Jinx

It was, as the girl had expected. The more he spoke, the more lost she was. How far must one fall, how far one must bury themselves to truly believe this as Dustin did. He was talking about murder, about two people who would never return home. Two families that will never be whole again, two lost children who could never return home. Perhaps Greil was too far gone, perhaps upon his return he would be arrested and charged with murder. But instead, Dustin took it upon himself to do it himself. He decided to be judge, and executioner. It was wrong to believe you had the right to do that, no matter how much you've suffered. 

So much of what he said, she wanted to scream at him for. So much of what he said was, wrong, so fundimentally wrong that she wanted to hit him until he shut his mouth. But she didn't, and instead, as always, listened to the boy speak his piece. Even the girls usually chatty familiar had fallen silent as it lightly clawed at Jinx's armoued foot. 

After the silence fell, Jinx removed her arm from Dustins shoulder, and stared at him, almost, right through him with passive indifference on her face, the signs of her tears from moments ago the screams of a bygone era. 

"You have no right to forget their faces" She whispered "The two you attacked before Greil, the two you..you forced me to fight against. You could have wounded them and let them go, stunned them and move on. You could have choosen to sneak around them. Instead, you believed you were so correct, that even when i begged you to let them live...You choose to kill them" Even as she spoke, the girls voice was a mere whisper, so quiet if you weren't close and listening, the words would be drowned out by the gentle breeze that moved the tips of her hair. 

"You say...Greil, only cared to about the number of people he killed, to...pad, his numbers. He was a murderer. As are you..." The girl looked Dustin in the eyes as anger started to lace her words "You claim to want revenge, but no matter the reason, you killed 3 players. That is 3 people who will never get to escape this world, 3 people whose families will have to be told their child was killed by another who gets to go escape the world. So how can you stand here, and be so, right?" 

The girl took a step away, and unable to stop herself, yelled, the words being ripped out of her throat so hard that Fou, the ever-calm familiar, scampered back in shock "HOW CAN YOU STAND IN FRONT OF ME SO CERTAIN THAT BEING A MURDERER IS OK! THAT WHAT YOU DID WAS JUSTIFIED!" 

Jinx dropped to her knees, shivering from the ringing in her eyes, caught by her own outburst. The girl grapped her wrist and squeezed tightly, trying to keep herself focused on the now. Her voice had vanished once more, barely more than a whisper on the wind "how can you say you wanted me to stop you? H-how is that, even fair?" The girl thought she was able to do this, but now, tears started to paint a disgusting picture upon her face "how was i meant to stop you, w-when you brought me there, just to hurt me?" 

"Don't look at me like that."

Those were his first words? Jinx had hoped, begged, that she was wrong. That Dustin would realize what he did was wrong, realize that killing was the worst thing you could do no matter how right you believed yourself to be. Maybe she could explain it then, perhaps it would make sense. But the more he spoke, the clearer of a painting Dustin painted for her. He wanted her to hate him, to yell, scream. To lash out, like any other person would. Like...

"Look at me with all the hatred you feel towards me."

Jinx watched him talk, justifying his decision to kill. As if he was so certain he was in the right, so  certain that killing Greil, and the others, was justified. As if murder was acceptable. It wasn't, it would never be! The boy standing in front of her was a murderer, a killer with blood on his hands! And was so, casual, as if, as if it hadn't impacted him at all. She watched him move, to leave the guild. What was the point of the action, he hadn't been a member since he killed Greil, killed the other. Since the last day she was him, he'd been...just a stranger to her. 

After he finished talking, the girl simple stayed silent. The only noise being the occasional 'Fous' from the girls familiar as she stared at him. What could she say here? Even as the boy got closer, as the fear and pain within her chest escalated...It was the eternal question. What could she say here?

Eventually, she found her voice. 

"What was their names?" Her voice was a soft as it ever was, so much so, Dustin might miss it had be not been listening carefully for the words uttered from her pale lips "On the last day i saw you, you and Arabelle killed two people before going on to chase Greil. O-on the day, that you believed so justly in killing another human you didn't care who got in your path. O-on the day you...tore, my heart out" The girls calm voice faltered as she fought back the tears that threatened to consume her eyes, and her hands tightened into fists to keep herself calm "On that day, Dustin. You killed at least three people, five, if you'd care to include Arabelle and myself. You made the decision, only only to kill, but to make me witness it to drive me off. To hate you...To dispise your very exsistance"

The girl smiled a sad smile and shook her head "I've had, so long to think about that day Dustin. Had my active mind, analyise it all. And i understand it, i can...revisit it. But that's the one thing, i don't know..."

The girl took a step forwards, as gentle as she'd always been, and placed an armoured hand on Dustins shoulder. The look in her eyes was as distant as always, but within them scared a question, screamed the desire to understand...

"What are the names of the three people you killed that day?"

"Dustin. You say you won't let him take your friends away from you but...You're the one who has done it. You And Arabelle have just...killed people! MURDERED THEM!"

"You could have done, so much more! So many better things and instead you sink to their level and become a murderer! It....it hurts to look at you. You're the...the shell of a friend...You were such a good friend to me and now....i don't..even know who you are anymore"

"You said to me, just before. You'd never let anyone take your friends away from you. Well, you've already failed that Dustin. You drove me away from you. Because you don't care about the friends who stand by your side. We nearly died together once Dustin, remember...? When Pin attacked us. I stayed WITH you, even though he could have killed me a dozen times over! Because i believed, deep down, you were a friend and a friend is someone who you stand by!"

"I'm sorry Dustin. I'm sorry i wasn't a good enough of a friend. I just wish i knew how to be better not to lose the people i care about. But i suppose it doesn't matter now. It's clear you don't see me as a friend anymore, if you're so willing to get rid of me"

Alisea 'Jinx' Dariem could recite the last words she'd said to Dustin. Said wasn't the right way to define them. More like screamed while crying her eyes out. even now, so long after, she could feel the pain in her chest. The break that had left the shield user broken to the point where she had vanished from everyone, even her own 'guild'. Even now, she wasn't herself after what her 'friend' had done. Claiming the life of someone right in front of her had changed her. Make her, colder than she'd been before. Clad in her armour, the girl walked towards the town of beginnings with her shield, and familiar on display. 

Deep down, Jinx prayed Dustin wouldn't attack her on sight. But why else would he want to contact her, to see her, unless to kill her? To kill the witness to his crime? He clearly had no issues taking the life of others, why would her life be any different? 

Still, one could always hope. 

Checking her map, the girl quickly found him upon a wall, and using a slightly less elegant method, she found herself walking towards him, Fou by her side. The little familiar seemed overally suspicous of Dustin, despite the dull look in the tank-players eyes. She looked at him, and felt an all-too familiar feeling in her chest. Pain, suffering, all the emotions she'd felt back on the 4th floor were rushing back to her like a tidal wave. 

Much like before, there was so much to say, so much she could say, that she had no idea where to begin...What to even talk about. What did one say in a situation like this anyway? It wasn't that they'd left on even minorly positive terms. He tore her heart out and crushed it, knowing it would hurt her. Wanting it to hurt her. And he had. Oh the pain he had caused her never left. 

And so, the girl said nothing and simple stared at him from across the wall with dull eyes, clad in her armour and of course, her almost iconic shield, attached onto her arm. It wouldn't be hard for Dustin to see a lack of any weapon, a promise made the same day she last saw this boy. 

Alisea looked over at Chelsea, the other girl was right. They just had to do their best, nothing more, nothing less. She could spend all day reminding herself she was in a video game, trapped, and that she hadn't done anything to help herself, or others, escape. She'd just, existed. But that wasn't a bad thing in of itself. 

"You're right, sometimes i just worry...that i'm not doing anything. But if i threw myself at the frontlines, all i'd do it die. And that scares me more than anything else in this world. So we'll just, keep working fowards to become stronger" Alisea liked Chelsea, she had a way of making...everything seem so much, simplier. She let out a sigh, right as Chelsea managed to find some materials.

"Y-yeah, sometimes they are just, scattered all over the place. The game-system seems to play, well, games when it comes to finding materials. I, well...i've always had bad luck trying"

Alisea couldn't truly understand what Chelsea was talking about when it came to langauges. For her, they'd been easy to master. It took her a few days, maybe a few weeks to learn a single language, before moving onto the next one. She couldn't explain it, other than her IQ number being rather high. But still, she knew other people struggled. Her guild leader, despite all her attempts, hadn't been able to learn chinese. 

"Well, there are things we all struggle to learn. It's taken me...years, but i finally understand how to cook for example..."

Alisea hesiated for a moment, before nodding her head "Something like that...I spoke to someone who said...our bodies wouldn't last forever in the real world. We're on a timer to get back to the real world. But all of these experiences, they're real for us. When we escape...I just hope, they aren't too harsh on those who...struggled. I know, i've done nothing to help us escape..." 

Alisea let out a sigh and sat down, stroking the head of her familiar. It was horrible of her to wish she could stay in this world, that this world, she felt more alive in that the nightmare of the real world...

Jinx mentally marked down another person from America. It seemed, despite it all, a good few people originally came from there. Still, it was rather interesting. 

"I think your accent is fine, e-even English. Languages, they're not easy for most people so" Of all people, the tank knew she shouldn't talk. She'd been 'lucky' for languages. Something about in her just kicked, even when she was absent minded, she could learn them. The girl smiled warmly at Chelsea. It seemed the 'rules', for people like them, well...they didn't apply.

"I'm certain my body is somewhere in Tokyo. I lived in America, but...well, it would be easier for them to drop my bosy off in a hospital and move on with their lives..." Jinx shook her head. She shoudln't be focusing on this, not now..."I just hope, when we come back to the real world...People understand what we had to do"

Jinx watched Chelsea equip the items her guild leader had given her, and despite it all, she was worried. Those items were super important of a gift given to her, and she'd be a little upset if Chelsea took them. But, she seemed nice. Alisea just hoped her faith wouldn't punish her guild leader.

Thankfully it seemed to be the case, she seemed honest and genuine. 

"I just hope they help you Chelsea. He let me borrow them, and, yeah...he's nice. O-oh, i forgot to ask Chelsea. If you don't mind, where are you from?" 

Jinx had noticed recently that peopel seemed to be, from everywhere are around the world. Part of her wondered where her real body was. She was certain they had to be in hospital somewhere, although. She could still be at home, if her parents even wanted her body there. She'd need even more attention now than before...

Alisea looked at the ground. This girl was almost singing her praises...There was nothing to praise her for. She was doing the right thing, nothing more. She believed it was correct, so she..she did it. She wouldn't willingly compromise herself. That just wasn't her style. 

"I'm, nothing special Chelsea. It is those who are on the frontline, those who put themselves in danger. They are the heros. Me? I'm just, some girl who is too scared to..well...I suppose it doesn't matter. I want to help others, so i do. It took me nearly a year to leave the town, a-and, only because Stryder came to my aide" 

The girl frowned at Chelseas question. She...had no idea. She'd never gone looking for materials...Wait..

"oh, i have these!" The girl accessed her inventory, and made a trade request. Gloves coming up in the listing. "Accept the trade, these gloves, they're supposed too help you find items. J-just promise you'll return them. They have...well, a special person made them for my guild-leader, and i'd hate to lose them"

Jinx smiled warmly at Chelsea, right as Fou woke up. The familiar started to climb over Jinx's armour, causing the girl to try and catch her familiar, to a degree of failure. "F-fou! That tickles!"

-Trading:

Alisea nodded her head at the girl, before it clicked. Chelsea wasn't a gamer, and hadn't done what she herself had done. Alisea had spent a solid...year? studying the menu and the abilities within it. It meant when she did start getting levels, she knew what she wanted and how it would help her. Clearly Chelsea hadn't thought like that when she'd put her first level into healing. 

"Sorry, i'll try explain better. But, y-you shouldn't be discouraged. Even if you're not conquering the floors, y-you could be like me. I try and help other people, h-help keep them safe and slowly power up. I'm not in the boss rooms, i'm not even able to get close to them. But i do what i can, even...even if it won't matter in the scale of things"

It did hurt to admit in a way, that overall, everything she'd done over the past 3 years did nothing to truly. But, still... "It's not cowardsly to want to live, trust me. I know. I selected tank abilities to ensure, i'd never die...Despite standing up for the others, at heart. I'm scared"

Alisea listened to Chelsea make her offer. She had, a healing abliity? At level 1?! The girl was trying to make this game harder for herself? Taking a healing ability instead of a raw combat ability, was just...well. It was clear that Chelsea wasn't much of a gamer. Poor thing, being pulled into a world she had no interest in. 

"The healing ability is nice but...well, my advice would be to get some combat stats in your favour. Even if it is something as basic as enhancing your armour" Jinx took a look around, but nothing seemed to be paying too much attention to Chelsea. Jinx glanced at Fou, her familiar still napping away "If we do get involved through, well, i won't stop you. I've got a lot of healing, you see, i had my guild-leader help me select my skills. I've got enhanced armour and healing, plus little Fou here can heal me during battle when i need it" The girl smiled warmly at Chelsea, trying to help the other girl for a potential rough future "It's good, to want to help others. But you need to ensure, you yourself, is safe" 

"O-oh, i didn't realize all you had left was getting the materials. Well, that'll make it easier..." Jinx started walking with Chelsea. It was, odd. This girl was in the same place as her, and now...well, it was almost like talking to a more competent version of her younger self. Scared, but wanting. A friend had stood by her side, and shown her how she could push forwards. Go past her limits. Was it now her job to show this to Chelsea? 

jinx nodded her head "Correct, we'd have to leave the town. But i promise, not a single monster will hurt you. They shouldn't mess with us, not unless we try and mess with them. And even if they do, well. I've got an ability called Howl. Long story short, it'll force any monsters nearby to attack me. Meaning i'll keep you safe Chelsea, and that's a promise" 

Jinx looked up, they were near the edge of the town. She turned to her friend. For her, this might be scary. Leaving the town properly. It had scared Alisea a lot....She just hoped she could convince her friend she'd be ok. 

Jinx let out a sigh, how could she not focus! Languages were her gift, one of the few thigns she could do without thought...although, that might not always be a good thing as she'd managed to explain it all..In French. Of course she did. 

"Yeahhhh, i sorta...have a way with languages and sometimes i get distracetd...and forget what one to use.." The tank glanced at her feet before Chelsea asked her to join, and Jinx smiled warmly "It's my pleasure...After all, i want to help everyone, a-and you're part of it" With fluent movements, Jinx opened up her menu and sent a party request to Chelsea, an action she'd done a million times before to the point where she didn't have to think about it.

"So we'll need to find the starting point for your quest. It's probably an npc store, it-it'll be on your minimap which is about...here...?" The girl pointed to where she'd assume it would be on her friends Hud. "I'm afraid...well, i have to follow you to find it. Once we do, i promise, i'll lead you every step of the way. After all, i'm your friend, we gotta look after one another right?"

Jinx watched the girl struggle with her menu, and in those moments, Jinx knew she HAD to help Chelsea. She reminded her, of, well, her. Stryder had spent hours teaching her to use her menu, where to access and how to use it properly. She'd...well, she'd be in her position if not for his kindness. Jinx looked at the quest, and recognised it quickly. The Earning a Living questline, one she herself was meant to be doing...and had forgotten when Fou entered her life.

"Well, it's like this..." the girl started speaking, but...well. She was speaking in French, the girl not realizing she'd, once again, swapped langauges by mistake "The game has professions, and you can make things to help others by completing the quest. See, yours is for the Alchemist, which is like...a potion master" The girl opened up her own menu, and showed her own quest. While jinx had about 8 quests, she highlighted her own. It had the same title, mostly, just with the word 'Cook' instead.

"See? Now, to begin, you just follow the instructions...See i dunno how your quest works, so..if you bring it back up, i can lead you to where you need to go"

If Chelsea informed Jinx she'd been speaking in a language she didn't understand, the shielder would pout slightly, swapping back to Enligsh "O-ho, sorry, i...I sometimes forget which language i'm speaking in...anyway.." And would repeat herself, this time in Enligsh and a bit slower, trying to make an active effort into remembering to use the right language for her friend. 

Jinx, in part, doubted her own hearing. Chelsea wasn't even level two...? In a way, it made sense. After all, she herself had taken a long time to even leave the town, yet alone becomes as strong as she was. And her guild were the ones who had helped her get this far in of itself. Without them, she herself might have been just like the girl in front of her. 

Jinx smiled warmly at Chelsea. Part of her wanted to hug the girl...but, they'd only just met. That's weird to hug someone, right...? She couldn't remember. "I see, so you got snared in here trying to help your brother...Well, if you'd like, i'd be happy to help you Chelsea. You see...I, i was just like you too. I didn't leave the town, n-not until someone was nice to me and guided me. They, made me strong. If you'd let me...I want...i want to help you, like he helped me"

Jinx opened up her inventory, and wanting the girl to have faith in her, equiped all of her armour. The girl went from being dressed in rather casual clothes to coated in heavy armour, shield attached to her arm and extra padding over her chest piece, which seemed to almost glow with fire. Fou, the girls familiar, cuddled up on the shoulder-piece, which was modified to allow her familiar to rest there. Jinx smiled warmly, despite not having a weapon on her.

"S-see Chelsea...? If you want to leave the town, i'll be by your side the entire time"

Fou made an odd-chirping sound as she was caught and handed back to Jinx, the familiar clambering up the small girl like a climbing frame before perching herself onto Jinx's left shoulder, and settling down, almost napping.

Jinx smiled warmly at the other girl, she didn't seem annoyed, or angry. She'd even spoken nicely to Fou. That's all it took for Jinx to start liking this girl, to be nice to a familiar, was always a good sign in her books.

"Me..? My name is Alisea Dariem..A-although, my in game name is Jinx" The girl replies softly, shifting a little in place as she smiled askwardly "O-oh, don't worry about hurting me. We can't get hurt in towns like this, a-and besides, i'm pretty hard to take down...I'm a tank after all" The girl had been studying her build a lot of late, and while she wasn't sure where she planned to go, she did know her role. Raise the shield, keep those around her alive. She took the time to look over the other girl but...Much like her, she wasn't waring any clear armour. Perhaps, she was a weaker player...? Or someone who just prefered their own clothes when it wasn't needed to carry armour? 

"H-hey Fou....Don't run off!" Jinx ran forwards as her Familiar turned back to face her, and the girl pouted. Her familiar was restless, and had been acting up. So naturally, Jinx had let her out of the house...and she ahd basically ran off. So Jinx chased her, and so the game began. It ended up, of all places, on the first floor! Jinx had put all of her equipment away, wearing just a plain white shirt, black pants and shoes, chasing after her white-coated familiar. 

Fou turned a corner sharply, and Jinx did the same...Issue: Fou is small and could run through Shyes' legs without incident. Jinx could not, and basically crashed into the other girl before she even noticed she was there! Jinx hit the ground, and let out a soft whining noise as she looked for...a person! Oh god she'd just run over someone! They were gunna be soooo angry and..

"A..ah, i'm so sorry!" Jinx scrambled to her feet, partly using the wall to get up, and offered her hand to the red-haired girl she'd basically bodyslammed "I..i didn't mean...I was chasing Fou...a-and she turned and...Oh please forgive me" Jinx bowed her head very quickly to the stranger. She'd basically slammed into them, how rude! Did she had anything she could give the girl...? Food, money..? How was she meant to act..Ohh why did she leave the house today, she'd already made someone hate her again...

Trading to @Arabelle

-1 Easter Bunny's Favour (http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/19122-e3-easter-2020-eg-egg-n-eggys-wondrous-shop-of-wonders/?do=findComment&comment=604320) 

Jinx had been spending a lot of her time doing, well, her own thing. Namely Fou. Her familiar required, well, took up a LOt of her attention now a days, that and all the cooking she did to entertain herself...and feed herself. Her appitite had gotten bigger of late, and often times she would snack down on whatever she could make. It had started as curries, but recently she'd moved onto french and even started trying out steaks and chicken properly. There was a milion ways to cook it!

The girl couldn't not think about it as she entered the newest event, easter. If she liked chocolate more, perhaps she'd...Ohhh, maybe she could add chocolate to her food! That might be tasty. That's when she arrived at the exchange, and looked through her inventory. 50 Eggs. Enough for the item, although...jinx brough up her messeges, and double checked the name.

"It was...huh, here it is. Easter Bunny's Favor. Yeah this is the one" 

With her purcase made, and a happy little hum, the girl started walking back. She glanced at her shoulder. She missed having Fou there, but for a trip like this, it wasn't really needed. Egg acquired

Recieved: 

• 50 chocolate eggs
• Arabelle's Favor -- Flash this shiny voucher in Magnolia or Pandora's Wares for special benefits! (or you don't have to really, both shop owners are well aware).
  • Magnolia: 100% off for 50 purchases (of any rarity or tier, either custom order or stock purchase).
  •  Pandora's Wares: 100% off for 25 identification requests (of any item type, rarity, or tier).

Thanks Arabelle! I'll be sure to help out best i can

Dustins words swirled in the girls head. 

“I’m never letting anyone take my friends away from me again.”

He was so worried abotu losing people but....He couldn't see it could he? He was driving towards his own death and Alisea couldn't watch it....But he didn't let her stop him either. It was over for Dustin. Jinx hated herself, hated how she KNEW there was only one thing to do...Only a single action she could take. And as she put her hand on Dustins shoulder, she could feel her heart breaking into pieces. She didn't have many friends...

"Dustin. You say you won't let him take your friends away from you but...You're the one who has done it. You And Arabelle have just...killed people! MURDERED THEM!" For one of the few times in her life, Alisea yelled. Screamed at the top of her lungs, filled with rage....and overwhelmed b sadness that touched each and every word that escaped her lips "You could have done, so much more! So many better things and instead you sink to their level and become a murderer! It....it hurts to look at you. You're the...the shell of a friend...You were such a good friend to me and now....i don't..even know who you are anymore"

Jinx let out a sigh as she pushed back her tears. "You said to me, just before. You'd never let anyone take your friends away from you. Well, you've already failed that Dustin. You drove me away from you. Because you don't care about the friends who stand by your side. We nearly died together once Dustin, remember...? When Pin attacked us. I stayed WITH you, even though he could have killed me a dozen times over! Because i believed, deep down, you were a friend and a friend is someone who you stand by!"

The girl failed as tears started to stain her face, and she turned away. If this was the last time she saw her friend....

"I'm sorry Dustin. I'm sorry i wasn't a good enough of a friend. I just wish i knew how to be better not to lose the people i care about. But i suppose it doesn't matter now. It's clear you don't see me as a friend anymore, if you're so willing to get rid of me"

Jinx started walking, away from the fight, and back to town. The longer she walked, the more she cried. Dustin had been, arguably, her best friend in the guild. And to have him turn his back on her was akin to a knife in her heart. She hated how it made her feel, how no matter how hard she cried, it never stopped.

If no one chased after her, Jinx would vanish into the snow - As would her love for her friends. 

Jinx listened into the 'game' that Arabelle had turned her own dating life into. Part of her wanted nothing more than to ignore it, to stop listening to anything the Scythe-user had done. She'd....Killed someone, right in front of her. And now, she couldn't...say anything. Jinx sat on the ground and started to play with Fou some more, pulling out a string from her inventory and letting Fou swipe at it, much like a cat. 

The girl let out a sigh as Arabelle spoke to her familiar, and Fou stopped swiping to look up at the Scythe-User. At first, the familiar started to get close to her. But then, almost as if sensing their owners feelings, Fou almost striked to strike Arabelles shoes before jumping into Jinx's lap and swinging at the thread. 

She was trying to forget, but...She just couldn't. God she wished her mind would just, switch off, like it always does when she didn't want it too. Arabelle and Dustin...murderers. How was she supposed to forget that, even more so when the other girl didn't even seem phased by it? It made her almost sick to her stomach. And if she said anything, Stryder would be...so upset. There was nothing she could do but...

If Jinx had been anyone else, maybe she'd of noticed it. Azto's seeming reaction to the news about her Guild-Leader. But it, like many many things in the world, was completely missed on by the girl. All that really made sense to the girl was his question about her name, and he KNEW her guild-leader. 

"I don't mind what you call me Alex...If i use, your real name, then i would be ok if you used mine. And i'm surprised, that you know my guild-leader. I'll admit, i met him...On the very first day, when we were trapped in here. He is super kind to me, i mean...He lets me stay at his place, he got me my own room a-and everything" The girl smiled a little as she scratched her familiars head lovely, before turning to her 'ally' and noticing he seemded, distanct...? Distracted? She couldn't place a finger on the word.

"Is everything ok Alex?...O-oh! Wait, if you know him, i could...tell him you're ok! U-unless...." The girl looked away, recalling a certain event that occured between her and some 'friends' of her own. "Unless you'd, rather, not. I understand if so, i had some friends who i'm...not talking to for a good reason..." 

Jinx looked over at Arabelle and Stryder interacting, and felt the urge to bite her tongue. How did the other girl even have the face to act like nothing was wrong! She'd done more than just watch Dustin kill, she'd encouraged it! The feeling in her chest, the vrey one she tried so hard to push down, was vile. But if she told Stryder then he'd...She didn't want to think about how he'd react honestly. It was better to say nothing, and hope the girl regretted getting people killed.

The girl focused her eyes back onto the monsters, trying her best NOT to listen into the conversation being had between Arabelle and Stryder. She just needed, to just, get on with her life. Try and ignore the fact people would never return home thanks to her 'friends', and her inaction. She was Just as guilty...

The last enemy remaining was a bat, and Jinx frowned as it seemed to be going around her and...Her heart turned to ice. FOU! The bat was going after her familiar! Without any thought, the girl threw herself between the bat and her familiar "Fou, get back!" The Bat, already diving forwards, had no way to get out of the shield the girl slammed into its face. The monster exploded into blue particles, and Jinx quickly turned around and crouched over. Fou stared up at her as if nothing had just happened. 

"Fou, froom now on, you stay on me ok buddy? I can't keep you safe if they sneak up behind me ok...? I'll...i'll modify my armour, get you a nook you can hang out on or something ok?" The girl was seemingly obsessing on her familiar, and Jinx knew, deep down, why. To distract herself from the Scythe-User as much as possible. 

Jinx blinked hard, then again. Dustin had just...KILLED someone, right in front of her! For Jinx, in those moments, realize froze. 

For as long as Alisea could remember, she'd hated others sufferings because often, she felt them as her own. Someone had told her, once, that due to empathy, she could 'feel' the pain of others almost as if she were suffering for them. It had caused her to always try and remain calm, to always see everyones side of life and made, almost forced her, to put value of everyone she met on equal to her own life. 

And she could see the 'assassins' face shift into horror as he exploded, and as it did, something in the girl lurched, violently. She'd not only watched someone die, but she'd...helped with it. Even if she hadn't done it herself, her friend had...Dustin had just...murdered someone in cold blood! Her friend was...dead. Dead and gone. 

She opened her mouth to scream, to beg, to do something, but the voice died in her throat hearing Dustin speak. Why would he LET them live?! Did he truly believe he had the right to choose that he had the right to choose who lives and dies? 

They'd willingly hunted them down, chased them through the snow! They should be letting them go...to....To do something, it didn't matter what but! Killing them was just...

Wrong

What Atzo was saying did make sense in its ways, but still didn't. Like, for people to not want to talk about their lives. Were they ashamed of it, or was it just one of those 'unspoken rules' that she'd been told about time and time again. They didn't fully make sense to Alisea, but then again, not a lot did if she was honest with herself. But the boy had been nice enough to introduce himself as his real name soo..

"Well, i'm..Alisea Dariem. I-its nice to meet you Alex" The girl smiled warmly at the boy, following him towards the end of the safe zone, but pausing right before the end of it and accessing her inventory. After all, leaving a safe zone undefended was just an unnecessary risk. So the girl equiped her three pieces of armour, and she smiled as she reviewed her new stats. Now she would be near impossible for monsters to take her out.

Turning back to Atzo, now coated in heavy armour, and gave him a soft nod. "Oh, the guild...We're called...ummm, i forget..." An embarrassed look came across the girls face as she opened up a menu, and quickly found the name she was looking for. "We're called, Guardians of the New Dawn. Oh, and his name is Stryder...O-or at least his in-game is that". She glanced at her shoulder, and after a short whistle, her familiar lept up onto her shoulder, prepared for the adventure ahead of her.