[CLOSED] An Unexpected Encounter

[Elpharae]

"Girls have more fun, haven't you heard?" Elpharae shot back, shimmying his hips before he suddenly switched their positions, taking the lead and dipping Rue, leaning close and murmuring. "And I couldn't let you have all that fun, now could I? And those pretty dresses...well, that's just a bonus." Sliding his body in time to the beat, he sent her a salacious wink over his shoulder and a lighthearted laugh, quick steps back and forth filling his mind. Kaito seemed to be gone-wait, was that him talking to the musician? The shy, nervous man's personality seemed to have...solidified, somehow. He wasn't as shy.

When the sudden shift in music appeared, he wasn't deterred, instead sliding on one foot to watch the transition, intrigued at the notion. The old music was thrown to the side, the breathy, contralto voice of the woman singing before switched to something rawer, heavier, and...was that Slavic? The beat, instead of flowing through him neatly, shook his very core, dark somehow and a little eerie. But it was pounding through him, urging him to dance, so he listened to the song more carefully, wondering fondly at Kaito. This wasn't bad, exactly, but risky-instead of being gentle, it was-

What was that? Metal and flesh? A...sword. His gaze swept to the noise, noticing Kaito. His arms were above his head, hand hitting the sword. How...fun? He wasn't sure if that was the right word. His dark eyes watched, surprised as the man from earlier jumped into the center, side-spinning. A small smile played on his lips as he watched. So this was the type of music that spoke to him and got him out of that shy shell that seemed to encase him whole, politeness aside.

Through the loud, haunting lyrics, he could see recognition appear, and watched more intently. Kaito landed in a squat, sheathed sword making a loud thunk in the silent square, spinning the blade around his body. That was a very dramatic move, Elpharae thought happily, a little proud of her newfound friend. A dramatic and utterly thrilling one. With the continuous movements of his friend, he was brought to the realization that the sword dance was quite thrilling with a quiet laugh, clapping first among the crowd.

Once the chorus became familiar to him, he hummed along with it, giggling behind a sleeve. This was just so raw, so alive-like he could be surrounded by others, just dancing in the moonlight with dark, tall grass. More and more musicians jumped in, making it more...menacing. Not like a cup of dark, bubbling liquid, surrounded by dark fumes, but something sharper, leaner...how interesting. It was for the best, perhaps, that he didn't stay at the fringe of Tolbana today. Most definitely.

When Kaito created sparks against the cobblestone, Elpharae's eyes were wide, sleeve brought up to his "o" shaped mouth as he lingered towards the front of the crowd, his dark skirt swishing lightly as he stepped forward unconsciously. As the music slowed, Kaito came to him, and Elpharae took his hand, leaning down excitedly. That was amazing and spectacular and why didn't you tell me you could dance? He wanted to say, but instead, got on his knees, stifling a loud squeal-so what if he got really, really passionate about dancing and fun? He was only sixteen, come on-and throwing his arms around Kaito, hugging him.

"That was amazing." Elpharae replied, bright-eyed and flushed. He leaned closer, and on impulse, kissed him on his cheek lightly. It wasn't that uncommon for him to do so, actually, and he really didn't think that Kaito would take it the wrong way, so he stood up and offered him a hand, giggling lightly. He inclined his head, catching a flash of white and sending the girl a blinding grin as he turned once again to Kaito, curious and a little elated over making a new friend. "Now that I know you know how to dance, what about teaching me something? The day's not over yet."

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Mine Rue Lv3

Rue smiled at the "Girl's" response, raising her arm over her head as he dip her down, as to act as she has been swooned by the boy. they slid their bodies together as he raised her back up. " Well you can't have all the fun now". Rue would put her arms around him and pulled he towards her, their bodies pressed together as she took control of the dance. " I can't let you have all of the fun". Rue whisper to him as their faces were inches from each other. Suddenly the music shifted, Rue paused with a frown as the moment was killed off. the boy looked past her and seemed to be focused on something. The beat was savage animalist, Rue turn to see a very unexpected sight. Kaito moving in a strong and intimidating pose and he slapped his sword and body, stomping and smashing his sword like a beast. Rue's grin grew wider at the man's determination to win back his partner. Kaito finished was dancing and reached out to the boy, his breath was ragged from his show. Rue felt the boy's grip loosen as he walked towards Kaito. Sliding her hands off of his, he left her smiling back at Rue he hugged the man and kissed him on the cheek. Rue calmly smiled at the two and in a playful tone spoke, "Be careful with him he might not have much stamina left". As the two danced off one of the other men offered her to dance. Rue softly griped his hand as he placed his arm on her shoulder, and the other around her waist. As they danced Rue would focus on Kaito and the Boy, she would stealthily force the man's movements towards the two. Rue continued to dance, when the man slid his hand lower, Rue moved his hand back to her waist " No no no you have to earn it". Rue spoke in a playful tone as she watched Kaito near the stage, quickly taking control of the dance they gracefully moved next to them. Rue opened the mans hand and blinked, her sword appeared in her hand and the scabbard dropped on the mans hand. Scooping the boy's waist with her other hand moving him safely out of the way. Rue stabbed her sword through Kaito's pants around the lower regions and through the wood pining him in place. Turning back to her partner she dropped her scabbard by Kaito. Her partner stood their in surprise and fear, "Thank you, you earned it". Turning to Kaito she smiled. However the smile may have looked playful, but it was odd, Rue was different. The Rue Kaito knew was serious and not playful, when she put a sword to his throat her expression was fierce like a warrior not full of glee and desire. The Rue he knew would not act this way or even be at a dance, she would be on the frontline working towards leaving the world, who was this girl who stood before him. "Next time you interfere you'll be severing female royalty". Her tone was still playful, but their was a hint of malice in her voice. " Take care of my sword please". Rue spoke as she left with the boy. Wrapping her arms around his hips and pulling him closer, she smiled. " So cruel leaving me, we were not done not very lady like to leave without saying goodbye, but your not much of a lady". Rue looked to the musicians, "Something passionate and vibrant". Not wanting to be on the girls bad side they played a fast drum heavy score. The powerful beats vibrated through the two as Rue would rock her hips against the man and lean close to his face. " Now back to where we were. I did not know you liked it rough, not very graceful their dear. it's okay i'll forgive you, if you tell me about yourself". She leaned mere centimetres from his lips as her small breaths kissed his lips, as they continued to move. " If you tell me, i'll tell you about some adventures since you like danger so much".

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Kaito]

"I'm no hero. I can't save my own life, let alone another. I was never a "Sapphire Samurai." Just a ronin fighting for ideals I can only hope to aspire to." ☒ @rue Elpharae ✐ 1231 ✉ The pixie's not yours to own. Kaito Lv2

[[Rue, thank you for editing your post. I gave you as close to what your original intentions were but... well, there is consequences for it. ]]     Kaito felt like he was on top of the world at the moment. An audience was clapping for him, a beautiful girl had wrapped his arms around him and even gave him a kiss on the cheek. A smile as wide as Aincrad itself was painted on his face as he let one long arm wrap around Elpharae’s torso and his fuzzy cheek brushing against hers. This truly felt like he was in the best dream of his life. “Hehe, I guess I felt inspired by you is why!” He said with a laugh as he rose back to his feet and slid his sword back to his side, “Though… well, it wasn’t exactly one dance but I’ll tell you all about.” He still held to her hand as Rue’s… oddly smiling face teased about him being worn out, the dark haired man’s slightly damp hair shaking with his head as he replied, “Actually, I feel like I’ve gained a second wind!” Kaito didn’t seem to put two-and-two together about Rue’s stealing of Elpharae, as he assumed she just wanted to tease and fluster the poor older geek as usual. Tapping two fingers to his brow, he sent off Rue with a salute as the Montenegrin song “Korita Ivanova” reintroduced the crowd back to a more light-hearted tone about yearning love.     “To be honest, the sword dance was sort of ad-libbed, but all the spinning and leaping? I had a bit of a period back in high school when I just sucked in everything there was to know about Poland and Slavic culture thanks to this fantasy series from there. And, well, dance was one of them! Though this is the first time I’ve been able to try it out.” He explained as showed her how to skip and spin in front of the main stage of the musicians, arm up in the air before bringing it back down to press against a lip as he realized, “And to be honest, most of this high energy stuff is the guy’s dance now that I think about it. But it’s like you said, it doesn’t need to be perfect. The other dance, the slapping and thudding? That’s from a Maori Haka war dance. I’m actually Hawaiian and you can’t really get away from learning about other Polynesian cultures there either. Th-Though I didn’t use the shouting and tongue waggling because I think that would be pushing a little too fa-“     His words were right on point as he felt a sudden airiness between his legs from behind him as Kaito swung Elpharae out for a pirouette on one hand, the ripping of fabric heard as he felt himself stuck in place. He quickly glanced down to his horror that he was inches away from having a virtual vasectomy from a very familiar longsword as he turned behind him to see Rue behind him. “WHA- Rue!? What the hell…!” He gasped, shocked that she'd go this far with a joke… or at least, it had to be a joke. That’s what it was, right? ”Next time you interfere you’ll be severing female royalty.”     Kaito’s black eyes grew wide over his shoulder as he began to realize that he must have misjudged her character by quite a margin as while that smile was on her face, her amber eyes held a quiet fury to them before quickly snatching and pulling Elpharae away again, practically running her fingers all over the brunette and pushing into her privacy so fast it made his head spin. In any other context this might be considered enticing to watch, but… this had gone too fast and too hard into a direction that Kaito could only see as possessive and, quite frankly, “rapey”. The older man could take abuse after abuse heaped upon him and had done so in the past but where one might react irrationally when being chased down a street or play up the role of the snooty girl with an hyperactive imagination, this was premeditated and malicious. The otaku had made the mistake to put her in a category of perhaps being a “Kuudare with a God Complex” but… people don’t come in cute anime categories. Sometimes, they can just be twisted to begin with and only now was Kaito and her new “accomplice” aware of that. “Whoa, dude! You okay man!?” As the tanned skinned blonde man asked with his legs clenched together in empathetic response as the tall lanky man shrugged against the cross hilt keeping him caught between the wooden stand. Rue had struck just as no players other than the four of them had been in the area, so that the crowd wouldn’t respond and the more dangerous, sensual music she had switched to made things seem even tenser. “I’m fine, you saw that, right?” He quickly asked the surfer stranger as he swiped his fingers in front of him, opening his menu and poking buttons rapidly. “Y-Yeah, what the hell is her pro-“ He began before watching Kaito suddenly glow a white glow, stepping away from the stage and Rue’s sword as his Beginner Armor formed on his body, all leather and blue and grey cloth. “I’m going to find out. See that guy over there? He was played too.” Kaito said as he pointed towards the long black haired and goateed man standing awkwardly at the edge of the dancing circle after being rejected by the ice haired teen, “I might need your help soon, wait with him.” Surfer dude glanced between the dark dressed teenager forcing herself on Elpharae and the grey haired man yanking the sword free from the wooden stage as he stammered, “W-Wait, what are you going to do!?” Kaito shook his head as he walked by, quipping, “Don’t worry. Going to teach her a lesson in manners.”     Rue was right in believing Kaito was a coward, but only when it was his own safety at sake. And having her seemingly show her true colors like this, he had to settle with the little “Chuuni” right here, right now. “RUE! ENOUGH!” He yelled at the top of his lungs, making sure everyone in the crowd knew something was going down, again. He had already been quite disruptive tonight but it looks like he had to be one last time as he now stood there in full battle gear, holding her sword unsheathed. Kaito’s face was hard, his lips a flat line as he glared her way, the “student” staring down the “master” as it were. “No more games Rue. What the hell is wrong with you!? Or are you just this determined to take what you want?” He demanded as he glanced down at the sword in his hand before back to her, “Elpharae’s not yours to take as you please. You can threaten me, you can talk trash to me but LEAVE HER ALONE.” Kaito flipped the sword around blade point down and caught it by the tang, suddenly sending it sailing across the circle with an underhand toss as it bit in-between dirt and cobblestone with an audible metallic “CHING!” between the two of them, standing erect in the center as the man held tight his scabbard with his left hand. “So what’s it going to be, kid?” He said with emphasis on her age, clenching and unclenching his sword hand as he waited.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Elpharae]

[OOC: The pixie's not anyone's to own.]

"Inspired? By me?" Elpharae replied playfully, raising an eyebrow. His dark colored skirts swished around his ankles, and he tilted his head, listening intently to what Kaito had to say, nodding occasionally. The light-hearted song playing right now had switched the mood right over, and couples began to reclaim the dance floor, sending curious and admiring glances to Kaito. Popular, was he now? Elpharae smirked a little inwardly. "I suppose I get it, of a sort. Dancing is different for everyone-I like to do a more lighthearted, oriental or Middle Eastern-inspired dance, but it changes. It's the atmosphere that gets me going, I think, since if it's a particularly somber occasion, I can't just jump into a rendition of a jive or anything els-"

He was suddenly pulled away, Kaito pinned to a wall with a sword, Elpharae sending him concerned glances, but when Kaito didn't seem to be giving him any mind, Elpharae went with it, only raising a curious eyebrow when the white-haired girl from earlier-Rue, apparently, which was a pretty name-put her hands on his hips and tugged him closer, murmuring. His eyes, bright with mischief taken in from the happy, jubilant atmosphere, were wide and faux-innocent, while she leaned closer to him. "It's a good thing I'm not a lady then, isn't it? And besides..." He spun in time, watching her movements. "I've always liked being a little mysterious, because with that mystery comes intrigue. And what that leads to? Something absolutely interesting. Maybe as interesting as those adventures you're going to tell me, hmm?"

At her next words, the brunette boy let out a quiet laugh. "Elpharae," He introduced, before inclining his head curiously. “You’re…Rue, right? Must be pretty powerful to pin Kaito down like that…though I do wonder why. Getting a little jealous, perhaps?” He joked, stifling a small smile. He sent another glance to Kaito, but noticed him surrounded by a crowd of strangers. Somehow, his expression seemed harder…crueler, somehow. Fixed in determination. When the older male grimly equipped his armor, though, Elpharae paused mid-step, unsure of what had happened. Did the strangers provoke the nervous, gentle man somehow? His eyes zeroed in on the green players, frown playing on his lips. Dropping his hands to his side, he apologized to Rue, hands quickly swiping midair to materialize his rapier. “I’m sorry for stopping so suddenly. But something seems to be amiss-Kaito’s materializing his armor. Strange-it’s a safe zone, after all. Maybe he’ll challenge someone to a duel?”

His fingers ran over the simple hilt, smooth and scratch-free. Helpfully, or at least in his case, he could tie the sheathed weapon to his side, using his hair accessory to keep it there and the smooth-rough fabric of his skirt, hitching it up to around the area around his knee to make a knot that secured his weapon, which could now be easily reached without having to carry it all the time. Raising his eyes, he was brought out of his reverie when a loud cry reached him, in a very familiar voice. Kaito. What was his friend doing? Was he insane? When Kaito started talking to Rue quite harshly, Elpharae’s eyes widened and he clasped his hands to his mouth, shocked. What-was this about him?

“RUE! ENOUGH! No more games, Rue. What the hell is wrong with you!? Or are you just this determined to take what you want? Elpharae’s not yours to take as you please. You can threaten me, you can talk trash to me but LEAVE HER ALONE. So what’s it going to be, kid?”

Elpharae’s mouth tightened into a line of quiet fury, and his dark eyes narrowed. The square had become completely still, a huge crowd forming around him, Kaito, and Rue. Murmurs and shocked whispers floated around, and the brunette paused for exactly two minutes before stepping in. “That’s enough. We have plenty problems without fighting amongst our players. This is a festival, not a fighting club. If you want to be stupid, go to hell named Aincrad and try to kill yourself there. I can take care of myself, and there is no need to but into what I can and cannot do. I may look like it, but I am not made out of porcelain. Today is a day to enjoy ourselves, so get out of this godforsaken thing that you’re trying to do. It’s a safe zone, for God’s sake-we may not be able to hurt each other, but no ridiculous infighting like this. And fighting about me, a simple player? I may be weak, but I’m not so weak that I’d let myself get taken advantage of. Or do you really think of me that way?” His tone was sharp and his personality turned absolutely cold, eyes glacial and not containing any of their earlier playfulness, dripping with poison.

“Disperse,” He barked at the crowd, which noticeably startled. He sighed, unsheathing his rapier and repeating himself, tense and furious. “Disperse. Scatter. Shoo. We are people, not some circus act to watch. I said, go.” He hissed at the remaining players, before Elpharae’s frame lost some of its rigidity, turning accusingly to Rue and Kaito, sighing before rubbing his temple with his free hand, sheathing his sword again.

“What was that?” He suddenly demanded in a rage, figure trembling with the force of his ire. “I had thought you were a rather reasonable man, Kaito, but it seems not. And Rue-yes, I do agree that she went a little overboard-but that was unwarranted. There were children around, around eleven or twelve! This is a festival! Are you insane?! Are you trying to provoke me somehow? I can defend myself. I’m not some sort of helpless damsel. You two are my friends-or, at least, approaching that point for one of you, so I don’t care what type of shit you’ve gone through together, you need to get over it.” Elpharae swore repeatedly in French and Japanese much more loudly than he normally would have, glaring at anyone who lingered too long, watching the trio. As if he had gone through real physical exhaustion, however, his stress and anger fell on him like a heap of rocks, and he slowly sat on the ground, not trusting himself to not collapse. Though his exhaustion was hidden to the best of his ability, it was still rather noticeable, despite his attempts to make it otherwise. He maintained his composure, though, and watched the two warily, on guard for any attacks between the two. Onlookers paused, unsure of what was happening.

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Rue Lv3

Rue grinned at the boy's response, backing off the boy and going into a more calm dance while she places her hand on her chin and titlist her head side to side. " Hmm I could tell you about how I taught, Kaito how to use a sword. No not interesting enough. How about a girl who took her doll collecting hobby a little to far. No I've got it and I have a memento to show along with the story". The boy let out a quite laugh and introduced himself also, prodding at the girl's intentions. " No nothing like that, just like to finish what I started, now back to the story". Rue spun around looking at Kaito with a group of other men, he looked to be planning something. Looking back to Elpharae she smiled, " sorry, ahem. I was going to train in the mountains for large amounts of experience, but my plans were halted do to a missing person. Turning back around her back faced Kaito and his band of not so merry men. " Me and a few other went to, gather information, on the subject and my teammates did some unnecessary interrogation. We followed the trail of evidence as we came upon, a white building. We made a bad decision and ended up face to face with a giant white wolf, apparently they were putting their victims against the wolf and made bets to see how long they would last". Rue stopped as Elpharae let go of her hand and materialized her rapier. She apologized and mentioned that Kaito was preparing himself for a dual. " Really him, that does not sound like him". Rue voice was curious, as she watched the boy tied his sheath to her skirt. “RUE! ENOUGH! No more games, Rue. What the hell is wrong with you!? Or are you just this determined to take what you want? Elpharae’s not yours to take as you please. You can threaten me, you can talk trash to me but LEAVE HER ALONE. So what’s it going to be, kid?” Rue looked as Elpharae's eyes rose to look at Kaito with shook. Rue still had her back to Kaito and wore her dress while her weapon lay over by the stage. A crowd began to form as Kaito played his hand. Turning around to Kaito with a blank look at the action hero. Her eyes focused in on him as he threatened her, her amber eyes were not bright and full of fire, but dim and cold and looked through Kaito as if he's already dead. She walked up to Kaito and crossed her arm staring at the man with a look that could kill. " What are you going to do, were in town you can't kill me. That's if you even could, all of you no nothing of what's out there. You all simple sit back and wait for someone to recuse you, set up dances and parties, drinking and laughing ignoring the insanity around you". Rue pulls a leather book out of her inventory and throws it down at Kaito's feet. " Here's the people you want to protect and make save, the ones who trick and poison each other and kill each other for a comfortable virtual life. Why should I care and go out their and fight for a group of people who could careless about me. Why should I have to live up to the expectations of everyone. Why can't I just forget everything and dance away my problems". She pushes Kaito and her tone got louder and her eyes watered and flickered with sadness." Why Kaito why can you all laugh and smile, why can't I just ignore everything and live in town happy and content". She continues to push him while asking him. Elpharae crashed into Rue's and Kaito's argument. Rue was shocked by her out burst as she turned to him. Rue looked at him as he barked at her and Kaito, he expression turned to shame as she was scolded by the small boy. She stood near Kaito with her head down as the players dispersed as per the loud armed boy requested. Her looked at the ground shamefully with her hands clasped and held around her stomach, and stood quietly as Elpharae continued to scold her and Kaito. He grew tired from his yelling at the two, he however maintained a fearsome look at the two players. Rue did not raise her head and spoke with a apologetic tone. " I'm sorry for my actions, I don't know what came over me i'm not usually like this. This entire incident was caused back my actions". She would box and continue to speak," Please do not blame Kaito for his response, it was my fault I should of kept myself in check and known that I should have stayed away and kept to the frontlines". Raising herself up she would move to her sword. Picking her sword up she would sheath it and leave the immediate area.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Quantum]

"Your weakness shall be revealed as if I was watching through a magnifying glass." ? @tagged ? 000 ? notes Quantum Lv3 [ ]

Quantum exited the shop with the chiming of bells behind him as the door swung softly closed. With a tug he readjusted the new vest, a calmning deep green colour made of decent enough fabric. The shirt underneath was a much cleaner white than he had become used to wearing, bright and clean as if it had been dyed the night before. Instead of the battle hardened brown pants that came with his armour, he wore a simple black pair of what could look like slacks from the real world. It had taken some effort to find someone who had any idea what hair gel was, but his prematurely grey mess had been brushed back out of his eyes for the first time since they entered the game. "You look handsome as always." Said a female voice in his ear. Recognition and surprise filled his face as he turned to meet whoever had said that. Through the corner of his eye the teacher thought that he could see the ends of a wavy blonde hair, but when his full sight was brought around he saw nothing. There was a chill upon his spine as his throat caught itself, the fierce swallowing he tried to keep his demeanor as best as he could. Why must my mind torment me so? Quantum pleaded with himself almost wishing that he could call upon a higher power to keep his mind and heart strong. He loosed a small number of tears, their salt staning his cheeks until the teacher reached up to wipe them away. Not today, let me do what I can for another day. He willed himself to start moving again, stepping into the crowd and shoving the memory to the back of his mind. The music quickly turned to have a much faster pace, the ferocity of it throbbing into his bones. It took no time for him to find a partner, a young woman with short brown hair who's partner was mysteriously missing. However she lacked the mark of the player, and how she danced and dragged him along showed a familiarity with the music. He mimicked what he could, dancing and laughing along with the music in some old world manner. Sweat soon began beading upon his forhead and neck as he twirled and clapped and stepped along. It was all running along great until his back slammed against someone who had been standing still, and the physicist's eyes were drawn to what he had it. A few of the festive party members looked back as he looked over the shoulders of those in front, and he viewed what had made a small number of people stop. An argument had broken out, and for a reason that Quantum knew nothing about. Two young girls and a male who had to be at least a few years older if appearances were any indication, which he unfortunately did not know matter none with that group. What he could see was how heated it seemed and as the light blue haired girl began to move past him he spoke up. "Are you sure you want to leave it like that?" He asked calmly, though he also figured that maybe she just needed some space. Into the space that was created he spoke to the other two as well. "What seems to be the problem here?"

MADE BY ?MEULK OF GS

[Kaito]

"I'm no hero. I can't save my own life, let alone another. I was never a "Sapphire Samurai." Just a ronin fighting for ideals I can only hope to aspire to." ☒ @rue Elpharae @quantum ✐ 2021 ✉ Party's Over (This will be my last post for this thread so continue without me.) Kaito Lv2

Kaito thought he knew what was going to happen, thought he saw the events of the evening go down in his mind. Rue would continue her uppity stance on how much better she was than him, how he couldn’t possibly defeat her, snatch up her weapon and attempt to slice into him like when the ice princess threatened him back in the Town of Beginnings or even then when the little priss snagged him into the wall. He’d stand there, tall and proud, as the slashes went into him and he’d call her out for her ignorance, that everything she spoke of was a lie to make herself look more important than she really was. Because really that’s what she was, a little girl pretending to be so popular and so important that she was willing to throw anyone to the wolves to make herself look better. Then he’d stride pass her, smile warmly at Elpharae, apologize for causing such a scene and asking if they wanted to get out of there, because he wanted to take the most beautiful girl at the festival to dinner. It would be beautiful and perfect and they’d walk off into the night, hand in hand.     But no battle plan survives first contact. " What are you going to do, were in town you can't kill me. That's if you even could,     So it would seem she did know about how dueling worked, and while it chipped the armor of his plan, he bounced back from it quickly. “Hmph, funny.” He said curtly, his face still tight and flat as his upper lip twitched, “From the way you like threatening people in town, I figured you didn’t get the picture either. I’ll admit, you caught me by surprise that first time and made me forget. But you shouldn’t have any excuse, Miss Alpha Tester. Or was that system only implemented recently while you were in Argus?” The words hung in the air, almost feelingly like they echoed through the quiet plaza as Kaito blurted out her secret to everyone in attendance. The young man wanted her to know just how severely she had screwed up this time, with him. But Rue had a curveball that made that tense look on his face drop momentarily. all of you no nothing of what's out there. You all simple sit back and wait for someone to recuse you, set up dances and parties, drinking and laughing ignoring the insanity around you". Rue pulls a leather book out of her inventory and throws it down at Kaito's feet. " Here's the people you want to protect and make save, the ones who trick and poison each other and kill each other for a comfortable virtual life. Why should I care and go out their and fight for a group of people who could careless about me. Why should I have to live up to the expectations of everyone. Why can't I just forget everything and dance away my problems".     Kaito watched the book materialize into her hands and slam into the cobble stones at his feet, the leather binding latching tight a rather decent sized booklet as he his black eyes flicked between her and it. “…The hell is this?” He demanded as he snatched the book up off the ground, the girl continuing. She pushes Kaito and her tone got louder and her eyes watered and flickered with sadness." Why Kaito why can you all laugh and smile, why can't I just ignore everything and live in town happy and content". She continues to push him while asking him.     The man staggered at first as she pushed him, that wetness in her eyes trying to get him to see her reasoning. He glanced down at the book as she yelled, for a moment wondering what was inside. The diary of some player killer? A list of stolen goods taken from players? Hell, the names of every secret GM on the server, including the name of the character that Kayaba was playing as? It could have been anything… but more than likely, it could have been absolutely nothing. Because the reason for her acting out tonight and her feelings now made bare made a new level of anger well up inside him as that dark, messy hair shielded his eyes and his teeth grit. He got into her face as she pushed him again and yelled, “BECAUSE YOU’RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW! You’re pushing people away that you find USELESS!” He never opened the book, refusing her “proof” as he slammed it back again at her feet as he continued, “These people you think just sit around and do nothing are the reason you Front Liners can do ANYTHING! Your Armor! Your weapons! Your combat food! You can’t see their help unless they have a weapon in their hands!”     He shot a finger at the ground where the book she tossed him lay and continued, “I don’t care what you have to show me. Everything you’ve ever told me about is through hearsay and on your testimony. Well I care about ACTION. And what I see is a girl who hates anyone who might in fact be just as scared as you, as EVERYONE is!” His gloved finger then extended across the way to the two men she had danced with to get at her “prize”, disgusted looks on their faces as Kaito explained what he saw, “So you manipulate and toy and use up whoever you please because they’re beneath you and this little “crusade” you’ve made for yourself!” “Yeah, and kicking the shit out anyone trying to help her out!” Came a shout from the other side of the crowd as the three men who harassed her from earlier had reappeared, shouting in agreement and sneering. This wasn’t part of his plan and he hadn’t even met them before but it honestly didn’t seem out of character for her right now. He stood up straight, glaring down at her, letting her know just what the difference was between them as he slowly build up his voice, “How many people must you alienate? How many lives must be lost before you realize we have to work together on this? How many people have you pissed off already and how many more UNTIL ALL OF AINCRAD KNOWS YOU’RE NOTHING MORE THAN A GODDAMN SOCIOPATH!?” “That’s enough. We have plenty problems without fighting amongst our players. This is a festival, not a fighting club. If you want to be stupid, go to hell named Aincrad and try to kill yourself there. I can take care of myself, and there is no need to but into what I can and cannot do. I may look like it, but I am not made out of porcelain. Today is a day to enjoy ourselves, so get out of this godforsaken thing that you’re trying to do. It’s a safe zone, for God’s sake-we may not be able to hurt each other, but no ridiculous infighting like this. And fighting about me, a simple player? I may be weak, but I’m not so weak that I’d let myself get taken advantage of. Or do you really think of me that way?”     The voice that yelled out was so different from what he had heard all night that he almost did a double take to figure out who was saying it. Kaito’s dream moment that he thought he’d have was shattered as Elpharae threw their squabbling right back at them, looking so furious that the man that stood almost half a head taller than him flinched as he approached. Whatever kind of confidence that he had gained that night deteriorated into nothing as he could barely stammer, “B-But… I-I thought she was forcing herself a-and… I just thought…” His attempts at trying to explain himself whimpered into nothing as Kaito visibly crumbled under Elpharae’s chastising. He felt a good two feet shorter and 15 years younger under her visible fury as all he could do was stare at the cobblestones, clutching his arm and feel his lower lip quivering.     It didn’t help matters that he used, what he hoped was directed at him, was the dread “F-Word” on him too as it seemed he had misunderstood every action that day and that this wasn’t love at first sight for her. But… what was the end goal here? What was he wanting from Elpharae? A chance for that teenage romance he missed out on? To have a beautiful little girl at his side like this were a Visual Novel? He was twenty three years old and she couldn’t have been… what 1st to 2nd year high school student? Maybe even middle school? He would be ostracized by the community if anyone found out, he’d… he’d prove Haruto right. And now, to add insult to injury, Rue took the high ground and blamed the incident on herself… it was true, he supposed, but it still made him feel bad. Not enough to forgive, not yet. Kaito believed what he meant.     As Rue turned and walked away, there was nothing he could say, nothing he felt he should say to make her stay. They were too diametrically opposed in belief, in reason, in character to be friends. She had helped him be a better swordsman but he couldn’t use his sword for the same reason she could. So he instead finally looked to Elpharae as he realized what he wanted could never happen. “I… I don’t know how you can call me your friend, a-after all of this.” He began slowly, mumbling as he nervously clutched his arm and could barely look her in the eye, “I’m just… I-I’m just a grown-ass man trying to relive a moment from his youth he didn’t have. Someone who only knows how to be pretend to be someone he’s not. I guess… I guess I just wanted a moment to pretend to be happy, to have someone worth fighting for. Elpharae, you deserve someone better to call a friend. I’m just… just a fool who thought that… that…”     Kaito blinked rapidly as he felt his eyes watering, refusing to look her in the face as the sudden arrival of a white haired stranger approached them, questioning them as the dark haired man rubbed his face with his sleeve. He was older than any of them here, and while they were practically the same height, right now he had the look of authority to him that made him wonder if he had taken charge of the festivities that evening and was wondering what had happened, “I, um…” Kaito began, sniffing as he glanced between the two of them as he realized how this disheveled looking man next to a pretty little girl must have looked as he quietly replied, “I’m sorry I made a scene… again. I wasn’t planning on it but… it just ended up that way. Sorry if I ruined everything… I’ll just… I’ll just go…” He nodded to the man there, gave Elpharae a familiar sad smile and finally found his vision on the fading image of a blue and black dress in the distance as he turned around and walked away, head down and hands in pockets as he returned to the reality he knew.     It could have been 15 minutes later, or even an hour, Kaito couldn’t tell as he had been walking down random roads in a slump as the street lamps were being lit by little lamp lads with long handled wicks. He saw a familiar debuff flashing in the corner of his eye as a tiny rubble was felt in his stomach. “Hunger” had returned, just as he didn’t feel like it. The jingling of glasses and the hushed conversations of older men was heard from a pub seemingly waiting for him to come into just in time. He still had the cream puffs from that day in his inventory but after the hope he felt that day from buying them, they stopped feeling very appetizing. Sighing, he turned into the tavern and across the hardwood floor, past the few NPCs of old men perhaps a bit too feeble or inebriated to join in the festivities as Kaito took a seat at the bar. “Hey there good sir, what will it be?” Said a red-headed man with long, trimmed mutton chops as the dark haired young man looked over the chalk menu with red, swollen eyes. “Um, I guess I’ll take the beef bourguignon with the hunk of baguette and…” He mumbled as he looked over the array of bottles of liquor behind the bartender, breathing deeply before sighing, “Ah screw it. Whiskey, double, straight up. And just keep them coming.”     The bartender’s bushy eyebrow arched at that as he turned to collect the village standard when faint whistling could be heard from out the door, a crackling boom and twinkling pops of fireworks happening out in the night sky were hear from outside the door. Kaito glanced back to see brilliant flashes of color just a few feet away reflected on the worn wooden floor as his NPC bartender mused, “Huh, must be that time off at Wolf’s Creek Hill with the end of the night fireworks… Shouldn’t a man of your age be out having some fun tonight?” The dark haired young man frowned as he turned back around with the glass tumbler of golden liquor waiting for him, the bottle still on the table as Kaito shook his head. “I’ve had enough fun for one day…” He replied as the bartender left to check on his meal, the sad eyed otaku picking up the glass and contemplating it. He thought back to his wish that day, back at the fountain, back to Elpharae and to the many girls he had met in these past few weeks. His Friend’s List had still stayed as empty as it did that day. Gazing at his drink, he mumbled into it as he tipped back for his first sip:     “Well… hello there friend.”

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Elpharae]

(OOC: Cutting it off here, unless anyone wants to continue, in which case you're welcome to. I'll close it after a day or so. Kind of difficult to reply, though, since we're all in different locations. Also, thread title references. >:c)

At the rather sudden and violently emotional responses that came from both his companions, Elpharae ignored the white-haired man for a moment, his emotions stilling before coming back in full force. The anger, which fueled his irrational thinking, dissipated into a bubble of sadness and confusion. What was Rue talking about? He had thought that she had been through a lot, yes, but what was that overwhelming aura of sorrow and utter, sheer emotion that rolled like a tempest in her voice and actions? His confusion and bewilderment hovered at the surface of his thoughts, and the huge emotional impact of the moment made him freeze as if he were paralyzed. Ice-cold needles pricked his skin. This was not good. This was terrible. The darkness that seemed to surround Rue as if it were her shadow threatened to envelop them all, and the ever-shifting surface of Kaito’s emotions swirled like a whirlpool, threatening to suck the small brunette in. What had he done?

He had just meant to try to stop a conflict from happening, but it seemed the opposite had happened. See, the whispers in his head, fueled by his anger, sorrow, self-doubt, and fear murmured, taunting him, mocking him. It doesn’t matter what your intention was. It doesn’t matter what you meant to do. Because the truth is, you caused all of this, didn’t you? You made Kaito disappear and Rue blow up, and you utterly destroyed them both. So who cares what you meant? Who cares? All everyone cares about is what happened. You know what happened. You know. So it’s all your fault. Your fault that Kaito felt terrible and tried to help you, your fault that Rue was almost attacked or challenged to a duel, and your fault that she broke into tiny little pieces. Your fault that she doesn’t care about her pride anymore, just about her emotions and finally letting them go. It’s your fault. Your fault. Yours. The mantra repeated in his head, echoing over and over again. It was kind of disturbing, actually, and Elpharae tried to push it aside. It’s not, he thought fiercely, suppressing a shiver. Even if he didn’t know exactly what was going on…the emotions that filled this place were dark, and they slid on his skin, oily and suffocating.

He continued to ignore the white-haired man, raising a hand flatly as he stalked off to the corner of the small plaza. “I need a moment.” His dark eyes were stormy and steely, his emotions hidden by a delicate layer of cold, unfeeling metal. When he sunk to the ground, leaning heavily against the wall of an empty building, Elpharae took one, single shuddering breath, and barely bit back a cry. Why was he crying, anyways? Nothing terrible had happened to him. He had no reason. He had no right. So why…did he feel this way? His feelings twisted and pulled, and gradually, over harsh, laboring breaths and slow shudders, his sadness turned to fury. Fury at Kaito. Fury at Rue. Fury at the white-haired man. Fury at everything. He had only tried to help. Nothing he did warranted that explosive behavior. Nothing. So he had tried to help, to keep someone from being hurt, had tried to keep his friends, and this happened? And supposedly, it was his fault? His, when all he had tried to do was help? How. Utterly. Idiotic. He had helped that godforsaken girl to feel better about relaxing, had coaxed that oh-so-idiotic man to step out of his goddamned shell, had offered friendship, had tried to keep the two of them from clashing, and this was what he was rewarded with? This utter crap? Something told him his thoughts were irrational, but he couldn’t reach that thought anymore-it flickered, once, and died.

He scoffed inwardly. Elpharae always did have an issue with his emotions and the way he acted. This actually reminded him of Amaya, actually.

“Akihiko, you need to be polite and kind, or no one is going to want to be friends with you.” Amaya sighed, her dark hair being carefully pulled into a braid by her younger brother, who had stolen one of her skirts and looked like a mini-version of her, rolling his dark, smoke-colored eyes while she spoke chidingly. Her floral-shaded lips pursed, arms folded neatly underneath the hospital bed’s sheets. “No one’s going to like you, and you’re going to be all alone. And then, when you grow up, you won’t be successful, because no one will like you because you’re so mean. So you have to be kind, Akihiko, and then, you and everyone else can be happy and have friends.”

“You make it sound so simple,” Akihiko grumbled, delicately selecting a flower-shaped hair clip as he sat by her side, finished with his work and intensely scrutinizing his handiwork, fiddling with her brown hair and smiling at long last, a small grin that disappeared when he realized what the siblings were talking about. “It’s not like they want to be friends with me anyways. I’m just the boy who likes dresses and is tiny. No one wants to be friends with me for who I am. And I’m not going to change just to have friends. Does it really matter? You don’t have any friends besides me, Amaya, so I shouldn’t either.”

“That’s because I’m in a hospital, Akihiko. Stop making excuses,” His sister huffed, the color of her angry flush matching the pink-and-white bouquet of tsubaki flowers and peonies on the stand next to her. Her eyes hardened slightly, and Akihito startled. “And besides, in this world, no one cares about who you really are. They care about what they see. They care about what they want to see. So all you need to do is match the person that they want to see, and poof! You don’t matter anymore, but they’re happy, and you got what you wanted. You’re going to want friends, Akihiko, and not a sick sister who’s dying and rotting away in a hospital room. You’re going to grow out of wanting to wear my skirts and braid my hair, and you’ll find friends that you want to keep. And those friends-they’re going to disappear, too, if you don’t act the way they want you to. They’re going to disappear, and leave you aching and empty. Are you saying that you want to loose them, too? If you don’t play up to that ideal, if you don’t pretend it’s all okay no matter what they do, they won’t leave you.” Her mouth twisted bitterly, and her glance shifted to white walls of the room. “But it’s inevitable, and all you can do is pretend, because that’ll keep them as close as you can keep them for.”

So, were you right, Amaya? He asked silently, running a tired hand through his dark hair. Should I pretend to be that delicate, fragile boy everyone seems to think I am? Should I act that way? Would they stay? Rationally, he knew that it wouldn’t solve his problems, but if he did something. If he had done something, just refrained from intervening, just let them go at it and get over it…would things have turned out differently? Could they have? His inner turmoil crashed and bit at him, scalding him with a flame of emotions and thoughts that he couldn’t place, couldn’t name, couldn’t do anything with but experience. The only sensations he registered was a dull, throbbing ache in his head and the cold wall behind him, the sun disappearing in favor of a red-shaded sunset. What had gone wrong? What was he thinking? This didn’t make sense. He couldn’t think rationally. Shakily, he stood to his feet, as calm as he could be, feeling as if he were as transparent as sea glass and just as worn. Is it normal to have your body ache so much where your heart should be you wonder what has carved a hole in your body?

“My apologies. I had caused a scene. I’ll be leaving now.” He spoke to the white-haired man shortly, bowing slightly as he realized he was the last one left. His gaze flickered over to over where Rue was, familiar words coming to his tongue, and he hesitated. In his mind, a rush of familiar fondness and amusement ran through him, with a small, singular note of boldness. Leaving without showing me your dance macabre, aren’t you? It seems you would have won anyways. Immediately erasing the thought from his mind, he turned sharply and stepped lightly off into the direction of an abandoned area, seeing as how most citizens were at the festival. Recognizing him from earlier events, some players looked at him and whispered behind their hands, causing a sharp note of hatred to flare in his heart. How unusual, he thought, feeling utterly distant from his own mind. It was like he could care anymore. Would care. If he wasn’t brave enough to face these emotions head-on, he would lock them far, far away.

He pulled his hair in front of his shoulders. See, Kaito? I turned out to be a coward and selfish after all. Do you still think I deserve someone better? He thought self-depreciatingly, tinged with a mocking tone. And Rue. Is the loss of your pride for an apology worth it to a boy who’s not the same as the one you met? His dark eyes shone and he hesitated for a split second, unsure of how to act in this new form of being emotionless he had taken in order to cope with the sudden rush of feelings. Sending a careless wave to the strange onlooker who had cared enough to ask what was going on, Elpharae disappeared into the crowd, leaving a bitter half-smile as his mark of what had transpired. Pulling a random player from the hold of his previous player, Elpharae rejoined the festivities with a murmured, “dance with me” and a coy wink, his feelings inside cleverly masked by a fake facade of calm and coquettishness, his earlier shyness disappearing, as if it were never there at all. While he waltzed around with the bewildered but pleased player, the brunette paused mid-step, thinking back to the beginning of all this.

Maybe it wasn’t for the better that I met you, Kaito. If you had just not thrown the coin in…well. It certainly made for an interesting meeting, didn’t it? Perhaps we’ll meet again, Rue, Kaito. And maybe that white-haired man, too. That would certainly be an unexpected encounter.