Complete Private Vintergard Confronting the Truth

[Siondhe]

Kyra Vashtana

220 / 220

Kyra had been putting it aside. Unsurprising with everything that had been going on, the necessity to stay alive and keep everyone else alive had pushed the concerns to the side, becoming less important in the moment. Now, though, now that it was all over - if it could be called that - she could focus on something that was equally as important.

She had spotted the man a day ago, moving about, likely getting prepared to leave the area. She hadn't managed to catch him then - too many after effects from the event causing her to miss him each time she wanted to reach out. Those distractions were coming to an end, though, and as she set her sights upon finding the man, she scoured the area - looking everywhere before spotting him heading out into the open fields that led back towards more civilised areas.

Kyra had quickly given chase, pleased that he had somehow chosen to move on foot to wherever he was heading. Catching up with someone on horseback would've been far more difficult, especially if they knew they were being chased down. Not that she was about to let this prey escape. She had some choice words for him, words that he needed to hear.

Stomping up behind him, making her presence known before she had even opened her mouth to speak, Kyra called out to the man, his voice carrying a growl of frustration that wasn't just from this current situation.

"Yugam! Hey! Yugam! Don't you even think about trying to run off, you and I have some things to talk about! And I am not leaving until I sink my teeth into this topic, and am pleased with the outcome! So you sit your little ass down on the ground before I knock you there myself!"

She reached down, hand hovering over the scythe to accent the threat, and make it understood that she wasn't simply giving idle threats. Her lips had pulled back to reveal the pointed teeth inside her mouth, and her ears and tail were standing straight up, the fur splaying out in an obvious sign of aggression. As she stopped a few steps away from the man, she pointed at the ground again, the growl still reverberating in her throat even as she spoke again.

"Sit. Now."

@Yugam​

 

[Yugam]

When Yu had signed up for the scouting mission, he hadn't expected...all of that. Before they'd even left camp, there'd been a mysterious attack, and even after they left...Well, at least he'd gotten to ride a giant bloodwurm. But the thing had surprised him the most was Valeria. Or rather Luthien, in-game. He would've never guessed that she played Terrasphere. And he was being honest, that fact frightened him. Especially after he'd seen her elven form ravaged by whatever weird spatial manipulation magic that'd been cast.

Too many questions.

Yu adjusted the strap over his shoulder, adjusting the rifle slung on his back just as he heard a familiar voice call out to him. Turning around he spotted the beastfolk approaching him.

"Huh? Why would I run away?" the man asked, a confused look on his face.

Her hand hovered over her scythe, a vicious look in the girl's eyes as she glared at him. "Sit. Now," she said, her voice dripping with venom.

Yu's hands went to his jikdo on his hip, drawing it partially in response. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Kyra? Take your hand off your weapon and let's talk about this."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra Vashtana

220 / 220

The movement of his hand was enough to cause her light growl to grow into a loud noise, her ears pinning back suddenly as her tail straightened, the fur standing out on it. She began to drop into a ready stance, her eyes burning with a fury that was obvious in her smaller frame. She paused for a moment, halfway into a battle stance, before the words came out - punctuated by a constant growl even as she spoke each word carefully.

"Oh. We're going to talk. We're going to talk, long, and deeply, about a few things. But first. You're going to sit. The. Fuck. Down. Now."

Her final word came out almost as a roaring yip, as she took another half-step forward, her hands coming up away from her scythe even as she nearly vibrated from the fury that seemed to have overtaken her. She eyed the man for a moment, before forcing herself to the ground with a hard thump.

"Sit. The. Fuck. Down. And I swear to the gods above if I have to get back up and chase you down I will tear you apart piece by piece until your very soul begs for it all to end."

She sat there, staring up at the man as she waited for him to sit down, the aggressive appearance only growing more agitated at each passing second.

@Yugam​

 

[Yugam]

At first, it didn't seem like Kyra was going to back down. In fact, it was the exact opposite, her ears pinned back against her head as she bent her knees slightly, like a predator readying itself to pounce on it's prey. Yu responded in kind, his heels digging into the dirt ever so slightly, rooting himself into the ground.

She stepped forward, and Yu's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword as she did, until she suddenly sat herself down on the earth. Yu didn't move at first, unwilling to give up an advantage against a potential opponent, but in the end, the man complied, lowering himself to the ground. The man sat seiza, his feet beneath his bottom. Though his right hand had removed itself from his weapon's hilt to his knee, the left did not leave the mouth of the scabbard. He still didn't know what Kyra's intentions were, not with certainty. And he was not one to leave himself open to attack.

"Speak," the man said, his tone calm, but not lacking in sternness.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra Vashtana

220 / 220

A sharp snarl erupted from her as the man settled down, only to command her like some sort of dog. She felt her lips pull back further, revealing more of her teeth as her tail curled slightly upwards. Taking a deep breath, she forced down the sudden urge to lunge forward, trying to calm herself. Remember why you're here.

"You have some explaining to do...to me, and to Lúthien. Let's start with that. I'm going to ask you some questions, and you're going to answer. Honestly. If I catch even a whiff of you lying - and I'll know - then there will be consequences. Severe. Consequences."

She raised her hands, bringing them together in a circle, before pushing them outwards like an explosion. Her face remained unmoving the entire time during the motion, her eyes locked on him even as the snarl remained plastered in place.

"Who was the woman with you at breakfast this morning? The one who leaned over and stared at Lúthien like she was some sort of...problem. And what is she to you, exactly? Is she some sort of fun time on the side? More importantly, where did she run off to now?"

Kyra's expression remained the same throughout all her questions; eyes locked on Yugam's own, snarl plastered on her face. She waited, quietly, for his response - sitting and staring like a canine ready to pounce on its prey should it make the wrong move.

@Yugam​

 

[Yugam]

Though Yu had indeed told Kyra to begin speaking, he was dissatisfied with the amount she was talking. He was a straight-forward kind of person. He liked to get straight to the point. Kyra though? He knew the girl was a chatterbox, but he'd hoped that she'd at least cut to the chase this time.

She made some strange gesture before finally asking what she wanted to know. Four things. Yu frowned as he heard one particular line. 'Fun time on the side.' The man didn't like the implications of that. In fact, he was a bit offended, but aside from the slight frown, he gave no indication of that fact.

The man lifted his hand from his sword's scabbard, resting it on his knee like the other. It glowed briefly, lifting from his hip, morphing. When the glow faded, the sword had taken on the form of a woman, kneeling much like Yu was at his side. The woman Kyra was asking about.

"Does this answer your question?"

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra Vashtana

220 / 220

Kyra shifted as Yugam reached for the weapon, pausing only when it started glowing. Her entire body was tense, ready for an attack, for Yugam to draw the weapon and rush forward. Instead, she found herself blinking, and looking at the woman she had seen at the breakfast table some time ago.

The growl stopped immediately, simply gone as a baffled look replaced the snarl. She stared for several seconds, trying to comprehend what she was seeing, trying to understand, trying to make it all make sense. A single word escaped as her brain slowly caught up.

"Oh."

Her eyes shifted to Yugam, and suddenly things began to make sense. She'd heard of this magic before, the ability to morph one's equipment - not that she had ever actually come across it, that she was aware of. And certainly not in a method used such as this.

"She's...your sword? Or your sword is her? Or...you're not sleeping around with random women and completely breaking Val's heart?"

The words were out before she could even consider the implications of them, and she suddenly shifted her attention back to the other woman, the snarl returning slightly.

"You'll do well to keep that to yourself...if you can...talk. Wait, can you speak? I didn't even ask..."

She was quickly becoming flustered as everything changed. She had hoped she'd be wrong about Yugam, hoped that there was another side to this story. It appeared there was, but she wasn't ready for...this. Wait is he sleeping with his sword?!

@Yugam​

 

[Yugam]

Kyra's face passed from anger to confusion to realization as the beastfolk finally began to piece together just who, or rather what, exactly Unmei was. Yu bit down on the inside of his cheek in annoyance as he watched her shifting expressions. Yugam didn't even need to look over at Unmei to know that she was just as displeased as Yu was with Kyra.

"...You're not sleeping around with random women and completely breaking Val's heart?" the beastfolk finally managed to say, her voice full of confusion.
The muscles of Yu's neck tensed in response. His teeth ground together as a corner of his lips curled back in a snarl. That was what she thought? And this was how she chose to handle that misunderstanding? It was rare for Yu to feel anger boiling in his veins, but now, his blood's temperature was rising, and quickly.

"You should take care to not use someone's name in-game. Just as you shouldn't use our names here out there," Yu cautioned the woman, eyes flicking upwards, indicating realspace.

"You'll do well to keep that to yourself," Kyra then said to Unmei, the snarl returning. "...If you can...talk. Wait, can you speak? I didn't even ask..."

"What is it with you?" Unmei suddenly hissed, not at Kyra, but at Yu, eyes narrowed into an annoyed glare. "Just what is it about you that you seem to attract every girl that could possibly cause you problems within a five mile radius?"
Yu fired back an equally vitriolic glare at Unmei, but chose not to answer. Now was not the time for another one of her lectures.

Yu directed his attentions back to Kyra, his voice no longer as calm and even as it was moments before. "Let me make this clear. I am not sleeping with anyone. And my relationship with Luthien is none of your concern. Do you understand?"

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra Vashtana

220 / 220

Her eyes shot towards the woman as she suddenly spoke, Kyra's ears perking up suddenly. She had an inkling, a feeling, that it might be sentient - but not to this degree. Not to the degree that it could criticize...whatever Yugam was to it.

"My only concern is Luthy's well-being...and making sure you don't harm that. And seeing as the girl was adamant that you were...distant, and that whole thing at the breakfast and...it just seemed like you were tossing her aside. And...she may have...err...I may have encouraged her to uh...push...for things...sorry?"

Suddenly, she felt embarrassment. She'd misread the entire thing - something she wasn't used to doing, something that she was usually good at not doing. Her eyes flicked towards the other woman, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Sorry...to you too. I uh...thought that there was something more to all of this. And got a little bit protective. Because well...men."

She waved a hand towards Yugam, before flashing him a smile too in the hopes that it would clear the air, if only slightly.

"Look...I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions but you have to admit, from an outside point of view it looks kinda fishy. I mean the whole breakfast table thing. A random woman showing up who glared at Luthien, who then followed you like a...well, maybe not a dog, but followed you. And then I spoke with Luthy and she kinda slipped up and mentioned something was going on and - actually she kinda made me aware about who you two were and the whole summerfe-...err...summer thing. And it's been a really, really busy time with everything going on and emotions were high and..."

She sighed, deeply. The smile dropped away, and a serious look took over her face as she locked eyes with Yugam once more.

"Just...treat her right. Please."

She waited for his response, unsure how he would react to...well, everything.

@Yugam​

 

[Yugam]

Yu carefully inhaled deeply as Kyra attempted to justify her practical interrogation of the man, exhaling only to find that he had been completely unsuccessful in calming himself. Of all the conclusions she could have reached, despite evidently being told that he and Luthien were, in fact, not in a romantic relationship with each other, in any official capacity, him 'tossing her aside' was what she arrived at.

Unbelievable.

And then for her to 'encourage' Luthien to 'push for things' as she'd put it. As if his feelings for the girl weren't already difficult enough.

"Do me a favor and look before you jump next time," the man growled, clearly not mollified in the least by Kyra's words. "I don't even know how you came to the conclusion that you did. I mean 'oh, the mystery woman must be Yu's friend!' never even crossed your mind? What in the fuck, Kyra?" the man was seething, blood boiling. The fact that Luthien was even in the game had presented it's own set of problems, problems he needed to figure out how to address, and here Kyra was, graciously letting him know that she'd made things even worse. "And I doubt you even understand how you pushing her to want more is gonna make things even more difficult for us. I don't want a long distance relationship. And as far as I could tell when we were in New York, neither did she!"

Yu sighed, his chest slowly rising and falling as he stared daggers at Kyra. "Treating her 'right' is exactly what I was trying to do. Sometimes, walking away is the best thing to do."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra Vashtana

220 / 220

Her ears twitched for a few seconds, a thoughtful look coming across her face as she studied Yugam. He was clearly angry, furious even. Not that it mattered to Kyra in the moment, there were far more pressing things that caught her attention, things that she picked up on, and immediately felt needed more...prodding.

"Why...why don't you want long distance? Are you afraid of what will happen? You say 'walking away is the best thing to do', and sometimes it can be - but that's usually after all other avenues have been tried, tested and failed. Clearly there's feelings there between the two of you...and while I may not see everything, well. That girl...that girl clearly has feelings for you. Enough that she's willing to try. But also very clearly doesn't want to push you into something you don't want. Yet..."

She paused, her brow furrowed as her hand reached for the turquoise pouch on her hip where her book and pen were contained, before stopping herself. She remembered the last time she had tried just that with Yugam, and knew that it wouldn't benefit either of them.

"Do you care for her? Truly? Or is it a passing thing? Are you afraid that you'll move on from it quickly, that it was little more than a...a summer time fling? Or are you scared that you'll get too involved, and that there's a fear of loss? A fear that you'll come to care too much, only to be torn apart when things end suddenly?"

She stared at Yugam, holding his gaze as she tried to study him, before uttering a single, final question.

"Are you scared that her being in this game could mean that you have her only for a short period of time before she's gone?"

@Yugam​

 

[Yugam]

Of course she'd try to analyze him. Question after question.

"Are you afraid of what will happen?"

Assumption after assumption.

"Clearly there's feelings there between the two of you."

The endless strings of questions and sentences meant to poke and prod at the man's inner workings, peel back all layers of skin, muscle and bone to get at the brain and heart beneath and dissect them. Yu saw Kyra's hand move towards the turquoise pouch for her purple journal, just as she had at the refugee camp, and Yu knew that if he saw that damned thing again he'd pull out his revolver and put a hole in it without a second though.

"Do you care for her? Truly? Or is it a passing thing? Are you afraid that you'll move on from it quickly, that it was little more than a...a summer time fling?"

These questions were the worst. They were the closest to the truth, but they were also all things that Yu could readily answer, and honestly. Yes, he cared. Yes, he feared that it was just a passing, fleeting feeling, that it was something not meant to last the summer. Those were things he knew, and yes, they were the reasons he wanted to take things slow. All this, he knew.

"Or are you scared that you'll get too involved, and that there's a fear of loss? A fear that you'll come to care too much, only to be torn apart when things end suddenly?"

The man tried to focus on his breathing. Counting to four with each inhale. For a count of four, he held his breath, and again, he counted to four before exhaling. It did little to help. The man could still feel his veins straining against the skin of his neck, the tension in his arms. Yes, all those were also true, though he was less ready to admit those to someone who hardly qualified as more than a stranger.

"Are you scared that her being in this game could mean that you have her only for a short period of time before she's gone?"

The thin thread of Yu's patience finally snapped with the final question. He could almost hear his teeth cracking in his skull as they ground against each other. "Of course I'm fucking worried about that," he growled, his lips pulled back into a snarl. "We got three chances, Kyra. I've already used one up. God knows how many strikes Luth has. But if we hit three, that's it. We die IRL. And honestly, I don't fucking know how to feel about that." His hands balled into tight fists, poorly containing his anger. "I don't give a dick if I kick the bucket in here, but Luth? I sure as hell don't want that for her. But I don't wanna tell her to stop playing either, 'cause this is all the time we get together. So yeah, I'm worried, and I'm fucking pissed."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra Vashtana

220 / 220

Finally. Kyra nodded, leaning forward and placing her chin on her left hand, staring at Yugam. She kept her face stoic, keeping all her emotions from her expression. Her eyes focused on Yugam's watching him even as she spoke.

"You're right. We do have three strikes in here. Three strikes, and then we're stuck here forever, cursed - if you can call it that - to live out the remainder of whatever existence is left for us."

She paused, for only a moment as she let her words sink in. When she continued, it was in the same, calm tone as before.

"Which is more than we get in the real world. One life, one death. One chance. Here, we get three. Four, if you count after the third. That's three more than we get in the real world."

Another pause, as she stared at Yugam. Once more, she continued speaking, her tone still as emotionless as when she had begun.

"Yet you're worried that you might lose her. In here. In the place where you have numerous chances to be together, where the only danger is the danger you put yourself into. Out there, out there we can be hit by a bus, killed in a home invasion, dead through cholesterol. In here, you're as likely to have time together - longer time, maybe - than out there. If anything, you should be glad to know her in here."

Another pause, another hard stare. She'd done this so many times that it had become natural, instinctual even.

"There's always danger. Always. In here, out there. And because there's danger, because there's a chance that you may lose something precious - or what I assume is precious to you - you decide it's not worth taking the risk. Not worth putting yourself out there, where you could get hurt. Luthy is willing to do it. Luthy, the girl you so desperately want to protect, is willing to put herself out there - willing to risk the hurt, the loss, the work. She's willing to risk everything for you. Can you do the same for her?"

Her words drifted as she finished her monologue, staring intently at Yugam and waiting to see what he would say.

@Yugam​

 

[Yugam]

Chances. That's what she called them. How she saw it. As if your eventual perma-death wasn't as much of a guarantee as it was in the real world. Or maybe Kyra just didn't know about it. Yugam doubted that though. She was too smart, too observant for that.

But Yu saw things in a different light. Knew things to be different. These weren't chances that they'd been given.

"They're not chances," he began, "they're tools. Every single one, until the third, is a chance to tip the odds, or cheat death. But you still die at the end of it all," the man reminded Kyra. "We still die, one day. No one escapes that fate." That was universal. Try as one might.

"Sure, you can argue that we might get hit by a bus, or get shot in the streets, drink ourselves into a coma. But know what we get in here, Kyra? Medieval warfare, goblin raids, magitech invasions, bandits on the highways, thieves in the alleys. If you really mean to argue that our odds of survival are better in here than out there, then maybe you should re-evaluate. The whole respawn system? It just tricks people. At best, it makes people wary after their second death. At worst, they think they're invincible, until they're not. That's not better."

Yu had a feeling that if Kyra couldn't understand that, she wouldn't understand what it was that Yu feared. Because it wasn't dying in the real world that he feared. Nor was it losing her out there, or in here. Not really.

"I'm not looking to protect her. She knows how to take care of herself. And it's got nothing to do with risk. I've been in long distance relationships before. I know they're not for me. It's that simple."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra Vashtana

220 / 220

Kyra sat silently for a few moments, her ears twitching as stared at Yugam. Her face had a curious expression on it as thoughts danced across her eyes and through her mind. The tail behind her had begun to sway slightly, causing a swishing sound on the ground as it brushed against the grass.

"Okay."

Suddenly, she stood, gently pressing down the front of her armour's skirts before looking at Yugam again. The thoughtfulness was gone, instead a simple, sad smile in its place. Her tail had falling behind her, unmoving as it hung limp against the backs of her legs.

"Okay."

She repeated the word again, before turning and simply walking away. She made it ten steps before her ears twitched again and she suddenly stopped. She spoke without turning around, her words carrying a sombre tone to them.

"I'm glad that you can so willingly, so easily toss aside those who care for you. Jealous, actually. I would move the very foundations of the galaxy for the chance of having someone who carried about me, even slightly."

She didn't look back as she continued walking, the single tear sliding down the left side of her face, quickly followed by another.

@Yugam​

 

[Yugam]

She said nothing at first. Just stared at him thoughtfully, considering what he'd said. Maybe what he'd said had made sense to her. Maybe somehow he'd gotten through to the beastfolk.

"Okay."

She stood, looking like someone who just had all the wind taken out of their sails. She repeated the word once more before she started to walk away. She only made it a few steps away before she stopped and spoke to him one more time.

And Yu knew nothing he'd said made sense to her.

Yu closed his eyes and breathed deeply as Kyra walked away once more. He wasn't angry anymore. Just sad. He exhaled, opened his eyes and watched the beastfolk as she walked off to who knew where. "I never said it was easy," he murmured quietly to the fox-girl, knowing she'd never hear his words. He glanced over at Unmei, who was already watching him carefully. "Letting go is never easy."

Yu stood and turned back away from Camp Hope. "Let's go."

@Kyra Vashtana