iris

had he hesitated? perhaps iris had misjudged. if she hadn't, she certainly hadn't been expecting that reaction. maybe her question caught alkor unaware; a possibility considering players, in her experience, hadn't exactly brought it up often as a topic of conversation. but alkor's true words surprised her even more – that his current attire hadn't exactly been tested yet.

so iris reconsidered its purpose with a nod. likely, between his appearance on the ninth today and the upcoming raid, it was a piece specifically made to brave the floor boss. seeing as it was reinforced well, if the player had already made plans with the plate mail for the fight, it would be better for her not to get into the way of them. at the very least, her spirits remained even now, iris knowing where her equipment stood against the tools in his possession.

her attention was best drawn to alkor's feedback. despite his remarks being of standard concerns for similar heavier sets, iris guessed it might have been especially notable – he'd previously worn something lighter, even at the meeting, if she recalled properly. had she the proper knowhow that her companion had commented upon, she would've accepted the compliment with grace.

"i wouldn't say that i have as much experience as a blacksmith would," iris returned, slowing her pace as she looked up to him with a smile. "though that stems from these crafters being able to interface with players more often, and their capability to incorporate improvements on their pieces upon request; very much unlike appraisers like myself! but –" iris rolled her hand to point out alkor's armor, "– i suppose my perception has been trained from the job, after all. in a different manner than others that venture out in the field, of course."

he'd mentioned the windows of fallibility in these sets. she did believe her own was capable of making up for the loss in these scenarios, though there was only one way to find out if her gift would be exceptionally bulkier than his present design. iris crossed two fingers behind her back at that thought, as she brought them to a stop.

there, at the intersection of alleyways that cut between buildings down to major arteries of the village, iris figured it was a good moment, however brief, to take a break from their stroll.

"well, alkor. do you remember? the gift i'd mentioned, from the message i'd sent you earlier."

iris glowed at alkor, brimming with excitement she was trying her best to contain. the slightest bit of her grin was shielded by their transaction as she sent the other player a trade offer, and the corresponding windows opened up. "i'd found something, once my work began proper, that seemed like it would fit you in particular. and, with a recent update in the system, it was prime opportunity for me to rescue it from a stock cull – so i did, considering modifications for your use of it, too!"

there, on their panels, hade's maw was presented for cursory examination. expecting a bout of surprise at the reveal, iris talked him through it as he accepted the request. "i hope it's a satisfactory gift to you; which also means there's no cost attached to receiving it. the piece was within reason for me to be retrieving it from my shop. and understanding the uncertainty of the raid coming up soon, there's no need to use it right away. but i hope – if it's possible! – that you could afford me the opportunity to assess how it would fit you; i've had the rarer components submitted to a blacksmith for fusions and adjustments the other day. i might need to submit another order if any tweaks to your preference are to be made."

once alkor had accepted, iris took a step backwards, one hand holding her other wrist behind her back. there was one more gift that remained in her inventory, but she paused her blessings for a moment, in the brief opportunity to see her preparations meet a resolution.

"If not me, then someone else. But I know what I'm to be faced with, and someone else might not. They might not respect the danger the way that I do. Might not be prepared. They might lose their composure, or worse."

a justified rationale. iris felt herself nodding, acknowledging his words. it brought back memories of her old guild; their values, the creed. it seemed optimistic, the first time she'd come into contact with them, to have supported values like those. their cell as circumstances wasn't perfect as it were. it seemed a real possibility for every one of them to have to fend for their own.

but in turn, aincrad had grown over the years, and in context, the responsibilities delegated accordingly to what each of their members could do seemed to work as their leaders had intended. respect for the learning curve, in a matter of speaking, was rightfully ingrained. "indeed," she said, filling in the buffer between alkor's sentences. then, she continued listening, appreciating the time that had passed to allow her companion to smile again.

because she didn't know alkor, of who he was or had been during his past. but the way he spoke on who he once was, and his perspective, his reasons for trying to get out of the game had changed drastically, in his eyes. there was growth – reflection, if otherwise. it allowed him to evolve; from who he once was, into someone who could stand firm in the face of cardinal's animosity, in lieu of others instead of himself.

a tank – iris could perceive it from the make of his armor, and the intent behind his words to protect; of one, for all. being at the fore of combat was no easy matter, for it required an individual with strong conviction to remain steadfast in lieu of the obstacles before them. to do so for oneself was microscopic – and likely to end in err, for their responsibility laid within protecting the hearts of the party. she'd been on the support lines before, so of course she knew – and appreciated – what players of his stature could do.

(and there was a tug of relief within her, for having made the right choice with her drafts.)

"... Slowly, and with no small amount of resistance on my part, I started to learn that each of your lives is different, and special in its own way. I don't know you all that well, miss Iris, but I wouldn't want you to die as much as I wouldn't want anyone else to. And I'd throw myself in harm's way to prevent it from happening, at any time."

if she couldn't stop smiling, it was due to a surprise from her expectations – it wasn't every day that someone could or would embody the appearance and virtues alike of a knight. like in the fairy tales read aloud to children of ages past, alkor's offer was noble in a traditionally objective manner, but iris knew their circumstances were vastly different in comparison to simplified romantics, and so she did quell the shock with a hand to her pounding heart. after all, if this was their fantasy, then she had a role to play in it, too.

"thank you," iris said, slow, trying her best not to stumble on her words. "i'm really glad to hear it! though we can hope it doesn't come to that, seeing as i'm currently benched on a different line of support. ... i suppose it would be remiss if i were to be placed in any danger. if i stay out of it, there's a very unlikely chance you'd have to do such a thing for me – but i do appreciate the privilege of the offer, alkor."

there was a gap between the buildings as they walked by. in the distance, iris could spot the high walls that kept yogan protected, safe from the entities outside. and there was that fateful gate, perpetually open, an invitation for fielding players to set out on their own across the ninth. practiced as usual, iris turned to look away.

"and," she contemplated aloud, eyes shifting to alkor, "as you said, 'if not me, then someone else'! so let's focus on that, shall we?"

her fingers had met in a steeple, pointed downwards as they went, only loosening once an obsidian structure covered her wayward desire from view. with a wave, iris gestured to alkor's armor, expression finally relaxing to give way to a gentle beam. "now, i don't mean to beat around the bush, alkor, but – what do you think of your equipment thus far?"

his plate mail seemed new. a standard blacksmith's craft – but that was was nothing to scoff at, especially given that it was armor that had been personally made for a player on the front. and iris was being coy about the gift she'd wished to give, certainly, but part of it was also an interest to know if her designs had matched up to his expectations. it would be slightly disappointing if they weren't.

"... has it been able to serve you well?"

"oh! i can only imagine. that would be years ago, by now."

to be fair, veteran frontline players were hardly identifiable these days. either they were still present, or they faded out of notoriety, as though heroes in the myths they would read as kids. to understand one was standing before her – her customer, even – was a shocking revelation. but iris kept swallowed her surprise.

the reason as to his gap in activity on the front was quickly supplied – alkor had nearly passed. iris stopped briefly upon hearing this; in the same vein, she too had to internalize the possibility of death of someone standing next to her. she nodded, listening to his words as he continued, carrying herself along. "well, it's good to see you safe, and in a better position now – hopefully – to encounter the next boss. i think besides death, players like yourself deserve the respect, too, of shouldering the burden of ferrying us others out of here."

and she ruminated briefly whilst taking in the sights. in yogan, the obsidian oft made itself apparent from their fine edges, despite their intended purpose to serve as walls of a safe space, a home. it must have been fitting, then, the floor matching the acknowledgement of their fate in aincrad, lest they grow too comfortable where cardinal reigned and decided never to make it out.

"if it helps," iris said, turning to face him. "i think your time away from the fight isn't one of them. though, i can't say for sure what the exact reason you left in the first place was, despite survival being a good one. if you needed the time off, there would be others to take your place and hold the line in turn; you've seen our progression so far now, extending beyond the tenth."

then, she tilted her head, considering. "i say that, not exactly to set doubt into your faith in getting back into it. rather, i understand it isn't exactly a small matter, especially after the close encounter you'd mentioned." so iris offered the question to alkor, with an open palm, eyes partially glittering with excitement. "if it's people, who is it that's so important to you, that you would risk your life for their sake?"

in retrospect, it was only after she'd asked the question that iris then realized how morbid the query was.

it was good to know that he had time, though the place to meet seemed a little odd. by his warning, of course, the ninth was known for its unforgiving heat. why, by choice, would anyone decide to clear their head on such a floor?

iris soured briefly at the meeting location, but her annoyance only swapped over to realizing she needed to pick something else to change into for the occasion. the dress she'd gotten accustomed to as part of her day job was pliable to ruin from heat and ash alike. she swapped out her gear relatively quick – the same casual attire of a tee and shorts she'd worn out on errands would do; the shoulder bag was for show and comfort – right along with a reply for the wait.

iris: i'll heed the advice, thank you! and i'll be there in a bit!

(and then a little warning to her troupe about her whereabouts, at the closure of the scarlet line. two blue checkmarks, but no reply.)

she would show just a few minutes later, spotting alkor from a distance. iris was used to seeing players, such as himself, in armor that seemed to be difficult to breathe in, if not withstand the effects of the environment. the heat of the ninth was such to contemplate about, iris observed, as she made her way over to his position. if he'd noticed her approach, she'd return a short wave.

"hardly a place appreciated by many adventurers, the ninth." iris gave the village a cursory glance over her shoulder – it was mostly deserted. even the fourth, known for its frost, was likely a more popular spot for others to visit.

her eyes fell back onto alkor as she appraised his build, before his equipment; what doubts about the armor she was to present were slowly melting away. she nodded, but only to herself. "shall we walk and talk? if it helps clear your head." iris gestured for the man to take the lead, but it might've been apparent from the woman's restless footwork that she seemed eager to start ahead instead.

"i hope you don't mind me asking why visit yogan, out of all other floors. especially with the heat and all. convenient circumstances, amidst the preparations, perhaps?"

a couple of stories in exchange for armor and a play at being fashionista – surely, this must've appeared to be a joke to everyone else but her.

jean waved it off as her overthinking it. night generally wanted nowhere the trinket itself. bistro was more concerned about the absence of her appraiser (despite the fact that there was nothing else for her to do beyond remaining on standby...) and when masa questioned the armor perched upon the stand in the corner, the woman but blinked twice, and slow.

"do you know him?"

"ah, not well yet."

"is that so..."

and their 'chief of operations' looked unpersuaded. when masa replied, "well, i hope he likes it," iris figured it seemed like a bitch move.

nonetheless, the armor was already made, alongside a feather she thought would pair well as a lucky charm to the ensemble. there were stars etched into the item detail window – iris made sure of that – and though she wasn't sure how much use @Alkor would get out of it, she sure hope that he would, just a bit, if at all.

iris swore by the meeting in good faith, but even so, just as she'd submitted the message, a series of doubts began to descend upon her. would her intent be read wrong? she hoped not. past that, she was more firmly concerned about the possibility that the man would be a little too busy to accept her invitation in lieu of the boss fight. everyone else she'd become familiar with seemed to be as such, after all.

nonetheless, she steeled herself with a breath to review her message:

iris: hello! it hasn't been too long since the raid meeting, and i figured to check in about the offer to catch up if you're available. do you have time today? and if so, is there any place in aincrad convenient for you?
(ps. i took the initiative in preparing something for you. i hope you don't mind; i'd appreciate it if you would be willing to try it on.)

(ah, yes – on second thought, perhaps it was the part about the equipment that worried her...)

Spoiler iris | Lv.11 | HP: 220/60 | EN: 40/40 notes: // equipped item#1 item#2 item#3 battle-ready inventory // skills Spoiler   buffs Spoiler
	♦iris.

iris had expected to see night the first moment she'd entered through the door. after all, who leaves their workshop listed as 'open' while having it unmanned? still, what was surprising wasn't the fact that the artisan was out (although iris felt that she had certain words for the player to have done so) but rather the fact that there was a stray cat who'd taken over the shop.

inconceivable. did night know?

it was only after a few chin scratches and her preparations to leave that she'd realized her error in judgement. for, despite the ruthlessness of the feline on her fingers, he'd still managed to fetch her the feather she was looking for.

bistro: that's her familiar, actually.
iris: oh.

retrieving:

Vermillion Feather | [#214990] | TIER 3 TRINKET | ACC II, TAUNT, HB
[desc.]: A tail feather torn from an aged phoenix. The incandescent luster of its vane is beginning to fade to ash, though its colors are revitalized by combat, or pure will. When left to rest, the wind guides the tip of its calamus to point south, always.

"you're thinking about your sole customer an awful lot."

"tell bistro to send more my way, then. it's little wonder there's much less else to think about when the foot traffic in here is a tad less than expected. there were so many front liners the other day..."

(well, with the recent change, iris figured it would be best to get a move on about fashion plans.)

a fairly unassuming young woman entered the shop. casual clothing; nothing reminiscent of the fantasy world about her, and better reflecting street fashion found in the world they (knew better, was true). she took a great amount of time inspecting the owner's wares, before resting a loose fist at the counter, tapping its surface lightly.

"a custom order, please. and, while you're at it, would you mind combining it together with this?"

item creation + fusion request:

okay, no service. jean would have a field day with this tale of false bargains she bet, before considering the woman's offer further. 26k wasn't exactly a bad offer – if iris was to negotiate, it was to round it down to a whole 25. despite wanting to push back, however, the woman held herself firm. with an attitude like that, iris knew she didn't want to stir trouble... especially in front of a number of potential clientele.

so she hoped bistro would understand. it wasn't exactly her pocket change to spend, after all, and if the difference in pricing made up for her rescinded invitation, all the better, lest it was a difficulty in customer service in the long run. "that works for me," iris replied, after a brief silence and a shifted glance elsewhere, before pulling up her interface and pressing in the numbers. past the trade offer, iris peered around the interface towards krysta, with eyes still bright and a maintained demeanor.

"26,000 col, as you requested. thank you very much for the transaction."

obtainable as a quest reward. iris shut her eyes. if her memory didn't fail her, it was one of the errands on the fourth that owed one of her past party members the item. even to the highest tier, had it not been for the advancements in the appraisal system, it would've been regarded as a stepping stone to an adventurer's final tool. now, however, it would be deemed worthy as a crafting component to that precious arm.

when she took in the world again, iris considered her quarry even more. someone rich, someone poor? it was difficult to tell with appearances, but perhaps, as someone on the front lines, having a crafting component on its own wasn't so much of a big deal, and neither was the col. still, part of the activities of the scarlet line was to uphold a fair trade.

"15,000 col," iris decided. if she looked to both the player and her partner, it was in gauging their reactions to the offer. "it's not of perfect quality right now, is it? it will have a home here in this workshop, until it finds its way into someone else's final weapon through fusion. if you're interested in our services, that could also be part of the offer in parting with your sword."

there hadn't been a discussion on consumables just yet. such was fine, despite bistro's expectations. her own notes had registered the alchemist's initiative to create some salves, although with her sword suddenly taking point and helm of the group, she did wonder if there was any point in persuading the woman to keep to her initial agenda. it was likely that bistro would be churning out crystals despite her intention not to.

so she waved off her interface. supply seemed aplenty to most who'd gotten used to the front – otherwise, iris would've been prepared to have noticed the many questions of newcomers to raids. leaving her post, she strolled over to the woman who had brandished the blade in an attempt to lend support to others in the room. she was sure, once its form was shown, that it was a sword to be of note – rarity imperfect, or not.

she got close enough to what appeared to be a couple, careful to be closer to the lady than (... her partner?), before calling for their attention. "excuse me – miss krysta, am i correct? i'd like to inquire if that sword you'd displayed earlier was for sale."

iris folded her two hands together, one atop another, placed to the front of her dress. a porcelain smile – nothing would go wrong with just a simple inquiry. she just hoped the price for the blade was within her budget.

witchfang. right – perhaps the monotony had worn over her own memory, as time in her makeshift cage went by. but she examined it all the same, in recollection of when she'd once held it for her duties. her introduction to appraisals had seemed harrowing – it was only now, after practice, that she'd managed to gain some familiar sense of confidence.

"tested," iris repeated, with a similar gentleness to her own touch from earlier. and her gaze fell back on @Alkor himself, because it was the knight that made the sword, after all. the blade was only the tool by which its user could unravel stories with, and iris gave him a smile. "then i'm satisfied, in hearing that. and if you're ever willing to share, i'd like to listen, one day. the pleasure of being able to lend aid to players like you is all mine."

and for what little she seemed to want to do, her intent in meaning every single word just meant that much more.

as the meeting started, she let her once-customer listen in on the conversation. a quick nod, a bright smile – curated politeness, delivered swift. perhaps they could talk more later, if time permitted, and she remained curious, further, to what might befall the troupe – and alkor – later.

in time, she would return to her position, ready to consider how best to prepare her stock.

the one seat in the corner was iris' very own. her choice of spot for observation and taking notes while the meeting was to be underway. but while it hadn't begun, she stood by the entry stairwell, giving each of the entrants a bow as they descended the stairs. a stoic, practiced smile as per usual – her masterful craft – but it broke into a wider grin at her once customer from an old invitation, @Alkor.

(she wasn't supposed to play favorites, but it was desperately dull when her job was focused on the usual customers. a break from script once in a while was fine, was it not?)

"alkor," iris called, waving to him – and neither night nor bistro had seemed to pay enough attention to have minded. or perhaps she didn't care, in the moment. when he'd reached the workshop floor, the appraiser pulled him aside gently – her care was tantamount, and it only served to make room for other newcomers to round the lounge safely at the bottom of the steps. "it's been a while since we've met. i'm iris – if you remember me modifying your weapon! are you well? i didn't know you were interested in the boss fight, either..."

fingers smoothed over the frills of her own dress, her own fidgeting, suppressing the excitement of hearing from an acquaintance. "if i do recall from last you'd asked – no, i'm not bound to get out of here much. part of the expectations of being a private practitioner on the first. but i assume..."

her hands stopped. remembering something about what bistro had said to her in passing made her words trail off. but iris gathered herself quickly to accommodate. "... how is blightsteel, if you've trialed it in combat thus far?"

Spoiler   Lv. 3 | iris | HP: 60/60 | EN: 24/24 | DMG: 1
	♦iris.