Fragments of Myself [Social - Poko & Eero]

A while had passed since Eero's promise to visit the Silver Wolf guild. However, as he had promised, he made sure he had tidied up his notes and research papers. Now he had a collection of tables and graphs with some of his research results. /"Hopefully the notes will be a good first impression."/ He thought to himself as he entered the Peace Village. The village was supposed to be his last stop on his road to the Silver Wolf's guildhall, before he reached it. Eero wanted to stock up on some supplies and rest up before that last stretch. The village itself wasn't big, but it held everything the local people could need. The sun was slowly setting, colouring the sky orange with flairs of purple. Some of the shops were already closing, so Eero hurried up, checking his bag to see what he was missing.

The chain on his neck rattled as a response to Eero's movement. The boy was down on his right knee, as he attempted to reorganise his travel bag. He missed a few shops that had just closed, but ultimately he had found everything he needed. The boy decided to stock up on some warm socks and gloves. He made sure that he had enough water to go, though he was hoping that he might come across a stream of fresh water in the mountains. From the local market stalls, that stayed open just for him, for which he was thankful, he picked up some dried meat and bread for his food supply. He wanted to make sure that nothing would spoil on the way, even if the food wouldn't be the tastiest.

The several books he carried with him took up quite a bit of real estate in his bag, making it difficult to put everything inside. With an irritated sigh he took everything out, preparing to start over. His right leg started to cramp, though, so after a quick consideration of the many different positions he could switch to in order to alleviate this problem, he chose to just sit down cross-legged with his back against the wall of building that had a shop inside. The boy would grab the nearest book from the pile of things he had around him, slowly starting to put them back inside in orderly fashion.

Eero was planning on putting in the books and research papers first, followed by his food rations, Jewels and then fill out the rest of the space with his clothes. This intention, however, was cut short by something bumping into him and sending some of the papers fluttering. A something rather fluffy and rather familiar. It was none other than Zephyr. He evidently wanted to play with him, but the papers rolling around were more concerning. Eero quickly reached out and collected them before they could get completely out of his reach. When the papers were safe, he saw the cause of the sudden paper flipping - Zephyr. He twirled around, as if wanting to get close. Soon enough he heard a laugh - a quite familiar voice. Eero turned around as the source of the voice greeted him - Poko. Just as he thought. If Zephyr was there, it was obvious that Poko wasn't too far away. She was bent down, smiliing at him. The boy noticed the yellow shade of her eyes - they definitely changed colours since the last time they've met.

"Hello Poko! It's good to see you again!" Eero would greet the blonde girl back with a smile of his own. He would quickly swipe the remaining travelling items, including his socks and undies and shove them into the bag that was suddenly kind of overstuffed. The boy would stand up and let Zephyr nuzzle, if he wished to. "I didn't expect to run into you here. It makes sense that I would, but yeah." He would say and continue. "Kind of ruined the surprise aspect of the visit, though." The boy would laugh. "What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking, of course." Eero would ask Poko, out of curiosity.

Zephyr took the chance to nuzzle Eero and the boy pet him in return. He wondered as to why the creature took such a liking to him. Not that he was complaining. It was pretty much the most affection he ever got since.. since he could remember. Poko briefly explained the reason behind her visit of the village and it didn't really surprise Eero. He enjoyed solitude himself, though he felt like he was now messing up Poko's trip away from her guildmates. She also mentioned that she was about to leave for a presumably distant land, which made Eero slightly sad. However, she offered to return back to the Silver Wolf's guildhall alongside him and suggested a proper rest first as well as offered to pay the expenses. Eero had already decided that he would stay the night as travelling through an unknown mountain range wasn't the greatest of ideas. "I was thinking the same thing, actually! Also no need to worry about they pay - I did some work so I've some Jewels right now." The boy would say with a smile. The job he did was actually kind of fun - brewing an experimental potion that had an actual result. Perhaps he should've added that to his collection of presentable notes.

The boy was wandering around the shops not too long ago and he did spot an inn, that looked rather big and spacious for a village like this, but he would let Poko take him to the inn she had in mind. There was a high probability that that inn was the only one in the village, in which case they were both thinking of the same one. /"It most likely has a pub downstairs aswell."/ Eero thought excitedly as he would pick up his heavy bag, hoping that it wouldn't come apart. This was going to be his chance to unwind for a while, it felt like, so the thought of a pub was a pleasing one. The boy would let Zephyr do as he pleased, since he was enjoying his company. He enjoyed Poko's company aswell - it was nice when people didn't judge him outright or make fun of him. "Where are we off to, then? I'll be right behind you." Eero would nod to the blonde girl, letting her know that he was ready to follow her lead.

As expected, Poko wasn't going to let the boy pay. While it felt good for Eero's wallet, it didn't feel as good for his heart. The blonde girl also confirmed his theory - they were indeed thinking of the very same inn, as there was only one. Eero followed the girl to the inn. Zephyr sat on the boy's shoulder and Eero gladly pat the creature. It kind of made him want a pet of his own. /"Except that I would have to take care of it and as it stands, I can barely take care of myself."/ His better judgement won this battle.

It didn't take them too long to reach the inn in question. As soon as Poko lead them to the village's main street, the large inn was easy to spot. Even from the outside Eero could tell that it would be cozy on the inside. The two mages stepped inside and just as the boy had hoped, there was a pub on the ground floor. There were a few local people seated, having some drinks and good time. Some looked their way, briefly examining the newcomers, but quickly returning to their previous conversations. The boy was looking around the pub, taking in the atmosphere, when the man behind the counter spoke up, inquiring about their needs. Poko was standing ahead of him, taking it upon herself to get them a night at the inn. He let her do the talking, as she also took it upon herself to pay for the stay. He wasn't really listening to what Poko had told the innkeeper as he was wondering if it was advisable if he were to have a beer or two before the road. He did hear the bartender's part about the room sharing, though. The boy blushed unexpectedly and turned to face the bartender, about to ask for two rooms, but Poko was faster. And also audibly shaken from the bartender's offer. The burly man chuckled, as did some of the people present in the pub. Soon enough the bartender presented Poko a key and took the payment of Jewels. The girl took the key, her head down as she went up the stairs. Eero felt that something was up, so he quickly thanked the bartender and followed the blonde girl up the stairs.

He didn't know number the room was, but he noticed one door that was open. The boy decided to try his luck, hoping to not see anything he wasn't supposed to. Luckily for him, it was the room that they had been given by the bartender to stay the night in. He saw Poko laying down on one bed, her face buried in a pillow. Eero suddenly felt bad. He felt like he put Poko in an uncomfortable situation, back downstairs. The boy would enter the room and quietly shut the door behind him. He would set his bag down at the foot of the other bed before walking towards the one Poko was laying in. He would sit down on the floor, with his back resting on the side of the bed. "I'm sorry about what happened downstairs. I should've said something." Eero would say, shamefuly. The whole situation happened quite quickly, but he still felt like he should've done at least something, anything. Maybe not actually anything. The boy would notice a door on the other side of the room that presumably led to a balcony of sorts. "How about some fresh air, Poko? It could help clear your thoughts." Eero would offer in a soft voice, not trying to push Poko into doing something she wasn't up for. He also secretly hoped that Zephyr would lend him a helping paw.

Thankfully, Poko took up on Eero's offer and even said that it wasn't his fault for what happened. It made him feel slightly less bad. But if the girl was alright with it, he supposed that he could just forget about it. Poko went outside on the suggested balcony. Even though it probably wasn't the brightest of ideas, the boy took off his shoes, to let his feet rest a bit. He followed Poko out on the balcony. The view wasn't half bad as one could see a good portion of the village and the surrounding nature, mountains in the distance. The wind that was blowing felt refreshing and Eero knew that it had to feel good for Poko aswell.

The blonde girl seemed calmer out on the fresh air. When she turned to Eero with a question, her eyes were blue. He would have to ask her sometime as to what colours her eyes could be. However, it was Poko asking this time. "I.." He knew what he wanted to answer, but it was tough to get out. Much like his magic, this wasn't something he told just anybody. He felt like he could trust Poko, though. He would step forward and lean on the railing.

"I was looking for my memories." There. It was out. "As you can see, no luck in finding them so far." The boy would look up into the ever darkening sky. "I don't know where I am from, if I have a family. I don't even know if Eero is my real name at all." He would let out a small painful laugh. "I only know that I feel a strong connection to this - as if it once belonged to me." The boy would say in a voice just above a whisper as he looked down at the artifact hanging on the chain. "I have been looking for clues for years now, but to no avail. I was hoping that maybe joining a guild could help me out somehow. That's why I have been working on my notes to present to Silver Wolf." He would reveal his thought process to the girl. "So what have you been up to, Poko?" Eero would turn to her as he asked in a sad voice.

Poko's determination took Eero by surprise, just like her now red eyes, that most definitely changed colours depending on her emotions. He half-expected some pity or a cheer-up talk. Even though he was  surprised by Poko's response, he was secretly glad. It felt better knowing that there was somebody who was willing to help him on his journey. By the way the girl continued talking about herself, Eero had a pretty good guess that she had been through some hardships herself. The girl then recommended her guildmate that went under the name Yuvon, who could try to help him out with his knowledge. He sounded like an interesting person, all the more reason to see Silver Wolf himself.

The blonde girl asked to see the artifact up close. Eero didn't have a reason to say no, so he carefully detached the chain from his leather choker. "Here you go." He outstretched his left arm, holding the artifact. The next few moments, however, happened in a quick blur. Poko was reaching out for the artifact, when a sudden gust of wind knocked it out his hand, over the railing. He could make out Poko yelling something, but he only heard the clear clank on the floor below, as the artifact cracked into pieces. His breath stopped short, as the familiar emptiness filled his mind. The only thing that was connected to his past was in ruin. He wasn't angry. He was... afraid. Afraid that he would never know who he was. Who he is. He was frozen in place, as he felt his other self push himself forward. Then he felt like he was watching his body from the outside, as his other self took control, unable to do anything, until he calmed his emotions down.

He briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them, he stepped closer to the railing, peering over. He saw the girl with her familiar, looking over the artifact pieces and then glancing up. He would swiftly jump down over the railing, groaning as he landed. The body of a scholar was ill suited for jumping down from the first floor. His eyes were sharper and his look was stern, as he straightened himself and looked at the girl with her creature. "You could've just told me not to hand it over, instead of smashing it." He would growl in a deeper voice than Eero usually had towards the duo standing in front of him. Several heads peeked out to see what was going on, but only few stayed in place and watched. The boy would walk towards what remained of the artifact. He would then take a knee, picking up the pieces scattered around. "I'm going to need an another bag just for this.." He would scoff to himself when he picked up the last piece - the reversed base of the pyramid, which still had the chain attached. "This artifact is the only thing I have left, so make sure you give me a heads up before you do something like this next time, would you?" He would say in the girl's direction, irritated, as he walked back inside to get back into the room.

The boy stepped inside the room, laying down the pieces down on the singular table that was in the room. He watched them, as if he was willing them to put themselves back together. Back together? The more details he noticed on the edges, the more hopeful he grew. The fine, purposeful edges of the pieces could only mean one thing - it was always possible to take it apart. The other self looked in his direction, frowning. "You still want to continue on with this?" He asked icily. "Her offer to help us makes me want to gag." Eero grit his teeth. He was quite glad that Poko offered her help, it made him feel less alone. His other self just looked at him with an irritated expression, knowing exactly what Eero was thinking. "Don't be ridiculous. She has no idea about how we feel. She doesn't know what it feels like to be a nobody." The other Eero said as he rolled his eyes with a sigh. The thing that pained Eero the most was the fact that his other self was right. But that didn't mean that Poko wasn't going to try and help him out. If she was still willing to help him out, even after this. "You didn't have to snap at her, you know." Eero said to his other self with the same irritation in his voice he had heard before. His other self took an angry step towards him, pointing at the pieces of the artifact. "That little runt broke the artifact and you expect me to be nice about it? You KNOW it's our only clue we've had for all these years." The other Eero growled back at him. Again, he didn't want to admit it, but he had a point. "Look, I'm sure you've noticed that the pieces look like they fit together like a puzzle. Put it together and see if anything happens. The creature looked like it wanted to protect its master, no?" Eero didn't like the idea of being ordered by his other self, but all he said was true. He did indeed notice that the pieces could very well be put back together. His other self did raise a valid concern, though. Zephyr was quite protective of Poko in the moment. Was there something up with the artifact that he didn't know about? Only time could tell. Eero sighed out of tiredness. Arguing with his other self was quite taxing. "I'll try to put it back together, but please, just give me my body back. I need to go apologize to Poko for YOUR actions." Eero sighed again. The other self just rolled his eyes and before he knew it, he was back.

The boy ran his hands over his face, groaning. What a mess of a day it had become. He met with Poko again, which was great, but it all just went downhill from there. He was hoping that the mood would get better. He took a quick glance around the room, looking for the blonde girl. Of course she wasn't there. He wouldn't want to see eye-to-eye to himself after what happened either. That meant only two options - she went to take a breather into the village or she stayed downstairs, in the pub. Eero hoped that it was the latter and quietly exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

Just as quietly he left the room, he would quietly descend down the stairs. The boy would look around for the blonde haired girl, but couldn't find her. He would decide to walk between the tables, trying to see if she perhaps was at a back or a corner table. He would look around a bit more, finally noticing the blonde haired girl at a back table. With a quiet sigh he would walk over, keeping a little bit of distance from the table, in case she didn't want to see him. "I'm sorry for jumping out at you like that, Poko. It wasn't in my power to stop the outburst, but it's still my fault regardless. I'm sorry." Eero would apologize sincerely in a soft voice, hoping that she would accept the apology.

The girl tried to shift the blame on herself. While it was true that it was Zephyr who knocked the artifact over the railing, it was Eero's fault for letting the emotion get the best of him and letting his other self take over. It didn't seem that the blonde girl noticed the change in Eero in the heat of the moment, though. He was unsure whether he should be glad or pained that the blame ultimately rested on his shoulders. Either way he thought about it though, it was still his body, so it was his fault regardless. He was glad that his other self at least didn't do anything more dangerous than jumping over the railing, which Eero still felt in his legs. When Poko mentioned a possibility of putting the artifact together, he nodded. "Yeah, I'll have to take a better look at the pieces, but I think you are right." The boy would agree with her and sit down, opposite of the blonde girl.

He wanted to tell her. Tell her about the other self that was with him anywhere and everywhere he went. On one hand, he had already revealed the essence of his magic and his past to the blonde girl. On the other hand, the information about his other self just felt too personal. Plus, he didn't want her to become afraid of him, so he decided to keep it a secret, for the time being. "That being said.." Eero would start and look at the girl. "I think I will have to put it back together before I visit Silver Wolf." He wanted to visit the guild quite a lot, as he was debating that he would join them soon after, if they would have him. However, as things were now, he had a bad feeling in his gut, that wasn't letting up. "I feel like a part of me is missing." Eero would say and subconciously reach for his choker and then quickly putting his hand back into his lap when he realized what he was doing. "I don't think I will be able to piece it back together overnight, though. So I'm almost sure that I will have to postpone my visit a bit." Eero would say with sadness in his voice. He didn't want to postpone the visit, but the absence of the artifact made him feel uneasy. He also didn't want to lose any of the pieces on the road, which would make it impossible to put the puzzle back together.

Poko's question took Eero by slight surprise. He didn't expect her to be up for helping him with the puzzle. Mainly because of Zephyr's protective reaction. There must've been something hidden within the artifact. Something meant for his eyes, perhaps? The only way to find out was to put it back together. While he wanted Poko to stay with him, it probably wasn't the wises of ideas. Eero himself had a feeling that it was something he needed to do alone, not to mention the trip the blonde girl was talking about. "I would love for you to stay with me for that, but I feel like it's something I have to do myself. Zephyr probably wouldn't approve of the idea anyway." The boy would say with a smile. Zephyr would most likely disapprove of the idea. "And besides - you have your own business to take of, don't you? I don't want to keep you away from it." Eero would point out Poko's own things that she was supposed to take care of. "I can assure you, though - as soon as I put the puzzle together I will be on my way to the Silver Wolf. Either it will be me waiting for you there, or you for me. But I will be there, I promise." The boy would try his best to convince the blonde girl that his intention to visit Silver Wolf's guildhall did not change in the slightest.

Eero wanted to hear Poko's opinion on what he had just said, but his body would remind him of his human needs. Quite rudely so - by making his stomach growl so loud that Eero was sure that even the bartender must've heard it on the other side of the pub, over the many voices that rang through the room. The boy's cheeks would turn a slight red from the embarassment as he groaned. "Sorry about that."

It seemed that the girl was alright with Eero's decision, even though he knew that she wanted to help. It would be better this way. He didn't want to put her in any more danger than he already has, even if it was unknowingly. Eero was unsure of how long the repair would take. He had no idea how to put the artifact back together. While he was somewhat observant of many different details and what-not, he would have to guess at least several days. Possibly over a week or so. It would also depend on how much time a day he would spend on the repair. Eero did know his bad a bit, however, so he reckoned that he would most likely not rest until he put the puzzle back together or fainted from exhaustion. One or the other.

His stomach growling did kind of ruin the moment, though. At least, that's what it felt like to the boy. But perhaps the duo needed something to make light of the situation, so maybe it wasn't that bad. He didn't expect Poko to be hungry, so he didn't expect her to be down for dinner. The next moment she was already standing, ready to eat her fill. If Eero had to be honest, he was willing to just wait until the next morning's breakfast, since he bought the dried meat and some bread with cheese for the road that now was delayed. On the other hand, he didn't want to make a lady go on empty stomach. He was used to his near-constant hunger, but Poko most likely had a different way of living than he did. With a smile, Eero would stand up from his seat, noticing Zephyr, who got awoken from his nap. "I'm not exactly a picky eater, so I would be completely fine with what they could make here, unless you have something in mind already." The boy would share his thoughts on the question of the dinner. It was true, though - if he was too picky with his food, he felt like he probably would be absolutely starving most of the time with his current eating habits. Luckily for him, he was only picky with his drinks, but he could overcome it, if it came down to that.

It seemed that the blonde girl was fine with the food in the inn, though with some requests. First was that Poko apparently didn't want to deal with the innkeeper at the moment. Which was understandable, given her prior reaction, when she was asking for a room. It made Eero want to giggle, but he knew how embarrased Poko felt at the time. As such, he didn't have issues with going to order for them, including Zephyr. It was the least he could do, considering what Poko had done for him up until that point. The boy would nod as a sign of agreement. "Berries for Zephyr and no meat for the lady, got it. I'll be right back!" Eero would say and walk across the room, over to the innkeep. When he thought about it in hindsight, though, what he had just said sounded so bad. He winced a bit.

The innkeeper saw him coming to the counter and waved at him. Luckily for Eero, he didn't say anything to embarras him. "I would like to order some food and drinks." The boy would ask, politely. "Aye, what can I do fer ye? There's no menu here, I'll give the word to the back and they'll make it fer ye." That made it simpler, but harder to gauge the price. There were worse things to spend one's Jewels on, though, so Eero didn't feel too bad. "Then I'll take two baked potatoes, without meat filling." The main course, check. "A tankard of mead aaand-" He completely forgot to ask Poko about a drink. "-a glass of lemonade or something equally not alcoholic I guess?" The boy would ask-order nervously, which made the innkeep laugh a little. "That all?" He almost forgot. "Oh and some berries on the side, if you have any. Or oats, whichever works for you." The innkeep looked at him funny, but nodded and yelled into the kitchen about the baked potatoes. Eero was about to leave for the table, when the innkeep stopped him. "Just a second, lad, I'll give ye yer drinks." He would say and quickly fill a tankard with mead and a glass with what looked like homemade lemonade. "Thanks." The boy would say and take the drinks back to the table.

Eero would walk back to the table, a tankard in one hand and a glass in the other. He would put the glass near Poko and then sit down and take a sip of the mead. It tasted great - it was a cold version and it wasn't too sweet, which Eero preferred. "I wasn't sure what to order for you, in terms of drinks, so I hope that the lemonade is okay." Eero would share his concern about his choice of a beverage for the girl. He really should've asked her beforehand.

Eero was glad that the lemonade pick was fine. He made at least one good decision this day. The boy would take a drink from his tankard as the blonde girl scrambled to start up the conversation, resorting to a question about his plans. When he thought about it, he discovered that he hadn't made plans that far ahead. Actually he had, but this turn of events changed the directions quite a bit. He did plan on staying with the Silver Wolf guild. If that didn't work out, though... he would have to place himself in a different guild, or stay the nomad of nowhere he was now. "I would like to stay with the Silver Wolf, if at all possible." The boy would share his intentions. "After that I would continue with my research, possibly helping out other guildmates." He would say with a smile.

He felt like he needed to say what his plans would be if what he had just said didn't happen. "And if that didn't work out, I would most likely keep travelling around and researching like I have up until now." It wasn't a bad way to live, Eero had gotten used to it long time ago. Something felt missing, though. A place to return back to. A home, one would call it. Everywhere he went, he was considered a new face. He was used to getting looks every now and then, mostly because of his hair, but it felt strange. There was nowhere where he was recognized by other people, even if as "that kid with weird hair". The thought saddened him. The boy wanted to ask the blonde girl something to keep the conversation going, but he would be interrupted by the innkeep who brought the baked potatoes he had ordered. They were the biggest potatoes he had ever seen, cut in the middle and loaded with a sauce that was heavy on vegetables. They smelled amazing, making his stomach growl again. Steam was still raising from them. The boy would mutter a quick "thanks" before the innkeep went back to the counter, letting the two enjoy the rest of their meal and drinks.

It seemed that the blonde girl was truly happy, when Eero said that he wished to stay with Silver Wolf. Ever since he had heard about the guild form Poko, he kept thinking back on it. He wanted to at least give it a try and see if it was possible for him to join. When he looked into the girl's eyes, he noticed that they changed colours again, now they were yellow, most likely representing a positive emotion, or so he hoped. Poko mentioned her own research that she would tell him if he were to become a member of the guild. The boy felt like he was being teased, but it was an another thing to look forward to. The girl dug in into the food the innkeep brought and Eero did the same. It was great to have some warm food. Eero had been living mostly on dried meat and whatever else he could find along his travels. A meal such as one he had in front of him was quite the luxury.

The boy took a few bites of the potato as Poko talked about her task, that she had mentioned before. A journey for a relic sounded rather intriguing. It reminded him fo the shattered puzzle that laid on the table in the room upstairs. Who knew, maybe it was an ancient relic with powers that were beyond a man's comprehension. Eero highly doubted that theory, though. The boy would take another bite of the potato. "Whatever the relic is supposed to do, I hope that you find it and it helps you." The boy would try to encourage the blonde girl for her road. "I can't wait for the visit. You keep teasing me about the things that could be possible if I joined and I will do my best to do just that." He would say with an amused chuckle. The innkeeper would interrupt them at the table once again, with a small plate in hand that had a mix of oats and wild berries on it. That made Eero realize that he had forgotten that he had ordered food for Zephyr aswell. "We had to look real good fer these, hope ye enjoy 'em." The innkeep would say with a smile, place the plate on the table and walk back to the counter. "I almost forgot that I ordered for Zephyr, too." The boy would say as he eyed the various berries on the plate, trying to see how many he could recognize.