[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fpkngGI.png[/img]
[h3][color=Chocolate]~Chieko Okawa~[/color][/h3][/center]
Middle of Alley, Suttling's Basin, Priestella
[@Crusader Lord][@Ryofu]
Deaths: 1
[hr]

Oh, so he could teach her! Wonderful. Chieko was confident that she had both the aptitude and talent for it. She had to after all, right? She couldn't possibly succeed as a hero otherwise. Ha. Flawless logic. Well, Chieko saw no problems with this arrangement. Fortuitous even. They could keep them safe, or at least show them the ropes of how this place worked and she could well be on her way to being a certified hero in the next month, hah!

Yes, this was wonderful.

Affinity though? Was that like their elemental affinity or something? Defining what sort they could do? Huh, well she hoped she had-

[i][color=gold]”Irene!”[/color][/i]

Vasilis' shout shocked her out of her musings. What was-

She saw the bandits. She saw the arrows. She saw Irene's ankle and arm pierced by an arrow. She saw Vasili's rage as he attacked the bandits. Just what - could she do? Her mind froze, unable to react to what was happening. A sharp crack echoed in her ears, pain filling her skull as her vision faded, her body hitting the ground.

...

...

...

The next instant, she was standing in the alley again like nothing had ever happened. She hit the ground again, legs giving out from under her as the weight of the situation tried to make sense in her brain. Irene and Vasilis...had...died? She had...died? Chieko's shoulders visibly slumped, the bag she was holding falling carelessly to the ground, the box the figurine was in getting mud all over it. She had died. She was certain of that, then how could she be here again? She felt the impact on her skull. She saw Irene and Vasilis likely head to their deaths. Had...the other two also died? But yet, here she was, where she had been just minutes ago completely fine. Physically at least This wasn't some dream or weird last-dying moments vision? Her mind tried to rationalize the situation, but it just couldn't.

Try as she might, Chieko couldn't stop some tears flowing.

Hero? Please, she was weak. She wasn't some legendary hero. She knew that. She was just using it because she had nothing else. That's what she was doing, and she knew it. She wasn't anything special. Just a pathetic, talent less girl who was [i]sort[/i] of smart. She rubbed her face with her coat sleeve, sniffling as Aerith said something, rushing off to try and meet the other two. She was scared, wasn't she? That's what this was. She was in an unfamiliar place, without anyone she knew and without a shred of money or anything else to her name...realistically speaking, she should be utterly terrified, right? They all should be.

...

Grinding her teeth together, Chieko slapped the sides of her face with her hands. This was no good. No good at all. She was tougher than this, wasn't she?! Of course she was. She made it through high school. That shit was terrifying. Not as terrifying as death even, she'd say. She could handle this, right? She had to be tough for her little sister all the time.

...haha...

Sniffling again, she stood, pulling her scarf over her face again and dusting off her pants.

[color=Chocolate]"A-aerith wait-!"[/color] But the girl was already gone. Damn it! Going that way was a bad idea. It'd be best if they walked in the opposite direction and tried to avoid that problem altogether for now. Maybe meet up with them elsewhere. Silently, she glanced at Hiro, seemingly unsure what they should do. Her confidence seemingly having wilted a bit, at least for the moment.