Goodbyes Are Not Forever

There is one last thing that Mikage has to do before the ship leaves for the Ninetails Dominion in the morning. So, she has reached out to Xander, giving him a ping over the chimlink system.

It's hard to tell exactly how long she'd been waiting around the marina, but Rama seems to be anxiously pacing up and down the length of the strip. It's only when a fish falls out of a barrel some landers are hauling that he moves into serious action. They don't even notice as he scoops it up and makes off to tuck himself in by Mikage, chowing down on an ill-gotten meal.

Miki is leaning against a railing, overlooking the boats coming and going on the main marina docks below. Unlike normal, she has more than her usual travel bag with her. A larger bag seems stuffed with supplies, suggesting even upon approach, that she might be about to leave on a journey.

    Xander arrives to the port town, coming in with a jog. His breath is a little heavy, before he inhales deeply and goes to control his breathing. His draconic eyes scan over the people. Looking at the Landers and Adventurers alike trying to find where Mikage is.

Once he does find her, he gives her and Lynx a wave, before making his way over with a quick step. There was a smile on his face, but it slowly fades as he spots the Larger bag. He looks at it, before over to her. "Is-- Everything alright?"

"You didn't have to rush." Mikage replies, her expression shifting into a soft smile as she raises her hand to return the greteing. Rama just looks up, then goes back to tearing into the fish, which is still flopping around underneath his paws.

As is usual in towns, she has the hood of her jacket pulled up over her head, blocking sight of her Were Fang tattoo. Though with the colder weather, her hands are also tucked into her pockets to keep them warm. There are less people mulling about in the Marina for that reason. It might be warmer today, but spring is still a good ways off.

"Yeah. No. Everything's fine." She replies, seeming a little awkward in her wording. "I'm going to be catching a boat to the Ninetails Dominion tomorrow morning, so I just wanted to have a chance to talk to you. Let you know that I'd be heading out for a while." She smirks, "Make sure no one thinks I vanished or something."

    "I--" Xander pauses, shifting his weight slightly as his tail moves side to side slowly behind him. "Appreciate that." Though that thick scaled tail does slowly come to a stop behind him, hanging there lowly, with maybe only the tip giving a tick of motion from time to time.

"Ninetails Dominion though huh?" He says to her, before his eyes look out over the ocean. "... I wonder if the chimlinks can operate at long distance.." Xander looks back to her, "Well, I... suppose only way to find out right?" He tries to grin, but it doesn't stick around long. "A-any particular reason you /are/ going?"

Xander goes to rest his hand idly on the hilt of his sword. "Did.. someone do something that is causing you to leave? Chasing that rumor maybe?"

The Were Fang gives a soft sound of affirmation, lifting a hand from her pocket to brush a few strands of hair out of her eyes. "I guess we'll find out." She chuckles, though it seems to lack real humor. Leaning back a little against the railing, Mikage shrugs. "First stop on a world tour." Her expression shifts into a more genuine smile, then.

"I wanted to experience everything this world has to offer. So I figured I might as well get started. Besides, it's a little crowded here. I need a little space to spread my wings." Perhaps, quite literally, for those who had taken note of her tattoo, even if no one really knows what sort of creature she is. "Besides, the New World Alliance has some interest in making contacts there. Not that social graces are my strong point."

The rumor about the hourglasses does have her intrigued. "I do plan on looking into things while I'm there." Her head tilts, "I just wanted to make sure you knew. And that you know I'm not abandoning you as a friend or anything." Her lips press together slightly. "If you ever need me, you can always call. I'm always up for checking out dungeons and the like. I just might leave the Tower to you."

She pauses, "I think there are other mysteries out there that need to be found."

    Xander hears Mikage's words, but his eyes drift off to the side. His jaw clenches a little. "Yeah. Exploration is... always good." Her words though.

Her words that she is not abandoning him, causing his lip to curl a little, before he lowers his head. Something that Mikage says in those words, seems to cause Xander some type of discomfort, distancing really. His whole body language shifts as old memories find him.

The Salamander does take a moment to pull himself out of what his thoughts were, "... you know... she said something like you did.." He says softly, "... Someone, that I cared deeply for.. but she eventually went to the United States... and that was that." Xander looks at Mikage, his next words he chokes on. Unable to say his further thoughts as he looks down to his feet.

    Then he looks about everywhere, but her. His brows furrow, his jaw slides slightly to one side, before he at last does look at her. "It.. It will always be good to see you, when, you do show up. I-- always enjoy your company." Then his eyes fall again, his hand tightening slightly on the blade, before he forces his hand to relax once more. "I do hope though... I do hope you find many wonders over there, maybe... Maybe one day I'll come see what you have found."

While Mikage might miss out on some more subtle aspects of people, it's easy enough to see that Xander is fighting with something within himself. At first, she assumes that this has to do with her, directly. "Remember what I said about this place?" She offers, voice quiet. "This is my chance, to live without the restrictions of my body." He is one of only two people who know about how trapped she feels in the real world. "If they get us out, shut this place down, I at least want to know I experienced everything I could."

But then, he reveals another glimpse into the person that lies behind the Salamander. Miki is quiet as she consisters his words. "I'm not her, Xander." She finally states. "I don't plan on disappearing." Though she knows he is struggling with things, she offers, "Shit, you know how to find me in the real world if it even comes to that." None of them really know how much time they have left here.

She watches him, though, "I get it if this upsets you. I would have asked you to join us but... I know your path is here. Your quest is the tower. Mine is out there." Miki motions a hand out across the sea. "And it isn't as if I won't be back. I'm only ever a few days travel away, especially if we manage to pick up a peko when we arrive."

She hesitates then, "But... if you're mad at me, it's okay. I get it. I don't blame you."

    "I..." Xander keeps his head down, his silver hair hiding his face as he continues to speak softly, "I am not mad at you, Mikage. I am mad at myself." The Salamander looks at her, "Because I have a life of regrets and mistakes. I am /glad/ you are chasing this."

Xander closes his eyes as he tries to collect himself, but it is easy to tell that is even a struggle on his face. "I am glad... You are finding a means to live. You-- you deserve that. Y-you are a good person, Mikage."

    The Salamander turns sideways to her and looks in the distance. "Just-- do me a favor and... stay safe? Okay?" Then looks over to her. "You.. You are the only person who has maybe some clue as to who I am and.. while our lives are a fucking mess outside of this... Virtual Paradise..."

Xander turns to face her once more, he raises his hands to look at them, before he closes them gently into a fist. Holding them there in thought, as he softly says to the next few words. "... At least..." But those words shortly fail him, as his hands slowly lower.

"I am happy for you, Mikage."

Sometimes, feelings are not entirely simple. It is a mix of emotions that takes hold in her chest, some of which she may need time to really understand. "This world is ours, Xander. For however long we have it." She offers him a small smile, using her fingers to brush the white strands of her hair back behind her slightly pointed ears.

"You know who it is you want to be in this world. Take hold of that with both hands." He had told her before what he wanted, despite his uncertainty. She laughs, shaking her head, "I don't know if I'm a good person or not. I'm sure a good number of people in Scale Emblem would believe that I'm running away from the real world. I'm not." Even from here, the tower is all too visible, her eyes looking towards it. "I just think there's more to this puzzle than the tower, alone."

When he asks her to stay safe, she seems to find some amusement in that. "If I told you my party composition, you'd call me crazy. It's far from optimal." She might not have been a front line raider, but Miki knew about how to build a proper fighting group.

Though she can still see the struggle in him, Mikage just seems to answer his words by lightly leaning her head over towards his shoulder. It's a soft, subtle contact. "Give yourself time." She offers as advice. "And don't be afraid to live a little, yourself. You deserve that much, too."

    "My... desires are always changing, Mikage. What I thought I knew I wanted, I'm not even sure anymore if that is what I want." Xander says softly. He, for once, doesn't push her away when she comes in close.

"I keep thinking of what happened on the first floor, when we took on the two bosses. How chaotic it was. How-- crazy it all was. Many were graved, others tried to make a run for it. Only a few of us were left standing." Xander continues to stand there, unmoving. "If we rush for Floor 2... If they try to take out that boss again quickly..."

Xander's free hand grips tightly at his side, his claws digging into his scaled skin. "The game has changed and no one is taking the time to research this. They are a bunch of /damn/ kids walking into their graves and they don't /care/." The Salamander growls that out, before he closes his eyes.

    His hands reach out to take Mikage's shoulders with both of his hands. "So, when I tell you to be safe," His eyes look at her. "Even if your party is crap. /Please/ be /safe/. If you have to take charge. Take charge. There are people here trying to be what they are not... and they will one day meet that reality."

"I... Just want at least one comfort... Just one..." Xander's hands hold onto her, unless she slips away. He holds her there, as his teeth sneer.

    You let one walk away...
        You didn't even really fight...

    Unless Mikage does pull away, Xander pulls her into a tight hug, his arms coming around her fully, as his head lowers down to be near hers. "... Just promise me, Miki." He whispers to her softly.

"That's okay, too." Mikage whispers, though her voice is audible over the sounds of the ocean and the occasional cry of birds above. "I don't know where my path will lead, but I'm going to walk it until I find out." She seems sure of that, if nothing else.

Though she is likely aware that the Scale Emblem lead the charge on the first floor of the tower, this is likely the first time she's heard the exact circumstances. "People want to get home. It's going to be hard to convince them to slow down. Not until they wipe and realize they need to be far more prepared." It's something she fully expects, especially as people get close to the infamous 'floor 10' and it's previously bugged-out boss.

"That's part of why I want to explore the rest of the world. To see. To understand. To prepare myself whatever is going to come next." The game is changing, each and every day they spend here. New dungeons appear. New monsters appear. Even the hourglasses in the root cities. There is much that remains unknown.

It is a bit of a surprise, though, when he takes her shoulders. She opens her mouth to say something, but then he is pulling her into a hug and Miki just quietly slides her hands around his back, returning the gesture. When was the last time she'd had a hug? Years, probably. "I'll be careful. I promise." She whispers.

    Xander holds her there, a single tear finds its way across his scaled face, moving along the crevices of his black scales before it slides off. It is the only tear that manages to escape, it is the only sign of something deeper.

Because wants that tear finds its way off his chin, he opens his eyes slowly, his face becomes neutral, and he slowly moves her back, but he never looks her dead in the eyes.

For while he hated the fact he didn't chase down his crush, that he didn't fight for her hand to stay, that he let her walk away... It is in letting her walk away, did he also show her how much he cared. Sacrificing what could be...

    "I shouldn't hold you up. I am sure you have a ton of preparation work to do." Xander says softly. He does slowly look her in the eyes, a smile on his face slowly forming. "Thank you Mikage. For... everything. I-- look forward to hearing about what you find and... Seeing you when I /find/ something out here."

Xander takes a step back, before looking to the Lynx, "And you take care of her as well, alright. Who knows, maybe I'll have a gift for you both." The Salamander shrugs. "But, if you ever need me, Mikage." He taps his ear gently, "You know how to reach me."

When he releases that hug, the girl seems to have a hard time keeping that eyecontact. She ends up meeting his gaze, then looking away again, almost shyly. Her hands tuck into her pockets and she gives a soft laugh. "You're talking like it's forever. I'll be back soon enough. I want to see the whole world, and Aincrad is in the center. I'm sure I'll pass through so often that you barely notice when I'm gone."

That might not be strictly true, but Yamato is only so large. The girl is bound to find her way back every now and again. "I'll let you know what I find out about the hourglasses, and about the Ninetails Dominion." Miki confirms. She's not sure if there is anything important going on there, but it is worth trying to find out.

Rama looks up, the tail of the fish still wiggling in his mouth. It's hard to tell if the lynx understands anything that the Salamander is saying. He just continues to chew, the sound of crunching fish bones following.

"I will. Tell you what? I'll test if the chimlinks still work when I arrive in Dun Loireag. That way you know I at least made the voyage safely by sea, alright?" Shouldering the bag of supplies, she pulls the strap over her neck.

    Xander nods his head, "Sounds good... That would be some good information to have. I know kingdom channels work, but, always good to be sure personal do as well." The Salamander watches her place the strap over her neck.

He then steps over and goes to reach for it, as if to help correct a turn in it, but as he goes to do that, he stops himself, and his hands slowly move back. The Salamander at last looking at her, directly in the eyes, before looking away. "We will have some stories to share, I'm sure. On both sides."

Xander then goes to step away, "Till then, yeah?" Xander tries to give an honest smile, though there is a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Till then." Mikage replies. She tugs the back up, leaving that slightly twisted strap as she pats at her side. Rama moves to it, the tail of the fish still dangling out of his mouth. "We /will/ see each other again. Until then, safe travels, Xander." Then, she is is off down to the marina proper, the lynx following behind. She talks briefly with one of the guards near a one of the trade ships with a flag of the Ninetails Dominion, and then heads onboard, vanishing from sight into the belly of the ship.

    Xander watches her leave, every step until she leaves. His hand extends out again at one point, till he pulls it back, sighing softly.

The Salamander stands there a little longer. His tail sways for a moment, before he goes to step away and at last makes his own way slowly back on to the road for the tower.