[PP-F2] 'Gladdy-Daddy'

[Mari 1]

Mari noticed Gladiator deep in thought as he tapped his chiseled chin. Had something she said bothered him? Mari wasn't sure, and she wasn't about to question it. He was a near stranger. Granted...they had a similar past, and he seemed nice enoough, but that didn't mean she could read him. Whatever plagued his mind, he didn't voice it. Instead Gladiator turned to Mari with a friendly smile. Asking her why she left the frontlines.

"I was hated." Came her blunt reply. "I was told if I were seen there, I'd be murdered. So I thought f**k it. I won't show up anymore. I may have been one of the strongest players, but even then I would not have been able to fend off an entire guild." Mari tapped her knee with her dagger. "From what I have been hearing though...those who made those threats are either dead - or haven't been seen for nigh over a year. I decided I wanted to work toward coming back. Especially since we have barely cleared a quarter of the floors."

Mari put her dagger away and sighed. "I was also...tired...tired of fighting and trying to prove myself to a world that hated me."

 

@Gladiator

Edited January 8, 2020 by Mari

[Gladiator 0]

Gladio listened with a curious look on his face as she explained to why she wasn't a part of the front lines any more. He thought as she spoke thinking to himself "Hmm, it does make sense that players would like to have Orange Players not a part of the bosses... considering that majority of people have trust issues over a orange marker... still, I have faith she is not like those typical orange players." then he spoke out to her "Well, you made the right choice to step down for the time being. While having more firepower is important, keeping yourself alive is frankly more important. Especially if assholes are threatening your own safety even if you are helping the cause." he smiled at her once more and said "Well, you don't need to prove much else to me. I have faith you are better than the curse that you carry with you. In a way we are a lot alike, and I respect that."

@Mari

[Mari 1]

"It pissed me off though." Mari admitted. "There were other Pkers there amongst them, some who actually enjoyed the so called 'thrill of the hunt' and yet they weren't treated as villians. So why was I?" Mari sighed as she shook her head. There was little use in dwelling on things that were well in the past. If she were honest, she was sick of thinking about it. It was only natural for others to ask so she'd answer them - but the answers were beginning to grow repetitive.

"Gladio..." Mari said, her voice taking on a softer tone. "You shouldn't have any sort of faith in me." Mari admitted. "We only just met. You can word it as sweetly as you like the cold hard truth is that I am a murderer. I don't...want that to be the only facet to who I am, but it is the grim reality of my past."

Should she say something to him? Was he being kind or stupid Or was he trying to make her let down her defenses? Mari was very cautious of him. She was of most people she just met. Every person she had interacted with had lied...so why would Gladiator be different.  "Why are you still hanging around? I thought you would have been bored by now."
@Gladiator

 

[Gladiator 0]

"Justifiably so." he replied back. 

"Well, my guess to how those people acted people just thought that all players with an orange marker were the same way." he replied to her. "What is most important now is to prove you aren't like those people. I don't know what the people are like now, however I doubt just because you have an orange cursor means they will attack you on sight." he chuckled.

He listened to her say out that he shouldn't hold faith or trust in her, he simply smiled and shook his head "So, let me get this straight-" he cleared his throat. "You spent a good portion of time telling me that how you we're being treated unfairly over the marker you have and want people to have their opinion's change over you. But, you don't want me to show you that kindness and put trust into you?" he stood up "I'm a murderer too you know, spent time in the military and was forced to take lives I didn't want to but had to. Does that make someone to not trust?" he asked out to her. He opened his inventory and shot her a friend request and said to her "While it does say "Friend Request" I am offering this to you if you want to talk again, or would like some muscle for a quest." he chuckled "I should be on my way, I am not bored but it is getting late. I have a grave to construct anyways." he said with a smile then giving one last statement as he walks away "See you around Mari."

@Mari

[Mari 1]

Mari frowned, somehow, it seemed Gladiator didn't quite get her explanation. Mari's issue was that the other orange players were not treated badly, but welcomed with open arms - and it was only her who was targeted. At least he didn't try to argue with her or try and change her opinion and make her feel all warm and fluffy on the inside. He accepted her opinions and even agreed with some f them.

"I don't think you entirely got the point of my words." Mari said as she watched him stand. "My issue was the hypocrisy of it all. If people want to treat me like trash without knowing who I am then so bloody be it." She felt annoyed but bit her tongue. He had been nothing but hospitable to her, and the last thing she needed was her notoriously short fuse ruining the somewhat decent conversation they had. Mari wanted to tell him there was a difference between being shipped off to war and an online game - but she didn't. Instead Mari took a deep breath and slowly let it out.  A way to calm herself down.

"I can't tell if you're stubborn or stupid." Mari joked as she accepted his friend request. "But I'd be hypocrite. I'm notoriously stubborn."  Gladio told her it was getting late, and that he'd best be on his way, that's right. He was able to return to a town.

Mari would probably spend the night here.

"Take care, Gladio." Mari said with a small wave.


Maybe, if things continued this way. They wouldn't be all that bad.

[Mari 1]

REWARDS

Mari - 1 SP  + 200 Col
Gladiator  1 SP + 200 Col