Elora

Once again lobbed into a mixed media janga tower of cuteness, the furry, slimy, and rocky familiars slowly got back onto their paws, tentacles, and pebbles - respectively. A series of disgruntled noises morphed into pleased acknowledgements of the enemy's defeat. Pale blue fog oozed from beneath the former chimney's bricks as they swore to have heard the faintest, "NOOOOoOoOoooo..." caress their digital eardrums, auditory canals, whatever -- All that mattered was that the stupid knight was squished and that they were still perfectly voluptuous. Magically, the storm clouds offered their co

Surging commotion drew her closer to the battle as a group of dazed players hobbled past. The oppressive darkness, dispelled by the intermittent flash of steel on steel, smothered their sights as soon as action had extinguished. Like air splitting from the lighting strikes overhead, thunderbursts and players alike rushed to fill the vacancy in a crumbling defense. Elora's mind flooded with a million fears as rain began to fall. Exhaling in ragged breaths, a tightened chest remembered the rising waters, the sensation of air escaping her lungs for a final time. Instinct feuded with her aspi

Dark droplets began to stain the ground as an encroaching thunder rumbled overhead. Stringy and disparaging, the forbidden calamari appeared to have fallen victim to its haphazardly-executed assalt. Sporadic drizzle swiftly swelled to steady shower at the soon-to-be expense of the makeshift sea-bear circle. Between the craggy gaps of fractured cobblestones, water channeled and dissolved tiny ravines through the spilled crystals, weakening their protective power. Hanami had already identified the looming threat, and moved to strike before opportunity evaded them. Climbing atop a nearby bui

Creepy, dank, and unnervingly wet. As if Aincrad didn't have enough of that. Sure, the swamp floor had its share of rank bogs, but at least it had some sunlight now and again. On the other hand, Floor 13 had been cloudy, but there were still some cool craggy landscapes and crumbling cityscapes to explore. This place was just...depressing. 'Nightmarish' may have been more apt a description. Elora had made no haste to come to this place. Not after Freyd's harrowing encounter with death. She hadn't been there when he had needed her most, and to imagine, rushing onto a level without safezone

Jumbled pebbles reunited atop a furry waterbed as magnetic attraction fused each segment into place. Feisty and prepared to exact his vengeance, the tiny terrestrial golem catapulted from his flubbery cushion to survey the surrounding area. A sharp chirp goaded his attention over to a narrow stretch of path. Littered with toppled bricks and rickety barrels, it would serve as an excellent trap or barricade for their newly-forged common enemy. Borris wasted no time, his rocks reconfiguring to flatten and roll out like a flinstonian transformer. The improvised chain swerved and snaked its wa

Piece by piece, the scattered perspectives of each wayward stone began to merge into one. Embarking on a treacherous mission rescue to liberate their Leg, Arm and Shoulder trudged ever-forward across Reliq's undulating skin. What seemed like rolling across a firm tarpit must have felt a full body message to the rambunctious polypus that wriggled beneath. Their combined effort, however heroic, was quickly overshadowed by a the threat of an unexpected adversary. Not so far away, the frenzied skirmish carried on. Amidst the commotion, Head was no longer sure who they were fighting, if they were w

Arm became schlorptioned stuck, lodged firmly into the gooey rind of the twisting invertebrate as it sputtered forward. Like a chopper locked in a high-speed chase with a DUI basket case, the baby mimic launched and pursued the pebble that birled above. Leg did not have a mouth, therefore, he could not scream. Instead, the igneous reeled in the nauseating sensation of intermittent weightlessness. Rocks weren't meant to exist in the air. Not now. Not ever. Shoulder didn't envy his limbs' subjugation. From nearby, the determined stone rolled its way over treacherous molehills, skipped acro

Clamoring and chaos all around, an abrupt contrast to the serenity of their secluded forest home. Valkyrie cries from above ushered in the calculated swings of an emerald spear. Cool and ornate, its serrated edges cut crude gauges through the bodies of the swarming meat-stuff. Screams called the blade to retreat from its holster as its wielder spun to regard another group. For only a moment, she appeared to hesitate. Frantic steps staggered backwards, then carried her forward once again. "SOD OFF!!", cried Elora. Suddenly, her fingers had curled around his body. In a single motion o

The gentle cadence of a wrist stirring an aromatic tea below roused the slew of little rocks from their programed bout of drowsiness. Crisp steam billowed upwards, condensing along the rounded pebbles as peppermint fragrance welcomed the beginning of another day. They hadn't always started this way. Sometimes, Borris would find himself in hot pursuit of a vagabond bust bunny, rumbling across the rickety floorboards with the determination of an underdog racer. Other times, he would awaken within the translucent tunnels of a gathered bedspread, ever-shifting as its narrow passageways opened and

A cocktail of uproarious reactions swirled within her as she struggled to suppress her dislike of the tiny devil. What right does it have to invade our home? Ruin our reunion? Destroy what we've built --?, came an onslaught of angry thoughts. Staggered huffs escaped flared nostrils, teeth sinking into the trembling edges of her lower lip. You're fine -- neither of us are hurt, it's in a bottle. Freyd has it under control., she reinforced his assurances. Regardless of whether or not they actually instilled any comfort, Freyd deserved her patience. At the very least, whatever traces of it she co

If there was ever a time to be thankful for a pain-suppression system, it was beneath the torrent of a thousand different plates and blades. A waterfall of assorted weights barreled onto them both until she was certain that neither was capable of resurfacing for air. Despite her overdramatic resignation, Elora swore she could hear -- feel the motion of something rummaging through the cataclysmic clutter. A sudden squeeze around her calf startled her as she attempted to wriggle her weapon free from its gooey prison. In the aftermath of it all, whatever thing had possessed her clothes was now sc

Elora yelped in equal surprise and terror as the suit of armor suddenly hoisted her from the ground. With arms pinned to her side, she resorted to kicking her heels back and into the mail's scalloped plating. The fruitless effort did little more than create a cacophony of clangs and scrapes. "You mangey, cunt, I will END YOU!", she threatened with a fuming hiss. Taunting and downright infuriating cackles were its only response. Normally, biting would have proven a viable next resort. Unfortunately, the thought of sinking her teeth into a steel vambrace filled her with a comparably, far gr

That was easier than I expected., she mused, admiring Freyd's own conviction and willingness to change. Or, at the very least, to consider the prospect of undertaking such a monumental endeavor. Fashioning her spear into a sort of walking stick, Elora slinked behind her trailblazing partner. Their 'path' ahead, however, appeared more obscure than the majority of Aincradian forests she'd ever had the displeasure of bushwhacking through. Clutching the weapon even closer to her chest, she did her best to squeeze between towering stacks, maneuver around strewn piles of potions and armored plating.

A fumbled step forward guided one leg up and over Freyd as he slid beneath her. Like the clumsy dance of a overburdened waiter, she pirouetted around his limbs in search of safe footing. The tender embrace of a lime-washed wall broke the momentum of her fall as palms smacked suddenly against its surface. "Damnit. Almost had it.", she could hear him exclaim exasperatedly. Releasing a sigh of relief, she rolled around to regard his predicament. Eyes made landfall on his most favorable features before tracing their way up to study his expression. "Where did it go --?", she asked confus

"What the fuck --?", she gasped in response to all of the information. An entire floor...without safe spaces., it felt necessary to repeat. Still, the concept felt foreign, impossible to digest. How were players meant to navigate an entirely new land without the security of anything to fall back on? Just like how we started., came an unexpected reassurance. She supposed there would always be teleport crystals, at the very least. Sprinting after him with equal anticipation, she tried to answer his questions. "I don't know exactly -- while you were gone, maybe...halfway into the raid? Towar

As Freyd rambled on about nicknames and smorgasbords, it was evident that Elora had taken his denial to heart. With arms crossed, she appeared to swell with frustration. Arched brows framed the edges of a reddening face as she perched on her toes to bolster her height. "I'm narrowing it down!", she finally insisted with a huff. Her partner appeared to saunter away, whether beckoned by curiosity, or as a means to evade her rising emotion. "...So, what actually happened? All you've told me so far is what you did to offset a thus-far-mysterious mystery.", he demanded as fingers swept away th

Releasing a soft sigh, she hand-waved away his suggestions. "Spare me both, I'm just here to gather myself.", she flatly stated, unaware of the phrase's complimentary admission. Briefly returning her attention to one of the flowers, she uprooted the entire plant with one, concentrated tug. Its straw-like stem snapped just beneath the head of blossoms as each petal dissipated away in a shower of pixels. "Dammit", she cussed beneath her breath. For as long as she'd lived here, she had never quite gotten a handle on the technique necessary for gathering wild plants. With legs extending, she turne

Somedays, Elora loved to embark on far-off adventures in search of exotic foliage. Today, however, was not one of those days. In the aftermath of avalanching change, all she desired was a sense of ease. Questing was a never-ending reality as new obligations seemed to shoe-horn their way into her life on a daily basis. The result was an overwhelming sense of panic, and of exhaustion. Was it possible to experience both at the same time? Before she could justify her intentions, Elora had found herself on a route to Floor 1. Unconscious steps carried her across expansive fields through the me

"Not dust bunnies -- I think it might be a demon.", she stated matter-of-factly as teetering footsteps carried her around the protective symbol's perimeter, "Or some sort of fae-folk, I'm not sure yet. Probably best not to call each other by our names, just in case --" We'll have to come up with codes names! Unless...do 'Freyd' and 'Elora already count...? A clumsy procession nearly capsized the poor girl as she fumbled forward and into their kitchen island. With a final heave of effort, she forcefully lugged the basket smushed between her up and over the counter's ledge. " I -- ",

"Oh yeah!", Elora exclaimed as if suddenly remembering, "I wanted to have something ready for when you got back -- I completely forgot --!" A derailed sense of urgency towed them both toward the entrance of her greenhouse as she confidently assured, "I should only need to get a few things..." Stepping in to the enclosed garden immediately wafted them with warm air and the comforting aroma of freshly-watered soil. Drawing in a deep breath, Elora basked in the fleeting afterglow of babbling brooks and rolling green pastures. For all those she'd encountered in Aincrad, none had remedied her sense

Taken aback by Freyd's sudden shift from downtrodden despair to uplifted exaltation, Elora cocked her head to the side and stammered, "Just -- what...?" "How is it that we always see only the best in each other, but never ourselves?", he seemed to ask, almost wistfully. The final traces of tears trickled down her cheeks as she stared at him confusedly. With a hand lifted to cusp around her own, he stepped closer still. Ensuing admissions did little to dispel an intensifying suspicion that she was somehow misreading the situation. After all, that was hardly a rarity for her. An uncert

♫ The Hand of Fate ♫ A trembling hand raised to cover Elora's mouth as she stared crestfallen at the haunting claw marks. Scars carved so broadly across his body she could hardly imagine its remains. Anything indicative of Freyd would have been lost to a corpse maimed beyond recognition. Shrill whimpers mourned the scene of his demise, her pain scarcely disguised beneath the veil of a palm. A sharp drawing in of her breath could not recall the tears that were pouring from her face. Grief beckoned her to tear her sights away from him, to deny confrontation with a reality too gruesom

Truthfully, she was on her way home from seeing Mina, not on her way out to meet her. However, Kyoto didn't know that, and she'd make no effort to correct him. "Hmmm...", she hummed as if pretending to consider, her weight shifting from one side to the other, "Not sure, what would we need to do?" Reaping rewards or helping other's for virtue's sake was beyond her interest. Instead, passing time with good company, becoming lost in the motions of a fun activity, seemed far more appealing. Though, she was inclined to assume this case would be much closer to the later than the former. Hopping

Elora squirmed her way out of Freyd's dreamy embrace as avoidant stoicism began to falter. For as much as she wished to savor the sweetness of their reunion, she understood what a moment like this demanded of her. No -- not what it demanded of her, but what she would demand of herself. In countless interactions past, Freyd had lent her an ear to listen, extended a hand to hold, given her a shoulder to cry on. How long had he meant to go on, carrying the burdens of others to the complete and utter detriment of himself? How long would he continue still...cherishing that servitude, honoring

She bit her lip as affirmations fell shy of escape. Replacing their agreement with a nod of understanding would have to suffice. Sweating palms rubbed deeply into her knees as Elora began to mull over her early life in Aincrad and how it contrasted with the person she was today. In a lot of ways, she felt just like that scared, defeated young girl. Days continued to feel overwhelming, too great a challenge for her capacities. At least, that's how it seemed. Leveling up and obtaining gear fell short of fulfillment in so many aspects. If everything around her kept becoming more powerful, every o