A Momentary Breather

    About eight to nine hours out, was an army of nearly 200 undead troops, yet it would be in this relaxing place would one find the Salamander. After being chased by arrows, Xander Scaleharth thought it best to stay inside the city walls for a bit, before making way to a nearby village in the evening.

This means, one could find the dark scaled man sitting on a pillow, while enjoy some hot tea and watching the pond. His tail curled closely by his body, white he sits there shirtless, shoeless, and only his pants to keep him covered.

After all, it was quiet here. Peaceful. He could use this moment of reprieve before having to deal with more of the undead army and whatever scouts there might be.

In a bit of contrast to their usual circumstances, it is Rylen who has mostly stayed near the city. With the undead so close at hand, he hasn't taken much to his usual wanderlust. Instead, the Pooka seems to often be on his chimlink these days, sometimes seemingly trying to arrange meetings in regard to the undead meanace, and other times trying to offer support to whomever is listening on the other end.

When Xander had left on his scouting mission, Rylen had remained behind, seeking out his contacts within the Peko Army to see how they were dealing with the undead trouble. He had learned not to show too much concern, even when the Salamander had returned looking harried from his encounter.

Eventually, though, Rylen joins Xander in the garden. He seems to be dressed more simply, wearing a thin robe that is tied across his waist over a pair of loose trousers. It may prove the point that he isn't /always/ shirtless, just usually. "No lasting damage?" He asks, looking over the Salamander. Okay, Rylen isn't quite able to avoid showing some concern.

"You should try to get in some rest before you head out again." He raises a brow as he settles down next to him, keeping only a small amount of space between them. "You don't have me fooled at all. This peace you're trying to show..." He taps at the side of his own head, "It's not reaching up here, is it?"

    Xander doesn't really acknowledge Rylen as the man sits down near him. instead he simply sips his tea. His tail thumps the pillow once, probably best acknowledgement that Rylen was going to get.

Though after a bit of a quiet, the Salamander grunts a little and lets the tea-cup in his hands, rest between his legs where he sits. His claw tapping the cup gently. "Thankfully we regen in this game, so no."

His fiery, gold eyes look over to Rylen. "And its hard to rest right now." He looks back to the pond. "There are those who are taking this matter seriously and others... Who see it as a joke. What bothers me is /why/ are that just standing there."

"Is it a display of force? Is that where the line is drawn in the sand? Why is there only loose scouting parties to the north? Why not blockade that?" The Salamander's brows knit a little. "Unless they don't really have that many numbers, so its just all head games in hopes to win a chancing gamble." Xander then sighs, "But why? I mean, beyond the obvious... They are monsters and blarg, we hate non-monsters, blarg thing." Then he goes to take another sip of his tea.

"I have a hard time believing its just cause xenophobic hatred." Xander adds softly in thought.

If nothing else, Rylen has become used to the distance that tends to remain between himself and Xander in some circumstances. Though the Pooka always seems to be open, his moods and thoughts easily readable on his features, the Salamander tended to keep his own emotions close to his chest.

"Too many people are still in the old MMO mindset. They think it is just some event that will eventually end when the players get bored of it." Rylen shakes his head, tucking his legs beneath himself in a posture like a monk, kneeling in a fashion many would find uncomfortable. "I don't think it works that way, anymore. Not for us."

He is quiet as he listens to Xander's tactical analysis of the situation. All the various things that his army could mean, and the simple fact of the matter is, Rylen has very little he can offer to it. "If nothing else, it shows us just how many they have been able to kill in the past few weeks. It's a staggering amount, when you realize that the Landers are not an unlimited resource." Concern shows on his Elven features.

"Giganpor seems to have more intel on the situation. The intel reports within my Alliance say that this is the result of some sort of Queen who seeks to reclaim her land. She seems to have vampires, ghouls, skeletons, and other manners of undead to her call." He lays his hands over his legs, raising his eyebrows. "It all seems to be about that... reclaiming some lost land that must have encompassed some of what is now Ninetails Dominion."

    Xander listens to what Rylen has to say, slowly taking a sip of his tea. He goes to rest it back down as his eyes close. "Then why not just give her that land back." He says softly. "Maybe the rulers here need to just hand her over that land and create a neutral zone between the two parts."

His draconic eyes open gently. "... Sadly though, something tells me those in charge here of the Ninetails Dominion would never agree to working with a monster... and this Queen probably already has her own mind made up, so, even that thought is a pointless one."

The Salamander takes another sip of his tea, until he just downs what is left of it. His hands lower, but his grip on the cup tightens a little. "War is an ugly thing and yet, nations war all the time for resources, slaves, wealth, greed, and power... Even here you can still see it." Xander's hands then slowly relax.
    "I don't even know why this bothers me so much," He says with a soft laugh. "Those people are not even real in those villages and yet," He closes his eyes gently. "... The children... The laughs.. the smiles... even after losing their homes, their tenacity..." Xander opens his eyes and looks at Rylen. "How can they be /so/ real now?"

Xander's suggestion draws out a mirthless laugh from Rylen, the corner of his mouth quirking in a wry sort of expression. "Ahh, if only it were that simple." He reaches out, leaning forward to touch his fingertips to the surface of the water in the koi pond, the motion sending out ripples that cause the fish to swim away from the point of contact. "Every action has effects down the line. Ripples that can't be undone."

He looks up then, leaning backward, lightly shaking the water from his fingertips. "Maybe it started about land, but now? Too many Landers have been killed in the Ninetails Dominion for people to just sit back and give her what she wants. Too many families have been broken. Too many livelihoods destroyed."

Xander knows all too well about war, but this is no ordinary enemy. "If they were human, with human motivations, we might be able to convince them that the losses are too much to continue a fight on either side. But these aren't humans. They steal their forces from the dead. They throw their failed soldiers upon our swords with a lack of any care." He shakes his head, looking sideways at Xander, a few silver strands moving across that gray gaze of his.

"They say, war makes monsters of men. But in this, we truly are fighting real monsters." And just like real monsters, it appears that there are real vicitims. At least, they certainly /feel/ that way. "This isn't the Elder Tale that we knew before. The fact is, I don't know just how real the Landers are. They're different. But I do know that /we/ are real. What we do, our choices... they matter."

    "Are we?" Xander asks calmly, his eyes watching the ripples that still remain. "... or are we just data simulations." He looks over to Rylen. "After all, the system made you forget someone you shouldn't have forgotten. That sword Merek had done something to him."

The Salamander's eyes narrow. "For all we know, is that we are just shadows, glimpses, of ourselves and we could actually be /dead/ in the real world. Nothing but haunted fragments in this virtual space." Xander then lowers his head and then just laughs at this point. A dark grin creeping along his face. "... Though I guess along that thought process, I would have gotten what some part of me wanted, huh?"

Xander shakes his head, releasing the cup in his hand, before running his hand through his silver bangs, mixing it into the black of his hair, as he then looks upward. "... I am such a fatalist." His hands drop down to his lap, as he looks at Rylen. "... why do you love me again?"

That question from Xander draws only a faint tilt of the head and a lift of the eyebrows. Though his mouth opens slightly, the Salamander is quick to take that trip down into the questioning part of his own mind, dredging up the worst thoughts from the mire that lives there.

So, as always, Rylen is patient. He waits until Xander's head tips forward to finally speak, his voice carrying that usual calm. "We. Are. Real." He says, letting those simple words with all their confidence come shining through at first.

Then, his lip quirks slightly, "This isn't just some imaginary flight of fancy of your dying brain. Trust me, you aren't creative enough to come up with me." There he is, trying to lighten Xander's mood, if only a little. "I'm just too awesome." He chuckles.

"As for the rest..." He shifts ever so slightly, moving from that perfect kneeling posture so that he can look at Xander properly, "I don't know. I choose to believe that we are still connected to our bodies." He looks at him, the expression more serious, his hand reaching out to lay his warm palm over Xander's fingers, "I choose to believe that someday, I'm going to touch your hand like this in the real world. If you'll let me." His voice grows quiet at the end.

"If I'm wrong?" He lifts his shoulders then, smile returning. "Then I'm going to enjoy every minute of my time as a ghost, because if this digital afterlife lead me to you, then maybe that's where I need to be." He gives Xander's fingers a squeeze, "Besides, you're fun... sometimes." He teases.

And yet, that question catches him off-guard. Maybe it's because Rylen hadn't used that particular word before. Oh, he'd wanted to, but he had always felt uncertain that Xander would return the sentiment. His mouth opens, hesitant, then he swallows, trying to find the right words to say. "I love you..." He starts, confirming those words, "... because you need me. Because I need you. Because we make each other better. Because you make me feel like I still matter, at least to someone."

Then, with an expression that almost seems shy, he adds, "As silly as it might sound to you... you, give me hope, Marcus." He uses his real name at that, then lets out a somewhat shaky breath, followed by a laugh. "I'm an idiot."

    Xander listens to him, but his eyes have trouble making contact. It was hard to tell what was going on in the Salamander's head, but he didn't pull his hand away and his eyes gently closed at the squeeze of his fingers.

When Rylen brings up that he is fun sometimes, he smirks lightly, but it doesn't stay forever, but when the Pooka says 'I love you' and explains why. Xander opens his eyes to look at the other.

    A slight realization crosses his features, that realization that /he/ said that out loud. A thought of frustration that escaped his lips, but now he was hearing Rylen honestly explain it to him. The Salamander's eyes moved away, as his jaw shifted a little.

Then as Rylen says his real name, his eyes are drawn back to him. There was hesitation there in words, but when Rylen calls himself an 'idiot', Xander tilts his head to one side.

Those scaled fingers reach out and touch Rylen's face, "Hey..." His voice goes softer, "... hey.. You are not an idiot, Yoshi." Then he slowly smiles. "Because if you are, then I'm the biggest fool of all."

Uncaring of eyes or anyone walking in, Xander pulls the Pooka in and gives him a massive embrace. Holding him close, and his hand moving to the back of his head. There was a low rumble that escaped, before he whispers softly. "... you will never be an idiot... and there is nothing silly about us giving one another hope." His voice grows softer, "... because you are my candle, Yoshi. Long as you don't burn out..."

    "... I'll always keep fighting for you."

Where others might worry over Xander's silence, Rylen is quite used to those moments. Even when the Salamander realizes his slip of the tongue, Rylen just acknowledges it with a slight nod of his head. Though their relationship is relatively young, he doesn't seem afraid of acknowledging his own feelings. Yet, in that quieter moment, when he had struggled to put words to the reasons behind...

The warmth of Xander's touch on his face draws Rylen's gaze back, the Pooka looking strangely vulnerable in that moment. He is usually smiles and self-assuredness, but sometimes there are things that leave him more uncertain.

"You'd think, with all my charms and charisma, that this would all be easy, but I probably have about as much real experience with relationships as you do. I was young, stupid, full of myself..." He trails off, "Let's just say that I wasn't always a good person." For some reason, some part of him needs Xander to understand this. "It was flings, and fun, and when all the fame fell appart I found out just how lonely all that shit is."

The hug, quite so in the open, is a bit of a surprise, then. Rylen leans into it, sighing as he presses his head into Xander's shoulder. His ears twitch, a response to the curiousity that Xander's words bring, "I'm not going anywhere, and I'll keep repeating it until you believe that, someday." He laughs then, though there is genuine appreciation for the moment of tenderness.

"Because this is something real to me, and I'm not giving that up for anything."