TaroAndSelia

Voicing Our Feelings

Hey-o! Sorry I've been quiet. Merry Christmas!

Worlds Apart

You know that feeling you get when you open the Guild and find you have a pile of notifications? Or even just one? I really like that feeling, so here: have that feeling.

✧ Talrae ✧ (LOOKING FOR CO-GM)

Morning

Dawn broke over the city once again.  The thin, gray strands of light gave way to pale, golden rays that filled all Genesis.  Sunlight bathed the hills and prairies, warmed the walls and buildings--and filtered through a set of half-open shutters to fall gently upon a pair of sleeping maidens.  Feeling the sun caressing her face, Alisea’s eyelids fluttered open in welcome.  Another new day began, and she was still alive to greet it.

Aster, too, was still alive.  This particular morning Alisea found her companion’s calves laid across her abdomen.  That proved much less of a challenge for the magess to extricate herself from than yesterday’s; quietly sliding toward the edge of the bed, Alisea moved out from under the swordswoman’s legs and stepped onto the floor.  ’That was remarkably easy.  Her skin is so smooth… Is that natural, or part of being in the game?’

The magess rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes, then stood and stretched.  The muscles in her shoulders groaned, reminding her of the work she had done the day prior.  Frowning at the annoyance, Alisea set to work loosening the muscles.  Before long she had started into a familiar routine of light exercises and stretches--a mini-workout she had worked out for basketball season.  Arms, legs, core, cardio--each set of muscles in turn flexed, extended, and relaxed.  After a few minutes she had a light sheen of sweat coating her body.

Aster awoke slowly, almost as though she were rising out of a pool of warm, soothing water: little by little, and with a reluctance that hinted at how comfortable the inn’s beds must be. Simulation or not, the warm covers made a cozy trap which she was loathe to escape. Rolling over a bit, she sat up, rubbing at her eyes blearily and realizing that she had once again managed to sprawl herself across the entire bed. Well, c’est la vie. Alisea seemed to have survived. In fact, she was apparently thriving; going through some exercises, presumably to loosen up for the upcoming dungeon. Aster tried not to stare, though it was an effort, given Alisea’s impressive posing and lightly-clothed form.

“Heya, Alisea. ‘Morning.” She slid out of the covers reluctantly, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing at her eyes. “Ugh. Why did I agree to wake up so early? This is supposed to be a game. Survival or no, I should get another couple hours.” She realized she was rambling to herself, and looked back to Alisea, this time less surreptitiously. “I’ll… uh… go get us some breakfast. Do you want anything?”

”No, thank you.  I plan to grab something with Reylan when we drop off the Guild Registration papers.”

“Alright. I’ll be back in a little, then. I think I saw that they had a scone on the menu, that sounds pretty good.” She started out the door, eyes still adjusting a bit to being awake. Behind her, the magess broke off her workout, but the reaction was too late; Aster had the door open.  As she stepped into the hallway, she realized that she felt a bit cold. Her feet, particularly. Looking down, she warmed up almost instantly with embarrassment as she realized she had failed to re-equip her shoes and clothing. It was a strange step to matter in a game. In most video games, sleeping in armor was normal. As it was a bit uncomfortable here, off it came, at least for sleep. Hmm. She’d have to invest in some pajamas at some point.

With a few hurried taps at her menu, and after ducking back into her room, she equipped her clothes and, as an added measure, her armor, as some sort of over-compensation.

The bar was a bit busier than Aster had expected, but even so, she managed to purchase some mediocre peppermint tea, and a warm scone, as well as some additional provisions in the form of dried meats and biscuits. It set her back a whopping 60 renn, but it would make her much more comfortable in the coming dungeon.  She turned to head back to the room, but stopped.

Walking out the door were Reylan and Alisea.  Again she had arrested his arm, holding onto it as they left. Aster was once again a bit confused, but didn’t want to address it either way. Best to leave things be.

Journey

Thoughts were racing around Alisea’s head faster than horses around a derby track.  Reylan asked her to act as his Vice-Commander; that would mean responsibility to the party, to the Guild.  She was no stranger to it, but did she want that?  She might have to stop teasing Reylan--not because she thought it improper, but because she suspected certain new members actually thought she was serious.

Then there was the portrait Reylan had drawn.  If it was anything like what he had shown Alisea at breakfast, it had to be stunning.  Aster had certainly been impressed when he showed her last night.  And she had seemed really happy with it, too.  The magess really wanted to ask about it.

Dub and Karma were both still here.  That was good; Reylan would be happy.  They were never close to each other, but they were both still in the party.  Hopefully there wouldn’t be any more incidents--so long as Dub didn’t claim he was an elf, he couldn’t have any lies bigger than last time that would surface.  Then Karma wouldn’t have a reason to open his mouth.

Of course Alisea couldn’t leave out thoughts on the new party members.  Paralyze and his friend (she needed to quietly ask Reylan for his name) looked to be front-line fighters.  The protection was a good thing; yet the magess felt a little disappointment that now it would be less likely for a wolf to break through that she could engage.  The final arrival was Chari.  A girl.  That was a tremendous relief.  Better yet, she was a rogue; and Alisea could see in her demeanor the same playfulness that had first drawn the magess to Fyaira.

For now, Alisea was walking with Aster.  ”Can I see it?” Alisea asked suddenly, without giving the swordswoman the slightest bit of context.

The lack of context caught Aster off guard, and she mentally scrolled through her inventory. What did she have that was of interest? Her sword, her dagger and blindfold from the chest, and… Oh.

“Sure, no problem.” She glanced at Reylan momentarily, before pulling up the painting he had done of her, pulling it into being out of her inventory, right in front of her. The painting was quite large, and she carefully caught it as it fell from midair. “Here it is. This is what you meant, right?” What else could she mean?

”Yeah.”  Alisea didn’t take it from Aster’s hands; rather, the magess pressed up against Aster, even wrapping an arm around her back, so they could look at it side by side.  The magess was stunned.  The work was beautiful, the likeness remarkable.  Most of all, though--the feature that immediately captivated her attention--was Aster’s face.

”The eyes,” she amended aloud.  ”The way he drew your eyes… is perfect.”

Aster blushed, though the painting was not her own work. She scolded herself for the involuntary action, which was becoming almost reflexive. “Ah… well, thank you. Reylan did an excellent job, though I think he may have embellished me a bit. My hair never behaves that well…” She tried to keep up a serious face, but a giggle slipped out, and she shook her head at the weak critique she had afforded. “I never thought I would find myself laughing before risking my life. I guess having friends agrees with me.” She looked up at both, and cheerily asked “Shall we see about clearing a dungeon?”

Alisea couldn’t deny it in the slightest, nor would she want to:  Aster’s expression was surpassingly cute.  Though the magess had brought up the question for another reason--in addition to seeing the portrait (she really had been intensely curious)--seeing her friend look so happy, Alisea let it go for now.  She cast a quick glance over at Reylan, then back to Aster, and finally just smiled contentedly.  ”Yes.  We shall!”

Health: 400/400
Mana: 1250/1600

Level 2 Mage

Attributes
Strength: 2
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 18

Skills:
Acupuncture: 4
Linguistics: 14
Smithing: 9
Unarmed Combat: 30

Equipment:
Cloth Armor
Cloak
Air-Walker’s Sandals - Grants user the ability to take up to 5 steps in the air.
Clothes (Cheap)
Wooden Talisman

---

Entering the dungeon once more, Alisea could feel that short moment of shifting.  It wasn’t spectacular, but it was enough to alert a player she had entered an instance dungeon.  And by all rights it should have been the same dungeon they had gone into before.  In most respects it was; but the most important one, the one growling at the party right now, was vastly different.  There were, not three, but six hill wolves staring them down, with a white wolf at their center.

Alisea’s mind raced.  I need to contain that white wolf.  Freeze.  Reylan is a good leader.  Why so many?  I should burn what I can; the fire would undo the ice.  Is it because our levels went up?  No, that would be ridiculous.  There would be no point in making multiple dungeons if every one scaled with your level.  Then why?  Because the party is larger?  That is certainly possible.  But it would mean larger groups do not inherently make dungeon runs easier.  If anything, the additional players will make this harder.  Then the rewards will be greater?  Otherwise there was no purpose in gathering a party.’

An Icicle Shot against the White Wolf.  A Fire Strike against Wolf 4 to give Dirk some support.  Then a crazy idea crossed Alisea’s mind.  ”Chari!  Heads up; I will bring the wolf to you!”  And calling upon the Darkness magic she had learned, she did exactly that; reaching out with a Nether Pull, Alisea yanked the large lupine off its balance, past the frontline fighters occupied with the smaller wolves, and within a dozen paces of herself--in prime position for a lightly armored brawler to begin dissecting it.  Not to mention easy range for more casting, starting with a Frostbite.

Now if Dubstepp would stop wasting his mana on something he should have done before coming here, they might be able to capture this beast.

---

Summary:
Icicle Shot (Int 18) on White Wolf
Fire Strike (Int 18) on Hill Wolf 4
Nether Pull (Int 18) on White Wolf
Frost Bite (Int 18) on White Wolf

✧ Talrae ✧ (LOOKING FOR CO-GM)

Aster. Paralyze. Polak. Alisea took up Reylan's pen and signed her own name to the document, bringing the count up to four. Only two more people needed to sign for it to be official--although, having everyone sign now would minimize the paperwork to be done later. "That makes four, but... Reylan, might you be forgetting something?" Alisea tapped the top of the page, just above Aster's signature. "You need to sign it, too," she answered for him, offering a smile and the return of his pen and form.

Her task completed, Alisea was ready to sleep. She slid her chair back and slowly stood. "Everyone should pass through here sometime tonight," she began, casting her eyes around the inn. She caught sight of Dirk easily, only a table away and happily feasting on his umpteenth Shepherd's Pie. A small glimpse of a large, furry back tucked into one of the booths gave the magess a start inwardly, but she kept her smile in place. "Everyone," she reemphasized, pointing Reylan's attention to the partial silhouette of Totoro. "And so I leave you to your first task as Guildmaster of the Legion of the Wolf: collect the members' signatures, and in the morning I will accompany you to submit the paperwork. Goodnight!"

Alisea waved a goodbye to those gathered at the table as she walked away. Passing Dirk's table, she offered him a wave and a quiet, "Goodnight, Dirk!" as well. Dubstepp's booth... was opposite her exit, so she wouldn't be able to pass by it. He likely wanted privacy, anyway--nothing he had done so far could be called 'social behavior.' The magess left the dining hall, climbed the stair, entered her room, closed the door quietly behind her, and collapsed into the bed.

Finally out of the public eye, Alisea groaned into the pillow. 'This is the sorest my arms have been since freshman season.' It would be a relief to go back to fighting monsters, the magess decided. Her mind repeated that ludicrous thought back to her. After a moment, Alisea broke into a fit of giggles.

Fighting to bring her mirth back under control, Alisea forced her arms to do just a little more. Opening her menu, she removed her armor and cloak, her sandals and her simple clothes. Clothes--she had forgotten to wait for Karma. Sliding under the covers, Alisea rolled onto her stomach and navigated to the friend menu. A short time later, she sent off her apology.

PM to Karma

Sorry, Karma! I already retired for the night. If you would mimic the starter clothes, that will be fine; I just want a fresh change. As much as I would like a long skirt, that would make movement in combat too difficult. Thank you again!
- Alisea

After a moment's contemplation, Alisea started working on another private message.

PM to Fyaira

How are you fairing? Is Jack alright?

After some minutes, Alisea received an alert that she had a reply.

PM from Fyaira

I'm good; he's alive. I was amazed; it took three days before he really accepted they were keeping us trapped here. He keeps saying the whole 'death game' part is impossible, though. I feel like I'm trying to tell a kid Santa isn't real. The guy can still shoot a mug at twenty paces, though.

Alisea laughed quietly. She spent some time like that, trading messages back and forth. At the back of her mind, she wondered when Aster would come. Probably not soon; this was early for bed even by Alisea's standard. If she didn't come soon, though, Alisea wouldn't be able to ask about that picture Reylan made for her. She was curious: what would the archer have painted for the swordswoman? More importantly, why?

With those thoughts floating through her mind, Alisea slipped off into dreamland.

_{@Ithradine@demonspade64}

✧ Talrae ✧ (LOOKING FOR CO-GM)

"Um..would you mind releasing my arm?" the pinned archer politely requested. At first Alisea wasn't going to. She could see the color gathering into his cheeks. She was close enough she could even feel the small rise in his body heat as his heart began working overtime.

Then Aster stepped around the corner and took a seat. The swordswoman kept her head bowed and her speech meek--much as she did the first time Alisea had seen her in this inn, on their first night in this world. Something, though, was off. Alisea's focus remained on the swordswoman, only half-listening to Paralyze speak. She barely noticed she still had ahold of Reylan's arm, so rapt was her attention. Finally a flash of understanding lit up in Alisea's eyes: Aster's muscles were tensed. When that realization struck Alisea--and it certainly did strike, seeming to come from somewhere outside and push in--the magess released Reylan's arm.

That would likely help Aster feel more comfortable--but on the other hand, Reylan wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Maybe if Aster were to help, the magess contemplated. She could take his right arm, Alisea would grab his left... The magess considered sending her friend a private message suggesting just that. Ultimately, though, she decided against it. For the present she would let things lie; but tomorrow positively shimmered with possibility.

Slipping back into the conversation, Alisea agreed with Aster on which topic was priority. "I am ready to sign as well. I hope everyone else feels the same." Privately, the girl admitted her doubts that a particular someone wanted to be in a guild; but being vocally pessimistic could cause nothing but harm. If Reylan was the type to still be worrying about Kajin and Aura--enough so to dedicate a dungeon raid to their brief memory--losing another teammate would hurt him. That Alisea couldn't allow. Even if Dubstepp didn't want to join the guild, he would be coming for the next dungeon raid.

And he would use his abilities as a trainer to tame one of those wolves.

"So, Reylan? What is the name of our guild to be?"

✧ Talrae ✧ (LOOKING FOR CO-GM)

Hider

Reylan practically jumped in his seat at the sound of his name being called by Alisea no less. The words she spoke next put him even more on edge, was she here to claim the debt? "O-oh Alisea..ha..ha. What do you need?" Anxious as he was, he forgot to close the book on the sketch he was working on. A simple, yet intricate drawing of a flower they passed on the way back from the dungeon. Relief settled his tense posture, as he smiled "Yeah it's my highest besides bow-wielding." He stated casually, no longer high-strung. Reylan received the ring in his right hand, and picked it up with his left examining it as she spoke "That's a great idea! I should be able to do something with them no problem!" It seemed pretty cool to him to have rings for all the original members.

"Great! Thank you." Flicking through her menu, Alisea sent the nine rings to Reylan. "So? Is everything ready for us to be a guild?" she continued.

"You're welcome!" He accepted the rings through his menu and closed it "I got the treaty earlier today, all that is left is for everyone to sign it. I met two people last night who said they'd be interested as well." Reylan spoke with a bit of pride.

"Let me see," Alisea insisted. As soon as the paper materialized in his hand Alisea snagged it and started reading. After some moments her smile turned down into a frown. "This looks no different from the system's rules. Did you not add anything about finances and taxes? Or participation in raids and wars?" the magess queried.

Reylan sighed somberly as he recalled all the information given to him about guilds "This is simply to authorize our guild. If we want to go to war with another guild, both guild-masters gotta sign a treaty agreeing to it. As for finances and taxes...well since we don't own buildings yet we don't have to worry about them really." That was the short version at least

"No, I mean-" Alisea began. She stopped herself, looking at his expression. This... might be awhile.

A commotion near the front drew their attention momentarily. Alisea couldn't make out much, but Dirk appeared to be at the center of it in a big way. A big, frightening way. Alisea felt a small chill race down her spine even where she was, though it passed immediately. Whatever he had just done, it was apparent she was not the target. Nor was anyone else she could see from there; and after a moment of stunned silence a small cheer began for the warrior who had saved the day. Most were hesitant to take it up, but one of the waitresses near the front gave it so much enthusiasm everybody around her was pulled in.

Making a mental note to ask Dirk what that was about later, the magess turned back to Reylan. "Reylan, part of being a guild means not acting only as individuals. It is people who pool their resources--their money, their skills, their knowledge, their time--to achieve the most possible. The question you need to ask yourself is, how will we handle all that? For example, renn. Will you give everybody an equal share after a raid to do with as they will? Will you give us all assignments--items and skills to buy and train for an upcoming raid, say--and then let the remainder be ours to use? Or will you keep all the renn in a Guild account and assign it need by need?"

Just watching the archer's face, Alisea could see the stress her words were creating. She sighed quietly, then gave him a small smile. She stared into his eyes, those curious, silver eyes that were still so full of warmth, and spoke a soothing reassurance. "It is something to think about, but not to worry about now. We want to be a guild because we are comrades. And," she added, lowering her voice to a private whisper, "it is because you don't worry about those things that we all trust you as a leader." Because he was thinking about them and keeping everyone safe, not about lootshares and requirements.

He looked up at Alisea after hearing her sigh, was she disappointed in him? Instead of disappointment, she tried to soothe his worries. He felt the need to answer her whispered words "I want to keep earning that trust," was his confident, quiet reply. Beyond glory, beyond renn, and beyond himself...the people he was to lead through this mess were his top priority.

Paralyze's arrival marked the end of that discussion for the present. His words marked the start of a new slough of jests to be used. The 'Missus' turned to the marauder and accepted his hand with a single, firm shake and a warm smile. "Not at all, Paralyze. Welcome." Alisea scooted her seat closer to Reylan's, giving Paralyze plenty of space to pull up a chair of his own. Almost like it was rehearsed, yet another individual--an acquaintance of the tall, dark stranger--entered the fray. With such an audience, Alisea certainly wouldn't miss her lines in this play.

Motioning for both men to take a seat, the magess smiled cheerfully and shifted ever closer to Reylan. By now she was only inches away from his side. "My name is Alisea; a pleasure to meet you. Has my dear Mister here flattered you into joining our adventure?" she inquired, leaning into the archer and grabbing onto his arm.

_{@Scarescrow@mopsock17}

Voicing Our Feelings

All names delivered in traditional Japanese fashion: surname followed by given name.

Voicing Our Feelings

Shimizu Ryuunosuke (清水  隆之介)

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Nakazawa Asuka (中澤  明日香)

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Kobayashi Shiori (小林  詩織)