Telrenya
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Posts posted by Telrenya
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She didn't know Ryo well, but she was aware enough to notice that he was acting differently. The way he spoke had gotten messier. He seemed unfocused. Then he nearly fell over in his chair. Telrenya almost stood from her own seat to help somehow, but when she leaned over so quickly she felt that rush in her head and that dizziness struck her again. "Huh? What's wrong?" She caught his distress. Something was wrong. Why was she feeling like this? Had the tavern done something to them? Were ghosts going to pop out at them after all?
'No, no, no.' That was just silly. But as Telrenya wasn't doing a great job of grasping their predicament, Ryo would likely have to spell it out for her.
She eyed the glass of champagne, freshly filled, sitting on the bar in front of her. They were getting drunk? Is this what being drunk felt like? "I guess that makes sense." She mused softly, thinking aloud. It didn't make sense, at least not as far as contradicting what she understood of how the game worked, but Telrenya was a little too far gone to think too hard about it right now. "Maybe we just wait...until we start to feel better." She suggested. She didn't want to try to walk back to the teleport gate if it was going to make her head spin like that again. "Or maybe we can message someone to come help?"
-
She was back in the place full of colored glass. It took her a moment to realize she had entered a new space, but one look back confirmed that the path behind her had disappeared.
”Vengeance, too, is subjective.”
The voice of the dark shape snapped her to attention and she spun to lay eyes on it.
”Was it beautiful?”
She wondered what kind of question that was, and a frown quickly took over her expression. ”I–” She stopped herself, and hesitated. Would she get anywhere by trying to get this person to explain themselves? Her eyes fell, and she stopped to think. ”I…don’t think so.” She provided an answer. Was that supposed to be vengeance? ”It was…empty. If that was supposed to feel like avenging my brother, it… It didn’t feel like anything.” She shook her head softly. She held her hands in front of her stomach and fidgeted by lightly pinching and squeezing her fingertips. She watched the softly-glowing red cuts on her hands disappearing as her avatar idly healed back its damage. ”I didn’t think I was bringing justice to a murderer, I was just…fighting someone. It didn’t even seem like a person.”
”Justice. A belief.”
It remarked so matter-of-factly that Telrenya looked back up at it, puzzled. She wasn’t sure that she was understanding the point of any of this.
”Another.”
She followed the shape’s gesture to a different set of towering doors that must have appeared when she wasn’t looking. Just like the first, it was comprised of gorgeous stained glass, fragments glittering in the abundant light. This one depicted a long dark blade with an ornate silver handguard. Behind the rapier, a featureless, silver mask. Telrenya swallowed. She knew exactly which chapter of her life this door represented. It was one she thought about often, and never fondly. After a few moments to ready herself for what was to come, she entered wordlessly through the door.
QuoteTelrenya | HP: 700/700 | EN: 95/108 | DMG: 21 | MIT:44 | ACC:3 | EVA:4 | LD:1
+1EN
1/3 posts to fully recover -
Telrenya thrashed violently, but found no more resistance. She shot up from where she lay on a cold stonework floor and her head whipped around looking for the danger that had just engulfed her. Her hands, shaking in front of her, were free. She was panting, sweating, and shivering, but she was unharmed. ’That couldn’t have been a dream…’ She thought. But then where was she now?
She recognized this place. The massive room she found herself in was carved from smooth grey stone and held modest sconces of torchlight with the faintest tint of blue. Pillars with ornate carvings lined the walls on either side of her. From behind, a strong light spilled into the room’s entrance, coming from the other end of a long, featureless tunnel. Before her, a massive rectangular obsidian slate stood on its side, center-stage atop a small set of raised steps: the Monument of Life. Her breathing eventually slowed to a regular pace and she tried to collect herself as quickly as she could manage. The air was quiet and still save for the sounds of her shuffling to pick herself up from the floor and nervously dust herself off. She heaved a shaky sigh and turned around to face the monument properly.
Of course that door would lead her to this: the place where she had mourned her brother. There were still days that were harder than others; little things that reminded her of him and pulled at her tenderest memories. Days that reminded her of how much she missed him. It still hurt at times, but the wound had begun to heal. What sort of fears did she need to face in a place like this?
The sound of heavy boots echoing from down the tunnel served as her answer. She snapped to attention and turned back around with stiff shoulders. The seconds drew out while Telrenya couldn’t discern the silouhette of who approached against the harsh backlighting. She swallowed, hesitating to call out. Heavy footfalls continued in a slow, even rhythm, until a man finally came into view. Dressed in plain, dark colors, his skin looked pale and washed out. There was hardly a discerning feature about him, except…
One scabbard on each hip. ‘The man with a dual-wielding unique skill.’ Death_Adder.
Every muscle in Telrenya’s body tightened up as she stood face-to-face with her brother’s killer. Tangled emotions swirled inside of her: anger and fear, grief and apprehension. Her balled hands were rigid at her sides. So this was the point. Something clicked, and it all made sense. Of course ‘facing her inner demons’ would mean confronting the man who stole her family away from her.
And yet…why did his face look like that? A shifting camouflage, his details hidden despite standing directly in front of her. What color were his eyes? The shape of his nose? His hair…it was short, right? Dark brown…or maybe black. Telrenya’s eyes were desperately darting across every feature that she should have been able to make out. She was searching for the person etched underneath her brother’s username in that stone behind her. She knew his name. She knew him! She hated him!
Who was he?
She took an unsteady step backwards, adrenaline spiking. Before she’d had a chance to prepare herself for a fight, the man standing across from her drew each of his blades with fluid motions and resumed walking towards her. Telrenya hurriedly drew her own sword and steadied her back foot into a solid fighting stance. She tried to steel herself.
He came at her with a flurry of strikes, the speed of his blades mismatched with the steady tempo of his otherwise calm approach. The force of his blows staggered her, causing Telrenya to immediately give ground and take small, uneven steps backward as she pulled her rapier up defensively. It was all she could do to deflect his blows, and even then several cuts and slashes broke through her guard. She looked frantically for an opportunity, a chance to parry, to counterattack, to break away and put distance between them, but there was nothing. He pushed forward with an unflinching offense, all the while Telrenya shrank before that distorted, soulless face.
His dual swords came down at once and Telrenya had to brace her rapier with the palm of her free hand to carry the weight of them both with her block. The clash held right as her back pressed up against the heavy obsidian slab. He shoved downwards, causing her arms to tremble as she held the twin blades at bay inches away from her face. Panic was clear in her expression. She hadn’t expected to face this kind of enemy, and worse still she was ill-prepared for his inhuman ferocity. At least if she had been facing the real Death_Adder, she could try to search for some scrap of humanity behind his eyes.
Pinned and desperate, Telrenya leaned back into the monument and lifted her right foot high enough to deliver a sharp kick to the man’s knee. He buckled, and she could take advantage of the shift in weight to lift and shove his swords off to the side with a grunt of effort. An opening–she had to move quickly. She dashed to the side and broke away from his onslaught just in time before he turned and swung his blades back across his body. A sharp ringing sounded out as they crashed into the monument and the metal dragged across polished stone with a terrible screech, sparks flying between the hot metal and cool stone.
Their one-sided duel continued, dragging on and on while Telrenya was slashed and shredded, gasping and panting, torn down and worn out. Death_Adder had but a handful of bright red wounds scattered across his body and showed no signs of physically tiring. ’This isn’t working… At this rate…’ She needed an angle, she needed something that would turn the tides of battle in her favor. She was never the most exceptional duelist, even when she was at the height of her training to reach the frontlines. Unless…
An idea struck. Telrenya’s hands took on a soft glow as she urged Cardinal to activate a specific ability, one that she hadn’t seen the opportunity to use since modifying her build. A moment later, a soft shimmer fell over her like a veil that vanished as it settled over her frame. She breathed in, then out. Steady. ”One good shot.” She whispered to herself.
She backed away with quicker steps until she reached the threshold of the tunnel that would have normally led to the Town of Beginnings. Death_Adder continued walking straight for her, eliminating the gap she had just created in between them inch by inch. She took one, two, three strides farther back, then brought the next swing of her leg all the way back and down into a lunge. She brought her shoulders forward, touching the fingertips of her free hand against the cold stone floor. A runner’s stance. She spent only a moment activating her sword art, then shot forward to meet her enemy head-on.
Death_Adder’s twin slashes had cut through to her health bar, but her Barrier had absorbed enough of the damage to make it bearable. Telrenya stood up straight on the other side of him, his body still and littered with glowing stab wounds. Unceremoniously, his figure burst into pixelated fragments of light that quickly melted away into the surrounding air. She let out a heavy sigh of exhaustion and relief. She turned and cast a long look back at the Monument of Life, letting herself linger before she would sheath her rapier and walk down the long tunnel, into the flood of light.
»Post Action: ST-I vs. Death_Adder: First Inner Demon
ID#: 240975 | BD: 9 [Minor Critical] (-14EN) |MD: 4
Telrenya dealt [(21+1) * 15] - 5 MIT = 325 DMGQuoteTelrenya | HP: 700/700 | EN: 94/108 | DMG: 21 | MIT:44 | ACC:3 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Death_Adder: First Inner Demon | HP: 0/175 | DMG: 63 | MIT:5 -
A plain stone staircase stood in front of her now, long and imposing and either side lined with tall metal bars affixed from floor to ceiling. Beyond the barred rails, a landscape. Too vague and distant to identify, but it clearly looked and felt like the outside from…wherever this was. Telrenya turned and looked back over her shoulder. The stairs continued downward behind her, with no sign of the massive doorway she had just walked through. She swallowed, the burning sensation of sorrow still fresh in her nose and throat. She hastily wiped at the corners of her eyes and down her cheeks, and began to climb the steps laid in front of her. It was time to begin.
Traversing the never-ending mountain of steps gave her plenty of time to collect herself. She often looked out past the metal bars to the scenery beyond and just roamed in her own thoughts. When Ryo had described this quest as a means to tackle her insecurities and face the things that were troubling her, she figured there would be conflict, maybe even some amount of literalism to “fighting her demons”, as he put it, but this…
She began to wonder if the steps would ever end. She climbed and climbed, stopped to take a seat and catch her breath, and then climbed again. The landscape beyond seemed to reflect the distance she’d traveled as well as the height. The ratio of bright blue sky to rolling green grass gradually shifted. If she could somehow slip by the tall bars and leap from the edge, who knows how long she would have to fall.
In the real world, the muscles in her legs would have been on fire long ago, but she only felt a dull discomfort in how the game simulated soreness or exertion. She could probably keep going for hours if she wanted to, but it was hard not to grow impatient with no end in sight. She ran her hand along the metal bars with a soft ’tap, tap, tap, tap,’ as her fingers dragged across them. ”What am I doing here?” She wondered aloud after a sigh. ”Is this right? Where am I supposed to go?” She found the smallest piece of comfort in talking to herself, questioning whether the only path presented before her was the correct one to take. Her climbing paused. ”Hello?” She called.
A moment passed. She drew in a breath and raised her voice.
”Hello??”
She looked ahead, behind, out to one side over the barred edge, then took a few steps over to the opposite side. Her hands held loosely onto a pair of bars and she leaned her face closer, searching for a clue.
Then, a rumbling. Low and distant and foreboding, but very real. The stonework beneath her feet seemed to quiver and Telrenya lurched slightly to keep a solid footing, gripping tighter onto the bars to save her balance. ”What was…?” The thought trailed, but was soon answered. Telrenya spotted movement from far down the staircase and she squinted to figure out what was down there, trying to identify the shape before it fully came into view:
A mess of figures spilling over themselves and each other. Arms reaching out, hands groping at the air and grasping at the stonework and clawing at the metal bars to pull themselves forward–to pull the amalgamation of featureless, shadowy bodies over each stair that stood in front of it at an alarming speed. The sight sent a chill up Tenrenya’s spine and caused her eyes to widen in abject terror. What was that thing? There was no time to think, no time to do anything but turn and run. She carried herself farther up the stairs as quickly as she could will her legs to move, but just as there was still no end in sight, the monster on her heels showed no signs of slowing down. She stole a desperate glance over her shoulder, but even that proved to be a mistake. As she turned, the toe of her boot caught the edge of the next step and she failed to lift her knee any higher to compensate in time. She tripped forward and slammed into the stairs in front of her. Fear shot through her like a bolt of lightning and she clambored to regain her footing and keep going, but the knot of limbs allowed her no such recovery. A hand clasped her ankle and yanked it back out from under her, causing her to yelp with another painful drop. She had no time to pull against the grip as another hand clawed, an arm hooked, fingers grabbed at fistifuls of her clothing and hair and she was swallowed by the dark abyss with only a panicked scream.
-
She strained and squinted against the bright light that now surrounded her, lashes fluttering in an attempt to fully open her eyes as she struggled to take in the blinding landscape. She flinched, bringing her hand up as a makeshift visor in order to make it bearable. Telrenya stood enveloped in a blank canvas of empty white. ”What is this place…?” She softly wondered aloud. She held a hand close to her chest, fingers gently curled as she took slow, careful steps forward. ’Tap, tap, tap, went the heels of her boots, echoing in the vague nothingness that surrounded her.
A glint of color made itself known and immediately drew her attention. She looked up, rushing to find the source. Refracting the infinite light from above was a sea of disjointed, overlapping panels. Dozens and dozens of thin sheets of plain colored glass of all shapes and sizes floated overhead, borderless and suspended in mid-air, seemingly fixed in place. It was impossible to tell if they had been here all this time, or if they had just appeared with her arrival; maybe she hadn’t been capable of perceiving them until just now. They cast down soft hues of gentle colors, each one feeding the endless light through itself. She tried to pick out some kind of pattern or imagery, but merely ended up staring at the impossible vastness of it all.
”Is it beautiful?”
A voice snapped Telrenya to attention and she spun around to find its owner. Standing some distance away was a lone figure cloaked entirely in shadow. It was as if their presence sucked in every ounce of surrounding light in order to hold their form, and the colorful shapes danced far around them, lest they be drawn into the void. Telrenya didn’t allow for a lengthy silence. ”Who are you?” Her voice carried her nerves. It became apparent that the figure wasn’t already facing her when the stark white smile etched into its otherwise blank face came into view as it turned. A wave of unsettling dread washed over her.
”Beauty is subjective. As are most things. Emotion. Memory. Introspection.”
Though the words came out of it, the crescent of its smile didn’t budge. Its arm pulled up to gesture in a direction off to Telrenya’s side. Her brows were narrowed, her gaze fixed on the stranger with a look of suspicion and confusion. The shape held its pose. Telrenya’s face turned slowly, begrudgingly, with her eyes still locked on the shape for a few long seconds before she finally relented and followed the direction it pointed.
Time stood still, if such a thing existed in this place. The color drained from her face and her features froze, mouth slightly agape. A massive portrait of rich stained glass stood in the distance, its deep, vibrant colors brought to life with the abundance of light shining on it from all sides. A person, dressed in white and blue knightly garb, was intricately pieced together with a hundred delicate shapes. Their face was framed by light blonde hair and barely decorated with the dark curves of closed eyes. In front of their chest, their folded hands held onto a long bundle of white, star-shaped flowers of asphodel. Like some kind of enchanting memorial, Telrenya stood before the looming portrayal of James Cardona. Her brother.
Her breath caught in her throat, unprepared for the emotions that flooded her. The beauty of its delicate features captivated her: it cradled her warmly while picking at the scab of her grief.
”Witness them, and face yourself.”
Was she ready for this? Could she handle it? She already began to feel an intense weight piling onto her chest that caused her whole body to tighten up. Why was she here?
…Why was she here? She remembered her last visit to the Monument of Life. The friends that were there for her and supported her when said her goodbyes. The people that held her hands and let her lean on them while she cried. Those who reminded her to keep looking forward, because she still had something worth fighting for.
She missed them so much.
Telrenya’s bottom lip quivered into a steely resolve, tears rolling down her cheeks. Wordlessly, she brought herself forward, walking up to the tall mosaic. A straight seam ran all the way down the middle to indicate that it stood as two curved panels forming a double-door structure. She placed an open hand against the smooth glass of one side and braced her shoulder as she pushed.
-
If there was anything the castle Aincrad could be praised for, it was the consistency of its landscapes. The sixth floor was just as difficult to traverse as always. Telrenya had been having a rough time wading through underbrush and either avoiding or cutting through all of the aggressive flora and fauna that lived here as she trudged ever eastward. Ryo hadn’t given her the most precise directions–how could he when the surrounding area could only be described as “more jungle”?--but after asking around in Krycim about the ‘Sage Waterfall’ that he had recounted to her, she felt decently sure that she would stumble upon it if she just kept pushing forward.
When she finally did catch the sound of rushing water competing against the ever-present droning of insects and rustling of leaves in the breeze, she let out a sigh of relief and found a second wind that pushed her through that last stretch to locate the clearing. She came to a stop at the edge of the crystal clear pool and pushed the sweaty bangs off of her forehead, taking in the view. The trip felt worth it just by letting the overwhelming sense of tranquility wash over her. The sound of water running over smooth stones was calming, the smell of the fresh spring air mixed with lush greenery was soothing, and the way the sunrays peeked through the tallest trees and washed over the water’s rippling surface with streaks of colorful light was mesmerizing.
Once she had soaked in enough of the atmosphere, she eyed the flat stone slabs at the base of the waterfall and thought back to how Ryo had described his experience to her. He claimed that the area was practically a safe zone, so…
With practiced motions, she pulled up her menus. Her boots and stockings vanished, allowing her to step into the chilled water without the unsatisfying squish of wet leather beneath her toes. She took her rapier, scabbard and all, off of her belt and placed it on top of one of the wide flat stones with a tiny clattering sound and eyed the one beside it as a potential seat. She braced herself for the cool sensation of damp cloth sticking to her skin as she pulled herself up and crossed her legs in front of her. She scooted a little awkwardly until she felt comfortable enough to straighten her spine and look towards the softly-rippling sheet of water cascading ahead of her. She caught sight of her reflection looking back at her. She closed her eyes to blink and then–
Telrenya | HP: 700/700 | EN: 108/108 | DMG: 21 | MIT:44 | ACC:3 | EVA:4 | LD:1
NOTES
THREAD INFO
equipped
»Celestial Dawn +6 DMG
»Celestial Blessing +2 EVA, +1 ACC
»Erin's Favor +2 ACC, +1 EVAbattle-ready inventory
»(3) T1 Health Potion (+40 HP)
»Bottled Banshee Scream (Stun all enemies for one turn)
»Bandit's Guile (+1 EVA for 1 battle)
»Cerberus Soul (+2 Burn DMG)
»Snowfrost (1/2 Burn DMG for 1 battle)
skills
»Rapier R5 (+7 DMG)
»Cloth Armor R5 (+20 MIT)
»Energist (+20EN)
»Combat Mastery: Damage R3 (+3 DMG)
»[Extra] First Aid
»[Extra] Survival
»[Familiar] Protector Familiar
»[Combat Shift] ST Specialistaddons
»[Rapier] Precision (+1 ACC)
»[Rapier] Stamina (-2EN)
»[First Aid] Hyperactive (+3EN for 3 turns on party member or self | Unique | 3 post CD | 5EN)
»[First Aid] Field Medic (Heal self and all party members 25% max HP | 3 post CD | 15EN)
»[Cloth Armor] Nimble (+1 EVA, +1 LD)mods
»Athletics (+1 DMG)
»Purify (Remove all status conditions on self or party member | 1 post CD | 3EN)
»Energize (Restore 8EN to party member | 10EN)
»Barrier (Reduce final dmg from all sources by 15% on all party members for one turn | 2 post CD | 15EN)
buffs
»
-
A stalemate. Is that what this had turned into? Each of their health bars sat just above the halfway mark, but it had felt like ages since either one of them had landed a meaningful blow. She wondered if every match of this weeks-long tournament would play out something like this. No... She'd seen the roster of players signed up to participate. Strangers, all but one. Unknown faces, but those names... The names she recognized, at least half of them. Some of the strongest players in Aincrad were taking part, she was aware of that. In a fight against those powerhouses, she'd be lucky to survive even half as long. A lump threatened to form in her throat. One boot crossed over the other, rapier held at the ready, breath pulling in and out past her lips in soft pants. She moved slowly opposite Yue Hua while her thoughts threatened to overtake her concentration.
Why was she here? What had possessed her to sign up for a tournament like this, of all things? Doubt slammed into her like a truck. She told herself that she wanted to get back to the frontlines. To make amends. To atone for her own regrets and do what she thought was right. So why wasn't she? Why was she here, rather than seeking out the next frontlines meeting? Could she even manage to send Jomei a simple message, or would their reunion take place in an arena like this, crossing blades for a crowd's amusement?
'Stop.'
Telrenya had nearly lost herself. No, she had. For a moment, at least. She skidded to a stop, digging her heels in to keep herself from slipping any further down that spiral and clawed her way back to reality. Getting distracted like this was doing Yue Hua a disservice.
It would also prove her own downfall. In a rush to get her head back into the duel, she hastily shot forward again. A sharp slam of metal rang out over the makeshift stands. Her rapier moved a little different. Her footing was off. The dance had gotten sloppy. Another few swings and Telrenya tried to hook her blade underneath Yue Hua's sword to redirect her parry, but her wrist didn't follow through against the weight. Her expression turned to panic and she had to throw herself backwards as the tip of Yue Hua's sword caught a few millimeters of blonde bangs. She couldn't catch herself after such a rough movement. Telrenya stumbled backwards and landed hard on her back, the loose dirt further grinding into the white of her clothes where she fell. She grit her teeth and scrambled to salvage her defenses.
Beginning of Turn...
Recover 1ENMain Action - Attack...
ID#: 240966 | BD: 1 [Critical Miss] | -2ENSwift Action - Take it Slow...
Quote[3] Telrenya | HP: 118/200 | EN: 30/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:18 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | BLD: 12 | PARA
[1] Pollux | HP: 138/200 | EN: 13/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3Cooldowns:
Pollux | Charge (3/3)
-
She expected Yue Hua to react to that sickly sweet scent, to stagger or stutter or otherwise throw the woman out of focus. Instead, she shook off the effect and faced her with a sword swirling with energy just waiting to swing at her. "Huh?" Telrenya blinked, taken aback for a moment. Why hadn't her item done anything?
And then it clicked. She had used something earlier, hadn't she? When Yue Hua backed off after dousing her with the pheromones. Telrenya's shoulders went stiff and she sucked in air through visible, clenched teeth, a grimace on her face. 'She blocked it!!' Telrenya pulled her rapier to an angle for her to deflect her next swing.
Their swords swung wildly, arcing through the air before crashing into each other again and again. Their dance continued. Sparks flew wildly in all directions. Light infused Telrenya's sword and she unleashed a flurry of quick jabs. Surely at least one would hit the mark. But with Yue Hua's Evasion well intact, her body moved at impossible speeds to deftly dodge every strike. Telrenya grit her teeth. At this rate, they'd run the timer to its end. She dropped down, bending one knee beneath her and pulling her left leg across in a quick sweeping motion, but even that didn't throw Yue Hua off of her rhythm.
Beginning of Turn...
Recover 1ENMain Action - Attack...
ID#: 240922 | BD: 3+2-3=2 [Miss] | -2ENSwift Action - Take it Slow...
Quote[3] Telrenya | HP: 118/200 | EN: 31/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:18 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | BLD: 12 | PARA
[1] Pollux | HP: 138/200 | EN: 14/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3Cooldowns:
Pollux | Charge (2/3)
-
"Really!?" Tel perked up excitedly, trying to push away that fuzzy feeling pressing against the front of her skull. Plenty of people in SAO were from Japan, so it was unclear why she was so surprised. "I'm from Higashiyama in Kyoto." She smiled widely. "I've only been to Tokyo a couple times. That's so cool that you live in the big city!" She giggled again. Her cheeks were warm and everything seemed a little funnier. More enjoyable. This was the lightest her mood has been in a while.
"Oh, I'm an art student." She answered plainly before delving into the topic. "I mean, I know you asked what I do for fun, and being a student is more like work, but art is what I do for fun, too! I thought I would probably end up being a teacher or something since I don't think I could make a living just from painting." She rambled on, "But I haven't had a whole lot of time for hobbies the past couple of years. I was thinking of getting a part-time job since money's been kind of tight." She spoke as if they'd been back in the real world just the other day. "I play violin, and--oh! I finished the last book I was reading not long before the game started. Oh my gosh, it would have been awful if I hadn't gotten to the ending yet. But, I like mystery novels! My favorite is 'Journey Under the Midnight Sun.' Oh, the main character's name is really close to yours! 'Ryoji.'" She laughed softly.
Telrenya looked over and noticed the flush of Ryo's face. She let her glass rest on the counter and tilted her head a little bit to one side. "Hey, are you alright? Sorry, you just seem...a little different." What was she trying to say? She was confusing herself.
-
No longer burdened by the pheromones' debuff, Telrenya's Evasion rescued her from another devastating blow. For every time she forced Yue Hua's blade off course by blocking with her own, now she could move her body out of the way entirely. A strike pushed forward in the form of a straight lunge and Telrenya braced her knees with a firm bend before launching herself into a forward leap that would carry her not only over the blade, but her opponent as well.
She was left with a choice. Both of their health bars had dwindled. The fight wouldn't last more than a couple of solid hits on either side. Yue Hua had been matching her speed blow-for-blow, so Telrenya had to either give everything she had to try and break through her defenses to land those couple of hits, or spend precious time to seize this opening and use her last item.
Telrenya wasn't the gambling type. Shoving her hand back into that same pouch, she pulled out the final item tucked away in it--a familiar small vial of clear liquid. In that brief moment in the air, she pulled her shoulder back and tossed the item at Yue Hua's back. The glass would shatter and the pheromones would splash across her skin, her clothes, her hair. Telrenya tucked her chin into her chest and leaned forward into a single flip to carry her momentum before she'd land back on her feet a few meters away from her opponent. She turned and brandished her weapon once again, ready to shoot forward and lay into her with another round of empowered attacks.
Beginning of Turn...
Recover 1ENMain Action - Use Item: Pheromones... -2EN
Swift Action - Take it Slow...
Quote[3] Telrenya | HP: 118/200 | EN: 30/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:18 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | BLD: 12 | PARA
[1] Pollux | HP: 138/200 | EN: 15/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA:30 | Prepared Fix: 1/1 | Pheromones (0/3)Cooldowns:
Pollux | Charge (1/3)
-
Their dance continued until her partner found an opening. No, she forced an opening. Air was pushed out of Telrenya's lungs and she stumbled backwards. She looked up. There was no stopping the force shooting after her--all she could do was tense her muscles to brace for the impact.
A gasp escaped her. Her entire midsection tingled while the green color steadily drained from her health bar. Telrenya looked down at the bright red band of injury that stretched fully across her waist. Yue Hua may have well sliced her in half just then. Her hand rested over the pixelated wound and her chest heaved with rapid breaths. A stillness lingered in the air until a thought rushed to her: 'It's not over yet.'
Her vision snapped into focus. The effects of the pheromones finally faded away and for the first time in a few excruciating minutes, she inhaled deeply the fresh air around her. She spun quickly. Leaving her back to her opponent would lose her the rest of her health in seconds. She held her weapon at the ready in front of her, should Yue Hua follow with another bout of attacks. She tried to slow her erratic heartbeat.
Without taking her eyes off of her opponent, Telrenya reached her free hand to her belt. Her Evasion was back to normal, but she couldn't risk ignoring her health. Another hit like that and she was done for. She reached into a pouch at her hip and maneuvered her fingers to hook two separate items between them. Handling both a glass flask and a single crystal, the liquid inside shared the same crimson color as the gemstone. Not daring to lower her rapier, she brought the flask to the side of her mouth and inelegantly bit down on the cork at its top. She twisted and pulled, letting the stopper fall from her lips so she could immediately replace it with the beveled glass edge. She had to tear her eyes away from Yue Hua to tilt her head back and dump its contents down her throat. She wasn't fond of the taste of health potions. Drinking them with the urgency of gulping down cough syrup usually made it bearable.
The flask gently shattered and disappeared from her hand once it was emptied and her HP began to rise as a result. It wouldn't be enough to make her feel safe. She knew she had to pour everything into a moment of recovery or it would be meaningless. As soon as the flask vanished, she took a proper grip on the crystal and squeezed, crushing it in her palm. Bright red dust spilled from its remains and seeped into her clothes, her skin. A brief respite.
Beginning of Turn...
Recover 1ENMain Action - Healing Potion...
Recover 15% HP: 30 (increased by 10% from Survival) = 33 HP | -2ENSwift Action - Healing Crystal...
Recover 15% HP: 30 (increased by 10% from Survival) = 33 HP | -2ENQuote[3] Telrenya | HP: 118/200 | EN: 31/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:18 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | BLD: 12 | PARA | Stun Immune: 3/3
[1] Pollux | HP: 138/200 | EN: 16/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | Prepared Fix: 1/1Cooldowns:
Pollux | Charge (0/3)
-
At the edge of her vision, she could tell her opponent was preparing an attack. Telrenya's body twitched as the system held her still, her chest rhythmically rising and falling to catch her breath. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing mentally where she could not physically. And then...
She almost fell forward as Cardinal released its grasp on her. She planted a foot down to catch herself and spun around to regain her fighting stance. She had expected Yue Hua to lay into her while she could--what happened? She met the woman's pearly eyes and caught the pink hue burning on her face. Telrenya smiled. Not with a gloating superiority or a look of pity, but a small smile built from understanding and camaraderie. Before the countdown had even begun, Yue Hua and Telrenya had regarded each other with a level of respect akin to soldiers on the battlefield. Each believing the other to be wholly capable, and treating each other as a threat worthy of the utmost caution before their blades had ever clashed.
Now each of them had slipped up. They were even.
Telrenya returned Yue Hua's nod. Neither combatant had spoken a word since the start of the fight, and that was fine with her. Maybe if they knew each other, maybe if they were old friends, they'd be slinging playful insults and matching each blow of their swords with a line of witty banter, but Telrenya settled into the silence comfortably. In this first match of the tournament, it helped her stay focused.
'Again.'
Telrenya's brows quivered and that smile faded. As she lowered her stance for another attack, her head throbbed. That smell still stung at the back of her throat. The edges of her vision still clouded. The only thing that she could truly concentrate on was the woman standing on the other side of the arena. Telrenya slid her right foot back. Her body leaned forward. She took a runner's pose. Her rapier glowed with the signal of an empowered sword art and she shot forward, rushing towards Yue Hua as quickly as she could without possessing the Charge skill.
Another crash of metal rang out loudly over the stands. Their swords dragged across each other with a sharp whine. Telrenya spun to try for another blow against Yue Hua's back and that, too, failed to connect, her rapier catching only air as it audibly whipped through the air above her head. 'So fast...!' Telrenya kept the pressure on, but couldn't land a blow. There was a grace to Yue Hua's movements that seemed impossible with the thick metal adorning her frame; the way she deftly slipped out of the path of Telrenya's blade was like a dance. At least for now, Yue Hua took the lead.
Beginning of Turn...
Recover 1ENMain Action - Attack...
ID#: 240809 | BD: 3+3-3=3 [Miss] | -2ENSwift Action - Take it Slow...
Quote[1] Telrenya | HP: 146/200 | EN: 34/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:18 | ACC:
23 | EVA:30 | BLD: 12 | PARA | Pheromones (3/3) | Stun Immune: 2/3
[1] Pollux | HP: 138/200 | EN: 25/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | Prepared Fix: 1/1 -
Telrenya held her smile. The plan worked. The topic seemed to pull him out of that bit of stiffness, something he was genuinely interested. "Oh, really?" She was a little surprised to hear he worked as a cook in the real world. She guessed that explained his knowledge and interest. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you from?" She listened to him, sipped her drink, then considered his questions. Her cheeks had taken on a bit of color, though she hadn't noticed. She leaned comfortably against the counter and idly kicked one of her feet back and forth under her a couple of times.
"My brother got the game for me, actually. Well, for both of us." She looked back to watch the carbonation dance in her drink while she spoke with a bittersweet smile. Her expresion oozed nostalgia and an undeniable hint of sadness. "He tried to get me to play video games with him before, but I never really stuck with them." She admitted. "He'd gone and bought me a whole system and begged me to play with him and told me how insanely cool it was, there was no way I could say no." She chuckled softly. "I...don't think I had any idea what kind of character I wanted to be at first." She had to think about it while she was answering, and giggled again. "It took me a long time to figure out how to play, so we were already changed back before I'd even learned how to fight! Oh, I remember I had orange hair, though."
Two and a half drinks in, she set her emptied glass back down on the table and watched it as it filled up again this time. Her chest felt lighter than it had some time ago. The oppressive atmosphere of fright and horror was gone, replaced with the quiet abandon of the empty bar. She hadn't spoken openly with someone in such a long time, it was such a simple joy to share a drink with a familiar face. "I took the Artisan profession, but I've never done anything like making jewelry in real life before. But I like creative work, so it almost sounds like a hobby I would try if I'd thought about it before." She tilted her head to the side, thinking out loud. The movement sparked a bit of a reaction in her. A bit of fuzziness. She looked to her other side, away from Ryo, wondering if she had dropped her guard too soon. She looked back, seeing and hearing nothing out of the ordinary, but placed her fingertips against her temple. "Sorry... I just felt a little dizzy for a second."
Telrenya | HP: 700/700 | EN: 108/108 | DMG: 21 | MIT:20 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
NOTES
THREAD INFO
equipped
»Celestial Dawn (+12 DMG)
»Celestial Blessing (+2 EVA, +1 ACC)
»Erin's Favor (+2 ACC, +1 EVA)battle-ready inventory
»Finding Stone (+3 LD)
»(4) Red Velvet Cake (+1 LD, +1 Prosperity)
»(3) T1 Health Potion (+40 HP)
»Bottled Banshee Scream (Stun all enemies for one turn)
»Bandit's Guile (+1 EVA for 1 battle)
»Cerberus Soul (+2 Burn DMG)
»Snowfrost (1/2 Burn DMG for 1 battle)
skills
»Rapier R5 (+7 DMG)
»Cloth Armor R5 (+20 MIT)
»Extended Weight Limit (+2 BRI Slots)
»Energist (+20EN)
»[Extra] First Aid
»[Extra] Survival
»[Familiar] Protector Familiar
»[Combat Shift] ST Specialistaddons
»[Rapier] Precision (+1 ACC)
»[Rapier] Stamina (-2EN)
»[First Aid] Hyperactive (+3EN for 3 turns on party member or self | Unique | 3 post CD | 5EN)
»[First Aid] Field Medic (Heal self and all party members 25% max HP | 3 post CD | 15EN)
»[Cloth Armor] Nimble (+1 EVA, +1 LD)mods
»Athletics (+1 DMG)
»Purify (Remove all status conditions on self or party member | 1 post CD | 3EN)
»Energize (Restore 8EN to party member | 10EN)
»Barrier (Reduce final dmg from all sources by 15% on all party members for one turn | 2 post CD | 15EN)
buffs
»
-
The liquid in that vial had clung to her boots, lightly staining the white cloth. Each breath that Telrenya drew in she caught a fresh whiff of that sweet, sugary scent. Overpowered by notes of vanilla and citrus, it took over her senses and her sights seem to hone in on Yue Hua. Her rapier moved quickly, matching each block of her opponent's sword with metallic 'clangs' that rang out over the stadium. Telrenya's eyes were unusually sharp as she continued to press for any break in Yue Hua's defenses. She'd landed one hit and continued searching relentlessly for the next.
Her weapon may have been swift, but her body felt sluggish. This debuff had destroyed her Evasion stat, and in the back of her head Telrenya knew that if she stopped her assault she would have a really hard time playing defensively. Then came the counter. Yue Hua's blade swung down and caught her dead-on, leaving a heavy diagonal gash across her chest. The throbbing discomfort caused her to wince and in a hasty decision she tried to pull away. But her body wasn't just sluggish--it was unresponsive. Her eyes widened in immediate panic. Why? What was happening?
«Stunned»
The adrenaline still ran high, but the moment her sights landed on the answer beneath her health bar, some tiny sense of relief ran through her. She was stuck, left even more vulnerable than when her Evasion was first stripped away, but she knew why, and that allowed that electric jolt of fright to begin to subside. She checked her health. She just had to endure.
Beginning of Turn...
Recover 1ENStunned!
Quote[1] Telrenya | HP: 146/200 | EN: 35/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:18 | ACC:
23 | EVA:30 | BLD: 12 | PARA | Pheromones (2/3) | STUN | Stun Immune: 1/3
[1] Pollux | HP: 138/200 | EN: 26/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | Prepared Fix: 1/1 -
Telrenya sighed when Ryo pointed out how the quest wasn't working right in his menus. Of course it was broken. She thought briefly about checking her own quest log, or searching around the bar for any possible clues or next steps, but instead she simply placed her elbows on the counter and leaned her weight into it. A strange apathy washed over her. So what if they ended up leaving empty-handed? What was she going to do with any new items, anyway?
She chose to focus on conversation. After this they would probably part ways and she'd just go back to Delilah on Floor 3. She'd figure out how to waste her time until nightfall, then tomorrow she'd have to think of a good enough reason to pull herself out of bed again. She took another sip of champagne.
She listened quietly to his answers, but couldn't help chuckling when he called his girlfriend pretty the way that he did. "I see." She remarked simply with an amused smile. "Hmm, roleplay..." She mused over his earlier point. She remembered the 'character creator' at the very beginning, where you could change and customize your appearance before the mirrors turned everyone back to looking like their true selves. The game turning into their shared reality certainly put a damper on the feeling of 'playing', or being someone you weren't while interacting with the world. Some moments, places, and people were easier to engage with than others as if it were a game. She tilted the glass in her fingers where she held it by the stem, slowly swirling the liquid and watching the tiny bubbles break away from the sides of the glass and wiggle as they shot to the surface. What else should she say...?
She realized something when she shifted her glance from her drink to where he stood down the bar. She'd never seen him smile as widely--maybe at all, at least today--as when she'd asked about his profession. Then he'd just sort of slipped back into regular conversation. Almost like he was going through the motions. "Hmm..." She hummed aloud before sliding the topic backwards. "So, then, what's your favorite thing to cook? What's the hardest thing to make?" She recalled struggling over a particular style of earrings she had tried to make once and wondered if cooks faced the same kind of hurdles. "Your favorite thing to eat?" She smiled after firing a him a round of questions.
Telrenya | HP: 700/700 | EN: 108/108 | DMG: 21 | MIT:20 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
NOTES
THREAD INFO
equipped
»Celestial Dawn (+12 DMG)
»Celestial Blessing (+2 EVA, +1 ACC)
»Erin's Favor (+2 ACC, +1 EVA)battle-ready inventory
»Finding Stone (+3 LD)
»(4) Red Velvet Cake (+1 LD, +1 Prosperity)
»(3) T1 Health Potion (+40 HP)
»Bottled Banshee Scream (Stun all enemies for one turn)
»Bandit's Guile (+1 EVA for 1 battle)
»Cerberus Soul (+2 Burn DMG)
»Snowfrost (1/2 Burn DMG for 1 battle)
skills
»Rapier R5 (+7 DMG)
»Cloth Armor R5 (+20 MIT)
»Extended Weight Limit (+2 BRI Slots)
»Energist (+20EN)
»[Extra] First Aid
»[Extra] Survival
»[Familiar] Protector Familiar
»[Combat Shift] ST Specialistaddons
»[Rapier] Precision (+1 ACC)
»[Rapier] Stamina (-2EN)
»[First Aid] Hyperactive (+3EN for 3 turns on party member or self | Unique | 3 post CD | 5EN)
»[First Aid] Field Medic (Heal self and all party members 25% max HP | 3 post CD | 15EN)
»[Cloth Armor] Nimble (+1 EVA, +1 LD)mods
»Athletics (+1 DMG)
»Purify (Remove all status conditions on self or party member | 1 post CD | 3EN)
»Energize (Restore 8EN to party member | 10EN)
»Barrier (Reduce final dmg from all sources by 15% on all party members for one turn | 2 post CD | 15EN)
buffs
»
-
"It is!" Telrenya was a little proud to recognize what the drink was. She didn't have much exposure to alcohol--just a cocktail once or twice back in the real world. She could hardly remember what those tasted like, nor that champagne she'd had at her friend's wedding. She set the emptied glass back on the counter and let her hand fall to linger resting against the flared base. "Mead?" That confidence drained from her just as quickly as she struggled to think about what kind of drink that was. What was it made out of, what did it taste like? She thought she'd heard of the name before. Maybe.
"You're a cook, right?" There was some hesitance to her words, genuinely uncertain if she was remembering right. She thought he'd said something about providing the food himself during that big get-together he'd hosted some time ago, one of the few times they'd met before. She remembered really liking the fruit tarts. "Have you ever made drinks before?" Truly, she wasn't familiar with any of the professions outside of her own. She wondered what kind of scope 'Cooking' allowed for, exactly. Whether players could come up with their own dishes, or they had to follow recipes.
She glanced back towards the bar, her thoughts shifting back to wondering what their reward was meant to be, when the movement of bubbles inside of her glass caught her attention. "Huh?" She lifted it back up.
[̸̧̡͎̗̦̺̲̦̼̯͇̪̣̗̋̔͋̓̍̂͛̃͘̕Ĥ̵̛̳͍̣͍́̇͂͗͛̐͛̏̆͋͝ave a drink, it's on the house]
When did it fill back up? It had been empty, right? She hadn't just imagined the past few minutes, right? She looked back to Ryo enjoying his own drink. Did he catch that? She brought the glass up to her lips with a hint of suspicion, taking just a sip this time. It was the same: the taste of citrus and flowers, a little tart, but the little bubbles that popped on her tongue made it almost refreshing. "You... You don't think this is the reward, do you?" She posed the thought with a slight grimace. It tasted nice, but all that for a drink? Or two, or however many the game would offer her. She hoped for an item. At least some experience and col! She wasn't sure what she wanted, besides to feel satisfied that their suffering for the past couple of hours was fairly compensated.A silence rolled over the room. A lull in conversation. The only thing occupying her hands, she took another sip of her drink, then looked around for the cleanest unbroken stool she could find to pull up a seat. The bar was quiet and dry and the drinks tasted good, so she was no longer trying to book it to the teleport gate. She set her half-finished glass back down on the bar and scavenged for a suitable piece of furniture. She picked one up, dusted it off with her hand the best she could, and brought it back over. She'd offer it to Ryo first, then repeat the process for herself if he'd take it. While they got a little more comfortable to finish their free drinks, she tried to strike up some meaningful conversation. "Well, it's good to see that someone from HDA is doing well after things fell apart." Even though her tone lacked any bitterness, those words were still a little harsher than she intended, and she gave a small chuckle to compensate. She sat down and reached for the flute glass, which was, again, mysteriously full. She tried not to think about it too hard. "I don't think we ever got to know each other before. What made you want to play the game in the first place? Or... How did you and Teion meet? If you don't mind talking about yourself." She offered a polite, well-meaning smile. She wasn't sure if either question was too personal or unwelcome.
Telrenya | HP: 700/700 | EN: 108/108 | DMG: 21 | MIT:20 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
NOTES
THREAD INFO
equipped
»Celestial Dawn (+12 DMG)
»Celestial Blessing (+2 EVA, +1 ACC)
»Erin's Favor (+2 ACC, +1 EVA)battle-ready inventory
»Finding Stone (+3 LD)
»(4) Red Velvet Cake (+1 LD, +1 Prosperity)
»(3) T1 Health Potion (+40 HP)
»Bottled Banshee Scream (Stun all enemies for one turn)
»Bandit's Guile (+1 EVA for 1 battle)
»Cerberus Soul (+2 Burn DMG)
»Snowfrost (1/2 Burn DMG for 1 battle)
skills
»Rapier R5 (+7 DMG)
»Cloth Armor R5 (+20 MIT)
»Extended Weight Limit (+2 BRI Slots)
»Energist (+20EN)
»[Extra] First Aid
»[Extra] Survival
»[Familiar] Protector Familiar
»[Combat Shift] ST Specialistaddons
»[Rapier] Precision (+1 ACC)
»[Rapier] Stamina (-2EN)
»[First Aid] Hyperactive (+3EN for 3 turns on party member or self | Unique | 3 post CD | 5EN)
»[First Aid] Field Medic (Heal self and all party members 25% max HP | 3 post CD | 15EN)
»[Cloth Armor] Nimble (+1 EVA, +1 LD)mods
»Athletics (+1 DMG)
»Purify (Remove all status conditions on self or party member | 1 post CD | 3EN)
»Energize (Restore 8EN to party member | 10EN)
»Barrier (Reduce final dmg from all sources by 15% on all party members for one turn | 2 post CD | 15EN)
buffs
»
-
She expected the parry of a blade coming her way. Telrenya had pulled back as much as she could have managed, bringing her rapier across her body to attempt a block, but instead of crashing steel, the sound of broken glass filled her ears. Bits of the empty Pheromones vial fell to the ground like glittering gemstones and suddenly a sickeningly sweet scent filled her nostrils. It was like she had been dropped into a perfume store. Her senses were assaulted and she had to take a step backwards and give a quick shake of her head to steady herself. Blinking and trying to keep her attention on Yue Hua, a purpleish film seemed to develop at the edges of her vision. Telrenya's eyes instinctively flickered to the upper-corner of her vision. A debuff. Her eyes widened in supposed recognition. Was this the same thing she'd bought from tournament stall?
She clenched her jaw slightly, realizing how vulnerable she'd become while under its effects. Still, the first blow had yet to be struck and she was just stubborn enough after throwing herself at her opponent that she couldn't back off and play on the defensive now. Not yet.
She spotted Yue Hua pulling out a second item and activating it. What it was, she wasn't sure. She would simply have to press the attack. Yue Hua had put some distance between them, but as soon as the Pheromones had settled into Telrenya's lungs she dashed towards her again. Another straight lunge, a flick of her wrist upwards, to the side, and a hard pull across her body for a swift slicing motion. Her blade glowed with the activation of her sword art, and where she had missed the initial attack, Telreyna just barely managed to land a few hits of her barrage this time.
Keep going. Thrust, step, slash. One attack into the next.
Beginning of Turn...
Recover 1ENMain Action - Attack...
ID#: 240789 | BD: 6+3-3=6 [Hit] | -8EN
10 Base DMG * 8 - 18 MIT = 62 DMGSwift Action - Take it Slow...
Quote[0] Telrenya | HP: 200/200 | EN: 34/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:18 | ACC:
23 | EVA:30 | BLD: 12 | PARA | Pheromones (1/3)
[1] Pollux | HP: 138/200 | EN: 34/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | Prepared Fix: 1/1 -
Was this really such a good idea? Surely there were a dozen other ways she could have gone about poking her head back out into the world. But the flyers just looked so flashy and interesting, and she had never competed in a tournament before...
Telrenya swallowed when she heard her name called out. 'Ex-frontliner'. The word stung a little. She didn't plan to stay known that way for long, at least. But...living her best life? Running with wolves? Telrenya fought against a puzzled expression, wondering what they meant by that, or just what kind of impression she might have on anyone watching with that introduction. Still, she stepped forward with an unsteady pace. The woman standing across from her looked graceful, confident. Telrenya's friendly smile betrayed her nervousness. "Oh! Yes, of course!" She perked up at Yue Hua's greeting. "Good luck!" Was that weird to say? She wasn't sure, but there was no time to fumble over more words.
She sucked in a deep breath and drew her rapier just as Yue Hua drew her weapon. Fighting other players was strange, but not something she'd never done before. It was always just practice before. A friendly spar, or practice for some move or technique. 'So, just imagine it the same.' She thought. The air released steadily past her lips and she took a fighting stance. The countdown ticked down on the dialogue window hovering in between them.
3... 2... 1...
Start!
Telrenya rushed forward, looking to make the first move. Without knowing this person, how they fought, what skills they used, the only thing she could do was dive in headfirst, right? How sloppy she was! She lunged forward to stab straight ahead at Yue Hua's torso, but her attack didn't land at all! Her footing was off, her form was out of practice. Even with Cardinal carrying her through the motions of the empowered sword art attack, it was all just so messy. Her bottom lip went stiff as she immediately realized her blunder that placed her in close quarters with her opponent. With her rush to attack out of the gate come and gone, she hastily shifted one foot backwards and tried to prepare for any sort of counterattack that might come her way.
Initiative...
ID#: 240767 | LD: 18 - First move!Main Action - Attack...
ID#: 240768 | BD: 2+2-3=1 [Miss] | -2ENSwift Action - Take it Slow...
QuoteTelrenya | HP: 200/200 | EN: 41/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:18 | ACC:2 | EVA:3 | BLD: 12 | PARA
Pollux | HP: 200/200 | EN: 38/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3
Telrenya | HP: 200/200 | EN: 43/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:18 | ACC:2 | EVA:3 | BLD: 12 | PARA
NOTES
THREAD INFO
equipped
»Twilight Turmoil (Paralyze II / Bleed II)
»Knight's Vow (MIT I / EVA II)
»Erin's Favor (ACC II / EVA I)battle-ready inventory
»Celestial Blessing (EVA II / ACC I)
»Pheromones (Set target's EVA to 0, ACC to 3 for 3 turns)
»Healing Potion (15% Max HP; Post Action)
»Healing Crystal (15% Max HP; Swift Action)
skills
»Rapier R3 (+5 DMG)
»Cloth Armor R3 (+12 MIT)
»Energist (+5 EN)
»Combat Mastery: Damage R3 (+3 DMG)
»[Extra] First Aid R3
»[Extra] Survival (10% Healing effectiveness; Immune to environmental effects)addons
»[First Aid R3] Hyperactive (+3 EN for 3 turns on party member or self | Unique | 3 post CD | 5 EN)
mods
»[Cloth Armor R3] Athletics (+1 DMG)
»[First Aid R2] Purify (Remove all status conditions on self or party member | 1 post CD | 3 EN)
»[First Aid R3] Energize (Restore 8 EN to party member | 10 EN)
buffs
»
-
Buying the following items: (again)
- Crafting Material x9
Total: (700 * 9) = 6,300col
-
'Knock, knock, knock
Telrenya nervously rocked back and forth from her heels to the balls of her feet. She stood in front of the thick wooden door where a dialogue menu popped up in front of her as she'd approached. 'Closed', it read. She fidgeted slightly. Telrenya had only met Teion once or twice before. They had never quite shared a guild, but Ryo spoke highly of her skills as a blacksmith, and Telrenya was growing desperate to find one who could help her. She rehearsed her lines in her head two or three times, then brought her hand up one more time for another knock. 'Maybe she's not here...' She thought, but the door swung open right before she would have pulled her knuckles down onto it.
"Oh! Hello!" She held her stress firmly in her shoulders. "You're Teion, right? Ryo is your boyfriend? You see..." She went on to explain herself while lacing her fingers in and out between each other. "...Do you think you have the time to make something for me? I brought all of the materials with me."
QuoteRecipient: Telrenya
Item Name: Twilight Turmoil
Item Type: Weapon - Rapier
Quality: Demonic
Tier: 4
Enhancements: 2x Paralyze, 2x Bleed
Specifics: image // A sleek rapier with a thin blade. The handle and pommel are a cool silver with a simple design. The guard is semi-translucent, almost glass-like, and composed of flowing swirls with a small blue gem at one end.Trading 9 Materials and 1 Demonic Shard
-
Skill(s) Being Dropped: Extended Weight Limit
SP Incurred Towards Limit: 10
SP Refunded: 10
Cost: 10,000 -
Buying the following items:
- Crafting Material x9
Total: (700 * 9) = 6,300col
-
She spent a few more precious moments searching, not yet daring to turn her full attention to Ryo until she was sure that other her wouldn't pop up out of nowhere and strangle her. Still, there was an urgency in his voice. She had no time to sit around. "Y-yeah. Yes, let's hurry." She agreed, pulling herself back up with the assistance of the wagon. "Alright, and...!" She gave a short warning before she heaved her weight against the wooden bar to get the thing moving again.
Against all odds, the two made it back to the tavern in one piece. It took some time for them both to fumble around wondering where exactly they were meant to deliver the supplies before they found the cellar door, then a little bit longer to move all the crates down the dimly-lit stairs. Telrenya felt an aura of uncertainty the whole time, but the small chime of a notification confirmed that they'd guessed correctly. "Return to the bar for your reward." She read aloud. "Well, glad that that's finally over." She sighed with relief. "Not that I wasn't interested in doing a quest with you!" She hurriedly added as they climbed back up the stairs. "Just, maybe not this quest." She was sure Ryo understood.
They went back into the bar and Telrenya felt the tiniest hope that some old grizzled bartender would be there to welcome them. Those hopes were quickly dashed when it was only the same pile of dust and broken furniture. There was one difference that caught her eye, though: two cups placed on the bar. She walked up to the counter and the notification popped up in front of her.
« Have a drink, it's on the house »
She eyed the tall flute glass in front of her skeptically. The pale liquid inside bubbled recognizably. "Is this...champagne?" She reached out and pinched the stem of the glass between her fingers. She brought it up to her nose and felt the scent of bright citrus and flowers. It was surprisingly pleasant. Telrenya glanced over to Ryo as the tension of their afternoon escapades slowly began to drain from her shoulders. The bar may have been dark and dingy, but it was a quiet shelter after all they'd dealt with. "What do you have?" She craned her neck, curious to know what Ryo had been served. She'd only had champagne once before, at a wedding she'd attended shortly after high school. She didn't remember disliking the taste, and the completion of the quest sure felt like cause to celebrate.
"Well... To a job well done, then!" She raised her glass briefly before bringing the edge to her lips. Wholly unfamiliar with the proper etiquette for enjoying wine or wine-like beverages, Telrenya drained the glass with few hearty gulps. She held onto the empty glass, letting out a short breath as the sweet, bubbly flavor washed over her all too quickly. She hadn't yet noticed the new status effect under her health bar, instead distracted by her drink and company. "Oh, that's actually really good! I wasn't sure if it would be kind of bitter, but it's not really." She commented.
Have a Drink...
ID#: 240583 | CD: 8
Telrenya | HP: 700/700 | EN: 108/108 | DMG: 21 | MIT:20 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
NOTES
THREAD INFO
equipped
»Celestial Dawn (+12 DMG)
»Celestial Blessing (+2 EVA, +1 ACC)
»Erin's Favor (+2 ACC, +1 EVA)battle-ready inventory
»Finding Stone (+3 LD)
»(4) Red Velvet Cake (+1 LD, +1 Prosperity)
»(3) T1 Health Potion (+40 HP)
»Bottled Banshee Scream (Stun all enemies for one turn)
»Bandit's Guile (+1 EVA for 1 battle)
»Cerberus Soul (+2 Burn DMG)
»Snowfrost (1/2 Burn DMG for 1 battle)
skills
»Rapier R5 (+7 DMG)
»Cloth Armor R5 (+20 MIT)
»Extended Weight Limit (+2 BRI Slots)
»Energist (+20EN)
»[Extra] First Aid
»[Extra] Survival
»[Familiar] Protector Familiar
»[Combat Shift] ST Specialistaddons
»[Rapier] Precision (+1 ACC)
»[Rapier] Stamina (-2EN)
»[First Aid] Hyperactive (+3EN for 3 turns on party member or self | Unique | 3 post CD | 5EN)
»[First Aid] Field Medic (Heal self and all party members 25% max HP | 3 post CD | 15EN)
»[Cloth Armor] Nimble (+1 EVA, +1 LD)mods
»Athletics (+1 DMG)
»Purify (Remove all status conditions on self or party member | 1 post CD | 3EN)
»Energize (Restore 8EN to party member | 10EN)
»Barrier (Reduce final dmg from all sources by 15% on all party members for one turn | 2 post CD | 15EN)
buffs
»
-
"Right." Telrenya nodded. While she had hoped this quest would give them some insight on the floor, or maybe allow them to run into some other players or an NPC or two, it seemed they would have no such luck. She couldn't help but start planning for a speedy exit through the teleport gate once they'd delivered the goods and retrieved the reward.
Together, the two sloshed and splashed through the tepid wine while they hefted box after crate up and down the stairs. Each trip was a little bit precarious, especially when they had to lift the most unwieldy crates from either side and shuffle in tandem across the gangplank. It took a short while, but eventually Telrenya heaved out a sigh of relief when the last crate had been settled onto the wagon. "Okay. Halfway done, then..." She reassured herself out loud. She turned, about to circle back towards the front of the wagon so that she could lift up one side of the handles to start pulling the cart back, but she froze when she realized the sudden absence of the ship at the side of the dock. She blinked, then looked back over to make sure Ryo was, in fact, standing nearby. "It's...gone." She remarked in disbelief. Her head turned from side to side, wondering if it had just cast off really quickly and she'd simply missed it, but all she could see were the fog clouds rolling across the water's surface. It really had just disappeared.
"Let's, let's just go." As unsettling as each new development came to be, the only thing they could do was press on. With tense shoulders, Telrenya hurried to the front of the wagon and waited for Ryo before she lifted up her side and dug her heels into the muddy cobblestones to get the traction they needed to begin lurching forward with the new weight of the cargo.
Just a bit longer and they could get out of this nightmare town, she told herself. She kept her eyes on the road in front of her and quieted down for the trip back to the bar. This was awkward. Why couldn't there have just been a normal quest for them to do? Even slaying monsters would have been less stressful. Going round and round in her thoughts, something caught her eye. A flash of white. Another pair of footsteps trailing ahead of her. She squinted and she pace slowed to a crawl before she stopped walking altogether. "Wait. Do you see..." Her voice died out before she finished the question. The figure in front of her, which had been walking along, had stopped as well. Who...was that?
Her head tilted just a bit off to one side. So did hers. 'This has to be some kind of trick.' She thought. A doppelganger? A trickster in disguise? She brought up a hand to cup around the side of her mouth and she leaned forward a little to call out, "Hello?!" She watched them move the same way she did, but couldn't hear anything. She frowned. She stuck her arm out to the side. Waved it above her head. Took a step forward. It mimicked her every move. "What is that?" No sooner had the words left her mouth than she watched her own neck twist violently past the point it should. Blonde hair whipped around and suddenly the copy of her stood with its head on backwards. Telrenya let out a gasp of shock and staggered backwards, bumping into the cart and falling on her butt with a soft 'splash' of wet mud and stone. She met her own eyes with horror, but the moment she did so the figure vanished before her eyes. She blinked. "Where...?" Her eyes darted around, looking for her demonic other self as if it might pop up anywhere else, but it was nowhere to be found.
Travelling Back...
ID#: 240578 | LD: 9
Telrenya | HP: 700/700 | EN: 108/108 | DMG: 21 | MIT:20 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
NOTES
THREAD INFO
equipped
»Celestial Dawn (+12 DMG)
»Celestial Blessing (+2 EVA, +1 ACC)
»Erin's Favor (+2 ACC, +1 EVA)battle-ready inventory
»Finding Stone (+3 LD)
»(4) Red Velvet Cake (+1 LD, +1 Prosperity)
»(3) T1 Health Potion (+40 HP)
»Bottled Banshee Scream (Stun all enemies for one turn)
»Bandit's Guile (+1 EVA for 1 battle)
»Cerberus Soul (+2 Burn DMG)
»Snowfrost (1/2 Burn DMG for 1 battle)
skills
»Rapier R5 (+7 DMG)
»Cloth Armor R5 (+20 MIT)
»Extended Weight Limit (+2 BRI Slots)
»Energist (+20EN)
»[Extra] First Aid
»[Extra] Survival
»[Familiar] Protector Familiar
»[Combat Shift] ST Specialistaddons
»[Rapier] Precision (+1 ACC)
»[Rapier] Stamina (-2EN)
»[First Aid] Hyperactive (+3EN for 3 turns on party member or self | Unique | 3 post CD | 5EN)
»[First Aid] Field Medic (Heal self and all party members 25% max HP | 3 post CD | 15EN)
»[Cloth Armor] Nimble (+1 EVA, +1 LD)mods
»Athletics (+1 DMG)
»Purify (Remove all status conditions on self or party member | 1 post CD | 3EN)
»Energize (Restore 8EN to party member | 10EN)
»Barrier (Reduce final dmg from all sources by 15% on all party members for one turn | 2 post CD | 15EN)
buffs
»
[PP-F29] <<On The House>> Lightweights & Heavy Burdens
in Intermediate Floors
Posted
Two hours later...
"And then! And then! I tried to equip it like an item!" Telrenya was fighting laughter as she recounted one of the seemingly funniest stories she'd ever told. "But it doesn't have an equip option, so I just immediately used it by mistake! Ohhh my goodness, I thought Hestia was going to throw me off the side of Aincrad." Her hand slapped down on the bar counter, jostling their glasses. Each had been refilled several times over by now. Telrenya clutched her stomach with her other hand, recovering from a bought of laughter.
"Wait wait!" She wiped a bead of tears from each eye as something else came to mind. "Were you there when we invited everyone over for lunch? Do you remember when Kimi showed up--and she wasn't wearing any pants?" Telrenya practically wheezed the last bit out. "And while Spencer was chasing her around trying to get her to put them on," A short pause to let the laughter out, "Noodle--Noodle went and ate all the bread for the sandwiches! So we tried to figure out how to have breadless sandwiches before Ruby gave up and went to the store!" She nearly fell out of her seat recalling the event.