[PP-F1] A Grave Situation (Jevi)

[Grave 0]

(I only just realised that we're able to find ourselves a chest now XD Sadly didn't roll high enough for a chest ;-; )

I lowered my head when she started mentioning a fragment of her past.  I didn't realise that was the reason why she acted like that when I flirted with her, "Oh... I'm... Really sorry to hear that.  I guess I was being a little insensitive," I apologized.

I recoiled as she mentioned Shaya, "W-w-what do you mean by that?!" I exclaimed, rearing back.  I was pretty sure Jevi was only messing around.  I genuinely didn't think Shaya harboured feelings for me, but if she did...

When Jevi began talking of seeing the bigger and better creatures, I gave her a wide grin, "Its funny you should mention both Shaya and new monsters in one one sitting.  There is one beast that I was going to show her, but... Turned out she was afraid of heights," I informed her, forewarning her that the monster was in a high place.

When Jevi's stomach growled, I smirked.  Seemed like I wasn't the only one, "Well, dinner's on me,"I told her, "Shall we get go-" I was cut off by a gold glint in the forest.  It was in an area where trees formed a half circle.  I pointed to the glint, "Jevi, you see that?" I asked in a hushed tone.  I began to walk over, before breaking into a jog (and yes, the Aldram decided to follow out of curiosity).  I dodged through the trees, and when I came to the scene...

It was just a broken, discarded sword.  I was seriously hoping for a chest or something.  I sighed and turned around, seeing Jevi only just entering the treeline.  I waved at her to go back as I walked out.

"Bah, I was hoping for a chest, but apparently not," I told her as we walked back up the bills to the town.  I threw her a sidelong glance and a soft smile, "You can pick the venue for our 'date'," I joked, flashing my grin slyly.

---

ID: 27573

LD: 9 = NO CHEST

Edited August 15, 2015 by Grave

[Jevi 0]

Jevi shook her head, ~"No need to apologize.. you had no idea." she shrugged her shoulders without lifting her arms up and sighed, ~"Whats done is done.. nothing I can do about it now.." she rubbed the back of her neck, quite embarrassed that she opened up like she did. ~"Sorry, I usually don't get like this.. or talk about these things." 

She closed one of her eyes and looked at Grave with a mischievous smile on her face, ~"Oh, so you know Shaya now, do you?" she purred to the man in a playful voice. She listened as he spoke about the time he was bringing Shaya to show her an interesting thing at a past encounter. Jevi crossed her arms and looked over at Grave, ~"So I wasn't the only one? And here I thought I was special.." she continued on with the sarcastic, playful banter.. trying to hit a nerve with Grave. The look on her face turned into a puzzled look as the quickly stepped in front of Grave to stop his walking, glaring at him.. ~"... and why do I have the feeling you flirted with her as well.. I doubt you could have helped yourself, being how beautiful she is and all, but still.." she almost had a sort of threatening tone to her voice as she spoke to Grave. 

Jevi nodded when Grave said that dinner was on him, ~"Yeah, you said that before.. and I wasn't going to let that one slide." she gave him another mischievous smirk. As the two were about to head off, Grave suddenly ran off into the distance.. swearing he saw something. She cocked her head to the side and walked after him, wondering what exactly it was that he saw. When he finally got to his position, he had a disappointed look on his face.. saying it was nothing. She shrugged her shoulders and the two made their way back towards the town. When Grave mentioned, jokingly, that this dinner was a 'date' she glared at him for a moment before chuckling, ~"Whatever floats your boat."

[Grave 0]

I felt kinda mean when she told me she was unhappy not being the only one.  I made an attempt, however farfetched, at diffusing the situation, "Ah, but you see you are special.  At least you bothered to see my surprise, unlike someone else," I told her with a soft smile.  Crisis averted.

Or so I thought.  She mentioned how I more than likely flirted with Shaya, which I actually did, "Bullseye," I choked, before I regained my composure made yet another attempt at dealing with the ticking time bomb in front of me, "Sure, Shaya's really pretty and friendly and all, but... The best girls to try for are those that are wilful and make you work to have them," I directly referred to Jevi herself with a wink.

We finally reached the dining district of the Town of Beginnings, and I looked around the large area, before turning back to my companion, "Well, where shall we done, milady?" I teased her.

[Jevi 0]

Jevi's eye twitched lightly and she looked slightly pissed off when Grave mentioned that he had flirted with Shaya as well. She cocked back her fist, which seemed to take on a similar red aura to activating her sword skill as she did so. Jevi let her fist fly straight into Grave's shoulder. She pulled her fist back and crossed her arms, ~"Flirting with me, fine. But you flirted with my girlfriend as well? Psh." She quickly turned her body away and let out a huff of air. What was this feeling that she was giving off, was it jealousy? or was she trying to protect Shaya? She was not sure, in either case, she had never felt it before. ~"Come on, lets go." her voice seemed to calm down quite a bit as she walked in front of Grave, her back facing his front. Before long, the two found themselves back in the Town of Beginnings without meeting any sort of opposition from the monsters in the area. Grave asked where she would like to go, to which Jevi simply replied, ~"Anywhere's fine." 

ID: 27633
BD: 9 (2 dmg unarmed)

Grave: 25/27

Edited August 15, 2015 by Jevi

[Grave 0]

I rubbed my shoulder where Jevi had hit me.  She was one strange girl; first she's all friendly and everything, next she was being absolutely hostile.  She was being really weird... But could she have harboured some kind of feeling for me?  No way, I could tell that much.  Then again, I've never HAD a girl hold affection for me, so I didn't have proper judgement on the matter.

When she said that anywhere was fine, I hung my head and sighed, "One moment fussy, next easy to please," I said under my breath as I walked down the alley-like area, hosting the many stores and areas to dine at.  None looked very appealing.  They were all run down, and the only 'good' one I could see for miles was one for couples, and I made sure to steer particularly clear of that one.  Finally I found a decent one.  I at least hoped the food was good.

I held the door open for Jevi to enter the small café-restaurant hybrid, the rafters hanging low and dust gathering in dirty blobs on the once ivory walls.  Even some of the floorboards were missing their nails, or whatever fastened them to the floor.  I looked around for a seat and spotted one in the far corner, motioning for Jevi to follow.  The seat had probably the cleanest window in the area next to it, that at least was something to be thankful for.

Edited August 15, 2015 by Grave

[Jevi 0]

Jevi looked back at Grave, who was as confused as ever at what just happened. She turned back around with her arms crossed, ~"What? You've never faced any consequences for flirting with someone's girlfriend before?" She wondered if he even knew she literally meant her 'girlfriend' rather than just a girl who is a friend. She sighed, ~"Doesn't matter, come on."

Jevi followed Grave through the rows of houses and shops that occupied the sides of the streets of the First Floor city. She looked around at the different buildings, wondering what could be in each one, and if any of them were player owned homes rather than just a shop owned by one. Her mind wandered from one place to the next before she realized the two had met their destination. 

The two walked into the cafe to be met with pleasant atmosphere and an aroma to match. Instantly, Jevi felt herself even hungrier than before, and quickly followed behind Grave to the seat he had picked out.

[Grave 0]

(Oh, damn, I didn't realise both Jevi and Shaya were bi AND dating until I read both journals XD That's killed both Grave's chances)

"Thats because I've barely done anything with girls," I told her, still not getting the message she was trying to tell me, "Girls never liked me in the real world, and that's why I get these temptations to flirt, because I just want them to like me," I explained, feeling a tear or two well up.

Yeah, I'd never had good experiences with females at any stage in my life.  I haven't had a single girlfriend at all, and SAO was going to be no different.  Sure, the girls are all much friendlier towards me, but none that will hold feelings.  That much I was dead sure of.  Jevi and Shaya were just another part to that long corridor, unending and dark.  Wait, corridor?  That reminds me of something...

Once we had sat down, rather than picking up the menu straight away, I looked out the window.  The sky, formed by the second floor towering above us, was dotted with blazing, white stars.  Yet another crazy idea formed in my head, just to finish off the night.

I turned my head from the dirty glass and picked up my menu, and I have to say most of the stuff sounded above decent.  An NPC waiter came over to our table to take our orders, and I asked for the Boar Pie, just because it didn't sound too flashy.  I just hoped that it was going to be decent.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Grave

[Jevi 0]

Jevi's shoulders lowered as she released some tension, and the expression on her face returned to normal. She looked at Grave as he spoke about his inexperienced life.. when it came to finding love at least. She would say she felt bad, but then again.. was in the same boat as her. Shaya was her first love.. she did not no any love aside from that her father gave her so many years ago. She let out a sigh as she could see the sadness in his eyes, ~"Yeah... Me too. Same thing with guys." she chuckled. ~"This is honestly my first time being with someone.. with Shaya and all... Also why I was not used to the flirting.. Most of the time whenever guy's said things like that, they would end up trying to take advantage of me.. the guys I thought were my friends." she clenched her fist, thinking about the past again. She walked over to Grave and placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a soft smile, ~"Look.. You're a a good guy. I mean.. after just one meeting I know I can call you my friend, and thats rare for me. You're kind, dependable.. and I mean, you've got the looks, can't deny that. And that accent? Hah, most girls would probably melt in the palms of your hands when they heard that." she scoffed. ~"But like I said, my hearts already taken by someone. Now come on, lover-boy, lets go get some food." she gave him another soft, friendly punch in the shoulder, telling him to cheer up and to get his ass in gear.. she was hungry. 

As soon as she sat down across from Grave, she began to look at her choices for food, the menu only inches from her face as she frantically looked for something to fill her stomach. As the server approached them and asked for what they would like, Jevi placed the menu down and asked for the chicken and rice dish. She then looked across to Grave, who seemed to be looking out the window deep in thought, ~"Grave, Im sorry today may not have gone as you planned... well.. in that way.. But I have to admit it was fun, and I'm happy I can call you a friend." 

[Grave 0]

I was startled when she apologized about the day not going as planned, but surprisingly I didn't blush.  Instead I just shook my head, "Don't sweat it, I was a bit of a prick today... I got fairly carried away.  You taught me quite a valuable lesson, and I'm thankful for that," I told her.  I wasn't even sure I'd considered dating her, so maybe she got the wrong idea, but I seriously didn't blame her.  If what she said was true, that combined with my attitude would have obviously confused her.

Another NPC came out with our two dishes and gracefully placed them on the table.  I quickly dove into mine, knife and fork ravaging the puffy pastry and thick, juicy meat with in.  Each bite felt something like heaven compared to the damn bread.  I was hoping Jevi was enjoying her food as much as I was.

[Jevi 0]

Jevi nodded at Grave as she told him she did not need to apologize. She blinked with wide eyes when she realized she was apologizing for such a petty thing. This was not like her at all.. usually she did not care what others though. This game really was changing the woman she grew up as.. She then tilted her head slightly to the side with a curious look, ~"Oh? What lesson was that?" She propped her arms up on the table and interlocked her fingers in front of her lips, patiently waiting for their dinner to arrive. 

After a few moments, a waitress returned to their table holding a large platter and two plates of food resting on top of it. Jevi felt her mouth water as she swallowed down some of the saliva that occupied her mouth. A plate of browned rice, infused with some diced vegetables and other spices took up one side of the dish, while a big chicken cutlet took up the other half. She immediately began to devour the food, the taste of the dish filled her with joy. 

[Grave 0]

"The fact that I should watch what spews from my lips," I replied briefly.  It should have been enough information for Jevi to get the gist of what I was talking about, but I elaborated all the same, "I've never really given thought to the fact that I could be chatting up someone's significant other, or even just saying things that prod something inside them in general.  I never realised how bloody insensitive I am, and I regret many of my decisions from before SAO.  I guess the Death Game could be considered my penance, eh?" I flicked her a warm glance, but that glance became a gawk once the NPC had entered.

Jevi seemed to be having as much fun with her food as I was.  It was nice. Different, but altogether nice.  Once I finished, I propped my elbows on the table and perched my sharp chin on my knuckles.  My eyes flicked around the diner, and frequently back to Jevi.  There was still so much to learn about her; and that's exactly what my final crazy plan was for.

Edited August 25, 2015 by Grave
Just read through and realised I butchered the English language

[Jevi 0]

~"Oh, that" she picked up another piece of chicken and popped it in her mouth, ~"Yeah you should keep an eye on that." she said with a light chuckle and a wink. She then continued to listen to Grave confess about the lesson he learned from their day out in the woods, and almost felt bad for mentioning something in the first place. ~"Hm, I guess you have a point there.." she followed up the piece of chicken she previously ate with a mound of rice. After swallowing the combination of food, she placed her hand on her chin, ~"You know.. This game really has changed me as well.. a lot honestly. For the better of course."

There was a slight break in conversation, which Jevi took the opportunity to finish up the rest of her food. She placed her utensils down on the table and wiped her mouth with a napkin. A sigh of relief and comfort passed from her lips as she sat back in the booth and closing her eyes. Her belly was happy so she was happy. 

[Grave 0]

"It's not just us, everyone's been changed by Kayaba's insanity." I replied, acid in my tone and carrying over to my next sentence, "And not all of them for the better.  There are people who have gone mad from the overpowering fear of death, some taking the easy way out even... The prick just wants to toy with us until we all go mad in this floating castle."  explained, my eyes angrily pensive, like a brewing thunderstorm.

Yeah, Jevi enjoyed the meal, that's for sure.  I allowed us time to let our meals digest (did things even digest in the game?) before standing up and making a beeline for the counter, paying the bill and turning to the door, motioning to Jevi as I went.

We strolled back through the shopping district, heading towards the housing district to a rather cheap but not too shabby inn I knew of, but before I did that, I made a detour down an alley, where boxes were stacked precariously at the dark and gloomy.  I made my way up, nimbly but hastily, and onto the ledge above, leading to a flat platform; possibly a roof of some kind.  I waited for Jevi to follow before laying down on the stone and looking up to the stars; the final activity of the night.

[Jevi 0]

Jevi sat back in the chair and crossed her arms with her brow slightly furrowed, listening to Grave talk about the terrible fate some of the players in SAO have met. She hoped that she did not end up following in any of these people's footsteps.. but lucky enough for her, she had already made a couple of friends that would make sure to keep her from doing so. She had no words for what Grave spoke about, and only could let out a sigh of disappointment for Kayaba's actions against them all. 

After the two had finished with their food, Jevi followed Grave out of the restaurant, Grave paying for the meal as he promised. She walked along side Grave through the merchant's district of the city, where it was now night. She honestly found that she liked the night much more than the day.. it really brought out the beauty and life in some places, The Town of Beginnings being one of them. Grave soon took a turn down an unexpected alley, to which she raised on of her eyebrows. Seriously? What the hell is he thinking now? But just then, the man began to climb up the boxes, making his way for the roof of some shop. Jevi let out a slight sigh of relief knowing that was his intent of this alley, so she hastily made her way over to the boxes and followed him up to the roof. 

Once she made her way to the top, she stood there, looking down at the players walking around, and the other shops. There really were not any places in this city where you could see things from this point of view.. so it amazed her. She then saw Grave take a seat on the roof and look up at the starts. Jevi looked up at the sky, which was completely visible, not with parts of buildings blocking the view. She decided to take a seat next to the man and look up with him. 

[Grave 0]

We stayed silent for a moment.  Not a fleeting moment - a full moment, rounding up to about a minute.  The stars burned and flickered in the black sky, like tiny flames in a sea of darkness.  Many people would have thought them real, had they not had the knowledge of the game.  Finally, I turned my head to Jevi.

"Question time!" I told her, and was expecting her to become rather startled. "I'll go first - what's your favourite colour?" I asked her, a warm smile across my lips.

[Jevi 0]

It was a long day. Not so much a bad day, just long. Laying down now, especially after eating a hearty meal, Jevi did not realize just how tired she was. And looking up at the stars really put her in a comfortable place. The two were quiet.. Maybe his idea was to just spend the night here instead of using the money to pay for rooms in an inn. Might not be such a bad idea.. they were out of view of most people, so no need to really worry about sleep pkers and such. Her eyes slowly started to close, and after a second, Jevi was asleep. That was, at least, until Grave shouted out. Jevi's eyes shot back open and she let out a little yelp as she turned in place, propping herself up on her shoulder. She glared over at Grave, who had a smile on his face. She then let out a sigh, ~"Favorite color huh.. That would be orange. How about you?" 

[Grave 0]

"Hmm... I would probably say black, but many would argue that's nota colour.  On the flip side, then, I'd have to go with cyan.  It has a nice, cool feel to it.  I guess we're like fire and ice to each other, huh?" I elaborated, flashing her a beaming grin.  I picked that spot, as I knew that it was a place Jevi would find peace in, and that she would relax.  I wasn't going to delve into the personal life section, but I did want to get more personality information from her.

I nodded in her direction, telling her to ask me a question in return.  Favourite food?  Favourite band?  Have I ever actually come close to having a girlfriend?  I had answers ready for all three of those, but granted, she was going to try something more unique.

[Jevi 0]

Jevi nodded in agreement, cyan was a nice color. She expected him to say black.. with the black cloak and his aura and all.. But cyan took her a little off guard. His corny joke, however, she almost expected. She giggled at his joke, ~"Of course you would say that Grave." she said with a soft smile on her face. She then noticed the motion he gave her, for it was her turn to come up with a question. She turned back over onto her back and crossed her arms over her chest, looking up at the stars as she thought of a question to ask Grave. The silence before her asking marked she was going to ask something important that she thought deeply about.. ~"Whats your favorite food?" .. or she just was not sure and jumped to an obvious one. 

[Grave 0]

"Sushi." I replied blandly. "Just sushi.  Can't get enough of it.  I could eat it every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year." I ran out of breath at the end, so I took a deep breath, and spoke again. "Okay, maybe I was exaggerating on the hour part.  I like my slender build the way it is."

My turn.  "How good are you at singing?  Or does that question... strike a chord?" I sat in silence and waited for the god-awful pun to sink in.

[Jevi 0]

~"You know.." Jevi furrowed her brow, thinking about it. ~"I've never really had sushi before.. Never had the opportunity..I'm guessing its good then." she said with a slight chuckle. He then continued after taking a breath.. which Jevi thought he was finished talking.. ~"Yeah.. Or you'd get sick from eating raw fish all the time.." 

Moving on to his next question, Grave asked Jevi if she was any good at singing.. Ending his question with ANOTHER bad pun. After a moment of silence, she threw her fist out to the side, punching Grave in the shoulder again. ~"I'm not really much of a singer.. Maybe to myself I like to sing, but never in front of others." All these questions about each other made her thing more and more about her old life in the real world, ~"What did you do... you know.. in the real world before all of this?"