Snow

Spring had recently sprung, although that hardly affected the weather on the first floor. Yet, Snow liked to believe that she was getting a head start on the warmer months. Thanks to some information she gathered from a rather friendly NPC, Snow set out early in the day to a secluded lake in the forested area of the first floor. So long as she stuck to the path, she wouldn’t need to brandish her spear. So, for this venture, Snow opted for her lighter attire - some pants, basic top, and a dark hoodie. She brought the spear too, I mean, what else was she going to fish with? The difficult portion of the night would most certainly be catching one. Snow never actually learned how to do so outside of the game, but Cardinal made everything a bit more simple in VR.

The young blonde crested the treeline to a wide body of water. Compared to Japan, it was a small isolated lake, but the deep blue of the clear made it only that more beautiful compared to the murky ocean. Several fallen trees framed the coastline with two pebbled beaches. Some of the old tree trunks laid so close to one another, it looked like a natural deck. It would be the perfect place to venture out for a better vantage point. Snow made way for her new fishing spot, oblivious to whether or not others might be present and readied up her spear for a quick strike at the first moving shadow she could see.

Eager for success, she jabbed its tip into the still surface at the first sign of movement. When she lifted her catch from the water, a pristine example of dead driftwood sat impaled upon its tip.

”Lovely... Off to a great start, Alyssa...” she muttered, prying the useless catch off her weapon and casting it back into the lake.

"I did wait outside for you," Snow whimpered. "You took so long. I thought you just stood me up!"

She tried to make eye contact, barely able to make out the whites of his sclera in the cavern. She tried to be angry with him, but anger wasn't something the blonde did well. Frustrated, maybe, but she had yet to understand the meaning of true anger.

"It's fine," he stated flatly trying to balance her frustration with her anxiety and nervousness. "Let's just get this over with. I don't like this place..."

Almost as if that gave him the green light, she felt his hand trace down her arm, over her plate armor, and grip her armored hand. Heat rushed into her cheeks and turned them a rosy hue, unseen in the dusk of their surroundings. 

"W-what're you?!" she stammered, cut off by his own words.

"This way I don't lose you in here."

"O-oh, right. G-good idea." With hesitation and regard for being gentle, she gripped his hand. He stepped forward and she met him in stride. The warmth still remained on her cheeks despite the chilling bite of the damp cavern. Instead of unease and caution, she found herself looking at their hands. Before all this, Snow hadn't given relationships the time of day. She had school, work, and last of all, the men in Kyoto weren't quite her type. Things were so very different here.

"So, um, I know I don't know you very well..." she began, "but, um... Do you remember before this? Before, SAO?"

The silver haired gentleman behind the counter greeted her warmly with a smile. Nervous, and uncomfortable, Snow startled a weak smile in response.

"H-hello!" she returned with a waver in her tone. "I saw the sign out front that you sell cooked rabbit?"

The inside of the diner was quaint. Simple, yet inviting. Being inside closed doors helped to stave some of her concerns of being on the higher floors. The familiar aroma and sound of food being cooked melted away some of the current reality in memories of a time before SAO. The young blonde approached the counter, patiently waiting and watching as the chef filled his many orders.

"Footsteps? Are those footsteps?" Snow mentally panicked. Part of her felt hope her partner had arrive while another held a deep dread the something wicked this way came.

She felt the touch on her shoulder and her whole body tensed. A prickle of goosebumps washed over her and forced a shiver into her spine. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her spear.

"Well, hello pretty lady," she heard in a very familiar voice.

Anxiety and fear melted away like frost on a warm spring morning. Her vice like grip loosened on her weapon and the teen let out a deep sigh of relief. Just as quickly as his comforting presence warmed her bones, a creeping chill of anger crawled through her veins. Brow scrunched together and teeth clenched, Snow spun around and delivered a quick jab to Lawfer's shoulder.

"What took you so long?!" she exclaimed and had amplified by cavernous echoes. While showing an expression of anger, a careful eye could see the unease in her eyes. However, in this darkness, the obvious became far more uncertain.

Forgetting that this time she donned heavy armor, Snow quickly realized that her sudden punch may have packed a more potent wallop. While still frustrated for him not being quicker to arrive and make her feel that much more safe, the blonde placed her hand gently where she had hit him.

"I'm sorry..." she apologized, "I just... I mean, you shouldn't keep a girl waiting in a dark cave filled with monsters. It's not very gentlemanly."

She removed her hand and looked away from his silhouette. She didn't want to openly admit her fear, especially in light of being accepted to join the Knights of the Blood. She had to fight now -- for Daire. She had to try and face her fears. 

It still didn't mean it would be any less difficult.

Snow took a deep breath. 

"You ready?" she asked, keeping her eyes off her partner and sheepishly toward the ground.

There exists no bond stronger than a mother and her child, and there exists no fear stronger than of the unknown.

Snow found herself standing at the mouth of a pitch back cave, facing the culmination of both. Snow remembered the mother, hysterical and in tears as she clutched onto her armor moments ago. Her daughter, adventurous as all children are, ventured too far into the forest with a local friend of hers. The day dragged on and tensions grew. When the sun kissed the horizon, only one child returned. Monsters had attacked them both, and while one returned with a few scrapes and bruises, the daughter was no where to be found.

Snow comforted the NPC mother and gathered as much information as she could. A cavern, about a mile out of town and a few yards off the main road was the last place she was seen.

And there Snow stood, staring into he dark abyss. The hairs on her neck stood on end and armor softly chattered against itself.

"They wouldn't have quests this low that would put you in danger, right?" Snow asked herself. She bit her lip in worry.

"I'm sure nothing is in there. I mean, the girl probably his and the monsters took off. Yeah, that's it. It's just a silly cave."

Snow took a deep breath and stepped forward. That moment, a rock loosed from the cavern's mouth and clattered noisily against the stone floor.

Snow took a step back.

"Come on Lawfer..." she panicked mentally. "Hurry up..." 

He had answered her PM. So, it was only a matter of time, but faced with the void of the unknown, the young Valkyrie needed a pillar of support.

The Black Iron Palace was never without tenants. As days grew to months and months grew to years, more friends and family of the dearly departed sulked about its harrowed halls. Sunrise, noon, or sunset, the lighting always illuminated the onyx Monument of Life in a haunting glow. Made of marble and stone, sounds of footsteps and soft weeping echoed faintly from floor to wall, yet nearly always remained silent. Funerals, on the other hand, were the rare exception.

Today...

Today there would be a funeral.

The young teen did not know this man. She did not know his story, his life before this calamity, his happiness, nor his struggles. She knew he held high regard for her new comrades: Opal, Mack, Lawfer... That was more than enough to know Azide was a good man.

Yet Snow stood in silence, clad in the black garments gifted by Hikoru and clutching a single rose against her bosom. This rose, an immortal memento to join the so many others that lay at the Monument's base, was not for this hero. This rose was meant for someone far more dear to her own heart. A friend. An idol. A companion, and a heroine in her own right.

Snow felt the warm tingle of a tear fall down her cheek. At first alone, then flowing freely from sorrow filled eyes. 

"This place..." she echoed inside her own mind. "We came here to see its beauty, its art... Its life..."

The tears became a whimper. Her chest fluttered with each painful breath.

"I'm sorry I didn't join the fight sooner... I could have..."

The girl dabbed her eyes with a sleeve and gripped the crystal rose with all her might. She wished it were a dream - some horrid nightmare. She wished to never have to say farewell so soon in life.

"I'm sorry, Daire..." Snow struggled between tears.

She shuffled toward up the steps to the monument, each stride heavy with the weight of her heart. She took a knee among the other mementos - flowers, pictures, candles, swords, and helmets... With reluctance, the girl set the rose among them and a window presented its message to her.
 

<<This decision is permanent. Are you sure?>>

Snow looked toward the monument. The name "Last_Chance" caught her reddened eyes.

"Yes." The girl accepted the prompt.

The window dissolved into a mist of shimmering fragments and scattered into nothing. With one hand still clenched to her chest, the girl caressed the gemmed flower with the other and a small message appeared.

<<In loving memory of Last_Chance, Floor 13, February 13th.>> 
<<                                                                                                        ~Snow   >>

Snow stifled back a whimper and rose to her feet.

Today's funeral was not for her. It was not for Daire, but Snow knew the weight of loss. It compelled her. It drove her every breath. It told her, you have to live... for me...

The young blonde quietly descended the steps, her shoes echoing each stride softly in the Iron Palace's halls. Head hung low, tears flowing freely, and hands clutched above her heart. She turned, and faced the Monument, her glistening blue eyes searching for her guild-mate's name.

<<Azide - Floor 15 - March 13th>>

And there she waited. One girl in a hall of memories. She waited for her friends to arrive and for the real ceremony to begin.

Taking this with aide from Lawfer.

Snow watched the woman work, her tiny hands more than apt for the job. No more than minutes passed before the lovely rose lay presented in a small case. Much to her surprise, for free.

"Thank you," Snow solemnly spoke with a slight bow, "This means very much to me. Thank you." 

With a smile soured by the sadness of the item's purpose, Snow accepted the memento into her inventory. Seeing that the girl had suddenly become busy, Snow opted to leave her to her duties and slipped out the door.

+1 Memento

The young blonde found herself on the second floor of Aincrad. She had heard through the whispers on the wind of a small shop on the edge of town which specialized in antique looking trinkets. Ever since Snow began her adventures in the name of her friend Daire, she wished to buy a token of her memory for the Monument of Life. Finding the quaint little building, Snow entered with jingle of the bell affixed to the door.

"Hello?" she called out quietly, only to find a woman with voluminous black hair working tirelessly at a tool bench behind the counter. Snow closed the door behind her gently and approached the glass countertop which doubled as a display case.

"Hello, miss?" Snow asked. "I'm looking for a trinket, one that can fix permanently to a location as an immortal object. A single rose, either of tinted metal or crystal. It's... it's for a friend... at the Monument."

Snow paused, a subtle note of pain on her expression as she bit her lip to bury her emotions.

"Would you be able to make something like that for me?"

 

The girl again shifted herself to the next plant in line. This one looked sickly and unable to bare anything usable. With a raised brow in concern, she wondered why it hadn't already fell into pixels. It was not common for the flora to look this sickly. In fact, they usually remained healthy and fresh even when their durability ran out. With a hesitant finger, Snow reached out to check its info window.

It was that moment she know something was wrong.

The ground beneath the plant opened up, the soil sliding and sifting into dark cracks. The teen quickly lifted herself to her feet and took a step back.

"A trap?" she mouthed.

To her shock and awe, the wilted plant rose from the ground, sprouting from the head of a large and grotesque earthworm. On what she could only assume was its head, its slimey flesh parted to expose a maw of shark-like teeth. Half confused, half disgusted, her instincts deflected her attention to her spear rooted in the earth beside the monstrosity. 

"Really?!" Snow chirped, her eyes a glimmer from excitement. "I would love that. I'm sure they would too!"

The young blonde smiled at her new friend, but the gesture slowly faded into a rosy hue on her cheeks and a receding posture. Her low level crawled from the back of her mind to the forefront. Unlike reality, Snow knew she couldn't take on a new task with determination and optimism. Raw numbers and data were needed here. The real question she asked herself, "was it enough?"

"I-I don't want to impose, but could you take the lead?" she sheepishly requested. "I'll try to be of as much use as I can."

"That's not enough... Not here..." she thought, with her deceased friend in mind.

"I'll find a way to pay you for your time. I don't have much, but I did recently open a shop. I can give you a free meal?" she said with a faint smile, hands locked behind her back and anxiety tight in her chest.

Quote

ID# 52060:  [] BD: 5 [] CD: 10 [] LD: 7 [] MD: 5 []   
+1 Uncommon Item (- 1 Material)
+ 3 EXP
Name of Dish: House Sake
Type of Dish: [Snack?]
Dish ID: [52060]
Chef Experience: [Level 1: Beginner Cook]
Tier Level: [One]
Quality Level: [Uncommon]
Enhancements: [T1 Alcoholic: +1 BD, -1 EVA]
Description: [A small ceramic decanter with a small ceramic dish to drink from. The sake is a house recipe. While nothing special, it has a mellow taste and goes down smooth. Best served warm.]

Snow busily worked away behind the counter of her rotating sushi bar. So far, just one lone cookie spun around on a single, solitary plate. Snow let out a sigh. So far, she hadn't had a customer. Location may have been the issue, but it reminded her of home. She couldn't give it up just for that reason alone.

As the blonde worked, she focused on replicating the dish from the day prior. This time, with much less effort, she succeeded. 

Feeling more confident, Snow pulled up a more complicated recipe. Keeping her friend in mind, Opal, the young sushi chef busied at her first sake recipe. Carefully brewed and distilled, Snow checked the completed item's info with a wince. Luckily, it was successful!

Happy with the day, Snow took off her apron and took a moment to relax.

"Seems like it," Snow smiled to Lawfer's initial comment.

"Mack is..." The blonde looked over to where the red giant continued his conversation. A look concern washed over her expression. "Intimidating..."

She turned back to Lawfer. 

"I'm not ready for anything in his league. He wants fighters and warriors. I'm not..." She paused, looking down. "I'm not ready for that yet."

Then, with a beckon to the barkeep, a new glass of blonde refreshment bubbled in front of her. The frothy head crested just over the edge and ran down the side of the frosted glass. It was then she caught his comment about her glasses. Whether it was the tequila from earlier or the compliment itself, Snow felt warmth in her cheeks. Instinctively, she gripped the side of her frames and adjusted them unnecessarily.

"Oh... Thanks..." She commented, her hands then drifting down to the waves of blonde hair that spilled over her shoulder. Her index finger busidly twirled a lock or two as she focused her eyes on the pilsner, not the gentleman beside her.

"I know we don't need glasses here... The system doesn't know we have bad eyes in the real world. We even had orphan at the Beginner's Refuge who was blind before SAO. She was in the game as part of her treatment."

Snow turned to Lawfer with a a nervous smile.

"I guess wearing glasses again just feels comfortable," she chuckled nervously. He mentioned her accent and she flushed again. Although nineteen was the drinking age back home, Snow left the Czech Republic before she became of age. By Japan's standards, she'd still be underage until later this winter. However, that never truly stopped Daire. Daire had a full year on Snow and since the American loved to party, alcohol was not in short supply in their dorm - even if it was against campus policy. Regardless, those rules didn't apply in this world.

"Truth be told, I haven't drank much alcohol," she admitted, still feeling the warmth of the tequila shot. "But its never to late to try something new!"

She grabbed the glass and held it up to Lawfer in a toasting gesture before taking a sip. Unlike the tequila, the fizzy brew was light, herbal, and slightly bitter. Overall, it was far more refreshing than the hard liquor. Snow still cringed a bit at the flavor, but found it much more tolerable. 

"I've been alright. I'm still not very good with my timing. I've tried to avoid combat if I can and have spent most of my time getting ingredients for my restaurant," her crystal blue eyes matched his.

"What about you? Are you staying safe on the higher floors?" Genuine concern fell off her lips with each word.

"Thanks for the fish!" Snow called out to the marketplace vendor as she turned toward the central park. The blonde waved to the friendly NPC she had grown to know. His stock was always full, and the ingredients were always fresh. To Snow, this seemed like good business, regardless of the fact his wares were digital and limitless in this programmed cage.

As the girl ventured toward the central warp gate with her paper wrapped fish stacked carefully in a basket, she noticed foot traffic was less than usual today. The sun hung high in the sky, and the ever-present cool breeze that passed through Aincrad's floors felt refreshing. Since the castle didn't exactly have seasons, its weather was dictated by its location on the grande world below. If curious, one could walk to the floor's edge and see what part Aincrad hovered over at any given time of the year. With a deep breath, Snow noticed the faint aroma of saltwater. Aincrad was likely over an ocean today.

As the young Valkyrie entered the central plaza, she walked past a bench with two ladies. One of them mentioned something about birds and pixels. It caught Snow's attention and she slowed to a halt some few feet from the pair. With a turn of her head, Snow looked back at them, but her attention drifted toward the little finches and starlings that played in the branches above.

"Pixels?" Snow mumbled to herself.

"That's right..." the girl internally reflected, "This is a game..."

Snow then looked down to the fish in her basket. Each piece was professionally wrapped in butcher's paper and tied off with twine. Each piece perfectly prepared. Too perfect. The basket which held them also an intricate weave of sticks and straw. Each strand different, but at the same time patterned. The longer she looked at it, the more she noticed repeated knots in the stems or coloration of the bark. The more she paid attention to the fine details, the less and less it felt... real. The thought alone put a kink in Snow's positive and optimistic personality.

If only for the briefest of moments.

Then, she looked back up at the two. One girl morose, the other bright eyed.

Snow felt compelled to introduce herself. Perhaps she could help? This world wasn't just pixels, it was alive. It was learning, just as they were. NPCs remembered names, faces, conversations... This place was just as real as their world, only disjointed by menus, stats, and health bars. As with their world, it still took effort to see the beauty of things when times dictated otherwise.

"Hello?" Snow greeted in a sheepish tone. "I couldn't help but overhear you talking about the birds. Have you heard them sing before?"

She hoped to turn them away from the ugly truth of the world. Even in this place, each bird's song was different. Perhaps they were the same, but had a vast variety of to choose from. Regardless, the melody of chirps, whistles, and tweets still sounded like music. Just like their world.

"If you listen carefully," Snow continued, "Each song is different."

 

The young blonde smiled at Macradon as she took the two items. Both were accepted into her inventory with the press of a button.

"Thank you, Mac!" she chimed.

With a half bow of gratitude, the girl made for the door.

"See you at the next meeting!" she called out with the door open, "Take care of yourself!"

And then she was gone, off to train with Lawfer using her new spear.

Results:

+ 1 Sif's Needle

+ 1 Gwendolyn's Wings

Snow smiled as the little bear came barreling around the corner and stopped himself with the usual headbutt and flop. With a curled claw, he pointed at his mouth.

"One sec," she said with a finger up at the cub.

Snow pulled up her inventory with a few taps on the UI and scrolled through some of her products she was working on at her Sushi bar. Common knowledge dictated that bears loved fish. Even if that fish wasn't the greatest culinary success for humans... 

Snow selected one of her projects that... didn't exactly go as planned and spawned it in her hand. Four small salmon nigiri where the rice was surely under cooked. The young blonde took a knee and held it out to the cub. With the tact of the primal ball of fur he was, Chewie shoveled it into his mouth with a single fell swoop of his claw. Snow smiled warmly and rustled the top of the cub's head as he chewed swallowed her treat whole.

Without pause, the bear promptly pointed at his mouth again.

"That's all for today, Chewie, I need to be going," Snow frowned.

The cub huffed, shook its head, then scampered back to its master. Snow stood and walked to the display cases of Mac's shop. First, a set of eastern looking armor, then a set fitting of a medieval knight, and finally, Snow halted in front of the soft blue set of armor with the display noting <<Reserved for, SNOW>>. The teen took a moment to inspect the metalwork. Elegant filigree, soft cloth between the plates, a fine polish and dye worked into the finishing layer...

"Freya's Blessing..." Snow mouthed as she read the name. A prompt appeared for her to accept the reserved equipment. Snow selected "accept".

"It's beautiful Mack!" she called out to him as he put hammer to steel. "Thank you very much! I'll see you at the next meeting!"

As she heard his response, the girl made for the door. While she wasn't quite ready to wear his armor out in the field, she did need to get some practice in for today. Lawfer patiently waited to start her lessons on the second floor.

<<Exits Shop>>

Results:

+ 1 Freya's Blessing

Snow stood behind the counter and tied off her apron in perpetration to her first day on the job. With a smile and a positive attitude, the young blonde began prepping her ingredients. Today, she would stick to the simple things: one egg, sugar, and rice. As she toiled, she fumbled with managing her menus, timing, and the unorthodox cooking interface of the game. Sadly, her first attempt burst into a peppering of data.

With a sigh, Snow began anew. She learned from her past mistakes and began to feel the rhythm to the madness. Near the final hour, the teen folded the pastry and set it in the oven to bake. When the timer ran, Snow pulled out her first successful creation, a Fortune Cookie!

 

Quote

Name of Dish: Fortune Cookie
Type of Dish: [Vanity Snack]
Dish ID: [51213]
Chef Experience: [Level 1: Beginner Cook]
Tier Level: [One]
Quality Level: [Good]
Enhancements: [None]
Description: [A simple fortune cookie with a randomly generated phrase of wisdom and good fortune inside. Includes the lucky lotto numbers: 8, 9, 11, 3]

The first thing Snow could manage was a smile. She felt a sense of acceptance and happiness when the stranger told her she was human. In a game where everything is artificial and the only thing preventing life and death was a few numbers, human was one element they all had to cling to. NPCs may not be actual humans, but to draw the line at what is and what is not important in regards to another person was admitting the game had won. No better than a dreaded PKer or thief.

"I never thought of it that way," she remarked in regards to his comment about confusing the system. "I think the system, and all that it makes here, is far more adaptive than we give it credit for. One hundred floors, all running at the same time with countless people both player and not... It's amazing."

He made a comment about her name to which he extended his hand. Snow, had not seen such chivalry in a very long time. This game catered to those who shed formality in favor of speedy progress. The gesture and comment coupled together brought a rosy hue to her cheeks. She shook his hand with her slender grip. He was gentle and his hands, though larger than her own, were surprisingly soft. The young blonde noticed the rapier at his hip, and is elegance and form began to take shape in her mind.

"Thank you Jomei. Your kindness is appreciated," Snow began. "The boy was asking for help protecting his farm. He said there were large Wasps attacking frequently. I'd hate to see them suffer, but I don't know if I've earned enough levels to be able to help."

The girl reached behind her to fetch her spear. With a wiggle and a lift, she loosed it and planted its tip into the ground just a little further down the line. Snow shifted her body to the next plant and just as she got her legs comfortable, a new fruit appeared on one of the vines. Snow's eyes widened.

"Finally! Someone who followed up on the plants!" Snow thought to herself as she gently worked the ingredient from the vine. With a tap of the accept button, the blonde had another material to use back at the restaurant. With a smile, she shuffled to the next plant in line.

The Knights of the Blood Oath were a hospitable and welcoming bunch. From Opal to Lawfer, then Mack to Mac... All of the members of the Blood Oath smiled, encouraged, and exuded confidence. Snow, on the other hand, was not so confident. Still intimidated by the outside world, she avoided a commitment to the Crimson Blades, but felt comfortable with the knights that she would vow to keep close to them and provide her assistance to them when she was ready. In a gesture to prepare her for the long and terrible journey ahead, the two smiths, M&M, offered to outfit the girl in something more robust than a black hoodie and cargo shorts.

DING DING!

"Hello?" Snow's soft voice called out from the cracked door. "Macradon?"

The girl entered and looked around at the vast array of wares before arriving at the counter.

"I got your PM. I'm here to pick them up if you're around?" Snow beckoned, trying to lay eyes on the armored knight. A faint curiosity wondered if he even wore his armor in the shop...

Snow had recently become acquainted with Mack and the others from the Knights of the Blood Oath. During their limited exchange, Mack mentioned the idea of having Snow join the Crimson Blades. While she wasn't ready, and Snow became largely uncomfortable with the idea, further conversations began to warm on her. Wearing the hand me down clothes of Hikoru, Snow and Mack came to an agreement for new attire - something that Snow would eventually grow into when the time was right.

Ding-ding!

"Hello?" Snow peeped, inching herself into the heat of the forge.

She approached the counter, looking for Mack. The man was hard to miss, but she heard the clang of a hammer and the scratch and scramble of an adorable bear cup. Which this time, Snow was prepared for. 

"I received a PM that my item was ready?" she called out, trying to watch the leader of the Blades in action.

Snow let out an exasperated sigh of relief when Mack took a softer tone. This death game was something Snow was more than willing to face, but not throw herself bravely into the fray.

"Thank you," she mouthed to Mack before she felt Opal's hand on her. Swimming in her own doubts and fears, the unexpected contact made the teen jump in her seat a bit. She calmed when the Vice Commander's voice reached her.

"Thanks, Opal," she replied, with a nod to her gesture to the bar. Snow turned back to Xion and Mack. "It's been a pleasure to meet both of you. I appreciate what you do for all of us here. Just... stay safe up there."

Snow paused, the weight of her words bearing down on her as she spoke them.

"...we have enough dead heroes..."

Words not fitting to the cheery affair, but ones the teen felt needed to be said. She didn't know the two gentlemen very well, but their fighting spirit was something not to be taken lightly. They had soul, ambition, and tenacity. While Snow had yet to acquire such admirable traits, she understood the value of them all too well. Even moreso the impact of its loss.

With a curt bow of her head with the utmost respect, Snow dismissed herself from the table to follow her friend.

Even the journey to the bar was full of life - bears, pink haired women, raw meat, tequila...

"Wait..."

"Tequila?!" Snow exclaimed with wide eyes to Opal. She full heartily expected the Vice Commander to return a playful look in kind. Then, the shot hit the deck, Snow eyed it like a warrior about to do battle with a creature far outside their league.

Gulp...

"Well, I am legal to drink back home... so..."

Her worries and anxieties now preoccupied with the tiny glass in front of her, wrapped her dainty fingers around the edge, clenched her eyes shut, and with only a moment's hesitation, threw it back.

Hack! Cough! Sputter!

Snow struggled to manage the bitter aged taste of the amber liquid and the thick fumes that worked their way into her nose from the inside. Her face twisted in all manners of un-lady like expressions. Luckily, the NPC bartender placed a glass of water in front of her with a chuckle. Snow grasped at it and took a few swigs to wash down the alcohol. With a relieving ah, Snow turned her watery, crystalline eyes toward Opal.

"That..." she began with a cough, "...was vile..."

Unfortunately she completely missed Lawfer's exchange as she battled with the sharp liquor. She only caught a glimpse of his long, blonde hair as he walked away.

"Wait! Lawfer! Join us!" she beckoned, now feeling some warmth in her stomach from the shot.

She watched again as Lawfer moved with surgical precision. His halberd cleaved the Nepent in half when all Snow could do was avoid its attacks. Perhaps this was the difference in skill? A warrior versus a coward? Snow shook her head as he held out to Ovule to her. Snow stretched out her hand as he dropped the strange, gelatinous bulb into her palm.

"You make it look so easy," the blonde phalanx complimented, returning her weapon to its proper resting spot on her back.

She smiled at his retort. Would she have tried this alone, who knows what would have happened? Snow pulled up the appraisal screen for the Ovule and put it back into her inventory.

"Well, you did say dinner was on you," Snow added with a chuckle. "I'll let you pick where when we turn this in."

She offered a playful wink, effectively hiding her self doubts and insecurities about how useless she was with a cheery exterior. With a gesture of her hand, she motioned him back to town. When they arrived, Snow handed the Ovule to their NPC quest giver. He thanked them, now able to produce the vital medicine he needed. In return, the man handed them both a sword by the name of "Anneal Blade". Snow bowed a thank you and concluded the end of their quest.

"Well, thank you Lawfer!" she chimed. "Shall we get something to eat?"

Lawfer put his hand over his stomach with an anxious nod and together, they made way to the restaurant of his choosing.

((OOC: All set! Thanks for the help!))

"Belittle? Tank? Strike team?!" the girl's mind raced as she sat at the table with Mack and Xion.

She looked to her right where Xion presented his passionate case, then to her left where Mack spoke with an unmoving resolve. Meanwhile, the girl who had only seen field experience for the first time in her life just a few weeks ago with Opal sat with no words to share. Was she ready for a guild? Strike team?

Then, Snow thought of Daire - her late friend who perished as a member of one said "strike team". Daire remembered their promise. She would live on for her late friend, see their freedom from this prison, and tell her story to her parents. This was more than just a girl, more than just a promise, and more than just a battle for survival.

Snow took a deep breath, still rattled by so many unknowns and feeling so very out of place.

"Please, sir." Snow began, her soft Czech accent carrying her words. "Give the position to this man." Snow gestured to Xion. "I appreciate the consideration, but I'm just not ready. I'm..."

Snow paused, clenching her fists under the table and free from view.

"I'm still scared. I made a promise to a friend, and that's the only reason I left the Beginner's Refuge to begin with. Opal's been helpful in easing me into the fighting lifestyle, but I haven't gotten over my fears. One day, maybe."

Snow felt her stomach flop. She feared the front liners' judgement. This felt wrong. This was a mistake coming here. She was a sheep among wolves.

"I shouldn't of come," she scolded inwardly.