Elora

She found a fleeting solace in Mina's gesture of encouragement. Unexpectedly, the pink-hair player had offered additional consolation through the means of a purification spell. With a nod of appreciation, Elora allowed herself to savor the brief moment of restitution. It wouldn't last long, however, as the conflicted atmosphere began to change once again. "Could this thing just not scare us for half a second?", she groaned as her stomach churned with a compounded anxiety. "I miss when it was just sitting there -- letting us hit it -- not having multiple --", she gestured with a spinning wrist,

Her fingers were splayed, combing through rows of ornamental robes and special-occasion dresses when she got the got the alert. Scrambling to open her HUD, Elora resigned to return the merchandise she was already carrying back on display. That's to say, she nonchalantly sloshed them over the head of the nearest mannequin. 'Mina'? Who's that? -- A friend? , she went on to read through squinted eyes, Geez, sounds like she could use the company. I guess I can figure something out -- Tapping a finger against her chin, she tried to recall if there was anything else she ought to be prioritizing. Dr

"Thanks Kat --", Elora smiled softly with a sigh of relief, "For a second I was worried we wouldn't have anything to help..." Standing from her place, Elora dusted each of her kneecaps before answering Freyd. "Yeah, I think so -- at least anything that was physical.", she laughed half-heartedly to try and diffuse the soured atmosphere. Presumably, the mobs and npcs of this simulation couldn't feel any real sort of psychological distress, still, she couldn't help but wonder. A concerned side-eye at Freyd would go unnoticed as he wrestled among the wriggling wyrmlings. The hike back was qui

Elora's eyes darted between the faces of her fellow Frontliners as she attempted to discern the source of the whispers. The voices became more pervasive until, eventually, they seemed to permeate the very air that seeped between them. An acute ear would be able to distinguish the discord of an ensuing argument. But by who? Before she could mull it over further, the rumbling murmurs shifted into a cacophony of screams. Elora's heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the sound. She found no comfort amongst her peers, who were equally startled and confused by the undulating atmosphere. Is this the

Expect me BITSHC!

She was practically sprinting, ducking and dodging between overhanging rockfaces and the occasional tree. Freyd bolted ahead of them like a bloodthirsty hound in pursuit of its next prey. His demeanor became feral, shifting from subdued frustration to outright fury before she even had the chance to recognize it. A quick glance to her side was enough to confirm that Katoka was keeping pace with her. For such a clumsy person, she had remarkable footwork when the occasion called for impeccable precision. With every passing second, her companion became more of a smudge than the shape of an actual

The atmosphere around Elora was changing in a way she couldn't keep up with. Albeit, the dragon remained the same. Wushen bore a disdainful continence as it continued to brush off the efforts of the players attacking it. On the other hand, her comrades became increasingly concerned with combat mechanics she was, admittedly, all that familiar with. Without receiving any sort of further instruction, Elora figured it best to continue wailing on the thing. Even if she wasn't tactically savvy, she did know how to wield a weapon. Dashing toward their opponent once again, she swung in a fierce

Her eyes locked onto the beast's tail as it lackadaisically sloshed into Freyd. The sight of it made her skin crawl, not only because of its target, but because of the thing's disgustingly serpentine qualities. A sudden shiver ran down her spine before further inspection revealed that her companion was fine. Elora took a pointed breath. He's good. Barely even a scratch. Reorienting her attention back to the battle at hand, she tried to hone focus onto -- Health bars. Sure enough, six meaty HP menus now draped above Wushen. It was impossible to ignore the subsequent pit that formed in her stoma

Something seemed to synch in Elora's chest as her eyes darted between the different forms in the room. The hulking monster -- mother -- before them sounded beside herself with grief. What she'd only expected to be a typical fight was quickly recontextualized into desperate cry for help. Her hyperactive body tensed, appearing statuesque as her mind tried to make sense of it all. Memories of caged creatures, mutilated beyond recognition, came to the forefront of her mind. Floor 7. For as tough as she thought she was, she wasn't used to witnessing cruelty like this. Nails dug into the surface of

"Oh, he's just bothered because he thinks I'm talking about capturing him -- not the Storm of Shadows.", she paused before adding, "Though that was a bit traumatic in it's own way. I wonder what came of that diva delinquent." Maybe she died during the cataclysm., Elora considered, I don't know what the orange players were doing while everyone else was scaling mountains or battling the boss. Skidding down a shallow slope, Elora traversed the length of the stream's sandy shoreline in search of the supposed entrance. Sure enough, the trio soon found themselves overlooking a craggy passageway

The panic she had felt mere moments ago seemed to disappear on the spot. Is he...is he just fucking with it?, she tried to decipher Freyd's lackadaisical retorts through an uncharacteristically-stupefied expression. Surely enough, their intrepid captain was sauntering over to the serpent just to graffiti its scales. Had she not been holding her spear, Elora probably would have face-palmed at the sight. Regardless of his reasoning, she felt disarmed by the display. Maybe this is going to be easier than I thought. Tricolor_mina's playful banter further reinforced the change in tone. Alright, I c

♪ Torrent of Thorns ♪ For a moment, Elora's breath had caught in her throat. Staggering backward, she gaped at the colossal saurian who perched proudly along the stone walls that towered above them. Never before had she felt such a crippling sense of insignificance. The scale of such a creature was inconceivable and nearly nauseating for her to regard. He could squish us like insects --, alerted a primal and panicked urge to retreat. Reflex was stifled by the sounds of her comrades -- the barrage of commands that bolstered some fragile semblance of confidence. Terrified eyes wa

@Freyd's affectionate gesture had caught Elora very off guard. A nervous flittering of her heart was quickly subsided as she resolved to hold him and reciprocate the kiss. The circumstances of this moment manifested an unusual equilibrium between two conflicting feelings -- a deep sense of contentment and an underlying terror that all of it could be destroyed in an instant. Each seemed to ebb and flow within her like waves cresting against a shoreline. Trembling hands anchored into his back, conserving only a few precious seconds before a fated release. Meeting his cerulean eyes, Róisín gave a

"I'm Elora", the fellow emerald-haired woman greeted @Hirruin return. "Like you're hair by the way.", she felt inclined to compliment as she accepted the bundle of items from him. It wasn't all that common to come across players who shared their hair color, maybe because it clashed with clothes, or perhaps because it sort of resembled seaweed. She tried to keep her mind from exploring other explanations as the man continued to give instructions to the other members of their party. Elven ears rose and drooped relative to how much of it she was able decipher. This is a lot more than just running

Elora diligently accompanied Kat on her approach to the other players. She couldn’t deny the uneasy feeling of being surrounded by less than familiar faces. Still, she gathered the decency to give each of them a nod or small greeting in return. These were the people she’d be fighting alongside. Could she trust them with her life? If they can trust their’s to you…, her conscious rightfully reckoned. She followed in line with their actions, accepting foods, potions, and other consumables from the player who would be their captain. @Freydseemed to hold himself well despite the reallo

"Damn, it's dark in here!", stated Elora as she gawked at the slippery stalagmites and shimmering gemstones, "I mean, people said this floor was all dark, but I didn't know it'd be like -- advanced darkness." Stumbling over her own two feet served as a good reminder to reorient her attention to the skirmish at hand. So, this is a floor boss., she regarded, designating the moment with isolated sentimentality. Lots of people have died fighting these. Lots of people have died fighting a lot of things. People have died from not fighting things -- either way, this seems like a bit deal. Turning her

It'd been a handful of days since Elora and Freyd had seen each other, though her mind would rest easy knowing he'd been alive enough to respond to a few of her messages. She was used to seeing him like this. Something about preparing for combat wound him up so tightly that conking out became his only excuse for a break. Admittedly, it was a little concerning. Part of her still speculated that he found some sort of perverse enjoyment through all of it. Scraping a few unruly hairs from the top of his forehead, she planted a gentle kiss in its place. You need some rest. Thank you for preparing a

"Eh, yeah.", she agreed, "It is in some ways and not in others. Honestly, I worry a lot more about new players' emotional states than I do about their physical wellbeing." With arms crossed, she leaned back to rest against the mossy walls of the slanted construction. "Hearing the news...a lot of people take it pretty hard. Some grow distant, some completely snap." She spared a second to consider him, reassessing his complexion for warning signs. "You never know what someone's gonna do, who they're gonna hurt --" A shrill series of creaks encouraged her to create some distance between

"Something like that", the athletic player remarked with a semi-crazed grin. Elora hadn't expected him to stay hot on her heels, let alone completely bludgeon the competition. Where she'd previously mired in the sting of shame, she now experienced the pangs of admiration. "Can't believe you left me in the dust like that --", she stammered to catch her breath, "Practice, my ass -- don't think I've ever seen another player run as fast as you." The statement elicited an earnest chuckle from Salem who had already begun to dabble a procedural sweat from the arch of his brows. K

Silence soon blanketed the air in a way that Elora was unused to. It had been awhile since she spent time questing with someone so...reserved. Reminiscing, she supposed Salem wasn't to dissimilar to her early encounters with Freyd in that way. However, unlike him, he seemed to lack a certain levity towards life. Like some sort of sopping wet cat., she silently identified. Elora did her best to match his stoic demeanor until a sequence of fidgeting prompted her to propose: "Why don't we race for it?" "Race for -- the town?", his voice cracked in confusion. "Yeah -- you gotta prac

A brief stretch of silence eventually prompted her to ask, "Well? What do you want?" "I'd like to escape.", he answered succinctly. Although, confident-sounding in his decision, Elora suspected there were further details that went unspoken. Just like everyone else., she mused to herself. "And if all of that starts with this stupid little quest --", he began as knees swung aside, then carried him into a stand, "Then I think we'd best continue." She issued a reserved nod as legs positioned themselves to do the same. "Can't say I've seen jack shit since we've sat beside this stream

Elora opened her UI, scrolling diligently until she spotted a lingering item. Summoning it to her grasp, she reached out and slid the faux-cigarette between Salem's fingers. "I've long since given up on them. It's the same with the alcohol -- a lot more of a habit than an actual feeling." Her quest mate nodded in thanks, raising the already-ignited tube to rest between his lips. "Still, once in awhile...", she added with fingers tapping nervously across her knee. In another gesture, a second stick had swiftly materialized into her hand. "It can be nice to do something familiar." The

"I don't know. I try not to think about it.", she admitted, "But at the same time, a part of me almost doesn't care." The glimpse of a raised eyebrow prompted further explanation. "I...didn't have a lot of friends, honestly. And my parents were, well, kind of shit --" She stewed on that remark for a moment. Was it really them, or just you? "I feel the worst for my brother --", her voice cracked as quickly as it had raised, "If he's actually worried about me -- I don't want to get in the way. He has actual potential, going to university and shit -- He got a grant, you know. Did well enough to b

"I think you'll find it's shit for a lot more reasons than that", Elora quipped in an attempt to maintain the light-heartedness, "But also...there's a lot here that's not so bad." Adopting a distant look, she recalled her many adventures with Freyd and Katoka, the festivals she'd gone to, and the battles she'd won. "I guess", she started again, "I try and think of it this way -- We never knew when we were gonna die in real life. Any day out there could have been our last." Flicking her wrist, she cast the stone to skim over the surface of the creek. After a few sporadic hops, it plummeted into

"So, basically, we're trapped here --", she admitted with palms opening outward, "Uhh -- and if we die here, we die in real life --" Reading Salem's face, Elora couldn't tell if he had even registered the gravity of their situation. "So yeah", she started to add, "It's not great -- lots of people have died, lots of people are trying to escape -- It's a whole thing." "Huh", came a underwhelming reply as Salem found his way to a seat on the bank. Elora stood for a moment longer, than quickly scrambled to assume a comforting crouch beside him. "But don't worry!", she raced to reassure h