PP-F5: “Hot Springs�

[Mari 1]

"Heh..." Mari tilted her head toward Daeron. "So, no more 'most feared PKer' for you eh?" Mari asked. "Assuming you are considering doing the redemption quest." Mari asked, her smile falling as she took on a serious tone. "Are you going to  be ok with that?" It seemed like a stupid question, but one that was still worth asking. Daeron replied in his typical fashion, giving her a light knock to the shoulder. Stating that he liked her. This...took Mari by surprise. More so since he had used her real name, and since he had just finished telling her in the hot springs that he had no interest in anyone

Mari quickly turned her head away, feeling her cheeks rise with a reddened blush. He was right, she cared deeply for Alkor - although what was first assumed as a warm love was twisting in her stomach. She hadn't heard from him in days. Weeks almost. She was beginning to fear the worst. "If he's not dead..." Mari muttered dryly. She gave her head a small shake, trying to get rid of such dismal thoughts. She instead offered him a small laugh, and a smile. Stepping onto the pad.

"I'll see you soon then? Floor 3!"

And with that, she was whisked away.
 

[Daeron 1]

Daeron was wondering what she meant by her last sentence. When she teleported away, he stepped onto the platform himself so that he could keep up with her. Daeron felt the breeze from the teleport take him for a second, but after that he was alright and already on the third floor. As he saw the pink haired girl. Stepping off the platform he came up to her and looked her in the eyes. "Listen, though Alkor and I have our differences... I'll help you find him if you want. There's nothing more I want right now than for you to be happy. Though I'll be really jealous and all, but I don't care as long as I can see you with a smile and those beautiful pink eyes of yours." he said as he smiled to her.

 

Daeron was tempted to, but didn't. This moment, he had thought about moving in to give her a kiss, but who knew how'd she take it. Though he may have been clearly obvious with what his intentions were right there, he didn't care. He allowed a slight rise of pink erupt on his cheeks as well, but only slight. This was literally the first time Daeron's blushed in front of.... well anyone. He needed to be there for her right now, otherwise, what kind of friend would he be to her?

[Mari 1]

It wasn't long till Daeron appeared.  He approached her, his words soft and his amber eyes willed with concern. It wasn't till now that Mari realized they were similar to Alkors, although where his was akin to a sunset, Daeron's was akin to a smouldering fire. The colour of smelting gold. He stepped in close, and offered her words that he supposed would comfort Mari. Offering to find the man. Mari gave Daeron a wry smile, "Whatever happened to killing me for uttering his name mmm?" She asked, reaching out to give him a light poke in his chest, where his heart was. "Growing soft on me eh?"

It was what Mari did, she hid what she meant, she tried to hide how heart wrenchingly painful it was to have Alkor disappear on her, the one man, no the one person she had allowed herself to be completely open with to disappear. Had he died? Did he simply not want to be found? Was he concerned about her? Or did he need time to think about his own emotions. 

"Daeron..." Mari began. "You don't have to do that. IF he doesn't want to be found, there is no use chasing after him." Mari turned from Daeron, to point over toward the forest along the horizon. "I've set up camp, so to speak inside the forest of wavering mist. Rarely anyone goes there. Funnily enough the screams help drown out the sh*t in my head."

 

She tried to change the subject, unsure of what else to say on the matter - and she'd rather, in this instance, meaningless banter than nothing at all.

[Daeron 1]

After she poked him in his chest, he put his hand where she poked him and then looked down at his chest. "You wish I was going soft on ya don't you?" he said as he followed her to lead to her camp. Daeron could tell she was pushing for a different subject, so what he did was try to find something to talk about. Daeron took a breath and lightly tugged on her arm so that she would turn around. Moving in on her, he allowed his lips to connect with hers. This was the first time he did it with any true feeling behind it. Gently brush his lips against hers, he was hoping she wouldn't punch his lights out. "Sorry... It's just... I had to it once... with-- feeling." he stopped his sentence before he said anything else stupid.

 

This time the kiss was gentle and there was no inclination for him to do so except for the feeling he was getting in his gut at that moment. Would she kill him in the camp while he slept? Perhaps he should sleep with one eye open tonight. "Anyways... nice night out huh?" he said as he stretch, his face growing fully red, but he had no idea that it had done so. Everything about him seemed different around Mari now. He wasn't being himself. Or maybe he was and he didn't know that this really was the real him. Kind, genuine, a softy.

[Mari 1]

Mari gave Daeron a wry smile, "You WISH, I wished you were going soft on me." It was a childish thing to say really, just twisting his words. The two could stand there all night if they continued that way, so it was a good thing they didn't. Instead Mari had began to make her way through the floor toward the forest. IT was normally guarded by minatours - but none were present. Just before she went to set foot into the forest she felt Daeron tug at her arm.

She opened her mouth to question why he stopped them, when it was already nightfall, and the quicker they were to get to the cave, the better. Yet, his next move had answered her unspoken question. He had kissed her, softly on the lips. He drew in a deep breath and exhaled softly, pressing harder before pulling away. Mari stood there, shocked. Did he not just say he would respect her and her decision to be with Alkor? To go and do a thing like that? What did it say about his character? Mari wanted to slap him. But where would that get her? The two had gone through this scene countless times. Daeron's face looked as though it was burnt. Mari wasn't sure though as it was too dark to see.

Her next reaction, was the distinct lack of a reaction. She didn't yell at him, she didn't acknowledge the kiss had happened, let alone his apology. Perhaps the slap would have been kinder...it would have given him something to work from but Mari just didn't have it in her right now. Mari turned her back toward Daeron and continued into the forest. The moment they crossed the threshold the ambient screams grew louder. A sick and twisted idea for BGM and sounds...a good way to steer any normal venturer away. "I guess." Mari said, in response to his comment about the night.

It wasn't long till they came to the mouth of a cave Mari stepped in, "Stay close. Don't trip." She guided him down a long and narrow path that opened up into a larger cavern. The air was brisk inside the cave, Mari  headed to the middle where the remains of a fire sat. She pulled out kindling, sticks, twigs and firestarters from her inventory and lit a fire. 

It was a long time before she said anything to Daeron, calm eyes carefully watching him.

"Why?"

She finally asked.
 

[Daeron 1]

Without having to think about her question, he knew exactly what it was about. Daeron looked at the ground for a second, then to his left, then his right. Finally, when his eyes met, he felt guilty. He wanted to help her be happy. "I--" he said with an abrupt cut in his voice. His eyes growing less fiery by the second and more guilty looking, he took a breath in. "I-- I don't know why. I just-- just-- had a feeling. I'm a tool I know, after I just talked about how I don't want to impede, but I just wanted to try it once. To kiss someone with a true meaning and true feeling behind it." he said as he didn't know what to do with his body, or his eyes.

 

Instead of doing something that could help him, he stood there... dumbfound and stupid looking. He felt like the biggest idiot in the world right now and to be honest, her question kind of scared him. Not that it was said in a scary or threatening way, but more like a scary to answer type of question. Something you wouldn't want to get wrapped around in, but looked what he's done to himself at this point. Regardless, he didn't have a solid answer for her question, which may just cause problems for him.

[Mari 1]

(Lets wrap this one up soon and start another after if ya want?)


Mari stayed silent, seemingly uncaring about Daeron's honesty, his awkwardness - his feelings and his sincerity. Her eyes, a shimmering blue, stared at him from beyond the flickering orange flames. Mari was not sure how to take this, she was not accustomed to sincerity, and when she was met with it - and let her guard down. She was often met with lies - and found herself horrendously burnt, figuratively of course. Daeron admitted he was a tool. That much was true.

Why offer your support for someone, and how they feel? Only to press yourself onto them? He was lucky he didn't get slapped. Others had been slapped, or worse... for less. Mari's next words were cold, "You never kissed Lessa with emotion like that? Despite admitting you possibly loved her?" Mari asked sceptically.

Mari turned her gaze away from his, "I'm not sure what to think of this Daeron." She said, hints of tirdness at the edge of her words. She was tired, exhausted and she was sick of allowing people to get close to her, only to have them twist everything round. Mari turned her gaze back to his. "How can I trust what you say?"

[Daeron 1]

Daeron shrugged his shoulders. "To be honest, I don't know any other way to tell you different. I'm not going to try to convince you that you should trust me. I'm going to let you do the convincing yourself. As for Lessa? No, I've never kissed her with true feeling. We've kissed once, but it wasn't anything special since we were both pretty upset with one another." Daeron said as he slid his had on hers and laced his fingers between hers. "If you think that I'm going to hurt you, then you're far mistaken. If it helps, typically I don't form an attachment with people. Very few can say that I have." he admitted once again.

 

He placed his forehead against hers, not kissing her again, but just resting his head there. He pondered for a brief moment on what he should do next, but he figured he'd stop there. "We should probably get some rest. It's pretty late." he said as he kept his hand intertwined with hers and he began to rest separate from her, his arm being reached out to her.

[Mari 1]

Mari gave a wry smile. "Hey, at least you aren't going to try. You've said your piece, what more can you do eh?" Mari's smile faded just as quickly as it had appeared, she was tired and couldn't bother putting on an act in front of Daeron. She let him wrap his and over hers, it wasn't something uncommon for him to do. He admitted he didn't form any sort of attachment with people, or anything really.

"Your guild hopping speaks for you." Mari said half heartedly. It was meant as a joke, but it was spoken with a flat tone, she turned to him to say more on the matter - but stopped short when he bumped his forehead to hers. The action was curious, as he simply said they should get some rest before pulling away. Had Daeron decided to keep to his word and give her space? Good. He said the two should get some sleep.

God Mari wished she could sleep. "Sleep...heh..." she muttered wearily. "Such a thing doesn't really come to me." 

 

Despite Mari's words, she soon found herself falling asleep, head drooping forward, she slept uneasy that night. Every so often startling awake, at one point - her head lolled to the side, as she clasped Daeron's arm, she mumbled a name that she normally wouldn't mention in front of the haphazard man.

"Alkor..."
 

[Mari 1]

(just gonna finish this~)
 

 

 

COMPLETE
Mari: +Solar Flux Coat, +200 Col, + 1 SP
Daeron: +200 Col, +1 SP