his lips.