Astralin

It wasn't long before Snow suddenly gestured for Astralin and Astreya to head over to the Onsen. With most of the work finished, it kind of made sense that the rest could be taken care of easily by one person. "Guess we'll see you again soon, then!" Astralin called out to her.

Then came the trip to the onsen itself. Astreya seemed to ask if that was indeed what they were gonna do. "Why not? Let's do it!" Came Astralin's response. Then Astreya asked a question that Astralin didn't expect...like, at all. Her face reddened slightly at the latter alternative. "I-I....Um....I-I-I dunno about that....I mean, taking a dip in a hot spring is one thing, but..."

Astralin was extroverted enough to be comfortable with various activities, even with strangers, as long as they were able to be nice instead of suspicious...but the highly suggestive possibility at the end? She didn't know if she would be comfortable going in with a bunch of strangers while she's-

"No, no, it's not likely to be that, this game's rated...huh, now that I think about it, I don't think I remember what rating this game had...but I'm pretty sure things wouldn't get too steamy, r-right?" Astralin thought aloud. Then again, this is a player's property...but that hidden option might apply to individual rooms, rather than an open-air part of a property. Maybe Astralin will be fine. "...You know what, I shouldn't be getting worried about it, I'm sure it'll all turn out fine..." Astralin decided, her oddly placed smile having a hard time concealing the fact that she was trying not to mentally panic at this moment.

@Astreya

Astralin, upon arriving, would find where she needed to go in order to change, and went in to do just that.

Astralin would emerge from the changing room and advance towards the Onsen. Yona was there, too, as well as the woman she lost to. "Hi!" She calmly said with a smile as she waved to the other players that were already in the hot spring, before getting in herself.

The warmth of the waters was a pleasant feeling for Astralin. As simulated as it was, it at least provided a soothing feeling for her and relieved the tension within her avatar. She took a deep breath, then let out a deep sigh. "Whew...it's been too long since I've taken a relaxing break like this..." She remarked.

@Yona @Jomei @Lessa

Astralin had begun to hear of Krysta's tailoring skills, and that her shop was set up over in Taft. At this rate, Taft was slowly becoming a secondary trading hub of Aincrad, which was nice to know. Any shops within main settlements were always easy to reach, others often needed some time before Cardinal set up enough of a safe path for players to travel, from what Astralin could guess. It wasn't like she'd ever needed to go to Vigilon's blacksmith shop or anything...

Excitedly wondering what Krysta's shop would have, Astralin made her way over to the area of Taft where the shop was stated to be. Astralin would open the door to see an interior that really seemed up Krysta's alley, no wonder she set up shop here. There was also another girl present(@Almina), who looked like she'd just equipped a purchase that looked cute on her. Astralin waved to her and Krysta, who was behind the counter, with a smile before browsing through the shop's available stock.

Soon, Astralin spotted a dress within stock that was registered as Cloth Armor in the system. Intrigued, Astralin took a good look at it, before looking to Krysta and asking, "Hey, mind if I try it on?" Krysta nodded, and gestured for Astralin to go right ahead, so she would bring the equipment with her over to the divider and try it on. Astralin looked at herself in the mirror, wearing the Cloth Armor Dress... She loved it, oh, she loved it so much. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror for at least a minute and a half before finalizing her decision.

It was decided. With a bright smile on her face, she would walk right up to the counter and place the payment on it. "I'm SO buying it, thank you, thank you so much for making it!"

-Purchasing [T4]Nebula Librae(Cloth Armor, 2 Evasion, Recovery)

-Payment of 2800 Col sent to @Krysta

The woman accepted the offer for help, and Astralin would gather up a sizable pile of dishes. Practicality would suggest that she take one pile in each hand, but she didn't have the actual strength to do that, despite being able to carry and pull against significantly more weight in combat(yeah, Astralin hasn't figured out why that is either). The load she carried might not have been much in comparison to the other two, but the fact that she could help at all in this regard was nice. 

The woman soon introduced herself as Snow. Astreya would then introduce herself in response. "I'm Astralin, nice to meet you, Snow!" Astralin added as she placed her pile with the others. Snow would suggest that the three players go to the Onsen after this was finished, and Astreya seemed to be on board with the idea. "That sounds like a really great idea! If I remember correctly, an Onsen is similar to a hot spring, right? It should be pretty relaxing, I'd guess." Astralin added with a smile. There were things regarding onsens that had to do with culture, or, more specifically, Japanese culture...but for the moment, Astralin couldn't recall them all. For the moment, it just sounded like a warm, relaxing experience...which it probably would be.

@Astreya @Snow

A sleepover? That sounded like it could be fun!

Morningstar ended the conversation in...an unexpected manner. "Wha-? Wai-? H-how-?" Astralin stuttered as her eyes widened.

"YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS WAS A DAAAATE????" Came the inevitable reaction. Maybe at this point, she should have realized it was a joke. How embarrassing...

Well, too late for that now.

@Morningstar

Astreya would reveal that she intended to wander, and Astralin could come with if she was interested. "Sure, I don't mind." She responded with a smile.

As the two walked around the property, they marveled at the sights of the area around them. Maybe it really was a nice date setting...but of course, Astralin would have to pick and choose someone if she won. The building itself was very nice, and to Astralin, it would be considered exotic, for she was more west, and this was definitely east, so to speak. The sight of the stars, while not as good as the sights in Floor 22, was still an incredible view. "I know, right? It's incredible..." Astralin added to Astreya's spoken thought.

Soon, the two saw another blue-eyed blonde in the middle of cleaning up a mess. Maybe she could use some help?

Astreya beat her to the punch when it came to offering help, but that wouldn't stop Astralin from at least getting in a word or two. "I wouldn't mind spending time to help out someone else. If there's something you might need me for, go ahead and say it." She said with a light smile on her face.

@Astreya @Snow

Stats and Equipment:

Well, everything had suddenly gone downhill from here. First, the card dealer had a bit of a reaction to Astralin's reaction, followed by his explanation of what came to his mind with the term. "Ohhhhh, ok, sorry..."

But before Astralin could try to mend the conversation, the dealer abruptly dropped the subject and moved on, leaving Astralin sitting there, disgruntled over this little misunderstanding having shut down potential conversation.

Astralin began to think about what she should do or say next, then came another player....with a lil' kittyyyyyy! Astralin's eyes widened as both her hands came over her mouth at the sight of the little serotonin source, but before she could offer to help, the situation was already under control. The dealer would take the cards, address the players in the area as crazy, and plop down on the couch like a drunk. Astralin slowly slunk down in the chair she was sitting at, looking down towards the ground, her arms crossed.

Astreya came by, and asked if Astralin was alright. "Nope..." Came the blonde's answer. In times like these, it was best to tell the truth, unless it was for something that would induce complete and utter chaos worse than what she'd already seen. "Just when I'm about to fix a mistake mid-conversation, the chance slips away as I get cut off..." Astralin noted. "And I'm not crazy, I'm just...different..." She added, her eyes looking over to the sprawled player on the couch in a half-scowl. Why were people always so quick to judge her for the worse? Would the man's response have been worse if Astralin's real name were to have slipped out? "Hmmm... Everyone seems to be busy now, and everything's kind of dying down...I'm out of options, what do we do now?" Astralin asked, looking at Astreya with an expression that pleaded for some kind of hope in this scenario.

@Astreya

Astreya's expression seemed to show some sympathy to Astralin in response to her speaking about her past. She also laughed a bit when Astralin revealed that she and Yona came with tunnel vision that resulted in a bit of a...surprising realization upon reaching the island...yeah, Astralin kinda deserved to hear this laugh for being so reckless.

Astreya would explain that she liked meeting new people, then make a remark about commitment, before she gave her answer as to who she would have chosen if she was to have won, and it sounded like she would have chosen Alkor as to try getting to know him better, but she also liked the idea of dating a movie star. ...It was also apparent that Astreya liked to tease.

"For the record, I always thought tights went better with dresses anyway." Astralin responded to Astreya's "big girl pants" remark. "Besides, choices like these...require some level of commitment, and committing to a choice...takes time...even if it's just for me." She added. Then came the response to the movie star thing. "I mean...sure, it might seem cool and brag-worthy, on the surface. ...But what about their thoughts on the situation? What if they wanted their love life to remain in their private life? How well do you think you can handle baggage of being in relationship with a celebrity? You'd have to be really committed to stay in such a relationship, wouldn't you?" She asked, adding a bit of realism to the subject...but to avoid being labeled as pessimistic, she'd top it off with a pro instead of a con. "But at least if you succeed, you've got someone special in your life, right?"

Morningstar would give his own thoughts on the matter, and Astralin would have a thing or two to say in response. "Jomei? Is that the um...wild guess here, is that the ginger currently talking with Baldur and the Blonde woman who beat Yona?" She asked. "Um...I mean...I won't stop you, just...proceed with caution? I can't speak for everyone in terms of dealing with gingers, obviously, but I dated one once, and uh, it didn't go as well as I'd hoped..." She added, starting to trail off as she did. "Maybe it would have lasted longer or ended more peacefully, if it wasn't for that Becca girl..." She muttered, a slight scowl on her face. She then quickly switched her expression to intrigue as she continued to listen to Morningstar's words. "Yeah, I can understand. I really wanna get to know more people while I still can. If anything, I could find friends I can count on, especially when the going gets tough, or even when I just need someone to hang out with." She added.

When Morningstar made his remark to Astreya's words on potentially dating him, Astralin raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" She responded with a smirk. "One way to find out for sure, but you'll be in for a rough battle, I've beaten two of this Dojo's top students in this tournament, I won't fall very easily." She added. "In other words, we'll see about that."

@Astreya @Morningstar

Morningstar answered the question that Astralin had asked Astreya, saying that he used to be an actor, that it was a long time ago. He also noted that about fifty percent of theories involving what actors were really like were probably true. "Like how reputation tends to carry weight, or that an actor's life is never all roses?" Astralin guessed. Astreya added that everyone used to be someone, or something.

Astralin, however, couldn't really relate. Her smile began to fade. "Well, I guess you could say that kind of depends... Me, I was just a girl who couldn't really find her place. Simple part time job, same friends I've always had since childhood, but not many more others...I was basically just another pretty face in the eyes of the public. Otherwise, I didn't have much of what they expected." Astralin revealed, her eyes looking to the ground. "My real name doesn't make it that much easier...not that I hate it, I'm actually really attached to it..." She added.

At least the arrival of the stars in the sky was somewhat uplifting.

Astreya put her hand on Astralin's shoulder, and apologized over not knowing Astralin would react, while giving Astralin a small grin. Astralin shyly grinned back, despite the awkward expression on her face. "Yeeeah, sorryyy...." She added, the tips of her index fingers poking each other as she did so. Morningstar laughed, saying that it was okay, that Astralin's reaction wasn't nearly the worst he'd seen. His next words were that people were bound to know the truth regardless. He also remarked that Astralin and Astreya seemed alright, not trustworthy but alright. "That's fair," Astralin remarked. "We barely know each other anyway..."

Then came Morningstar's latest question: theoretically, who would each of the girls pick as a date if they'd won? Astralin...needed to think up a proper response to this. It was likely to be a simple answer followed by all the reasons why...the truth was, Astralin didn't think she had very many options...at all. "I....um....I..." She uttered out, struggling to keep her thoughts together after about three quarters of a minute. "I uh...don't know." She admitted. "For starters, I hardly know any of the guys here. I knew only like, two, and one of them's taken, the other I knew is probably not available emotionally?" She added with a chuckle. "And just in case you're thinking, 'wouldn't you have been thinking about this since signing up for the Tournament?', well..." She continued. "...I kinda had tunnel vision when reading the flyerrr...." She said with an awkward, somewhat suppressed grin. "I saw an opportunity to hone my skills and meet new people, so I signed up without reading the fine print on the prize details..."

Astralin was starting to ramble at this point. "When I was on my way here, a new sort-of-friend of mine, Yona, joined me for the boat ride to the isle, and wow, what were the chances that we'd both forgotten to read the prize details...although the realization of it kind of...scared her? Something about it being a battlefield, 'conquer or be conquered', 'dominate or be dominated', I really don't know what she was worried about, and it couldn't have done her much better that she lost in the first round...her reaction to that loss was the last thing I expected, though...."

Astralin got her mind back to the moment. "Well, enough about Yona and I not noticing we were competing with a date on the line...so, as of the moment, who would you pick, Morningstar?"

@Astreya @Morningstar

Astreya would tease at Morningstar, asking him if he was trying to get a jump at the dating game. Morningstar would tease back at her, asking if she was interested, before admitting that he just liked sunsets. "Sunsets...to me they've got a warm feel to it, there could be a whole variety of moods it could portray...It could just be the colors, though, I'm really not sure." Astralin commented. "...Or maybe I'm just biased. Sunsets are pretty, but the stars..." She continued. "There's just something wondrous about the sight, I can't quite place it or put it into words, actually..."

Astreya would state that dating a movie star would seem fun in theory, that it would be fun for a few weeks... Wait, why was she saying...wait, did she mean that...?

"WAIT, ARE YOU TELLING ME HE'S A MOVIE STAR?????" Astralin reacted.

Oops, hopefully she didn't react loud enough for all of Aincrad to hear.... Astralin placed her hands over her lips as her face reddened, over the embarrassment she began to feel over how loudly she'd reacted in surprise.

@Zajcica @Hirru @Raidou @Freyd @Xena @Eruda @Jomei @Snow

Well, that aside, she would walk with the two players over to get some food. She tried to act like nothing happened, so that anyone who wasn't one of the three players would eventually think it didn't happen, that maybe they were just hearing things...

The players walked up to @Baldur, the organizer of the tournament. Morningstar said that it was great to finally meet him, and Astreya thanked him for running the tournament. "Same!" Astralin added, since the other two had basically taken the words right out of her mouth.

She accepted some food offered by Baldur, and would follow Astreya and Morningstar.

The sunset had begun. The sun would soon rest, and the stars would come to take its place in the sky once it would sink. Morningstar asked the two how they'd met. "We kind of met by chance. We wanted to help someone out, though we weren't the only ones wanting to help the other player...together we traveled through the forest of Wavering Mist and took down a Dark Elven creep." Astralin explained. Astreya would speak of the encounter a swell, not to mention the time they saw each other again at Koga's Christmas Party. "Oh, we sure do." Astralin responded to Astreya's remark that the two needed to hang out more, grinning back at the girl.

@Morningstar @Astreya

Morningstar chuckled at Astralin's guesses as to the meaning behind his username, and he mentioned that his fight had been interesting.

Baldur would announce the winners of the round...

Oh....Astreya had lost...to the one currently beside Astralin....and in the semifinals, Astralin was now...paired up against this player...this might become a problem if not handled properly.

In the time that she knew Astreya, Astralin had seen the budding tank as a dependable ally. For her to fall...would be a sign that she was up against a tough opponent. Sure, Astralin had defeated two well-trained students of the Dojo itself, but Astralin didn't know much about this guy...as a matter of fact, she barely knew anyone here at all. Man, Astralin really needed to meet more people...maybe she already thought she was doing so, having been used to interacting with her childhood friends and real life squad, officially led by good friend Aries and including her BFF, Gemini.

Astreya would walk up to the two players, congratulating them both on their respective fights. She also mentioned that her vote was on Astralin for the coming battle. "I'll do my best!" Astralin replied, followed by a smile and a long wink. It would seem that Morningstar took the words kind of like a compliment, saying he liked being the underdog. Astralin....couldn't relate, being an underdog was came with a terrible feeling.

Morningstar invited the two girls to join him in both dinner and watching the sunset. Given that the sunset would lead to a night that was described as incredible by Baldur, it would be natural for Astralin to agree. "Sure!" Astralin answered.

@Astreya @Morningstar

"Oh, so you've heard of me? That's a first." Astralin remarked, not knowing that this player was somehow able to eavesdrop on her pre-battle conversation with Morgenstern. "Morning Star....Oh wait, you mean, as in the spiky mace thing, don't you..." She remarked, a drop of sweat from embarrassment forming as she remembered what the combined word was, and that it was't himself choosing his username to be a star that was still visible at dawn...though it would have been nice.

Morningstar continued, asking how Astralin's fight went. "Ah, it went well, actually! Sure, my opponent kind of gave me a bit of a scare near the end, buuuut it may have just been my reaction to that look in his eyes..." She admitted. "Anyway, I'm still in this thing, only two fights to go...well, preferably two..." She added, confirming her victory against Morgenstern. "How'd your fight go?" She'd ask the player after sitting down.

@Morningstar

As Astralin landed the strike, it all came back to her at once. She was dueling, not fighting for her life. There were many players around her, so they would have likely intervened if something had gone wrong... She took some deep breaths as she slowly backed up and returned to a normal position. She then heard her opponent speak.

 "You know you bested both Calrex and I, students of this very same school. If you don't win, I'll be a little upset." 

Astralin's eyes widened. "Ah! R-really?"She reacted. This place...the two who she'd faced were students of Baldur? Well, then...there wasn't any real need to worry then was there? Astralin now felt kind of embarrassed that the cursor color and eye contact set her off. Sweat was slightly visible as she spoke. "W-well, I'll try my best, then! Just two fights to go! I'll be honest, I'm both in and out of my element here." She began.

Her expression changed as she continued, shifting from an awkward one to a normal face with a light smile. "Sure, I may have 'Martial Arts' as my 'Weapon Skill' of choice...but I'm so used to portraying my own actions in combat very differently, speaking out as I attack and acting like I'm casting magic...I mean, I really want to cast magic, but it seems the game won't let me..."  She crossed her arms, almost trailing off as she faced the reality of her situation.

"But I won't let that stop me, I'll get as close as I can!" She finished, her expression shifting from disappointed to optimistic and determined. "Anyway... Good fight, you almost had me there for a second...we should probably leave the sparring grounds now, ehehe..."

@Morgenstern

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Astralin stood a decent chance, she knew she did...but she barely knew enough people to make the right choice if she was to win. To properly prepare herself for this, she'd have to try meeting new people. Thankfully, she was more willing to meet other people than a few others she knew. She thought that chatting up some of the guys would be the smart thing to do, as she'd need to choose between them if she won.

She noticed someone watching the last fight, and decided to try speaking to him. First she got close, but not too close. About two meters from him, to be exact. She then looked to the last fight, which was looking unbelievably close. Was it some kind of sudden death or something?

And what are the odds that it would be one of the male players, paired up against a student of the Dojo, practically serving in the role of Eliminator. "Those two are really going at it." Astralin remarked. She then turned to look at the player. "What do you think of all this so far?"

Well, that was one way to start a conversation.

@Morningstar

Despite her current lead in her fight, things weren't looking too well around her. First, she looked over to her opponent...and it was here of all times, that she would notice the cursor's color.

Her eyes widened at the realization of what kind of player she might be dealing with. "A killer?" She thought. She backed up suddenly, staring at the cursor for a few seconds. She then made eye contact with her opponent and-

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The eyes.

Astralin...wasn't the best with eye contact. In friendly situations, she could keep it for longer...much longer, in fact, but....this stare that bore into her very soul spoke different volumes. Very different volumes. From Astralin's perspective, the two seconds that passed felt like twelve, and the eyes of the opponent came across to Astralin as those that belonged to one unwilling to show mercy.

The opponent's words rang out and Astralin's focus snapped back to reality. He rushed in at a dangerous speed, and Astralin was left to instinctive action.

A Sidestep, a grab of the opponent's arm. It was only because of her training in the Martial Arts skill that this was possible. She pulled at her opponent with both hands and flung him two meters, using the force of momentum to assist, turning her opponent's movement against him.

Astralin stared into her opponent's eyes, regardless of what she'd seen. A fire was lit, the star had ignited.

No more mercy.

She rushed in with all due haste to strike. It would be likely that her opponent would have gotten up by this point, but no matter.

As long as her next attack would strike, that was what mattered.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tie!

Astralin: 2/3

@Morgenstern: 1/3

The party had dissolved into a state of chaos once the game that gambled sweets had ended. Apparently someone had gone and left the sink on, resulting in some raised emotion and stress as a few players, including the host, would all jump in and try to resolve the issue. The pink haired baker sent a slime to absorb the water, and the players trying to fix the mess somehow saw the slime as part of the mess...uh oh...

A player entered the house, and the host had some trouble letting her in, due to his current state...but he seemed to....

Astreya would confirm Astralin's suspicion, and Astralin would smile. It was nice to know that Koga had found someone he could spend his days with. Astreya noticed that the players were considering treating the slime like any other monster, and she...went over to defend the slime? She was now right next to it, and she proceeded to poke it. Astralin had a very concerned expression on her face. "A girl right next to a big slime...I'm not sure how I feel about this..." Astralin had her reasons for being concerned...and it may or may not be what one might think it is.

@Astreya

Astralin's conversation with the dealer continued. The dealer....had the audacity to say she was like a witch. Astralin gave him a deadpanned stare. "If cursor colors meant nothing, I'd slap your face with my Spellbook." She said, irritated. "I'm not a witch. There is a clear difference between a witch and a mage. I don't call upon suspicious forces or harness dark energy." She added. "Do I even look like I'd be the type to make eerie chants at midnight?"

@Gaius

Astralin was prepared to put up with a difficult opponent.  She knew she had to win, not only for her sake, but for Yona's as well. She knew that she'd be facing powerful rivals and skilled veterans....

What she wasn't ready for, however, was a trick similar to the one she'd just used. A flurry of attacks at a rapid rate. Astralin's sidestep could only dodge so many, but couldn't dodge them all.

Astralin jumped back after getting struck. Her eyes were now focused on her opponent. In a fight where hits counted more than strength, an agile opponent was dangerous, for such an opponent could dodge quicker and strike more effectively. This wasn't the first time an opponent turned the tables against her, and she doubted it would be the last. She just needed to get the lead back, and keep it, too. Any sudden movements would be trouble for Astralin. She kept her guard up, ready to jump back or strike at a moment's notice, as she slowly walked around her opponent. She knew he'd keep turning to face her, but that wasn't the point of this. She lunged halfway in the direction she was going, then bolted the other way, before rushing in to attempt delivery of a swift chop to the target's side before hastily retreating a few meters.

Astralin: 1/3

@Morgenstern: 1/3

The matches were announced.

Almost everyone just dispersed. Ongoing conversations stopped abruptly, Astralin was somewhat disoriented, but hopefully it wouldn't be too much for her.

The only thing having to do with Astralin at this time was to answer Freyd's question. She clearly hadn't heard of everything in terms of unique, but... "It's not like I know all of my options, but something...unique might do. I've heard of a few enhancements containing things like fire, ice, even electricity...I've also heard...something about light and dark energy? Speaking of which, no thanks on the dark energy, I'd rather not be classified as a stereotypical witch..." She explained with a nervous chuckle as she tried to recall the enhancements she'd heard of. She knew that burn and freeze existed...'cause she had them on her, albeit her tier will be higher than theirs soon. "So...that's all I could remember for the time being, but uh, keep me posted, maybe?" She asked.

@Freyd

Stats and Equipment:

The time had come for the next match.

Astralin took a deep breath. Yona was down, so Astralin found herself with the daunting task of having to fight for her cause as well. Hey, Astralin needed to try and be a good friend to the panicked woman, even though she'd so confidently challenged the player whom Astralin had defeated earlier...what was this whole thing even coming to?

Whatever the case, she made her way over to the sparring arena. Another male opponent waited for her there. Honestly, if Astralin was to defeat all the male players she came across in this tourney, maybe Yona wouldn't have anything to flip out over, right? If it was indeed the men who Yona was worried about, then maybe...well, this should be relatively easy, right? Maybe Astralin might end up facing Astreya in the finals!

Well, one way to find out for sure!

Astralin looked her opponent up and down. "Well, I don't think we've met. I'm Astralin" She began. "Regardless of who wins, let's give the audience a good show, shall we?" She requested with a smile. With that, she took position and prepared herself to fight. Her opponent seemed to be waiting for her action, so she had to be clever if she was to avoid being countered. She advanced suddenly, then she proceeded to take after a trick she saw while viewing a fight last minute. Hopefully this tactic she saw would prove useful. She would attempt a chop, but pull it back before a block could be tried. She attempted this once more, before she would make an actual attempt to strike, a right hook towards the opponent's torso.

Astralin was trying with new tactics, she didn't know what her chances were....but in the end, every decision in moments like these were risks that all counted.

@Morgenstern

Stats and Equipment:

Just about everyone was staring at Astralin now, and her smile broke into an even bigger one. She really didn't have a poker face...and it explained why she was terrible at BS, too. Yona's expression melted down into one that showed worry. Did she really need to be that worried?

Astralin would win the hand, and there would be no further bets for any future rounds. Astralin handed one cookie to Yona, one cookie to a violet eyed player, thinking she was playing, and two cookies to Astreya. She considered handing a few cookies to the other players involved as well. She was just nice that way.

@Astreya @Nari-Lanreth

The dealer began to make conversation. He asked Astralin if she was a Librarian, due to the books.

"Nope," Astralin answered. "I might be respecting of others, but I'm nowhere near quiet enough for the job...it's not like I could always sit still, anyway. As for the books, the plain one was my book of alchemy notes, and this," She continued, pulling out her Skillbook. "Is where I log all of my skills and actions. Call it what you may, but to me it's my personal Spellbook." She stated with a grin. She put away her Skillbook and looked back to the dealer. "So...yeah."

@Gaius

Nari seemed to be a bit on the shy side after all. Astralin simply smiled back at her, before speaking softly as to not seem too intrusive. "I heard from Astreya here that your name is Nari. Mine's Astralin, it's nice to meet you."

@Nari-Lanreth

Before Astralin could say anything else, Yona marched right up and...challenged Calrex? Astralin was confused, why was she challenging him? "Yona, what's gotten into you? ...And why are you wording the match as if it were some kind of insult??" Astralin called out. Yona seemed to leave, but her challenge remained in the air...and it was full of taunting and presentation, it even had a finisher. "Oh, gosh...." Astralin sighed. "I just won't be able to fully understand that woman, will I?" She wondered. Astreya, however, seemed excited for the potential fight. "Well, more power to them, I suppose, but I do wonder how she's going to go about this..." Astralin added, in response to the girl's spoken thoughts.

@Yona @Astreya

A familiar face then came into view. "Freeeeeeeyd! Heeeeey!" She called out as she waved to him. He would first mix Astralin up for Krysta(Yeah, Astralin had no clue why), then ask how Astralin was doing and if she was able to put the Essence of Steel to good use. "Oh, yeah, Krysta's still keeping her eye out for Dazia. Oddly enough, she helped out when she, Vigilon and I were getting swarmed by Moss covered Wolves over in a strange garden, it was kept and guarded by a dragon named Nemo, I think. I was able to keep the peace between the two girls, and they both ended up discussing the past....and it was all getting into edgy rogue territory..." She explained, sighing at the end, as if things didn't always have to be in such ways, and yet they were. "As for the Essence, I think I've made use for it. Oh, before I forget, can you let me know if you find any handwraps coated in elemental energies? I'll be at the fourth tier soon, so I'll need some fresh equipment to deal with the stronger monsters!" She added as the topic shifted from Player drama to the Essence of Steel.

@Freyd

Astralin noticed Yona just leaping in and joining the game. So sudden...

When the newcomer called out for reveal, Astralin revealed her hand. Yep, she lost this one.

Time to get a new hand? She breathed in, and breathed out. "Um...Hit me?" She guessed.

Astralin didn't know much about most of the card games played with the usual game cards. She knew games like War, Go Fish, and BS, but...little else, aside from solitaire. She did remember how a friend of hers from the real world, Scorpio, had gotten inspired by some of Astralin's big brother's Dungeons and Dragons worldbuilding, essentially bringing one of the invented card games into reality, not that he could ever kickstart it into popularity...but Astralin and her firends did play it from time to time, although hardly anyone ever got into it.

At least here, in the present, Astralin's hand was now looking pretty good. Hopefully it would hold up and win her the round, and some cookies.

ID# 203617 LD: 18

Everyone but the violet eyed girl, Nari, had something to say to Astralin in response to her words. Speaking of Nari, she seemed to be hiding behind Astreya. Poor thing must have been shy. Astralin gave her a short wave and a smile, but nothing more if she wasn't in the mood for conversation.

Astreya gave her thoughts about what happened at the Christmas Party. "Yeah, at least everything turned out alright."

Both Astreya and Koga were confused when Astralin explained why Yona should have been panicking right now. "Hmm, I'm not sure...maybe she's just considering the worst-case scenarios and just not feeling prepared?" Astralin asked, realizing she was just as confused. "Oh, like a sort of 'friendship' date? I mean, I can't deny the possibility, I've just never heard of it. In that case, the worst I'd possibly have to worry about is if the other took it the wrong way...hmm, maybe that's part of what Yona's worried about, not that it matters at this point." She said in response to Astreya's words. Astreya then considered the possibility of selecting Yona if she wins. Astralin laughed. "Good luck trying." She began. "If Yona's thought process is what I think it is, you might not get anywhere with her...then again, I'm not actually sure what Yona's preference is...It's not like I've known her for that long...besides, someone would have to beat me in order for you to win. I may be fighting with honor in this tournament, but I don't exactly go easy against others on purpose." She explained. "I'm normally not one to boast, I'm just saying my opponents will be in for a rough fight." She added with a shrug. Astreya then considered choosing Alkor as the date. "Wait, didn't we just cover that he's dangerous?" Astralin asked, somewhat worried for her friend's safety. Koga spoke some more, Astreya then added her thoughts to those words, and also remarked that she was a bit of a scatterbrain. "It's totally fine, just be sure not to spread yourself too thin...tried that once, not fun." Astralin chimed in, giving a mild sigh at the end. Astreya then noted she just wanted to have fun in the tournament. "Yeah! That's why I came in the first place, to have a fun challenge and test myself, to see how far I've come!" Astralin beamed. "I may have won in the first round, but I can't rest on my laurels yet!" She added.

Calrex, who Astralin had defeated earlier, came around to offer tea to the players. Astralin appreciated the offer...but she wasn't that much of a tea person. "I'm good, but thanks for offering!" She answered, declining politely. "You were a great sparring partner, by the way!" She remarked.

@Nari-Lanreth @Koga @Astreya @Calrex

Astreya spoke of the other player in the conversation. "Yeah, we did, that's right!" She responded.

Astreya looked over to Yona, and spoke of...Yona getting upset at Blueberry... Astralin blinked several times. "Wait...you're telling me...that the 'dessert sabotage' that Yona asked me to fix was...a replacement done by Blueberry??" She asked. "That's...that's just wrong, on both ends!" Astralin could hardly believe what she just realized. "Yona should have handled the situation more calmly, they're just sweets. And Blueberry shouldn't have destroyed what was there to replace it all with only her own!"

Astreya was a bit confused over the fact that Yona was fine even though she couldn't possibly be. "Well....not exactly mad, per se, more like...panicked." Astralin remarked. "You see, we both made a um, particular little mishap that was not reading the fine print regarding the tournament's prize...We weren't exactly interested in becoming chosen prizes by someone we didn't know or trust, so we were gonna fight our hardest. She was an absolute emotional wreck when she realized it. She kind of claimed I was 'more at risk' than she was, and when I asked why, she kind of...well, how do I put this, um, aggressively complimented me? She seemed like she really took notice of...never mind, but she did kind of seem a bit envious to me, even though she flatly said she wasn't. She also seems to have some kind of...oh, how do I phrase this, some kind of anti-inferiority complex? She doesn't like to be 'conquered'." Astralin rambled, her hands moving in gestures as she spoke.

Koga and Nari spoke about fighting Alkor, who had defeated Koga in his match. Fighting like everything...depended on that moment, like it was life or death, kill or be killed. "Whoa...he sounds dangerous." Astralin remarked as she leaned back an inch or two. "I sure wouldn't want to fight him, then." She then looked back to Yona, before looking back to the three players. "Now that you mention it...Yona kind of seemed like she was fighting as if everything depended on it." She noted.

Looking back to Yona, Astralin was still confused as to why she was looking so calm. "Something's up..." She thought aloud. "Yona, what are you up to?"

@Koga @Astreya @Nari-Lanreth

The brunette seemed to shy to make any response other than a greeting. The poor thing.

It wasn't long before Astreya came back to invite the two players to playing cards. "Sure, why not?" Astralin responded. She came over to where the game was being played, and learned that it was Blackjack...which she'd never learned how to play. "Oh...hmm, hold on a sec..." Didn't she have a notepad full of various game rules and social tips in her inventory? She remembered having one, but she could be wrong. So she opened up her menu to look for it.

Unfortunately, she was a bit too hasty as she scrolled through, and three books accidentally spilled out of her inventory. "Oops!"

One Book had a simple leather cover, and it was labeled with "Alchemy Notes". Another book had a much more complex cover, with plenty of mystifying symbols, as well as star and galaxy inspired design patterns on it. The last book to have fallen out had a white cover, and it had a lock as well. Upon the center of the white cover was a golden six-pointed star with the roman numeral VII on it.

Astralin began putting the books back into her inventory, starting with the white covered one, which she returned to her inventory rather hastily. She then put away her Alchemy notes, followed by her Skillbook.

"Ehehe, sorry about that." She said with a slightly awkward smile. She kept a smile on her face as she got herself ready to play, but... "I have no idea what I'm doing." Astralin's thoughts reminded her.

@Astreya @Melodie le Breton @Koga @Gaius

ID# 203452 LD: 5

Astralin had a worthy opponent. Her opponent noted that it was an excellent duel, that he was glad to have her as an opponent. He then introduced himself as Calrex. "Thanks, you did great as well! I'm Astralin, nice to meet you too!" The blue haired player suggested that the two players leave the sparring area for the time being, and Astralin agreed with a nod.

@Calrex

Now it was time to join the others while she waited for the next round. She would notice a familiar face- no, two of them. She headed over to them, happy to see some others who she recognized. "Heeeey! Astreya! Koga!" She called out as she made her way to join them. "How are you? I didn't know you were here! Is there anyone who you came with?" She asked, out of curiosity for the last part. "I ended up coming along with Yona, you may have seen her during the Christmas party. She called me over for 'damage control', despite the fact that I was going anyway. I don't know what happened, but at least we all had fun, didn't we?" She explained. She looked over to the ongoing matches. "Ah, there's Yona right now, she looks like she's blocking- ...Nope, never mind, she's done for." She noted as she watched her opponent land a third strike upon Yona. It looked really close, but when Yona tapped her forehead, it came across to Astralin that the attack she tried to block ended up hitting anyway.

What was strange, however, was...

"...Huh, that's odd, with what she said to me back when we arrived, she'd be freaking out right now...what's with the facade?" Astralin thought aloud. "How is she staying calm...?"

@Koga @Astreya @Nari-Lanreth

You sow risk, you reap risk.

Astralin's risky move would be met with extreme difficulty, for despite her evasive strategy for the duel, her opponent was catching on, and predicting her moves. This was not good. Not good, at all.

Her opponent's latest strike would have quite the impact, it was clear that Astralin's weight and squishiness were unknown to him, for Astralin was practically sent flying backwards, until her back hit something.

Astralin got up, a bit slowly. "I'm...I'm ok...!" She said to her opponent, in case he was concerned, as she stumbled forward before regaining her footing.

Two strikes in a row. If Yona's words were true, Astralin was in danger now. "Curses," She thought. "If only I was in a skill environment that was more my speed, this wouldn't be happening..."

Such is the fate of a mage trapped in a warrior's world. But as she'd promised to herself since she first left the safe zone, she'd be working to overcome it.

Astralin took a deep breath. Her eyes were focused entirely on the opponent and his movements, as to avoid any further risk. It was now or never, wasn't it? If she fell, hopefully Yona could last, right? One of the two had to come out on top...if Yona's words were true... She couldn't give up yet, but the situation was dire. This could be it...but hopefully, what happens next may end in her favor. One rush towards the opponent, followed by a sidestep and a swift chop towards her opponent.

Hope was all that she had left.

Results:

Astralin clearly wasn't expecting an opponent like this, but she wouldn't let that thought catch her off guard. If anything, it was reason to be more alert, more aware. Her opponent stepped back upon the hit, and once he moved following a calm breath, it naturally meant it was time for Astralin to move, too.

A fight was a fight, so a sharp mind that was well awake would be taking in the details and tell-tale signs. Not every sign could easily be found, due to how Astralin's mind worked, but she was able to notice enough before she could get hit.

She jumped back when the false attack happened, then she rushed forward and leaped, grabbing the arm that was swinging, using it as leverage to propel her further. Thus did she not only manage to barely dodge her opponent's attack, but when she landed back on the ground from leaping through the air, she turned around as her arm swung to strike her opponent's backside.

Thank God, that risky move actually worked.

Results: