[F04 - PP] <<Avalanche>> The Winter From Within

[Elora 0]

Elora gently shook her head. She knew with certainty that, save for a few discussions about her issues in school, she would never intentionally divulge details to him surrounding her life outside of the game. That was, unless, there was some way she had revealed information to him in her sleep when they'd spent the night together on Floor 7. Even now, she regretted having felt compelled to share the matter with him. Doing so only risked vulnerability on her part, as it It gave him the chance to peer into her past, to discover what she was really like, and to rightfully judge her based on his reformed impression. 

"What's he studying?  Were...are you close?"

"Yeah. Astrophysics, fittingly", she answered bluntly and with a faint smirk. 

"I have no siblings and have been largely estranged from my parents since long before coming to this place." 

"That's...too bad...", replied Elora as her grip around his fingers began to tense, "My parents and I weren't really all that close either. Without Liam being there to help me when things got bad...I don't know where I would be..." When Freyd speculated about their time being stuck here, she couldn't stop herself from commenting, "Who knows, but I have a feeling it hasn't been long. If it were up to my parents, they would have pulled the plug on me by now --" Elora's voice cracked at the end of the statement, though her expression remained uncharacteristically unmoved. As silence grew between them, it became clear that the realization had not been an unfamiliar one to her. She had already accepted the possibility of her fate being determined by forces outside of this game, by people that ignored or neglected to recognize her potential to change.

"Anyways...", she released his hand to cross her arms in front of her shawl as she felt a certain coldness begin to creep in. "I haven't really thought about the future...I don't know where I could live that would make me feel happy -- er.", Elora trailed off, rubbing her arms out of anxious compulsion as she tried to envision what it was that she wanted. "It doesn't really matter to me where it is. I guess somewhere that's not too hot and not too cold. I just want", she began, "To live somewhere that feels like home. But not -- like home. I want to start a new life, somewhere that can feel -- somewhere that I can be myself" Gradually, she resorted to gesturing ambiguously with her hands in an effort to add context to her thoughts as they streamed freely from her mind. "I want to wake up every morning, excited to do something with my day because I know and I feel that I can. And I want to come back at the end of every night feeling proud of myself for accomplishing whatever it is that I chose to do. It would be so -- I would like to return to a place where I can relax and feel -- safe, accepted, like I belong -- like it's where I was always meant to be."

Her arms suddenly fell stiffly to her sides as she spared a quick glance to meet Freyd's eyes before sheepishly looking away.

"Uhh, sorry -- that was just, everything that was going through my head. I-I don't know if any of that even made any sense..." She lifted a hand to rest against her left cheek in an attempt to conceal her embarrassment. "Can a home even do all that? That's a really tall order for a building..."

[Freyd 0]

"Please... don't.  Every time you start to open up, you do this and sabotage yourself.  Let it out!"  He reached up to brush away a few stray strands of emerald hair from her face, tucking them slowly and gently behind her ears.  How could he rekindle that connection, and make her find faith in herself?

"I've seen the courage and passion that stirs in here."  His hand slipped down, tracing a line to press two fingers over her heart.  

"You fear risk, failure, criticism, or maybe even yourself.  I don't know why, except that you seem terrified that someone else will look deeper than your surface.  But there is strength and joy beyond measure waiting inside you, if you will only allow it to shine.  I've witnessed it come out against the cave guardian, that trebuchet, those crazy elves during DHA, and the Avalanche, just now.  You are magnificent!"  His voice carried so much admiration that he forcibly stopped himself, afraid to scare her off again.  "I don't know how else to help you reach it, except to remind you of how much you have already done, and how amazing it felt to play a part in it."  

He felt his own urge to look away, but cast it aside as tempting hypocrisy.  Closing his eyes momentarily, they re-opened, focused entirely on capturing the azure gaze she seemed so desperate to turn away.  His voice was soft and gentle as he spoke.

"A building doesn't make a home, Elora.  I've lived in plenty of 'buildings'.  Even now, here, I live in one that was deliberately designed to never become anything more than a place to hide.  I want... no... need to reach beyond that."  His own hands threatened to fidget and lose focus, so he took hers in his and pressed them to his chest, tempting her also to reach out without realizing it.

"I don't know what all of... this... means yet, and realize that it'll take time to figure out."  His eyes darted over their arms, connecting them in a manner that felt right, but whose substance remained unclear.  "I know this: that I want to figure it out, with you.  I want to give you that feeling of warmth and safety, and share in it myself.  I want to not feel broken inside anymore.  So, maybe that means we need to keep building memories?  And, if it's not too soon,"  he chewed on his lips, stirring up the very thing he was trying to get her to find in herself, "maybe we could start by trying to make a place... a... home... that gives us both what we're looking for, together?"

[Elora 0]

"Let it out!", urged Freyd as the two of them stopped rather abruptly to look each other in the eye, "I've seen the courage and passion that stirs in here."

Elora could feel a blush returning to her face as she tried her best not to brush off his concern, at least, not as blatantly as she normally would have liked to. "I'm sorry...I don't know why I'm like this...", she admitted with a degree of hesitancy that carried through her voice. I don't know what it is that you want from me. Who do you want me to become? She tried to search his eyes for the answer. All that she found was a distorted reflection of herself.

"You fear risk, failure, criticism, or maybe even yourself. I don't know why, except that you seem terrified that someone else will look deeper than your surface.", presumed Freyd as he began to recount all of of her -- Elora's accomplishments in Aincrad. He was right about everything. But how could she find it in herself to tell him that? How could she confess to him that she really was afraid -- ashamed even -- of the person that she was outside of this game? Doing so would only force her to confront the life she had worked so hard to run away from and to accept how...unremarkable...it was when it stood in the shadow of her successful persona. I don't...want to lose this. I don't want to lose him, she told herself firmly, I can't afford for him to think of me as anything less than what he already knows me to be. If he knew the truth, then he would leave. No one wants to love someone like me. I need to be better than that.

Elora can be better than that.

"Thank you...", she said in response to it all, "I'll do my best to keep succeeding here" As she turned to look away, she added, "I'm sure you'll see more courage and passion with every encounter we have" The unintentional innuendo was an otherwise obvious misdirection of what Freyd had meant when he praised her for expressing herself. Still, she found herself smiling slyly in satisfaction of the clever response. 

"Maybe we could start by trying to make a place... a... home... that gives us both what we're looking for, together?"

Is that...an invitation...? One to -- live together? She had to be mistaken. Freyd hardly seemed the type to want things to move that quickly. Or...was that just her projecting? 

She would try her best to humor the possibility. 

"How would we do that?", she found herself blurting out instead. "Like --", she momentarily pulled her hands away from his chest to gesture some sort of compressing motion, as if she were trying to cage something between the set of splayed fingers, "Building memories...into a home" The concept seemed more novel to her than he had anticipated, and she appeared to be overcomplicating its premise more and more with each passing second. "Do you mean you want to try and like, build a place, somehow? Is that even something we can do?", she wondered as her right hand lifted up to scratch the back of her head, "And also, aren't doing home-improvement projects a GUARANTEED way to make sure that the people involved hate each other by the end of it?"

Edited December 12, 2020 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

"I'm sorry...I don't know why I'm like this..."

"Like what, Elora?"  He looked at her with simple, judgment-free honesty.  "Fallible?  We're all fallible.  We all fail.  I do it all the time."  Freyd's hands wrapped themselves around her and drew her close.  She couldn't be left to run away from this, and he wanted to offer her the safety she needed to feel to confront it. 

"Don't promise me that you won't fail, or that you'll never be afraid, or that you'll find passion in every... encounter."  A tempted smile crossed his face and lingered in his eyes at that one, a touch of rose tinting his otherwise pale features. 

"Firstly, I won't believe you.  Secondly, I should be the one you feel like you don't need to do that with.  Remember, this..."  He kissed her again to rekindle the memory and prove to both of them that it wasn't just an accident, but a real and sincere choice.  Now was the time for giggles and lots of blushing, not panic and self-loathing.  Pulling himself gently away at the slightest hint of hesitation, or a sufficiently long eternity, he said his peace in the hopes that the aftermath might place her at her most receptive. 

"I know you.  Or, at least, I've started to and would like to continue.  Part of that means getting to know each other's strengths and weaknesses; the good and the... not so good."  Something flashes by, unspoken, as he said the words, clearly worried that she might not accept his own failings as she learned them.  "And, if it makes you feel any better, I am terrified to do the very same thing that I am asking you to do.  You're not alone in this."

He closed his eyes for a moment, and she felt him tense.  What he said was true.  And he was having to fight himself with every breath to find the words that could confess any of this to her.  It simply wasn't his way.  But it mattered, if he was going to be there for her.

"Building a house together?  That's the easy part.  Learning how to turn it into a home?"  A rumbling chuckle shook his throat down to his chest.  "I don't really know.  But I'm hoping that we could figure it out, together, if that's okay?  And I'd rather try and hope that it leads somewhere, than spend a life regretting that I never found the courage to attempt it."

[Elora 0]

"Like what, Elora? Fallible?"

"Yes."

"Don't promise me that you won't fail, or that you'll never be afraid, or that you'll find passion in every... encounter." 

"I'm not promising that.", she replied bluntly before he leaned forward to kiss her. Damnit, she thought as her body reluctantly allowed itself to relax into the experience, though not completely.

"I know you.  Or, at least, I've started to and would like to continue"

Even if it were true that he did know her and for who she really was, Elora wasn't prepared to accept that. As far as she was concerned, there was plenty of room for her improve in nearly every aspect of her life. After all, she had no job, no money, no secondary education, and no plans for the future. How was she supposed to know how to build a life with another person when she couldn't even figure out how to do that for herself? The scars that lingered from years of being told and taught that she was undeserving of leniency from scrutiny or the forgiveness and acceptance that came with love weren't going be cured with simple statements of reassurance. Yes, the next lessons she learned would have to be taught with the same amount of intensity and consistency as the ones that were instilled in her during her formative years.

The aurora above them began to fade into a wash of periwinkle as the not-so distant lanterns of Snowfrost were gradually extinguished, their welcoming halo disappearing along the horizon as the sun began to rise. Had they really been out all night? "Let's put it to rest, for now", she offered with weariness in her eyes.

"And I'd rather try and hope that it leads somewhere, than spend a life regretting that I never found the courage to attempt it."

Lowering her hands, she gave his a gentle but affirmative squeeze, "I like that about you..." Her voice softened into a whisper, and for a moment, it seemed as if she was about to fall asleep where they stood. "You're always willing to take risks. Calculated risks, at least", she caught herself with a chuckle before motioning for them to continue their return, "That must mean that I have good odds"

"I guess we'll be going our separate ways at the portal, then", she added with an inquisitive tone. 

[Freyd 0]

"I like that about you. You're always willing to take risks. Calculated risks, at least.  That must mean that I have good odds"

Freyd resumed their walk back to Snowfrost at a slower than usual pace.  He wanted this moment to last, but could also see the exhaustion washing over her as the celestial lights above started to fade.  

"Come on," he said, gently nudging her arm to follow.  "Why don't I walk you home?  I'm not even sure where you currently live."  He knew the building, but nothing more, and wanted to give her the opportunity to share something more superficial about herself.  The duties of his role in O&I required many such things to already be known, but it didn't require him to spoil their presumed revelation.  Plus, the day had already claimed enough emotional heaviness from both of them.  They needed time to recover and figure out where this all led.  For once, he didn't have a clue, or even the usual dozen scenarios playing themselves out in the back of his mind.  It was a rare gift for Freyd to let himself enjoy the moment for what it was.  His thoughts unspoken, he merely focused on the feeling of her hand in his, and the magnificence of such a simple thing.

"You've changed, Elora," he finally said.  "You've grown.  And yes, I very much like your odds."

[Elora 0]

It wasn't long after before the two of them reached the snowy capital and teleported back to the first floor. Cobblestone streets cleared of their usual afternoon foot traffic would lead them down increasingly narrowing alleyways until they eventually reached a two-story tavern. It was rather unassuming from its exterior, save for a wooden sign that read The Hummingbard Inn, which was clattering noisily in the wind as it dangled lopsidedly, suspended from the arm of a sturdy timber perch by an iron chain on one end and a tightened noose that wound around the other.

"Looks like the bouncer finally got around to fixing that sign.", commented Elora, "He's got a real knack for tying intricate knots for some reason." Taking a moment to tilt her head and study the craftsmanship, she continued, "Anyway, follow me." The green-haired player leaned forward and pressed her shoulder against the door, which began to creak open, its rusted hinges giving way after only after she administered the full weight of her body across its surface.
 

 

"Oh wow", started Elora as they stepped into the building, "It's pretty dead in here right now -- only a few stragglers left from last night. Usually by the time I wake up, there are more players and NPCs hanging around." The dim morning light filtered through smudged glass and rotted window frames, its slate-colored rays shimmering faintly as they illuminated thousands of floating particles of dust. "I just realized how much easier this is going to make it to sleep!", she continued as they shuffled around strewn stools and benches to reach a rickety staircase on the opposite side of the room, "This place really prides itself in being a Cyberfolk venue for all of the up and coming musicians of Aincrad. Conveniently, they only ever seem to practice in the afternoons and perform at night. If you've never heard what the genre sounds like -- trust me -- you never want to."

"Ah, Christ -- !", she suddenly groaned as they reached the top of the stairs. Along the walls of a narrow corridor were a few slumped bodies, most of which belonged to other players. "Sorry...sometimes people drink more than they can handle and end up passing out up here. I don't even understand how it happens -- it's not like they could ever get wasted here. My guess is that it mostly stems from exhaustion --", she cuts off to nudge a bearded NPC awake with the end of her boot, "And then there are people like BACCHUS who are programed to FALL ASLEEP in front of MY door nearly EVERY - GOODDAMN - DAY!" With a sigh of frustration, she finishes heaving and scraping him off from the frame before unlocking the entrance with a small iron key. After the two of them had walked inside, she reached for a thick board leaning against near corner, grabbing and repositioning it until it was propped against the door and leveraged to hold it shut.  "Well, here we are.", she announced without acknowledging how the room's lock was clearly incapable of functioning, "Me casa es tu casa. Unless you plan to stay here without paying rent. They'll kick you out for that. But word down the hall suggests that if you pretend to be a prostitute, then they'll let you stay" She nodded contently, proud of herself for being aware of that little work-around. 

"So, what do you think?" With a broad smile, she opened her arms and encouraged for him to tour the respectable 10x10 square foot studio.

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

Oh, right, this place.  Freyd's eyes drifted to the Fur and Tackle next door, which was a celebrated bawdy house requiring UR privileges for access.  He'd spent a month or two sleeping in a pile of crates in one of the alleys around here when he was still trying to keep under Cardinal's radar.  What a waste of time and effort that had been.  Not wanting to spoil the moment, or Elora's bubbling excitement, he simply followed along silently behind her. 

The bartender was firmly entrenched in his position by a wall of decorative liquor bottles that could never actually be opened.  Vigorously applying a new layer of grime to the glassware by using the same cloth daily, going on on two years, his disinterested gaze perked up and eyes went wide as he saw the pair travelling through the bar.  Freyd's index finger lifted to just beneath the opening of his cowl, suggesting that quiet would be wise.  The barkeep agreed, turning his gaze downward and seemingly noticing the state of his rag for the very first time.

Red eyes glared next at the dark figure skulking in the shadowy rafters above the main hall, while Elora picked them a clear path between the stools. It squealed and darted for the corner, unaccustomed to being noticed, let alone subjected to that intense degree of inspection.  The shuffling woke a young boy who had curled up by the central hearth for warmth, a red checkered tablecloth serving as an improvised blanket.  Freyd recognized him instantly as the NPC youth he'd saved from the Dark Lure during his first lessons quest.  He never did catch the boy's name, but got a thumbs up in approval for accompanying the green haired beauty before him.  Summoning a Jackpot Pretzel from his inventory, Freyd tossed it to him just as they turned to go up the stairs, offering him a friendly smile.  Wouldn't it be nice if it turned things around for him?

The security on her room door left something to be desired, but who was he to criticize.  He still did the “BEEP, BOOP, BLIP BLIP, MEHHH!”  sounds whenever the pretended to punch in the codes to enter the Liminal Blind.

"Me casa es tu casa. Unless you plan to stay here without paying rent. They'll kick you out for that. But word down the hall suggests that if you pretend to be a prostitute, then they'll let you stay.  So, what do you think?" 

He'd held it together this long, and managed to give her a sincere-sounding response, but not conceal the massive grin spreading across his face.

“I don’t know.  Do you really think I have the legs for it?”

[Elora 0]

“I don’t know.  Do you really think I have the legs for it?”

Elora promptly glanced down to inspect the man's thighs, regarding the question with an unexpected amount of seriousness. "Hmm, well...", she lifted a finger and cocked her head to one side as she pondered, "It's hard to tell, but I'd venture to guess that you probably do. I mean, I have seen what secrets hide beneath your sh--" Elora suddenly paused as she watched a sly smile extend across Freyd's face, "O-oh, that was supposed to be a joke -- HA!" Unable to recover from that misunderstanding, she took to laughing nervously before spinning on one heal and shuffling over to her bed.

A gnarled heap of pillows and blankets laid strewn across it's mattress. It was fairly obvious that she hadn't been expecting to return with any guests. As she leaned forward to unfurl the sheets, her eye caught a glimpse of a familiar object glinting in the warm rays of the rising sun: it was the copper rose that Freyd had given her.  

Elora blushed and quickly swiped the gift from the bed, tucking its cool metal stem close to her chest as she considered how best to hide it from him. I can't just leave it in the bed or he would notice it! But, he'd be able to see if I opened my menu right now to return it to my inventory -- maybe I can sneak it into one of the drawers of my dresser? Yeah, that could work! I just need to find some way to distract him!

"Umm, do you want some tea? Wait, no, you're a coffee drinker -- I forgot! Well, I'll just make a pot for myself or something then. Don't mind meee~", she trailed off as her body side-stepped closer to the dresser in the corner, placed beside a cozy kitchenette. "Decaf...decaf...decaf...", she mumbled as she awkwardly tried to maneuver one hand to rummage through a small wooden chest. Her back remained turned to him as she seemed to be fumbling with getting the ingredients together to brew the beverage. 

Edited December 28, 2020 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

There it was again.  The telltale tremors, increasing pace of speech and action, a fidgeting nervous flurry of just about everything.  Something she had seen or remembered had likely set her off.  Freyd had been watching the same pattern unfold since they had first met and knew more than well-enough when she had triggered it.

"Tea would be lovely," he mentioned while still deliberately standing near the entrance, to let he think he was staying there.  Instead, two long strides were all it took to be right behind her, his arm reaching just high enough to grasp the tea box and pull it down into her trembling fingers.  Shadow enveloped her as his wiry form blocked the greasy stream of light fighting to penetrate the grime on the windows.  Reaching pressed him gently against her back and trapped her against the counter.  His other arm reached around to cradle hers, creating a warm embrace that would surely prove sufficient for both of his intentions.   Moving away nearly as quickly, to preserve the casual innocence of the act, he resumed the conversation as if nothing had happened.  

"Oh, it doesn't need to be decaf.  I'll be quite happy with whatever you have." 

Everything suddenly seemed to have so many layered meanings.  He couldn't say it out loud.  She'd take it the wrong way, and his words were too awkward for this sort of... business?  Sigh.  So clumsy.  He felt happy with her, just the way she was.  That somehow didn't seem to be enough for her, though he suspected it was over something that long preceded their first meeting.  Then he would help her find whatever it was that she wanted.

Wandering over through the mess of clothing and assorted stuff that might be best not to examine too closely, he found a suitable spot on the bed and sat down.  Only then did he indulge his curiosity and open up his gloved hand to see what she'd been holding: the copper rose.

Freyd sat, stunned, staring at the gift he'd casually given her so many months ago.  It had been purely on a whim, and exactly what he never did back then at all.  He didn't even know why he had done it, at the time.  Something inside must have eked out, and made a desperate gambit for connection.  To have taken those odds was a remarkable act of chance and longing.  For him to be holding it now was unfathomable.  Green verdigris had spready along its fragile petals and stem, aging and maturing, just as she had.  Blossomed was the word.  He smiled and bit his lips to contain any outward expression, but failed.  Something had caught in his throat.  A foreign warmth washed over him, filling him with joy and likewise coloring his face the deepest shade of rose.  A meek whisper was all he could manage.

"I can't believe you kept it."

[Elora 0]

Nearly dropping the container in a seizure of uncontrollable nervousness, Elora firmly clenched its wooden frame within her hands to stabilize it before guiding it down to rest it gingerly on the countertop. She found it difficult to admit to Freyd that his brisk assistance had caught her more than a little off-guard when she felt equally as appreciative for his extended reach and fleeting embrace. The moment has already passed. Just worry about putting together the drinks, she reminded herself as he retreated to rest on her bed. Well that was a close call..., she sighed in relief before lifting both of her hands to -- 

"Ican'tbelieveyoukeptit.", she heard him mumble something indistinguishable.

Wh -- WHERE IS THE -- ? Elora floundered to search for where she had misplaced the metal memento. She glimpsed briefly in the direction of Freyd, turning once again in complete startlement as she caught sight of him regarding the rose in his hands. "I --", opening her mouth to utter an unlikely explanation proved to be more difficult than she was prepared to improvise. So instead, she directed her attention back to preparing the tea. There was a chance that it could buy her some more time to come up with an excuse. 

I mean, is it really that big of a deal that he found out I kept it? It's normal for people to hold onto the things that other people give them..., she wondered as the small iron kettle began to spill over with water. Worried hands refrained from filling the vessel further as they lifted to carry it over to an auburn hearth nestled into the center of the room. I just hope he doesn't think it's because of anything else. That would be sure-proof way to scare him away from me. 

Elora drew dried twigs from a nearby wicker basket, kindling their embers until a tiny flame grew to flicker vibrantly within in the walls of the dusty fireplace. Hanging the kettle proceeded a series of cautious steps as she migrated to sit beside Freyd, whose mind still appeared fixated on the object before him, or at the very least, lost in some train of thought that escaped her level of intuition.

"Looks like you've found it", she chuckled softly as splayed fingers guided her to lean back and muse at the ceiling, "I didn't really mean for it to be kept a secret from you, I just worried what you might think if you realized that I kept it out on display..."

Edited January 3, 2021 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

A warm hand with long, slender fingers gently covered her own splayed digits on the bedside nearest to him.  When had he removed his gloves?  He never did that.  Freyd's other hand slowly twirled the fragile metal ornament, as if absorbing every little nuance and detail, but the look in his eyes was different.  This wasn't his usual, harsh, analytical glare.  He was simply and genuinely admiring the ornate beauty of the craftsmanship and treasuring the memory that linked them through it.  Fingers laced between hers on the bed while his thumb offered a tentative caress over hers.  She had touched his heart - that shriveled, nearly-dead thing he had worked so hard to ensure would be buried beyond reach of the world.  It was an unintended casualty of a war waged inside him for over a decade, stretching back to well before SAO.  All of her quirks and stumbles, her insecurities and doubts, had somehow cut through a self-imposed isolation made of logic and reason, and found the lost remains of the person left inside of him.

"What were you worried I might think, Elora?"

His chest puffed out as he took a deep breath, a hint of healthy rose flushing into his face as his expression actually allowed itself to relax, for once.  He pulled his cowl back to expose his features, looking sideways at her to better avoid the pressure that seemed to accompany his full gaze.  A small smile affixed itself upon his lips and extended up into his eyes, where the outer edges suddenly looked careworn and so very, very tired.  How long had he been pushing himself, maintaining rigid control over every sense and faculty.  Fatigue swept over him as he finally allowed himself to acknowledge it, and blinked the onset of long overdue sleep away. 

'Not yet!' he willed, to hold at bay an overwhelming tide of tiredness, waiting for her answer.

[Elora 0]

  ♪  Steeping, Sleeping  ♪  

 

"What were you worried I might think, Elora?"

"That you would find it weird, obsessive, worried to see how much I cherished it -- and how much I cared for you...", she admitted succinctly, her speech breaking for a moment as her mind seemed to snag upon mulling over that final detail. Her head turned ever so slightly away from him as her instinct to avoid expressing vulnerability compelled her to retreat from the conversation. Nevertheless, she fought to continue, "I don't know...I guess part of me also wondered what you would think of me -- after you remembered that day", she nodded toward the rose to offer brief clarification, "Maybe it would make you realize that I haven't really changed much as a person..." 

Elora's fingers flexed beneath his as the nails of her unoccupied hand curled inward, digging into the folds of sheets haphazardly spread beneath them. Following the sound of a steep and stifled sigh, she explained, "I was afraid -- that I wouldn't live up to your expectations -- and all of the potential that you had seen in me then --"

"Eeeeeee"

A sharp screeching sound split through the studio's stuffy air as the little teapot cried for Elora to remove it from the fireplace. Thank god! The startling summon, ironically, instilled her with an unexpected feeling of relief; she was glad to know that something else had felt the same level of urgency to escape from the heat of the moment. Without hesitation, Elora rose to her feet and sprinted across the room to pour their drinks, spending more time than was necessary to transport their cups onto a wooden tray before returning to the bedside. It was then that she noticed the change in Freyd's eyes, which had likely reddened for a reason different than that of her own. 

"You look pretty tired", Elora identified as she sat down once again, this time placing the serving vessel to rest between the two of them. "Here", she offered as she lifted a ceramic cup to him, "I made it decaf. I hope you don't mind mint" Flashing him a weary smile, she swiftly raised, then slowly sipped from the glass of green tea that had originally been brewed for him. 

He needs this rest. 

[Freyd 0]

"That you would find it weird, obsessive, worried to see how much I cherished it -- and how much I cared for you..."

His face turned the brightest shade of red that she had ever seen on him.  The very notion that someone could feel that way about him was alien to his entire sense of identity.  Beyond that, the fact that Elora managed to actually say the words aloud positively staggered him.

"Th...thank you."  He muttered quietly.  Why was he struggling?  This was just conversation.  His hand reached up and pulled at the clasps around his neck, as if to help him breathe.  Where, normally, constant streams of thought and imagination flowed through his mind, there was only constrictive silence.  It had been so long that he barely recognized the concept of internal quiet, let alone the peace that could accompany it.  Another wave of exhaustion washed over him.  Elora could see the tension bleed from his shoulders, like tightly wound springs finally being loosened after an eternity.

"Maybe it would make you realize that I haven't really changed much as a person..." 

"Not true."

Half-closed eyes, seemingly more brown than red in the shadows of the grimy light that struggled to penetrate the windows of her crowded room.  "You couldn't have spoken those words to me, even just a few weeks ago.  You've grown, Elora."  He turned his gaze at the flower still spinning in his hand.  "You've blossomed."  The rose shed a dusting of verdigris upon his fingers as he placed it gently atop the clutter on the adjacent night table, two connected rays of light casting themselves upon its fragile form.  "And you've rubbed off on me, it seems, forcing me to also push beyond myself."

A soft laugh escaped his lips as she placed the tray between them.  "Still putting up barriers, eh?  Fair enough.  We've come a long way today, the two of us.  I suppose a small retreat is fair, if it makes it easier to accept."  His eyelids drooped and fluttered open again.  

"You look pretty tired"

"I don't think I've let myself slow down in months.  So much has happened.  So much.. is still happening."  The cup clattered against its saucer as he lifted it, the precision of his movements uncharacteristically shaken.  He downed most of the cup in a single gulp, gritting his teeth against the burning heat as it went down.  Aching suddenly everywhere, he bent to the side to set the drink down safely, and then fell back against the backboard of the bed with a definitive thunk.  

"So much... left.. to..."

If there was a gift that Freyd could never grant to himself, it was the permission to relax.  The vulnerability it implied was anathema to his very nature.  And yet, there he was curled up with his head pressed against her pillow.  His breathing was steady and shallow.  Exhaustion must have finally struck a balance fine enough for a fleeting moment of elusive peace. 

Only with her could he ever have let down his guard so thoroughly, if even at all.  

[Elora 0]

Elora could feel a blush return to her face as Freyd assured her that she had changed, and apparently for the better. This is all so different, she observed with mirrored weariness as faint wisps of steam curled up from the cups, caressing her countenance before they were warded off by the motion of her drinking hand. For once, I find it hard to doubt him. Hearing him change -- seeing him change, even, - in front of me like this, it has to mean that something good is happening. He has to be right. We've both been..blossoming...at least, in our own ways...

"I don't think I've let myself slow down in months.  So much has happened.  So much.. is still happening."

"Relax...", she broke off from her thoughts to offer him the very advice that he had given her so many times during their previous adventures. And, like before, it didn't go unaccompanied by the signature gesture, a comforting hand, which was placed affectionately on his shoulder to carefully guide him down until he was fully rested on the narrow mattress below. 

"So much... left.. to..."

Elora tilted her head to study Freyd as the man nearly-instantaneously departed into sleep. He looks so... She shook her head. There were things to do before she could follow him into slumber. Specifically, clearing off the drinkware, putting out the fire, and taking off her --

"SH*T!", she hissed beneath her breath, I don't have anything for that! Elora threw open her inventory as she rushed to complete the other tasks, her mind racing to conjure a viable solution. Do I seriously not have ANYTHING appropriate to wear to bed? What if I had someone over who DIDN'T want to hang out like that? What if KATOKA wanted to have a sleepover? I can't believe that this hasn't been a problem until now...F*cking typical! As she searched through spares of her regular attire, her Tanabata kimono, and the already-multipurpose gray cloak, Borris began to unravel himself from her wrists in hopes of retreating to a homely patch of soil that had accumulated in one corner of the room. "Sorry buddy, but I think I'm gonna need your help", she apologized as her hands began to separate the magnetic pieces of the protesting golem, "Oh come on, it's not like you actually need to sleep anyway. And besides, Freyd sleeps with his familiar. Don't you want to have a strong, trusting connection like that or something?"

In usual Borris fashion, the rattling rocks seemed to still in agreement, or at the very least, in a sign of tolerance for her request. "Thank you!", she admitted in hushed surprise to his uncharacteristic cooperation. Elora tightened Freyd's - her - cloak around her body, fastening shut its loose and otherwise revealing openings with sets of her familiar's stones. The resulting sleepwear wasn't all that flattering, but it got the job done. Well, it's definitely better than wearing the kimono or my dirty clothes to sleep..., decided Elora as she unequipped her clothing beneath it and crawled into the bed, Hopefully I'll be up before him so I can change back into my regular gear without him even noticing...

She soon found Freyd's form occupying the middle of the mattress to be an obstacle of its own. After a few unsuccessful attempts to heave his body over and onto one side, Elora begrudgingly tried to curl herself around him, leaving only the slightest gap between their bodies as a courtesy. Her only other option would send her tumbling to the ground, where she would be left to sleep with all of the vermins that scuttled across the drafty and decaying floorboards. A sigh of relief left Elora's lips as she pulled a portion of the quilt over herself, her body finally having done the gymnastics required to adjust itself into a comfortable position. 

Soft blue eyes timidly rose to glance at Freyd's sleeping features, the simple sight of him laying peacefully beside her all that was needed to paint a smile on her still-flushed face. Burying her giddiness behind the fabric of her cotton cocoon proved to be a useful way to stifle the reaction and prevent it from waking him.

"Goodnight...", she whispered from behind the mask of fabric, her warm hand giving a tender squeeze to his before heavy eyelids beckoned her to join him in sleep.

 

Edited January 6, 2021 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

Thread Summary:

Elora receives:

4 SP (1 page, +1 event, +2 quest)
400 col
1x <<Snowfrost>> This incredibly potent alchemical salve can be applied to a piece of armor, increasing resistance to Fire Damage for one battle. [The wearer will only take half damage from the burning damage over time effect].

Freyd receives:

2 SP (1 page, +1 event)
1x <<Snowfrost>> This incredibly potent alchemical salve can be applied to a piece of armor, increasing resistance to Fire Damage for one battle. [The wearer will only take half damage from the burning damage over time effect].