[F4-PP] Put it all on the Table!

[Eruda 0]

Waking up early in the morning, Eruda decides to start her day like she always does. Gathering her things she starts heading to the guildhall first. Spending a few hours looking through the new content that Raidou set forth. She had arrived at the hall after Raidou had already left for his daily adventures. Being a bit sad that she didn't see Raidou before he left she thinks of Haine. Seeing them on the ice made her want to speak with Haine as their conversation was cut short. With the very little time they spend together, Eruda wanted to know more. She also wanted to confess about what she say and thank her for doing what she couldn't for Raidou. Eruda stacks the papers back into a neat pile on the table and heads to floor four as it was rounding about 9:30 am. Having a conversation on the floor that she first saw Haine seemed fitting. 

Arriving at the floor four town she sents Haine a message saying: 

Quote

"I need to talk with you. Please meet me in the main town on floor four. I will be waiting near the fountain."

Eruda

Eruda grabs 2 large hot chocolates from the inn in town and waits for Haine to arrive.

Spoiler

Eruda
Level: 26
HP: 520/520
EN: 52/52

Stats:
Damage: 3
Mitigation: 52
BLD:12
TAUNT
THRNS:18
REC:1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Bleeding Edge - Malice (Bleed 2, Taunt)
Armor: Resistance Plate - Lily (Damage Mitigation 3 (+27 Mitigation)
Misc: Stalwart Defender (Thorns 2, Recovery 1)

Skills:
Heavy Armor [Rank 4]
One-Handed Curved Sword [Rank 2]
Fighting Spirit [Obtained]
Howl [Obtained]

Extra Skills:
Concentration

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystal
Ebon Tether - Beauty (+3 Loot Dice)

[Haine 0]

"Ah, thanks a bunch! You take care now."

Haine waved at the lady behind the counter and grabbed the sack of potions. She tapped to confirm her purchase and added it into her inventory. With all the activities lined up for her now that she was rehabilitated, she needed to be prepared. She stepped out of the shop and closed the door. Today was a free day, one of those mundane ones. Perhaps she could take a peek at the quest board? The girl set forth for the quest board. In opportune time, a message from Eruda chimed on her HUD. Eruda? She skimmed the message. Her curiosity peeked from the urgency of the message. Was everything alright? Haine knew her guild mate through several quests, she had yet to form a concrete impression of the other. She figured it was something to do with guild business. She equipped a teleport crystal and crushed it, traveling to the fourth floor for the umpteenth time.

Sure enough, the blonde was waiting at the store corner nursing two cups of cocoa. She hoped the woman wasn't waiting for long. She strides forward and clasps her hands together. "Hey guildie! You called?"

 

Spoiler

Name: Haine
Level: 48
HP: 960
EN: 96

Stats:
Damage: 9
Mitigation: 12
Accuracy: 1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: 2H AS Paralyze II
Armor: Tier 1 light armor [Vanity]
Misc:

Skills:
Two Handed Assault Spear [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 3]

Extra Skills: Fishing

Mods:
Finesse Rank 3
Ferocity
Precision
Athletics

Battle Ready Inventory:
(3) Starter healing potions - 50 HP

 

Edited July 9, 2020 by Haine

[Eruda 0]

Eruda hands one of the hot cocoa's to Haine as she arrived. Haine seemed all chippy and Eruda was not in the greatest mood. Seeing a small fraction of what Haine meant to Raidou, she couldn't lie to her. Eruda didn't have it in her to lie to a person who could potentially be a friend in the future. Eruda knew that this conversation would make or break that concept. Closing her eyes as she took a sip of cocoa she tries to think of exactly what to say. 

After a few moments of silence, Eruda says quietly "Raidou means the world to me but I have never been able to actually get through to him." Pausing for a moment she thinks very carefully of what to say next. Taking a slow deep breath before saying "I was on this floor the other day at Setsuna's shop grabbing a new outfit. When I came out I heard a large echoing clash of something dropping onto the ice around the trees of where I was at. At that moment I ran through the trees in which I saw Raidou bent to his knee crying." Eruda couldn't help how she was feeling at this moment. Tears started to form in her eyes with a small sniffle of the combination of the cold weather and her feelings. 

"I wanted to so badly to just be there for him...My heart sunk when I saw him like that...I started walking out toward the clearing to see what was wrong...Haine, I saw you and hid." Eruda takes another sip of her cocoa and she knew how this could sound but Eruda was hoping that Haine would look past it and see what Eruda saw that day. Taking another deep slow breath trying to calm herself with another sniffle. "I have never seen Raidou like that...He was always so focused on helping me be better...He never had the time to show any feelings toward me even though I knew something was there. You broke through and made him enjoy this dysfunctional world again." 

Taking a hand from the cup, she wipes her cheek with another sniffle. "I knew Raidou back in the day. We had something going between us or so it looked that way...I left him that night that we had our first date 3 years ago... I was afraid of what I was feeling for him because I never in my life felt like I did for anyone as I do for Raidou right now...The moment the other day when you described how you knew if you like someone...I feel that way about Raidou a million times over...That night Haine I left..." Another sniffle and a sip of her cocoa. Continuing her confession saying "I came back to him years later after trying to sort out my feeling and Raidou was completely different. He almost seemed...broken...When I saw you guys together on the ice...He opened back up Haine. You set him free..."

Eruda knew that this could backfire somehow but if she was going to tell Haine the truth, it had to be the whole truth and why she stayed to watch them. It was only then that she glanced at Haine and gazed into her eyes. "I want to be your friend and I want to know you, Haine. I want you to know me and that I always do things for a reason. I was not watching you that day...I was watching Raidou after all this time actually enjoy himself." Taking a huge deep breath trying to calm her nerves that was starting to act up, Eruda looks to the ground now and waits for Haine's reaction to the whole situation hoping that she would understand it from Eruda point of view.

[Haine 0]

Haine accepted the hot cocoa with a gracious bow. She nursed the mug, feeling the comforting warmth of it radiating against her palms. She brought the cup to her lips and closed her eyes, feeling the steam caress her face. Eruda's serious tone, however, caught her off guard. She took a tentative sip of the warm drink, her gaze rested on the blonde. The words which spilled from the other were hard to believe. The bluenette stared at her incredulously as the tale unfolded. Before this, there was not much the girl knew of her fellow guild mate. The furthest of her knowledge of Eruda was that she was determined and amiable. She enjoyed her company on quests. Everything that she heard was a surprise, it caught her off guard as she blinked.

The chance situation to Eruda's feelings for Raidou, she was understanding the girl more this past minute than she did for several weeks. Her eyes softened with sympathy and understanding. She could never bring herself to be mad with an earnest, genuine woman. Haine swished the cocoa and took a few sips before resting a warm palm over the other's hand. She could all but feel the intensity of her emotions as the tears fell down her cheeks.

That day on the ice, Haine felt Raidou's pain. He was not the same as he was all those years ago, a brooding, scarred version of what once was. He had to carry the weight of the guild on his shoulders without his two close friends beside him, he blamed himself for their disappearance. She could feel Eruda's confusion and hurt, and then, her gratitude for returning the one she loved to the way he once was. It was a slow, gradual process, but he was improving exponentially with his friends beside him.

"I want you to know that I'm not angry with you, Eruda." A soft, reassuring smile graced her lips. "I can sense that you really care for Raidou, he must mean the world to you." She could tell she loved him from the way she bared her vulnerability towards him. If not love, then what could it be? "He blames himself for me and Kil being gone for all these years... he took it hard on himself. If I could change what happened, I would in a heartbeat." She reflected on how differently things could've been were it not for these misfortunes. "But it's all said and done, and I want to thank you for being patient beside him for all these years, it must not be easy." She took a few more drafts of the warm liquid, feeling it pour down her throat.

 "I would love to be your friend, Eruda."

[Eruda 0]

A sigh a relief flows throughout her body hearing Haine's word. Eruda had to correct Haine on something saying "I was gone too for years after that first date we had. I have not been back that long Haine. It has taken months to get where I am right now with him. I had no idea what was bothering him until you guys showed back up. I had no idea that you guys existed because I didn't know him that well back then. I would like to though, to know Raidou..." Taking another sip of her cocoa she looks to Haine with a smile. "I am not very interesting though...In my other life, I helped my mom, who was never home, keep the house clean and cooked dinner for her and my twin sister Freya. My dad left when I was younger...and the super sad part is that I had no friends back home. I felt really lonely, so I put my mind into homework and a job so I wouldn't think about it. Hell, my twin didn't even want to be my friend..." Eruda takes a deep breath and another sip of her hot yummy drink. Thinking about her real-life bummed her out. "I came into this game to be a different person. To make friends that I couldn't before. No one knows me here and I am trying so hard to not be that person again." Finishing her cocoa she sets the cup aside and it turns to data. "Raidou was my first real friend, he was the first to talk to me like a real person. He, by all means, changed how I looked at everything. Made me believe in myself because he believed that I could break out of that bubble I was in for so long."

Eruda starts to think of what happened after Haine left... "You calmed Raidou down enough to finally ask me out..." Eruda blushes at this statement hoping that it would go better than last time. Knowing this time she had roots though to keep her here. "I am sorta scared now that I think about it but really excited at the same time." Frowning a bit Eruda says "Do you have any advice Haine..."

Edited July 7, 2020 by Eruda

[Haine 0]

"And in that case, you were going through your own struggles too," the woman supposed, eyes closed for a moment as she enjoyed the drink's steam. She parted her lips to speak, trying to put herself in the other's shoes. "And you shouldn't discredit that, how far you've come." She gave Eruda a comforting smile, opening her eyes. "I think... it's important to live for yourself, to be the best version of yourself in your own terms." Haine was one to talk, she had not a clue what she was trying to say. "Improvement takes courage and it's not always linear." Haine hoped she made sense.

She thought back to Raidou, then Eruda. She had a feeling she would be fond of these two as a couple. She could feel that Eruda loved him, he was important to her. She might have not known the woman for long, but she knew enough for her intuition to decide she was a virtuous, hard working woman. There would be no better match for her dear friend. Love advice was a tough one, she had little to no experience with it. She was just beginning her first serious relationship. A few drafts of her drink later, she cleared her throat. "I think that you two are on the right path. Be honest with each other, show him that you care... as more than a friend?" She set her cup down and put a hand over her mouth, chuckling softly. "T-To be honest, I'm not good with advice. But maybe... write him some caring words, ask him out for breakfast? Work up to another date." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Edited July 7, 2020 by Haine

[Eruda 0]

"So write him a poem or something because I am not sure I am good with that kind of thing. Do men even like poems?" Eruda starts to giggle with Haine realizing that neither of them knew what they were doing when it came to this sort of stuff. After catching her breath a bit she asks "So what is your story? Do you miss home?" Eruda looks to the sky as she thinks about her own home. How her twin abandoned her the moment they went into high school. How her dad left when she was young with no real reason according to her mom. Her mom too busy at work to give a dam about everything going on with her. Taking a deep breath with her eyes closed Eruda says "I do not miss home at all. I wasn't liked at all and no one would talk to me. My twin was the popular one and even she seemed like she didn't like me very much because I was too shy and different from her. I came here and a boy talked to me...I am not sure why but somehow I make a difference here. I would love it here if it wasn't a death game." Eruda sits and ponders about everything she said knowing that each was the truth.

[Haine 0]

Haine giggled. "To hell if I know! I can't remember the last time I wrote one. But it sounds... beautiful yanno? I know I'd love to get one." She thought of Kiluia and the way he would dote on her. Love notes were not the usual, she would've liked to receive one sometime. She listened with intent as Eruda explained her beginnings. The other's brow furrowed in concern as she nodded along. That sounded like a difficult life to live, far from hers. She could not begin to imagine what it would feel like to live a life other than hers. "I feel that," the blue haired woman chimed in. "I didn't realize how much I took life for granted till I got stuck here." Her half empty cup had gone colder. She swished it around and chugged a few sips.

"As for me, I lived a cozy life. My dad worked for tech companies. It was just my siblings and I at home with mom. She worked from home so we were  closer to her. I can play the ukulele and sing, but that's about as interesting as it gets." She propped her chin on her palm and set the cup down. "I learned a lot being here, this world changes you." The blonde's question provoked thoughts she held dormant. "I had a weak spirit when I started... I was afraid of death. Afraid of the unknown..." She clutched her cup tightly as her expression fell. "I had to learn to fight for what I want." She raised her head and her lips curved into a soft smile. Her eyes were determined and searched Eruda's. "I still have my what-if's, but I find comfort that I'm not alone-" She felt winded from all the rambling. She stopped to catch her breath, hand on her chest. "Over everything, I wanna live my fullest life no matter what. It's still mine, even in this clusterf-" She covered her mouth to stifle the last word. "This mess," she reiterated. She had a feeling they forwent all formality by now.

Edited July 7, 2020 by Haine

[Eruda 0]

"Ah you play and sing, that is really cool. Maybe I can hear you play sometime." Taking a deep breath thinking of everything else Haine said. "I didn't really fight for anything in my other life. I tried but it was too hard to do so. Talking to people was really not my forte because everyone knew me as the soft little girl who hid behind my twin who didn't have a voice. The one time I tried to speak up I said something really weird and everyone made fun of me for it so I just stopped talking. It got me nowhere in life but here...I didn't want to be that scared little female who never talked. I started to stand up for myself and others. When the announcement was made that all deaths were final at first I was scared too. After I met Raidou though and saw his determination against fighting for the guild, it made me want to do the same. Protect all who need protection even if it costs me my own life. Prepare for anything and everything so that I will never have to choose between there life and mine. Fighting also helps me think." Eruda takes a moment to breathe for a moment. She liked having someone to talk too and share everything that she has been keeping in. Looking to Haine wondering how such a great woman could just show up out of the blue.

[Haine 0]

The cocoa had long since gone lukewarm throughout the conversation, about under a quarter of substance left. She chugged the rest of the liquid and set the cup down with a satisfied sigh. "Mmm, of course!" Haine added. "I was actually considerin' being a performer. Remind me to bring my ukulele to the guild hall next time." She promised, with playful wink. With the cup now empty, she nursed it on her lap. Her gaze softened at Eruda's earnest confession about her beginnings. She had not walked a path remotely similar in the beginning. Putting herself in the blonde's shoes, she found that to come here from there would've took an insane level of perseverance. She could sense Eruda's drive, yet she got the vibe that she was battle worn. "To be honest, I had difficulties making friends too. I was just too assertive, I didn't think before I said something." She put a hand over her mouth and laughed. "I got into lots of trouble."

"But Eruda," she started, hand placed over the woman's shoulder. "This world can be exhausting and yes, we have to keep up. But..." She tilted her head, trying to gather her thoughts. "I think we deserve to live too. I try to find a balance between pushing forward and enjoying life  as it is in the moment." She pulls away and leans back in her chair, eyes trained on the passing crowds. "The connections I make, they keep me going. Spending time with people outside the battlefield, it gives me a sense of normalcy." She brushed her bangs away from her face.

[Eruda 0]

Deserve to live too, to find the balance..."Normal to me back home isn't normal for me here. Every day I have to push myself out of my comfort zone in hopes that every day will be a success. Whether it is meeting new people and trying to become a better friend hoping that I don't disappoint them. My entire life...my normal has been hiding in the corner scared that people wouldn't like me...My normal was my twin sister Freya protecting me from the bad people and then leaving me. She is here in the game but I have not a clue where she would be." Taking a deep breath thinking of everything that was said, she slowly continues "This game and everyone in it is a new front for me... New territory...How can I find the balance between my normal and fighting when the bridges I have tried to build are not yet solid." Thinking about Raidou she looks to the ground as her face turns a bit red as she says "Raidou is a completely new subject too. All the guys back home would just laugh at me and...Why doesn't Raidou show interest in me...we wouldn't be having this second date if he didn't like me even just a little right?" She was sitting on a chair too...Sometime within this conversation Eruda and Haine had moved themselves to the cafe around the corner. Eruda ordered two more hot cocoas and handed one to Haine with a knot in her chest. She was struggling, trying to make the connections. This game wasn't by any means normal for her...Taking a sip of the steamed cocoa...

"I fight to keep my mind distracted from topics like these because the more I think about everything, the more confusing it gets. I don't want to lose Raidou because yes I don't know him very well but the love that I have for him..." the love...She blushes once more...Putting her cup to her face she started to panic a bit as she says "The second date... how can I have that many feelings for him...I am so confused..." Eruda sits back next to Haine... 

[Haine 0]

"I'm sure you can find her..." Haine started, with a look of concern. "And I think that's something you'll figure out with time. You have us, the guild. We can help you through this, okay? I can be more than a comrade, a friend if you wish." She smiled softly. Eruda trailed off in a tangent of thoughts, increasingly more confused as she spiraled. Haine could sense a great deal of emotions, a great deal of confusion and inner conflict. She could've talked it out, but it seemed like she needed a distraction from these thoughts. The blue haired woman rested a palm on the other's shoulder. 

"Come, Eruda. I think you're in need of a distraction. Would you like to go shopping with me?" She trailed off. "Retail therapy is my go-to method, you'll see it works wonders to relieve the stress." She knew just where to go, to the bizarre just around the corner. She frequented it by herself, it had been a while since she had company shopping. She was a little excited to have Eruda here. Ever since the events of the death game, she seldom had the experience of spending time with her friends doing teenager things. Most of her time revolved around the sword and refining her skills, she neglected all notion of fun sometimes.

[Eruda 0]

Shopping..."I...hey wait up..." Eruda drinks the rest of her second cup of cocoa and follows Haine around the corner. "I was not aware that shopping could be used as such. I always just thought that food was the only thing needed...What exactly are we shopping for Haine..." As she walks into the unit there was so much different stuff in there. "Why would I shop for clothes if I can make whatever is in here..." Maybe she could look for something fancy for her date...thinking that would make her more nervous being in clothing that wasn't her style she goes to Haine with a frown saying "Help...you say this is a distraction...all I am thinking of is what I could wear to the date but then that makes me even more nervous...Haine help..." Eruda almost begs Haine for help in hopes that she could...Looking around almost frantically trying to find the right area to start looking.

[Haine 0]

She was excited, walking too fast, all but leaving Eruda behind. The other had finally caught up to her. "No, not at all! There's so many things you'll never know you need." She kicked a pebble in her path. They walked into the unit, enveloped by arrays of colors and bustling crowds. It looked akin to a medieval bazaar, in tandem with the rest of the town's aesthetic. "Well, sometimes it's fun to try out different styles, or come here for inspiration! Look," She grabbed a pink floral frock, cinched around the waist. "Bea.ut.i.ful. Let's put this on hold." She tossed the dress to Eruda and marched onward. The blonde's anxious question prompted the older to step up, hands on her hips. She calls over her shoulder. "Fear not! Outside of this dreadful garb, I'm quite fashionable. And I know just the thiiiingg..." She rummaged through the racks. "Pink is so your color. So something else that's piiink..." she thought aloud.

[Eruda 0]

"Haine wait up..."Eruda tries to say as a pink frilly dress flies in her direction. "Haine..." she tries to say again as she runs off into the selection. Setting the pink dress on one of the racks she walks to Haine. Eruda was never a pink kind of girl. she was more of the purple and blues. Maybe the right shade of pink would be okay. Standing in front of Haine now holding both of her shoulders in place so that Haine couldn't run again Eruda says "Light pink, Light blue or purple like my ribbon in the hair. I do not like pink much but it will do if we find the right shade. Frilly is fine but not prom frilly...Got it?" Eruda says this will a bit of demanding voice gazing into Haine's eyes. After a moment she starts to laugh a bit and makes a bit of distance... "I never thought I would be out doing this with someone who I can call my friend," saying as she caught her breath. Her thoughts started to get dark and weird again and her eyes widen a bit looking to Haine saying fast "Haine quick find me something..." as she looks around frantically.

[Haine 0]

Haine moved forward, ecstatic. She was a firm believer in retail therapy, a spoiled kid through and through. As a kid, she blew her hefty allowance on goods to boost her vanity. It was relaxing to stroll around the bazaar, picking out clothes to add to her collection. Haine had an electic fashion sense, a colorful clash of patterns and styles. She liked to call herself a fashion chameleon, anything and everything at a whim. Eruda was overwhelmed by all the things she was throwing her way, in a spree of glee. "But c'moooonn. You don't like pink?" She scrunched her nose in mock disappointment and snatched the articles of clothing from her. "Alright then! We can work with purple. I'd love that on you." She waved her hand and shoved the hangers back on random racks, peering from her sides suspiciously like she wasn't misplacing what she just grabbed.

From the corner of her periphery, she found it, the perfect dress. It was a soft fuschia empire dress with a little bit of frill, but mostly loose for comfort. She turned around to shove it at her, but then she'd noticed the other's composure faltering. She cocked a brow as if to ask what was wrong, but she pushed it away. She didn't want to seem like the nosy type, she would do the best to alleviate her new friend's anxiety. She found a patterned floral black dress and handed it to her as well. "Try on these two."

[Eruda 0]

Eruda smile as she gets a shoved a medium lengthed dress. The frill was at the very bottom and the chest area of it was outlined but loose looking. Her eyes gleam as it was not any of the colors that she was hoping for but i was really nice looking. Setting the other dress pushing to her aside she runs to the dressing room to try it on. 

Locking the door and putting this dress on... Looking in the mirror now she smiles. Opening the door ever so slightly she peaks her head out calling out "Haine we found it...We found the perfect dress. It wasn't what I was looking for originally but I really love it. Come take a look. I will model for you." Eruda giggles at the last part actually enjoying herself. She waits for Haine to walk over here. Walking out slowly, her face turns a bit red as she asked: "Do you think Raidou will like this?"

Edited July 14, 2020 by Eruda

[Haine 0]

Haine clasped her hands together in anticipation as she waited outside the dressing room. Once Eruda had stepped out, Haine erupted into a fit of squeals. She unceremoniously grabbed Eruda's hands and spun her around. "Oh. My. God! I lied, this is so your color." She giggled. The dark indigo shade contrasted that of porcelain, the dark shadows creating illusions of a smaller waistline. It was a flattering fit, in fact Haine would've grabbed one for herself were it not that being the only pair. "I think Raidou will love this. It's fun and cute with a bit of class." She sighed, dreamily. "But we can't stop there. What about shoes? Accessories? Ohh, goodie." 

She was off again, rummaging through shelves of shoes and handbags to accompany the look. She stopped at a shelf with a small white handbag, little silver seams adorning it. Then there was a pair of low black wedges to pair with it. "Hmm, what do ya' think?"

[Eruda 0]

"The bag might be a bit much...I...I mean we have an inventory so I don't want to carry anything extra if...But those shoes..." Eruda takes the wedges and sits on a stool place by the dressing room. Putting them on she gets up and looks down to her feet with a smile. Eruda realized that she had never worn a dress before. "Are you sure that I look okay. I have never dressed like this before and I would hate to make a fool of myself." She remembered a quest she did with Raidou way back when she had tripped on her dress and had to justify herself for doing so but it was still embarrassing. "I want to look good but what if..." her thoughts begin to spiral again but then she starts to think out loud. "I am way past this fear. I will be there, no matter how I look. I think though, I am going to leave my hair down." Eruda pulls the bow tie from her hair, letting her hair drop down past her shoulders. Her hair was about half her back length. "How do I look now," saying this as she does a twirl.

[Haine 0]

"Fair point! But it's cuteeee." She frowned a little, but looking back at Eruda, she couldn't stay down for long. Seeing her happy in that elegant dress made her feel happier too. Her petite frame complimented it well, she reminded her of a summer elf in some sort of way. "You look lovely," she beamed, grasping Eruda's hands again. Her smile almost faltered at the blonde's internal conflict, but she was strong. She'd willed the anxiety away somewhat. Once the woman had let her hair down, Haine gasped. She could only wish to be half as elegant as the warrior. Eruda carried an air of elegance that the bluenette was sure she didn't know she had. She looked effortlessly beautiful, all she needed was that confidence, that push. Her mother had once told her, there is nothing more powerful than confidence in a woman.

The shorter woman leaned in, fixing the blonde strands framing her face. She parted her bangs and adjusted the sleeve. "My mother once told me, a woman's most powerful weapon is confidence. It'll take you places." She stepped away, nodding in approval of the look. The wedges gave her a little height, a little more umph. "It's all in here." She tapped her noggin. "If we learn to harness this, it's pretty kickass."

 

THREAD COMPLETE

Eruda - 2 SP ( 1 PAGE, 1 BONUS ) + 200 COL

Haine - 2 SP ( 1 PAGE, 1 BONUS ) + 200 COL