Elora

A call of encouragement warranted another step forward as Elora pretended to be taking her sweet time with swimming out to sea. "I'm just -- adjusting to the temperature." It was a pretty flimsy excuse, given that this world had a way of moderating one's exposure to any uncomfortable element. Luckily, you could always rely on the mind to reinforce years-long aversions to anything it deemed 'uncomfortable'. "Are you alright in the water?", Freyd seemed to be catching on, "I should have asked first." "Best to just dive in and get over it all in one go...", he offered as a suggestion.

Elora's brows rose in curiosity, then furrowed with concern. "Well...", she began with fidgeting fingers, the mug-full of tea now planted firmly beside them, "It's been all sorts of things...A lot of times, I can't see or hear, I just feel...paralyzed." Her blue eyes grew colder for a moment as they recounted something distant. "There's always a sense of dread, some sort of wrongness that I can't shake." A steady breeze caused ashy willow branches to billow and sway overhead. "Once and a while, I hear voices, or see a shadow. It's like someone is there, but I can never make out who." Fre

"Is something bothering you? Maybe keeping you from sleeping?" Elora could feel a worry swell within her chest as fingertips twitched in response to his touch. For as outwardly as she expressed her more volatile emotions, she had a surprising tendency to hold those most vulnerable close to her chest. Where she had previously struggled with admitting her weaknesses, she now needed to consider the wellbeing of those who cared for her. It's nothing different than before., she tried to rationalize, I didn't want them to know how much I sucked at things, but...they accepted me anyways. I'm su

"I used to think it might be possible to train yourself to ignore sleep in the game. To an extent, it is possible, the effects inevitably catch yup with you. Everything has a price." "Can't say I've done the same intentionally, but yeah, I've only been able to stay up a couple of days before it got to be too much." A few weary blinks welcomed memories of multi-day questlines when rest could only be achieved after hours of searching, sparring, and other at times, escaping from their exhaustive objectives. She smiled as echoes of 'FIND THEM! I WANT THEIR SPLEENS!' seemed more like cartoon

Borris briefly bulked up in pride before promptly rolling forward and plummeting into the pool below. He liked to test death like that. "Oh gosh --", Elora chimed up as feet carried her to the rim of the recess, "Did he just dive in --? I'm gonna have to collect him later..." For a moment, she'd adopted the semi-frustrated, but mostly haggard, expression of a parent with a runaway toddler. Plopping to a seat beside her partner, she belatedly recalled his greeting. "Hi", she replied succinctly. He'd only said 'hello', hadn't he? "I'm glad that I can rely on you to be up during any time of

The world was spinning. Elora's mind felt scattered, suspended in a sea of staticky sensations and nauseating frequencies. A dull hum thrummed through her ears, compressing her head like a severe congestion. She could feel her form crumble as it morphed into something piercing, a violent cacophony of needles and screeches. Why am I here?, she pleaded as her conscious tried to pry itself from the painful nightmare. Before she could escape, her chest seized with a sudden constriction. It was as if a hundred stitches had synched shut from a single tug. She gasped for air -- and clawed off th

The screeching sound of metal grating against metal comendiered Elora’s attention in an instant. Her feet fumbled in search of a foothold as she was suddenly thrust off-balance by the combined momentum of Bahr’s shove and her retreating spear. With little time to correct her course, the emerald-haired player followed the weapon’s trajectory. Its braided hilt planted into the stone below, haphazardly breaking the fall of her buckling knees. A shout of alarm was immediately overwhelmed by the Titan’s hulking swing. In a rush of gleaming titanium, Bahr was practically wiped from one end of t

"So smack it, but not too hard -- I think I can manage that", she resolved between careful steps. The intricate weapon materialized into her grasp as Elora prepared for her attack. Gone were the days where she carelessly rushed into combat without hesitation. Instead, she spared a few moments to inspect her surroundings and to still her breathing. The later proved to be a challenge. Swallowed by the shadow of such a hulking figure stirred moths in her stomach, making her second-guess whether or not she was truly capable of kicking its shiny metal ass. "Right -- I'm just gonna --", she undertoo

Elora shook her head in befuddlement, "Guess so -- he just gets that way sometimes." A smile between bites of fruit suggested that she didn't mind the sentiment, nor his discomfort with transparency. "He's a dork, but I wouldn't have it any other way. See you in the water?" "Totally", she finally added, "Just don't get a cramp --" Elora stopped herself after remembering they didn't need to worry about such things here. Who even gets cramps, anyway? I've never had one from swimming after eating. Must be some sort of parental conspiracy. By the time she'd reached the end of that thoug

"Oh yeah", she recalled with a thumb to her chin, "I always forget these things exist. I should really start packing one with me -- it's convenient you have two." Teleport crystals were something she rarely used. It seemed a lot more natural, no, more real just to walk everywhere she went. Still, it would be reckless for her not to keep some in her inventory. Just in case. "I've had my share of companions in this world,", Bahr soon began to tell her, "but sometimes it's necessary to tackle a quest like this alone. Keeps things simpler, less room for distractions. Besides, it's not often I

I liked the concept of this boss a lot but found a bit more to be desired with the narrative and combat. Tying the sister Ronbaru Roundtable event in with the boss fight was a really nice touch, I just wish it could have been a little more prevalent on our end so as to add a bit more flavor to the battle. I had a difficult time knowing how to interact with Wushen outside of repeating attacks since most of his posts were internal dialogue vs anything that our players could actually hear to react to. My only critique of the combat is that it felt like there was a lot going on, more than I w

Elora laughed nervously from their adoration, sand spilling between her toes as she awkwardly shifted her weight from side to side. Her attire was, admittedly, outside of her comfort zone, but she did her best to wear it with confidence. "Let's just enjoy it and take it easy for awhile." "Don't have to tell me twice!", she proclaimed before plopping onto the checkered picnic blanket. Quickly helping herself to the appetizing assortment of snacks, Elora spared a moment to fully inspect Freyd's features. His muscles were so much larger than before, though still flattering for his more

"Alright. I get it. But you gotta cut it out with those eyes and the self-deprecation." As if by instinct, Elora's pointed ears swung back up in concession. "Right!", she agreed with two determined fists, "I'll save those for anyone else who tries to fuck with us!" Who knew that womanly wiles actually worked! And so, the reinvigorated player diligently paced behind Bahr's heels like an imprinted duckling, making sure not to become too fixated on the way each wall seemed to ungulate around them. The place definitely had a sense of majesty that both complemented and contrasted its blea

Elora could feel her body become reinvigorated with the help of Hirru's spell. Although her exhaustion was far from cured, she felt strong enough to administer one final attack. "Thank you!", she shouted over to her green-haired companion. "I think we're gonna need to buy you a drink after this", she soon added with a weary chuckle. Elora could only hope that the battle would be over after this barrage of attacks. Otherwise, the next best thing she could contribute was a thumbs-up from the sidelines as the others carried on with the assault. Setting her sights on the belly of the beast, s

Elora was momentarily taken aback by Mina's drastic shift in demeanor, but soon appreciated the metaphorical olive-branch to opening up. Honestly, this version of her seemed a lot more palatable than the one previous. There were only so many superficial niceties Elora could handle before she'd become frustrated or bored. Another spoonful of soggy rice prefaced the following conversation. "...Its why he uses knuckle dusters and handwraps instead of bladed weapons." Huh, just like Salem, she recalled her interactions with the unusually introverted new player, Seems like knuckle users r

"Forgive me for saying so, but I'm not sure that's the best idea..." Elora's expression gradually shifted from one of excitement to dejection as the lone player began to discourage her accompaniment. With drooping ears and a deflated posture, the small elven woman started to look more like a wounded puppy than a confident combatant. He's right,, she regarded in response to his observation, Even if the Shadow increased my rank, I'm still just an inexperienced player who doesn't know how to handle a fight. Eyes drawn down to her weapon, Elora considered what the verdigris spear symbolized t

A blur of shadow streaked across the battlefield as Freyd dashed forward to slash Wushen. Elora watched in awe as her partner's swing delivered more power than any she'd witnessed before. It was moments like these that she felt truly special to have been trained by him, and to have taught him inner strength in turn. "I'm right behind you--!", she promised through a shaking voice that morphed to one of determination. Katoka was right, this was their opportunity! It wasn't long before a phantom head predictably arose to shield his form. Even if she didn't have the stamina to attack their bo

The exhaustion that gripped her body was undeniable in its subjugation. By now, buckled limbs and belated gasps had become a phantom of the past. Elora couldn't recall a time that she had felt this haggard, not since her fledgling days in SAO. Back then, every swing seemed to fully deplete her stamina in a moment's notice. I'm supposed to be better now., she reflected remorsefully, I need -- I need to prove that I'm meant to be here, that I can handle everything a boss has to throw at me. Or else, how could I even call myself a 'Frontliner?' Bright flashes commanded her focus once more --

Elora seemed to brighten as the intricate wine glasses materialized in front of them. Eager to get to drinking, she poured herself a portion of the wine and brought it to her lips. It was such a pleasant taste to return to. Shame it doesn't get me drunk, nagged a passing thought. She could only hope that good company would elicit the same effect. "...We're here to eat and chat about things, not talk about murder~", percieved Elora as her focus returned to the conversation at hand. Ironic that she just killed a crab, her mind seemed to refute. "...And murder, really?", Freyd so

A blush found its way onto her face in response to Mina's compliments. "Thanks", she smiled in a shy withdrawal. This woman was certainly chatty, and significantly more upbeat than she had expected. At least that meant she'd be easy to converse with. Honestly, she was surprised that Freyd could get along with her so well. Shuffling closer to the dishes, Elora suddenly seemed to perk up, "Oh! I love quail stew! It's been so long since I've had it -- and never with wild rice." She listened attentively as their host recalled her process between careful stirs of the pot. "That sounds like a lot of

Another head..., sighed Elora, How many more are there gonna be? She did her best to straighten her stance, recenter her wavering focus. The rest of her team seemed to be handling it well. She spared a moment to glance at each of them. Freyd was stalling for something, Hirru was doing his best to keep everyone alive, the rest of them were relentless in their attacks. They were back to beating on an apparition that didn't have a health bar. "Is this thing gonna die already, or what?", she spat in frustration. Hell, even when she had been able to see the boss's stats, the progress felt slow. It

An exceptionally-determined hop was just what the elven player had needed to interlace her fingers between the fibrous netting of a looming mangrove. Dangling mere feet above the ground, Elora swung her legs until the moss finally ripped free from its host. She quickly plunged into the murky slosh below. With a panicked crawl, she was back onto moist land. "All this for a stupid ingredient -- you better cure BURN, you glorified vine!", she spat as she rose to her feet. A timely alert called attention to her interface. Eyes sparkled as she swooned at the scenery before her. Here? No way -- he's

"Mina's a good egg and means well. She's had her own share of troubles, in this world and before it. I should warn you: she's been scarred by them, physically and emotionally. She may wear a mask, depending on her level of comfort, and can be understandably sensitive about it, so be warned. You two will probably get along quite well as long as you both pick on me, so feel free to run with that." That seemed like a weird distinction to make, but she figured it made a bit of sense. She knew Freyd, Mina knew Freyd, -- he'd serve as a good buffer for both of them. Elora would consider her

With the ethereal head felled, Elora resolved to land another blow on Wushen. The elven player spared no hesitation before wailing on the monster with her higher sword art. Administering several slashes to the side of her target proved less effective than she had hoped. At least, he didn't seem to much react from the attack that was causing her to lose a substantial amount of energy. It's got to be nearly dead -- just keep kitting it., she tried to encourage herself. Despite her best efforts, Elora had already begun to teeter from the creeping fatigue. How did the other players seem to land hi

"Thanks", she accepted the beverage with a lethargic reluctantly. After a couple of swings, she offered it in return, "You could use some too. You look pretty thirsty." A poorly-concealed smirk was enough to reinforce the suggested double entendre. "You said a mile, right? Guess that's not so bad --" Dragged soles soon morphed into an optimistic stride as Elora gradually regained her tolken enthusiasm. As they were walking, her mind couldn't help but conjure ideas of what this 'Mina' person was like. Who in their right mind would live in a VOLCANO? Did she grow up in a desert or somethin