[PP|F5] <<Butcher of the Sands>> Picking up the Pace

[ChaseR 0]

Now that a few hours had passed since solving the doppelganger incident, Chase had rested well enough to be prepared for his next expedition out into the fields. Unsure whether he wanted to do any missions alone and risk getting a PKer sneak up to him in the best case scenario, or potentially left all alone in the harsh desert for a few days, he decided to shoot a message to the one person that would, seemingly enough, grow to trust him a fair bit. The same went for himself, after what revelation he'd made about them. Such close secrets needed lots of trust to uphold after all, and he'd gain no more than he'd lose by revealing it.

He opened up his menu as soon as he arrived to the fifth and went over to his friends, as the keyboard appeared and he shot NIGHT a message once more. 

ChaseR: Sorry for the bother. As soon as you feel better though, tell me. I want to keep levelling up, so I have some missions in midn. ChaseR: Whenever you're ready. Take your time.

With the message sent, he was ready to start venturing out into the wilds as he opened up his inventory and quickly donned a vanity cloak, a black one, to protect him from the sandstorms that could harm him or obstruct his vision every now and then in the moments when it really mattered.

Spoiler

Name: ChaseR
Level: 40
HP: 800/800
EN: 80/80

Stats:
Damage: 14
Mitigation: 25
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 3
REC:2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: <<Gust Raiser>> (T2/Perfect/2HSS): DMG II, ACC I
Armor: <<Wind Dweller>> (T2/Perfect/Light Armor): EVA I, REC II
Misc: <<Chained Bracelet>> (T2/Perfect/Trinket): EVA II, ACC I

Skills:
Two-Handed Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 5]
Battle Healing [Rank 1]

Extra Skills:
Familiar Mastery: Fighter
Survival
Disguise

Mods:
2HSS Finesse [R3]
Precision

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions(heal 50HP)*3
Spyglass (2/3)*1
T1 Rare Health Potions (heal 40HP)*2
Woodland Armor (T2/Perfect) MIT III (2/3)*1
Requires Extended Weight Limit 1
Requires Extended Weight Limit 2
Requires Extended Weight Limit 3
Obtained via Item Stash (Housing)
Obtained via Dimensional Backpack

Housing Buffs:
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (-): +1 Rank to the - skill.
Advanced Training: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

[NIGHT 0]

Floor 5 wasn't filled with pleasant memories, either, but they were better than the ninth, in the player's honest opinion. Under the lazy heat of the floor's sun, she couldn't tell if it was her sights that was causing the landscape to waver, or if it was just the light's radiance itself. Hard to tell, since the burden of its warmth was now lost on the player; she'd adapted to [Survival]'s comfort after nearly a year of its use.

DAY's cloak was a comforting lend of apparel, and it served her well during her last outing with Yuki. With amends somewhat made, NIGHT showed up garbed in white, greeting the man with an open gloved hand, hood drawn over her face.

"Don't worry; it's just me," she corrected, tilting back the cover just a bit. "What's on this floor that you're aiming for though? Terra Firma?" The player was certain she could take down that beast solo if she had to, though the concern of survivability for her growing friend still remained fast.

 

	NIGHT   | HP: 1430/1430 | EN: 155/155   | ACC: 4 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 72 | BH: 71   | KEEN: 1 | PARALYZE: 1 | ABS. ACC | LD: 4   | Stealth Detection: 4 | Stealth Rating: 7   | Dungeon Search: 2
- - -
[Examine] [Equipment] Dragon's Gaze -- [ Keen | After a successful attack, gain +1 BD until your next successful attack, at which point this bonus is removed. Another successful attack will reactivate this enhancement. ] -- [ Paralyze I | Natural successful attack rolls of 9-10 remove the enemy’s action on their next turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties. ] -- [ Absolute Accuracy | +1 ACC. Attack rolls of 1 no longer automatically miss. ] Reinforced Black Tracksuit -- [ Mitigation I | +54 MIT. ] -- [ Evasion I | +1 EVA. ] Silver Crescent Necklace -- [ Accuracy II | +2 ACC ] -- [ Evasion II | +2 EVA ] [Battle-Ready Inventory] - - - - - - - - - Skills Skills Mod Count: 8/8 Two-Handed Straight Sword | Passive | RANK 5/5 > Ferocity, Precision, Finesse Light Armor | Passive | RANK 4/5  > Athletics Searching | Passive | RANK 4/5 > Reveal Hiding | Passive | RANK 4+1/5 > Blindside, Vanish, Surprise Attack: Trickster Extended Mod Limit | Passive | RANK 3/3  Battle Healing | Passive | RANK 5/5 Energist | Passive [Extra] Survival | Passive  Concentration | Active -- CD: 3 Familiar Mastery: Fighter | Passive | RANK 3/3 Consumed Buffs Spoiler Kumatetsu Statue | +1 DMG - - - - - - Misc. Buffs Spoiler Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat.  Relaxed | +(5 * Tier) HP per out-of-combat post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. Squeaky Clean | -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player in a thread. Skylight: Hiding | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cooldown of 30 days to reassign. Multipurpose | +1 LD/Prosperity/Stealth/Detection to one post per thread. Can be applied after a roll. Filling | +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player in a thread. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. Col Deposit | +5% col from loot-minimum mobs, +10% col from treasure chests.

[ChaseR 0]

Chase greeted the woman as soon as she appeared, having expected she would need more downtime than that. Maybe he'd just underestimated her mental fortitude, in the end. "Ah, she gave you the cloak?", he asked, before stopping at the sound of an unfamiliar name. He wasn't sure whether she was referring to a quest, a monster or whatever else. Quietly, he pulled up the menu and read through the quest details before shaking his head. "No, it's about some land shark... Butcher of the Sands. What's a Terra Firma? It sounds like the guild..."

He wasn't quite sure what to think of it, but the similarity must have probably been just a coincidence. Hell, now that he thought about it, he barely knew anything about any guild, really. He knew about Raidou because he'd heard from him from NIGHT, Shay never talked about her own guild, and he didn't have one in the first place. "By the way, let's get a move on. I'm sure we'll take it out in no time, just... We can talk on the road.", he told her with a smile. This whole ordeal had been a bonding experience, so he felt much more comfortable interacting with NIGHT from here on out.

[NIGHT 0]

"I-- I ask for it." NIGHT hoped the light blush on her cheeks wouldn't be visible with her cloak's shadow, the woman scratching at her face gently with a finger. "There's no need for me to get a new one if I just--"

Why was she trying to justify the decision? It was sound, no matter which way she was about to toss it. "--No, you're right," the player mentioned, stopping her words. "Let's just walk and talk; I'm assuming you know the way?"

When he took the lead, NIGHT paced behind him, pulling the hood further lower over her face. "Terra Firma's a pangolin, I think. It's big and tough, but not a lot of bosses get away with resistance to damage over time effects." She'd been more intrigued by the name of the quest they were on, however; though it sounded deadly, the man's reassurance that they could slay it in due time was marginally disappointing. At least they were safe for their journey, she supposed.

[ChaseR 0]

"... You don't know how to get to it..?", he asked her with furrowed eyebrows, thinking that since she were a higher level she must have completed this mission at least once in a past- maybe she'd have repeated it while helping out a newbie, much like himself. Then again she didn't seem that social of a person, so... Who knew? "It's er... Some arena. Somewhere in the desert. The NPC said that it was easy to get trapped inside if you fell unprepared, so I believe we can take it on. It's around my levels, according to them- or ten lower... Still good SP anyways."

It surely felt a bit awkward trying to describe a mission to someone of that high level compared to him. Regardless, it was the way it was. "Say, if you haven't done it though, that means you've got higher chances of leveling up when we finish this, too, right?", he asked rather excitedly, happy to see that even helping him out was turning to give her the same fair share of experience she deserved.

They hadn't even moved that far deep into the desert, but they were a bit of a distance from the safezone already. A hill could be seen just further up, resembling a bit of an anthole... The arena was probably somewhere nearby, just like that hill but larger if the NPC's information was right.

[NIGHT 0]

"Some quests can fall through the cracks," NIGHT retorted, her voice more light-hearted than irritated. "If this just happens to be one of them, then so be it, you know?" The woman folded her arms underneath the cloak, a blustering of the wind unable to fumble her hood away. "I wasn't able to complete the tutorial when I'd first started, for example. --Embarrassing, I know." She took a pause to let her companion scoff at her statement, if he'd done something of the sort to comment on her revelation. "But that's just how things go sometimes."

"It's a possibility," she added. Her eyes were trained on the great landmark on the horizon, the party's directions turned towards its way. "Though, it's of a lower level, so I doubt it'll afford me much. The curve gets steeper the higher up you get. Bistro's sending me less information these days; I can only imagine I'm starting to run out of content to cut through by Cardinal's margin."

[ChaseR 0]

Instead of mocking her when she revealed she couldn't do the relatively easy tutorial, he didn't scoff her. Instead, he shook it off like it was something ordinary. "It's as embarrassing as me not having played many games prior to SAO... M-Maybe any. Regardless, same thing.", he added with a nod towards himself, only to listen to what else she had to say about the quests afterwards. There were plenty of them by the looks of it, at least two or so on each floor, so she must have ripped through each one of them incredibly quickly.

"So you've been up there for quite long... I'll get over to you and we'll clear the next floor. Alright? I hear there's a meeting for the floor boss... I doubt I'll make it in time, but keep me updated. Alright?", he asked of her and shortly after, the two had arrived. He gestured to ask her whether it was alright to go on or not, and upon receiving the 'yes' in the form of a nod, the two quickly jumped down into the arena where they saw the enemy monster appear before their eyes. With narrowed eyes, Chase quickly ran in and attempted to slam the pommel of his weapon into Sando.

ChaseR: HP: 800/800 | EN: 73/80 (-7) | DMG: 14 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 3 | REC: 2 | MIT: 25 | BH: 8
NIGHT:

Sando Satsu: HP: 258/350 (-92) | DMG: 100 | MIT: 20 [Stun CD; 3/3] (Stun)

Edited August 27, 2020 by ChaseR

[NIGHT 0]

"So you've been up there for quite long..."

"Funny. It doesn't feel like it." Her time as a tier three player had felt minimal at most, if one had to ask her about her experience. How long did it take for Yuki to push her all the way up to the upper echelons of combat? The woman had barely kept count. For all her time spent on the second, she'd been so pre-occupied with the loss of her friends from her life alongside battling her mirrored stalker that things felt as though they'd taken longer than usual, time passing by more slowly to etch out each second of suffering.

But that was then. And here she still stood in the present.

She nodded to his conviction. Looking forward to the future, he seemed. At their destination, he'd leaped forward first, the woman following after, blade materializing in her hand. One Tempest to stun it, a Galaxy Destroyer afterwards to cut it through. And yet their enemy hadn't gone down in a hurry it appeared; a red pulsating remnant its reminder to cling onto life.

Spoiler

Using [Concentration]. (+1 ACC) for the following:

ID: 166542 | BD: 6 (1, +4+1)
<<Galaxy Destroyer>> vs Sando Satsu.
20 * 13 = 260 DMG | 260 - 20 = 240 DMG

Ending [Concentration] use.
[Keen] activated. (+1 ACC) on all subsequent rolls.

ChaseR | HP: 800/800 | EN: 73/80 | DMG: 14 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 3 | REC: 2 | MIT: 25 | BH: 8
NIGHT | HP: 1430/1430 | EN: 146/155 (-9) | ACC: 4 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 72 | BH: 71 | KEEN: 1 | PARALYZE: 1 | ABS. ACC | LD: 4

Sando Satsu: HP: 18/350 (-240) | DMG: 100 | MIT: 20 [Stun CD; 3/3] (Stun)

[ChaseR 0]

With the boss' HP now reaching red, its hidden ability activated and its form began to change. It grew more and more in size, letting out a ferocious roar as small black particles started to swirl around it like a tornado, with the landshark being its 'eye'. "I believe it just got stronger, but it's only one more hit.", he clarified and quickly shifted his stance to hold his blade with a single hand, pointing it at the monster. Then, he focused all of his weight on his hind leg before kicking towards it and gripping the hilt with his other hand as well.

Now approaching the boss alarmingly quickly, time almost slowed down as his downward slash started to take it right out with a red glow surrounding his blade. His grip was firm and his resolve unwavering. This was just another quick quest he could pull off for more levels, just one step closer to his goal. He wasn't letting anything or anyone take that away from him. The two almost crossed through one another, stopping both of their dashes with their backs facing each other. The monster attempted to attack Chase, however as both's attacks went through, they looked back at one another to see no damage taken from either. Well, a single hit point for the boss, but... "F-Fuck, I used the wrong sword art... Sorry...". Talk about embarassing.

ChaseR | HP: 800/800 | EN: 77/80 (+5, -1) | DMG: 14 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 3 | REC: 2 | MIT: 25 | BH: 8
NIGHT | HP: 1430/1430 | EN: 146/155 | ACC: 4 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 72 | BH: 71 | KEEN: 1 | PARALYZE: 1 | ABS. ACC | LD: 4

Sando Satsu: HP: 17/350 (-1) | DMG: 150 | MIT: 30 [Stun CD; 2/3]

Edited August 27, 2020 by ChaseR

[NIGHT 0]

One more strike was all it needed, so NIGHT stepped back, watching as ChaseR readied his sword art. From the looks of it, the way the he and the boss were poised might as well have come from a climactic episode of some shonen anime; they took of sprinting towards each other, the flashes of white, red and blue overwhelming the battle field--

-- Wait. The player skid a few feet ahead. That wasn't--

"F-Fuck, I used the wrong sword art..."

She could see it now. That measly point of damage chipped off the lizard's health. NIGHT raised a brow, shrugged, and let her blade dance in their target's stead, before it could charge back towards the rooted player.

A trail of red burned from the heart of Dragon's Gaze; either it was consistently awake, ready to unleash an endless fury upon its enemies, or it was a signal that NIGHT was just perpetually unlucky with her precision. Nevertheless, she'd diced the monstrosity into bits with a single slash; an overkill, if Bahr had been there to comment upon it, perhaps, but their conclusion had been reached nonetheless.

"I guess that's it for this one." Her gaze lazily caught the sight of the sparkles, trailing upwards and away from its domain. "What're the rest on your list?"

Spoiler

ID: 166542 | BD: 7 (2, +5)
<<Galaxy Destroyer>> vs Sando Satsu.
20 * 13 = 260 DMG | 260 - 30 = 230 DMG

ChaseR | HP: 800/800 | EN: 77/80 | DMG: 14 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 3 | REC: 2 | MIT: 25 | BH: 8
NIGHT | HP: 1430/1430 | EN: 129/155 (+1, -9) | ACC: 5 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 72 | BH: 71 | KEEN: 1 | PARALYZE: 1 | ABS. ACC | LD: 4

Sando Satsu: HP: -213/350 (-230) | DMG: 150 | MIT: 30

[ChaseR 0]

So much for building up his composure before launching his final attack. He quietly watched NIGHT take it out much more simply, yet beautifully, simply smiling and causing it to shatter into crystals, just like everything did in Aincrad. "... Sorry, I thought I was more well rested but... It's the first time I've confused attack commands, heh... S-Sorry...", he felt an apology was due, and apparently wasn't that hesitant to get awkward with it either. He coughed to clear his throat in an attempt to move past that, hoping she wouldn't think of it any and tried to recall back to the few mental notes he made.

"Uh... Something about a sea serpent and a monkey king... I believe the latter is on the eighth, the former is... um... I can't recall, s-sorry. I really thought I was rested, god... I'm really sorry for this.", his relentless attempts at apologising continued without break, as he slumped forwards slightly with his arms hanging by his side and his eyes closed in disbelief. "I'm probably just nervous because I made a fool of myself, just... Calm down, deep breaths... You can remember. C'mon..."

[NIGHT 0]

"You beat yourself up over this?" The woman raised a brow, folding her arms just as she'd scanned the perimeter for an exit they could take to head back towards town. "Sometimes Cardinal misinterprets your actions; it's fine. And just as equally so if you'd pulled a mistake out of nowhere. You're fine."

Even moreso troubling was how the man couldn't seem to recall their targets coming up, and that he was agonizing over it. "Rested or not, you can always refer to them later," she added. In seconds, she had her interface pulled open, fingers swiping through Bistro's notes, none-discarded quest details that were carefully logged in Aincrad's systems. "There's no need to memorize each and every detail." A growl from the woman, entertaining the thought. "That just takes too much effort."

"Here." She'd spun the messages over to her companion, making sure he got a good look over at them. "That sea serpent's on the twelfth, and it's almost always raining on that floor. Learned that the hard way." And NIGHT had little doubt she was going to clean up DAY's cloak once more with their trip over towards it soon.

[ChaseR 0]

She was, to his surprise, more easy going than he remembered her being, but there was nothing wrong with that. If anything, that was what he needed to realise he was being just a bit too harsh with himself. "H-Huh, um... Yeah, eighth and twelfth it is... We aren't affected by rain since we have Survival, are we?", he asked with furrowed eyebrows, hoping that there wouldn't be any negative effects from the constant downpour she claimed had taken over the floor.

He couldn't even remember whether or not he'd been to the floor before. Regardless, now was their time to leave the area and start to head back towards the settlement. When the two managed to climb their way out, they still had a bit of time until they got back, and it wouldn't hurt to just waste a bit more while they were at it. With a sigh, he crossed his arms and looked to the side, asking away. "Anyways... Your friend already knows, but I've a girlfriend. She's Shay. So uh... Do you have any experience with couples?", the question was rather out of the blue, but the approach he took was a bit too cautious for just a 'normal talk'. Strategic and planned out, almost.

[NIGHT 0]

"We aren't affected by rain since we have Survival, are we?"

"By way of environmental debuffs, we have the upper hand." Her expression morphed into a frown, however, imagining the storm that was about to come. "But if you want to be soaked from head to toe... be my guest."

She'd begun making her way out of the arena, a corridor at the edge of the circular room, bordered by a tunnel's frame and dark as the night sky itself. Light poured into the stone pathway the moment they'd took a turn; in a short amount of time, the sun greeted them once more with an unrelenting glare. How nice of Survival to wane its strength off.

"Anyways... Your friend already knows, but I've a girlfriend. She's Shay."

The sudden conversation was odd. But she'd noted the tidbit for future reference, on the account that she hadn't taken him for one to have a significant other.

Wait, Shay? That edge lord from the warg quest?

She hadn't mentioned it aloud, but ChaseR could tell something was up with NIGHT's demeanor at a glance. It was that factoid coupled with the prospect of offering advice for a subject she'd desperately tried to avoid that lent her the discomfort, the woman stammering as she'd come up with a response. "I'm... not too well versed on the subject. But I could try to hear you out if you've got a problem with it...?"

[ChaseR 0]

If he weren't too lost in his own world, maybe the boy would notice of her shift in attitude. Until then though, he had gone back to feeling like a child, certain that what he was about to say would send even NIGHT into a laughing frenzy. With a deep breath, he prefaced it with a "Alright, but... T-Tch, promise you won't laugh?". He didn't really wait that long to let her respond before he coughed and looked away, scratching the back of his head. "There's an uh... S-Someone I don't like that much, and she kind of planted this idea in my head... Yeah, idea."

He was already vague as is, but... He was just mostly dancing around the fact Yuki was mostly to blame for them having gotten together, due to how much he disliked her. "Anyways, I brought it up to Shay and that's how we decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend, but... I haven't really... been? In a relationship before? So I'm not sure what a couple does other than just... call one another their mate, I guess. Any ideas?", Chase finished with a drawn out and disappointed sigh, hoping he didn't sound like his six year old self too much while trying to beat around the bush.

[NIGHT 0]

"Alright, but... T-Tch, promise you won't laugh?"

Well, depending on the subject matter--

"I haven't really... been? In a relationship before?"

Surely, that wasn't something to laugh about. The woman pulled her hood over her face further, hoping the shadows would mask her single beat's balk at the topic. The garb upon her shoulders was feeling a little more than foreign now, and NIGHT hugged herself close underneath, as they began to make their way back to the settlement. "I guess it depends on what they're keen on, right?" Her eyes were cast to the sea of sand in the distance, squinted against the sunlight and the direction of the storm's breeze. "Most of the time, I'd imagine they spend time together, or come to each other's aid when they need it. To that regard..."

She was certain that though she wasn't familiar with Shay, her companion was definitely one to hold a better opinion of the woman, and NIGHT trusted him enough for such a judgement call. "... What sort of person is she?"

[ChaseR 0]

He noticed how NIGHT began to hood herself and frowned a bit, worried that he was making her feel uncomfortable. With a huff, he continued to nervously scratch the back of his neck and rub it, in hopes he'd just grow a bit more comfortable. "She's kind of... m-motherly, I guess... She's rude and abrasive, but she cares... She hates to see me lower myself and once got so mad she punched me for it. She sucks with words, but the same goes for me, I guess. She makes me feel safe, but... Like, she's concerned. I can't... Sorry, I'm probably not helping any."

The boy ended off with a sigh, dropping his head again and looking at the sand as they took more steps towards the settlement. Recollecting his thoughts, he lifted his head again and shrugged. "She's not who she shows she is. I don't know much about her yet, but I'm sure she'll open up over time. I just... I feel better with her around, it feels warm and like there's nothing to fear. I want to protect her and she wants to protect me. I...", he stopped to give her some breathing room, closing his eyes tightly. "... I'll stop if it's a hard topic to talk about. I don't want to bother you."

[NIGHT 0]

"No. No, it's fine."

If anything, his words had been sweet. She hadn't heard Yuki nor Crozeph talk about each other that way before, but if she had to liken a guess; in the same manner ChaseR had been speaking about Shay, she could imagine that was how her friends felt about each other. How lovely it was to have someone to care about, she wondered, and the cloak over her only seemed to feel heavier than usual.

She hummed, still processing his emotions through her own. "It sounds like you two just need to spend more time together, if you're worried about how close you two are being." The words felt like frost on her tongue, various older memories resurfacing, if only for a moment. "I--I guess it's why people usually go on dates, r-right?" NIGHT pulled a wry look on her face, trying to ascertain the logic behind her thought process. "Then at that point, it just becomes a matter of what she likes and how to cater to them, I guess...?"

[ChaseR 0]

"Dates huh..? Never had one before...", he awkwardly admitted, although that was to be expected. The closest he'd been to someone was being best friends since a child with Lily, and that was about it. "Well, I don't know..? I just want to be next to her and help her feel good too. And protect her, of course. But... That's it. Do I need to do something more than that..?", he asked her with furrowed eyebrows, starting to repeat himself and groaning at the realization. "I'm sorry, just... Couples like... Uh... Kiss and hug and sleep together or whatever they do, but..."

"I don't really feel the need for it? At least not yet. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable nor do I think I'm ready for anything like that... I just wanted her to feel comfortable, so I bought the estate and made her a bedroom, a living room, some kitchens with the necessary commodities... So now we can sleep and rest properly, unlike back in her shop on a hammock and whatever.", Chase mumbled under his breath, dragging his monologue just a little bit further. It was true, he didn't mean to get on her good side but just wanted what was best for her, and himself. And that felt like the right choice, in the end.

[NIGHT 0]

Even as his voice trailed off, NIGHT's mind was short circuiting from the thought of these actions, being carried out with another. Every snug hold of the garb that protected her felt more illegal by the minute, even though she'd needed its hold to weather the discussion in earnest, especially if she was going to provide any modicum of advice for her companion.

"That sounds practical," the woman managed to choke out after his commentary. "So I can't blame you. It's a good way to start things off in the first place, getting to know each other by proximity alone." The town grew closer by the seconds, by now, the duo only meters away from the entrance of the safe zone. She could spy the teleporter even from the distance. "There's no need to rush things with i-intimacy." Her fingers fumbled with the tip of her hood. "B-but even if it's going on quests or excursions with them just to get a feel for how to better interact with them... Those ideas are fine too, aren't they?"