[PP-01] Remember and making memories ft. BIiss

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Sunshine pushed through the clouds of the sky as the passed by through with strong rays. Breeze was nice as it blew through the town and through the alleyways. It was such a beautiful day. Kil had made his appearance on the first floor soon after helping Typhoon with her quest. It had been quite some time since he stopped at the church where Sasha was working with the kids. He often said she was a nun but in reality, she wasn't. She was just a volunteer to protect children. He often ventured down here at the beginning but since they were pushing through floors, he sometimes met at the raid meetings to see whether or not he would be needed to go. 

This time he wasn't. He would make a special appearance at the church and bring things. Footsteps made across the ground as he whistled gently into the air. A light tone was heard as he had both hands stuffed in his pockets. He could see children appearing randomly across the alleyways playing together in some type of game. A lot of them recognized him and he caught a little girl in his arms after reacting quickly to the jump. Poor little June, one of the first children to be saved by Sasha. He held her as he walked up to the church.

"Behaving?" "No!" she would cackle as he held the child before setting her down on the ground and looked at Sasha and the older children helping keep the place clean. 

She hadn't noticed him yet, so he would start by pulling tables and items out of his inventory to place down the desserts he had made for the roaming children. There was far more this time than he had expected but at least he brought a ton extra. He began setting up cupcakes, soups, breads, and other assorted goods that he had made in his free time. 

"Kil?" She looked over at him. A smile crossed her face as she bowed to him deeply for providing food for them every once and awhile. He waved her off and placed a bag of col for her. It was his donation portion as he looked at the children. "Enough of that. It's not needed." He watched the kids roam until they were tired. 

 

Spoiler

"Name: Kiluia True Tier: 6
Level: 33
Paragon Level: 24
HP: 780/780
EN: 112/112

Stats:
Damage: 21
Mitigation: 78
Accuracy: 4
Evasion: 1
Battle Healing: 
Loot Die: 3
Stealth Rating: -2
AA PHASEREC: 4
HLY: 8 ENV-O: 32
Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Sanctified Wraps of Righteous Punishment +5 (T4 Demonic Weapon (MA) - AA, Holy I, Phase, Envenom (Off) I
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Osiris's Shade (T4 Perfect LA | MIT 2 | EVA 1)
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Eye of Rain - Rose (T4 Perfect | ACC 2 | REC 1)

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - TECH Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R5
  - Charge
  - Energist
  - Light Armor R5
  - Martial Arts R5
  - Searching R3

Extra Skills:
  - Lady Luck
  - Photosynthesize
  - Survival

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Focus
  - Precision
  - Resolve
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Meticulous

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Blank Treasure Map Tier 4 x
  - Gold Key x

Housing Buffs:
  - Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
  - Basic Kitchen: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
  - Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
  - Slime Farm: +5% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.
  - Dining Hall: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed. Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread.

Guild Hall Buffs:
  - Trading Hall: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters and Rank 4 merchants/performers receive +1 crafting/identification attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters and Rank 5 merchants/performers receive +2 crafting/identification attempts per day.
  - Treasury: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:
 - Cooking[exp] R1
Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

 

Edited September 25 by Kiluia Seiko

[Bliss 0]

Serenity always loved kids. Ever since getting trapped in this fucking game she's spent a lot of time at the orphanage. Loving on those sweet children and taking them out on small quests was one of the things that gave her joy. Whether it was their joy when they actually managed to kill something, or if it was the excitement as they activated their first sword art. 

Today when returning with her usual gaggle of ruffians she saw a man she wasn't used to seeing. He was way taller than her and had gorgeous white hair. She didn't know why but there was definitely an air of friendliness about him. She still kept her guard up though. 

One of the kids tugged at her skirt, "Miss S? Are you gonna have lunch with us?" Her heart melted. "Of course kiddo, I'd never miss it for the world." She waved at Sasha as she watched the man set up tables and offered to help. "Here let me help. I promised the kids I'd hang out with them for lunch." She began helping him lay out the spread of goodies, making sure no child was left behind or forgotten about. She even put a few plates of sandwiches and cut up veggies for the kids to snack on, though they preferred the mans desserts. Kids will be kids I guess.

* * *

Spoiler

* * *

Spoiler

Bliss | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1

 

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Setting up was easy. Pushing away memories was the hard part. Last time he was here? He was with Haine and Pingu. This time, he brought himself and the penguin. His snow white hair hid those round red hues as he started dicing up the rest of the vegetables for the stew. There was a mechanic that could let you override the function and have a sense of familiarity of real life.  It wasn't perfect but it didn’t matter. 

Realizing he wasn't alone, his hand clenched wondering if the Army was still harassing Sasha and the kids. Their requirements for recruiting were getting lower and lower to where children were barely exempt. The soft melodic voice echoed into his ears and he turned to gaze upon the origin.

There stood a young lady with a short stature. He felt bad for assuming, but one could never be too safe. She maneuvered herself here and there while the kids were waiting famished.

“Thanks…” He spoke softly as he watched her momentarily distracted. Wasn't many folks who helped this place. 

With his distraction, he heard children whooping and hollering. “We found Pingu! We found Pingu!” He watched them carrying a knocked out penguin. She seemed to be playing dead while being held in the air. Her tongue was flopped and everything like she was a sacrifice. Red hues watched the children before he clapped his hands to signal food was ready.

She sprang to life and waddled away to her master for food. Time for play was over. Food was more important and the kids rushed over. “Young kids first!” He shouted as he offered them drinks too. Each was handmade and in a carton.  It was flavored milk be made with fruit he soaked in. 

“Names Kil. Haven't seen you around before.” He gazed upon the attractive young lady. “Thanks for helping… Usually Sasha helps but good thing she's taking a break.” He offered a sincere smile.

[Bliss 0]

Bliss was in awe at the amount of effort and care this man put into helping out the kids of the orphanage. She smiled and let out a laugh as the kids carried in a penguin that was so obviously pretending to be knocked out. Ah youth. I miss being so innocent.

As the kids began eating she sat back, watching over them. She wanted no harm to come to these sweet babies. She began to daydream about what it would be like if these sweet kids could leave this place. Or at least be able to actually play without fear of death. Fucking death. That smooth mistress that took whatever the hell she wanted, when she wanted, how she wanted. And now it threatened the sweet kids here. She wouldn't... No, she couldn't let these kids get hurt. 

Bliss was snapped back to reality as the handsome white haired man introduced himself. She spoke softly, "Kil...". With a soft spoken voice still escaping her red lips, "I help out here pretty much daily. I've been taking the kids on lower level quests, trying to make them less afraid. Usually I give Sasha a break in between quests with the groups." 

Realizing she forgot to introduce herself, she began to stammer. Still soft spoken and hushed, "I-I. M-my name is Se- m-my name is Bliss." She forced out the username, even though Sasha and the kids knew her by her first name. She didn't know if this man would harm her, and she couldn't take the chance. Not yet.

Edited September 26 by Bliss

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Food had been distributed evenly to the children and he clapped his hands for them to enjoy eating. Purity of watching the children feast brought peace of mind to him. He offered Sasha and Bliss a plate of food and a bowl of hot stew to keep them warm since the weather changed to colder nights. 

“Yea? The kids do need to expand their horizons but not too far I hope.” The soup spoon clanged lightly in the stew as it spun ever so slightly. He wasn't hungry himself but snacked on fruit no less to keep his energy up.

“You good? Seem a little nervous.” He already knew what it was like to spot nervous people. He had been one when he first started adventuring. He looked at the kids enjoying their meal. However, a few looked somber and a couple empty seats were spotted. Eyes furrowed wondering who was missing. Gilbert? Was that who was missing? The oldest of the children was not present and Kil felt a chill down his back. 

Red hues would glance over to Bliss as he would talk to Sasha in private later. He wasn't upset but more sad if the young man passed away. He rubbed his head and smiled at Bliss. “Kid's seem to enjoy you. I think you might be a good role model.” He spoke while leaning against the wall. 

The youngest one came over and tugged at his shirt wanting more. This one lost her speech from trauma and he patted her head. A pink frosted cupcake would sit on her plate as he spoke. “Your big brother will do what he can, okay?” He spoke with a saddened tone missing Asmura. It felt like a stab to the heart since she had gone missing.

“Do you come here often? What do you do?”

 

[Bliss 0]

A soft smile crept across her face as the children enjoyed their sweets and meal. Bliss accepted the food he offered. He can't be trying to kill all of us. Can he? "Thank you Kil. I-I'm fine. Not nervous at all." She leaned up against a wall to stabilize herself. Trying to control her shaking as she ate the food he gave. She lied to him, she wasn't alright. This was the first man she'd interacted with for an extensive period since the incident. She was terrified. "I'm trying to get their feet wet a little at a time so they can defend themselves. I had to take care of the last jackass that came through here. They didn't think a cute little girl could take one of them on. I sure showed them." For the first time since she was speaking to the children, she had a slight smile on her face.

"I really have been trying to be a good role model. I've even cut back on cursing around them. Don't want them to gain my bad habits." One of the younger girls pulled on her skirt gently. Bliss immediately got onto her knees and sat on her feet, getting down to the child's level. "Yes Cas?" The girl whispered something quickly in Bliss's ear and Bliss nodded and opened her arms for the girl to hug her. "It'll be okay. Don't worry about it. Remember, you added me so I could come to your rescue no matter what. And Miss Sasha can also call me if someone threatens any of you." The little girl seemed to feel a bit better and ran off to go play with the penguin. 

"Well, I was walking by one day and saw a member of the army bother a small gaggle of the kids and Sasha and men who bully women piss me off. So I decided to give him a piece of my mind, then a piece of my fist. Into his..." She cleared her throat. "ANYWAY! So since then I come here daily and teach the kids how to hold their own, that way if there's a day I can't come by or maybe miss a day then maybe they can hold their own a bit better." She looked down and materialized a wrench in her hand. "They also all have me on their friends list and I've instilled in each of them and talked to Sasha about if they needed help I would drop everything no matter what I'm doing."

She began twirling the wrench between her fingers. "But yeah. I was very cautious of you at the start, thankfully one of the kids pulled me back."

 

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Last jackass? The army? He thought for a few moments as he listened to her experience and the children speaking in open regards to her about him. It wasn't like he couldn't take care of himself. He would clear his throat a bit after hearing she had made friends with everyone here. It was a good thought that other people would find themselves trying to help out the church and orphanage. Though, time and time again, more kids went missing. Some of these faces were new to him. Perhaps they were the ones who wanted to try out the world but found out it was a harsh new reality.

The penguin was dragged off against her will and you could see her scream for her life being dragged away. Of course, it was all a joke. Or was it? The penguin seemed to always want to come back so he had no real reason to send a rescue team. "Be nice and play secret agent." He shouted at the kids and his familiar. He looked back at Sasha who watched the children and caught Kil staring at her. With a blush she spoke to him. "What?" She asked a bit startled at him staring at her. She already knew.

"Did Gilbert leave to join the army?" He asked her and all she could do was nod in silence. It was his way of petitioning that he wasn't weak and help out Kiluia. A frown crept on his features. It didn't seem to fit his face, but it showed disappointment that Gilbert went and did something incredibly stupid. However, he wasn't going to drag the kid back. He knew that he couldn't with all his efforts as Kil was one to do things on his own as well. He sighed softly as he looked at Bliss. He watched her a moment and then crossed his arms. "Thanks. I'm sure that they won't be around much now. I'll attempt to come back more frequently when I'm not off on the front lines." He hadn't been there as of recent. No reason to.

Slowly, he started cleaning up the items and set a fruit tart for Sasha and Bliss to enjoy. This tart was made with care and had a description of rarity along with fresh ingredients stacked in the description. "The kids are a handful. Try not to take them out too far. Or at least, message me if you want to go deeper. I'll tag along and chaperone." He kept his eyes averted away from Bliss. She was a stunning gal, but he wasn't just going to run around and admit that. No, he had manners. Sometimes, he wish he didn't but oh too bad. His mother raised a good boy.

"What about you? What's your story?" Shots fired. He asked first. 

[Bliss 0]

Bliss stifled a chuckle as she watched the penguin “fight” being dragged away, flailing its tiny wings in a futile display of resistance. How cute, she thought, a soft smile playing on her lips. He’s lucky to have a friend like that. Her amusement quickly faded, though, as her thoughts began to drift, slipping into a familiar, lonely place. Kil was deep in conversation with Sasha, leaving Bliss in the quiet of her own mind.

Her father had been her best friend. The only one who truly understood her. After he died, everything changed. She pulled away from everyone, even her mother, retreating into herself. She hadn’t had a real friend since then, not someone who stuck around. After the funeral, it felt like people avoided her, unsure of how to approach her grief. She stopped trying to make friends, it just hurt too much when they slipped away, and she was left with the constant ache of loss.

They couldn’t afford to move after her dad passed, so she buried herself in fixing cars, the only thing that still connected her to him. His old cars became her companions, the only thing she could rely on. Every morning, she dragged herself out of bed not for life or excitement, but to bring his cars back to life. That was her purpose, the only one that made sense after he was gone.

She was so lost in thought she barely registered when Kil’s voice pulled her back to the present. “Huh?” she blinked, startled. “My story? Oh… I don’t have one,” she muttered, shrugging off the question. How could she explain everything swirling inside her when even she wasn’t sure what it all meant anymore?

Edited October 1 by Bliss

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

No story? He hadn't seen her before so he couldn't just pry. But everyone had a story, be it positive or negative. Her short answer seemed curt after bringing her back to reality. He had to ask other questions, but he figured just in game questions would be okay. "Yeah? Thats okay. Not everyone needs one. What do you do in the game then? This is our life now so do you have a career or perhaps a goal in mind?" Small talk was usually the best way to go in these types of situations. He wondered what his own life was like outside of the game. It was too hard to imagine for him.

His own thoughts drifted to more of cleaning up the entire area while the kids went to enjoy themselves. The table vanished and the plates vanished. He would wash them when he got back to the 4th floor or the 6th floor. It mattered not to him. He watched Sasha go about her business returning to her cleaning duties and the older children trying to do basic repairs. Red hues glanced over at Bliss trying to size her up. 

"You know, if you need assistance in getting materials or teaching them... I wouldn't mind assisting or perhaps be a guardian while you do things." He finished packing up and walked over to her with his arms laid to his sides. She seemed rather small but then there are people who were tiny who seemed very vicious and crazy he had met over the years. No judging by that cover. His gentle demeanor made him the gentle giant that he was two of the small kids, one boy and one girl respectively latched on to his arms and swung on him. 

Edited September 29 by Kiluia Seiko

[Bliss 0]

What does she do in the game? The question kind of nipped and bit at her. "Well. I've only left the Town of Beginnings once to go to this blacksmith on floor 22. I'm planning to go after my profession next. In real life I am a mechanic, I figured artisan would fit best. Other than that... stay alive." Don't end up like dad. Sorrow and tears filled her eyes. She waved away her emotion and began assisting in cleaning up. She began daydreaming about her shop, what she would name it, her life. Cleaning allowed her to clear her head. So did working on cars.

She was so entranced in cleaning she didn't even notice him looking over at her. Then, a cold chill ran up her spine and she shivered. She couldn't tell if it was because the orphanage was a little chilly or because she was anxious. Honestly it didn't matter. She forgot her jacket that she usually brought everywhere. Damn. 

"I wouldn't mind that. Honestly an extra and fresh set of eyes is always good. At least that's what I used to say to my assistant." He walked up to her and she had to look up at him. "Thank you for the offer. I'll keep that in mind for the future." She smiled softly. He's so genuinely sweet and gentle. Is this what friendship feels like?

 

Edited October 1 by Bliss

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He listened contently to her words. The betrayal of her own voice gave way to a memory that may have happened to her. He wasn't even going to entertain the idea of prying about it as he spoke to her. "Yeah? I was a university student. Did a lot of athletics and other things while I attended. I'm a chef here, though." What an interesting girl, he thought as he looked at the kids hanging onto him and him waving them around. He set the rascals down and shooed them away to go play with the others so he could clean up the place too. The father of the church came out before he was able to grab a rag and Kil turned immediately to greet him. A smile pressed upon the father's lips as Kil handed him a bag of Col to keep the children safe and such with a place to stay. He wouldn't say anything, but the father blessed him.

When he turned around, he noticed her having a chill go up upon her frame. Inventory opened up as he loaned her a scarf. Since he was a shop keep on the fourth floor, he would carry these items around since he wouldn't know when poor weather would creep up. He also put his beanie on top of her head before stepping away. There was no spare rag for him and a frown pressed upon his lips. Eyes stared upon the children as he spoke. "Assistant? I don't mind. I'll bring sandwiches and some other things, so the kids and you stay filled."

The screaming of the penguin would be heard from a distance as he laughed to himself leaning against the stone pillar. It would be lovely if peace stayed like this for a while, despite the reality of the game being a trap. He could get used to this with not wanting to leave but he knew that one day it would end. He just had to think whether or not he would be one of the few who would step forth again to fight on the front lines. 

[Bliss 0]

"I figured out you were a chef with all the sweets and food you brought for the kids." She paused a moment. He's in university? How old is he? Her thoughts lingered before finally saying it outwardly. "If you were in university.. then how old are you currently?" She wouldn't tell him her age first, she wanted to know his. Mind wandering on his age based on his look, he looks youthful. But she hadn't changed much since the game started so maybe that's what he looked like in the beginning. After telling her his age, she would divulge. "Well, I'm currently 25."

The scarf he handed her was warm. She wrapped it around her neck. Instantly smelling his scent as her face turned red. She had caught whiffs of it as they passed by each other. For some reason, it put her at ease. He placed a beanie on her head and she adjusted it. As he walked away, she snuggled up to the scarf making sure he wasn't watching before she did so. This was the first man to ever treat her kindly in a long time. She didn't know where this all was going, but even if it meant them just being friends she was okay with that.

"Oh yeah. So..." She looked away from him. "I-I don't know if you've noticed. But I..." Her words got stuck in her throat. "I-I'm not the best with words. So I have an assistant who deals with my clients. I don't much like dealing with people. For... um.. reasons..." The sorrowful look returned to her face. She once again waved her hand in front of her face. "Anyways! I'd enjoy some help wrangling the rascals sometimes. They actually behave when it's time to go out. But the company would be nice."

A laugh would escape from her lips as she heard the penguin in the background screaming. "Poor Pingu! We should totally save her." She realized the scarf and beanie had warmed her up, so she removed them and handed them back to him. As she did she placed a quick and soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. For everything."

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He thought for a moment, as the cool air seemed to whisk away the leaves. It was a nice brisk breeze that would stoke chills at certain points of the day. The system was acclimating to the natural weather, since it was October. He casually glanced over at the blonde and he would lean his head upon the stone pillar. "I'll be 24, come January." His original goal was to learn economics and study Japanese history among other things to ensure his spot upon the polls if he ever decided to run as a politician like his own father but through his own merits. 

The screaming children and laughter caught his attention as she snuggled up to his scarf. It probably smelled like sweets if anything since it was worn around his shop. The man was a walking snowman when it came to bundling up. It was just cozy, and the atmosphere was so tranquil to him. When she finished her words about having the assistant do her talking, again the prying monster would be kept at bay. He didn't offer much but listened to her intently. When she showed interest in the kids again, his face brightened up. 

"My mother would go to the local places and help distribute items for the less fortunate. I would go to the orphanage to participate in programs like being a big brother or a mentor. Seeing them smile was good enough effort for me." He paused as he thought about the way she felt about speaking. "You can ask me or tell me. I'll communicate with whoever if you feel uncomfortable." Another gestured offer to her as she spoke about having communication issues.

The penguin was seen running across the fountain on the other side breathing heavy as she waddled staring at the kids trying to escape. It was a fun sight. There would be no saving the penguin in this case. When she took off his scarf and beanie, he raised a hand to motion for her to keep it. The weather was changing to suit reality here and it was obviously getting colder by the day. When those perfectly shaped lips caressed his cheek, the pale man went full red unable to hide the fact that he hadn't been affectionate with anyone in quite some time. Eyes would widen a bit before looking away shyly. "Just...ask for help..anytime." Voice seemed a bit shaky while fingers touched the place she had kissed. 

Edited October 1 by Kiluia Seiko

[Bliss 0]

"I'll keep that in mind. I’ll totally get you a present," Bliss said, hesitating for a moment as something tugged at her thoughts. "My... birthday is, uh..." She trailed off, trying to remember. It had been so long since she’d actually celebrated it that the date seemed distant, she'd almost forgotten it. "If I’m remembering correctly, it’s on April 14th." Her voice softened, and she glanced away, watching the children laughing and chasing after Pingu. A soft smile tugged at her lips. The sight was a welcome distraction. But she quickly turned her attention back to Kil, "But please, don’t feel like you have to get me anything. I haven’t celebrated my birthday in years."

Suddenly, one of the kids ran up to her, full of energy. "Miss S! Miss S! Why are you wearing Mr. Kil’s scarf??"

Bliss felt the blush that was already warming her cheeks deepen instantly. Oh no. She smiled awkwardly at the kid, trying to keep her cool. "Well, Miss S was cold, and Mr. Kil was nice enough to lend me his scarf and beanie so I wouldn’t freeze."

The child giggled, their eyes sparkling with curiosity. "That’s so nice of him! Are you dating Mr. Kil?"

Bliss’s heart stopped. Her body momentarily forgot how to function, and she found herself coughing, completely thrown off by the child's innocent, yet terrifyingly direct, question. Fucking hell, kid! Why do you have to be so blunt? she panicked internally. God, I love kids, but damn! After what felt like an eternity, she managed to catch her breath.

"No, honey, we’re not," she finally managed to say with a tight smile. "We only just met today." The child seemed satisfied with that explanation and dashed off, returning to the other kids who were still “tormenting” Pingu with endless giggles and excitement. Bliss let out a breath of relief.

She turned her attention back to Kil, listening intently as he spoke. There was something so genuine about the way he talked, so comfortable in sharing his thoughts and experiences. Bliss found herself envying that ease. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to open up like that. But then Kil paused, his usual flow disrupted, and her heart skipped a beat. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks again, her face flushing red just as she’d barely recovered from the child's earlier interrogation.

"I-I-I’ll keep th-that in mind," she stammered, her flustered state getting the best of her. She felt like a mess, completely out of her element, unable to regain her usual composure around him.

A sudden burst of laughter escaped her when she saw Pingu waddling away from the group of children, desperately trying to escape their playful chaos. Her little penguin feet shuffled quickly, but he was no match for their energy. Bliss couldn’t help but laugh out loud, the pure joy of the moment chasing away her earlier nerves. I could stay here all day, she mused, if it could be like this. Though, the kids' blunt questions? She could definitely do without those. Still, being here with Kil and Pingu felt... right. She genuinely enjoyed their company and was definitely going to take him up on his offer to help her with the kids more often.

As the moment wound down, Kil insisted she keep the scarf and beanie. She smiled, wrapping them more securely around herself, feeling their warmth. "Thank you, Kil. Th-that’s very kind," she stammered again, her heart fluttering when she saw him touch the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him earlier.

Her eyes widened in sudden realization. Oh my God... I just kissed someone I just met. The blush that had been creeping along her face flared back up, bright red. Did I seriously just do that?! She was internally spiraling, trying to process what had just happened.

"I-I’m sorry I kissed your cheek," she blurted out, her embarrassment making her words rush out. "There’s even a little lipstick mark..." Bliss fumbled with her pockets and pulled out a napkin, holding it out to him, too nervous to wipe it off herself. "Here. I didn’t mean to cross any boundaries." She bit her lip, hoping she hadn’t made things awkward, her eyes darting up to meet his, searching for some kind of reassurance.

Edited October 3 by Bliss

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He was dazed. Beyond dazed at this moment as skin she had kissed upon generated heat. Thoughts raced across his mind as he stood there shell shocked at what had happened. He had no clue how to react or what to do at this point as it had been quite some time since he had felt affection. The feeling of want filled his thoughts and a certain blue haired woman had been locked away for a time had reemerged. For quite some time, his heart was wound tighter than a bank vault to prevent any type of emotion from spreading forth. Heart raced, veins pumped with blood, and neurons fired on all cylinders as the man felt the wave hit him. The blue haired girl smiled and then she was gone. There was no trace of her left. A tug on his heart was the effect now as he didn’t want to feel this. Having been hiding himself in his shop, he could only remember not saying goodbye to her.

Reality snapped him back. A birthday had been mentioned and her voice seemed to be distorted. He clearly realized the reason why he was dazed. A slight attraction had been established as words began to clear up to him. His eyes blinked a few times hearing her. April 14th was the day she was born, huh? He thought in his head. Words weren’t forming as the memory of Haine washed away. It was time for him to let go and move on with his life. He had a cruel length of time thinking about what he could have done and to prevent her from leaving him behind. He had been punishing himself for things he had no control of. He…Eyes looked at Bliss. She was here and Haine was not. With that, he pushed away all thoughts and focused on the moment. “How about a cake instead of a present? I’ll do something tasty, and we can share it with the kids.” A smile graced his features but still face heated like a sunburn against the pale skin of the white-haired wonder. 

His attention was now shifted to the young child who asked a question. The question burned with an intensity of innocence but with the radiant spark of a sun. Her reaction was even more priceless as he could tell body language relatively easily since he was always told to study the body language of politicians and upstanding people who he could notice right away. But she was plain as day showing off with her red face and his own stained with the red hue. Oh, the humanity. A laugh escaped his lips as he watched the kid run off. “They speak with no filter. No hesitation. At least, I’m glad they can see us as trustworthy enough to answer their questions.” He spoke, despite the humiliation factor that cost the two.

Her words came with even more panic as she rushed to get a handkerchief out of her pocket, and he raised both hands up as the tinge of lipstick stained his cheek. He didn’t want to erase the moment as he figured that she had left it upon his features. He could feel the outline of her lips still due to the aftereffect of the lipstick. It always felt strange when lipstick stuck to skin, but he knew the sensation due to his mother's affection even with protest, he could never escape the clutches of a lipstick kiss from her. It felt different when it came from a different woman though. He had never imagined how it would feel to him if it was anyone else and it felt…oddly nice. “Hold on there, champ. I’m okay." He kept his stance and hands up to defend himself.

“No need to be sorry… no boundaries were broken or crossed. It was good.” He spoke reassuringly.

Eyes lingered upon her small frame. It looked like she was about to cry and he couldn’t with good conscience let that happen. He reached out and held both her hands together and squeezed a bit to ensure it was okay. Head tilted to the left and his white tresses fell along with the way. Smile graced his features once more as he spoke to her. “I mean it. Promise.”

He was going to say something else, but he was interrupted by a screaming penguin. He expected nothing less as the penguin had her wooden sword out. She was being chased. She had clearly pulled that weapon out and that meant that the children had their own weapons drawn. Of course, nothing dangerous as these kids were still players but knew that safety would be the best way. A slight crest grin spread across his face as the penguin was diving into the fountain and stayed underwater for safety. The children rounded the corner and wondered where the familiar disappeared too. It was when the band of children stood there staring at the duo as the two were hand holding. 

He was wondering what they were staring at and then he looked at Bliss until he noticed they had their hands clasped together.

Oh.

How does one explain this? He let his hands drop slightly as he looked at the group. “I was just warming up her hands!” He lied straight out of his teeth as he tucked both hands behind his back. He would betray the penguin. "She’s in the fountain.” He pointed. He had to divert attention or else…the penguin screamed in terror as her own master threw away her location. 

[Bliss 0]

Bliss shook her head emphatically, her cheeks tinged pink as she tried to downplay the attention. "Really, i-it's fine! You don't have to celebrate my b-birthday. No one does in real life, so I never expected it to be any different here." Her voice softened at the end, but she waved her hands quickly, trying to steer the conversation away. "Anyway! Let's just forget about it, okay?" She cleared her throat and forced a laugh, hoping to move past the awkward topic.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief as Kil reassured her. Thank heavens, she thought, glad that no unspoken boundaries had been crossed. She was just about to thank him when a high-pitched, frantic sound broke through the air. A screaming Pingu.

Her attention snapped to Pingu, the tiny penguin flapping around dramatically with a wooden sword clutched in it's wings. Before Bliss could fully process what was happening, Pingu darted off and disappeared into the nearby fountain, splashing as it dove into hiding.

Bliss blinked in surprise and then noticed the wide-eyed stares of nearby children. Her gaze dropped, and she froze in place. Oh no, she quickly realized, our hands. She and Kil were still holding hands, and the children were definitely noticing. Her face went crimson as Kil released her hand, and she quickly stuffed hers into the pockets of her dress, suddenly pretending to be fascinated with the floor. She didn't have long to dwell on her embarrassment though, as Kil's next words nearly made her jaw hit the floor.

"She’s in the fountain,” he said, pointing at Pingu’s hiding spot with zero hesitation.

Bliss gasped, leaning closer to him with a conspiratorial whisper. "D-Did you really have to give her away like that?" she stated, attempting to suppress laughter. The kids immediately took their attention off of them and charged toward the fountain as Pingu let out another indignant scream. Bliss shook her head, smiling despite herself. "Pingu probably thinks you're a traitor now."

* * *

Hours passed like a blur, the rest of the day filled with laughter, chaos, and small moments of connection. It wasn't until Bliss noticed the soft glow of torchlight that she realized how late it had gotten. The sky above was painted in deep hues of navy and black, the stars twinkling faintly. 

"Oh shit! It's nighttime," she said, startled. Her gaze shifted back to Kil and she smiled, warmth and gratitude clear on her face. Without thinking, she stepped forward and hugged him genuinely and tightly. "Thank you for hanging out with me today. It's... it's been a long time since I've had an actual friend." Her voice wavered slightly on the word "friend," but her hug lingered for just a moment longer before she pulled away. She turned to the kids and waved goodbye, her smile soft as they called out cheerful farewells.

As she walked away, her heart felt lighter than it had in years. She couldn't help herself, once she was a safe distance, she broke into a subtle little happy dance, swinging her arms and swaying her hips in excitement. My first friend since elementary school, she thought with a grin, glancing back briefly to make sure Kil wasn't watching.

* * *

Word Count EXP (WPE): [6547]/10 * 0.7

Kiluia Seiko receives the following:
Tier: 6
EXP: [458 * 6] = 2,749
Col: 412

Bliss receives the following:
Tier: 1
EXP: [458 * 1] = 458