So Close, Yet So Far

Upon opening the door the sight that greeted them besides a barren waiting hall was an elderly man leaning against his desk as he constantly watched the time go by seemingly asleep. Even though he had to have heard them enter he still didn't react until eventually they finally walked up in front of him and he finally slightly grunted a little bit as a seemingly form of acknowledgement.

"uh, he knows we exist right?"

Xelfia not too knowledgeable or experienced in the situation leaned over to whisper that in Xilo's ear but didn't receive a reply. All she could do was watch as Xilo talked to the man instead. Xilo of course didn't ignore Xelfia. He just simply didn't hear her because he was thinking about the familiarity of the person in front of him and was too caught up in that to hear her. After a couple of seconds of thinking he finally figured out where it came from. "The elderly person from before." His air and altitude were practically the same as the woman who helped guide him here. "A couple? Or family of some sort, maybe? Well whatever it is they certainly are unique." Breaking out of his thoughts he went up to the man that was watching over the inn and began his conversation?

"Hi."

"..."

Though it went as he thought it would. "Yea, definitely related. Well at least he should be able to help. I think."

"Uh two rooms then?"

Still no reply but the man at the counter did lift one finger up instead. Though what it could mean he didn't quite know what right away until he repeated himself one more time to make sure but he still got the same form of reply with no changes. "Money? no..Maybe the amount of rooms left? I'm lost. Why is this so hard?"

"is that the rooms we can have?"

With that the man retracted his finger after that as if to confirm his question. Xilo seeing that backed up a little bit to be next to Xelfia again.

"Are you okay with sharing a room or I can sleep outside?"

Though all he got in return was a funny look and a simple reply which took him by surprise.

"Weren't we going to share a room to begin with?"

He didn't how to respond to that so all he could was mechanically turn his head while getting slightly embarrassed. "She's just unknowledgeable that's all, Don't get too ahead of yourself boy." Getting back on track he went back up to the man and nodded. With that the man once again showed his hands but this time he just flashed 5 twice. Though this time Xilo understood that it was probably the amount he had to pay.

"That's fine."

Handing over his medium Astral Stones he watched as the man finally moved from his place accepting his payment and giving him a key to the room. The key number was 218 so that was where they would be staying for the next couple of days. Grabbing the key he turned around and went to Xelfia and brought her up the stairs to their assigned room. But If he was just a bit later in leaving he would have spotted something that shocked him to his core and something that was simply unimaginable for him to see.

A little bit later after the duo had gone upstairs to their room the front door to the inn opened once again and in walked a purple haired woman. The one that had been bothering them from before. When she walked in the first thing she did was run up to the man at the desk and quickly gave him a hug. Meanwhile the man himself had a completely different air and attitude around this girl as well. Like they weren't even the same person. Seeing her run towards him he smiled gently and awaited her tackle hug.

*Bumf*

With a slight sound as they collided she barreled into him as he caught her and braced her impact easily. After a couple of seconds of giving him a hug she finally let go and took a couple steps back so she could talk with him.

"Hey, hey guess what?"

"What is it, Tearia"

"Something really, really great happened today."

With that she started bouncing around the empty hall in complete joy even forgetting the fact that she was talking to someone while she immersed herself in her memories until eventually she remembered what had happened at the end and stopped. The man didn't reply or ask any questions he just watched over her happily until she was finished. Noticing her face though when she abruptly stopped he got worried.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, But what happened was I met the love of my life today, He was so handsome and fiendish I absolutely loved it."

"The love of your life you say?"

The man knew of his granddaughter's ways from a young age but he simply didn't have the heart to change the way she acted or stop her from getting what she wanted. He was a doting grandparent even if he said so himself. But she definitely deserved it especially with all the things she had done for him and his wife over the years even when she didn't have to. So well he wouldn't intentionally intervene with her wants he would if it got dangerous for her.

"Yes, yes he's so awesome! haaa I love just thinking about it, I can't wait to see him again."

"So do you know his name?"

"Of course I know his name Papa, It's, it's, it's....."

With that she went into her thoughts trying to recall his name that she heard today but came up blank unfortunately. "How do I not know his name?" That thought ran through her mind but then she remembered how she was rudely interrupted by the woman and just associated her with the reason why.

"Do you not know it? that's no good you know."

Stomping slightly she went out of her thoughts.

"If it wasn't for her I would have known his name Damnit!"

"Her?"

"Ya some random woman stopped me from talking to him. But it doesn't matter next time I see him I'll ask for sure. But that doesn't matter. What's important is how I felt."

"yes, yes sweetie, Just be careful okay?"

"I can handle myself." With that she turned to go to her room which was in the back of the Dirshel Inn and turned in for the night herself dreaming of the days to come for her. Leaving her grandfather to his worrisome thoughts on the situation. But there was nothing he could do. "She's a whimsical one, Ahhhh.... Just like her and her mother. Maybe I should be stricter sometimes." Though every time he thought about being harder on her it just made him wince in pain. "Just a pushover.."

"Haa..."

With a slight sigh he went back to the way Xilo and Xelfia had met him and continued to watch as the clock ticked on and on.