[Social - Leona & Eero] Of Tea and Spar

It was quite a lovely day. Slightly chilly outside, but for Eero it was perfect. He had been sleeping off his latest ventures outside of the Guild. Almost all of them were conducted in the name of science and research, but all of them included Eero being outside. He didn't want to say it, but he felt better after going outside, instead being holed up in his room, trying to revive his personal research topic. Even if the experiences he had were questionable at best. The boy slightly slept in, but he didn't have a set alarm, so it didn't really matter too much. He was just surprised that his inner clock let him sleep for a little bit longer the last few days. Not even Soho woke him up. Eero did his morning routine, including re-spiking his hair, which took him a while longer than he anticipated, because his arms felt like butter. With a yawn he washed his favourite green mug that had 'Campe Diem' written on it in yellow.

After wiping the mug, he filled his kettle with water and let it boil. In the meantime, he let out Soho to stretch his wings properly and to hunt for some breakfast. He then would look through his tea collection. /"I want to have some black tea, but green would probably be better. It's morning, after all."/ He thought amusedly. Green tea was good for energy. Eero once made a mistake of drinking a cup of green tea late in the evening and then he almost pulled an unintentional all-nighter. Ever since he did that, he only drank green tea in the morning or in the afternoon. As much as he loved tea, he hated picking a tea to drink. With a smile he took out a tin that contained his green tea supply and took out one of his self-made teabags out of it. The water boiled, but Eero let it cool down a bit. As he waited for the water's temperature to drop, he mused as to what he was going to do for the day. He really wasn't in the mood for any serious research, so that idea was out of the window. /"But maybe.."/ Eero remembered that he had an idea of a training session not too long ago. The boy would look down on his arms that looked like sad sticks. He could definitely use some training.

With a mug of tea, the boy entered the outside training area. It was more suited for archers and other ranged weapons, but there was more than plenty of space for melee training aswell. Several benches were lined near the door that led to the outside area for people to rest and plop down their things while they trained. Eero didn't have anything with him other than the loose sweatpants and a tight blue t-shirt he wore and the mug he held in his hands, so he plopped himself down on the one that was nearest to the door. He wanted to finish his tea first, before doing anything.

Eero took a few sips of his tea, before he stood up and stretched his back a little. He would have to do a full stretch excercise routine to not pull a muscle, while training and working out. The boy yawned and took an another sip of tea. He was just standing there for a few moments, taking a moment to let his muscles realise that he was going to use them, extensively in a little bit. And also finish his tea. This intention, however, was interrupted, by a voice that he recognised all too well now. Leona. The boy would turn to his guildmate with a smile. "Hello, Leona!" He would greet her back.

"I took a bit to rest from our latest adventure, so I feel better." Their last venture had them head into the Spooky Forest. A lot of things have transpired, such as seeing horrifying creatures in the shadows of the trees and gathering resources for weapon research and creation. Oh, and his other self getting some spotlight. How could he forget about that part? "I was hoping that I would force myself to do some training, instead of sitting above books all day again." Eero would share his idea to Leona. "How about you? Are you out for something in particular?" He would ask his guildmate in return and take a sip from his now lukewarm tea.

Keeping the Guild safe was a good idea. However, they were in quite a secluded area. Not to mention that they were protected by an everlasting blizzard and spirit wolves. As long as nobody managed to get past all of those hurdles, Eero thought they were really safe. The maximum he could think would be the destructive potential of the Guild's members. Which included himself, of course. He was very well aware the risks of his other self, but at the same time he believed that even his other self had a bit of common sense not to thrash the Guildhall. The boy would take a sip of his tea, slowly nearing the bottom, as Leona asked him if he had seen anything susupicious or out of the ordinary happening. "No, not really. Other than myself, of course." Eero would give a small chuckle. Not the best joke, but hey, he wasn't a comedian.

"I think that the only real risk is getting attacked from the inside. And even that is highly unlikely. I hope." The boy would share his thoughts with his guildmate. "Thanks for keeping the Guild safe, though." He would thank Leona. It did made Eero feel a bit more at ease, knowing that Leona was looking out for their safety. Perhaps he should do something that actually benefited the Guild, rather than just focusing on his personal adventures and research. He could start by getting stronger? Eero would finish the rest of his now almost cold tea and set down his on a bench behind him. He would then turn to his guildmate. "Hey. I'd like to ask.." Eero hesitated for a moment. "How does one get stronger?" It was an honest question. He was well aware that there were many kind of strengths and such, but he wanted to know what Leona made of it, since he couldn't exactly wrap his head around it.

To get stronger, one had to put themselves in danger, Leona said. The boy listened, intently, to his guildmate's answer. She did have a point, but was fighting the undead and bandits truly the only way? He still didn't know. He knew that by overcoming one's limits can one get stronger, but that just frustrated him more. Something told him that that was the intended way for his magic to get stronger. But did he want to kill other people to get stronger? Eero was sure that his other self would have no problems with that, including fighting till the bitter end with bandit leaders. However, Leona then asked him whether he was looking for some bounties to complete.

The answer was both simple and complex. Once more, all of what he wanted to do, had to do with recovering his memories, one of his ultimate goals. Thinking only about himself, again. Selfish. Eero groaned. "I'm not really interested in bounties." He would answer truthfully. Bounties and hunts were things that went above his head. "I just believe that to unlock the way to finding my memories I have to get stronger." The boy would sigh. "That only that way I will uncover fragments of who I used to be." It was a good question. Who did he used to be? He thought that without strength he would never find out. Eero would run his hands through his hair and clutch the spikes. "It's so frustrating! How? Why? Why was it me?!" The boy involuntarily raised his voice in frustration. As of late he didn't have too much time to think on his missing past. But now that he had some time on his hands, his thoughts just wandered over to that gaping void in his mind. Eero used to deal with that fact quite well before. However, since he had uncovered those few teeny tiny fragments, he knew there had to be more. And it gnawed on him, not knowing how to find the other fragments.

It seemed that Leona was questioning her place in the Silver Wolf. If Eero had to be honest, Leona was the person the Guild needed the most. The boy would let go of his hair. "Maybe you aren't the best researcher in the Guild, but you have other talents and abilities that others do not. You saved my life, for example, because I didn't foresee the danger. We could use more people like you." The boy would say. He would've died in that forest if it weren't for Leona. However, when his guildmate said that he should try searching for his identity back home, he just got more frustrated. That was the problem he had.

Eero would shake his head. "Leona.. I don't think you understand. It's not just that I don't know who I am but.." The boy would sigh sit down on the ground. "I don't remember anything." He would whisper with sadness in his voice. There was absolutely nothing. No home. No family. No past. "Up until a certain point, when I woke up in middle of nowhere, I don't remember anything." Eero would put his head into his hands. What happened to him? What happened that it resulted in his memory vanishing? "I found some tiny fragments after Zephyr broke my artifact and I put it back together, but it only makes me more frustrated, because I can't find anything else." The boy would sigh. "I just.. I don't know anymore." Eero would say quietly. As frustrated as he was, letting that out made him feel a little bit better.

They did sort of save each other. But Eero still didn't think that saving life of another was equal to giving an ingredient to another. "Maybe we need a team formed within the Guild." The boy would say. He felt like the Guild needed a team that could be relied upon when there was a need for something serious and official. When Leona heard Zephyr's name, she perked up, inquiring about them. The boy would look at his guildmate slightly confused. "Zephyr is Poko's little floating buddy." The boy would explain. "Before I joined Silver Wolf I met Poko in the Peace Village. She asked me to see the artifact. I was about to hand it to her when Zephyr knocked it out of my hand. We were standing on a balcony, so it fell over the railing and it shattered. After I put it back together I got a glimpse of a few fragments of my memories. That was when my previous magic got overriden by the one that slept within me." Eero would give his guildmate a summary of that day in a strained voice. It felt like a lifetime ago, since that happened.

While the shattering of the artifact had worked once, Eero didn't want to just keep smashing it apart to see if it would trigger more fragments."Maybe I should just keep up at my studies, to keep my mind occupied, like I used to do." Eero would sigh. The case of missing memories wasn't something that could be solved overnight. Maybe it could, but he felt like his case is somewhat different. Especially considering his other, darker self, who had been with him ever since he had woken up that day. The boy would stand up with a groan and dust himself off. "After all, there are more important things than my own, selfish needs." He would say and he meant it. As of late he was only thinking of himself and the issues he had. The void in his mind hurt, but he would endure it. He had to. "Would you mind sparring with me for a moment? I still would like to get stronger, so that I can protect the Guild, like you do." Eero would ask his guildmate. He was planning on just doing some excercises, but having somebody to spar with would be a better practice. Besides, he still needed to get his mind off of the issue of his memories.

Eero was surprised to hear that Leona didn't know too much about Poko. Not that he knew a lot himself, but he thought that getting to know Zephyr went hand in hand with knowing Poko. However, he wasn't really in the position to judge how much time other guildmates spent with Poko. Especially now that she was their Guildmaster; she must've been quite busy anyway. Eero did say that he met Poko in the Peace Village, but that wasn't first their encounter. "I've met Poko before our encounter in the Peace Village, but yeah.. I don't know if returning would do anything." The boy would say. He was aware that for some people who had lost memories revisiting places that seemed familiar to them triggered select memories to return, but.. Eero didn't exactly feel familiar with any place he had come across. But then again, one never knew.

It seemed that the idea of a team intrigued Leona. "Perhaps we could start as just us two and then maybe add somebody later, if they would be up for it?" There was no need to forcefully add somebody to a team. They could always have somebody join them at a later date. No need to rush. Eero was glad that Leona had agreed to the spar invitation. He was sure that his guildmate was much stronger than him, especially since she was appointed an Ace. He couldn't get stronger without at least some challenge, right? "I would like to fight with just our fisticuffs. I don't want to use my magic and I left my staff upstairs." The boy would say as he walked towards the more open area of the outside training area. Such close combat was his weakest link, he felt like, anyway. His body wasn't used to too much physical exertion, since he spent a lot of time sitting and studying. Eero felt like he needed to improve himself, in that regard. Or at least having better fighting techniques. "Just don't beat me up too much. I'm not the sturdiest." Eero would chuckle at his own weakness. Thought he really meant it. He didn't want Leona to snap him in half.

Eero was glad that Leona agreed to his idea of forming a team. The boy just felt like the Guild could use some form of stability. He hoped that this move would help to accomplish that. Besides, he felt like keeping his other self from an another teammate would feel unfair, so he would be, in a sense, forced to tell them about it. And quite frankly, he wasn't ready quite yet. He needed.. to figure himself out, first.

Leona disappeared for a little bit to return some of her things to her room and Eero patiently awaited her return. Thankfully, his guildmate returned promptly and joined him in the training area. After Leona got into position, a group of wolves appeared. Eero wasn't sure what to make of them, but after Leona asked them whether they were there so that no interruptions happened, he understood. It also limited their fighting space. They shouldn't need too much space, but one never knew. He was about to stretch a little bit, when Leona gave him the first move. "Wow, you really don't think that I'm that capable, huh?" The boy would laugh in good spirit and stretch his arms. While what he said before about him not having almost any muscles was true, it was true to a degree. Ever since he put that puzzle together and reawakened to his current magic, he felt stronger. As if he had realised the strength that was sleeping within. Though it most likely still didn't match up to somebody like Leona. Still, he would give it his all and not embarrass himself too much.

The boy would relax his body and assume his fighting stance. He set his feet slightly apart, his arms resting by his sides. No magic, just pure melee. Eero also needed to make sure that he didn't become too heated so his other self wouldn't receive the reins and ruin everything. After a short moment Eero would launch himself forward towards Leona, angled slightly to his left. He would be relying on his speed and perhaps a bit on the element of surprise. If his hit would connect, he would give Leona a jab on her right arm and then slightly ducking his head, in anticipation of a hit in retaliation.

Fortunately, Eero's swift strike seemed to surprise Leona, so his hit connected. He also managed to dodge the first strike that Leona sent his wave by ducking preemptively. It left him slightly vulnerable and his guildmate took full advantage of it. He saw Leona winding up with her leg for a sweep, but his body was too slow to react in time, so the kick disturbed his balance and gave way for Leona's punch that he had absolutely no way to dodge. He got hit pretty much square in the chest, which made him groan and reel back a step.

Leona stepped back herself, ready to strike whenever. Eero knew that if he took a few more punches like that and he would be knocked out like a sack of potatoes. Speed was the only thing he had going for him in this match. Before he could overthink things, Eero would launch himself forward, the very same manner as before. However, instead of attempting a jab at his guildmate, a short distance away from Leona he would dip on the ground and semi-slide, with his leg aimed at Leona's with the intent of knocking her off her feet or at least balance. If the hit connected, Eero would push himself up and jab at Leona's side once more.

Eero's hits managed to connect, somewhat to his surprise. But Leona was much sturdier than he was, so he was quite positive that his guildmate could take many more hits that the few he managed to land. Not to mention that Eero himself hit like a pansy, so he felt like it would take him an eternity to wear Leona down. He would get tired way before he could accomplish that. The boy noticed Leona's move and put up his arms to block the incoming hit. While he managed to block it, it didn't mean that it didn't hurt. The second hit, however, which was the same leg sweep that Leona had already used, messed up his balance again and his guildmate had time to step back.

Eero didn't want to admit it, but even if he kept on using his speed and agility, he wouldn't be able to beat Leona's strength that he didn't have. Yes, yes, wits often surpassed force, but this time he wasn't so sure. He needed- /"Hey bud."/ His other self..? /"Come on, let me in for just teeny tiny moment."/ No. /"I will win you your so much deserved pride and place within the Guild, easy peasy."/ Get out of my head. The boy would shake his head. He was losing his focus and his other self knew about that. He stood ready to take advantage of any opening that Eero would let him have. The call is so strong, though.. So tempting.. In his unfocused and confused state, the boy instinctively launched himself forward once more. But this time he didn't change the direction or tried any flashy moves. Aside from fist raised and aimed at Leona's head. Few moments before he got close enough to hitting his guildmate Eero realized what he was doing and made himself trip over, to stop. He would roll on the ground a little, stopping in front of Leona. "I.. I'm sorry. I can't. I concede." Eero would say, his head down, without looking up at his guildmate.

Leona seemed to be worried about Eero. The boy just sighed and stood up. He would dust himself off, but some of the dirt still remained. He would have to do some laundry soon enough. "I'm fine, I'm fine." Eero would say, but he didn't sound extra convincing that he was 'fine'. "He wanted to take over. To win the spar." He would say, quietly. "To win me pride and place within the Guild." Eero would add afterwards and shake his head. "He would've hurt you. I didn't want that." The boy would try to explain what happened in his head.

He felt like he needed a break. And tea. Definitely some tea would be perfect right about now. "Sorry for ruining our spar like this." Eero would apologize to his guildmate. He honestly didn't expect his other self to encroach on his sanity like this. The boy would sigh. "I think I'm going to make me some tea to feel a little bit better. Want me to make you some aswell?" Eero would pass an offer to Leona for a nice cup of tea to forget the last part of the sparring match.

Indeed, everything that Leona had said, sounded corny. While it was true that he had done all of the things she had mentioned, when it came to the territory of the research, the boy could only sigh. "I may be a better at reading books, but I have nothing to show for it. That's why I have been slowly shifting my research and possibly aim towards technology." Eero would say. He felt like the origins of magic research would have to be put on the back end, collecting information as it came by, instead of forcing it. "And I have to keep going. If I was held back by my fear of the artifact or my other self, I never would've left my innroom that I woke up in after I lost my memories." Eero would never forget the moment he realized that he couldn't remember anything, after he woke up in that bed.

The boy would shake his head. The only way he would ever feel completely at ease, would be when he would deal with with his other self and memories. But the task was quite daunting. "Don't worry, though. I'm fine. I will find my memories, one day." Eero would say, determined. "And I will deal with my other self. One way or another." The boy would nod. "So about that tea..?"