[F11-PP] The Bonds that Overcome Death

[Yukiro 0]

Spoiler

Yukiro

********************************************
LEVEL 27
540 HP | 54 EN | 8 DMG | 3 ACC | 44 MIT | 3 EVA | 1 REG | 1 FLN 

Skills:
2H Straight Sword - Rk 5
Light Armor - Rk 2

 

Equipped:

• "Unnamed" - 2H Straight Sword (T2 Demonic) ACC x3 Gain 3 to the BD on an attack roll, cannot be used to make a critical hit | FALLEN x1 Successful attack rolls of 6-8 (before modifiers) gain 4 fallen damage to your total base damage.
• "Briar Cloak" - Light Armor (T2 - Demonic) MIT x2 Prevent 36 damage from successful attacks against you | REG x1  | CRSD
• "Ravenfeather Treads" - Light Armor (T1 - Perfect) EVA x3 Reduces the die value by 3 on an enemy’s attack against you. Cannot be used to avoid a critical hit.

Battle-ready Items:

T1 Health Potions of Uncommon Quality (+40HP) x5
Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP) x3
Crystal of Agile Dragon Wings (Teleport crystal) x2
T1 Damage Potion. (+1 Damage) x1
T1 Over-Health Potion (+50 Temp. HP) x2

Items:
"Jack's Purgatory" - T2 Demonic 2HSS - Cursed//Burn (24)//Blight (24)//Freeze (24)
"Cloak of Twisted Worlds" - Light Armor (T1 -  Rare) EVA x2 
"Leggings of Shattered Torment" - Light Armor (T1 - Rare) 18 MIT 
Vicious Dragon-Fang Potion (+3 Damage for a thread) x1
Antidote

Yukiro stood completely still in front of the house, shivering. The weather was warm and the sun shone brightly onto the boy's black cloak, and there was no wind blowing. Nothing to make the boy shiver. Nothing at all. And, yet, goosebumps rose all over his body. 
"..."
Very slowly, he stepped toward the house. His bones seemed to creak with the motion due to how long he'd been standing there. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he approached the ominous feeling house. 

Ever since Tala had passed, Yukiro hadn't been able to approach Koga. He didn't know how his friend would react to his being there. Would he get angry? Would he try to hurt him? Honestly, Yukiro wasn't even sure whether he was talking about Koga... or himself. He didn't want to blame Koga for the incident, he honestly didn't... Yet, at the same time, a part of him did. Really, his feeling were just a jumble mess by now. But, despite that, he'd  made up his mind to go and see Koga. He didn't want to go back on that decision. Besides, Cordelia would probably flatten him if she heard that he'd ran away.

Taking a deep breath and steeling hi nerves, Yukiro finally knocked on the door.

@Koga

Edited December 27, 2020 by Yukiro

[Koga 0]

Spoiler

Koga
Level: 32
Health: 640
Energy: 64
DMG: 15 // EVA: 0 // MIT: 36 // ACC: 4
BRN: 24 // BLT: 24 // FALN: 4 // REGN: 10

Skills
>> Katana V

Extra Skills
>> Familiar Master: Fighter III
>> Survival

Inventory
>> T2 Demonic Katana <<Tsuki no Hikari>> [Burn // Blight // Cursed // Fallen]
>> T1 Perfect Necklace <<White Owl Necklace>> [Accuracy // Accuracy // Accuracy]
>> T2 Demonic Light Armor <<Wrathful Bracers>>  [Cursed // Mitigation // Mitigation // Regen]

Battle-Ready Inventory
---

The pleasant aroma of cooking food wafted throughout the house as Koga threw together one of his favored meals. Beef stew with rice. Simple to make, but always tasty and filling. Ha, who needed a maxed out cooking skill anyways? The man poured in a little bit more water in the stew to make it less thick before covering the pot, and looking down where Okami looked up at his master hopefully. "Still got another thirty before it's ready bud. At least."

Knock, knock.

Koga turned towards his door, with a raised eyebrow. Someone at his door? That was weird...he'd never had visitors...not even NIGHT...Koga walked to the wooden door and opened it, only to freeze. A tall man, only a little bit younger than Koga, with snow-white hair and blood-red eyes stood in Koga's doorway. "Y-yuki?"

A whole flood of emotions washed over Koga. Anger, for running and hiding where Koga could never find him. Guilt, for not being able to protect Tala, his sister, Yuki's love. And under all of that, something Koga wasn't ready to touch quite yet. A few moment's passed in silence.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN STRING BEAN, DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I SPENT LOOKING FOR YOU?!"

@Yukiro

Edited December 27, 2020 by Koga

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro flinched at the words. 
"S-sorry," he said quickly, almost on instinct. Suddenly, the fear that had before been keeping the boy from reaching out to his friend seemed to shift. Now, that very same fear seemed to force him to keep talking. 
"I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to shut you out, I really didn't. I don't know what came over me, I just... I... I couldn't help it! I was so, so... Upset! I know that was wrong of me, I know I should have conducted myself better, I know I shouldn't have left you on your own." 
Months of bottled up emotions came bursting out as water started to stream down his cheeks. He looked down, habitually trying to hide the tears.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect them, I should have been there. It's my fault for letting my guard down, for..." 

A moment of silence passed. Only a moment. Then, half in annoyance and half in confusion, Yukiro simply said;

"... String bean..?"

@Koga

[Koga 0]

Yuki quickly launched into an apology of his own, stumbling over his own words every once in a while as he tried to calm Koga's ire. Koga crossed his arms as the taller boy continued to speak until finally he stopped.

"Tall...skinny...stringbean...C'mon man, keep up would you?" Koga said, mocking annoyance. The furrowed brows slowly softened and Koga gave his old friend a small, soft smile. "I've got food on the stove. Come on in, there's enough for both of us."

Koga walked back to the boiling pot and took off the lid to check the food once more. "It's...it's good to see you..." After all this time, he was here. Koga didn't even need to go hunt him down, he'd shown up, all on his own. "Look, Yuki," Koga began as he turned back around, leaning against the counter, forcing himself to look Yuki in the eyes. "If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. I couldn't face you after they died...I should have been the one to tell you, by the very least, but instead I ran. Again. I'm sorry."

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Koga's jabs stunned Yukiro. He'd long since gotten used to being called out on his appearance, but that was mostly just regarding his (admittedly odd) hair and eye color. But tall? Skinny? Yukiro was so shocked that he couldn't even get angry. 
Koga's invitation to come inside snapped the boy out of his daze. He nodded and wiped the tears off his face, following Koga inside. And hit his head on the doorframe on the way in. 

Looking around, Yukiro was surprised by how... nice the house was. But what really caught his attention was the scent of food. It had been, what... almost a week since he'd eaten with NIGHT. Or at all, for that matter. That was when Koga started talking.

Yukiro listened to Koga without interrupting. Then, with a heavy sigh, Yukiro managed to come to a decision about how he felt. Maybe his brother could be proud of how much he'd changed.

"Koga..." Yukiro closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "I was so busy drowning myself in my own sorrow, I had forgotten that you were suffering even more than I. You need not apologize, but if you must, then I forgive you. I... I am very hurt by their deaths..." Yukiro paused for a moment, "But I am equally grateful for your survival. You are worth more to me than you can possibly imagine..."

"...Shorty."

@Koga

[Koga 0]

There. They'd both said what they needed to. To be honest, Koga had imagined it going far differently. Shouting certainly. Blaming each other. Maybe even a duel. Surprise, surprise, they managed to handle this like adults. Like friends who needed each other.

Silence passed between them again, as Koga processed everything Yuki had just said. Finally, he said, "Shorty? Really? That's the best you could come up with? You're letting me down man." Koga cracked a genuine smile. One he hadn't realized still existed. As serious as a moment this was for both of them, in the end nothing really could stop their antics. Koga had a feeling Noct and Tala would both be laughing and trying to kill them at the same time if they were here. "Really though, where did you go? I came back a few months ago, and NIGHT told me you'd just...disappeared. She figured you were out hunting or something."

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

"...I don't have to insult people much, okay? Stop looking at me like that." Yukiro defended his, quite honestly, pathetic insult. He could almost hear Tala telling him that he needed to sucking at insults. But before the thought could draw Yukiro's mind fully away, Koga spoke again. 

Oh, right. He hadn't really told anyone where he was, had he? 
Well... I guess it's pretty much pointless to hide it now, huh?

Yukiro sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well... For a long time, I just kind of... Wandered. I avoided towns, though. Only went there when I realized I needed to eat something. Even then, it took a lot of self-convincing." Yukiro sighed heavily, realizing that didn't really help explain much. "I'll be blunt. I wanted to die. I had convinced myself that I could see Tala again if I died trying to find her. And before you say that's dumb, don't. Just don't."
"Anyway, I fought a lot of bosses. I never won, but I never died, either. I just kind of... Never died. Eventually, and old friend found me. Convinced me to come back. She, ah... Helped me realize that what I needed wasn't out there. Yumi died somewhere along the way, too. That was also depressing." 

Noticing himself slipping back into his depression, Yukiro took a deep breath and forced himself back into the present. "Anyway, it was just a lot of wandering. Never staying in one place too long. Didn't wanna be found. You know the stuff."

@Koga

[Koga 0]

Koga did not stop looking at him that way. In fact, it probably got worse. Looked like Koga would have to toughen little ol' Yuki up again. That would be a time and a half.

Crossing his arms, Koga listened carefully to Yuki, who only confirmed Koga's suspicions. Wandering and hunting down bosses. Koga supposed some things never changed. "I wasn't gonna say it was dumb, dude. I've been there too." Koga didn't seem to be looking at Yuki anymore, his gaze going past the man, detached from the world for a moment. Suddenly their focus returned, and once more Koga was himself, or at least a ghost. "I was actually gonna say, Tala would find some way to kill your ass again if you pulled a stunt like that." Yuki probably realized that at some point or another. His sister had always been a firebrand, even more that Koga had been. It ran in their blood.

Okami padded up to Yuki next, and nuzzled the taller boy's leg for a moment. "He's sorry to hear about Yumi too," Koga informed him, "we both are." It was like one thing after another with them. They just couldn't catch a break for anything. "So, not that I'm not glad to see you, but...what's next for you, Yuki? To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again, and then you just kinda popped up outta nowhere on my doorstep, so...I dunno, you planning on sticking around a bit?"

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Now that Koga mentioned it, he was right. Tala probably would have killed him for acting like that. 
...Suddenly I think I should keep from dying for as long as possible... Sorry Tala. I'll, uh, avoid joining you for a while. So please don't kill me for dying. 
Feeling Okami brush against his leg, Yukiro cracked a slight, sad smile. "Thanks Okami, Koga. As for what's next..."

Yukiro thought for a moment about the question. He wasn't entirely sure, but he did know he had a few more visits to make before committing to anything long term. Well, if nothing else... He could decide on the immediate moment. 
"Well, first things first, I need to eat. Can't think straight on an empty stomach. And after that... Well, we'll see. I need to visit another friend before anything else. And my older brother, too. Perhaps I'll get to tearing stuff up after that. Force myself to level up. Finally get used to how the games system works. Maybe even force you to help me punch a rock," he added with a smirk. "I'll try not to eat more than you have in the meantime." 

@Koga

[Koga 0]

Koga chuckled at the reference of the sheer torture he'd put Yuki, NIGHT and Noct through all those months ago. Honestly, it felt like it had been years since they had all stood around that damned boulder and...oh right, Koga tied him to a chair again...still, those had been better times.

"Mi casa, su casa, hermano," Koga said, as he turned back to his pot of stew, his smile still playing at his face. "Believe me, we got more than enough food. And I won't try to force feed you this time either, promise." Koga peered into the pot. Yeah, it was ready. "Take a seat, I'll get you a pl-wait a second..." queue a really late reaction from the resident idiot. "Did you say 'older brother?' You never told me you had a brother." Well that was a new development. "And he's in the game? How come I've never met the guy?"

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

"Hm? Didn't I tell you about him? I'm sorry, I thought I had," Yukiro said in a n increasingly light, upbeat tone, "Well, technically he's my half-brother. But I really look up to him. Not only is he an insanely high level, he's also a really good guy. When we first ran into each other, we didn't recognize each other, but he still gave me free equipment just because I was lower level!" Clearing his throat, Yukiro stopped himself from rambling on about his brother. "Anyway, it's been a while since I've visited him, so that's probably the reason you haven't met him. I'll make sure to introduce you sometime. Also, thank you for not force feeding me, not that you'll have to," he added jokingly. 

The tone of the white-haired boy suddenly shifted to become slightly more serious. "But, before I forget to ask. What about you? Do you have any plans for what you'll do going forward?"

@Koga

[Koga 0]

Koga shook his head 'no' as Yuki exclaimed how he thought he'd mentioned him. "Never to me at least." It was pretty clear though that Yukiro looked up to this guy, whoever he was. A little voice in the back of Koga's head wanted to ask if Aki had ever talked about him like that, but Koga pushed the thought aside.

Koga set the extra plate out as he listened to Yuki gush on about his brother. He sounded like a good guy. By the time Yuki finished, Koga was already bringing over the pot of stew and rice and setting it on the table. "I don't know, to be honest," Koga answered Yuki's question. "I guess aim for the Frontlines still...I don't really know what else to do." Not that Koga actually wanted to finish the game at this point. Not that he could tell Yuki that. "After that, beats me. Keep leveling? Plenty more floors to go, so I guess I just keep aiming higher."

With the food served, Koga sat down and gestured for Yuki to go ahead as well, "Oh, by the way," the man said as he tossed a couple cubes of beef he'd set aside for Okami to the wolf, "If you need a place to stay, I've got a guest room. You're free to use it."

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Nodding politely to Koga as he gestured for him to start, Yukiro went ahead and begun to serve himself. For a brief moment before replying, he considered what Koga had said. 
"That's probably a good plan. It's impressive that you've still got the drive to push for such a goal..." Yukiro paused, considering how to phrase his next line, "...I guess I'll aim for the same thing. If I let you go to the frontlines alone you'll probably do something brilliantly dumb, so... Yeah, I'll tag along, alright?"
As he finished speaking, Yukiro also finished serving himself. His plate was full to the brim, almost past it, but once he started to actually eat it started to disappear at a rate that would make a vacuum pale. Yet, despite the unreal pace, he managed to maintain some vague form of dignity while eating. 

Truly, this was the kind of thing dreams and nightmares were made of.

Finishing what was on his plate in just moments, Yukiro turned his attention back to Koga. "Well, I mean, I've basically been sleeping on rocks for a while, so if you're serious about letting me stay, I'd love to accept," he finished with a surprisingly sweet smile.

@Koga

[Koga 0]

Koga didn't really say anything to Yuki for a moment. Was there really a good way to explain to someone that he was just going through the motions? Even if that person was Yuki? No, not really. So instead, Koga stared in abject horror of the scene in front of him. He had never seen a man literally inhale food, but now that he had, he wasn't sure how he felt about that revelation...

"Uh, yeah...like I said...guest room upstairs..." Koga said, still staring in shock at Yuki's display of...gluttony? What even was that. Koga was beginning to doubt that his friend was human and wasn't actually some weird AI construct the system had tossed his way.

Shaking himself from his shocked stupor, Koga turned to his own meal, beginning to eat at a speed most would consider quick, but compared to Yuki, it was a snails pace. "You droppin' by any other old friends before starting to farm again?" Koga asked out of curious, attempting to make conversation, something he was notoriously bad at.

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro listened politely while Koga spoke, trying to ignore the lack of food on his plate. He didn't want to be rude to his friend-- Potential roommate? Landlord? Well, regardless, it would be rude to just take more without asking, so he decided to wait until a better moment to do that. 

Nodding to Koga's confirmation regarding the room Yukiro smiled. "Well, I'll accept your offer then. Thank you for having me."

"Ah, yes. That reminds me. I've got to visit a couple of friends before heading back to training. Not sure how those will go, but... Well, they deserve it." 

While there was a lull in the conversation, Yukiro took the chance to strike. 
"Uhm... Would it be alright if I had some more? I hate to be gluttonous, but... Well, it's been a bit since my last meal," he added with a light laugh, hoping to excuse his habits.

@Koga

[Koga 0]

Other friends? "Oh, so you mean to tell me Noct, Tala and I weren't the only ones you were harassing all that time?" Koga joked with a wry smile. "In all seriousness though, who? Just curious, ya know?" To be completely honest, as time had gone on, and Yuki spent more time with Tala, Koga more with Noct, the two had drifted apart ever so slightly. Add in a years worth of self imposed exile on both their parts and there was a lot of catching up to do.

In response to Yuki's question about more food, Koga gestured to the pot with his spoon as he swallowed his mouthful of food. "Go for it. You're helping pay for groceries though, God knows I'm gonna go broke if that's how you always eat." That...that was only half a joke. Koga had never been more afraid of a person's eating habits than he was in this moment.

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Nodding, Yukiro started to serve himself up again. "I'll, uh, pay what I can. No promises how much I'll make though." Thinking back to the general cost of his meals... I'm so, so sorry Koga. I promise I'll do what I can to keep you out of permanent debt. 

"As far as the number of harassment policy reminders," Yukiro said between bites, "There's my brother, A-- sorry, there's Bahr." Internally kicking himself, Yukiro promised to make it a habit to call his half brother by his player name. "Then there's Cordelia. She was... I think the first person I really met in here. Then again, she may send me flying if I go..." Yukiro cleared his throat before continuing. "I've already met up with NIGHT..." Yeah, no way he ran into her by complete accident and was too afraid to make a break for it. 

Not a chance. 

"...And you. That's my priority list, at least. Perhaps I'll manage to find Violet or someone." 

@Koga

[Koga 0]

Koga waved his spoon dismissively, "Just pay whatever you can and make sure I don't go broke man. Else we're both fucked." And wasn't that the truth. They both ate like tanks. Well, Koga ate like a tank, Yuki ate like Godzilla who ate the monster who ate the tank. Oh god, Koga was so screwed...but, hey, maybe he could skin Okami for his pelt and make a couple col off that to survive. Plus, wolf meat's in season!

Yuki went down the list of people he needed to meet with. "Coredlia...why does that sound familiar..." Koga wondered allowed as he chewed. "Oh, right, I think I met her once...well...'met', more like she yelled at us in a tavern for being loud...were you there for that?" Honestly, Koga was surprised he remembered that interaction at all. "Hey, maybe if we go broke, we can hound NIGHT and make her feed us till we're back on our feet, ey?" She'd go for that right? Yeah, definitely.

"Speaking of NIGHT...you heard from anyone from the old gang? I haven't heard from Nora or Lonzo in...well since before everything happened." The old ratpack, who was left now? Really, just Yuki, NIGHT, and himself. Koga wondered how awful it must've been for NIGHT to lose so many friends so quickly, and how strange it was for two of them to just reappear again.

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro nodded, smirking at Koga's description of Cordelia's attitude. "That definitely sounds like her. And, you know... I think I do remember that. Good times, eh?"

At the mention of Lonzo and Nora, Yukiro paused in the middle of finishing his third helping. He slowly put his spoon down, looking at his unfinished plate. Though his face seemed mostly calm, his eyes betrayed a sense of distress. "...I haven't heard from them. I had been hoping that you or NIGHT had, but I guess..." A moment of silence crossed the snow-haired boy before he found his composure. Deeply sighing, he picked his spoon back up. "What matters is, if they were dead, we'd know. I trust them to find us again in their due time. But, for now, let's trust them to themselves."
He went to take a bite but paused again.
"For now."
And with that he swiftly finished his third plate.

@Koga

[Koga 0]

Koga smiled softly at the memory of the tavern. It had been odd to be around so many people after being on his own for such a long time. At first, if Koga remembered correctly, he hadn't been entirely happy about it. But looking back, it was a rather fond memory. "Yeah...good times."

A few moments passed, where the only sound was that of Koga's fork quietly clattering against his plate. It didn't surprise him that Yuki hadn't heard anything either. They were gone like the wind. Well, maybe the wind would carry them back one day.

There were no more words to be shared by the two as Koga finished up his second plate. The man stood, leaving Yukiro to eat more, should he so desire. There were still a couple servings left in the pot. Koga took his dirty plate to the sink and began to scrub quietly.

"Hey, Yuki...I'm glad you're back..."

---

Thread Summary

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