[@PyroDash888][@Zelosse][@Haeo][@BlackPanther]

[color=turquoise]Cinera
[u]Day 17 - Afternoon - Lvl 13[/u]

Cinera tried not to be angry when she saw the two brats walk out. She couldn't be too upset, seeing the state the child was in, but it was still frustrating that they were not even giving Delcastle a chance. [i]I knew there was something wrong about doing this...[/i] Just when she thought they might walk off though, the other older man pounded her guild leader with questions. It was a good thing that he was so curious, she figured, but something in her stomach still twisted up tight and uncomfortable. They were dangerous folk, and meeting anyone for the first time always involved some sort of risk. All that she could do was trust that he knew what he was doing - he was their guild leader, after all. If there was any kind of threat like that punch from before, though, she would not hesitate to protect him.

Her eyes gazed at the oddly-dressed man warily as Delcastle introduced her, to which she gave a brief nod. She wondered just why he wanted the information, if he was not a member of that group. Considering his age (and the shouting match from earlier), she could guess that the injured child was probably the one to which he had a 'vested interest.' Even if he did decide that the World Walkers would be the best way to help her get healed, would he even be able to convince their group to think about this more thoroughly? They seemed like a bunch of hard-headed, stubborn fools; that would be something difficult to overcome. And if they did not join, would they be left without any additional help or would the old men still want to join them? Delcastle did well in articulating their group's goals and abilities thoroughly, so she had no doubt the old men were wise enough to understand how valuable their skills, experience, and teamwork were.

The knot in her stomach shifted when Delcastle mentioned the possible casualties; he didn't really give an answer, but more so assured that injuries would be kept as minimal as possible. But there was a chance. This was something Cinera hadn't thought about, so she was even more surprised when Sapphira spoke up with her concerns about the whole thing. She didn't want them to risk themselves? Even if it meant healing her ear? Honestly, Cinera felt a bit of relief when she heard that. Not going would be the safest option, especially as they were not a typically front-line team. However, one glance at Sapphira set her resolve straight.

[b]"Sapphira..."[/b] When her friend walked away, she followed, going to sit across from her as she gave Delcastle a glance to say, [i]I'll take care of this[/i]. A still silence fell between them for a moment before she spoke again. [b]"You're such a terrible liar."[/b] A gentle smile crossed her expression as she reached over to grab the fox lady's hand. [b]"Look, we may not have known each other long... but I know how much you loved your ears and tail. I mean, you got to keep them even after the whole mirror fiasco at the beginning! I know that was important to you."[/b] Smoothly, she eased around the table so that she was now beside her friend, her arm comfortingly around her shoulder. [b]"It doesn't matter that you can still hear, or that it doesn't hurt. You like your ear, right? And it hurt, what happened to you? As your friends, we can't just ignore something like that."[/b] Her expression became really serious then - almost somber, as she thought about what had happened to Sapphira. [b]"If anything, I don't want you to have to live with the reminder that people could... well..."[/b]

Cinera gave a brief sigh. [b]"I'm really bad at this, I guess... But please don't think of it as troubling us, okay? This sort of thing is what we're here for. We care about you, and we want to help, even with the little things."[/b] She smiled once more, looking her friend in the eyes. [b]"That was what I loved about World Walkers when I joined. Even if I felt like I was a bother to everyone around me, they always assured me that everything is okay. That it will be okay. And then they did everything they could to help me, even though I didn't mean anything to them. This isn't an either-or situation, hon - we don't have to choose between you, our friend, and that stranger child. We want to help both of you."[/b] Seeing how upset Sapphira seemed to be, Cinera pulled her close into a comforting hug. [b]"Sometimes we just need to hear this... Sapphira, it's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay."[/b] She closed her eyes, burying her face a bit in the fox's hair. [b]"Even if it's not that big a deal, or if it is... We're going to fix your ear. And everything will be okay. I promise."[/b][/color]

[hr]
[color=red]ScarletRain
[u]Day 17 - Evening - Lvl 15[/u]

The sun shone orange, fading beams of light through the window as Scarlet's eyes finally began to open, once again. Her whole body felt heavy, her head ached. It was similar to how her grandfather had exaggeratedly described hangovers, to scare her off from drinking as a child. A soft groan escaped through her soft, pink lips as she slowly came to. The room was rather dim, with the curtains drawn and the door locked. Reaper was sitting in the chair beside her - the first thing she noticed. His gaze rested naturally on her as she awoke, though not hinting at any sort of worry or fear that might make her concerned for what had happened before she fell asleep. [i]Wait... What did happen...?[/i]

Her movements were slow as she went to sit up, barely able to push herself up with how weak her arms felt. It had only been an hour or two since her collapse, so her body was not yet rested. But her eye... it burned. Intensely. It was dull compared to the fire which had caused her to pass out, but it still ached. Her head was heaviest of all, and her gaze was unfocused and dizzy with the strange sensation of it. Wearily, she lifted her hand to cover her foggy eye, hoping to block out the harsh light of the sunset outside. [i]That figure I saw... it...[/i] Slowly, she turned to look at Reaper, looking as exhausted as she felt. Her mind couldn't quite focus as she struggled to wake up. She didn't know what to ask, so as her brain scrambled back into consciousness, she instinctively said, [b]"Where's Grandpa...?"[/b][/color]