A chance of redemption (Caerbannog, Kumori)

[Stryke]

OOC: difficult  post but I really enjoyed writing it

Some days passed after the nefarious acts in windsor greatswood, the exact amount Leo didn't really know. After he killed Caerbannog, time for him assumed a relative importance, he never even left the inn once since he got back on that night. He just spent the following days sit at the inn's bar room and for the first time in his life his thoughts were silent, it was like if he didn't even want to shut down all the sorrow and shame that had been eating his heart out. In a masochistic way, he wanted to keep those feeling, they reminded him of his own fragility and right now they were the only thing that made him feel like he was still human, not a murdering beast.

Day, night, Leo didn't know if in that moment the sun was still up in the skies or if the moon replaced it, light never crossed the bar room, he just waited everyday till his eyes were tired enough for him to go back to his room and sleep. Various candles lighted the room and Leo thoughtlessly watched the fire on each one of them dance silently, as usual the inn was almost empty and the only beings inside the building were Leo and the bear sized lady owner.

"Are you ever gonna get out of this room someday?"

The lady asked, no response followed. Ever since the adventurer came back to the inn he had been acting incredibly strange, she didn't know what really happened , she only knew that day he returned soaked in blood from head to toe. The overgrown woman snorted in a manly way and returned to clean her desk, then she stopped, you know what? She was curious to hear the whole story, hearing the stories of travelling adventurers and landers alike was one of the few things about her job that she liked and she wasn't going to let this brat take his story for himself. She stomped her huge hand on the table with force and looked at the adventurer

"Stop being a pussy!"

she snorted to him with a throaty voice, Leo snapped back from the hypnotic dance of flames and returned his glare to the lander, at least now she had his attention,

"In this very inn I've seen countless of people from all over the world that had damn good reasons to be depressed all day but they still got over with their shit, stop being a wuss and man up"

The lady wasn't really one of the brightest tool in the shed, but she knew her fools, in fact, that angry speech at least provoked a reaction in the young adventurer. Leo continued to stare at the lady silently, he didn't like it but she was right, he was being an incredibly hypocrite since few days ago he proved nothing but disgust to the ones that still were depressed about being transported to this world. Getting over it wasn't an easy task though, what he had done couldn't be erased and he even feared another confrontation with Caerbannog, he was sure that she would see him only as a crazy monster.

"And what do you know? I don't think you could understand how it feels like to lose all kind of control and killing another adventurer, losing all your humanity and pride in exchange of sheer anger that so far only brought me nothing but pain"

Leo finally lashed out at the lady, even though he wanted to remain silent words flew out of his mouth almost too easily, proof that he indeed needed someone to talk to, he really needed to share his burden with someone,

"What I fear is to let that part of me out again, I don't want to hurt anyone around me"

Leo finished and lowered his sight on the table, a visible smirk could be seen on the side of the lander's mouth, she finally got what she wanted after all.

"Is that it? Huh! what's the problem? you adventurers come back to life once killed"

She laughed throatily and then resumed,

"So what do you want to do? stay here forever in the darkness? You have a long way ahead and this wont certainly be the only bad thing to happen in your life. You can either face your doubts and fears or let them drown you like this, no one will really care about either, the difference lies only in how you want to live from now on, do you really want to live in fear for the rest of your life? Are you really that weak?"

Leo stared surprised at the lander, she way wiser than she looked and acted, it became apparent to him that must have gone through her own share of sorrow too in her life. Leo thought on her words, he wasn't weak and he surely didn't want to pass his life in fear and regret. Leo didn't want to let this moment drown him, he would never let anger let the best of him again, the lander's words finally reawakened his spirit and also they finally reminded him of one thing, he was a stubborn guy like few others. It didn't matter how difficult it would be, no matter how hard containing his anger could prove, he was never going to let it get the best of him again, and that wasn't an opinion, it was a fact.

Leo finally stood up from his chair, he put his hands in the pockets and walked away from the room, there was something he still had to do and even though he feared it he had to face it anyway, that was his responsibility. The lander curiously watched him walking away,

"And now where are you going?"

She asked, Leo stopped and looked back at her,

"To apologize to a person...and facing my fears once and for all"

He feigned a smile and continued on his way, the lander laughed with her usual manly laugh, she indeed got what she wanted in the end, like always.
Moving his hand catiously, Leo took a deep breath adn moved the inn's door, revealing a bright light from the outside that progressively lightened up the inn, he put a hand over his eyes and then finally got out of the dark inn for the first time in 3 days.

Leo walked down the streets and then he summoned his menu, he pushed with his thumb the friends list and selected Caerbannog, initiating thought call with her,

"I need to talk to you, I know you don't want to ever see me again and you are right to think so, I need to tell you this last thing in person and I promise you'll never see or hear me again. I'll never leave the Wesminster Abbey till you decide to meet me there, please it's important"

Upon saying that he interrupted the call, he didn't want to scare the girl once more or give her any pressure, it had to be her choice whether to meet him or not and Leo had to respect her choice, whatever that may be.


WC: 1197
TAGS:@dindeen Kumori

[Deleted]

The towering gothic cathedral watched over the inner borough of Londenium as the sun rose higher up sky, leaving only the lowest part of the building draped in shadows. Adventurers busily walked in and out of its doors, some to meet their friends, others to head out on their own after an unfavorable fight. Few stopped to take in the sights for the Abbey was all too familiar to them. And so people barely noticed that someone was there, curled up at the bottom of the wall to the right of anyone who would look at the building from up front. A lone figure was by itself right around the corner, out of the line of sight of recently respawned adventurers.

Her black hair rested upon the cold ground; it was far colder than she ever thought it could be. But perhaps that was because she was still in her starter gear and had nothing else on her. The samurai’s hair was both her blanket and pillow, was she punishing herself? Perhaps she was. To die in such a way without being able to fight back, maybe she was just lucky up until that point- lucky that no one else PK’d her until the other wolf hair did. Due to her small build and stature, the girl looked like a dark mess of hair and chainmail, rather frightening to look at as some lander children pointed out.

Beneath that black veil, the samurai’s face was equally a mess. She’d been crying her eyes out every night, haunted by the memories of how she died. Her killer’s face was clearly etched in her mind, and no amount of hilarious flashbacks from the real Black Knight’s fight could make her forget about it. Did she feel betrayed? A little, but it was not something foreign to her. In the real world, she had many so-called ‘friends’ who would leave or even backstab her with the shallowest of reasons. She had maybe a real friend or two, and one of them was in her Friends List but since her death, she’d not seen him for days. Or rather, she’d hidden from him for days.

The girl ignored any and all calls from everyone. Words go into one ear and go out the other. She did not answer questions regarding her whereabouts. Whenever she was hungry, the girl avoided the main streets and dined at seedy food stalls; she did not bother to cook her own food. Shit tasted all the same since she felt like shit herself. But that day, she wanted to sleep more- well, not sleep. Dreams brought the killer’s face back to her mind. She would rather stare at the shadows until the sun’s light bathed the whole Abbey... and so when that call came, she was startled.

Caerbannog sat up straight all of a sudden, her hair fell all over her face and body to a tangled mess. She did not respond, but the samurai listened to what Stryke said just then. And those words rang clear: Westminster Abbey. He was heading to where she was! Or was he? What if Stryke was already there?! The girl looked around frantically; her blue eyes mirrored the state of panic that she was in. Thankfully, there was no one around, not yet anyway. If anyone was to see her in that state, they would probably feel a mix of pity and disgust.

Kyuu stood up, or at least tried. She almost tripped on her own two feet, having sat or laid down for long periods of time. Her nodachi was not by her side, rather it was put up against the wall since it was starter gear, uninteresting for thieves anyway. The samurai clutched it and used it to steady herself, and then she hastily slid it on her belt. She looked around once again for any signs of Stryke, but a small group of people suddenly approached the Abbey from one of the main roads and what with her lacking height, she was unable to see each and everyone one of them.

Like a frightened cat, she put her back against the wall of the Abbey and had half the mind to just run away. Unfortunately, her legs failed her as her stomach grumbled. She was weaker and hungrier than she thought. The first thing to do was to run as far from the Abbey as she could and avoid the main streets which Stryke would have taken. Next, she had to eat something. It did not matter what, since her death still left a bad taste in her mouth. Then... then maybe she should call Kumori. He would know what to do, right? He always did know what to do- but what if he didn’t? The girl just wanted to make the horrible dreams stop. While collecting the pieces of her mind, Kyuu ran her hands through her black hair at an attempt to comb it to a more presentable appearance.

OOC Notes: ---
Word Count: 829
Tags: @dindeen Stryke Kumori

[Stryke]

Despite Leo's newfound confidence and will he couldn't help but think that maybe it was too early to meet Caerbannog. What Leo did to her wasn't something that could be easily forgiven, maybe he even traumatized her for the rest of her life, he did murder and tear apart her body after all. He wasn't so sure anymore if he could still do it, maybe he should've waited a little longer before even contacting her telepathically. The innkeeper words then returned in his mind, most certainly he was just coming up with excuse to not face Caerbannog head on, to not remember what kind of beast he could be when he lost all kind of control. Leo grunted and slapped his cheeks with force, right now it wasn't the time to be so hesitant, especially since he still had all the materials and gold Gaerbannog dropped when she died.

Leo tried his best to hide his fear but it was still clearly visible on his face, the color of his own face was near white, only his previous slap on his cheeks provided some amount of healthy redness on them. His eyes, usually bright with confidence and pride were now dark and seemingly lifeless, if in his normal state they looked like cold diamonds they now bared a closer resemblance to a common worthless grey stone.

Leo continued to traverse in the streets with head down in deep thought, his hands placed in his pockets as usual, perhaps it was luckly the inn wasn't that much distant from the westminster's cathedral, that way he had less time to decide whether he wanted to go back. After a few minutes Leo crossed the last road and stopped for a moment, the monumental cathedral stood at about 30 feet from him. Leo watched the building with dark eyes while his heart began pumping faster and faster, his fear became even more apparent than before and he started to sweat cold. It was too late to turn back though, Leo sighed and recollected all his courage while he made his way into the cathedral.

As Leo stepped into the cathedral, his heart continued to race like crazy, it only stopped once he realized to be the only adventurer in the building. Leo sighed and entered the cathedral, strangely enough he was way too preoccupied with his current situation that he didn't realize it was the first he ever stepped into the cathedral. During the days of the apocalypse he had been too busy to even care about visiting the building, all that it mattered to him was the assurance that if he died he would respawn in that same place.

Leo looked at his surroundings, calling this place a cathedral was perhaps an exaggeration, it was a fairly small building with just an altar in the center and a few places to sit, in his own country the smallest cathedrals were at least 5 times larger than this building. Leo sit just next to the altar and closed his eyes, he didn't know if Caerbannog would come in the end, the only thing sure was that he would stay in that place even if he had to wait a whole week, that was his responsibility for what he did on that fateful day.


WC:550

[Kumori]

Kumori HP: 100% MP: 100%

"In order to live, I will continue to fight. In order to retain my humanity, I will continue to destroy those who mean to harm my friends."

Ryuu was a part of the group that was walking towards Westminster Abbey. He was talking with the adventurers there and on his way to the market, but he noticed someone at the corner of his eyes. The person was hidden away in the dark, covering themselves with a black veil. Ryuu stopped and looked at the dark spot in the alley, trying to figure out what that person was doing there. “Kumori, what are you doing? We’re going to leave you behind!” one of the other members of the small group yelled. Ryuu turned back to him and smiled. “You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up with you,” he called out.

Ryuu began approaching the dark figure in the alley. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked as he was still a bit further away, enough that he couldn’t tell who it was. After inching closer, step after step, his eyes began to widen. The stature, the hair, everything was all too familiar. It wasn’t the first time he had seen someone like this. It wasn’t the first time he had seen her like this. He ran up to her as fast as possible and knelt down and hugged her. He hadn’t heard from her for a few days, which was uncharacteristic. She had missed their scheduled lunch a few days back, and he hadn’t heard from her since, but now, now she was here. She was right in front of him. “Kyuu!” he exclaimed softly, wrapping his arms around her head and then holding her tight against his body. “It’s okay, Kyuu, onii-chan is here,” he said, looking around to see if he could make out who made her like this, but he knew it was futile.

After a few seconds of holding her tight, he let go, lifting the veil away from her face and parting the hair that was in front of her so he could see her face. Her eyes were red. She had been crying for a while. He scooted back a bit to take a look at her overall and sighed. It was obvious she hadn’t eaten in days, but it was also apparent that she was cold and needed to seek shelter. The Abbey was nearby and he lifted her up, carrying her in his arms. He knew she wouldn’t make a fuss. She was too tired and too emotional to care about it what Ryuu was doing, especially since she trusted him. Ryuu brought her inside and sat her down on one of the pews that were inside.

Ryuu opened his inventory and took out a box of cookies and handed it to her. “Here… eat something,” he said, offering the cookies in his hands. He then took out a milk glass and then placed it on the pew, next to her. He then sat down next to her, giving her time to eat and personal space so that she’d know that Ryuu was only here to make sure she was okay. He wouldn’t get involved unless she asked him to. He was so concentrated on Kyuu that he wasn’t paying attention as to who was inside or who was nearby. He was simply too concentrated on her. He wasn’t too concerned. No one would be able to harm them physically here.

As Kyuu started eating, Ryuu would stand up and look for a lander nun who worked in the Abbey. “Excuse me, can you get me a change of clothes and a few blankets? I need it for that girl. Here’s a few coins for the trouble and the items,” he said to the lander. He took a few pieces of gold out and gave it to the lander nun who bowed and smiled as she went to get what he asked for. He then saw the familiar face who sat at the altar. He was about to say hello, but he couldn’t, not when Kyuu needed him most, and not when his eyes were closed. He was all too familiar with the act of prayer, and so Ryuu did not wish to disturb him.

He went back to Kyuu and sat next to her, making sure that she wasn’t alone, especially during this time. Ryuu took out an egg sandwich so that she could eat after she was done with the cookies. “Don’t eat too fast,” he warned her, knowing that she’d been starving for days on end, or at least that’s what it looked like. Ryuu scooted closer to her so that her shoulder was touching his. The milk glass and the sandwich were in his hands and he would give it to her when she reached for it. The idea of this was so that she had physical affirmation that Ryuu was still here, still taking care of her.

After a few minutes, the nun came back with a set of clean clothes and a few blankets. “There is a shower in our dormitory. If she wishes to use it, she may,” she offered them. Ryuu bowed his head in thanks and thanked her verbally as well. “Take your time. I’ll be here until you want me to leave,” he said reassuring her.

OOC NOTES: 865 words

Made by Sifr of GS, Synesthesia and Adoxography.

[Deleted]

Her attempt at making herself look fairly normal again was futile, and soon a concerned figure pulled away from the incoming group. Kyuu thought that it was a stranger for her eyes were a bit strained from crying and lack of sleep. But as the figure drew closer, she could make out that it was a familiar one and indeed, when he spoke her name, she realized that she was not mistaken. Like all those times that she got in trouble, got lost or just needed someone, Ryuu appeared and was there for her.

“ UWAAAAAA~ “ the helpless samurai cried onto her friend’s shoulder and clung to him tightly.

She was scared and shaking; no amount of strength or vitality that came with her chosen battle class could remedy or heal the scars, for they were in her mind. Kyuu sobbed on her friend’s shoulder until he made a statement that made her chuckle. When he pulled away, there was a crooked, slightly forced smile on her lips as she rubbed her eyes.

“ Thought you didn't like being onii-chan... “ she said in a small, broken voice.

Kyuu continued to rub her eyes even when Ryuu picked her up and carried her into the Abbey. Under normal circumstances, she would have made a fuss by kicking or screaming at him. But he knew her better than almost anyone else, and as Ryuu expected, his kindness was not met with resistance. By the time that the pair settled down in the Abbey, Kyuu’s eyes had been rubbed thoroughly and there was barely any tear left, but it left her face all red and sore. The chef-made cookies made everything better and so did the milk. That was one thing that she liked about her new reality; in the real world, she would have gotten sick from too much milk or ice cream, but there was no such limitation in Elder Tale.

Starved, the black-haired one ate the cookies and milk quickly, but she meekly shook her head when offered the sandwich. The shower was a better offer, she thought, and so Kyuu hurriedly went with the lander nun. Not surprisingly, the nun was also visibly worried about the girl and she gave the adventurer a gentle pat on the head before the bath. Kyuu acknowledged her with a polite bow, and then she went into the shower room.

Ryuu did not have to wait long for his friend was much like a cat. She would groom herself on the go and would rather spend her time actually doing something other than trying to look prim and proper. In fact, though she wore a clean lander shirt that was about two sizes too big for her and almost went down to her knees, didn't bother to try and wear the lander pants which was also too big for her. That, and her hair was still a mess. Water dripped all over the floor and the lander nun could only sigh as the adventurer made her way down stairs. A big white towel was so carelessly thrown on Kyuu’s head that her eyes were almost covered too. When she got close to Ryuu, she pointed at her hair and the towel.

“ Help... “ she simply said.

It was like taking care of a child, really, and it was a miracle that a grown man like Ryuu put up with it. Speaking of grown men, Kyuu finally noticed another familiar figure nearby. Her eyes were no longer red and sore, and she could see better by then ... it was that guy. The girl turned pale at the sight of him, though his appearance was nothing like the savage adventurer that killed her. Her first reaction was to hide behind Ryuu and then she buried her face on his back. But when she thought back to Stryke’s call, Kyuu managed to think straight even just a little bit. He wanted to speak to her, so the girl, though shaking, took a peek from behind her dear friend and pointed at the other wolf hair.

OOC Notes: ---
Word Count: 683
Tags: @dindeen Stryke Kumori

[Stryke]

As Leo sit there with his eyes closed, his hearing perception was raised a tad bit, that way he could tell at some point that someone entered the cathedral and was making some noises. Judging by the sound steps and the different tonalities of their voices Leo concluded that at least 3 people entered the building, but what kept his attention was how familiar were 2 of those voices, even if Leo was far enough from their source.

He shifted his head quietly and opened his eyes, and what he saw greatly surprised him. Caerbannog and Kumori were both into the cathedral, Kumori was hugging a crying Caerbnnog and saying somthing to a lander near them. Leo didn't know what to do, why did she have to make things even more difficult than it already was? And more importantly, Did Kumori know what Leo did to her?

The situation was bad, Kumori appeared to be greatly attached to Caerbannog and if he knew what happened that day than things would get incredibly more complicated by the time both adventurers finally spotted Leo. Would he try to attack him or call the guards? The only thing Leo didn't want right now was to get into an useless fight. Finally, Leo collected all his courage and finally stood up from his seat, Kumori's presence wasn't going to change anything, Leo had to apologize to the girl and the assassin couldn't stop him from doing so.

Leo looked over in the two adventurers direction, a change in Caerbannog's expression told him that she saw him too, and her expression of fear and sadness filled his heart with shame and regret. Tears flowed through her face, that vision was nearly unbearable fro him knowing that he was what caused her to be in this particular state, he had to remedy to what he had done, even if that could take him an eternity.

Leo breathe hard from the tension and then moved his foot forward, he was really doing it, he was slowly walking towards her to get a chance on redemption. Once he was at about 2 meters away from the two adventurers, Leo stopped on his track and looked at the ground, his face showed visible shame and regret.

Without looking past his own feet, he summoned his menu and started taking out all the stuff Caerbannog dropped once she died, including her gold. After he took out everything, Leo finally found the courage to raise his head and look in the crying girl's eyes:

"What you saw that day, That wasn't the real me, I just wanted to say this. You probably don't know that but my subclass is berserker, it relies on amplifying the user's anger when his HP is low to maximize the damage output. I don't know about others, but in my case it can completely override my own thoughts processes if I let it get over me. In that state I become more of a beast than a man...and sadly a threat for others"

He paused for a second to let his speech sink in her mind, then he continued:

"That day I let it get the best of me and for that I will never, ever be sorry enough for what I did. I'm not worthy of your forgiveness and I'm not asking for it, I just wanted to say that I'm terribly sorry, and that there isn't a single day since then that I don't regret what I did to you."

Leo breathed hard, cold sweat dropped from his face and finally tears started dropping from both his eyes, that was the first time in more than 10 years that he truly cried.


WC:618

[Kumori]

Kumori HP: 100% MP: 100%

"In order to live, I will continue to fight. In order to retain my humanity, I will continue to destroy those who mean to harm my friends."

Kyuu followed after the lander nun and Ryuu sat at the pew, closing his eyes, trying to think of what had happened to Kyuu over the last few days. He couldn’t figure it out. What had bothered Kyuu so much that she resorted to crying endlessly for days on end without telling him about it? Ryuu grabbed his head trying to focus in on the problem, but what could he focus on when there was no information for him to infer a reason for her sadness? He couldn’t wrap his brain around it, and that is what he was trying to do with his hands, wrapping it, but it was futile. He sighed softly, trying not to disturb the worshipers there and placed his elbows on his knees and then both of his thumbs under his chin. He closed his eyes and prayed. It was something he had not done since the Apocalypse.

After a few moments in prayer, he looked up to see Kyuu approaching him. It was always rather amazing how fast Kyuu was at taking a bath and cleaning after herself. Every time he went to her house to get her out of bed, she was out of the restroom in a few minutes. Ryuu never got used to the idea that she was able to get ready that fast. While Ryuu was a man, and didn’t take as long as an average woman might take in the bath, he did like to enjoy his time in the shower, especially using it as a time of meditation and reflection. It was a place of solitude, a place with 4 walls all around and the ability to close out all other distractions. That was his temple, his sanctuary, his safehouse.

Kyuu pointed at her hair and the towel on top of her head and said “help”. He chuckled and took hold of the towel and began drying her hair off carefully, not to pull too hard and not to tangle her hair up even more. You really are a child, he thought to himself. As he finished drying off her hair, she looked past him. Ryuu looked into her eyes and saw that they widened. Her face had gone pale by the sight of the person behind him. Ryuu turned around to look at the person behind him, and it was none other than Stryke. Kyuu buried her face into his back, as if trying to hide herself from the Wolf-Hair. Ryuu stood up to maintain his presence in front of the other adventurer, unsure of why Kyuu was afraid, but nonetheless protective of her. Ryuu’s focus on Stryke made him ignore the fact that the physical contact between Kyuu and his back was no longer there. He eyed Stryke cautiously and waited for him to say something.

He walked up to them, the assassin becoming more wary with each inch the wolf-hair moved closer. “What was his plan? What did he want? What did he do to Kyuu?” Were the questions that resonated within his head, but he did not speak. But the answers came soon after as he stopped 2 meters away from them. He dropped several items on the floor, even gold. Ryuu looked carefully and noticed that this was Kyuu’s equipment. The assassin turned around to face the samurai and then turned back around to look at the items on the floor as well as the man in front of him. “Did you..?” he started.

The wolf-hair spoke. Ryuu’s anger grew with each passing word. He had killed Kyuu, the girl he swore to protect. The girl he did not wish any harm done to. Ryuu began stretching his fingers and then rolling them into a fist. He was ready to lash out; he was ready to show this man his rage.

But something in his speech after his pause made Ryuu stop. It had spoken to him. Ryuu stretched his fingers out again, calming himself down and trying to understand the information he was getting from the wolf-hair. There were tears in his eyes. They were true tears that spoke of his regret, his sorrow, and his pain. Ryuu’s anger dissipated as he sighed. While he really wanted to punch Stryke for being the one to kill his dear friend, he knew that there wasn’t much he could do about it himself. Ryuu turned around to face Kyuu and then moved around her and pushed her forward so she could answer him. “You must give him an answer… do you forgive him, or do you wish to make that decision at another time?” he said to her softly. While Ryuu was furious, he showed restraint and he saw that his intentions were true. “I’m right here behind you, so don’t be afraid,” he said to her. Ryuu would at least be her moral support while she dealt with the current obstacle ahead.

OOC NOTES: 819 words

Made by Sifr of GS, Synesthesia and Adoxography.

[Deleted]

The black-haired girl did not expect for the swashbuckler to suddenly notice them, and when he did, the girl’s initial thought was to run. It was only a natural reaction for the man’s savage visage had haunted her memories for the last few days. She stepped back and was about to leave that place but when she turned to her side, Kyuu saw the lander nun there. Her hands were clasped together as she watched the scene. Though she did not know the whole story, it was evident that the man who approached the pair had done something wrong. The look in her eyes was one full of pity, whether it was for Stryke or Caerbannog, the girl was not sure. Nonetheless, it told her not to run anymore, for in the end they would both be pitiful.

So the girl stayed, though she hid behind Ryuu and only peeked at Stryke from behind her friend and protector. She listened to what the swashbuckler said, and the first few statements were about his subclass. Berserker was more than a name, so it seemed, for it affected the man’s state of mind. Thinking back to that day, she was indeed wondering why Stryke was still putting up a fight even with such a small amount of HP. If his subclass’ strength shone in dire situations, then that was an explanation sufficient enough.

Kyuu was still thinking back to the events of that day. Reminiscing about what happened, this time of her own accord and not random images that her mind flashed violently, helped her clear her thoughts. Then apologetic words reached her ears; curious for a man who seemed fairly proud and stubborn last time she saw him. When tears began to fall, not her own but Stryke’s, she did not know how to react. It did not help that Ryuu moved and went behind her. The ‘wall’ between the wolf hairs was gone. She did not want it to be gone. Kyuu turned around with asking eyes, but her friend’s next words made his intention clear.

For the first time in a long time, discounting the days when they hunted in Elder Tale of course, Ryuu wanted her to make her own decision. She’d forgotten how difficult that was. Usually she had someone to run to, and she did not just rely on them, but Kyuu usually would dump the whole situation on someone else. Her father and Ryuunosuke were the usual unsuspecting victims. The young lady, who was still mentally and physically more a girl than a proper grown up, did not know what to do. She never dealt with a sobbing, crying person before; that was Ryuu’s job. Her friend was still there but she had to be the one to make a decision, and to reply to Stryke.

The girl began by picking up her items and storing them in her inventory. Once that was done, she stepped forward while looking at her own feet. After a few steps, she was directly in front of Stryke with just a few inches separating the tip of her toes from his. The girl was barefoot and she wiggled her toes, distracting herself a bit. She then put her arms at her sides and grabbed her shirt tightly. Searching for words with which to reply, Kyuu still did not look up at Stryke. If she forgave him, would the nightmares end? She already felt that they would, for the explanation about his berserker subclass earlier strangely gave her mind a little ease.

“ I don’t have many friends, “ she began, “ I don’t have any real friends... I think. Not here, not in the other world either. “

That was something that she always thought to be true, until Elder Tale.

“ But... but when I came here... I realized, “ the girl continued, “ Ryuu was important. He was always there for me in the other world and here too, even now. “

The samurai then looked up at Stryke and poked the tears on his cheek. She had to stand on tiptoes to do that.

“ If Stryke has a friend who wipes his tears when he cries, scolds him when he’s wrong, tells him what to differently... “ she then asked him, “ Will Stryke not be angry berserker nemore? “

OOC Notes: ---
Word Count: 722
Tags: @dindeen Stryke Kumori

[Stryke]

Leo didn't like it, he never cried, not since he got out of his childhood. He felt pathetic and weak, the sensation of being seen in that state was almost too much for him bear. One of the things he hated most in his life was to be pitied and seen so vulnerable by his peers, Leo always tried to appear in the best physical and mental condition possible just to give others the idea that he could be an isle if he wanted, a strong man that didn't need anyone else to go on with his days. Being weak meant that people could control you, that they could do anything to you and ultimately take advantage of you. Leo didn't want to play under those rules, he promised himself to never let those sub human parasites that feasted on others weaknesses do as he pleased with him and ultimately he became a strong individual, one that wouldn't let anyone stomp on him for any reason.

His iron fortress was now in complete pieces, he was exposed and open for others to take advantage of him but still Leo accepted his current situation, compared to what he did to Caerbannog this was nothing, that was part of his responsibilities, if he had to be so weak to fix shadows of his past then so be it, Leo would endure it like he always did.

The saltine tears flowed down his face, he couldn't stop them and no matter how he tried to keep his dignity, even if they were silent tears his regret and shame were all to audible, perhaps way too much for his likings. Leo was sure Caerbannog wasn't going to forgive him, the girl couldn't even look at him without being in complete fear, but in all honesty...how could she forgive him?

Then something unexpected happened, her expression changed, it didn't . look like she was in the presence of a mindless beast, she was still scared of course but Leo could definitely see that something changed, understanding, that's what he barely saw in her eyes. Kumori on the other hand looked angry and Leo could blame him to feel that way, if someone hurt an important person to Leo he would've made him pay double for what he did. Anyway, Kumori also appeared to be a bit moved by his tears and eventually he even helped the crying man by saying to Caerbannog that she needed to tell him something. Leo wasn't expecting Kumori to be so understanding, he thought the assassin would lash out at him for hurting her, Caerbannog was fortunate to have someone like him protecting her in this world.

At the first the girl seemed to out of place, she recollected her items from the ground and then she made a step forward, she still couldn't look at him in the eyes, but hearing her speak to him was more than enough for Leo.

She talked about how she didn't have friends in the real world and how she realized that Kumori was important to her only when trapped in this world, she took some steps forward and then stopped once only a few inches separated the two adventurers. With a sudden move Caerbannog surprised the crying man, she stood on her tiptoes and tapped Leo's tears as they flowed on his face,

“ If Stryke has a friend who wipes his tears when he cries, scolds him when he’s wrong, tells him what to differently... “ she then asked him, “ Will Stryke not be angry berserker anymore? “

Leo opened his eyes wide, his mouth contracted in a sorrowful expression, he turned his body around and took a step forward, this was too much for him to handle and he definitely didn't want to let anyone see his face while in that particular moment. This time it wasn't a silent cry, he closed his eyes and began sobbing, his right hand pressed on his face to cover the stream of tears that flowed out of his eyes. He continued for some seconds, finally releasing all the sorrow he bottled up in those days.

Once he stopped sobbing, he finally regained control of himself and strangely he felt way better than before, he didn't know crying could have such a therapeutic effect. He dried off the tears with hand, then he talked again, still giving his back to the other two adventurers,

"I'll never let that thing happen again... I'll never let myself hurt the ones around me"

He turned around, determination showing in his eyes,

"And I'll definitely protect the ones who try to make me a better person at all costs".


WC: 783

[Kumori]

Kumori HP: 100% MP: 100%

"In order to live, I will continue to fight. In order to retain my humanity, I will continue to destroy those who mean to harm my friends."

Ryuu watched with intent eyes. Were he not so emotionally attached to Kyuu, he’d have cried with them. What just unfurled before his eyes was like a fairy tale, a story so full of emotion, so full growth, change, and best of all, forgiveness. The words that came out of Kyuu’s heart were that of kindness and forgiveness, full of second chances and her actions only showed love and kindness. It was something that Ryuu would keep in mind, to learn from this experience and to soften his heart. They all did what they could to survive, and Ryuu could not blame him for losing control of himself. A berserker was just that, and who would’ve known that activating a berserker’s ability would actually make you go berserk.

Ryuu was still angry, but most of it had dissipated once again. He couldn’t come to hurt Stryke for doing what he did anymore. Kyuu was still here, she was well, and now she was cleaned up. Her face was now revitalized to when she was happy, and her emotions were back in check. Ryuu finally stepped forward, closing the gap between him and the other two. He patted Kyuu’s head, showing her that he thought she did well and then put his left hand on Stryke’s shoulders. Ryuu cocked his arm, looking as if it was ready to punch him But instead of a punch that fired from its position, Ryuu placed his other hand on Stryke’s other shoulder. “Don’t worry… I’ll definitely keep you in check,” he said to him.

Ryuu patted him on his shoulders and then let go. “If she can forgive you, then so can I. But if I see a pattern developing from this, don’t think I won’t be going after you. You are a man, and I can never forgive a man who hits his friends,” he told him. He looked towards Stryke and extended his hand to him for a final shake for farewell. “When we’ve calmed down about this situation, I want to speak with you again. Don’t worry, I have no ill intent, but it is something I feel like you are worthy of becoming a part of… besides it also allows me to keep you in check,” he said with a smile. “Meet Caerbannog and I here in a few days. I’ll call you when it happens, but I’ll make my intentions clear… I’m planning to form a guild. If you’re willing to join, then come to the meeting,” he said. He turned back to Kyuu and gave her his hand, open palmed so that she’d grab it. “We’re going home…” he said. This time, Ryuu would find a place for her to live, and there was no getting out of it this time. She had convinced him the several other times he had tried to get her a place to live, but this time it was different and necessary. He waved towards the other man and exited the Abbey, hopefully with Kyuu holding his hand.

OOC NOTES: 505 words

Made by Sifr of GS, Synesthesia and Adoxography.

[Deleted]

The blue-eyed adventurer managed to force a weak smile on her face, and her color was no longer as pale as it was before. Inside her head, she was already screaming at herself ‘ what if you mess up? what if you make this worse?! ‘, so it didn’t help when Stryke suddenly turned his back to her.

“ Awaaaa~ “ Kyuu was about to reach out to him but she stopped at the last moment.

She did not know what to do, but it seemed that the swashbuckler needed some space. The girl respected that and did not bother his solitary moment. It sounded as if Stryke was crying like never before, and by her first impression of him, he probably never did cry before. When Stryke spoke up and looked at them again, Kyuu felt relieved. A pat on her head assured her further, and though momentarily worried when it seemed that Ryuu would hit the swashbuckler, her reason for worrying was soon disproven.

After the conversation, the girl debated whether she should shake Stryke’s hand too or give him a hug, but she did not feel that comfortable around him yet. Well, she wasn’t that close to him in the first place but at least, with his words of apology and regret from earlier, Kyuu felt that everything would be better from then on. She simply waved at the other wolf hair, this time with a more honest smile on her face, then she took Ryuu’s hand as they turned to leave. She was about to ask him about his plans for a guild, but that topic was quickly overwritten by her friend’s statement that they were going ‘home’. As the pair walked away from Stryke, the girl complained about Ryuu treating her like a kid again and how she did not like inns because those places had too many people.

OOC Notes: ---
Word Count: 314
Tags: @dindeen Stryke Kumori

[Stryke]

The feeling of being so exposed was a foreign one to him but he soon realized that it wasn't so bad like he first thought. He didn't have to hide his emotions and cast them inside his iron fortress anymore, what was now standing before the other two adventurers was a Leo in his purest state, his real self he hid from anyone else. Letting that part of him out initially felt horrible, he couldn't stand being so vulnerable but as time passed that feeling changed into calmness ,the calmness brought by finally accepting his emotions.

Kumori stepped in as well once Leo finished talking, the assassin was still visibly angry but also understanding, he first tapped Caerbannog's head and made her giggle a bit, Leo felt relieved to see her not as scare as she was before. With an unexpected move, Kumori then placed his arms on Leo's shoulder, quickly followed by his other arm doing the same thing on the other shoulder. The guy patted Leo's shoulders and told him that he was willing to forgive him too, but if that action were to happen again he would have to take actions against him. Leo nodded silently as the man finished speaking, there was no way he'd let that thing happen again, not after seeing how much pain he caused not only to Caerbannog, but also on the ones who cared about her.

Kumori resumed his speech, but this time the topic surprised Leo, the assassin wanted to recruit him in a new guild he was just forming. Leo wasn't expecting in the slightest to be asked something so abruptly, thankfully Kumori didn't want an answer right now, instead he gave him a few days before making his final decision. Leo stared at the man with his eyes wide open, the assassin deemed him worthy of becoming a part of his guild and doing so he could also keep him in check. Honestly Leo never even thought about guilds up until now, he did everything on his own with the occasional help of some of his acquaintances, but hearing Kumori talking about guilds a question arose in his mind: Was he willing to let someone give orders to him in exchange of becoming someone he could be trusted on?

This was too much for him to decide right on, Kumori then lent his hand to Leo , who shook it with slightly less conviction than usual, he was still visibly shocked from everything that happened that day. After the handshake, Kumori gave his hand to Caerbannog and the two figures slowly walked away, but not before Caerbannog giving a final salutation to him by waving her arm and giving him a final smile.

Leo smiled back and waved too, her smile finally lifting up that heavy rock on his shoulder, he then watched the two adventurers exiting the cathedral hand in hand. Leo didn't want to return yet to the inn, he sit again on his chair and stared at the altar in front of him, thinking of Kumori's words. Was he really worthy to be part of a guild? members of a guild have to share trust in each other, how could Kumori trust him so easily after what he had done? Leo lowered his sight and stared back at the floor,

"A guild...huh?"


WC: 557