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

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"Well then you already know who the golden eyed bitch is." Fiora replied, exerting confidence despite the tension Moon's words gave to every single inch of muscle fiber. And then followed a warning, or perhaps a word of advice?

She shrugged, mentally and physically. "I like her. I piss off people I like, that's just that." Her one way to truly bond with most. Who can take a joke better than her? That's right, a friend of hers! Or that should be the case in her mind, which it really isn't...

Yet that smugness had to go in the face of suffering. Moonsong's memories seemed completely unaffected about the deed, or just now begun the grief to catch up to her. The elf remained completely still, hands pressed on her lap as she resigned herself to it.

"-I fucked up big time, didn't I?" That broken voice muttered, from just an equally broken woman.
"Yes." She missed not a beat to let her know the facts straight, her voice grown a tad somber. Realistic being the right wording, or neutral if skeptical.

Her eyes averted from Moonsong's once the ashen warrioress asked for counsel of some form. She never was the kind to, people never felt like asking for anything of that nature, ever. A surprise to be sure, but past the short-lapsed shock, Fiora sighed off and slided off her stool, reaching out to pull Moonsong into a hug, her right hand resting over the brunette's nape, gentle enough to lead her to rest her head against her shoulder, while stroking her hairs.

Just like death's caress before the ugly truth.

"Nothing. You gotta sit and give some time to Luth to think about it, and hope what you did won't ripple too hard." Crude sincerity was a specialty she hated to be a master of in dull-coloured times like these... "Don't need to explain me, I already know it's not your fault. Like I told your ghost chick, I'm just pissed off right now." She didn't want to show it off, but that trembling sight that rolled off her lips right now were the repercussions of so much pressure...

It felt like her heart would explode, or her mind. She couldn't tell which, and the memories just kept repeating themselves like a film going through her eyes.

"Wait it out. We'll see what Luth decides to do." Finally she retracted from that hug to stare at her face straight. "Clean up that face though, you look ugly for a barbie~" She said, yet despite it all, Fiora did end up helping her wash away these tears with her thumb.

@Moonsong | @Yugam | @Luthien

 

[Lune]

Despite her rough attitude, Fiora was a caring person. At Moonsong's worst moment, the knightess moved closer to hug her, causing the songstress' eyes to widen in surprise. She could feel the elf's hand ruffling through her hair, allowing her to rest on the younger woman's shoulder.

"Don't need to explain me, I already know it's not your fault."

The unexpected motherly warmth the elf suddenly showed her, along with the reassurance that it was not her fault triggered something inside of Dayeon; the affection she never got from her parents, the person that held her when her world was breaking apart, she suddenly found it in form of Fiora.

A stream of tears broke once again, but this time it was not of sadness, but of relief. Moonsong hugged back tightly, burying her face in the knightess' shoulder. She cried a lot, almost wailing. The patrons knew better not to stare and minded their own business, probably thanks to Fiora's stare.

"Wait it out. We'll see what Luth decides to do."

"I-I'm afraid, Fiora." She sniffled, just thinking about the consequences made her whole body tremble. The elf's thumb wiped away the tears on her cheeks, as the women gazed eye to eye. "She wouldn't want to be my friend anymore..."

"... and I won't have anyone else..."

@Fiora Di Angelo @Yugam @Luthien

 

[Yugam]

Yugam was admittedly unsure of how to answer Luthien's question. Physically, both Fiora and Moonsong had seemed fine, mostly, but the British accent and gold glowing eyes that Moonsong had exhibited were something else all together. Well, the inn was still standing, so it couldn't be that bad, Yugam reasoned. And if there had been trouble, Fiora would have found a way to let him know.

"Yeah. They're okay," the man responded, hoping that that was still mostly true. "I think they went down to the bar if you want to go see them." The strains of anxiety pulled at Yu's muscles, even as he said those words. Moonsong and Luthien, speaking to each other now, it didn't seem like the best idea in the world at the moment, but at the same time, they couldn't avoid each other forever.

@Fiora Di Angelo | @Moonsong | @Luthien

 

[Luthien]

Luthien gave a faint nod to the man when he spoke, before her gaze fell on the coat that now laid atop the bed. It was the same black leather jacket that the elf had seen countless times in game, but today the sight of it caused her chest to tighten and her heart feel heavy. There was a moment of hesitation as the girl seemed to ponder over something, before a hand finally reached for it as the elf lifted it away from the bed.

"T-That’s good to hear," Her hands gave the coat a gentle shake with a flick of her wrists, before the jacket was folded in half vertically. His mention of meeting the others downstairs was met with silence at first, the blonde weighing the option on her mind as she kept her hands busy by folding the coat in half one last time, before finally turning towards Yugam with a faint nod. "Y-Yeah, probably best we meet up with them before they get into any trouble."

A half-heartedly smile was given in the direction of Yugam as the elf finally moved towards him, the now folded jacket quietly held in the blonde’s arms as she allowed him to lead the way downstairs—quietly fidgeting with an edge of the fabric as Lúthien followed a few steps behind the hunter.

@Fiora Di Angelo | @Moonsong | @Yugam

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

She's grown so used to the 'coldness' with which Ari used to deal with these things, even discussions as serious as this one barely made him shook. Of course just to not make her worry, or because that is how the man reacts to such, and how she herself perceives him. A reaction much alike her own.

None like Moonsong's, who cried her heart out over her shoulder and simply wouldn't let go the moment her hug sparked embers of warmth and affection on the starved brunette. Fiora held onto that hug just a little longer than she planned at this point, not capable of denying this moment of weakness to Dayeon, who certainly needed it the most, and sometimes it is with strangers this proves the easiest- Save for the ones around them, who all were given the most pale of the glares, yet flexibility on her wrath, quelled by the emotional turmoil, had her come out far less vindictive as she is punishing: they were wrong to judge, as most of Lübeck has been doing this far. Judge.

"She will see through you, Luth ain't stupid. But if she doesn't, then it's on her for choosing not to give you a second chance, and we can't blame her for it, and you can't blame yourself either." With a situation this delicate, it's where her veins boil the most: no one is at fault, everyone in some degree is, but it's so understandable, so reasonable, you cannot drop the blame in something other than 'The big white tree', which had gone without mention for as long as they've been out of that nightmare.

"... and I won't have anyone else..."
"What are you talking about." Fiora paused, letting her hand rest on top of Moonsong's head, quickly ruffling her hairs hard enough to leave them just a bit messier. Just like an older sibling would, and with a chuckle to match, which perhaps may be the case given the elf's age, and not her own.

"You ain't a lying bitch, I can see that. So long as you don't lose that, you can count on me as your friend." More wished to come out of her lips, that short pause once eye contract broke and directed itself to the shades of yellow and black on the corner- Luth and Yugam finally came down, and her heart went all the way up to her throat, almost literal with how she felt her neck tighten just a bit, like choking on food.

"Take a deep breath, will you? They are coming down now." She muttered, without breaking eyecontact, going from hunter to ranger, and once they had locked gaze with her, Fiora would nod and just step to the side, taking Moonsong's hands to help her out of the stool.

@Moonsong | @Yugam | @Luthien

 

[Lune]

The warm hug felt like an eternity, and she didn't protest at all; she needed this, and so does everyone. The comfort of an embrace that could stop the strongest storm.

"You can count on me as your friend."

Feeling the knightess' sincerity in her words, Moonsong couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Fiora." She was going to hug her again before Fiora mentioned that the pair upstairs was already coming down. The songstress quickly wiped off the remaining tears to make sure she didn't look like she was just crying her heart out for the past minute before turning back to see them.

"Ah, you two..."

She couldn't bring herself to look Luthien in the eyes, and only facing Yugam might be adding fuel to the fire. So her gaze just instead hovered between Luthien and Yugam.

"... i-is everything okay?"

She asked, a thin smile forced on her face. Moonsong really wanted to apologize once more to the elven ranger, but then she would be reminding everyone of her shameful deed with Yugam.

@Fiora Di Angelo @Yugam @Luthien

 

[Yugam]

Yugam watched as Luthien folded his jacket and spoke, moreso to herself than to him, only nodding in response before opening the door and walking out of it, the elf following close behind him. Yu led the way down the stairs, his eyes scanning the combined lobby-dining area as it came into view, quickly finding both Fiora and Moonsong sitting at the bar counter, embracing each other.

The pair separated as Yugam and Luthien came into view, their gazes turning to the pair. While Fiora looked roughly the same as usual, perhaps a tad bit more tired and harrowed, Moonsong's eyes were red and puffy, as if she'd just spent the time between the last time Yu had seen her and now crying. Though he didn't say anything about it, his eyes lingered for a moment before flicking to Fiora, then to Moonsong again as she greeted them and asked if they were okay. The man nodded. "Yeah. We're good," he replied, though he doubted things could ever be the same between them. Too many bridges had been burned for them to just go back to the status quo. The question was where they'd go from here.

"You guys?" Yu asked. "We've been through a lot in the past forty-eight hours."

@Fiora Di Angelo | @Moonsong | @Luthien

 

[Luthien]

Fiora was the first to look in their direction, the knightess gray eyes meeting Lúthien’s crimson gaze as the pair finally descended into the bar area. A faint smile was given to the older elven woman, before the voice of Moonsong caused the ranger’s shoulders to stiffen in response. The brunette wasn’t the only one trying their best to avoid direct eye contact, and when the woman asked how they were doing Lúthien gripped the jacket in her arms just a little bit closer.

"Yeah. We're good."

A part of her was glad that Yugam had spoken up where words had failed the elf, instead giving a light nod of her head to accompany his words. The briefest of glances was given the Moonsong for a split second, the elf able to notice the puffy red eyes on the older woman—not too different from her own—along with the fact that Dayeon’s eyes were no longer golden like before. Her gaze quickly shifted then, focusing instead of the white-haired knightess as a silent question was projected into her mind.

{ … Fairy Godmom gone? }

@Fiora Di Angelo | @Moonsong | @Yugam

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Just when Moonsong parted her lips to talk, Fiora's eyes went straight for Yugam's, both of them locking eyes, and given how the brunette looked like she's been a sobbing mess for the last five or ten minutes, it wasn't hard for her to imagine the man had some questions of his own that would go unanswered for the time being.

[Later]

Echoes of her voice that danced within Yu's mind as the elf's mindsend would be the only semblance of an answer he would get: or the most direct out of her at the very least, while Luthien only seemed to have gotten slightly better, yet worse for wear.

"I just need to log off and eat some real food. I'll be fine." Or so she told herself despite the gallivant desire being merely a deflection of a question everyone knew the answer is 'no', and that applied to the four of them. "What you two plan to do now then?"

When she got a bit of her own medicine for intruding in other people's minds to talk back to her, this time in the form of the ranger's own melodic voice, Fiora didn't know if Luthien's private whispers were a blessing or a curse, but she took the path of optimism for once and assume the former, given her complete silence as opposed to the rest of them, which shouldn't be a surprise to her. Regardless, her face remained stoic, if only to keep the converastion within the ranger's terms: private.

[I'm still here so, no.]

She so wished she could grin right now, and her fellow elf could notice that if she paid attention at how her lips struggled not to curve upwards.

[Yeah she is. Tucked her in a bed and gave her a good night punch to the face for Moon to wake up; Tell me, everything good? Bad? So-so?]

@Yugam | @Moonsong | @Luthien

 

[Lune]

"Yeah. We're good,"

"Oh, good," Moonsong said dryly.

Judging by Luthien's lack of response, it might not be that good. There were still things, unspoken things between the songstress and the elf that needed explaining. But she really didn't want to break into tears again.

Maybe it was because she had been crying a lot, but now she could feel her head hurting a whole lot.

"Yeah, I'll probably log off for now... Gotta rehydrate and rest and all... It's been so long." Moonsong said with a forced grin. Fiora was right, she needed a break from all this. Take a breather, let things settle, then figure out which path to take.

The woman slowly got up from the stool, having almost forgotten about the pain in her backside. "I'll be taking my leave now..." She bowed to the three in a weird, formal-like manner, before slowly making her way out of the inn, muttering under her breath, "...Sorry."

@Fiora Di Angelo @Yugam @Luthien

 

[Yugam]

[ Later ]

The words rang in Yu's head unexpectedly. The first time Fiora had ever spoken into his mind. A trait shared by all elves, apparently. The man gave no sign of having experienced the foreign voice in his brain, aside from the near imperceptible nod he gave to Fiora.

Yu could count on his hand the amount of times he'd actually heard Fiora say she was fine, and really mean it. And the man knew her well-enough to know that this time wouldn't be added into that category. No one was okay. Not really, not after everything they'd just been through. But they'd persevere. Somehow.

The man watched as Moonsong stood, bowed, and made her slow way out of the door, limping almost, and weary looking. "I'm gonna log too," the man said after a few moments of silence. "Gonna get somethin' to eat," he lied. He had no appetite. His eyes drifted to Luthien for a moment, and stayed there, before turning away again. "I'll see ya later," he said softly, his voice sounding more worn-out than usual, before opening his palm menu. A few small gestures in the air with his finger, and the man's body dissipated in a sea glowing blue pixels.

@Fiora Di Angelo | @Moonsong | @Luthien

 

[Luthien]

[I'm still here so, no.]

The response was one that Lúthien would’ve expected on a normal day from the white haired elf, but instead had caught the girl’s exhausted mind by surprise—the ranger about to quip back mentally to clarify her question before it all clicked together at last. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips when Fiora elaborated further, her eyes focused on the knightess as any semblance to try and hide their telepathic conversation was completely forgotten.

{ Everything’s… alright, I guess?} There was a light shrug of the blonde’s shoulders to accompany her message, though the exhaustion on Lúthien’s face was hard to miss. { Just a lot to take in right now. }

Whatever else Lúthien might’ve been thinking or wanted to share was soon forgotten when Moonsong’s voice drifted towards her ears, the dryness in the brunette’s voice and the forced grin on the woman’s face not missed by the perceptive elf. "Yeah, that’s probably a good idea." She wasn’t sure since when the pair had been playing, but it had certainly been longer than Fiora and herself. Already this session was probably the longest that Lúthien had played, certainly giving Camp Hope a run for its money, and the blonde could remember how utterly parched and dry her throat had been after finally logging out of Terrasphere that day.

"I'm gonna log out too, gonna get somethin' to eat."
"Make sure you drink water."

He was the next to follow suit after Moonsong had gone out the front door, and the white lie that tumbled from his lips was impossible to miss—a flash of concern crossing Lúthien’s gaze as she looked towards the hunter and was caught in his gaze. He finally bid them farewell as his body dematerialized into a sea of pixels that slowly disappeared into the air, the fatigue in his voice causing the girl to hug the leather jacket closer to her chest before realizing she’d never given the coat back to Yugam. A worn out sigh escaped her lips before the girl performed a series of hand motions that were muscle memory to the elf by now, the jacket disappearing into her inventory moments later before Lúthien turned back to Fiora.

"Guess we should log out and get some rest too, huh?"

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

With Yugam being the first to take the initiative to log off and Moonsong following after, it only left both Elves on by themselves. Silence plagued her, but she couldn't formulate nigh a thought about it. She would just let it be, remain quiet in her determination to bring closure to a conversation that should by no means stretch, not when the mind craved for some respite, as it seemed to be the case for who now had left the game.

Instead she occupied that empty space with concern, as if she didn't have enough, yet this time over the ranger. Far more visible upon the frowning brows on her face. She was at her limit, the both of them were, just that perspectives may make it seem otherwise, given how they both displayed it. It was just different ways to cope with different problems, but they all had the same root, pun intended.

"Guess we should log out and get some rest too, huh?"
"We can try. But I doubt anyone in this group will sleep well tonight, or today, I don't even know how long it's been." Frustration dripped from her words, moreso to herself: she hated being right about what she hates.

The knightess took a step forth and let her right hand drop over Luth's shoulder. "Have a good night, yeah? I want to say more but I feel like I'm just gonna cry like a bitch if I try to." And that was no threat nor warning, as her eyes were getting watery by this point and her voice begun to lose that padding of indifference. Irises twitched, and a forced hollow smile followed afterwards.

Even pulling up the palm menu to log off went sluggishly slow, debating on it, and the longer it took, the less time she had before a tear rolled down her cheek. "Ask Yu for my number, I write better than I talk."

@RizuChan

 

[Luthien]

She felt the weight of Fiora’s arm as the knightess’ hand rested on her shoulder, the frustration coloring the taller woman’s voice impossible to miss as Lúthien quietly nodded in response. They were all physically exhausted, some more than others, but even that paled in comparison to the mental strain that everyone was feeling—their limits having been reached, and then surpassed, long ago.

"Mmm yeah, you too Fio."

Her own hand rose to press against the one that Fiora had on her shoulder, hoping the touch could convey all the thoughts and emotions the elf couldn’t put into words right now. She could see the way Fiora’s irises twitched, the light glistening sheen that glazed over them similar to her own, and the hollow smiles that pulled at their lips—neither having enough energy left in them to keep the mask up much longer.

"Ask Yu for my number, I write better than I talk."
"O-Okay… yeah, I will."

The blonde also pulled up her own palm menu, a finger hovering over the log out option before she turned to look at her fellow elf one more time. "G’night Fio… and thanks, for everything." With that Lúthien finally pressed the button, the avatar of the archer soon dissipated into a glittering cloud of glowing pixels that scattered in the air.

❰ Lúthien has exited the thread. ❱​

@Fiora Di Angelo