[center][h1][b][color=gold]Lillianna Steiner[/color][/b][/h1][/center]

[quote=Hyah! Hookshot, Away!][color=pink]"Second Chance?"[/color][/quote]

[quote="TELEPORT!"]"A second chance is what we have - Being here."

"A second chance is what we offer - With that cube."

"Not sure there's anything more perfect to define us. I'd say we've found our team name guys."[/quote]

[quote=With Great Power Comes Great Headaches From Your Friends...Because He's Now The Party Leader AND The Party Healer][color=skyblue]"I like it"[/color][/quote]

She had to concur, after a breif moment of thinking about it all. Wasn't every day that someone got another chance at life, in another world not less, even if it had all occured so suddenly and out of the blue. Or, well, in her case coming at her like a beach umbrella to the face on a very windy day at the beach. Close enough? Close enough. 

[color=gold]"'Second Chance', hmm? It has a nice ring to it, I think. Agreed."[/color]

A fitting name indeed, though the conversation was far from over as the elven woman answered the first of her own questions. 

[quote=The Lovely Lady Dealing With The Latest Newbies]"That would mean that you have an affinty for both Air and Light Domain magic.  It's quite rare for any mage to be specialize in twin elements.  Looks like you've been dealt an extraordinary hand.  Kudos to you. You should go to the Academy, if you've not been already.  I'll bet they'd love to meet a twin-element mage that's just started her journey as an adventurer.  I'm guessing you must be highly intelligent for The Source to bless you with two Domains, so if you like books, tomes and scrolls, you should do quite well there."[/quote]

Such a pairing elements was that extraordinary? Curious, most curious indeed. This 'Academy' place seemed to be a place of magical learning, as far as she could glean from it all, and in that vein she wished to go visit it as the other woman had reccomended. Yet the promise of books and tomes and even [i]scrolls[/i] to read and study was certainly something far more tantalizing. Would she be able to read the material of this world without learning it? They could certainly speak the local lingo somehow, and understand it all in turn, so it was certainly a promising prospect at the very least for someone interested in academic learning and having a bit of a love for fantasy as a genre. 

Whew. No. No no no, she didn't need to go nuts here with anticipation...even if she really kind of wanted to right now. Like she could barely contain the geeky energy inside for a moment. Yet while she seemed to visibly get an excited twinkle in her eyes at the mention of the 'Academy', and frankly even more so at the mention of new reading materials, the white haired mage visibly tried to calm herself back down all the same. 

It was also around this time the second answer made it to her ears as well. 

[quote=Lucy the Lucid]"Hmmmmm... died in the Mazy Hillocks, did he?  Not a nice place to meet to your end."

"Sorry, I can't think.  I'd need a little more, I'm afraid."[/quote] 

...Curses. The poor soul who'd helped them back there hadn't even a chance to give his name either, which wasn't helping anything. Though dead, he had managed to save her life at least. Seemed to be a kind person wanting to assist some lost and most woefully outmatched novice adventurers, even after his own horrible death and wandering around that place. Argh! He had mentioned a few things about himself, at least, which perhaps would be something to look into as scant as they were. Maybe if she added those it would help Lucy get a more specific memory? Hmm. 

In the meantime, she would listen as James tried to fill Lucy in on their situation and showed her the cube, until the point that-

[quote=Lucy the Logically Dumbfounded Listener]"By the Quinity, am I reading this right!?" she exclaimed.  "You did kill Aurok."  She looked at Adam, who was the one who hinted to it earlier.  Then peered around the rest of them.  Early, unascended adventurers, all of them.  "Aurok the Maneater... How!?"[/quote]

That was what she wanted to know as well, though give the lack of two party members being among the living still...it came at a great cost indeed she imagined. Even so, the elven woman would seem to move on to describe the situation, as well as reveal a message for them that seemed to be currently well out of reach, and it wouldn't be good to leave that unchecked. Couldn't they check it some other way than having to gain silver rank? They'd all just nearly died out there after all of this, and while she had to admit a good cry was more than needed back there at the hospital it didn't mean she wasn't worried about how the others were doing still as well. Concious as they had been back there, she'd no idea fully of what had happened to them back there in the Mazy Hillocks as of yet. It was...[u]vexing[/u]! 

Heh. She hadn't gotten to use that particular word in a little while. 

[quote=Adam the Appreciated]"A friend bravely sacrificed himself."[/quote]

...So her theory held some water, it seemed. Though for that matter, Adam hadn't seemed to be doing too well either now that she noticed. Zell's antics had kept her mind occupied outside of some personal thinking along the way, but she felt that she still did care in the end. On the other hand, she hadn't had to watch anyone die out there either. It...hmm...curses. 

[quote=Adam the "Actually You Need To Say Something Too Before Zell Chooses The Mission; Also <ore Importantly Are You Ok?"]"I'm good with whatever you all decide to do next."[/quote]

He wasn't going to pitch in on this? Really? It was important to everyone that they all get a voice in this one, and he was a valuable part of the group! It was enough to get the white haired mage to walk over to the red-eyed man and tug on Adam's sleeve before looking him in the eyes (after he'd had his moment to speak to Lucy too of course). Even if she felt her own idea was perhaps the best one, he had a right to say something too! And in this case she wasn't going to sit silent on that particular thought. 

[color=gold]"Adam! You've just as much right as anyone else here to help decide. Besides, if anyone decides to do anything rash we-"[/color]

[quote="TELEPORT 2: Electric Boogaloo", Now Premiering At The Nearest Bar]"Gold is lower than Platinum right? If we take a gold contract, you won't be sending us anywhere like The Mazy Hillocks"

"Good. I say take the gold, but I'll leave you guys to make a more thought-out decision. I need a beer."[/quote]

Wait wait wait, what?! Wasn't it clear that they'd already been in over their heads with all of this so far?! It was enough that, to her at least, it seemed clear that choosing the two silver contracts would be the best call. The [i]safer[/i] call, less likely to get them jumped by angry enemy monsters well above their bronze-tier and otherworlder expertise! They had no business running out there suddenly again, not without getting some footing around here, maybe a place to live, and getting an idea of what they could each do better. Or at least taking the time to practice some kind of formation or the like to use out there!

[quote=Lucy the Likeable Guild Leader][b]"I'll tell you what:  If you go there, ask for a woman named Clarissa Shields.  Tell them you've been sent on Adventurer's Guild's business."  She took a small piece of parchment from behind the desk, wrote some words on it, slipped it in an envelope and stamped it with a wax seal and pushed it forward on the counter.  "That should get you in the door to someone high enough.[/b]"[/quote]

Well, she did want to go see the Academy in person now. On top of that, they'd needed to go bring that cube over to the mages of this place anyhow. So it all worked out in that sense. Stupid thing had given them enough trouble, and-...ah! Yes, she had a working theory about the object based on her limited experience with it. Certainly wasn't something she had been given the time to tell everyone, however, but perhaps she could bring it up at the Academy! Certainly it could be a potential boon to figuring it all out, right? Well, if anyone would listen to a peculiar theory coming from the mouth of a novice mage. Maybe. Then again, not everyone was likely not as trusting as this group she had become a part of either. 

[quote]"In ascending order; Bronze, Silver, Gold, then Platinum and finally Diamond."  She reassured the others.  "I believe, looking at your stats, history and abilities, that you will be able to handle a gold contract.  I've been in the Guild for more than while now and seen all kinds of parties.  I'm a pretty good judge of these things."

"I warn you though.  Ascension and abilities will only get you so far.  What seperates the best parties from the rest is teamwork, decision-making and spirit," she lectured them.  "Be courageous, be virtuous, be smart.  Learn eachother.  Trust eachother."  She smirked.  "Even the idiot."[/quote]

To be honest he was a useful idiot, at least, and had been among those who had gotten out of that hellhole that was the Mazy Hillocks at least. Also seemed friendly and brave and kind enough to boot, based on what she'd seen of him thus far. In that vein...yes, she did need to be nicer and give him some slack. But if the name "Zell's Angels" had passed, or he managed to name someting of the group's that inane at a future point, she [b]would[/b] be hitting him with a basic lightning bolt. Not that she'd have the first chance, if MacKensie got her hands on him first in such a scenario perhaps. Heh. 

Party idiot indeed. 

[quote=The French Strike Back][color=pink]"I also think we should take a gold contract."

"We have business at the Academy and a promise to keep to the town of Hommas.  This must come first.  And we must take an evening to - how you say - decompress?  Find a hotel or something?  Mentally, I think it would help." 

"But I feel in my bones that this message in that computer is so important for us.  And I wish to see it as soon as humanly possible. Zell is right; we are all stronger than before.  Much stronger.  I know this.  And after going through The Mazy Hillocks, I feel I am ready for anything now.[/color]"[/quote]

Oh no. Oh no no no no no! They were [i]NOT[/i] taking a single dangerous gold contract, just to speed this process up! What in the world was MacKensie thinking?! She was the chosen one! Her ally! She was destined not to suggest bad ideas, but to destroy them! Nooooooooo!!!

...But the purely mild dramatics conjured up by her internal frustrations being set aside, she agreed on most of the other woman's points for the most part. Some rest, some time to mentally let go or relax, etc. She wanted to see what was on that computer message as well, as odd as that seemed to be to acknowledge that existing in the first place in a fantasy-type setting as they had seemingly been pulled into. Yet even, so she would speak once more as she turned around to face the remainder of the group who were still standing there.

[color=gold]"I do agree that...I feel some extent stronger than I was before. At the same time, I feel taking the two silver contracts would be out best and safest choice in this situation. It would allow us to get acclimated with this world better, as well as get more accustomed to this adventuring work and local fauna more before we try to tackle anything more dangerous."[/color] 

The mage would speak with a somerwhat exasperated tone near the end, though the stoic expression and worried tint in her voice would betray her somewhat perhaps. She didn't want to just jump in on a big, dangerous mission again without preparation! Did they want to end up as all the dead souls wandering around the Mazy Hillocks had become?! Then again, she had no idea if anyone else had seen them other than herself, really...hmm. Maybe James? He seemed to have an affinity for the divine, if his clerical inclinations hadn't been clear enough to her so far, so she needed to ask him. 

In the end she would go with whichever choice the group overall decided to take, but she also likewise hoped they would see some kind of sense at least... 

Oh! Right, those detials to tell Lucy in one last attempt to trigger some kind of memory in her head about the poor boy back in the Mazy Hillocks. To that end, she would try to get Lucy's attention once more in a more polite and formal manner before speaking once more (if she got the chance to that is). 

[color=gold]"I do remember a few more things about the dead man, I believe...perhaps it is worth a shot at least to mention them if nothing else. Just to attempt to get an idea of things.

His torso seemed to be clad in a basic gambeson type of armor, with a shirt of chainmail covering this as well as his torso and upper arms. He wore woolen pants covered his legs, a pair of boots, and a helmet rounded on top with a brim around the outside of it on his head. He had on a pair of leather gloves and pair of metal bracers, used a polearm I believe, and ah...hmm!

He had messy and roughly-cut, as well as short, sandy brown hair. Said he came from a small village as well, and that his sister was trained by the local church in his small village since she could see the dead as well."[/color]