I'm no Ent [Kumori / End]

[Hanelli]

Seeing as she’d been doing way too much adventuring and questing around, she decided to try and take a break every once in a while! Wondering if her fellow Assassin was up to climbing trees, Han then decided to send him a message because she knew that even if the fox-tail was tall as he was broad, she noticed that he had a strange reaction whenever she started climbing up anything that was taller than the average tree. Seeing that the area that was known as ‘Regents Park’ still had its fair share of trees (but the bodies of water within it were dead or otherwise drained of their content) she decided to schedule the little ‘rest and relaxation’ moment here. Scrolling through the Friends List, she then found his name and then decided to send a recorded message, since there was a apparent problem with sending ‘text’ messages. The ‘voice mail’ ran something like this:

“Hey, I have an idea. I was wondering if you could meet me in this area that’s called ‘Regents Park’? we’ve been doing way too much for the Sarum area lately we need to chill out and relax otherwise we’re going to get burned out right away…”

After listening to the message via the ‘PlayBack’ option, she deemed it satisfactory and then sent the message over to the fellow Assassin, hoping that it would find him in a good mood, and good health. Since she was already at the area… she then decided to start looking for a tree where she could wait for him; or otherwise hide and climb; then hang out of it upside-down like a bat and scare the hell out of him! I just don’t know if he’ll be scared with what I’m thinking of doing, she thought with a doubtful look on her face, but then finding a tree sturdy enough for her hijinks. She then scaled it until she found a sturdy branch strong enough to hold her weight, and then waited for his arrival…

[337]

[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."

Ping. The sound of a message coming through. He wasn’t doing anything particularly important at the moment. He was actually eating food while reading the current events of Sarum, figuring out what was happening and how far they were getting to complete the exploration. He opened the message and heard the voice of someone familiar. “Ah, Hanelli,” he said, surprised at the message that he was being sent. She told him to meet her at Regents Park. He remembered her saying that she liked climbing trees, so Ryuu thought that maybe that was what she wanted to do. After finishing his bowl of rice and salmon, he stood up from the stool and paid for his food with a few gp and left a sizable tip. He saluted casually towards the cook and left through the pieces of cloth that made up the door and entrance of the place. He opened up his map to figure out where Regents Park was and he noticed it was pretty close to his location. After marking his route, he walked casually towards the park.

He looked at his mini-map and noticed that his friend was appearing on his map. Walking towards that, he looked around at the place. The lakes and rivers had been dried up for an unknown reason. His eyes scanned the horizon and what was beyond it, the clouds, trees, and nature of it all. It seemed that this was still in town, so he had no reason to be wary of the creatures that were here. Even if they looked like beasts, he had no need to fight or even defend against them. As he approached the location of his friend’s blip, he looked around and noticed that he could not see her. He scratched his head as he activated his Eagle track to try and find her tracks, but the only tracks that were seen ended abruptly at a random spot. He sighed and then called out: “Hanelli? I’m here~” He tried looking around for his friend, but he could see nothing that would resemble her figure. Was she above? Was she below? Well below was nothing, but truly, he was bewildered

OOC NOTES: 364 words

Made by Sifr of GS, Synesthesia and Adoxography.

[Hanelli]

Now that she had managed to make herself comfortable in the tree she had decided to hide in, she then flipped her menu open and left the ‘Friends’ list window open; just so she could keep track of who was located where. The blip that represented the red-head was somewhere too far away that could be tracked by the system within the city, and his location was showing up as “???”, while the other names were showing up as either within the city limits, or out in the nearby fields. But one name drew her attention; and his location was pretty close to where she was now perched, watching and waiting for a certain person to come by, and then she’d drop down and out of the tree and scare him silly! Then again I don’t know if he’d be scared… she thought as Kumori’s name started flashing, a sign that he was well within range.

After a few more moments of waiting, she then heard his familiar voice and knew that it was now time to either try and scare him, or see what happens when he gets scared without warning. She then tightened her grip on the branch that she was now roosting upon, and with some effort, managed to swing herself so that she was now effectively hanging upside-down from the tree, with just her legs hanging on as tightly as she could manage. “Boo,” she said in his direction;was it lucky that she’d managed to down right behind him? And just for a bit more fun, she then poked him in the backside, and then giggled; and decided to do a creeping-crawling motion with her hands up and across his back, because she was also looking for ticklish spots! But I don’t know if he has any… she thought, before giggling once more and making her hands seem spider-like, crawling across his back before coming to a stop at a point near his shoulder.

Shame I can’t swing myself back up if he looks around… she thought as she waited for him to ‘discover’ where she was located.

[353]

[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 heard a “boo” from his left, and so he turned towards that direction. He stepped back instinctively, trying to create distance between him and whatever was trying to scare him. He tried to look for the source, but Hanellie was well hidden in the trees, and he could not see through the foliage. His face had surprise and worry written all over his face. He laughed nervously as he looked in the general direction of the voice. “Hey, where are you?” he asked. At this point, he probably could have tracked her, but he figured that it was cheating, and so he decided to play along. As soon as he turned, though, Hanelli had deftly landed behind him, as quiet as she could. Ryuu did not hear a single thing, and before he could turn, a finger was at his lower back. The sensation surged through his back like electricity. He wasn’t prepared for this. This was town, so his focus was a lot lower than it usually was, but that didn’t excuse his inability to realize that she was right behind him. Soon the single finger was replaced with ten, as she began moving them along his back, all over. Trying his hardest not to show weakness, he clenched his eyes and held on, but before he was in the clear, he started giggling quietly, and then the volume began increasing. Finally they stopped and ended at his shoulders. Right when she stopped, he put his left hand on top of her left hand, and held it tightly, but gently. He turned around and faced Hanelli, whose face was at the height of his own. He looked straight into her eyes and then he inched his face forward, slow enough for her to move away if she wanted, but his aim was to kiss her as she was upside down. He tilted his head, closed his eyes, and attempted to kiss her on the lips.

Whether it happened or not, it didn’t matter, because he was about to either get slapped and never spoken to again, or things were going to go well, towards a possible wonderful future. Either way, he hoped for the latter, but Hanelli had the chance to move away.

OOC NOTES: 375 words

Made by Sifr of GS, Synesthesia and Adoxography.

[Hanelli]

"It's a dog eat dog world." ☒ Kumori ✐ 563 ✉ Hurrderp. MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

She then realized that her legs were starting to slip; and that he was now facing her, albeit from an upside-down (or was it right-side up) angle. She then felt something burn across her face, but at the same time her grip on the branch she was hanging from was starting to get slippery... a sign that she couldn’t keep the hold up. Oh shit, she thought, as she vainly tried to hang on with her legs, but the sweat building up was too much; and instead of actually meeting his face; she then felt her center of gravity shift, and she then plummeted towards the ground! Considering that it wasn’t a very tall drop, nonetheless, it was a very embarrassing sight for the Elfin Assassin at least! She then ended up kissing the dirt instead, and then rolled for a bit before coming to a stop, hacking and spitting out packed dirt from her mouth. “That was a bad idea…” she hissed in their ‘native’ language, before picking herself up and then giving him a very embarrassed look. “So I still need to practice hanging upside-down from trees. I can’t keep my grip on it for too long…” she added, brushing herself down as best as she could manage; before remembering why she’d called him all the way out here. “I wanted to show you something…” she continued, her tone suddenly turning extremely flustered, before pointing off in the distance. “I just saw something that you may want to see for yourself…” she added, before quickly dashing off in the distance, but stopping to turn back and call out to him, “Come on! Keep up with me! I swear you’ll like this!” and then turning to dash away. Well if he can find my footsteps, I better go there ahead of him… she thought, quickly putting on a burst of speed as she could manage winding through the trees and the overgrown paths. She then kept up this fashion for a while, until she came to the clearing where she wanted him to go to; there was one peculiar tree in the entire area; and why was it peculiar? Instead of it being the normal sight of a green tree one would find in an everyday park, the leaves hanging from it were pale pink, and were apparently drooping down towards what looked to be a dried-up lake bed. Shame there’s no water in the area… she thought, looking at the familiar sight from home. She then saw something peculiar at the base of the tree, and then decided to dash on over to it, and saw that it was apparently a plaque, and it was written in Japanese kana and kanji. Thankfully, she was able to translate what was written on it, and here’s what it said; “A familiar sight for those who aren’t of English ancestry; may this cherry blossom tree being you hope, and memories, of your own homeland—and the original place where Elder Tale saw its origins,” she read off of it, looking up at the vast tree; she was absolutely certain that there was nothing of the sort in the real-life version of Regents Park, but there was one here. “Wonder why it’s here…” she continued to herself, walking around the base of the huge tree, wondering if her companion had caught up to her yet.

[Kumori]

100% 100%

Equipment: Cuirass of Shadows | Windsor Antiqua Dagger * 2 Skills: Tags:

: Word Count : 0621 OOC Notes: Quick Slot: Windsor Antiqua Throwing Knives

After their kiss had ultimately failed, and Hanelli had kissed the dirt, and because Ryuu’s eyes were closed and could not see what had just happened, he did notice that nothing had touched his lips, and therefore after wondering for a second or two, he opened his eyes to see that she had fallen. He knelt down offering his hand but before he could even do that, she had gotten up. Well, at least I tried, he shrugged in his mind. He couldn’t expect anything out of such a sudden action like that. She brushed herself off and hissed at herself. “Well, you can’t get better unless you practice,” he said to her. Anything in this life was now like real life. If you didn’t practice, you’d fall flat on your face, and Hanelli proved that point just now. She started running in a direction after telling him she wanted to show him something. Her voice told him that she was obviously flustered, but was it because of his earlier action, or was it because of what she was about to show him. He wasn’t sure what to expect as he began to follow her. She ran quickly, trying to make a distance between the two. Ryuu allowed her to, as he could have kept up, but decided to walk through the forest. He used his [Eagle Vision] to follow her tracks and to see where she was going. She had stopped, but Ryuu could not see what she stopped at, so he simply followed along, half-running, half-walking, not able to catch up with her, but building enough distance. To him, it was a race he may probably have won if he had used his full potential, but he was against it. He wanted to relax, and making everything a competition would only bring him sadness and unneeded stress. As he appeared from the forest and saw the opening, Ryuu looked up and saw the several Sakura blossoms that were sprouting from the tree. They reminded him of his homeland. They were always a site to see, and probably the only thing outside of food that Ryuu would visit Japan for. He caught a petal as it floated down from the tree and held it against his fingers. They had the same consistency of the ones in Japan. They were somewhat rubbery, but the smell was unmistakable. This was definitely a Cherry Blossom. “Suteki!,” he said in his native tongue. But those words were not enough to describe the blossoms and the sight he saw. While the ground and surrounding was desolate, this tree itself presented hope to those who saw it. No one ever came here, but that wasn’t a bad thing. This was their spot… Finally Ryuu snapped his attention back to Hanelli, realizing he wasn’t here alone. He walked towards her and looked at the plaque on the ground. He was surprised that there would be such a memorial to his country here. He knelt down to touch the plaque, to test whether it was real or not. He couldn’t deny that this was real and not some sort of weird homesickness that made him dream about Japan. Ryuu jumped up into the tree and took a full cherry blossom from a branch and dropped back down. He placed the blossom (with stem) on the ear of Hanelli so that she could wear it as a hair ornament, if she allowed. He looked around to see if there were any clues as to why it was here, but through his quick scan, he found nothing. He looked at the dried up lake and then back at the tree. “Something is keeping it alive, though,” he said to her. Code by DinDeen. Original Art by Tistelmark. :DeviantArt:

[Hanelli]

"It's a dog eat dog world." ☒ Kumori ✐ 530 ✉ Climbing Trees~! JP text: italicized ENG text: no effects applied MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

Now that she’d begun looking around the base of the tree, looking for any sign that it may be just an anomaly (but finding nothing) she then found herself back at the plaque; where her companion now stood, apparently looking up and gazing at the cherry blossoms that were in full bloom. “I don’t know how this ended up here, but I can definitely assure you, in the real-world version of this park, there’s no such tree like that over there. Why it’s here in this version, is a mystery,” she said, looking around and confirming that the lake bed was bone-dry. What’s keeping it alive I wonder? She thought to herself as he’d jumped up into the tree and then returned with a branch, with a certain blossom that had yet to fully open and show its petals. “What was that again they said about flowers blooming late…” she trailed off, allowing him to place the ‘ornament’ on her ear. Now she had to be careful not to let it fly from its current position… “…you think they took the liberty to play around with the surroundings a bit?” she asked him a few moments later, also wondering where it was getting its source of water. “I know that most of, if not all, of these trees bloom very close to rivers, and their branches droop over so far that whenever it’s hanami season, the petals actually touch the water’s surface… and when everything falls all at once it’s a sight to see,” she continued, remembering all the years they’d gone to the local hanami parties back in Tokyo, and then another thought popped into her head. “I don’t know if you know the tale, but it’s said that there were two people who could only meet on one day of the year…and that they could only meet underneath the cherry blossoms. One was doomed to wander the earth forever without the person they cared about the most, while the other became a star in the heavens…there’s a festival named after them too,” she continued, trying her best to remember the entire tale. She knew that it was one that ended in tragedy, but there were some retelling that had the two lovers ending up together; even if they had to defy the laws of the universe that time. Hell I’m not even sure if my version of the tale is the original, but that’s what they told s whenever we asked about that tale, she thought to herself, looking up at the tree…and then getting an idea. “Do you think this tree is strong enough to hold our weight?” she asked him a few moments later, looking straight up into its branches. “If it is… you want to take a look at the area from up there?” she continued, pointing straight up into the canopy. “It works for climbing practice too,” she added, but more to herself, hoping that he wasn’t afraid of heights! Even if she was a girl, there was always something about climbing trees that always had her either hidden up in one, or scaling one, or even making a temporary shelter in its branches.

[Kumori]

100% 100%

Equipment: Cuirass of Shadows | Windsor Antiqua Dagger * 2 Skills: Tags:

: Word Count : 0673 OOC Notes: Italicized Japanese Quick Slot: Windsor Antiqua Throwing Knives

“Yeah… something like this, I would’ve remembered,” he said to her. He was still inspecting the tree when she said this, unsure of what to think of it. All he could think about was the possibility that this was being kept alive by magic. Even in terms of reality, the creators had somehow made the things they wanted to be shown as memorials to be preserved. Just like how guards would appear when you drew a weapon, similarly, this was the same. A deus ex machina that could not be explained. All they could do was base a theory around it, hoping that it would stick. When she saw the not yet full blossomed flower, she asked a peculiar question. Ryuu smirked. “Those that blossom late are the most beautiful of all,” he said, “and a gift to remind the person who wears it of her beauty,” he said. Sappy? Probably, but effective. Openings like these were not taken lightly, and Ryuu would take every chance that he had. There were no stops to be pulled. She then asked if he thought they had changed the surroundings. Ryuu looked around and he nodded, as he wasn’t sure if this was what the park looked like. He couldn’t really remember. He had been to the Regents Park several times, and yet he couldn’t seem to remember what it looked like anymore. He put his hand on his forehead, and tried to think of what it looked like. What was it that was keeping him from remembering what it looked like? He realized what he was doing, possibly looking like he had a headache, so Ryuu shook his head and placed his hand back down. “Sorry, I was trying to remember something, but… for whatever reason, I can’t recall it,” he said, telling her of his plight, “but it doesn’t matter. No use trying to remember what you can’t remember.” “Yeah… I sort of wished there was some water here… at least the lake,” he sighed. This was one of the few times he wished he was a mage, but he wasn’t. He wished that he knew what the future was, for he’d probably mention Scoria in this little tidbit. Unfortunately, that happened about a day forward, and unfortunately, Ryuu couldn’t crack a joke. “I miss it… cherry blossoms… I think I want to see if these blossoms are in bloom all year round,” he said. He took a single petal into his hand and held it in his palm. A gust of wind took the blossoms, and the sight was even more amazing, as they sparkled against the sun rays that blessed it with their light. “Suteki da ne?” he said with breathless awe. His eyes glimmered at the sight, one he had longed for, for so long. She then began to speak about the festival of Tanabata. Well, it was a variation of the famous tale and festival that honored them. Was she alluding to this? That they would have to be like this, unable to love each other except for one day of the year? He nodded at her telling of the tale and took it for face value, but keeping in the back of his mind the possible fate that was to be seen in the future. “I believe it can hold our wait,” he said. The tree was not dead since it was producing blossoms. It was more than just alive, it was strong and well. He nodded as she asked him if he wanted to look at the area from the top of the Sakura Tree. Ryuu was serious in making this his spot to think and to be alone. He’d always need one, especially when everyone at the guild house was there. Ryuu would follow after her, silently but obediently. After they reached near the top, the park was a drab compared to the light pink hue of the sakura around him and below him. “What I would give to have running water here again…” he said aloud. Code by DinDeen. Original Art by Tistelmark. :DeviantArt:

[Hanelli]

"It's a dog eat dog world." ☒ Kumori ✐ 551 ✉ Aiya. JP text: italicized ENG text: no special effects applied MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

“Yeah, it was that one. How could I forget, it was from one of my favorite films when I was a young kid… some girl going off to fight in her dad’s place. That movie showed me that even if you’re just a girl, you can do anything, even in a gender-specific role…” she said, nodding; the saying was something along those lines; how could she have forgotten? Maybe it’s because the scenes I’m most familiar with is the scene where the decoration comes alive and starts ranting in front of their ‘Great Ancestor’… she thought with a slight grin on her face; she then turned to look at him; and it was like he was trying to remember something. The somewhat pained expression on his face caught her attention, though... and she was quick to ask, “Hey, are you okay?” before noticing that he’d recovered somewhat from that expression, and then he brought forward an interesting proposition. “You know what, why don’t we do just that… leave a mark somewhere, and then come back at a later date and see if the blossoms have fallen? Because I know it’s illogical for them to survive without water…but then again, this is a game, everything in the real world is rendered useless when it comes to in-game stuff like this,” she said, gesturing towards the tree once again. She then watched as he took the lead in scaling the tree and she let an even wider grin flower across her face, because let’s face it, if there was one thing Han (and her real-world self) loved doing, it was climbing trees. She then looked for a sturdy branch she could swing herself up on and then followed suit, keeping track of his ascent as well. Once she’d noticed that he’d stopped climbing, she then came to a pause as well; somewhere near him, but on a separate branch, because she was absolutely certain that placing their combined weight on the branch he was on was a very bad idea. “You know… if I wasn’t an Assassin, I’d make it rain so that the lake bed isn’t dry anymore…and then we’d see the entire place explode into color and life again. Didn’t you notice anything? Only this tree is alive, everything else around it is dead. Something unusual is up…” she continued, wedging her foot into a secure spot before crossing over to a closer vantage point where he was. “Look over there—“ she added pointing out at the skyline. Even if the entire area looked like it was a ruin, up here in the tree, it was a sight to behold indeed; how could such beauty survive in a place like this? It was at this time she realized something; something she had to tell him at this point in time. There was a slight problem though; what if the two knew each other? Would it be a fight to the death? Or would things end badly for one of the two? Either way, it was something she couldn’t hide much longer…she then took a deep breath and then faced him, looking at him squarely in the eye. “Ryuu,” she began, using his real name in this instance, since it was something of utmost importance, “…there’s something I have to tell you.”

[Kumori]

100% 100%

Equipment: Cuirass of Shadows | Windsor Antiqua Dagger * 2 Skills: Tags:

: Word Count : 0363 OOC Notes: Quick Slot: Windsor Antiqua Throwing Knives

When she had mentioned the scenes from the movie, he smirked as he began to remember the days when he used to sing the song “I’ll Make a Man Out Of You” by Danny Osmond. Also, the woman who sang for the protagonist’s part was one of his favorite singers. Lea Salonga. While he was taken back down memory lane, he returned to the present and nodded in confirmation. “Yes, it’s the only Disney movie written about Asians. I take some pride in that,” he said to her. She then reciprocated his proposal of wanting to see if this tree still grew all year round. He opened up his map menu and placed a “key location” tack on it so that he’d remember. He labeled it “me time” so that if somehow, someone had access to his HUD for whatever reason, they wouldn’t completely know what it was other than he liked to spend his time alone there. He was indeed interested as to why this tree was alive, and judging from the surrounding, it was obvious that it had been living for a while. The rest of the area was desolate. Barren trees littered the once green and fantastic Regents Park. “Maybe magic is what drives this tree to grow. Sustained by whatever laws they made happen,” he said to her. After they climbed to the top, Ryuu began to look around. “Yeah… I would agree with you. Maybe there’s something stopping the flow of water? We could go check it out later, follow the riverbed up. See if we can find a dam of some sort,” he said. The setting sun was indeed a sight to behold. He did not mind the beauty that this world offered. He smiled and sat on his branch, embracing the time he was spending here, be it with Hanelli or just himself, he’d enjoy it all the same. After a few minutes of staring into the horizon, Hanelli broke the silence. He turned over to her and she had said his real name. She said her next sentence in English. He raised his eyebrows, unsure of what she was going to say. “What is it?” Code by DinDeen. Original Art by Tistelmark. :DeviantArt:

[Hanelli]

"It's a dog eat dog world." ☒ Kumori ✐ 461 ✉ Eep. JP text: italicized ENG text: no special effects applied MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

“Don’t we all,” she chuckled, noticing that he understood the reference she’d let drop; who knew that there were fellow ‘Disney kids’ among the crowd of players in the server? “I’m also glad you like my idea of checking this tree out in the time to come, because yep, anything that’s strange will get me looking at it right away…” she trailed off, quickly opening up her own interface and then adding a note for herself to check back on this tree every now and then. After some time of silence, she noticed that he was now looking at her; and then she knew that this was it; the moment that she was waiting for. Actually, she had been debating whether or not she was going to tell him about the capricious redhead that she knew; but to be fair with all matters such as this (and besides, Kumori... actually, Ryuu; was the first person she’d ever known on this side of the world that didn’t give her a weird look or just outright ignored her) she felt that he had to know about this development. “Well, have you ever had the feeling that you like someone…” she began, still looking at him, before turning away for a few moments in order to compose herself. “Here’s the thing. I just realized lately, that there may be something between me and… and well, not just one, but two people I know. I’ll tell you right now that you’re one of those two individuals… you’re the first person ever who made me feel at home, without giving me a weird or outright creepy look. Everyone else just…ignored me, but you didn’t. I also appreciate the language lessons you’re giving me so far, it’s actually helping…” she said in one go, looking away as there was this slight coloration on her face. She then took another deep breath, before continuing,“…and the other person is also a fellow explorer like us, but he’s a Samurai, and I also feel at ease whenever I’m around him. Language barrier notwithstanding of course, because even if he doesn’t understand half the words I say, he just goes along with what crazy plans I have in mind. So… there you have it… that’s my dilemma. i know I’d have to eventually pick between the two of you…” she trailed off, looking at him once again, hoping that he understood what she was trying to convey. I hate getting stuck in the middle… I hope this doesn’t turn ugly! She thought to herself, before quickly flailing her hands and then saying, “I-I mean, you might already be falling for someone else, I’d perfectly understand if it’s not me, but…yeah you get the idea,” she ended, muttering herself into silence.

[Kumori]

100% 100%

Equipment: Cuirass of Shadows | Windsor Antiqua Dagger * 2 Skills: Tags:

: Word Count : 0416 OOC Notes: Quick Slot: Windsor Antiqua Throwing Knives

“Well, I’m not going to tell you straight out to choose me, but I will express how I feel and attempt to show you who the better man is by my actions. Hopefully, in the end, you will choose me, but it is not up for me to decide. That choice is yours. You have no reason to fear that it will turn ugly, unless the other person wishes it to. I’ll do my best to stay civil and to respond appropriately to your choice. If you don’t mind, though, I would like to take you out on an official date, one that I can get to know you better. I know you like climbing trees, but for someone interested in you, not just for your looks, but for your personality and your hobbies, I want to know who you are. So… how about it?” he asked her. He had just said that he wouldn’t take it too hard if he wasn’t chosen, but until she made that choice, he’d do his best to make her feel loved and cherished. That was his goal, after all. It wasn’t about taking what was right in front of him. The courting process was never a person gaining an item. It was two people getting to know each other and knowing that they were perfect together. His goal was to show that, and the only result he cared about was her words. If she said that they weren’t right for each other or if they were. And even if she did choose him after all of that, it did not mean they were compatible. Ryuu could still make the personal choice of not going out with her, and all would return to normal. Either way, it was up to him to prove he was perfect for her and up to him to keep a reasonable mind of all these things. “If you think that I will go to find the other guy and pulverize him, you’d think wrong… however, with that said, I do hope it’s not a certain someone that I know,” he said, thinking of Saber who was a much higher level than he and could easily show domination if he chose to do so. Ryuu did not want to fight unless it was necessary, but he would protect himself if necessary. “I do hope you do not bring the both of us together to choose. I do not foresee that going in anyone’s favor,” he said. Code by DinDeen. Original Art by Tistelmark. :DeviantArt:

[Hanelli]

"It's a dog eat dog world." ☒ Kumori ✐ 404 ✉ 'Post not Found' muhehehe. JP text: italicized ENG text: no special effects applied MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

Han was definitely new at this ‘courtship’ thing; because while she was back in Japan she was more focused on getting through the school day, therefore she was always buried in assignments and projects and whatnot, therefore ignoring her ‘social life’. Agh, this is what I get for studying too much, I’m a socially-inept duck… she thought to herself as she internally cringed for a few moments, listening to his words and then plucking a cherry blossom that was within her reach and then examining it in further detail. Apparently her dropping the hint of the ‘other’ person that had caught her eye made him look up and pay more attention, but she wasn’t a mind reader and all that, so she definitely could not tell what he was thinking just by staring at him. “I hope it doesn’t end in a duel to the…death, but then again, who said that we could die in this game? It’s not like the other one I’ve tried out before, if you die in the game, you apparently ‘die’ in real life. But still, that scares me,” she said, her voice quivering for a bit. With his next few words, she then turned to look at him, before giving him a light tap on the forehead with her finger. “Well, if you missed the last few words I said, he’s a Samurai… a Fox-Tail as a matter of fact. I don’t know if you’ve encountered him yet, but his overall theme seems to be red and black. Redhead, crimson eyes…” she said, suddenly realizing that she’d let off too much information! Gah, now I’m in for it, this is going to turn ugly! She thought to herself, mentally slapping herself as she felt her face flush the slightest blush of pink now. “I’m going to have to avoid that as much as possible. Might as well make a note out of it and always keep repeating to myself that the two of you should never meet. He’s quite brash…and to be honest, so are you,” she said, suddenly looking away, all flustered and stuff. “Just that… you tend to keep your cool more than he does though,” she added, scratching the back of her head in a very sheepish manner. “What else would you like to know about me?” she asked him sometime later, letting the cherry blossom in her hands flutter down and away from her.

[Kumori]

100% 100%

Equipment: Cuirass of Shadows | Windsor Antiqua Dagger * 2 Skills: Tags:

: Word Count : 0671 OOC Notes: Quick Slot: Windsor Antiqua Throwing Knives

“If I can help it at all, it will not come to that,” he explained to her. A fight to the death was the last thing he wished for. It was not within his character to kill anybody. He had no need to prove his strength to others other than those who needed his help. A week ago, he might have fallen into that mindset, wanting to prove himself to the world, but he had no need to do so anymore. He had been given humility through his death, and he would act as such. He wouldn’t go and force another to experience the same death that he had, nor would he subject anyone to such a fate. Just as before, death was always a final and last option. “It is not within my soul to kill another person. I simply aim to protect. Weird for an Assassin, isn’t it?” he asked with a quiet chuckle. He was being pretty ironic at what he was doing. He wanted to protect others while his class specialized in killing others. The thought made him smile, as he was beginning to create a new mold for himself. Was he still an assassin to be feared? Quite so. If you managed to tick him off and put him in danger, you would face the wrath of his daggers. He will protect himself and others. If one attempted to kill him or his friends or family, he would be quick to dispatch them with a flurry of slashes and strikes. Hanelli then began describing the samurai. Ryuu attempted to block out the information he was being given, but as soon as he did, another detail came out, and soon he resigned himself to know who the person was. He was a samurai, which meant Saber was out of the picture. That was fine and dandy to him, since most others, with the exception of Kyuu, were lower level than he. It was then she told him of his hair color, eye color, and pretty much all colors. He knew who it was, or at least he could take a pretty good guess. He called him “Red” just as that man called Ryuu, “Flip” for various reasons. They had ventured once together in Windsor, but not much else had happened after that incident. He was an acquaintance of his, but not yet a friend. While he did not want to create a bad atmosphere with the samurai, he knew that since they both pursued the same woman, it was impossible to avoid it. Ryuu only hoped that neither of them would have the terrible attitude when the other won was chosen. Ryuu nodded towards Hanelli to signify he understood what she said. “Aye, you may have let off a little too much there,” he said to her. Brash? He was like that before he had been sent to the cathedral unwillingly. He was that way, and Ryuu could only nod. He did not disagree, as he wanted to prove his competence, his level-headedness, and overall his change from being selfish and arrogant to selfless and humble. He spoke, in order to tell her what she should expect: “I am not as brash as I used to be. While I did try to kiss you, that was no more arrogant than trying to hold your hand,” he said with a smile, “besides, your physical contact could be a measurement of intimacy… I figured I’d try anyways,” he said. It was not his “brashness” that had pushed him to attempt to kiss her. No, it was his attitude of taking risks. Ryuu believed that he’d rather have taken the opportunity than to have squandered it by not doing anything at all. “Anything at all… You’ve told me of your biological mother and father… and a little bit about your adoptive mother and father. And you’ve told me what you like to do on your free time. We can start with the basics… What’s your favorite color?” he asked her. Code by DinDeen. Original Art by Tistelmark. :DeviantArt:

[Hanelli]

"Can't touch what you can't see!" ☒ Kumori ✐ 523 ✉ JP text: italicized ENG text: no special effects applied MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

Note to self; do not reveal too much in the future! She thought as she continued to look at him; and concealing her shock as best as she could, she realized that he was indeed familiar with said red-head who had attempted to peek on her while she was trying to take a bath in the river on their very first meeting. Perverted fox alert though, who knew? She continued musing to herself as she continued to listen to his words; oh, they had a very relaxing effect on her. “Well if I didn’t come crashing out of the tree, who knew what would’ve happened then and there,” she said with this coy smile on her face. Normally Han wouldn’t be so privy to reveal so much about herself; but this was a special case; since Ryuu did happen to be one of two people that she was now having affection for. And then when the time comes I’d have to choose, I’d have to turn one of them away… she thought grimly; before her ears twitched in his direction; as he’d asked her a question. She was relieved that the question was pretty simple; as compared to all the other questions that she’d always be battered with whenever she’d introduce herself. “For starters… I like any color that’s on the darker side of the spectrum. Mostly leaning towards blue and black; though there are times I’d appreciate some white to contrast the color schemes I always tend to dress up with. How about you, what’s your favorite color?” she said asking the question back at him. Always get to know each other before going into unnecessary things… she mused to herself, shifting around ever so slightly so that she was now more comfortable on her current perch. She wanted to climb higher; but they were already at the very top of the tree; at least the top part that was still safe for them to actually move around in. “If you don’t mind my asking… what about your favorite books, your preferred drink between coffee or tea; how do you like your sushi rolls; can you eat sashimi… oh, I’m sorry,” she broke off, looking extremely sheepish at the same time she realized that she was now rattling off way too many questions for him to answer in one go. She then gave him some more information; and it went like this, “If you’d ask me… well, I’d just get my hands on anything to read, as long as it makes sense of course. I can eat most sushi and sashimi; though don’t get me started on blowfish, which almost killed me some time ago. Stupid preparation forgot to take the poison out… lucky we’ve advanced enough in order to save most people getting poisoned on blowfish…” she muttered, letting the silence hang for a moment, before continuing, “…I like my tea served in the traditional Japanese style; complete with the entire ceremony and everything. Oh, and I am absolutely terrified of ‘the brown butterfly’; and no, not the moths nor fireflies. I’m talking about… the cockroach,” she ended with a shudder.

[Kumori]

100% 100%

Equipment: Cuirass of Shadows | Windsor Antiqua Dagger * 2 Skills: Tags:

: Word Count : 0771 OOC Notes: Quick Slot: Windsor Antiqua Throwing Knives

She made a remark of something that may have happened, had the kiss actually happened. Ryuu smirked. He sat right next to her on a sturdy branch that would hold both of their weight easily. He inched closer, so that they were side by side, and there was no space in between them. He turned to her first saying: “We could always give it a go again, this time a successful one,” he said to her smirking, half joking, half serious. He leaned in a bit closer so that their shoulders were touching. His face gradually moving closer to hers, and his breath steadied gradually all the same, the closer his mouth got to hers. He was trying to get the female assassin flustered, and he no doubt would be successful in doing so. A blush or some type of cute reaction would make it worth his while, but a kiss would make him ecstatic. If she turned away in embarrassment, he’d stop, but if she turned towards him, he’d take his chance. If she didn’t move, unsure of what to do, Ryuu would place his hand under her chin and gently turn her face towards his, giving her a little push towards the kiss. At any time, she could turn away, and Ryuu wasn’t one to force a woman to do his will. No. Romance always was a two way street, just like any relationship that people expected to flourish. Should one not cherish the other, should one not allow the other to choose, it would only lead to a destructive pattern. That was not his intention. His intention was only to influence slightly, to edge the battle closer to his side, the battle for the love of Hanelli. This was a battle where anything goes. There was no under-handed tactics, there was only the simple rules of engagement. Engage with the girl, and no one else. After the process of the kiss or no kiss, he would move away and smile, regardless of the outcome. The fluster would be enough to make him smile, as a girl’s blush and smile was enough to make him happy. He would give a bit of space to her if she did not kiss him, inching slightly away, so that there was a slight space in between them and their shoulders weren’t touching, however if they did kiss, he would stay there, right against her, giving her support and warmth as a chill wind began to blow. “Black or blue… My favorite colors are black and green. I also like simplicity, so white is also a great color,” he said to her. She then asked him a slew of questions. They weren’t unexpected, rather he was happy he wasn’t the only one initiating conversation now. “My favorite book…? In the classics, I really liked John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. It was an enjoyable read, and spoke of the relationship between a father and his sons and the relationship between brothers. It taught me what I would need to do to hone a relationship with my friends that I treated like brothers as well as how I would treat my future children,” he said. He smiled, remembering his volunteer hours that he had placed into daycare centers and teaching elementary school kids. He had a lot of practice with doing such, and even had his run into trouble makers, but he had learned to be patient and how to make them concentrate on something else. “I like tea… preferably milk tea of any sort, with no boba. And if I eat rolls, I usually get those baked rolls, like a baked lobster roll. I do eat Sashimi, as well,” She then answered her own questions so that he knew her answers as well. He smirked at the last bit. “I hate bugs too, to be honest. I hate spiders the most, but if I need to, I can kill them and clean them up. I’m not deathly afraid, I just don’t like them being around,” he said, “something I’ve had to get used to, since this place is pretty run down. Cockroaches and bugs are pretty common, and I guess have made me a bit more callous to their presence,” he said. “So what kind of things annoy you? I know you hate cockroaches. Is there any type of fruit you abhor completely? I mean… my worst is durian. Uck, I hate the smell, the taste, everything. It’s so gross,” he said, making a face, and then laughing right after. “I truly don’t understand how people can stand it,” he said with a smirk. Code by DinDeen. Original Art by Tistelmark. :DeviantArt:

[Hanelli]

"What is this feeling..." ☒ Kumori ✐ 882 ✉ JP text: italicized ENG text: no special effects applied MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

Her first reaction, when she saw that he was coming in once again for another kiss, was to actually flail; but only because she was about to go off-balance! She then felt her face turn real pink due to embarrassment; and by further flailing, her free hand managed to snag onto a branch so that she could at least hang on to something before she actually fell down and made a complete fool of herself. He’s succeeding in making me get all flustered… she thought; and then the earlier revelation came back to haunt her; should she just plunge and play two fields; or just leave them hanging until she made her choice?! She then decided to go for the safe option instead and then brushed her nose lightly against his; and then stared into his eyes; before saying, “You know… I’d have to hold back on actually kissing… because of what I told you earlier. I hope you’d understand where I’m coming from… it’s hard enough as it is to make a choice when there are two individuals who are interested in you… but you’re so confused and you’re not sure if you’re going to make the right choice or not,” she ended softly, her face still flushed as she then reached up and ruffled his hair instead. “I hope you understand…” she continued; before looking for a way to smooth over the potentially awkward situation that she’d almost gotten tangled in just now! Han shifted her weight even more so that she was much closer to him now; and she was secretly thankful that he didn’t blanch at the series of questions; in fact he took them all in stride and answered them one by one. Seeing as some of the questions she’d asked hadn’t been answered, she decided to answer them as well, for his benefit. “Books… to be honest I’ve read a lot more manga than I should have; but if you’re going to ask me about my favorite series… it’s actually a tie between these titles; The Alchemyst: the secrets of the immortal Nicolas Flamel by this guy whose name I forgot… I think it was Michael something… and, of course, the ever-famous Harry Potter series by one of this country’s most well-known women, J.K. Rowling. The Japanese version covers of the Harry potter series look really awesome if I do say so myself… and of course, reading these books in the native language was so much fun. Now that I’m here… if ever we get out of here, I’ll get the English-language versions of these books and re-read them all over again, just because,” she said in one go; once she got started on her favorite topics it would be hard to stop her. “As for my most-hated fruit? Let’s see… it would have to be dragon fruit. I don’t know why the inside looks like freaking cookies and cream ice cream but the outside of it is just colored red… I thought there really was such a thing as ice-cream flavored fruit. When I took a bite of the dragon fruit though, my stomach didn’t quite agree with the taste,” she said, making a face, shuddering at what was possibly the worst experience she’d ever had with a piece of fruit. “My favorite fruit, however… it has to be green apples. I don’t know why people are hating on the green-colored relative of the apple, but I myself like the crisp taste they have as compared to the ‘meh’ zing that red-colored apples offer…” she continued, catching another falling blossom and then giving it to him, almost like a present. After that, she let a few more moments of silence pass between them; before continuing, “So… what do you like doing in your free time? Mine was mostly taken up with studying, because I had no other way out but to get the best education I could get back home… and of course, reading books, climbing trees… and I’ll also let you in on a secret: I can’t cook. Not even to save my life…” she said, looking extremely embarrassed at this revelation. That was also the reason why she decided against taking the Chef class initially, because whatever she’d make would end up looking like lumps of coal… or worse. “The reason why I took up the Pharmacist was because… I can’t rely on other people too often, so I went with making my own things. At least I’d know that the stuff I make is safe… that, and chemistry just happened to be one of my best classes in school. Mixing up things, watching them go flat or explode in your face… I loved that feeling of making new things out of nothing,” she continued; before adding, “…I actually thought ‘Alchemy’ in this game was processed on the foundations of ‘Equivalent Exchange’… wherein in order to make something, one must use stuff of equal or greater value, otherwise, something bad happens,” she added with a chuckle, sidling down even further and ending up quite close to where he was seated at the moment. “I wonder what else I can ask you… but the other questions I keep thinking off are too personal, so I’d rather not bother,” she ended in a quiet voice.

[Kumori]

100% 100%

Equipment: Cuirass of Shadows | Windsor Antiqua Dagger * 2 Skills: Tags:

: Word Count : 1416 OOC Notes: Quick Slot: Windsor Antiqua Throwing Knives

He had gotten his reaction, but that was it. Only a bit of red in her blush and a turn away from him was enough to illicit a smirk. He couldn’t expect more, especially since the ship was already solidified. That 60:1 ratio of threads with one guy and not the other was far from equal. Ryuu’s author was a proponent of equality, and when he was told he would have a chance, he expected to have a chance instead of it being tilted towards one side of the scale. He should’ve seen the flags when he had to wait 2 weeks for a post in his thread but the other person was getting 2 threads. So even if flustering her was a consolation prize, that was all it was, a consolation prize. This was all going to blow over soon, and gracing the couple with another thread was probably unlikely. Ryuu’s author had already been annoyed at the fact that he could not post more than once per week because of the delays incurred by the other side, but what could he do? He did what he could and posted when he could. So after Hanelli had told Ryuu her reason of not kissing him, Ryuu backed away and nodded. It may have been some premonition, but he began to feel like this relationship wasn’t going to work. Why should he work so hard for something he knew was already headed towards failure? Now, the author was trying to figure out which question he missed, read and re-read his posts to figure it out, but could not find any. He had answered the questions about books, and had even told her that his favorite book was John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Maybe it was because it wasn’t underlined last time. She ruffled his hair, but after that, he inched away from her. He didn’t like it when people touched him like that. He wasn’t a pet to be soothed or pleased, he was a person. If you deny someone something, you don’t pat their head. “Look, if you don’t want to me to get close to you yet, I suggest that you not get so close to me either. I don’t usually cross my lines unless I feel like they are being crossed by the other person as well. I think you did so when you tickled me. Intimacy is not something you should give readily, that is why I attempted to kiss you. So if you think that I will let you get closer to me without you allowing me to get closer to you, then I will have to step away,” he said to her. He got up and went to another branch, limiting the physical intimacy expressed by himself. If she wanted intimacy, she’d have to be willing to give him something he desired, but that was not the case here. After that, he nodded at her answer to her own question. He had already answered the question, so he felt like he had no need to go through the answer again. She told him her favorite fruit and her most hated fruit, which was fine. Not everyone had the same taste, however since Ryuu enjoyed the taste of Dragon Fruit, he could not help but think that this relationship wouldn’t work. Ryuu loved to eat different things, many things really. He will try anything once, but there were few things he disliked. While this was only one thing that they disagreed on, he wondered what it was that they would disagree on. He assumed there’d be a lot he’d disagree with her on. Yes, he didn’t know her well, but this woman didn’t know him well either, and she was beginning to come on to him. Yes, tickling was coming on to him. Physical intimacy. Was there much more that needed to be said? Well it didn’t matter. He did his thing and would nod. “I like to play video games, as you can tell… that is the only reason why I’m here. I love to cook, as it allows me to make good food for a cheap price. Cooking is just being able to follow instructions. After seeing what each instruction does to a dish, you then can start creating your own. Each step has a purpose, no matter how small or how big. That is the principle of chemistry, and as such, the principle of cooking…” he said to her. In addition to being able to analyze cooking, with details and perception, you could analyze the posts, literary works, actions, mannerisms, by every little detail included. Each action, no matter how big and how small had a reason. “I also like to snowboard. It’s been a favorite pastime of mine. I learned in High School and have only missed one season ever since I started. Any type of sport, like basketball or tennis is fun as well. I may not be very good at it, but do enjoy playing with friends,” he said to her, telling her of what he liked to do. There was plenty more he enjoyed doing, like writing, but he never liked revealing the fact. Even telling her he wrote poems was not something he would disclose to any one person. He was still courting her, and they were not official yet. There was no reason to show his vulnerable side… not unless she gave him some vulnerability as well. After Hanelli told him of why she picked up Pharmacy, Ryuu was perplexed. A chemist would never say “making things out of nothing” as that was not scientific. While she spoke of alchemy, the two were completely different. Chemistry was the study of interactions between different elements. This meant that there was bonds being made and broken to allow for two or more atoms to bond and be created. For example, with the addition of H2 and O2 and an electric current to break the bonds between the diatomic gasses, the two gasses would create another gas and liquid known as H2O. Yes, folks, that’s water. That water was created with 2 parts of H2 for every one part of O2. It wasn’t magic, it was science, but Ryuu did not stand to correct her. He continued to listen to her. “I believe all laws have to do with the law of equivalent exchange, regardless of what science, law, or society you come from. You reap what you sow, and should you harm or hurt another person, you will eventually get what you deserve. What it is, I do not know, but I assure you that God or whatever deity you believe in will do something about it,” he said to her. “Even in this game, where it has become reality, the same rules of equilibrium remains. You cannot create something out of nothing. Whether it be the usage of MP or the simple shaping of wood, there is a price to be paid. Ryuu looked down the tree and decided that it was time to leave. The author didn’t want to wait another week for a single post, so he wanted to get this over with, with the verdict already made. Ryuu waved towards Hanelli. “I have some things I need to do, so I’ll see you around,” he said. Ryuu jumped down from his perch and landed on his two feet with grace. No fall damage was taken as he knew how to land without hurting himself. After landing, he didn’t look back. He only wanted to leave this place. Maybe it was for the better that the two weren’t going to work out. Ryuu stopped before leaving the vicinity of the tree and grabbed a few petals of Sakura. It was a reminder of home, somewhat. His heritage was here in Londenium. Even though he hated going to Japan because of his relatives, he could not say the same with his love for the beautiful things of the land there. Ryuu placed it into his inventory and then decided to leave without another word. His shoes kicked off of the floor and with movement as graceful as his, he was long gone before Hanelli could think to follow after him. “Good bye,” he whispered. Maybe she just wasn’t all that she thought she was initially. He had really liked her in the beginning, but things changed over time. One couldn’t help it if you no longer liked a person for various reasons. Code by DinDeen. Original Art by Tistelmark. :DeviantArt:

[Hanelli]

"What the actual hell." ☒ Kumori ✐ 331 ✉ *facepalm* MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

She could only blink in surprise and wonder what had set him off; for he’d moved down and seemingly away from her; what was making him act in this manner? Was not what she’d discussed enough; or was there something else holding him back… or was there someone else that had his attention?! She then felt the color drain from her face at that thought; and then huffed; before skidding and propelling herself down the tree; being very careful not to tread and accidentally fall down from where she was coming from! By the time she hit the ground, however, it was too late; for Ryuu had already gone, and she squinted at the ground to see if she could be able to pick out his footprints for her to follow. “Geez… what the hell did I do wrong?!” she said to herself, smacking a palm to her forehead; before looking up at the giant, blooming tree. Wondering if this was a sign of things to come, she barely saw the falling branch; and only heard its flight coming in at the very last second, jumping out of the way as it crashed where she stood moments ago. “Damn it, really? Are you trying to tell me something as well?” she continued muttering to herself, looking up in the tree and wondering if there was someone else in there, watching what had transpired so far. Little did Han know that whatever she’d set in motion… would end up getting ugly in the future; because now she was trapped between two people; both of them were drawn to her; but for completely different reasons! “Ugh… I better get going too… many more potions to make…” she muttered, picking up her feet and moving away from the tree, headed in the opposite direction; into the deeper region of the park. She needed time to think, and to consider how the outcome of the ‘inevitable choice’ would affect the world as she knew it…