Knight in Shining Armor The sound of haggard breath echoed throughout the dungeon passage, accompanied by the faint drip-drops of liquid falling to its stone floor. To someone unawares of the situation, it could possibly just be an Adventurer who was out of breath? Or maybe even a poor Supporter who was abandoned and left to run for their lives? Or maybe... it was the sound of someone injured and running low on steam? Honestly, all of these could easily fit into the scenario if you thought about it. Celsius, a newbie Adventurer, had only just recently stepped up from being a Supporter. Scenarios A and B easily covered this, along with Scenario C. As fate's cruel way of working would have it, he had been selected by some other Adventurers to become the victim to a shallow and cowardly means of securing their safety by unwillingly being thrown into the face of danger as they ran past him. A term that many dubbed this method because it was severely frowned upon, regardless of the circumstance. A Pass Parade... Apparently, these Adventurers had bit off more than they could chew, unable to even fend off a mob of Werewolves that were easily spawned within the first few floors of the dungeon. However, they had apparently encountered a trapped room that spawned Werewolves stronger than the norm, their ferocity and strength comparable to something from Floors 5-7. How the hell did it come to this? he wondered in his own mind, gasping for air as an arm shakily raised his sword as a sad attempt to put up a barrier between himself and the monsters closing in around him. He had managed to dwindle their numbers by a considerable margin. But even so, he was still only Level One, and he was fairly certain that none of his stats had gone up at all, even taking into account his participation in assisting Zeus' Familia with escaping from the Tower of Babel. The creatures snarled at him, gnashing their teeth, unfazed by the Chienthropes' pitiful attempts to protect himself. He could hardly move as it was, as beaten and battered as he was. Gashes along his legs prevented him from standing, let alone running. His arms felt like lead with how many strikes he'd swung, and how many attacks he'd tried to deflect. Crimson liquid dribbled down the left side of his head, covering his left eye and slowly starting to drip-drop upon the nearly ruined dress armor Lady Freya had purchased for him. "Huff..haaf...so... this is... how it goes...is it?" he asked no one in particular, figuring that there was no escape for him. He couldn't very well move, let alone fight. And he was damned certain that no one would come to his aid. More than likely no one would even notice he was missing. Yes... that was the way of the world, after all. Everyone out for themselves, and trample those who could stand in your way. His arm dropped as his head began to droop, eyes slowly closing as he accepted his fate. He only had one last thing to say as the wolves started to draw closer and closer, Celsius feeling their hot breath upon him as they opened their jaws. "Mother... Father... I'll be with you soon..." @Aaron Phim
Aaron cursed silently under his breath as he made his way through the corridors of the dungeon. He had no clue why he had come down here today. In all honesty he had never been in the dungeon before. He had sworn he was going to wait until he had received a god's blessing, or at least be able to afford armor. He exhaled slowly. He'd be fine. As long as he kept his wits about him and didn't rush into anything, he'd be fine, right? He sighed and shook his head. There was no way to be sure, really. He drew his sword and shield. It was probably stupid of him to come down here for no reason. What would happen to the family down the street from him if they lost their healer? "You stupid, selfish, idiot," he muttered to himself. The sound of snarls and growls pulled Aaron from his self-depreciation. His first instinct was caution - he could be in danger and needed to move slowly in order to not take unnecessary heeds. But a second, far stronger feeling rose up. An intense rush of urgency, that he needed to hurry and get to the source of those growls. For whatever reason, that instinct won the internal struggle and Aaron broke out into a run, bounding the nearby corner. Two werewolves were snapping at someone who seemed by all accounts to be giving up. Aaron shouted and rushed forward, his sword and shield snapping solidly in position. The two werewolves looked up, obviously curious about the arriving presence and if it was predator or prey. As Aaron's sword met the first werewolf's neck, the question was answered. Aaron glared at the second creature, forcing his way between it and the fallen person, who he had not yet had a chance to examine. It wouldn't do any good yet anyway - if he stopped to heal the person, he would be immobilized for a while as well. The werewolf lunged, claws slashing through the air. Aaron raised his shield and the scrap of nails on steel rung throughout the room. As the beast landed on the floor, Aaron slashed down, his sword piercing through the creature's skull. Aaron dropped his weapons - he wouldn't sheath them while they were still dirty, and he didn't have time to clean them before tending to the person. He was already readying his healing spell as he turned around. "Scars and shadows hide, the break of day brings peace and light. Fear not, the night will always end." Aaron's hands began to glow, and as the soft light washed over the fallen boy his injuries would begin to mend and heal. When the light faded, Aaron smiled weakly. "You okay? You look-" Aaron coughed and stumbled backward, before falling on the ground, the price of his magic catching up to him. He groaned as all the pain the boy was feeling now washed over him.
Knight in Shining Armor His vision had started to blur, lingering between consciousness and darkness. He heard something strange though. A voice shouting met his canine ears, the sound of conflict. The gnashing of teeth and the whistle of steel swinging through the air before meeting with flesh. The wolves had been caught off guard by another Adventurer entering the dungeon, and immediately slew them within a few exchanges. The beasts would explode in wisps of smoke, dropping small Soul Stone Shards in their place. It was here that Celsius had slowly began to slump against the wall limply, darkness threatening to overtake him. However, a soft, warm light soon enveloped his being, soothing him to the core as his wounds began to heal. Consciousness came around as his vision began flooding back, senses as sharp as they were as when he had first entered the dungeon. Blue eyes fluttered open, glancing over the boy's surroundings before falling upon the person before him. A man clad in armor with sword and shield in hand. He was offering Celsius a weak smile before asking of his condition. Before the Chienthrope could even reply, he stumbled backward to the ground, coughing up a storm. A soft gasp escaped his lips before those blue eyes settled upon something. He looked like he was glaring at the man, if not at something behind him. Without another word, he took sword in hand and bolted himself up and forward, the sound of steel piercing flesh being heard as he'd driven it into yet another wolf that had been stalking up behind the other. With a final croak in its throat, the creature dispersed, a Soul Shard falling to the dungeon floor, Celsius slowly standing himself upright as he turned his attention to the mine behind him. This man.. he had no idea who he was, or how he happened upon him... but he saved his life. Why? He couldn't understand it. Why would someone go out of their way to protect him? It didn't make any sense! With all of his past experiences, he was 100% that all other Adventurers were scum, so why was this one different? But before he could say or do anything about the thoughts on his mind, his body would give, letting Celsius fall to the dungeon floor as exhaustion finally took hold of him. Thanks to his body being healed, he was practically good to go. However, considering that healing magic usually drained the stamina of those needing it, it wasn't magic that was perfect. A little something he'd have to keep in mind in the future. Especially since he was certain he wouldn't be saved again. @Aaron Phim
Aaron heard the sounds of fighting distantly. Damn it, usually doesn't take this long. How fucked up was this guy? He wondered. He heard the boy fall to the floor and bolted up, his exhaustion fading to be replaced by adrenaline-fueled energy. Aaron looked around, but saw no more threats. Even stranger, he didn't see the bodies of the creatures he had slain. Instead, there were small stones on the ground. He hadn't listened to much talk about this dungeon, having expected to never enter it himself for the longest time. He had overheard rumors that the creatures there didn't stay put once they died, but he hadn't believed it at the time. Aaron smacked his head. "Priorities, you idiot!" he scolded himself and quickly turned back toward the boy. He knelt down beside him. "Hey, hey! Are you alright?" he asked the boy as he examined him. He could hear the boy's breathing - that was a overall positive sign. He grabbed the boy's wrist gently. "Breathing and pulse are both fine, considering..." he muttered. He released the boy's wrist as gently as he grabbed it and began to examine the head. "Don't see any obvious signs of head trauma either... Both of those could have been the healing though." Aaron sat back and let out a heavy breath. "My name's Aaron, by the way. I'm a healer. What are you doing down here by yourself? I've heard it's dangerous. And... well I guess I've just seen that it was dangerous too." Aaron reached for his sword to bring it closer - not because he noticed any more threats, but simply to have it closer. He wiped the blade clean on his pants and sheathed it. He finally looked at the boy as a boy, and not a patient. The first word that came to Aaron's mind to describe the boy was "cute". After that, it was hard to find any other word. "Ah, damn it... now I'm gonna start blundering..." he muttered. He closed his eyes for a long moment before reopening them. "Complete honesty time, I know nothing about this dungeon. I've basically ignored it's existence until today and I have no clue why I came in here today. Are we safe here now that those things are dead, or would it be smarter to get out of here?" @Celsius Snowfang (I keep forgetting to tag DX )
Knight in Shining Armor Celsius had fallen upon his rear end, still exhausted from his earlier fighting, on top of having been healed and his stamina practically sapped from his being. If not for the fact that he needed the extra Valis to get by, he'd probably have opted to crawl back home and into his bed for the rest of the day. Again, the man's voice echoed in his head, eyes slowly opening to find a hand had taken hold of his wrist. Not only that, but he had also moved to take hold of his head, moving it side-to-side. Obviously, the guy was checking for any sustained injuries from his earlier bouts with the wolves. However, that didn't stop the Chienthropes' ears from pointing straight up, or his face flushing a deep crimson with how close the other man came to his face. The guy didn't even have a real chance to speak up again as Celsius suddenly scooted himself all the way back up against the stone walls of the dungeon, staring at the man in disbelief at what had just happened. Insert BGM: Chatting For a Second(Bravely Second: End Layer) "GyeeEEEE!!" was the sound Celsius made as blue eyes stared at the other in a panic, his breath catching in his chest a touch as his heart started racing. What the hell was that about?! Who went around just touching someone else and getting so close like that?! Did this guy have no sense of personal space? What the hell! Dammit, he knew Adventurers were scum, but he didn't exactly peg them for perverts! ...Well, no, that was a lie. He sort of did... However, despite all these ramblings within his own mind, he eventually let his guard down after hearing the man address himself, stating he was a healer, and curious as to what the Chienthrope was doing in the dungeon on his own. Then the guy muttered something under his breath, though he couldn't quite catch it. What came next was a bit of a surprise, as the man named Aaron then admitted that he didn't know jack-squat about the dungeon or how it worked, let alone why he even came in the first place. Celsius couldn't help but give a deadpan stare at the man in response, a brow twitching slightly at how dumb the idea of someone blindly coming in here without rhyme or reason had just saved his tail. "Uhh... I'm here to collect Soul Stones so I can trade them for money... you know? To get by? Cuz that's what Adventurers come into the dungeon for?" Seriously, how did a guy just decide to go into the dungeons without any thought behind it? That was like blindly jumping into a meat grinder because someone told you to. At any rate, he couldn't keep judging the man, considering he did save his life and all. "Anyway... we're safe right now. But if we go deeper in, there will be more monsters ahead. Which means that if we kill them..." he stated trailing off, taking up a handful of the luminous purple shards that had dropped from the monsters. "We can trade these in for Valis for whatever we need. Got it memorized?" he said somewhat sarcastically, raising a hand to tap a finger to his temple, emphasizing on keeping that in mind from now on. @Aaron Phim
When Aaron noticed the boy backing away from him, he backed away as well. "Sorry! Sorry!" he said quickly, raising his hands. "I didn't mean to startle you. My healing magic isn't always completely reliable, and I needed to make sure you didn't have any serious injuries that needed immediate attention. It usually does the job, but if it doesn't and I assume it did, and someone gets hurt worse because of me, I don't think I'd be able to live with myself." Aaron listened as the boy lectured him on the soul stones and why adventures came into the dungeon. "I suppose that makes sense," Aaron said with a nod. "It definitely sounds like it'd pay better than just living off of tips and donations like I have been... But at the same time, it seems risky." With a heavy sigh, Aaron laid down on the ground and stared up at the ceiling. "Sorry... I'm not used to interacting with people much. Usually if I stay around someone I've healed for too long, they try to rob me. But... they need to eat too, so I guess I don't really blame them. If I was hungry, I don't know if I'd pass up an easy meal." Aaron's stomach churned quietly. When had he last eaten, now that he thought of it? He shook his head and sat up. It didn't matter, he could focus on that later. He took his sword and shield off of his back and laid them to the side - they had made lying on the ground rather uncomfortable. He traced the marks left from the creature's claws on the shield and frowned slightly. "Sorry, Ma. Looks like I let Pop's shield go and get busted up," he said. "Saved a life though." Aaron shut his hazel eyes as if in prayer. Did the gods still hear prayers now that they walked the earth? Did they ever hear them? He didn't know, but it felt right, and it calmed him down. That was enough, if nothing else. "Hey, so look. I might not be the smartest person in the world, or the best with a sword. But it has to be safer being with another person, right? If you're just down here for money, you can keep it all. I... I don't know why I'm down here. I just felt like there was a reason to come, you know?" Aaron scoffed at himself slightly. "Sounds even crazier saying it out loud, doesn't it?" he asked. Aaron hung his head. "If you think you'll be safer on your own, then once we're both rested up, we'll go our separate ways. I don't want to force anything on anyone. But if you agree that sticking together for now would be safer, then I'm up for listening to whatever plan you might have." Aaron paused for a moment. "Hey, I didn't say anything too stupid. Maybe I'm getting better at this," he said. His face reddened. "I said that out loud. I'm not getting better at this. I'm sorry. I talk a lot when I'm nervous and I'm not used to being around people, like I said. I've already said that. I'm just repeating myself. I'm gonna shut up now, if you don't mind. You probably don't mind. I'm gonna shut up." Biting his tongue gently, Aaron chastised himself. He really didn't want to be alone down here any longer, but this boy didn't seem to be a huge fan of him, and him babbling on probably wasn't making things any better. What would his mother have said in a situation like this? "Just be gentle. Every person has a story, and you will rarely get a chance to read their beginning chapters before finding yourself in the center of the book of their lives. Show kindness, even if it is not returned. There's enough pain in this world to make any more of it." Aaron sighed. "I don't think I ever caught your name," he said. (@Celsius Snowfang I might need to change my dialogue color, all that red kind of hurts the eyes)
Knight in Shining Armor Before Celsius knew it, the guy was talking to him rather freely. Like... he was talking to him... a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Holy crap could this guy talk. It was almost annoying how much this guy could talk. Though despite that, the Chienthrope couldn't help but take the time to look the man over. There was something about him that seemed to have Celsius somewhat.. entranced, you could say. Was it his looks? He did have very lovely eyes... and that sandy-blonde hair. What int he world was it that he was feeling right now? Like a sort of warmth... a sense of attraction. Was Celsius... was he...? No. No way! He'd just met the guy, and wasn't even sure if he'd tolerate him or not. Especially when he was so chatty. Though, he did have a nice voice... it was rather... comforting. He'd soon shake the thoughts out of his head, re-focusing as Aaron continued speaking. As he did, he started telling him a little more than Celsius would have expected him to. Honestly, it was more than he would have expected anyone to tell him about their lives. The more he heard, the more similar Aaron's situation sounded like his own. Alone, fending for himself, wondering when his next meal would come along. Though if anything, his expression went from a stoic silence to a scowl as the man insinuated that the Chienthrope was like other adventurers in the sense of using him for his healing, then robbing him of the money he could have earned in doing his job. He was half-tempted to reach out and slap the guy for making such a comment in the first place. "Don't lump me in with them..." he blurted out, blue eyes narrowing as he stared up at the dungeon ceiling. "I'm not like them... I hate adventurers... they use you, beat you, then throw you away like trash. They're the scum of the earth..." It became very evident that Celsius had a beef against adventurers due to past experiences as a Supporter. It was a grudge that he couldn't seem to let go of. Not yet anyway. Realizing that he'd practically put his thoughts into words, he stopped himself before he could get carried away into a tangent. "I...I'm sorry... I'm not very fond of adventurers..." he stated apologetically, having pulled his legs closer to himself into a bit of an insecure hug. His eyes shifted to look over Aaron's sword and shield. Those things were so old, someone could tell they might turn to dust right on the spot. The claw marks on the shield made it look like it should have fallen to pieces right then and there. Blonde brows twitched as blue eyes looked over the old pieces of equipment, seemingly offended enough by them to the point where he had already made a decision in his mind before getting up to his feet, offering a hand to the man as he spoke in a more serious tone. "Anyway... I think we can go a bit deeper as long as we're careful. Who knows... maybe we'll be able to fight off a Floor Boss?" That last bit was intended to be a joke, though it wouldn't sound like much without a smile to accompany that. @Aaron Phim
Aaron frowned when the boy protested being lumped in with adventures, and especially at his description of them. "If that's true... They're worse than scum. Scum can serve as food to small animals, which in turn feed larger animals, which in turn feed us. People like you describe... To call them scum sounds like a compliment." As the boy walked over to him, Aaron straightened up. When the boy wasn't trying to hide from him or make himself look small, he was even more attractive. Fuck. You've just met the guy, plus he probably still thinks you're a creep. I mean, I was only trying to save his life, but he doesn't seem to see it that way. Plus, you're not shutting up, that can't be a positive thing. He took the boy's offered hand with a smile that grew to a teasing grin. His hazel eyes twinkled with light. "And here I thought you didn't want to hold my hand," he teased. He stood up with the boy's help as he spoke, then proceeded to pick up his sword and shield and return them to their resting place on his back. "Well, like I said, I don't know much about this dungeon, and I don't know at all what a floor boss might be. I would imagine they're rather strong, from the sound of it. Stronger than those beasts? But if you say it, I believe it." Looking around the room as an excuse to hide his face from the boy, Aaron frowned deeply. This boy seemed to have been deeply hurt by Adventures. Did they all deserve the words the boy used to describe them? Surely there had to be some who were good. Wasn't the boy himself an Adventurer? Aaron wiped the frown from his face and replaced it with a kind smile as he turned back toward the boy. "Well, I'm putting my life in your hands, it seems. But you seem like a pretty guy, so I don't mind." Aaron began to blush as he realized what he said. "Ah! Pretty good guy! Pretty good guy! I... I drop words every now and then, when I'm nervous. It's a habit. Oh, I mean bad habit. See? I do it all the time!" Aaron gave an embarrassed smile. "This is why I don't have any friends..." Aaron mumbled to himself. "Plus, I'm still talking too much it seems." Aaron slumped slightly and sighed heavily. He shut his eyes and steeled himself, before straightening up once more. "I'm good to head out whenever, so just let me know when you're ready, okay?" (@Celsius Snowfang I'm so impressive with the length and quality of your posts. I'm not as good at doing long posts as I used to be, it's been way too long since I've rped)
Knight in Shining Armor Had Aaron not made the cheeky comment about hand holding, Celsius would never have even given a thought to it. However, in its mentioning, the boy immediately retracted his hand after the man had pulled himself up, same hand coming up to smack him across the face, albeit, somewhat gently. "Damarre..." he muttered, his cheeks stained crimson as he mulled the idea of them holding hands in his hand. He was slightly miffed that the guy would tease him so after just meeting. It was annoying... and yet, he didn't seem to mind it too terribly. However, he lightened up as Aaron explained that he knew nothing of floor bosses. Well, if that was the case, he was about to learn today, if fate deemed it so. Blue eyes had begun to turn towards the path ahead, only to flicker back at the man at his words. Pretty? Did he just call the Chienthrope pretty? Again, he felt his cheeks burning bright red, turning his head back to the path ahead and moving forward with Aaron in tow. He wasn't 100% certain... but he was fairly certain that the man was dropping small hints of attraction towards Celsius. All the boy could really do for the time being was frown a bit as he grumbled, "Just stay close..." As time passed, the pair would encounter a small varying amount of monsters along the way, from the werewolves, to bats, and even large spiders. The deeper they went into the 3rd Floors' domain, the more frequent the spiders began to spawn. They would not come in overwhelming numbers, but dealing with anymore than three proved to be a tad difficult. Thankfully, they managed to come out of it somewhat unmarred, the only real struggle being that they wound up taking a couple more hits than they probably would like to admit. Every so often, Celsius would opt to have them sit down and take a break in order to regain a bit of their stamina before pressing onward. There were a few moments when the Chienthrope would stop, however, casting a glance behind himself either looking at Aaron, or perhaps something else. He seemed a little more cautious than he initially was upon the initial meet. Something seemed... off. Maybe it was just his imagination? @Aaron Phim
Aaron didn't know why, but his heart seemed to skip a beat in disappointment when the boy pulled his hand away. Why the hell would that happen? He still didn't even know the boy's name! At the boy's command, for lack of a better word, to stay close, Aaron decided it'd be best to not say anything. In order to actually do that, he bit his tongue. The warm, iron-like taste of blood swam into his mouth. Ow, damn it. As the two of them traveled and encountered creatures, Aaron slowly began to let his guard down. These creatures didn't seem as bad as the ones he had already fought. While Aaron wasn't particularly found of spiders, in fact he was actually scared of them and that fear would show through every now and then, his concern for making sure this mystery boy didn't get hurt again kept him in the midst of the fighting and from backing down. Whenever they stopped, Aaron would offer to heal the boy without talking much more than he had to. He was convinced at last that his talking had bothering the boy, so he would be as silent as possible. Whenever the boy looked around with caution, Aaron tensed up again. What was the boy sensing? "Is everything okay?" he asked, breaking his self-imposed vow of silence. "Maybe those first creatures we fought were the floor boss? Could that be possible?" Aaron asked, despite having a sinking feeling that they weren't. Indeed, as they stood still Aaron could feel the hairs on the back of his neck starting to tingle. (@Celsius Snowfang )
Knight in Shining Armor Insert BGM: Tension(Message from Prison - K Return of Kings) Celsius shook his head in response to Aaron's concerned inquiries. He wasn't sure, but there was something in the air that made him feel uneasy. Like his senses had gone on high alert and was warning him of incoming danger. It certainly was not due to the mobs of creatures they had just slain, and he knew too well that none of them were Floor Bosses. If they were, he was fairly certain they would have either come in a much larger size, or would have been far more vicious in their assault. His free hand stretched out before him, as though erecting some sort of barrier between himself and whatever else may come, his right hand clutching the handle of his sword as he raised it up to chest height. He'd move up slowly along the passage, the pair soon coming to a large open room with only one other entryway that could be used. As Celsius moved forward into the clearing, his blue eyes scanned the area, finding naught but open area to meet his gaze. If not for the pressure his canine instincts were detecting, he would almost assume that there was no real danger to be wary of. But to think such a thing within the dungeons would be foolish. He relaxed his stance only a little, his right hand still gripping his sword warily as he peered the room over once...twice...thrice. "Something's not right..." he said softly, turning to look at Aaron with concern in his eyes. @Aaron Phim
Aaron frowned at the boy's confirmation that the floor boss would be stronger than anything they'd faced still. As the two entered the room Aaron raised his sword and shield, gripping both tightly. He wasn't a huge fan of this, but as he looked around he didn't see any threats either. "Yeah, agreed," he said in response to the boy's admission that something wasn't right. Aaron seemed to stand taller and took a step closer to the boy. "Stay close to me. We're safer together." Aaron glanced upward to make sure the threat they were going to face wouldn't be coming from the ceiling. "Hey, look. We've made it this far, and I still don't know your name. Once we make it out of this, tell me what it is, alright?" Aaron asked. "Then, once we kick this thing's ass, whatever and wherever it is, I vote we head up to the surface and get some food."
Knight in Shining Armor As the pair slowly eased their way to the center of the room, Celsius' eyes and ears were on full alert. The Chienthrope couldn't shake this sense of unease hanging about in the air. The closer he and Aaron made their way to the center of the room, the stronger that sensation became, almost to a point where it was suffocating. The boy's breath huffing out softly as he felt the pressure piling on. His ears pricked slightly at the sound of Aaron's voice, unable to help but smirk ever-so-slightly at the man's words. If he didn't know any better, he'd almost say it was an attempt at flirting. "Reeeeaally not a good time right now..." he said, eyes rolling up slightly in thought before he added onto that. "Buuuut... if you're offering food... I guess I'll go for it... if you're buying." @Aaron Phim
Aaron chuckled softly as when the boy said that he would go for food so long that Aaron was paying. It helped lighten the tension just a bit. "Well of course I'd pay. What kind of guy do you take me for? It's the first rule of the world is whoever suggests food is the one who pays." Aaron smirked, then grew serious again. "Look, it's pretty obvious that something bad's about to happen. If it goes wrong, I don't have anyone who would miss me personally. Might inconvenience a few people, but that's about it. If it starts looking like only one of us can make it out, if you have anyone who'll miss you... Don't even think twice about me. Think about them, and go, alright? I don't want it to come to that, though. Only if it absolutely has to." (@Celsius Snowfang this thing needs to show up about now I think haha)
