Complete 18+ Private Quest [ Reaping Seasons I ] Aut Cum Scuto, Aut In Scuto

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Voices, like echoes from the past, started to flash across the void within her vision. Yet like a jungle, the chirping from birds is but one sound across the pletora of distorted noises that engulfed her. As if a crowd had her surrounded and begun to scream and shout all the same at her with no beginning or end.

"Just stay out of my fucking way,"

Yugam?

"No-not there, please—"

We died...

"No, no, nononooo!!!"

It felt strange: to be dead, yet still concious. As if she were floating across an emptiness not so different to the one that hollows her chest from inside out. The voices had turned painful, a headache made out of internalized memories that struggled to surface. She wanted to scream, yet no one hear it, not even herself. Her jaw didn't hurt and her throat didn't sore out.

She 'felt' like she was screaming, but only now she realized how disembodied she is. Even panic felt like a concept far beyond mental stress.

I wanna get out— Please.

An imagery came to her mind, the blurs not enough to keep it's vivid imagery, nor it's voice from silencing all the others, an unholy screech brought for phantom pains she shouldn't even be able of experiencing, all around her 'neck', the one that didn't exist either.

Ṭ̷̨̼̯̀h̸̨̧͕̥̅̉͒ȉ̷̢̳̟̪̰͙ṡ̵̝̭̀ ̶̢̦̜̭̆į̴͚̣̙͕̊̊s̷̯̹͖͓̎͒͑̚ ̷̺̮͈̙̽̆̈̐̅͝n̶̺͖̅͐o̶͙̝̟̖̮̕ṯ̴̲̖͇͖͖̼͆̒ ̸͍̰̰́̔͂́͋̈́͠t̸̖̩͌́̉͜͜h̸̬̥̗̰̹̎̉̃̕͠͠͝e̵̫͆̈́̎̓͝ ̶̨̪̮̩̱̌̅͗̊̔͘e̵̼̹̮͈̰͛̇̈́͜͝ͅn̸̟̑̂̚d̴̢͓̠̙͓̈́ ​

---

A cold breeze brought her back to the world of the living. The smell of lavender, the taste of blood on her throat. All of them combined to confirm her existence. In that split of a second, she lived like she died: with one gasp.

Gray-hued eyes opened, her body revolting as soon as the everwhite branches extending right above her made her heart sink in fear to roll over to the side and crawl backwards, with familiar difficulty as the steel-clad knightess soon realized her armor was back. Full of dents, missing a shoulderplate and the chainmail underneath it having seen better days, as if she's gone to war and recently came back.

"Fuck!" Fiora grasped her head for a second, muffled cries between gritted teeth as memories begun to flood her mind once again. The pain around her throat... Why did it felt like her whole head didn't belong here? This is her body, isn't it?

Inexplicable sensations had to be put aside. Fiora didn't know if cry, jump in joy, or wrath all alike. Not like she could, these feelings simply pushed aside as the woman crawled towards the fallen group. Despite the lack of clothing on Moonsong (should she even be surprised about it at this point?), or how her last embers of concern were on her peer Luthien, her right hand wrapped instead on Yugam's ankle, who looked worse for wear in comparison, and begun to pull. Her limbs failed, despite how she easily dragged him backwards between groans.

Notice

WARNING: Low EP may severely impact combat capacities.

Ignoring it for the moment, Fiora balled her hand into a fist, and prompted it down against Yugam's chest once. Twice. But her strength was a wind's whisper compared to what should be a flame's roar.

"Yu- Yu wake up. Hey do you hear me? YUGAM!" Maddened, she shifted from punching to pulling from the collar of his shirt instead. Just so much as a few movements had wasted away what stamina's left, and her armor, or what remains of it, felt heavier than usual...

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

11 / 180

Explorer's League - Red Whistle

-11 HP - @Fiora Di Angelo

This was the third time Yugam experienced death. Once in real life, and now twice in Terrasphere. He really was making a habit of it, wasn't it? For all the things that Terrasphere had been able to replicate perfectly, death seemed to be the one thing that eluded it. Death in the real world, there was a point where the deceased would just feel...at peace. Cold, but warm at the same time. And everything melted away. But in here, there was nothing. Just an endless void.

What was scarier? The suggestion that there was an afterlife, or that there was none at all?

Yu didn't know, nor would he learn the answer to one of life's greatest mysteries. A dull thudding on his chest pulled Yu's consciousness back from the void, soft shaking coaxing him from the dark. And then the aching and the pain flooded in. Why did everything feel like he'd broken it? Oh right, because he did. Yu would've lifted an arm to try and jab a blood dart into the neck of whoever was assaulting him if he even could move. Good thing he hadn't, because as Yu cracked his eyes open, he recognized the elf who was beating up his already battered form.

"I'm awake."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

100 / 215

 Adventurer's Guild - Platinum Rank

-21 HP from Painbearing

Spoiler: le mood

"I'm awake."

That's all she needed to hear to stop her healing assault on him and finally give herself a break. A sigh reminded her she had to breathe air in once again. It gave her a moment to check on his vitals, and with no need for a HP bar to tell her about it, Fiora could guess Yugam had taken damage enough to put any mere man down.

"Barely. Get up, I need you to help me drag these two away from it." Fiora weighed her options. EP were real low to heal him, but there was another choice that costed a different resource. Gritting her teeth, the elven knight placed both hands across his chest, and triggered her Painbearing. Lifting some of the weight out of Yugam's shoulders.

At least when it came to physical pain. That she could bear, a burden that still had her cough and wince at the very moment her bones tingled as if about to shatter, forcing her to drop to the side, heavy breaths failing to calm her down once every pain nerve was stimulated.

The emotional burden however, was only his to carry.

Once she recovered, Fiora rolled over her back to push herself back up, arms trembling, muscles working overtime to push her back up. She stumbled to the right, giving a glance back to Yugam then to Moonsong and Luthien. Before he had to ask about it, Fiora quickly stepped over to carry the naked warrioress on her arms.

The sight reminded her though...

"...Before we left Lübeck, Luthien saw you." Her voice reflected just how worn out she truly is, eyes settling back on the hunter once she begun to step back.

Fiora flexed her muscles, trying to get a better grip on Moon, but it didn't do more than get her a sharp pain across the abdomen for doing so. Only now did she pay attention at the divine glow across the tree's bark. Glorious, in comparison to the dim hue before the final confrontation.

"Be honest. does she have something to worry about, or does the story end there." Tried as she might, she couldn't be mad at him. Not after that conversation two weeks ago, that even now it still remains fresh.

There were few things Nico hated this hard, and to see the ranger despair like she did ever before the tree. To know the person she's living with right now is the cause- Anyone else and she would have been close to let violence follow it's course. But despite similarities.

Despite how much he reminded her of -him-. Ari wasn't. He wouldn't have done what Ari did, not even close to it. But a biased heart always faces some opposition, and this was it.

"Let's head back first. We have to warn the village not to let teens get near this thing."

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

It took a moment before Fiora actually stopped shaking him like it was going to help, before she ordered him to get up and help carry Luthien and Moonsong back to Lubeck. "Yeah. Yeah," the man muttered before he tried standing on his own. Yugam let out a sharp cry as pain lanced through every single one of his appendages, the broken bones apparently more real than the man had originally thought. "Fuck," the man swore. "Gimme a sec."

Fiora pressed her hands to the Yu's chest. He would've pushed her away, knowing what she was going to try and do, but his arms wouldn't cooperate. "Stop," he said, as if she would listen.

Regardless, the man's hands began to emit violet smoke, curling into the air, as the veins in his arms began to bulge outwards, black against his olive skin. Violent cracks and snaps were followed by sharp gasps of pain as the man's bones set themselves back into place with what little energy he still had in his body.

The whole ordeal didn't last more than thirty seconds, but by the time it was all over, a cold sweat had formed on the man's forehead, his face pale white as his chest heaved with every breath.

Yu sat there for no more than a few seconds before struggling to his feet. Yu went over Luthien's unconscious form, lying on her side on the ground. Yu gently scooped her into his arms, rising up on shaky legs before starting to walk in the direction of the town.

"Be honest. Does she have something to worry about, or does the story end there."

Yu didn't answer at first, merely looking at the face of the elf in his arms. "That's not an easy answer..." the said quietly to Fiora.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

It's not like he could stop her. He wasted his breath and he knew that much, but Fiora gave him an opportunity already to do it by himself, and while his magic proved grotesque to witness for starters, it didn't come up with the best of results. But neither would hers. All she would do is take his pain away.

There was silence between the time it took for them to finally get back up on their feet and scoop up the fallen on their arms before taking their leave. The fragmented memories pounded against her mind like a headache, but the lack of details only highlighted the last ones she could remember. It felt like an eternity had passed in these forests already, as if they had become one with it.

Her ideas were pushed aside by the pain that reminded her she's alive, and Yugam's own words that weighed him down. Something for her to take note of.

"That's not an easy answer..."

"Is it ever?" She quickly responded, before silence made the whistle of the breeze across their faces all the more easy to listen to. Chill yet reinvigorating, a premise that would follow winter, inevitably making these the standard.

I told you that I didn't really get you. To be honest, I still don't.

Just then it occurred to her. Too many similarities in a story that repeats itself everyday somewhere in this world or their own, and yet never with a happy ending. All too common, but all too important to them. Yet in these, there is always miscommunication at the core, much like now, or the day when these words were said by the one walking next to her right now.

She had to be honest, if she wanted him to be honest.

"After Luthien saw you go into the inn with Moonsong a few hours ago, something kind of broke in her." And it was plenty obvious what it is. To both of them, yet it simply hits different when you see it from start to finish. "I tried, I'm telling you I tried my damn hardest to keep her on track, to get her mind out of it. We killed some goblins, we ate some bread, we argued about Terrasphere. Got her to try harder to be a ranger." Fiora shook her head in disappointment, right as she lowered herself to dodge a branch that almost got Moonsong square on the forehead.

"But it didn't matter. She still hurts plenty. It was like looking at a mirror. It's hard to tell when it's yourself, you know? But after you go through that sort of stuff, you start to see yourself in others who are feelin' the same, and these wounds rip out the stitches on your scar." She held her voice crystal clear. Perseverant against the want to crack, but even her will begun to chip away bit by bit, and somberness took hold of her throat the more into details she got. "I don't hate you because I want to, even after all this I still don't, but I can't help it. A part of me just never got over this one guy who made me feel the same way Luth's feeling right now... But this ain't about me, it's about her." Gray hues finally glanced at Yugam once again after what had to be a minute by now.

"Even now, you are all she has in her head. She's probably mad like a bull don't get me wrong. But when you died, before I did, all I could remember is trying to get her eyes off you. How much she suffered- How despite everything I did, there was no way to keep the pain away." And these words carried a venom not meant for him in the first place. But it did, regardless of how she felt about it.

Holding Moonsong was the only thing keeping her from balling her fists until her nails went through every layer she wore. Her steps finally came to a stop, planting herself on one patch of grass. As far as she could go, and they still had a bit before reaching town.

"You two may or may not be something official, I don't care. You have this girl's heart on your hands, Ari. What you do is gonna affect her like it or not until you say no or yes. I won't tell her a thing, and you know I won't, but I need the truth. And she needs it too, or else this is gonna blow up eventually." She finally concluded, lips turned a thin line, and that permanent frown had far less power to it than it should- Because she didn't want to threaten him. Neither did she want to be mad at him. All of the things Ari did were like a butterfly effect that keeps reverbing in her.

But she has to- She wants to - know if he's still someone she can call a friend. That he didn't just toy with a girl's heart like that and it's all a misunderstanding.

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

There was a certain corpse-like quality about Yugam as he walked towards Lubeck, carrying Luthien in his arms. His eyes were fixed sightlessly ahead as he marched on, listening to Fiora despite not looking at her, or giving any indication otherwise.

"Is it ever?" she'd responded.
'Yes, there are,' Yugam thought to himself, though he didn't not voice this aloud. But easy answers to difficult questions were often lies.

They walked along silently for a time, before Fiora spoke up again. "After Luthien saw you go into the inn with Moonsong a few hours ago, something kind of broke in her...I tried, I'm telling you I tried my damn hardest to keep her on track..."
His first instinct had been to ask who had asked her to involve herself. He didn't though. Luthien was her friend to.
"I can't help it. A part of me just never got over this one guy..."
'So you too, huh?'

The pair stopped, unable to go any further without some kind of a rest. Yu's legs were grateful for the break as they finally gave out from beneath him, leaving him to kneel in the dirt, cradling Luth's body close to his.

"...I won't tell her a thing, and you know I won't, but I need the truth. And she needs it too, or else this is gonna blow up eventually."

His eyes were fixed on Luthien. A few strands of loose, had fallen across her face. The man sat there, wondering when she would wake up again. "Moonsong's armor got destroyed fighting the Tree the first time," Yu said as he brushed the loose strands from Luthien's face. "She was pretty beat up. I was just gonna heal her but....shit happens."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Even her own body couldn't keep up with this pace, but they were a safe deal away from the tree, and no scouting goblin parties should be around them. Not now, at the very least.

Still, they were deep into the woods, and the sun was almost gone on them. Much more dangerous things lurk the night than green skins. It didn't offer any respite to her mind, but a consolation prize would be the aching on her legs that had begun to stop just as they both dropped down. Fiora left Moonsong over the patch of grass on the side.

And instead she listened to what he had to say, with the eyes of a judge who has to put a close friend on trial.

"Shit happens."

She held her breath in, and simply watched. Cold or uncaring as it sounded, all it took is to pay attention to his body language. Ironic how the one thing she always scolds him for not having enough of ends up being the key to discern what's going on inside his head.

The way he brushed Luthien's hairs, how his gaze never seemed to depart from the dormant ranger's features.

Her shoulders finally dropped as she let go of the tension within her muscles, self-afflicted as her own anger boiled like liquid fire, just one droplet more and she would have lost all reason for dialogue. Violence is just the easy solution, but it never left anyone satisfied. A hard-learned lesson.

"At least you are not an asshole. Just an idiot who fucked up. Can't change the former, but can fix the latter." She wouldn't sugar coat it, and her voice made sure not to at all. Her being sincere often comes out like this, and for once she's happy that's the case. "Just need to explain it to her, that's all. Let her decide for herself to believe in you the way I do, or to move on. If you are lucky, then make sure it doesn't happen again, Ari. Luth's a nice girl, I doubt you want her to turn into me. You got enough trouble with only one." She jested, half-smile ressembling a smirk crossed her lips and died off just as fast. But it's clear where that's coming from. The last she wished for is to let Luthien be consumed by anger like herself. Or worse.

Anger is a double edged blade. It pushes you forth and numbs the pain for a little while. Depression however, is a twist on a knife you willingly thrust into your chest.

"Come on. We aren't that far, and I don't want to see Moon's naked ass anylonger. Let's get moving."

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

There was a silence that followed, as Fiora seemed to wrestle with some thought or another, some decision about the man sitting across from her, who'd taken up until watching the person he loved dying before his eyes before realizing how deeply he felt for her, only to realize it was likely too little too late.

"At least you are not an asshole," the woman finally said. "Just an idiot who fucked up. Can't change the former, but can fix the latter."
"Mm." Yu merely grunted in affirmation, feeling even less for words than he usually did.

He could no longer tell if she was trying to make him feel better, give him advice, or what else, but Fiora's voice at least provided at least some small anchor to the world with which Yu was quickly dissociating from. He might've preferred to be with himself in that moment, but the man knew he'd later come to appreciate the woman.

What seemed strangest was the fact that Yu wasn't surprised by the elf's calmness. It was a different side of the woman, one that he rarely ever saw, and yet Yu had come to learn that he could rely on that part of her, more than the volatile, violent side of her she usually displayed.

"Luth's a nice girl, I doubt you want her to turn into me. You got enough trouble with only one."

Yu's eyes finally left Luth's face for a moment, shifting over to Fiora with a faint smile, the best he could muster at the moment. "You're not that bad," he said softly, before his gaze returned to the Ranger.

They sat there for moments longer before Fiora bade them get moving. "Could give her my jacket again," the man suggested, figuring the bitter night cold wouldn't help her condition at the moment.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

He paid attention, that's all she could ask of him really. The situation hasn't ended for them at all, and even now words are hard to muster out of her own throat. What can it be for Ari right now? She would never know, because Ronja is not here and she didn't watch them die.

Perhaps then she would understand how he feels right now. Yet dread is just a different coat of paint for everyone, one everyone can recognize, given enough attention is paid...

How awfully quiet he is isn't a surprise. It's not the first time he listens, nor the first time she talks. They both knew by now (at least she did) that they had a different face for scenarios like these. A byproduct of sharing the same roof is how you learn through interactions, how the quirky lives they have. How many times she talked his head out with rambling about her stupid co-workers? How many times did she eavesdrop on him whenever he's on a call no matter how trivial it might seem?

Precious memories that let them both learn about eachother. Fragments, that lead to this point, where they can put down the act, drop their animosity, and offer a hand when needed. In this case, she would be the shoulder he can lean on, if he ever needed it. Just like two weeks ago it was his.

"You're not that bad,"
"Well I was gonna say you don't know me well, but we literally live together." A playful smile complimented the coy look she gave him.

As they both stood back up, Fiora shook her head in negation, holding Moonsong with one hand and unclipping her cloak and hood with the other to wrap the woman around it, carefully so. "Didn't want to do this honestly. She's all dirty. But Luth needs that jacket more than Moon." She shrugged, rather willing to help him dodge that bullet- If Luth ever wakes up and smells moonsong all over his jacket, then things will get ugly real quick...

---

Their walking would go relatively undisturbed. A predator would pass by at the distance, but nothing that keeping quiet couldn't help: the darkness aswell as the flora is on their side. Just for once they were having some luck, and eventually the pair would make it back to Lübeck.

The guards were skeptical on letting them cross, but being a different shift meant they haven't seen Yugam and Moonsong pass by earlier. The rest of the populace however, is another story. The inn could be described like a mass of eyes. Every single one of these unremarkable patrons had their eyes on them. They were outsiders for all they cared, people who should just leave after a night, but had somehow managed to stay for longer than that. All save for the knightess who ostentatiously flared her platinum dogtags around, yet their judgemental gazes were all the same for Fiora, who simply returned them with a frown, as if that would even intimidate them enough in the first place.

The room at the inn still belonged to them for all they cared, so after consulting with the keeper, Fiora let Yugam take the lead to get them out of the public's eye...

"What the fuck is wrong with all these people..." She mumbled back at him, finally having reached her limit to how much someone could irritate her without a single word.

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Realizing Fiora was probably right, the man paused, removing his coat and draping it around Luthien's shoulders before standing continuing on to Lubeck. Their reception there had been about what the man had expected. A great deal of skepticism from the guards and icy stares from the village folk. Once again, Yu paid them little mind, beelining towards the inn and the room he'd rented when he first returned with Moonsong.

"Fuck if I know," Yu replied to Fiora as he somehow managed to pull the door open and kicked it the rest of the way open. "Fuck 'em."

The room only had one bed. At the time Yu had rented it, he hadn't really expected to be sharing it with anyone. He hadn't even expected to use it for anything more than healing Moonsong. And now there were two patients. He looked over at Fiora uncertainly. "Think we can fit them both on the bed or...?"

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

At least they both shared the feeling on this one. People in Lübeck were really putting her at edge, specially with the lack of cooperation. Just finding information about the everwhite felt like a quest on it's own with moody, shunning villagers who loved to talk big if only because a town would back them up despite being in the wrong.

Fiora gave one gentle kick at the door to close it, staring at the miserable little room they had rented, which proved they didn't plan to stay in the slightest, before setting down Moonsong against the wall. Yugam on the other hand just wanted her to take the shots here and, understandably so, the dark-haired hunter had the worst possible idea ever conceived in a situation like this.

"You... Really don't want them to wake up next to eachother and the first thing they got to see is their faces." Fiora voiced out, tethering between weirded out and confused. Awestruck, but not necessarily bitchy about it. They all were having a shitty day. But what couldn't pass by is the scent.

The smell in the room just recently registered on the elf's nostrils once she got closer to the bed , a (now) angered frown crossing her face as she looked at the sheets, then cranked her neck in Yugam's direction. "Nah wait- Naaah don't tell me this is wher- Dude. No." She tilted her head, eyes half closed for the 'really?' kind of expression that certainly fit her tone. "Man with how much this reeks, If I had divination I could literally pinpoint exactly in what position you fucked her." Things were getting even better, as apparently this is the ONLY room they got.

Fiora started to pace over the room, opening the windows first and foremost to try and get some fresh air in her system. It almost had her choking really, how could he even stand in there and not feel some sort of disgust with how cramped the place is?

"No let me just solve this first. Watch over them. " With an idea in mind, one that required her to cringe real badly as she begun to pile up the sheets and pillows from the 'overused' bed unil the mattress was wiped clean. "I'll be back... Goddammit Yugam, that place smells like cum" And that's the last Yugam would see of Fiora... But not hear.

Because on the wall literally next to them, he could hear two things: One, how something metallic crushed in a second, and a nail dropping over the floor. And two, how a heavier object was dragged all around, stopped, and resumed a few seconds after, accompanied by a few loud steps. Thankfully, the sound of the inn itself was overwhelming enough that some voices slipped past the keyhole on their room. 'Ambience sound' to put it lightly.

The door opened once again, and this time a bunch of sheets and pillows were sent flying into the room, before closing, and about ten minutes later it happened again, only this time the knightess finally got in, with two mugs filled to the brim with booze. "You owe me some gold, motherfucker. I'm doing this to save YOUR ass." She pointed back at him with the mug on her right, spilling some on the floor in the process.

As she closed the door, Fiora set down the drinks on the floor and picked up the pile of sheets and covers from earlier. Yugam could instantly notice these were clean in fact, crystal clear. Just some use but nothing unexpected from an Inn and certainly better than the ones they had in this very room before. It took some time, but she would finally set up the bed with these. Sweat ran down her forehead, and she was certainly looking like she's been running about in these five or so minutes she's been gone.

The bed looked 'passable'. As if a child had done it, but it's the best she could afford right now.

"Alright. Drop Luth in it, you take care of Moonsong on the carpet, I'll fix the room meanwhile." She gave him a nod. Serious, as if she had some underlying plan to make the scent any less unbearable. Changing the sheets worked, but now was plan two:

Fiora grabbed both mugs and begun to splash the alcohol all over the walls, below the bed, and a bit almost splashed on Luthien's face while in the process. Almost, just a few droplets near her. What better way to mask scent than with cheap booze?

Truly a masterful plan.

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Apparently Fiora could sense something about the room that Yu couldn't as she shot him an angry glare. "Man with how much this reeks, If I had divination I could literally pinpoint exactly in what position you fucked her."
"Wh-what do you mean? How the f-"
"No let me just solve this first. Watch over them. "
"Uh, ok..."

The man laid Luthien out on the bed as the door slammed behind Fiora as she went off to do...whatever it was that she was planning. He sank into the lone chair in the room, his head hanging back as he exhaled sharply. The man buried his face in his hands as the he could feel the sick feeling of guilt come rushing back. It was almost impossible to breath, and his stomach wanted nothing more than to regurgitate what little it had.

The sudden crashing sound from the room over nearly made Yugam jump to his feet though, followed by more violent noises. Then silence. It was a few more minutes before Fiora burst back into the room, through pillows and sheets into the room, one pillow smacking Yu in the face before slamming the door shut again. "What the-?"

Silence again left Yu wondering just what in the hell Fiora was up to, distracting him from the pit in his stomach, before she burst into the room again, holding two mugs of shitty ale. "Uhm, what the fuck are you doin'?"
"You owe me some gold, motherfucker. I'm doing this to save YOUR ass." She quickly began to splash the around the room, and on Luth. "Letting you live with me rent free isn't enough?"

Yu couldn't do more than just stare at Fiora in mild confusion, before shaking his head and settling back into his seat as she did whatever it was she was doing.

"So..." Yugam spoke up after a few moments of watching Fiora paint the walls with alcohol. "You're not gonna ask how or why or anything?"

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Every single one of these questions just went deaf on her once she started her little quest to gather some clean sheets and the means to counter-act the stench within that 'cozy' little room.

"Letting you live with me rent free isn't enough?"

Fiora groaned, mumbling to herself a few words before her eyes met his once again. "...Okay fair, but you can't use that excuse again with me." She nodded, right as she started to splash the last of her drink across the windows. The wood darkened with liquor stains, and while the smell wasn't that much of a better alternative since it's still alcohol at the end of the day, it was better than rotten eggs and rutting at the end of the day.

"Ask you the how or why or anything? Man, this is the 'how'" Fiora dropped the mugs on the floor, placing both of her hands at waist level right infront of her, her hands taking a claw like grip as if a mime she were, and then begun to gently hip thrust back and forth, the questioning look on her face almost asked him directly if this is the right rhythm they took, only to stop after about two or three cycles of it.

That should drive the point through.

"I thought you said shit just happened. You just were a bit needy and things went that direction. Or are you telling me the tree has something to do with it?" She doubted this is the full story, but to play dumb meant he would have to open his mouth and actually get the timeline right for her. Afterall, they dealt with some kind of god just now.

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Yugam didn't look the slightest bit amused as Fiora mimed a thrusting motion with her hips in the air, guessing as to how exactly things had played out in the room. The man's jaw tightened in both annoyance and anger as he glared at the woman, but just who the anger was aimed towards was another mystery all together. "Funny."

The elf ignored the man's comment. "I thought you said shit just happened. You just were a bit needy and things went that direction. Or are you telling me the tree has something to do with it?"

To that, Yu blinked in surprise. He hadn't actually expected the woman to surmise as much at all. "Yeah, actually." Usually Nico just blundered her way through everything, he hadn't thought she might figure out that his situation wasn't entirely his own fault, or even Moonsong's for that matter. "I grabbed a flower bud from the tree to take back to MIT and have them look at it, I just never thought-wait a second..." A thought had just occurred to the man, as he reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled something out, showing it Fiora with a flat palm. "Yeah, this thing." A crumpled, torn grey-white flower sat in the center of the man's hand. "Moonsong accidently popped it while I was healing her and a bunch of that white pollen shit came out, filled the room. Put two and two together from there."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

The look he gave her when she mimicked the scene to the letter made her reconsider if she should be an actress and just go for theatre. Comedy in that regard. Just how that single word slipped past his lips with a mixture of anger, annoyance, and whatever else she just couldn't pick up at the moment... She just had to call this a chefkiss moment, a smug grin is all that settled on her lips on that instant.

What did made the elf just quiet down and tone the tease a bunch was his reply, quickly addressing the matter with more than an excuse about flowers. Disbelief inevitably fitting her face just right, but the fact he had actual proof to his claims had the knightess stroll closer to his side, leaning down to give a better look at that dried up flower, long gone whatever beauty it must have had. "Huh." His explanation begun to ring inside her mind.

Fiora leaned back just then, a finger pointing out to the wrinkled, broken flower. "We had some pollen right before we passed out near the tree. I thought we ate drugs, since we were sharing a meal earlier on, and then just flopped right into that thing's dimension, or whatever it was..." Her voice turned distant at the last moment. Between the blurry memories that felt like mirror glass shattered inside her head, and what little she could piece being horrifying on itself, it's the last she wished to think about.

Opening her palm menu an instant later, her beaten up armor begun to disappear piece by piece, until only her gambeson covered her top, alongside the newbie tunic everyone was prived of, sewn and repurposed as a white shirt instead. "Aphrodisiacs. Well, sounds far-fetched not gonna lie, but you got proof of it and it's related to the tree so, I feel like Luth's not gonna argue that one." Uncertainty betrayed the sureness within her tone, but not her features, a glance given back to Yugam would let him know exactly that: No guarantees. But it would be shitty to expect any- This is someone's heart, afterall.

Slipping her arms out of her gambeson, Fiora reached out for moonsong, helping the fallen brunette into it. Unfitting, but that worked on their favour, specially after locking the straps together to conceal her chest, her cloak instead wrapped around her waist to work as a makeshift attempt of a skirt. Not the best, but certainly better than being outright naked.

"What are you going to do, Yugam." It almost didn't felt like an answer when it rolled out of her lips. Fiora sat down against a worn-out, ale stained wall, pulling Moonsong onto her lap, holding the woman close as to share some warmth, long neglected to her this entire road and even now as Luthien occupies the bed.

"I don't think you are a bad guy. You did for me what no one ever would for weeks- the whole month even." Eyes slowly chased after his own, soft compared to their stern looks of usual. "I can't thank you enough for that, and I can't pay for it either, so no matter what you decide to do or what happens after, I'll be here for you, champ." A warm smile broke through the thin line of her lips, flashing a wink back at him

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Yu had expected the initial disbelief that had been written across Fiora's face. Of course it probably sounded like he was just making up some kind of excuse, he couldn't fault the woman for thinking as much, but, of course, having the leftover flower bud in his pocket still had proven to be evidence enough for her to believe him. The real question was whether or not Luthien would, and if it would even matter.

Yu set the crumpled bud on the table before he leaned back in his seat, arms crossed across his chest. "Aphrodisiacs," Fiora said as she wrapped Moonsong's still sleeping form in her gambeson, trying her best to protect the idol's modesty. "Well, sounds far-fetched not gonna lie, but you got proof of it and it's related to the tree so, I feel like Luth's not gonna argue that one."
"Mm, yeah," the man nodded in agreement, though he lacked the certainty he displayed. "Dunno that it's gonna matter though."
"What are you going to do, Yugam."
"What do you think?" the dark-haired man shrugged. "Be honest and upfront. Hope she believes me. Face the consequences either way." The man shrugged again, feeling defeated as he did so. "Not much else I can do."

Fiora slid down the beer soaked wall, stained dark, pulling Moonsong into her lap. Yu just watched, not feeling like he had any right to touch or comfort anyone in the room, himself included. He didn't try to smile as Fiora attempted to comfort him, or at least promised she'd be there for him. She probably would've seen right through him. Instead, the man opted for a simple "Thanks, Nico," before his eyes drifted over to Luthien again.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Luthien]

”... I feel like Luth's not gonna argue that one."
"Dunno that it's gonna matter though."

The faint murmur of voices slowly began to register within her mind, the consciousness of the elf slowly returning as she was finally given an exit from the plane of dreams that Lúthien had been trapped in. It was hard to make out the words even with the girl’s keen hearing, much less who they belonged to, as her mind felt heavy and sluggish while the traces of a headache still lingered at its border.

"What are you going to do, Yugam."
”... Hope she believes me. Face the consequences either way."

She could hear them better now, her mind now able to not only discern the spoken words but who they belonged to as well. Hearing Fiora sound well caused relief to flood through the elf in response, before the blonde felt a pressure on her chest as it seemed to tighten upon recognizing Yugam’s voice. Brows furrowed in response, the girl’s head shifting slightly as she began to stir and wake up—hands unconsciously gripping the bed sheets as a low grumble escaped parted lips.

"Mmm...?"

@Fiora Di Angelo | @Yugam

 

[Lune]

"What are you going to do, Yugam."

Her consciousness began to pick up voices, as the flashes of nightmares of a certain tree finally subsided. Her eyes slowly opened, gazing at the familiar ceiling of the Lubeck inn where she and Yugam accidentally did the thing.

I don't want to remember that.

The corner of her eyes finally caught the glimpse of a woman who held her while she was unconscious. The clothing and the skirt probably belonged to her, too. "...Fiora?" The woman slowly tried to get up from the knightess' lap, her hand touching the weirdly wet wooden wall of the room.

"It hurts... everywhere." The songstress protested while forcing herself to stand up, with not much memory of what happened back then. As she scanned the room though, her eyes settled on the mumbling elf sleeping in the bed. "A-ah..." She stuttered in panic, some memories of their encounter and her guilt coming back to her.

The pupils suddenly flashed and turned yellow, complete with a frown that suddenly appeared on her face. Moonsong then looked at Yugam and Fiora, with a confused look on her face. "Well, this is the first time ever that she refused to wake up. Sorry, it looks like Dayeon still needs some time." A voice of a different tone and accent, but still Moonsong's escaped her lips.

"... Fuck, my backside hurts so much. Anyway, what happened? I remember we were fighting the tree."

@Fiora Di Angelo @Yugam @Luthien

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

There wasn't much for Yugam to say, or do. Even thanking her was unecessary: they both knew he should save his breath for Luthien and Moonsong, as enough had been wasted on her already, yet she would be lying if she didn't felt at ease knowing his plans now, despite how ugly the scenary would turn once these two awakened, one forced to accept a somber truth, the other to take the punishment for her deeds. And Yugam too,, the blonde guillotine spares no sinner.

Yet hopefully her blade would dull out with his words before reaching the neck.

Her thoughts fell short once a murmur stirred Luthien awake, with Moonsong following next, the latter far more active than the elf, and once her name grumbled out of the warrioress's lips, Fiora hit her straight with a smile.

"Hey there barbie." Her lips fading into a thin line once the battered woman tried to stand back up, feeling obligued to assist her to that much at least as both stood up, her hands still grasping Moonsong by her shoulders to try and keep her stable. "Relax, you took quite a beating and we couldn't heal you yet, but you ain't bleeding out so that's tha-" Her eyes widened, a glance darted back to Yugam at that split second she blinked and suddently these eyes were no longer Moonsong's.

They had a different coat of paint, but they 'stare' differently to the ashen bard.

"Moon?" Fiora mumbled, watching with equal confusion as she begun to refer to herself as 'Dayeon'. Funny name... But she couldn't pinpoint why exactly. The real shocker being: that's third person speech, rather than just referring to a different person. For once, she didn't know who was infront of her, but pulling out a sword on her wouldn't be the smartest thing to do in an already tense situation where things hang from a thin rope.

"So uh, what's up with her. Does she have a bipolar nationality that she suddently turned british or what?" Fiora wished this were a joke just like that whole sentence was, but she's deadly serious at the way she addressed Yugam. But it's not like she expected an answer in the first place, so instead she worked on dragging Moonsong a biit closer towards the door, in hopes the elf was just too drowsy to notice.

"Hey so Britsong, buddy, I don't know if it's a good idea for Luth to see you right now... Mind if we go like, for a few rounds? I'll pay." She offered a customer service smile at that point, hoping being almost a six foot tall elf would help with keeping at least a bit of Moonsong out of view for the awakening ranger.

Let Yu handle the aggro.

@Yugam @Luthien @Moonsong

 

[Yugam]

The sound of the knocked out elf slowly stirring had Yugam bolt from his seat, about to dash over to the woman before he stopped short of his first step, suddenly thinking better of it. What right did he have now to worry over her? Better it be Fiora.

The man stood awkwardly where he was, waiting for the elf to wake up, as Moonsong roused herself instead. A concerned look swept over Yu's face as he looked at the woman, and Fiora helping her to her feet. The sudden shift in voice and demeanor though caused much more concern than just whether or not she was okay from the fight. "Fuck if I know..." the man muttered, staring at Moonsong with furrowed brow. What the hell?

Of course, Fiora did the smart thing in trying to get herself and Moonsong out of the line of fire. He couldn't blame her for that, though that left him to be the sole bearer of all of Luthien's fury. That was probably right though.

The man bit the inside of his cheek as he watched the blonde elf for a moment longer before coming to some kind of a decision. The man grabbed the chair he'd been sitting on and pulled it towards the edge of the bed and sitting himself in it, interlacing his fingers and resting his elbows on his knees as he waited, until finally, she began to open her eyes.

What was he supposed to say to her now? 'Glad you're okay? Hey, by the way, the fucking creepy ass god-tree made me and Moonsong smash. Sorry.' No, that was probably the worst possible thing he could say. "Hey..." Okay, that wasn't better...

@Fiora Di Angelo | @Luthien | @Moonsong