[center][h1][b][color=gold]Lillianna[/color][/b][/h1][/center] [color=gold]"Well, at least that blasted cube is out of our hands now. Including my own among those."[/color] Lillianna would make a comment as she came back to reunite with Fenna, though it would admittedly be delivered with a sense of mild frustration in the mage's voice. It certainly on her end didn't encapsulate her feelings in total about everything that had happened regarding that thing, nor told fully how it had shaken her in ways yet to settle down fully within her, but at the same time she didn't quite mind that for the time being. Tiredness and a good cry and such had been enough to at least get her head back on her shoulders in general, and maybe if she could get some sleep in a proper bed it'd be something helpful. Not as soreness-inducing as her homemade shelter back there, though, if nothing else. But with how close she'd come to death it had been certainly an experience of sorts, one that based on 'adventurers' existing perhaps was not as rare as she wished it was. How did people around this world deal with such traumas and near-death experiences being so close to them all of the time? She had no clue, or perhaps there were a lot of retired adventurers or something, but she'd have to inquire later. Though speaking of that, she would have to inquire at the [b]Church of Iris[/b], just as Lucy had told her to do. Not that she would be able to today, as time was rapidly moving along enough as it was, but tomorrow would be better. Or at least before they left on whatever mission they had taken on, just in case anything could be worked out along the way. She was curious, if nothing else, and perhaps even a bit...hmmm...she couldn't imagine what the man back in the Mazy Hillocks had been through, but still wanted to help others regardless of his own spiritually-stuck situation. Perhaps both literally and metaphorically, for all she knew. The mage felt thankful that Fenna had waited on her, at least, though did somewhat feel bad about the matter of making the other woman wait a bit longer. At the same time, she would follow along quietly the rest of the way with her to the Mended Drum where the others had seemed to gravitate to as well. Yet aside from Joji's disappearance, which was of some concern, she was at least glad everyone else seemed to have gravitated back to a common location. Perhaps they could even find a room here? She had seen some people staying around in some rooms on the way up to talk to Lucy initially back at the Guild, if nothing else, but ultimately that wasn't her call to make alone. It in the end depended on how everyone else wanted to go about it really. MacKensie had seemingly gone off on her own still, but at this pooint the mage didn't mind it. She wasn't the Frenchwoman's boss or such, and her own wish of traveling together back to where the others were certianly wasn't the be all end all of things either. [quote=A Very Zell-ous Social Drinker]"Bartender, a drink for my comrade!" "Bartender, a drink for my comrade!"[/quote] As her and Fenna came into the Mended Drum, and came up to where the bar was proper, the telltale voice of the group's fighter. Drink? Certinaly not something she wanted to indulge in a bunch of, but certainly one or two mild enough ones wouldn't be the worst either. Keep it mild and simple, see how the spirits here were different or similar enough to those of their former home. Not that this last little factt wouldn't also take its time to sink in, really, but they had to keep moving or risk getting swept up in whatever mess they'd become entangled with due to the cube and Witch Queen and so forth. Also that stupid water ninja...ugh. Her next comment would be directed at the bartender as she sat down. [color=gold]"One small glass of something much lighter, if you have any, and a cup of fruit juice along with that as well if you've any."[/color] Well, she was at least consistently sounding a bit more tired now after all of that. But she figured a small taste of something and then some fruit juice to wash things down would at least be better than the alternative. Certinaly it was within what she felt was appropriate for herself at least. Sure she wasn't with her uncle, but she felt that his habits and ideas for drinking were at least good ones. Safe ones. Healthier ones. But that was simply her perspective on the matter, as it were. The bartender looked into her eyes for a moment, before giving a silent nod and grabbing her something as she plopped herself on a stool at the bar. Not too long after, a cup of dark blue-colored juice with hints of green appeared in front of her alongside a small shot-type glass of something that smelled like spirits. The former she certainly had a large cup of, and its smell was...curious. Like blueberries and mint had a baby, and as she took a first tiny sip of it she raised an eyebrow. The flavor was peuculiar, but nice. Like blueberries and blackberries had a baby, spiked it with a little mint, and then blurred the lines of what it was made from until it seemed a tiny bit citrus-y as well somehow. Somehow. Then came her attempt to shotgun the spirit she'd ordered, which true to form burned her mouth and on the way down. On the other hand, it seemed to have a pleasant deep and caramelized roasted nuttiness to them...and somewhat of a grape-like wine quality to them as well. It was reminiscent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, actually, but distantly so and with its own identity. Meanwhile, as the mage returned to her purely fruit juice drink, she could see MacKensie and Zell talking farther down sitting next to each other. It was certinaly something, but feeling somewhat bad about her prior sneakiness she opted to not listen in or try to get too close. Fenna likewise seemed to order some ale to carry back to her room, and Adam was nowhere to be seen either at the same time. Hmm. It made her feel a bit lonely, to be truthful, but the silence she found as her thoughts turned inward and she had put some though and reflection on the things she was drinking was also a bit welcome perhaps. A little bit nice, taking her mind off of some of the things she'd seen and been through. Even though the wound was gone in full, not a trace left, she felt an intrusive but phantom-like sensation in the area when she thought back on the incident of being stabbed and self-electrocuted. Ah. One of the downsides to having a memory that couldn't really forget things....sometimes even the sensations stuck with her. Yet it had been a rather fresh event in her life, and so she hoped in the coming days and beyond (depending on how things went for them all) that the memory could be helped along to fade even just a bit. Any less precision of that burning electrocution, and the swiftness and warmth and sting of her impalement, would be welcome perhaps. At the same time, she....she had....she had felt worse, right? At least not physically. An imploding family had been enough of a mess to live through as it was before this as it was. Yeah...that...that certianly was right, even if it only made her feel worse. [quote=Are You Sirius?][color=skyblue]"Hey guys do you have a second, I got a thing that requires the whole party's attention"[/color][/quote] Though just before she could raise her head to ask the bartender about what he'd given her in more detail, having lied her head down on the counter to rest it a bit after finishing her drinks, James seemed to pop in and beckon her over. In fact, it seemed he had gone about gathering them all up where he could to talk to them in one of the open rooms. It was enough to get the mage to curiously come along, though given he was the group leader it also made sense something like that might happen as well. But what could he need to tell them? ... ... ... ...Ah. Well that certainly was a relevant issue they had now. Not unless Zell wished to try what many teenaged or evne adult 'tanks' on MMO's couldn't seem to feasibly do in her experience. Not that she'd wish that on him or anyone else, frankly, but it was the first parallel she made in her mind after James finished filling them all in on things. Well, unless Joji came back. [quote=James "Gotta' Ketchum All" Sirius][color=skyblue]"So what do you guys think? I believe we could use another frontline fighter, but I would understand if some of you weren't happy involving more people"[/color][/quote] [quote=MacKensie, The Ever Trydant & True Friend][color=pink]"I think it would be wise to accept the help. An experienced warrior of the Church would be useful, especially for our next task. And, as an aside, we might risk unnecessarily offending the Church if we refuse."[/color][/quote] [quote=Not The Group Mom, But She Is A Mother Herself]"If he understands the risks and wants to join us, I have no objections," she said. "We have a gold contract waiting for us and we can probably use the help, especially if he is from here. We know too little about this world, I'd feel better having a native with us." She paused for a moment. "And I'm not in the contracts for the fame and glory, I'd be happy to share that with anyone who can help us, I just want to know what the message is that is waiting for us."[/quote] [quote=He Isn't Mar-selling Himself Short Here]"I mean, sure, why not?" he said. His arms were folded as he coolly leaned against the wall. "Not that me and Joji aren't more than enough to handle the job up front. We'll be fine now that we're stronger. But no sense in refusing an extra hand if it's offered. Bring the man aboard."[/quote] [color=gold]"I agree we need what help we can get as non-natives to this world, including in battle now so more than ever, and not offending the local clergy would be wise if we were to need help from them later. All in all, I also believe we should take on this new party member."[/color] Everyone made their own points she agreed with, or not in certain areas, but overall Lillianna felt that bringing on a new member was agreeable. Was it a risk if it was anyone who might react bad to them being from another world? Sure, but in such a case they had survived worse as long as this new person wasn't a water ninja secretly in disguise....he wasn't, was he? Eh, likely not unless he was 'that' good for some obtuse reason. What had even happened to him in the first place after all of the electrocution and such anyway? Whatever the case, the mage would find herself returning to her own room to rest after James had finished talking with them and getting a group opinion on the matter. In that vein, it seemed they would indeed be getting that new member for their party. It was nessecary, she felt, after they had lost two back in the Mazy Hillocks. Not that she...well....she wasn't trying to simplify deaths, but if they wanted to keep living they needed to be practical to a certain extent with accepting help and keeping an eye on things. Right? So in that sense she-...wait! She still needed to ask someone about what had happened back there after she'd starting electrocuting herself and the water ninja! Curses! She remembered, but other matters had been on her mind. Ugh. Perhaps later she'd get a chance, at least?