Sean eased back from the bucket and positioned himself back into his chair with a light groan. He couldn't believe such a small bite had knocked him on his ass. Mark pushed the plate of his veggies toward him, telling him more sympathetically. "I really am sorry. Why would someone add that into the game?" Sean sucked on a piece of orange in the hopes that the citrus flavor would remove the awful lingering taste from his bile in his mouth. Shrugging to Mark, he removed the piece of orange to answer flatly. "No idea. For realism, I'd guess? Clearly a lot of time and programing was put into the game for things to... taste and feel the way they do. But... nothing in the game guides talked about racial traits dictating our character's actions. You'd think they'd mention something like that." Mark picked strips of meat off his food with his fingers, his eyes darting around the room to observe other players. Sean ate the piece of orange, before asking Mark curiously. "Do you not feel any different?"

Mark's gaze returned to him, and he shrugged out honestly. "Not really. I feel... the same. I can eat and drink whatever I want. I don't feel restricted." Sean rolled his eyes, informing him coolly. "I'm not restricted from doing it. You saw that I could eat it. My body just... didn't let me keep it down and it didn't heal my health bar at all. So, it's not that I can't do something. It's more like..." Mark finished for him when he trailed off. "More like the game set up safety bars. You don't get anything from acting outside your racial traits." Sean nodded, stating out lightly in return. "Exactly. Are you sure that you don't feel that?" Mark shook his head, taking a sip from his horn tankard. Sean grimaced, taking in the other players now. Since he'd hurled, a lot of players were nervously eating and tasting what they couldn't eat or drink. Mark drew his attention back by suddenly setting down his tankard and asking him curiously. "Sean? Do you think this is the headgears doing?"

Sean blinked with a perplexed look, prompting Mark to lean on the table as he regaled in a hushed tone of voice. "Hear me out. They say the mind is a powerful engine by itself. So, what if the headgear is simply stimulating our own brains to simulate the taste, smell, and the feeling of things in this world through what we recall about those objects?" Sean dropped his gaze to the wooden table and subconsciously ran his fingers over it, feeling the grain beneath his fingers. Meeting Mark's eyes again, he blurted out seriously. "But I've never had my hand impaled but a spike. So how would my body know what that feels like?" Mark chuckled, telling him a little smugly. "You know it would hurt like hell though. You've gotten hurt before. Your body knows what pain feels like and what your pain tolerance is." Sean let that sink in a moment, before asking nervously. "What are you getting at, Mark?" Mark reached out to touch his hand, causing Sean to curl his fingers to hide them beneath Mark's warm hand.

With his hand draped over Sean's, Mark whispered to him seriously. "What if it isn't the headgear killing us... but our own minds. The game is forcing our own brains to believe this is all real. So, when we die in the game... it tricks our bodies into believing that we have really died." Sean huffed softly, mumbling out under his breath. "I could see that. But what does this have to do with the racial traits?" Mark licked his dry lips, before openly regaling. "The headgear saves the data of our characters, right? It is programed to show us the game and its world elements. So, if our bodies in this world are what the headgear and game have programed... Then do you think our mind is adapting our avatars to follow that programing? Almost subliminally?" Sean tensed, grabbing Mark's hand that rested on his, when he stated out in a stunned whisper. "Oh, fuck... You think this is going to brainwash us into acting like our race?" Mark squeezed his hand, trying to keep his voice low and calm, when he answered. "It could. Depends on how long we are in here for. But if we get nothing from acting outside our racial traits, then it could condition people to act a certain way."

Swallowing, Sean glanced at the other races scattered throughout the tavern before asking Mark uneasily. "If that's true then... What about the Draugrs' racial traits?" Mark looked around the tavern discreetly. Out of all the races that were present, the Draugr players weren't among them. When Mark's dark eyes met with his, there was a seriousness to his voice when he told him. "That's what I'm worried about. Draugr are described in the guide as creatures that can't feel pain, have human intelligence, and harbor a deep anger and hate for the living. If they follow their character traits in order to level up in this game..." Sean felt like his blood turned to ice when he answered for him. "Then they'll have to kill players. Oh fuck... this game just got a whole lot scarier." Mark slid his hand off Sean's, leaning back in his chair when he told him reluctantly. "That guild we saw earlier. The Specters of Death. We have to be careful. We can't underestimate them. While they can't kill us in town... they could kill us during a boss fight. It would earn them more points and give them greater rewards from the fallen players as well as the boss."

Shaking his head, Sean ran a hand through his loose brown bangs as he grumbled out sourly. "Sons of bitches... They could be doing that now. What do we do? Do we risk going after the big boss tonight or waiting?" Mark snorted, telling him seriously. "I don't think we can tonight. We need to buy better armor and weapons. We need to stock up on whatever heals us in the game. That alone could take us all day tomorrow. And I don't think jumping straight into another boss fight is the best idea. We need to rest and get our heads in the right place first. Maybe find something out on this big boss that could help us prepare for him." Sean sighed, admitting reluctantly. "But the longer we wait, the more people will die." Mark leaned forward, ruffling Sean's hair soothingly, when he told him in a gentle voice. "We won't be able to save everyone, Sean. And we're no good to the rest if we don't take care of ourselves and prepare properly." Mark's finger moved through his hair, then one of his fingers traced along one of Sean's long pointed elf ears to the tip.

The gesture was just Mark being playful to lighten the mood, but it still made Sean blush and shiver a little. He missed how Mark could never seem to keep his hands off him. It had been comforting during his panels with him. He'd always been so nervous and scared to be the center of attention, but Mark's touches had always calmed him and made him feel safe. With his hand so strong, and his touch so warm and inviting. Mark chuckled, his finger touching Sean's flushed cheek, before telling him sweetly. "Come on. Let's go back to the inn. It's getting late and we should go before we're recognized." Sean nodded, easing up from his seat to follow him. He couldn't meet Mark's eyes, but it didn't bother Mark. He was used to it. Mark paid for their dinner, then put his hand to Sean's exposed lower back to coax him out the door. His touch sent tingles up his spine and made his long dragonfly wings twitch nervously. Mark's touch was brief, vanishing off him the moment they stepped out the door.

While walking down the road though, Mark smiled at him and asked curiously to lighten the mood. "I saw you flying around in the mine. Was it fun? It looked fun." Rolling his eyes, Sean shrugged out. "I thought having wings would help me get over my fear of heights... Instead, I have a fear of falling from a great height." Mark snorted, slowing enough in his pace that he could tease into his ear. "You always had a fear of falling. You've never had a fear of being up high." Sean shoved him with a little giggle. Mark chuckled in an all to familiar way, shoving him back with his shoulder as he added innocently. "It's true. You love the view from high places. You enjoy looking at how tall things are compared to you. You're only scared of falling." Rolling his eyes, Sean mumbled out under his breath. "Ya... Well... You'd be scared of falling too." Mark gently grabbed his arm, pulling him off to the side to keep from blocking the inn's door. Sean faced him, unsure what Mark wanted.

Mark brushed Sean's long bangs away from his eyes, before leaning in to whisper to him with a soft smug grin. "The fall doesn't scare me, Jack. It never did." Sean watched Mark's smug smile fade from his face. His hand reaching up to cup his cheek lovingly, coaxing him to inch close enough that their foreheads touched. Closing his eyes, Mark inhaled slowly before whispering to Sean in a voice full of longing. "The only thing that scares me is failure. Knowing I failed you... Forcing myself to walk away but knowing deep down that you didn't want me too." Sean swallowed passed the lump forming in his throat and shut his eyes to try and fight back the tears threatening to fall. Mark's thumb brushed over his cheek, his lips ghosting over his when he whispered to him in a deep buttery voice. "I've never hid anything from you... and I don't want to start now. Jack...? I still have strong feelings for you. But I won't let that get in the way if you don't want-" The door to the inn opened, causing Mark to stop talking.

Sean reluctantly jerked back away from Mark, watching two girls chat as they walked off without noticing them. By the time Sean looked back at Mark, Mark's mood had changed, and he was heading inside. Sean kicked himself for being startled by the girls. He hadn't meant to step away like that and make Mark think he was trying to avoid the conversation. Trying to think of a way to fix it, Sean followed him up the steps and into their room. Upon closing the door and locking it behind them, Sean finally spoke out a little nervous but sincerely. "Mark? I'm sorry that I picked Signe over you. You and Amy are so close... I wanted that. I was scared of being alone. I didn't want to share you with her, but I wasn't confident enough in my own sexuality to ask you to leave her for me. I couldn't do that to you... I was confused and... I just wanted Signe to stay with me. I didn't realize how much she was pushing me away from you, until... Until it was too late." Sniffling, Sean hugged himself and avoided looking at Mark, but told him honestly. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I mean... I love Gabby... but I miss us so much it hurts."

Sliding down the door, Sean dropped his head over his raised knees and tried to stop himself from crying, but he couldn't. He felt like a shaken soda bottle with the cap blown off from the pressure. He hadn't noticed that Mark had moved, until he felt his warm hand rubbing his shoulder and neck. Looking up into Mark's strong teddy bear brown eyes, he locked his jaw to keep it from shaking. Mark gave him a small warm smile, before telling him so beautifully. "There is nothing wrong with you, Jack. Emotions are complicated. You want me. I'm here. I'm still your friend. You haven't lost me. You hurt me, yes... but what's life without a few scars?" A weak snort escaped Sean, but he put a hand on Mark's bare shoulder as a way to keep him from feeling like he was sinking emotionally. Mark brushed the line of tears off one of his cheeks, telling him lovingly. "Hey...? It's ok. Let's just... move on." Sean's heart cracked at the thought of Mark implying that he wanted to move on from him.

His emotions mixed into a mess, until he just acted. Dropping his legs down, Sean cupped Mark's face and leaned in quickly to kiss him. Sean's fingers slowly moved along Mark's cheek to his neck, then up the back of his neck and into his fluffy shoulder length hair. He didn't want Mark to pull away. He wanted to savor this kiss while he had him. He'd never kissed Mark before now. Everything before now had been flirty and playful teasing... but in this one moment that all melted away. He'd shattered that childlike innocence in the hopes of being closer to Mark. Distant thoughts tried to stop him from doing this. Reminding him that Mark was bisexual and had probably kissed Amy like this a hundred times. Yet, as Mark's hand tilted Sean's head back to deepen their kiss, he blocked out those thoughts. In this moment, he didn't care if he had to share Mark with Amy. He'd do anything to keep Mark close. To feel safe and loved so deeply. Nothing else mattered.

Every part of Sean was working in overdrive. Any place Mark touched set his skin on fire with a warmth that melted him to the core. The longer their passionate kiss continued, the more Sean felt like he was floating as he grew more and more lightheaded from how breathless he was. By the time Mark's lips reluctantly pried off his, Sean thought he might pass out. He was thankful that he was sitting down. Closing his eyes, Sean tried to calm himself down as his anxiety started to rise. He could feel his blush spreading across his cheeks to the tips of his long pointed ears. Would Mark be made at him? Would he reject him? His heart beat faster and faster, until Mark's beautiful deep voice purred out to him. "Still so brash... but I still love that about you. My Jack." Sean bit his bottom lip lightly as relief flooded him, before he leaned back in to kiss him again. Only a bit slower and less eager this time. The kiss didn't last as long, but Sean compensated for it by hugging Mark. To Be Continued...