[F01-PP] Wander With Me <<Feeding Your Enemy>>

[Bistro 0]

The woman snorted at her companion's response. "If the answer wasn't a personal affair, I wouldn't need to ask." A gentle nod of her head and an open palm, the gesture leaving the floor open for Rei to speak on her thoughts.

And so she did. A pessimist's stance on life, further elaborated for her, and the outcome was Rei walking into the fields of war alone. "One of the four noble truths," Bistro quipped with a grin. "'Existence is suffering', huh...? Many can relate to that."

"Yet you stand here, still walking the earth. Subjecting yourself to the every day horrors of life." Her finger thumbed her chin, the other hand swiveling her umbrella sideways to block out some of the wind-blown downpour. "Taking your own life indeed -- a slow death if I've ever seen one. But if you'd asked me... it already seems like you know what you're doing. And I'd say any justification to keep that pretty little head on you is enough of a noble truth in itself."

"Keep a tight hold on that, little ghost."

The broker shrugged, closing her eyes for a beat. "Maybe what you really need more right now is a jolt of self-esteem. Or a support network, if you're really intent on sticking your head out into combat like you just did before." As much as Rei may have hated combat, going stir-crazy locked in a town was a sentiment Bistro could properly relate to. Perhaps anything risking death, even for a split second in time might've been what the warrior might have needed to regain a cool head again. "Well, you know me if you're on the lookout for the latter. A holler, and I'll be at your service, madame."

@Yuurei

Spoiler

ID: 151595 | LD: 11 (2, +9) | Searching for a familiar... Nothing found.

[Yuurei 0]

"I'm doing my best to hold on to what is keeping my alive I guess. The fact that I'm trapped no matter what I do is terrifying, but maybe at least I won't look like a wussy if I chicken out and actually continue to fight." Yuu looked up at the sky, watching all the drops of digital rain falling to the earth. This video game really was like an insanely beautiful prison. It's deceptive appeal lured so many to just walk into the bars all on their own. The only reason that Yuu picked up this game was because she thought it would take her mind off the suicidal thoughts. The girl chuckled a bit about it.

"It's really weird how ironic life can be. One moment you think you can get your mind off of awful, downing thoughts, the next, you're in a game trying to fix those mental issues and they just further exacerbate horrible things. Life is pretty cruel."

[Bistro 0]

A part of Bistro had been wanting to challenge Rei's perspective on participating in combat in the game, but she knew better than to assume the worst of the woman's words. If it fit the warrior just fine, there was no reason to dredge up unintended misunderstandings. She watched her raise her head, continuing to muse on their disposition in Aincrad, and Bistro couldn't help but agree in the moment.

"If you think about it that way. Then, I guess it really is, huh?"

What was a light passing agreement at the time felt as though it should slip away and into the water that pooled at their feet. But it lingered on Bistro, falling into a harsher truth that only dawned on the player as their silence continued on, the two venturing forth deeper into the woods. The downpour showed no signs of relenting, and it lent the two some much needed noise and an unnecessary dreary ambiance. Bistro found herself getting lost in her own thoughts for a time, eyes kept to the rippling wet ground. 

After a good minute had passed, she spoke, pulling her sights away from the floor. "You know, we've been talking about the darker points of life," Bistro pointed out, her occupied hand gesturing with uncurled fingers. "But we haven't talked about the brighter side of existence yet. What say you, Rei? Care to try talking about the things we like instead?"

@Yuurei

[Yuurei 0]

The samurai shrugged carelessly. What did she find value in life? Death had been on her mind for so, so long that she couldn't remember the last time she felt joy for anything. With another heavy sigh, the girl removed her haori as it continued to stick to her, revealing the short white, sleeveless kimono that she wore under neath. The haori disappeared into her inventory.

"I'm honestly not sure. I've had difficulty seeing the bright of anything since I made it out of high school. I continue to lose friends, I cannot escape the prison of my own mind from wondering what the sweet release of death is like and now I continue to judge whether I want it at anymore because of your opinions. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to think anymore. What do you think is good in this world? Maybe your opinions will help me remember something, anything."

@Bistro

[Bistro 0]

High school. To Bistro, they had seemed like such ancient memories by now. She'd wanted to laugh at Rei's complaining, for her sentiments was a sharp contrast to the broker's own; freedom was what she'd found once she'd gotten out of that hell hole, and perhaps she must've been coming from a place of privilege, having taken that stance for herself. Nonetheless, Bistro would wonder how life must've been for Rei out in the real world, to put her own hopes and future in such disarray.

"What do I think is good in this world...?" That was an intriguing question. Though, picking apart the daily routine was something Bistro had yet to unpack for herself in a long time now. The prospect of it would prove to be a relaxing thought experiment. "Well, let's see..."

Her eyes were glued to the red of her umbrella, the broker humming to fill up their silence. They were on a quest to find a familiar, weren't they? Just the thought of having some small critter in her home and tucked in her arms was enough to spark her interest.

"Hey, which do you prefer, Rei? Cats, dogs? Or something else entirely...?"

@Yuurei

[Yuurei 0]

An odd change of topic, but she didn't care about talking about anything right now, so it didn't make much of a difference to her to be honest. Perhaps she was doing her best to help Yuu get her mind off the annoy thoughts that flooded her brain. She had to think about that for a moment. Honestly, dogs and cats were about the same to her. The breed of the pet didn't matter as much as it's loyalty to the owner.

"Uh, not sure. I guess I'm more of a dog person. Cats aren't bad either, and pet is nice as long as you love them and they love you. Don't you think?" She asked, rubbing the back of her head and swiping some of the falling water off her arm in attempt to feel less soaked. "Why do you ask? Does it pertain to my question, I'm assuming?"

@Bistro