Telrenya

Current Level: 43
Current SP: 163
Link to SP Tracking: Journal - SP Gains spoiler
Item Upgrades:

Notes:
»[Unique] Mask of the Lovers +60 Over-Health, +1 LD (Only active when in a thread with Jomei)

"So you two wish to be married? That is wonderful to hear!"

The couple had made their way from the warp gate at the Town of Beginnings to the large cathedral that stood tall on the north side of the city. The sun's rays shone through the beautiful stained glass windows and bounced off the detailed stonework. Fingers still interlaced, Jomei and Telrenya had approached one of the priestly NPCs with tousled blonde hair. Telrenya smiled pleasantly. It seemed that the first step of their task was an easy one, and they'd managed to find the right person to talk to straight away.

"We'll need to discuss the details of your wedding, then." James eagerly continued into the nuances of in-game marriage, "The location of course, and the size of the wedding you choose determines the limitations for your guest list. There's also the type of food you'd like to have served, and the wedding rings, naturally. Oh, and if you need assistance finding someone to wed you, I'd be more than happy to help. I could even offer to do it personally...if you'd like?"

The priest had finally exhausted his opening speech and was looking at the both of them expectantly. "O-oh, umm... Well, that's all a lot to take in," Telrenya immediately began to flounder amid the flood of facets presented, but cleared her throat to regain some of her composure. "Well, dear, where do you think we should start?"

Telrenya scrunched her nose and furrowed her brow in a playful pout right back at Jomei. "A sore loser, huh? I won't take this slander!" She shot back, unable to suppress a grin. Dropping her shoulders, Telrenya set about scanning the living room first. She lifted up couch cushions, opened a couple of drawers on the side table and TV stand, peeked under the coffee table, and even poked around inside of a small coat closet beside the hall leading to the foyer.

She stood in the middle of the slightly-disturbed living room and placed her hands on her hips. She hummed thoughtfully and pursed her lips. Willow, growing both bored and prideful of their superb hiding ability, the little wisp rocked back and forth while hovering part-way through the kitchen counter. Telrenya turned slowly, surveying the open floorplan. Finally, the bit of movement caught her eye and she perked up with a bright smile that quickly turned into a mischievous grin. "There you are!" She exclaimed and made straight for the counter. Willow blinked in surprise and froze up before retreating into the solid surface right as she approached.

"Hey now! I got you fair and square." Telrenya folded her arms and waited expectantly until the familiar peeked back up. Willow floated upwards and hovered in front of her a moment until her frown turned back to a soft smile. Willow circled around her shoulders a couple of times and then sunk down between her shoulderblades. Telrenya chuckled softly and glanced to Jomei with a crooked smile and a shrug.

"Oh, good call." Telrenya chuckled. She reached her arms up over her head and gave one last stretch to wake up for the day before following after Jomei downstairs. The sound of their footsteps seemed to wake Adere, whose feathers ruffled as she began to stir. Telrenya stopped by her perch and offered the back of her forefinger to give the owl a couple of small strokes on her chest. "Good morning," She cooed to the familiar. "I wonder where Willow's been hiding, hmm?"

The ghostly familiar in question peered at them from the kitchen. The tall ovals of their pale yellow eyes contrasted with the soft-glowing blue of their head, the upper half of which poked through the counter where a couple of barstools sat in front of. Telrenya hadn't noticed just yet, but the wisp was infamously patient when it came to games of hide-and-seek.

"If Willow doesn't show up soon, we'll have to go on ahead." Telrenya said in a loud, exaggerated voice.

No fair. Though it was typically hard to read much expression on Willow's little face, the way their eyes squinted made for an unmistakable pout.

"Oh..." Telrenya was rarely the type to mask her emotions, and so the disappointment in her voice was clear, as was the sadness that followed. "Right... I understand." She turned slightly to look at Jomei. Her little smile was weak, but she tried using it to convey that the words were genuine. She opened her mouth, thinking to say a few words about their friend, but as she hesitated the thought was let out as simply a small sigh and she turned back to the dresser. She reached out and touched a smaller frame that held a picture of Ruby, holding the wooden edge gently between her fingers. "It was fun, I hope everyone else had a good time. Maybe we can still invite our friends over for the holiday again? It would be nice to check up on everyone." She thought aloud.

Taking her hand away from the photo frame, she tapped the top of the dresser with her index finger and pulled up the inventory menu where the couple kept their extra outfits. It was just starting to get colder in Taft lately, so she opted for a pair of dark-blue jeans and a plain white sweater. Telrenya instinctively checked herself in the mirror after the clothes were equipped to her, and smiled to Jomei through it with a little bit more gusto than her earlier melancholy expression. "So, should we head out soon?"

After his lips pressed against her forehead, Telrenya's smile widened and she wore a relaxed, loving expression for a long while. Even when Jomei pulled himself out of bed and presented her with such an important question, the thoughtfulness that crossed her features only interrupted her contentedness for but a moment. "Hmm..." She hummed and laid on her back, reaching her arms up past her head for a stretch of her own. She lingered in bed just a bit longer than Jomei, twisting a bit and propping herself up with an elbow.

"Well, I've been thinking..." She began, a textbook ominous line. The smile she still wore likely gave away her intentions, though, before she'd even fully explained. "We've talked about setting a date for the wedding... Why don't we just do it? Let's do all the planning today, together." There was an ambitious twinkle in her eye and a light dusting of pink on her cheeks.

Telrenya would finally crawl out of bed herself and walk to the dresser to pick out a change of clothes. A couple of newer pictures sat up in frames on top of the shelf among the earlier memory of Jomei, Lowenthal, and Piera. A 'photo' of several more faces caught her eye: a lively snapshot of their living room with decorative lights and a festive tree in the background, some of their friends and guildmates gathered around close and others visible in the background.

Telrenya rolled over in bed. Artificial sunlight spilled through the curtains of hers and Jomei's bedroom and reminded them that it was time to wake up, to which she lazily pushed herself away from their brightness and instead pressed her forehead against the back of her fiance's neck. She had roused just enough to bring her mind to consciousness, though, and the inevitability of starting the day caused her to stir further, rubbing her eyes and inhaling deeply to let out a breathy yawn.

"Good morning..." She mumbled, curiously peeking her eyes open to see if Jomei showed any signs of waking as well. Sleeping in together sometimes felt like a luxury, so she usually savored the moments she was awake to enjoy it. Still, the upcoming plans that they shared tugged at her mind and caused an excitement to gently bubble inside of her. The couple had already postponed the details, not to mention the discussion of the details, for their wedding a handful of times already. Not for lack of wanting. Today, though, seemed like a nice day to fall in love again.

Telrenya would gently nuzzle against the back of Jomei's neck, gently nudging him awake if he was not already.

@Jomei

"Of course I was!" Telrenya shot back with a wry smile, nudging him gently in the ribs. A chuckle broke past her lips, "But I think we've established that we both worry about each other a lot." She concluded. When the tense scene drew to a close and their memories had reunited them among the rubble of the castle, Telrenya still felt a warmth in her heart.

Sunlight broke through the other side of the projected image, and the two would squint against the rays when their boat drifted along the canal and they reached the end of the 'ride'. "Thank you for taking part in what was clearly," The dark-haired teenager paused from his stiff script reading to look at Jomei and Telrenya each, meeting their eyes and then going back to his lifeless monologue, "a magical experience." The NPC put a hand on the boat, the interaction bringing its steady movement to a halt while he waited for the couple to climb out.

He stood up straight, then looked at a watch strapped to his wrist. "Looks like you guys were the last riders." His words almost started in the same dull, choppy tone, but this line came out more relaxed. As if someone had taken the time to program this quest-giver to be just a little bit more believable as a kid working a part-time carnival ride about to go home for the day. He gave them a small wave, then turned and went about what looked like some idle animations that would make it seem like he was packing things up.

Telrenya smiled, turning to Jomei and starting to walk back to the center of Taft with her arm linked in his. "For a corny Valentine's thing, that actually was pretty cute." She admitted.

Thread Summary:

• @Jomei: +1 SP, +200 col, +[1] Red Velvet Cake (Unique Consumable, grants +1 LD, +1 Prosperity)
• Telrenya: +1 SP, +200 col, +[1] Red Velvet Cake (Unique Consumable, grants +1 LD, +1 Prosperity)

Telrenya was smiling softly as the scene continued and eventually faded away. When they were shown another picture of the two of them approaching a large forboding castle deep underground, her muscles tightened. She knew exactly where this was. Once they entered the fortress and began to do battle with all nine of the lesser Dragon Knights, Telrenya gradually grew closer to the edge of her seat. She watched the fights like an action movie, grinning at every one of their flourishes and back-to-back strikes. The pace carried on when the two ran up the winding staircase to confront Varalys.

"That was the coolest fight I've ever been in..." She breathed out. "I still can't believe we pull off crazy stuff like that." She chuckled.

They had paused upon reaching the tall double-doors of the final boss' chambers, and Telrenya felt butterflies flitting around in her stomach. Her cheeks flushed, and her tiny smile involuntarily grew wider as she knew exactly what was coming. Preparing themselves to open the door and challenge the Dragon Knights, she watched Jomei drop to one knee in front of her, holding out the small ring box. Almost in tandem, the memory of Telrenya and herself put a hand in front of her mouth, and she nuzzled her face against his chest in her combination of embarrassment and joy. "That was some timing." She mumbled playfully next to his clothes.

With all of the players working together, they were able to track down the demon's hiding place. In the darkest corner of the mansion, they made their final stand. It was a messy combat, with nine players fighting their way past each and every minion and monster the demon could summon up to get in their way. With the encounter coming to a head, it was Spencer that delivered the final blow, an ear-splitting crack coming off of the demon's skull as his mace seemed to knock it clean off. Sputtering, gurgling, the monster shrank and recoiled, its health draining to zero and it shattered into thousands of brightly-lit pieces that faded into the air.

With the monster gone, it was like the oppressing darkness that had suffocated the mansion began to dissipate. The sinister flickering of the lamps that lined the hall returned to a soft, inviting glow. The brambles and thorny vines that blocked off the mansion from the rest of the forest shriveled and vanished, and even the statues and paintings that decorated the interior seemed to become more friendly and innocent with the demon's influence gone.

The group of players let out a collective sigh. They rejoiced, but at the same time hurried out of the mansion and back to the nearest settlement. All of them could agree that they'd had their fill of haunted houses in Aincrad.

Thread Summary

• Teion: 1 SP (4 posts), 44 col
• @Kairi: 1 SP (3 posts), 44 col
• @Spencer: 44 col
• @Hestia: 44 col
• @Jomei: 44 col
• Telrenya: 44 col
• @Ruby: 44 col
• @Ryo: 44 col
• @Jevi: 44 col

Her embarrassment gradually shifted, Telrenya gladly pressing into Jomei's loving embrace. Her hand slipped around his waist, and she gave a small squeeze in return, letting his forgiving and gracious words sink in. She smiled, eyes closed until a thought struck her. "You know... It was a lot of fun sometimes. Pretending to be someone else. I used the same hair and eye color from the avatar I first made for the game," She chuckled softly, having almost forgot the appearance she had chosen when Estelle first made the 'Telrenya' she had planned to go on adventures in Aincrad with. "It almost made it feel like a game again." She mused softly, pulling away just before the next scene flickered to life. She grinned up at Jomei, "We should try it sometime! Dress up like the characters we originally made, and find some other quest to do."

The thought was cut short and she turned her head back to the front just to wince when Jomei's fist sent a shockwave into Erin's jaw. Her throat tightened as the memories of their pain played back, and Telrenya watched herself flee in a mess of tears and regret. The real her felt her brows scrunch and tilt upwards. She almost groaned herself, or slunk back down into her seat, but right after Jomei's encouragement she let herself just shake her head. "I don't know how I thought that all wouldn't bite me in the butt..."

The scene continued playing with a side-by-side shot, Jomei carefully leaning his forehead against the door of her shop while Telrenya paced back and forth on the other side. Eventually the door opened, and they sat down beside one another. The audio faded away, leaving a few seconds of them silently talking and weakly smiling at one another.

Her shoulders lifted a tiny bit as her smile grew wider, and then softened comfortably again. "Yeah... Me, too. I had some friends in school, but I was always really shy and...well, I still feel awkward and clumsy sometimes, but," she carried on with a light chuckle. "I feel kind of the same way." Her eyes drifted over the top of the dim tunnel as they made their way to him and her cheek playfully brushed against his shoulder. "I would say you've changed a bit. Since I first met you anyway. I think you were always very kind and selfless, but I think we've both gotten a bit more confident, and stronger. I've already done so many things I've never even dreamed of because of that."

A few different muffled conversations had echoed along the tunnel as they drifted along, and if Telrenya wasn't reflecting so much out loud she might have caught some of them before the lights brought another few memories to life in front of them. Telrenya's former self holding a gloved hand out in a rather awkward greeting. A masked and hooded face nodded. The two of them, with her in full disguise, trekked along through forests, desert, and deep banks of snow. When Telrenya started paying attention to the memories, reliving some of them, and realizing that all the bits and pieces playing back did in fact really happen, she felt her heart skip a beat. The adrenaline shooting through her blood, followed by the rush of color to her cheeks. She visibly sunk into her seat, the edge of her free palm pressing against the side of her nose and cheek.

She intended to sit through these smaller interactions they shared in embarrassed silence, waiting for Nick to scold or tease her about it, but the visions tugged at her heartstrings with brief moments of their deadly encounter with the fourth dragon. She felt a tightness in her chest as she watched herself stumbling, pulling Jomei from the frigid waters of the lake, and again when she knelt over him in a panic. Finally his eyes fluttered open and the sound of coughing played to assure them he had lived through the ordeal, and the scene faded away seconds later.

"I don't think they've ever done a circus before," Telrenya commented as she made strides beside her partner through the Town of Beginnings. "Do you think they just have a ton of random events made up, and it picks one to start running around the holidays?" She chuckled lightly. The tent was visible in the distance with other players and NPCs on either side of them shuffling along in the same direction to investigate the commotion.

When they reached their destination, Telrenya gave pause. She hesitated as she stared back at the grinning man dressed in yellows, oranges, and blacks that was ushering people forward and eagerly accepting col from those who wandered into the large circus tent. "He looks... Kinda shady." She whispered, gently squeezing onto the hand she held when Jack's bright eyes fell onto them. Her lips pursed to one side when the NPC held out his hand, pulling his fingers forward in a 'give me' motion to accept their col. She exchanged a glance with Jomei, then slipped a hand into her pocket to pass over the entrance fee.

-500 col

@Jomei

Telrenya was practically beaming. She'd just arrived, but already the people enjoying themselves around her, the bright sun that warmed her shoulders and cheeks, and the familiar squeeze of Jomei's hand had her in an elevated mood. She picked up her other hand to give Lessa a wave and a cheerful, "Nice to meet you!" but it seemed the pleasantries would run short while Lessa politely excused herself a few seconds later.

Mentally shrugging it off, she turned to the new face that had joined them. A new one, though if she had to guess, this girl seemed to be right around Telrenya's age. Maybe a little younger? Telrenya continued smiling and nodded to Astralin. "Of course! I don't think we've met before, have we? I'm Telrenya."

Introductions would begin again, and she then gave a quick look around, taking in all that was going on around them. Food, plenty of conversation, and even some sort of set-up that she caught just a glimpse of. Someone with a camera, and...a red carpet? Her curiosity was piqued. "Hmm, I don't think I've ever met the person who's running this whole thing, actually. But they really pulled out all the stops."

@Jomei @Astralin @Lessa

It had been so long since she'd been to a beach!

Telrenya couldn't help but stop and stretch when her sandals stepped onto the warm sand. She had arrived in her swimsuit, a black-and-white bottom sporting a band of gold trim and a white bikini top with matching gold running across the top and a simple bow tied at the front. Even with the cream-colored skirt that started at the sides of her hips and trailed all the way to her ankles, a thick sunset-red brick pattern laying over gold to run around the hem, and the matching red shawl that draped around her arms, Telrenya was just as self-conscious as she was afraid she'd be. She couldn't recall a time where she'd been among the public in such a revealing ensemble. Even so, she filled her lungs with a confident breath of salty air and placed a hand atop the straw hat that sat on her head to keep it from blowing away in the breeze.

It took a minute or so, but after scanning the crowd she was able to catch sight of her fiance. She smiled, and walked past the gatherings of players until she made it to Jomei's side. Weaving a hand through the gap between his arm and his side, Telrenya ran her hand along his until he might recognize her presence and accept her fingers lacing between his.

"Hey, sorry it took me a minute." She smiled and gave a nod to the blonde woman who was standing across from them. Without being sure that she wasn't interrupting, she left it at that so as not to barge in on their conversation.

@Jomei @Lessa

Telrenya gasped, letting out a small, weak cry as she clenched her jaw. She was more terrified than she'd ever been. Even when her brother's killer stood in front of them, taunting them and threatening to rip the rest of their loved ones away from them. That memory couldn't even compare. "N-no," She choked out, "Y-you're just a mon-ster." She looked through both figures with blurry vision. This isn't real, she thought. It can't be. The line repeated until she muttered the words out. "It's not real. It's not real."

The inhuman creature scowled at her denial, taking its hand off of Beatbox's shoulder. It began to march toward her, angrily now. "I'll show you what's real, you insolent--!" Before it managed to close in on her, a pale blue light shot towards it. The small wispy familiar emerged from the center of Telrenya's chest to reveal itself, flying straight through the silhouette. The creature faltered at what it expected to be some kind of attack, pausing in its movement and jerking around to spot Willow hovering behind it. The spirit moved again, circling around the creature until it growled in irritation and raised a fist. Clutching the same injector with its long needle, it slammed down to stab at Willow, only to pass right through the little ghost.

Telrenya suddenly realized what was happening. She had been lost in her stupor, crying and mumbling to herself. When her companion's actions finally registered, she bristled. "Willow, don't! It's dangerous--!" Her voice cracked and her throat burned as she called out to her familiar. Suddenly, it was like she'd swallowed her words. Her emotions swelled, and she found the life in her hands to grope for her rapier at her side. She pulled the weapon free as a fire lit in her eyes and she faced the demon. "That's how it always is, right?" Her voice was raspy and still hurt. "I have to fight you, and then I can reach my friends again." She assured herself.

Thread Summary
Under 20 posts. No rewards.

"It's weird..." She noted in a soft voice, running her thumb slowly across the back of Jomei's knuckles. "I still want to get out of here, find you and everyone else... Go back to school, and do all of the normal things that people usually do." Her cheeks turned pink as came up with the next words in her head, but kept herself from saying them aloud. Running through her--or their--future life events with what was now her fiance beside her sounded like just a little too much once she'd taken a moment to hear it in her head.

So, she moved on, "I still hope we can. But, in the meantime... I'm not so worried about it anymore." She admitted with a soft, genuine smile. She watched as their lips came together for the first time, and a soft pink glow dusted both hers and her memory's cheeks. "It's not eating at me anymore, so I feel like I can make the most of things lately. The front-line raids still make me pretty nervous... But even doing quests and fighting monsters is fun, especially when we can practice together." A chuckle escaped her lips, and she watched their past selves pick themselves up off the cave floor. "I never dreamed I'd be a sword-fighter."

She watched as Ruby's furious expression stood across from Jomei's determined look, and listened while he explained the meaning behind his actions that day. It was nearly impossible for her to stop smiling shyly, but she tried to play off the feeling by leaning back and making comment, "So that's what you two were arguing about. Hehe, for a little while I wasn't sure if you two were friends or not." She recalled rare times when the two might butt heads, although usually due to Ruby fiery temperament.

The scenes flickered away from dark and dilapidated hallways and the comfortable interior of the tavern replaced it. She chuckled lightly under her breath while their past selves awkwardly exchanged small talk, and Telrenya shifted enough to gently rub her temple against Jomei's shoulder. She watched in silence for a while longer as the boat drifted along.

"We can't stop finding trouble, can we?"

From this perspective, the look they exchanged for the briefest of moments had butterflies gently fluttering in her stomach and she squeezed Jomei's hand just a little tighter.

Telrenya's smile stretched, and she wore a more satisfied expression as a feeling of accomplishment began to set in. While perhaps more of an Easter egg than a proper quest or task that they had set out on, she felt proud that they had done something good, even if just in this game-world. She leaned into Jomei's side, grinning as he gave her a squeeze and chuckled back at his praise. "I'd say it was a pretty good team effort." She insisted, and just then Jomei's familiar made her entrance by swooping in from her previous perch on the Goddess' statue and getting comfortable on Jomei's opposite shoulder. Telrenya leaned forward to look at the owl, "And who could forget Adere doing such a good job leading me back to you, huh?" She playfully sweet-talked.

Telrenya let out a deep breath--a sigh of relief--through her nostrils, her shoulders finally relaxing. Her hand squeezed his when she felt their fingers intertwine, and she nodded with a turn of her head back towards Jomei. "Yeah, let's head home." She smiled.

Telrenya watched the scene unfold with her whole body feeling tense. Her fingers laced together as her hands subconsciously clasped in front of her chest, and she looked on with a hopeful gaze while they waited until the end of Vaughn's prayer.

Suddenly, as the man's body began to shudder and seize up, Telrenya let out an audible gasp. "Vaughn--!" She called out the NPC's name, her body instinctively lurching forward half a step as if there was something she could do to intervene with the curse's effect. Fresh tears started to well up in her eyes, but before the full wave of remorse could hit her, she winced at the bright light that shone from the statue.

She stared in amazement as Vaughn took on his new form, hurriedly rubbing at the corners of her eyes to clear her vision and meeting his look of peace with a small smile of her own. He vanished, and then it was just the two of them standing before the shrine in the mid-afternoon sunlight, as if the scene before them had been nothing but a dream. "That..." She was lost for words for a moment. "We, did it then?" She half-asked, turning to Jomei with her brows turned up in a crooked, uncertain smile.

Telrenya waited with a tightness in her chest, simply hoping that they wouldn't have to watch Vaughn turn into one of the mindless Forgotten before their eyes. A bit of relief managed to wash over her when the NPC's attempt to test the sunlight was met with less resistance. She nodded with confidence after Jomei had helped the man the rest of the way to the grassy surface, and once they were ready to move she turned and began to walk back the way they had come.

Vaughn, though he was largely leaning against Jomei to support himself as he shuffled along with his half-petrified leg, was seemingly awestruck as they moved. His jaw was slack not because the muscles no longer responded to him, but because he couldn't take his eyes off of the beauty that was the land as it basked in the warm sunlight. Despite the touches of corruption and the largely transformed beasts that still roamed the open plains, the views were in stark contrast to the dim, dank tunnels he had been navigating for years now. "It's been so long..." He muttered under his breath.

Doing her best to lead them all back towards the small shrine while avoiding any of the wandering monsters that populated the lands, Telrenya smiled when the broken stone structure was finally in view again. Adere took the initiative to push off of her companion's shoulder, taking flight and perching atop one of the mossy pillars just before they'd closed the gap. "Made it." She breathed, and took hurried steps up to the foot of the statue where the Goddess stood. She looked over the simple plaque, examining it to make sure the words read the same, and she nodded. "Yes, everything's still here. The fruit grew right here after I...well, asked the Goddess for some help." She admitted with a shy chuckle.

"Hmm..." Telrenya hummed, casting a sideways glance towards her partner as they made their way back to the NPC. Jomei seemed to have a plan--or at the very least, he might be on to something--but as their destination crept up on them she didn't yet inquire aloud. She listened to the conversation between the two, feeling as though they had nearly fit the last puzzle pieces together.

"Should we bring him back to the church...?" She guessed, the lack of confidence clear in her tone. Her chocolate eyes looked up towards the sky. "We could wait for nightfall, but the...cursed ones might be a lot more dangerous in the dark, so... Do you think those will do the trick?" Telrenya spoke slowly and carefully, still falling back on the hope that they were making the right decisions. Again, she dug into her inventory and retrieved the small bunch of perfect fruit that she'd plucked from the shrine. She walked closer to the edge of the sinkhole, taking care not to let herself fall right back into the catacombs below. Crouching down, Telrenya displayed the prize to Vaughn. "If you had something like this, do you think it would be enough to walk in the sunlight?" She paused a second and put on a more serious expression, bottom lip stiffening a bit. "Are you willing to try?"

A wide smile was growing across Telrenya's lips as Jomei mentioned the simple subject of the venue for their climactic battle. She'd gotten to do more than she'd ever imagined possible in this make-believe world up until now, but clashing swords with a band of cutthroat pirates on the high seas was sounding more and more like some childhood dream she'd never even realized until the opportunity quite literally presented itself. Once again, out of habit, the blonde duelist adjusted herself and fiddled with her rapier as it sat on her hip, balancing the golden hilt and resting the palm of her hand against the pommel.

Telrenya rocked onto the balls of her feet just once before planting back down onto her boots. She was eager, and while she knew the importance of planning and forethought, she was also bored by the speculation they were left to. Without crouching hidden behind barrels, whispering amongst themselves while observing the resources and patterns of a pirate crew in front of them, Telrenya felt she had nothing more to contribute. Instead, she considered goading the lust for adventure that surely drew them all to Aincrad in the first place. "Do we have a location, at least? We've got an idea of how many enemies we'll have to face, so maybe it's best to get going. If it really is at a dock or on a ship, we might have a chance to scout the place out beforehand, too. Then we can really have a plan of attack." She suggested, forcing some reason to her rhyme.

@Hikoru

Telrenya bowed her head ever-so-slightly as she took the first couple of steps into Hikoru's chambers. A soft smile played on her lips as she vaguely recognized the player. Their first and only meeting had been what felt like ages ago, but it was an encounter she wouldn't easily forget. "Thank you," She breathed as they were invited in, and just as Jomei's did, her chocolate-brown eyes began to wander over the study that served as Hikoru's home. Telrenya hadn't seen much of a library outside of the shelving that lined various shops. None of them seemed to have so much in the way of literature though, and so the cozy room quickly reminded her of the sights she was more used to seeing back at home.

Talks quickly made their way to the task at hand: this quest about pirates. The blonde absent-mindedly brought her hands up to adjust and needlessly tighten the pale yellow sash that sat across her forehead, giving a tiny nod and chiming in with what little she could think to offer. "We're all damage dealers, right? I have passable defensive stats, but bringing along some potions wouldn't hurt. Do you know if we have the option to take them on one at a time? Or will we have to go in five-on-three?" She frowned with curiosity.

@Hikoru

Telrenya gave a single nod in understanding. "Right... Oh, well, I might have." She took half a step back from their embrace and used a hand to rummage through her inventory. "There was an old shrine in the middle of the fields, with a statue of that Goddess." She explained, retreiving the small bunch of glistening berries and they sat generously in the palm of her hand. "There was an inscription. It was a little confusing, but I think it was a clue. Something about... 'if you seek redemption, find her.'" She did her best to relay everything she knew thus far, going on to describe how the fruit she held had sprung from a blooming flower.

"But I'm not sure what the next part is." She admitted with a small shrug as the two started back the way Jomei had come. "We can try taking him to that shrine... Or maybe the mural in the church?" She was at a loss as to what 'finding her' meant, and the margin of error they were left with had her worried. It felt as if they were so close to unraveling this curse, but there was one last puzzle piece that was eluding them.