Telrenya

Telrenya accepted her partner's handshake eagerly--maybe a little too eagerly--and nodded to confirm her identity. But the next words out of Lessa's mouth caused her stomach to twist into a sudden, tight knot. "O-oh! Has he?" Of course he would have! They'd been friends for a long time, right? Dumb question. She opened her mouth to speak again, but couldn't pick the right words. 'Nothing bad, I hope'? 'How's he been lately?' She practically knocked the wind out of herself as that last one crossed her mind. And so her jaw closed again, settling into a weak, nerve-wracked smile. She should messa

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ When Telrenya opened her eyes and began to push herself up, she was greeted with the white landscape of the void filled with colored glass. Her heart racing, her eyes stinging, and her breathing heavy, she looked around in silence while her mind settled and tried to process everything that had just happened. ”Newfound purpose often brings a sense of enlightenment.” That voice remarked as plainly as it ever did. Telrenya pulled her knees in under her and looked over towards the shape. She had only just begun to steady herself, the events of her last trial replaying in h

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ As the minutes ticked by, nothing worked. She couldn’t find any hole or gap in the wall. Not a single thing could pass through or cause it to waver. Everyone around her just acted like it wasn’t there. The way they looked at her, Estelle may as well have been pacing around a brick wall all this time. ”Excuse me, miss. Do you live around here?” She turned to see a couple of men in police uniforms standing there and she froze. ”O-oh, I, um–” She stammered over an answer, stiffening up and instinctively straightening out her clothes. ”W-well, yes, I do, but I–” ”Please, would

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ Estelle stood perplexed with a weight settling into her chest. She looked back to the woman and took a few hurried steps to catch up to her before she’d disappeared from view. ”Um! Excuse me!” She called out. To her relief, the woman stopped and turned back towards her. ”S-sorry to bother you. I, um… Do you see?” She pointed across towards where the player stood against the threshold. ”Is… is that your son?” She couldn’t come up with a more delicate way to address the situation, but the way the woman’s expression shifted from confusion to silent anguish practically made her squi

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ But as she crested that hill, breathing a bit heavier, she was met with a horizon that didn’t quite match the still, mid-morning air that settled on her cheeks or the twittering of birds that intermingled with the noise of the train crossing two blocks over. She was instead met with rolling hills of lush green grass that rippled in wide arcs from a fresh, strong breeze. A sky painted with all different shades of deep blue, orange, pink, and purple as the sun hung low. In the distance lay a sprawling city surrounded by curved walls that stretched on for miles, twinkling to life t

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ She knew this place. Of course she did. It smelled just like she remembered: springtime. Her favorite flowers sprung from those well-manicured bushes in her neighbor’s yard. They made her walk home a little more enjoyable every day. She felt the weight of a bag slung across her shoulder and she looked down to find herself dressed in a nice pair of leggings, a pleated white skirt, and a soft blue top with baggy sleeves that reached just past her elbows. She knew those clothes, too. ”Oh, Estelle?” A familiar voice called out that pulled tenderly at her chest. Without thinking

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ It felt like there was more to say. Weak embers still stirring within her heart. Not some burning confession or eye-opening revelation, just…more thoughts to express, more feelings to describe, more words that longed to be spoken. ”An address lacking its audience proves wasteful.” The shape faced her from a distance. There was a long silence. “You said I could be here for a while, right?” Her voice was weak, barely more than a whisper. She had no energy left to speak up or call out to them. ”An eternity.” It repeated. Telrenya merely braced herself against th

Shop Post: here Transaction Date: 02/18/2025 Cost of Transaction: 4 materials Crafter's Profession: Artisan Crafter's Rank: 3 Item Name: Silver Token Item Tier: 1 Item Type: Trinket Item Rarity: Perfect Item Enhancements: ACC II / EVA I Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: 241266 Item Description: A large coin made from silver that shines in the sunlight. The design on the Heads side appears to be of a Western Dragon of four legs and a set of wings, while the Tails side's design appears to be of an Eastern Lungwyrm. Furt

A familiar face, unchanged by the passage of time. She'd been seeing more and more of those lately. Amazing what pulling yourself out of your own shell after so long could accomplish. A bright smile broke out on Telrenya's face. "Vigilon! I knew I recognized your name on that tournament sheet." She purposefully hadn't spent much time mingling with the other combatants outside of the arenas so far. She had to wonder if and when the two of them might end up being matched against each other. "Yes, of course," She paused to look over the stats that he specified. They were important ones, but

The walk from the teleport gate to the smithy was less nerve-wracking this time. Now that she'd received the confirmation that her order was ready, and given explicit instructions, Telrenya was much less intimidated by knocking on the door that read 'Closed'. Yet, when she arrived, she was surprised to see no such notification. Still, she did as she was told, and reached up to give a firm knock on the heavy wooden door. Seconds later, it swung open and she was surprised to be able to see the whole interior of the shop. She stepped inside where she was shown her weapon finished and ready.

They had been cackling and wheezing and sharing stories for a while now, but the mood began to shift before Ryo's forehead planted against the counter. Telrenya had just taken another swig of champagne when his grievances reached her ears and she frowned while setting the glass back down. He mentioned the dragon hunter quests, but the topic slipped past her for the time being. She couldn't help but place a hand on his shoulderblade and attempt to comfort him. "Hey, don't be upset about not being on the frontlines or whatever." She insisted. "I mean, yeah, there are some fun quests and stuff, b

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Telrenya beamed, truly impressed with Krysta's craftsmanship. She gingerly took the main body of the cloth armor in her hands and lifted it up in front of her. She could have easily selected the option to equip it, but in the moment it was more fun to forget they were in a video game and simply hold it up against herself in front of the nearest mirror. She admired the look of it draped against her front for a few moments, then turned to give a thankful nod towards the shopkeeper. "Thank you so much. I've really been needing to refresh my wardrobe, so I'll definitely have

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ She thought back to that encounter with the stranger she had tried to protect. ”I’m…” She hesitated, slowly thinking things through and forming the words, ”I’m less afraid of what it will do to me…but more afraid of it taking others away.” She concluded softly. She thought about each name she’d seen crossed out on the Monument of Life. Those she knew, and those she didn’t. Every frontliner. She remembered every time she tried to talk Jomei out of attending the next floor boss raid. She remembered staying up all night worrying over whether any of them wouldn’t come back. She reme

A simple round table stood dressed in a pristine white cloth, adorned with a pink vase holding an arrangement of roses and baby's breath. The glow of a soft yellow candle provided an ambiance that truly set a romantic mood, the presentation spot-on for a dinner date for two. Two comfortable padded chairs stood opposite each other, with rolled silverware resting in front of each. In the center of the small table sat two entrees: a single plate with a generous serving of spaghetti and meatballs, and a wooden tray with an assortment of high-quality sushi. An interesting dinner pairing. Telre

She pulled herself up, shakily at first, bracing herself against the bannister. She felt so drained: her muscles ached and her head was cloudy. She lifted one leg over the railing, then the other, gripping onto it tightly while she planted her heels onto the bit of ledge on the other side. She faced the town proper and spotted the glint of metal off in the distance where Celestial Dawn lay among the cobblestones. She grasped firmly onto the metal railing and steeled herself. This moment wasn’t about what she wanted. To confront this demon meant to set her feelings aside. It meant doing what wa

Ah. Telrenya’s shoulders heaved with a shaky gasp, choking through another wave of raw emotion. Her hands fell from the railing and balled into fists in her lap. It was beginning to make sense. The puzzle pieces she had been grasping for were taking shape between her fingers and starting to fit together, but to what end? She hated this so much it made her throat burn. She didn’t want to do this anymore. She wished to be out of here, she wished to be safe, and to be warm, and to be at peace, and to be home. Where was home? Revelations hit her one after another, square in the ches

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ She was met with a flood of nightmares against an inky blue sky. A chilled wind tousled her hair and clothes. Large cloaked figures practically overlapped as they billowed through the cityscape with deadly scythes raised high and poised to strike. A dozen reapers patrolling the streets, cutting down anything that dared to breathe. ’Why?’ Why did she forget? She felt a heat on her cheeks and reached up to feel the wetness on her skin. When did she start crying? She felt her chest burn with a rigid tightness and her bottom lip quivered with a wave of anguish that flooded up f

She was alone. Except for her destructive entrance, the entryway she found herself in was plain and clean. And then she recognized it. This was Jomei’s house. Complex emotions tangled in the pit of her stomach and she looked back towards the door. Why here? Was there still danger outside? Was she really alone? ’Please don’t show me him…’ She thought weakly. Even if these were all just some sort of complicated dreams, she couldn’t face Jomei. Not yet. She pulled herself to her feet and held a hand in front of her chest. Despite that looming apprehension, that uncertainty, she felt a small

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ Of course it didn’t–or wouldn’t–answer her. It silently turned away from her as another distant voice yelled against the silence. Then another. Another scream. A cry for help. Telrenya opened her mouth again to speak, but the cloak flew off. ”Wait!” She shakily but hurriedly pushed herself to her feet. She ran to follow, to try to figure out what was going on. She witnessed another person running out into the main square as she came upon it, with a different, identical scythe-bearing cloak following after them. It closed the gap quickly and struck them down in a single blow. Tel

Shop Post: here Transaction Date: 02/16/2025 Cost of Transaction: 2 materials Crafter's Profession: Artisan Crafter's Rank: 3 Item Name: Sahelanthropus Item Tier: 3 Item Type: Trinket Item Rarity: Perfect Item Enhancements: EVA III Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: 241169 Item Description: A pair of seemingly ordinary, rugged-brown shoes, capped with black leather. They are purely utilitarian in design, meant not to take away from the significance of one's ability to stand on their own two feet.

"Can't say I've ever made something quite like this before..." Telrenya mumbled to herself after she looked over the order form Kindling had left for her. Truthfully, the only item she'd crafted before that wasn't a piece of jewelry was that magnifying glass Ryo had commissioned her for. So this shouldn't be too hard, either, she assured herself! Granted, it took a couple of tries. She was a bit rusty, so she ended up wasting a bit of material while she eased back into the process. A stroke of luck blessed her just as quickly, and she was left with a perfect-quality craft in just minutes.

Telrenya flinched when a figure appeared in between them. It gave her pause where she had been ready to activate another sword art. The glow faded from her blade before it had fully come to life and she blinked, Kindling's imposing frame coming into focus. The single word boomed across the arena and Telrenya froze, her expression softly contorting into betrayal. That was the end? It was over? Her eyes flickered past Kindling to Yue Hua. Her bottom lip stiffened and she caught her composure. Something compelled her to repress the shock and the disappointment. It felt unsightly in front of her o

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ Going from one void of complete darkness to another of complete light was not as jarring as she would have thought. She blinked heavily for just a moment, but her eyes had no issue adjusting to her surroundings. Telrenya’s shoulders sagged. She wanted to rest. Just how many more challenges awaited her? ”Two remain.” As if responding to her jumbled thoughts, the unexpected voice of the shape caused her to jump. She exhaled a sigh. It was pointing again, past her, to what was inevitably another door. She almost turned to look at what was next in store for her, but instea

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ The fight began. Telrenya made the first move, lunging forward and attempting a quick jab. Her shot went wide, as the threat of The Mask’s own stabbing blade caused her to twist her shoulders and dodge to the side. Her own rapier tip caught the air beside the same dodging motion. They clashed, their swords emitting pixelated sparks as they slammed into and scraped against each other. Every mirrored motion and perfectly-timed movement left Telrenya grinding her teeth. Another clash. Another parry. She refused to give an inch of ground, and so her double did the same. It didn’t ta

✧♪✦⋆♫⋆✦♪✧ When it swung shut behind her, Telrenya was left in complete darkness. Or perhaps the word ‘void’ was more fitting. A space of complete nothingness. She could see–or at least she thought so–as she flipped her clearly visible hands front to back in front of her. She briefly wondered if she was cursed to wander indefinitely in this empty space just like the staircase from before, but when she turned around to take a look behind her, that thought escaped her as she froze. Regret. That deep pit in the stomach sitting hard and heavy. The truth that things can’t be changed, undon