Telrenya

Nothing. She had searched the entirety of the room and couldn't find so much as a key, or drain, or even a way to just make the water stop. Her feet no longer reached the floor as she surfaced for air. Seconds later, she was dangerously close to the ceiling. Less than another minute later, the system alerted Telrenya to her health bar as it slowly began to drain. Panicked and terrified, the woman wrenched her eyes shut.

Feeling her weight pressed against the sopping carpet that lined the Master Bedroom's floor, Telrenya tried to inhale before the presence of water in her windpipe sent her into a small fit of coughing. Propping herself up on her elbows, the woman was finally able to breathe after a few moments, and she managed to register the presence of another beside her. Expecting to see Ruby's lively, garnet-pink eyes or Jomei's wild, bright orange hair, she felt a split second of shock at the sight of the stranger kneeling beside her. Once she registered the boy's own shocked and concerned expression, she allowed herself to lower her guard--after all, she was in no mental state to perceive the player as another threat. Her eyes drifted up to glance at her HUD, quickly seeing that her health was in the yellow. It looks like it had stopped at the half-way point, but the fact that she could have very well died in that room sent a shiver down her spine. A brief moment of relief washed over her shortly after when she saw the two names in her party menu and their unharmed health bars.

Twisting her body to see the door to the bathroom wide open and the fallen cabinet beside it, she fully realized the majority of what happened. The sound of rushing water had ceased, likely meaning that the 'trap' was stopped when the door had been open. Finally turning her attention back to the player beside her, Telrenya let out a weak "Th-thank you..." She sat herself up, trying to ignore the discomfort from being left soaking wet, and faced herself toward Spencer. "Are you...stuck in here too?" Through her shaky voice, she couldn't help the tone of suspicion, with all the things putting her on edge in here. "My friend, um... He got a message about winning a mansion, so we came out here to find it." She tried to offer a brief explanation. "We got separated, so..."

Telrenya took a couple of hesitant steps to back away from the rushing water, her shoes making tiny splashing sounds against the wet tiles. 'Why isn't it stopping...?' She thought with building apprehension. As the water began to pool and climbed up to her ankles--much more quickly than she would have thought possible with the size of the room--Telrenya turned back to the door, trying at the handle and pounding her fist against it once again. "Ruby! Are you out there?" She called. "Jomei!?" Her voice was desperate as the flood grew impossibly fast, crawling up her legs.

With the water quickly reaching waist-level, the woman backed away before running her shoulder into the door. It hardly budged, and after a second try Telrenya's vision blurred with tears brimming. "Oh God, how... How do I get out of here?" She asked herself between small breaths. Her hope was fading, and what few ounces of courage she had scrounged up were crumbling. "I... I still have to find him..." She sniffled, trying to rub at her eyes with already wet hands. She looked around the room, trying to sift past the various objects--soap, towels, and other toiletries--that floated on the water's surface. Where hadn't she looked, and was there anything that stuck out? No windows, no vents... After a moment of composure, Telrenya took a desperate breath, lowering herself into the water to search for something, anything that might lead to a way out.

Saying that Telrenya was a bit jumpy while the ginger tried to lead them in the right direction would have been an understatement. The woman remained silent, mustering up any courage she could get her hands on, while tentatively following behind the other players. As Jomei gave it a second try, opening up a different door from the main entrance, the blonde gave another jump at the shadowy limbs that burst from the room. "Jomei!!" Telrenya shouted the man's name, reaching out for the door just as it slammed shut in front of the women. She grabbed at the handle, trying in vain to pull it back open.

"Should...we try to look for him?" A few long seconds had passed before her hesitant voice escaped her throat. Her fingers fidgeted in front of her torso after she took a couple of small steps back towards the center of the room. It wasn't as though they could leave, and so the blonde looked around the dim foyer for some kind of clue as to how they might find their missing party member. With no such clues to be found, Telrenya approached the first of the closed doors on the left side, giving a nervous glance towards Ruby before she gingerly pushed down on the cold metal handle.

"Huh?" When Telrenya gently pulled and the door creaked open, she was surprised to find a room in stark contrast to the dark and dingy foyer. A pristine white bathroom stood in front of her, well-lit and looking as though it had been meticulously tidied. Immediately intrigued by the very normal-looking room, Telrenya's legs began to carry her inside. "Whoa..." She whispered out, looking around as she crossed through the doorway. "This actually looks--" Her words were cut off another slamming sound as the door swung shut behind her. Telrenya spun around, grabbing at the door's handle as she tried to force it open. "Ruby!?" She called, another surge of panic running through her as she pounded against the sturdy wood a couple of times with a tight fist.

On the second floor of the mansion, tucked away inside of the large master bedroom, Telrenya's banging and muffled cries might be heard by anyone who just happened to be within earshot. The door that she had entered through--the one that led to a massive ballroom--showed no signs of her struggle to return. In fact, Ruby would have found the door harmless and unlocked, though the blonde rapier-wielder would be nowhere to be seen in the ballroom.

Turning around and pressing her back against the door, Telrenya tried to slow her breathing and fight back the tears that welled at the corners of her eyes. At least the room she had managed to get trapped in was...nice. Slowly, she took a few steps away from the door to look around the room. "M-maybe...there's a key somewhere...yeah." The woman mumbled to herself, grasping at anything that might calm her down. Exploring the luxurious bathroom, she at least seemed to be alone--something that didn't seem so bad when there might be shadow monsters or less-than-friendly players roaming about. As she started to open drawers and cabinets in search of a key, the sound of running water caused her to tense up. Telrenya's spine straightened, and she looked to the bathtub--the source of the noise. Pulling back a thin curtain, the woman took on a look of confusion. It had only taken her a few moments to walk over, but the large bathtub was already nearly full. She reached over, turning one of the faucet handles to try and stop the water's flow. A few rotations, and the knob didn't seem to be doing anything. She tried the next, and it was as if they were simply for decoration. The water began to spill over the side of the porcelain tub, water spreading over the tile floor at an alarming rate.

OAs the emerald trinket was placed in her hand, Telrenya's eyes widened slightly. Just as she was about to protest and say she couldn't possibly accept the item, Jomei's request cause her to hold her tongue, instead giving a small nod. "O-of course...! Thank you," Staring at the clover-shaped charm, she wondered if she would ever be capable of making something similar, let alone better. Even so, she pulled up her menus to equip the newly-acquired item with a new resolve. The cloak behind her disappeared while Erin's Favor now hung from a thin silver chain around her left wrist.

Glancing over her shoulder at the other blonde woman, Telrenya couldn't help but feel Ruby's attitude had soured since they set out. "Everything okay, Ruby?" She asked with a concerned expression. The two didn't have time to chat, as it hadn't taken them long to reach the dilapidated mansion, the sight of the run-down building causing a frown to work its way over Telrenya's features. She was about to voice her concerns about the whole thing as well, but Jomei continued on to lead them inside. Trying to swallow down her cowardice, the blonde woman hesitantly followed after him only to give a small jump at the sound of the doors slamming shut a few moments later. A hand instinctively placed itself over her chest, where her heart would have been beating rapidly after the sudden motion. Not only that, but turning around showed her that the large set of doors they had just walked through seemed to have vanished. "Alright, so, I really don't think this is a normal old mansion you've won..." She spoke in a hushed tone, if only to fill the eerie silence for a moment.

Telrenya brought a hand up to hover in front of her mouth as she suppressed a few chuckles at the pair's back-and-forth teasing. It was good to see that everyone was famliar enough with each other to be making jokes and laughing. Any worries she had about meeting up with strangers or not getting along with other members of this guild they had planned faded away just as they party request appeared in front of her. With a smile, the woman accepted to dismiss the menu, and she recognized the stats of the other two players that appeared in the upper corner of her vision.

She gave a nod when Jomei prompted them, replying with a simple, "Yep, let's check it out!" She had no idea what to expect with the vague details she'd been passed--a mansion outside of the city, that Jomei won from some sort of contest or something? The woman couldn't recall seeing much in the way of buildings outside of the safe zones, let along one that could be called a mansion. 'Just what could it be like...' She began to wonder as the trio headed for the city gates.

Telrenya gave a start when she felt a sudden force from behind her, her muscles tensing as she froze up. When her brain registered the familiar voice beside her face, the blonde blinked in lingering surprise. "Ruby!?" She turned to face the cheery woman and gave a nervous chuckle as her heart rate slowed again. She opened her mouth to ask Ruby what she was doing here, but before she got the words out the other two players gave her an idea of the situation.

Telrenya smiled, genuinely surprised that she did actually know the person that Jomei had also called out. Once the initial excitement had died down, Telrenya's head cocked to the side as Jomei mentioned that he had won a mansion. "Won a...whoa, what?" The surprises didn't seem to stop coming. "I didn't know there was anything like that..." She mumbled under her breath. The woman pressed her fingertips together as another small smile rested on her features. "Well, I'd love to hear more about this guild you two have been talking about. And checking out a fancy new mansion sounds like fun!"

Mentally shaking off the lingering rush that the teleport gate still seemed to give her, Telrenya brightened when movement caught her eye. It seemed the ginger-haired duelist had found her first, and she brightened up immediately. "Jomei!" She exclaimed, giving the man a wave in return as she closed the gap between them. His expression changed, and the woman wondered what the message that hovered in front of him read before he had dismissed it and addressed her proper.

"Same goes to you." She replied cheerfully. Their last adventure wasn't far off in her memory, and she was glad to have heard from him again so soon. "I have to admit, I'm not too... Well, I don't really know much about guilds." She restarted her thought with a shy smile. "B-but thank you for inviting me!" She added on, hurrying to voice her gratitude. At the mention of something to do that that Jomei had in mind, she thought it best to wait and see what it would be. Instead, her head tilted ever-so-slightly at his last statement. "Oh, anyone I might know?"

"Pft!" Telrenya couldn't stifle her laughter as Ruby stood in wake of the Cerberus, stunned at how quickly the monster fell to her attack. The blonde walked forward as she giggled, sheathing her rapier and closing the gap between the two players. "Well, looks like you hardly needed me along." She said, catching her breath as her laughter subsided. "But thanks for inviting me. I need the experience," She lifted her arms slightly while her chin tilted down to survey her new dress. "and the new outfit is a big plus." Her smile grew wider.

After the pair of players distanced themselves from the cavern, heading back in the direction of town, Telrenya made a face as if she was mulling over a thought. The level gap between herself and the martial artist was staggering, and Telrenya couldn't help but feel a brief moment of inferiority. Still, she tried to remind herself of her progress in recent weeks. 'Hopefully I can get myself there... Hopefully soon.'

Thread Complete!

• Telrenya: +4 SP, +200 col, +<<Cerberus Soul>>
• Ruby: +4 SP, +200 col

Thread Complete!

• Telrenya: +3 SP, +950 col, +<<Nature's Blessing>>
• Jomei: +3 SP, +950 col

"Hmm hmm~" Telrenya had been humming a light tune to herself as she crouched down to the grassy floor. Just outside of Delilah, the Artisan had been able to find a handful of flowers in varying species and colors. She had been set on decorating her shop in some way, and while there were plenty of stores that offered decor and furniture for player homes and shops, she had been determined to work on her searching skill by gathering some things on her own.

"Hm?" Her rhythm was stopped as a small chiming sound rang in her ears--the system alerting her of a new message. When she had finished dropping a blue azalea into her inventory, Telrenya navigated her menus and pulled up Jomei's message. Her eyes shifted from side to side as she read over its contents before a small smile appeared. She knew about guilds--the basics, at least, and she couldn't help but feel a tiny flutter of happiness that the ginger had actually offered her an invitation. Her confidence had grown, slowly but steadily, over the past few weeks, to the point where she wasn't worrying so much about how she might be a detriment to any guildmates or how she didn't have much worth to contribute. It would still be a while before she could banish those thoughts completely, but for now she took a breath and typed out a quick reply.

It only took Telrenya about ten minutes to reach the meeting place Jomei had told her. Stepping out from Urbus' teleport gate, the blonde gave a quick look around for the man's orange hair or green attire, things she had grown used to identifying after their previous encounters.

It was hard to believe that everything was a 'game'. The way she felt herself dangling high above the forest floor, the light breeze that brushed against her cheeks and tousled her hair, and the rays of sunlight that fell over her and her captor. Telrenya's mind was too busy trying to handle the situation to ponder the reality of it. Her breathing had quickened and her eyes darted about, trying to look for a way out of the treant's grasp. Before she had composed even a sliver of a plan, the King lurched forward as his balance was thrown off. His hand dropped a few feet as a result, and Telrenya couldn't hold back a short scream as the sensation of falling overtook her. It only lasted a second as he kept his hold on the woman, but Jomei was already at work cutting the treant down from behind. The monster's HP reduced to zero, it gave off an increasing glow until its entire form shattered.

Did players take damage from falling? It still wouldn't hurt anyway, right? Even if she knew the answers to those questions, it wouldn't have prevented the rush of panic that Telrenya felt as the treant's grip on her cloak vanished. She had wrenched her eyes shut, and it wasn't until her body felt still that they fluttered open, scanning her immediate surroundings. Jomei's close voice reached her ears, and the woman finally realized what had happened and the situation she was in. The Irishman set her on her feet, and Telrenya finally found her voice, albeit a bit shaky. "Th-thank you..." She felt a tinge of heat on her cheeks. "I-I didn't know monsters could do that." She brushed her hands across the front of her clothes a couple of times while trying to steady her nerves.

Without Telrenya needing to make a second attack, Ruby made quick work of the last remaining hounds with another strong area attack, something her rapier sorely lacked. The blonde was just about the sheathe her blade for a moment's rest when a low rumbling--no, the sound of several deep growls echoed from farther in the cavern, past their sight. Telrenya froze for a second before deciding to keep her weapon drawn, and it was then that Ruby approached her and offered to heal her missing hit points.

"Oh," She had almost forgotten that Ruby's primary role was that of a healer or support player. She was instantly reminded of the two girls with the First Aid skill that were taking on the Dragon Hunter Anthology quests with her. She glanced to her own health bar in the corner of her field of vision, pausing a moment before a small, sheepish smile appeared on her features. "Well... I suppose there's no reason not to, just in case." She nodded as she agreed to the blonde's offer. While Ruby would initiate the use of her skill, Telrenya would give a small tilt of her head. "What about you, Ruby? Can you heal yourself?"

"Well, then I'll be giving it my best!" Telrenya drew her rapier from its scabbard with a flourish as she felt a surge of vigor flow through her. Jomei sprinted into action, using an attack leaps and bounds more powerful than what she was capable of to decimate the Commander. Telrenya gave a hop backwards to distance herself from the wide range of the King's massive weapon. 'Good, my body doesn't feel so clumsy anymore.' She felt a determined smile pull at the corners of her mouth. The more she practiced, the more her muscles would remember and the faster they would react in the face of danger.

Instead of the ginger man's body, the tree the King wielded crashed into the rest of the forest, colliding hard with a sturdy oak and causing it to sway to the side. The dirt and grass at the surface churned up to reveal the oak's massive roots, and the bark itself was left impacted and cracking at the point of contact. Telrenya filled her lungs with air after witnessing the damage, steeling herself before urging her body forward. "I may not be able to kill you, but I can surely serve as a thorn in your side!" She exclaimed as she ran towards the Treant King. The woman twist the hilt of her rapier in her hand, holding the weapon backwards as she brought her arm across her body. She came in close to the King's free hand as it hung low to the forest floor. Bringing her blade up overhead, she moved to stab at the bark-skin with all of her strength.

Before she could hit her mark, however, the King had spotted the blonde, moving her target up and out of her reach. The woman stopped short, but before she could reposition herself, he reached over her head. "Huh? Whoa!?" Telrenya let out a small cry in reaction as she felt herself being lifted into the air. The King had plucked the girl up by the golden cloak fastened to her armor and carried her towards the glowing eyes nested within twisted bark.

ID 89166 | BD: 2 - Miss!

Jomei: 986/986 (84/98)
Telrenya: 200/200 (18/20)

Treant Commander
HP: 0/100
MIT: 55
Damage Per hit: 20

Treant King
HP: 150/150
MIT: 75
Damage Per hit: 25

Telrenya felt her smile grow wider at Jomei's offer. Although he was far from knowing all the details, it made her feel a little less alone in her impossible search. For a moment, she thought about telling him that he didn't have to help her, or that she didn't want to ask him for even more help than he had already given, but she stopped herself before the words formed on her lips. Instead, staring past her knees at the serene woodland below them, she gave a tiny nod. "Thank you."

When Adere's cry rang out from above them, Telrenya looked up just in time to catch sight of the large figures approaching the cliff's edge. The woman stiffened, picking herself up and summoning her shield back from her inventory. Jomei's suggestion for her to run met her ears and the corners of her lips pulled down into a small frown. She gave a shake of her head, fixing her expression to wear a stubborn smile. "No, I'll stay." She said decidedly. "I probably can't do any damage to these guys either... But even if they're stronger than the ones before, they shouldn't hurt too bad."

Telrenya stumbled back as the Hellhound's claws slashed across her torso, leaving three long red gashes to mark the injury until her health would restore. 'Of all the times for my shield's damage not to go off...' She winced from the attack and scowled slightly as the beast stood unharmed by the item's thorns enhancement. The use of random numbers and effects in a game were sure inconvenient when they were so prevalent in what was otherwise their real world--just many more chances for her bad luck to get the better of her.

Ruby was quick to recover though, shaking off the attacks from the remaining hounds and using her Martial Arts to damage them all with a single attack. As her attacker shattered into pixels, Telrenya let out a breath of relief. "Nice one!" She called out, tightening her grip on her rapier as another pair of Hellhounds charged towards them. Telrenya rushed forward, lunging forward to skewer her opponent through the torso. The monster snarled as she came close, delivering a quick swipe of its fiery paw in order to deflect the thin blade. Telrenya stumbled, not expecting the hound's movement.

ID: 89159 | BD: 3 - Miss!

Ruby - 635/860 - EN: 73/86
Telrenya - 154/220 - EN: 17/22

Hell Hound 1: 0/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10) (H: 0)
Hell Hound 2: 0/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10) (H: 0)
Hell Hound 3: 0/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10) (H: 0)
Hell Hound 4: 0/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10) (H: 1-Tel)

Hell Hound 5: 30/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10)
Hell Hound 6: 30/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10)

Telrenya watched quietly while Jomei took a seat at the cliff's edge, following suit soon after. She dismissed the bulky shield from her left arm, sending the item back to her battle-ready equipment before seating herself beside him. She continued to listen to his words while he compared and reflected on himself. She so often felt that others were leagues above her, in one way or another. Whether it be raw power brought about by levels and equipment, wisdom that comes from a familiarity of online games, or intelligence of those talented in the fields of stretegy, builds, and tactics.

Still, Jomei's words brought a small smile to her lips as she swallowed back the last of the lump that had lingered in her throat. He stopped suddenly, causing her look over at him. 'Ki-?' Her mind echoed with curiosity, unsure of what he was going to say. 'Ki...killed? What, no,' The nonsensical thought was quickly dismissed. 'Ki-kissed?' She tensed up for a moment at the idea that Jomei had stopped a conversation that was headed in that direction. But from what she could see of the man's profile, his face didn't show any signs of being flustered or embarrassed. Telrenya turned her head back to stare at her knees, letting the sounds of the rushing waterfall engulf them for a moment. She was curious, but Jomei had stopped speaking for a reason, and she didn't want to pry or make him uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I--" She felt the need to clear her throat before continuing, "I waited for a long time, too." She had settled on a bit of her own perspective to try and smooth over the abrupt falter in their conversation. "I was hoping that...someone would find me, I guess. Looking back, it was pretty silly, so now I'm going to try to find them instead." Her vagueness around the topic was only partially intentional, as the thought of telling others about her self-proclaimed quest or asking for help always seemed out of the question.

As their topic of conversation drifted into something unsavory, Telrenya blinked in slight surprise. It was odd to hear the normally-confident and outspoken woman to approach such a topic, and it had Telrenya thinking for a moment before she answered. "Scared?" She paused a moment after echoing the word. "Yeah, I think almost everyone is scared of this place at some point." She said the words while wearing a small, wry smile as she looked at the cracked earth in their path.

They didn't stay on the topic long, as the pair soon approached the mouth of a large cavern that housed a generous spread of sleeping hounds. Jet black fur speckled with red-hot magma, the monsters quickly stirred at their arrival. Telrenya drew her rapier from its scabbard and equipped her shield to prepare herself for combat, as unsure as she was if she would be capable.

Ruby wasted little time in getting started on the quest objectives, dashing forward into the fray. The woman tumbled after she had closed the gap, but luckily the monsters hadn't managed to scratch her. With a deep breath, Telrenya hurried after her, taking aim against one of the creatures beside cavern wall. She lunged forward, her blade glowing a soft white as it pierced through the hound's hybrid flesh. It's health bar fell a considerable amount, but the beast was still standing, baring its sharp teeth as it growled and turned towards the blonde.

ID: 89153 | BD: 8 - Hit (Quadruple Pain)
(5 Base) * (4 Sword Art) = 20 DMG

Ruby - 860/860 - EN: 84/86
Telrenya - 220/220 - EN: 18/22

Hell Hound 1: 30/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10) (H: 0)
Hell Hound 2: 30/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10) (H: 0)
Hell Hound 3: 30/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10) (H: 0)
Hell Hound 4: 10/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10) (H: 1-Tel)

Hell Hound 6: 30/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10)
Hell Hound 6: 30/30 - DMG: 50 (75=9, 100=10)

Telrenya's gaze fell for a moment until she felt the gentle weight of Jomei's hand upon her shoulder. The woman's attention perked, and she found herself hesitantly looking up to the man as he addressed her.

Contrary to how she hadn't been able to look directly at him just moments ago, Telrenya's eyes became fixated while his words sank in. With his explanation, his reassurance, and his promise hanging in the air, Telrenya finally broke her gaze away when she felt the familiar lump in her throat. The threat of visible tears welling in her eyes caused her to look away, dropping her chin while she tried to swallow past her emotional nature.

Hastily bringing her free hand up to wipe away the beads of moisture at the corners of her eyes, she then looked back up to the Irishman with a smile. "Yeah. Thank you, Jomei. That... All of that means a lot." Feeling her voice nearly waver as she continued to fight back the last of the tears, she brought a loose fist over her mouth to softly clear her throat. "Well then, if it's not a bother to you, then I'll keep relying on you. For now." She added with a sincere smile.

When Ruby had mentioned fighting Hellhounds, Telrenya's stomach instantly flipped. She'd never been on the ninth floor before--would she even be able to participate in the battle, or was it better if she let Ruby handle it herself? The woman seemed confident, so Telrenya only assumed she wasn't getting involved in something she couldn't handle.

She focused instead on the next thing that was explained to her, and felt a tinge of relief at mention of the Survival skill. "Ahh, yeah! Luckily I do have that skill." She gave a small smile as the butterflies in her stomach began to settle. The last thing she wanted was to be a liability if the monsters were out of her league.

With Ruby's direction, the pair headed in the direction of the cavern. Luckily for Telrenya's nerves, the path was scarce for wandering monsters, leaving them mostly alone to their conversation for the duration of the trip.

"Haa..." Once the final treant shattered, Telrenya left out a heavy sigh. Despite the threat of another surprise attack being launched against at any moment, the woman dropped her arms to lower her weapon and shield. She felt like sinking to the ground after all that.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." She replied when she realized the ginger had asked her a question. Pushing her rapier back into its scabbard, the woman was lost for words. She wasn't sure if she should apologize, make a joke, or just stay quiet and let Jomei handle the remainder of the quest. Her free hand found its way to the back of her neck, sliding behind the hair that fell just past her shoulders and rubbing lightly at her skin. "Sorry you have to do all the work." She said meekly, shifting her gaze in the direction of the waterfall as she avoided looking directly at her companion. "Guess we're in the same situation as last time," A weak smile appeared on her features. "It's a good thing you caught me in town, or..." She wasn't sure how to end the thought, letting the words hang in the air.

"And I was just about to say you were right about her liking clothes..." She replied back to Sapphire in a hushed voice. Ruby hurried to swap her clothing before stepping out before them once more, just as excited with the new outfit she wore. Telrenya gave a small nod when she asked what they thought. After complimenting her new companion, the woman was surprised when they didn't seem to be bothered about paying for their new clothing. Her head turned as she looked between the two players, but didn't hesitate long as they brushed it off, even the store owner saying it was free. Telrenya had a brief thought to protest, but dropped the matter once they had left the store.

Once they were back outside in the blazing volcanic heat, she was immediately grateful that she wouldn't have to deal with the real-life consequences that would have come from wearing heels in a molten wasteland. While they were definitely her style and matched perfectly with her clothing, she would only give it an hour or two before her feet would have started to feel sore in reality. Placing her hands on her hips, the woman shifted her weight and looked out over the scorched earth in front of them. "Alright, so what's this quest about anyway? Guardian of...something." She trailed off lamely, unable to recall the full quest title Ruby had earlier mentioned.

Telrenya gave a sheepish smile at Sapphire's compliments, slipping outside of the changing room completely and gently closing the door behind her. It wasn't long before Ruby revealed herself as well, beaming at both of their outfits in turn. In a flash, the rapier-user was caught up in a playful argument between the two women that had her grow flustered before a question was presented to her.

"Ah, uhm," She cleared her throat before managing to reply. "Just as revealing as your regular outfit." She started, teasing the woman a bit. "But it suits you... It's cute." While 'cute' stil might not have been the best word to describe the dancer-style clothing, Telrenya offered a small smile. "I like the one she's picked out, though." She looked down to her own dress for a moment. "I'm fine with getting it, then should we head to the quest you mentioned?"

Telrenya would have been lying if she said she wasn't surprised by how friendly Ruby was with the shopkeeper. She hadn't hardly been on this floor herself, but perhaps it wasn't too unusual considering her companion's higher level. With a small shake of her head, she tried to dismiss it from her head as simply overthinking things.

A few minutes and a few different outfits looked at later, the girl named Sapphire held up a simple black dress with yellow accents. The blonde's eyes lit up for a moment, admiring the piece of clothing before hesitantly taking it from her. "O-oh, thank you," She stammered out before slipping into one of the changing rooms that was pointed out.

With a few taps of her menus, her current outfit disappeared from her body and the yellow dress materialized over her form. Slipping on the pair of shoes, she gave a little twirl in front of the mirror and a smile grew over her features. Leaving her hair tied up in a ponytail, the rapier-wielder opened the door just enough to peek back out to the shop. "Ruby? Did you find something, too?"

Telrenya's shield managed to withstand and redirect many of the treant's blows. She waited patiently, watching hopefully for an opening, and when one presented itself she launched a counterattack, delivering four swift strikes of her blade.

To her dismay, the treant withstood the attack as if nothing had happened, it's health dropping by only a single point. She caught a glimpse of Jomei in the corner of her eye, casting the man a sideways glance as he seemed to have fought off the remaining enemies. She held back a grimace for the pitiable situation she had landed in.

When she had a moment to speak, Telrenya relaxed her stance a bit. "I think I might need your help with this guy..." She forced a cheerful tone as if to laugh off her weakness.

@Jomei

ID: 89137 | BD: 7 - Hit! (Quadruple Pain)
(5 base) x (4 Sword Art) = (20 DMG) - (30 MIT) = 1 DMG minimum

Jomei: 985/986 (70/98)
Telrenya: 176/200 (13/20)

Treant Soldier 2: 0/65 - Dead
Treant Soldier 2: 0/65 - Dead
Treant Soldier 2: 0/65 - Dead
Treant Soldier 4: 63/65 | 15 DMG | 30 MIT (H- T:2)
Treant Soldier 2: 0/65 - Dead
Treant Soldier 2: 0/65 - Dead

"Hmm..." Telrenya hummed as she curiously craned her neck at a slight angle in order to inspect the item that Shield had gathered from the forest. She was no stranger to material gathering and how it worked in the game--but she was certainly no master forager.

"Do you craft, then?" Her curiosity overwhelmed her as the question left her without much thought. Before he would answer, her mind worked quickly while it seemed to make assumptions on its own. 'Maybe he's a blacksmith... Or an alchemist?

Once her brain's stint of hyperactivity had died down and the topic of materials and crafts had been addressed, Telrenya's mind began to wander at a much slower pace. Another question had come to mind, one that was far too personal for their shallow relationship of acquaintance. And so, she decided against blurting out her thoughts again as the city gates marking the edge of Delilah came into view.