Calls to Anolia: A Decentralized Yuri/Adventure

[envogue]

"Very well." Jun replied. She didn't really know why Chryseis thought going into the forest specifically was a good idea, but it wasn't as though she had a better one. They would make their way into the forest and be off on their way. Jun had to admit that this place was rather pretty; a perfectly natural environment of green trees and greener grass. The more she thought about it, the more she figured it probably wasn't somewhere on earth. The earth she knew had become more and more of a polluted cesspool, especially when the war began and no one had time to worry about conservation. She was also fairly certain none of the few parks or reserves that still existed were this large. Perhaps this was another planet? Or were they in a different dimension or something? She could hardly answer these questions herself.

Her thoughts and the pair's trek into the forest were rather quickly interrupted by a rather grisly scene. A pair of dead creatures lay on the ground before them. There was a copious amount of blood, and the wounds of the creatures were still oozing. It was enough to make Jun feel quite ill. She hoped that Chryseis had a strong stomach, else the scene might get even messier. "I'm going to check this out. You can too if you're up for it." Jun wouldn't mind if Chryseis would rather stand back, as it was a disgusting sight, and it smelt awful too. But Jun felt some compulsion to look closer at the creatures. The one that caught her eye the most, strangely enough, was the one most familiar to her. It was a wolf, an animal that anyone from earth could probably pick out at a glance. It was strangely comforting to see something she could recognise, even if it was bringing her close to retching as the same time. The other creature was something bizarre. A deformed humanoid of some kind. If this really was a different planet, maybe this thing was a native?

She assumed from the wounds on the creatures that they had killed each other. The humanoid had a savage wound on it's side, which was riddled with tooth marks. Jun was no professional, but she could guess the wolf had seen to that. The wolf had a single, small wound on it's belly. The humanoid creature was clutching a knife in it's hand, which was probably the cause of the wound. Then a strange thought came to Jun. She decided to pluck the fangs and largest claws from the wolf's body. It was surprisingly easy, as Jun had expected it to be harder to tear things off an animal with one's bare hands. Placing the appendages between her knuckles, she made a very crude claw-like weapon. It was odd; in Jun's head, she thought the logical thing would be to take the knife off the other creature, and yet she felt instinctively drawn to the idea of having a claw weapon instead.

Having finished pouring over the two creatures, Jun turned to Chryseis. "You alright?" She asked. Hopefully, she wouldn't have been too disturbed by this encounter and they could simply be on their way.

Chryseis was thankful that Jun easily accepted her suggestion to explore the nearby forests. She had no real sense of direction, and often relied on the stars to show her the way when she was feeling lost. The forest was sure to be bountiful in herbs and berries as well, and Chryseis really didn't see a downside to abandoning the grassy planes in favor of the lush vegetation. She strayed behind Jun just a bit, harvesting berries of every color, and kneeling down to collect herbs hidden along the roots of trees and bushes. There were mushrooms too, but Chryseis wasn't quite ready to test her luck with those.

The small satchel that Chryseis used to carry her herbs and berries in was starting to look like a large potato. She pulled the drawstring to a close and secured it on her hip, quickening her pace to catch up with her companion, who was about several feet ahead of her. Chryseis noticed the air around them darkening, and she couldn't help but to glance at Jun for answers, to see if she had also noticed the shift too.

The source revealed itself almost immediately, but it was worse than she had imagined. Chryseis wasn't too weak to the grizzly sight of the creatures bodies, but her stomach was churning from the offensive scent. She used her shawl to cover the lower half of her face, which helped tremendously in filtering it out. "No, I'll just stay put. Any closer and my berries will spoil," Chryseis said, voice muffled. Her gaze followed Jun's movements, and she wondered what the other woman was hoping to find in this mess. She couldn't see anything more than a few pelts and hides for use, but as Jun began to tear at the wolf, things became much clearer to Chryseis. Her partner was craftier than she had imagined.

"I'm just fine, Jun. Thankfully we arrived after the bloodshed, these bodies are still fresh," she said. Her eyes narrowed to reveal the smile hidden by her shawl, but that soon changed to alarm as she caught movement in the brush behind Jun. A low growling soon followed, and Chyrseis could make out six pairs of red eyes glaring back at them. Of course, a wolf was never truly alone, and Chryseis should have taken that single wolf as a sign. "J-Jun," Chryseis said in a hushed voice, hoping to alert her partner if she wasn't already aware.

Chryseis slowly reached one leg back, her foot landing on a weak branch. With her graceful, light steps, it hardly made a noise, but it was enough to cause the wolves to come out of hiding. With their fangs bared, they approached the two women. There was no doubt in Chryseis mind that the wolves viewed them as enemies, but what were they supposed to do now? Her golden eyes flickered to the satchel attached to her hip, and an idea popped into her mind. Loosening the draw string just a bit, Chryseis gathered a small handful of berries and threw them in the wolves direction. Some of the berries hit the wolves in the face, others flew past them, drawing their attention if only for a few seconds.

 

[Saito Hajime]

As Jun took notice of the approaching wolves, she raised her fists instinctively. She hadn't thought that the wolf's pack would return here. Was this just bad luck? Or perhaps they had come to find their lost member? The truth of the matter was irrelevant; these creatures were out for blood. Jun was armed now, but that didn't fill her with confidence when facing down a whole pack of wolves. She had dabbled in martial arts before, but she was no fighter, and she couldn't help but feel that this might be it.

Suddenly, it seemed that her companion had taken it upon herself to act first. All she had done was throw a few measly berries at the wolves, but it certainly got their attention. Jun took the opportunity to attack. She leaped forward and slammed one of her makeshift claws directly into the nearest wolf's neck. Without hesitating, she swung her arm around, with the wolf still impaled on her claw, and hurled the corpse into the midst of the wolf pack. That took a number of them off their feet, but Jun found herself swiftly assailed by another wolf from the side. She managed to block it's assault with one arm, and stab it in the gut with the other. As she pushed it loose of her claw, two of the wolves recovered from her initial strike and leaped on her. They brought her to the ground, but before they could bite, Jun brought her hands together and slammed the two wolves into each other, stunning them. She then took the opportunity to finish them off quickly. Then, yet another wolf attacked her from behind, having circled around as the others made their assault. It fastened it's jaw on her leg, causing Jun to cry out. She reached around and grabbed the wolf by it's head, and wrenched it off her leg before piercing it's neck with one of her claws.

It was at that point Jun finally had a moment to breathe. But she soon realised there was one wolf left. However, when she looked around to find it, she saw it dragging it's back leg, trying it's hardest to advance on Chryseis. She assumed it had been injured more severely than the rest when she threw that one wolf on top of them. It wasn't moving fast enough to be a threat, so Jun simply casually walked up to it and put it to rest. The battle was over, and it seemed they had emerged just fine, except for at least one injury on Jun's part. It hurt, but she could walk on it fine for now. "Did you get hurt?" Jun asked. She thought it was unlikely, since she had thought most of them on her own, but she hardly had time to keep an eye on what was happening to Chryseis the whole time. "We should probably move somewhere else." She stated, as while these wolves were dead, who knew if there might be more out there. If nothing else, she didn't want to sit around near these corpses any more than any sane human would.

 

[☆Luna☆]

Wall-o-text

[BCOLOR=transparent]Strawberry. Strawberry. Strawberry. Vibrant thoughts circle Valerie consciousness. She dashes towards the open space, further breaking the skin and opening her gashes, leaving a brilliant trail of blood on the grass. So long as she finds another person, it would be worth it. However, she begins to consider what else it might have been. If it were some forest creature, might it be dangerous? Valerie slows down. She starts to amble again. The river comes into sight. Just a short distance away, she sees more than what she wished for. Two humans. Embracing, no less. Valerie smiles. Something about the scene is comforting. Not only are they people but they are also empathic to some degree. She doesn't dare interrupt them. Some part of her longs for similar contact. She sits at the base of the tree, behind some foliage. She holds her hands together and wishes for a peach. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Peach. Peach. Peach. A little while passes. Valerie holds her fuzzy fruit. Perhaps she could offer it to them. She huffs and stands up. The two have parted from their embrace. She thinks to call out, but can not find the words. Instead, she saunters towards them, holding the peach out as a sort of peace offering. A peach offering, if you will.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]B[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]link paused her interactions with Matsuri for a moment. Another heartbeat? This one felt… mellow. Mellow, but distressed, in a way. Turning, Blink was greeted with the sight of another woman. Long, golden-blonde hair, a tanned complexion, with emerald-green eyes. With a peach. As much as Blink loved peaches, what caught Blink's attention moreso was the fact that the girl was bleeding - quite badly, at that. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh… [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]shiiit.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]" Blink muttered with worry. Uh oh… she didn't know first aid! The only time she'd used first aid was back in her past life, when she'd cut her finger with a razor when shaving, and literally made a bandage from toilet paper.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yo, you… you need help there?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink asked with concern, wondering why she was holding out a peach. Or where she got a peach. Blink loved peaches and all, but she couldn't let that distract her right now.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri, curious to see what evoked a reaction out of Blink, is surprised to see that there was another person around. Whoever they were, they seemed a bit off kilter to Matsuri. She is presenting a peach as if that were a substitute for a greeting. You wouldn't think that such a gesture would be intimidating, but generally speaking things that move unrelenting despite bleeding and don't talk are dangerous or confused. Blink seemed concerned for the girl, but Matsuri kept her guard up, making sure that this person wasn't some wacko.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie, "H-hello.. I just woke up. Would you like a peach?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She'd completely forgotten her feet were bleeding. She continues to inch forward, hoping she wasn't imparting an intimidating impression. She used to get that often, before this world came to be. 'Valerie. Why do you look angry?' 'Valerie. You should smile more.' 'Strawberry. Did someone look at you the wrong way?' At this distance, she gets a much better view of the two. They are pretty people, she thinks. She'd forgotten what people looked like. They had to be pretty, right? Or, is it just that they look attractive since she hasn't seen a human in what feels like a very long time? She isn't sure what to say, probably since she's a little surprised that she found people in what seems like the middle of nowhere. The blood from her feet had wiped against the tip of her long mud-caked hair. Her clothes are soiled with marks of dirt and fruit. Nonetheless, she smiles warmly.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Just woke up…?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink mumbled to herself. Did that mean she… was like her? Freshly spawned in some crazy, but admittedly quite beautiful world. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]So perhaps Blink wasn't the only one going through the confusion right now… although that was a mild relief, it still didn't really dull her concern for the dirt-ridden and bloody girl. Matsuri was on her guard… which was understandable. It wasn't really a normal event for somebody to come and offer you a peach. Regardless, she didn't seem armed… [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Uhm… I'm good, thanks?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink replied with a nervous grin in regard to the girl's offer for a peach. In the state she was in, she shouldn't be the one offering. Perhaps this woman was naturally generous at heart. Or just plain crazy. ...Or both.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"What… happened to you? You don't look so good."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink asked nervously. She really hoped she wasn't crazy… newly-female or not, Blink really didn't want to end up fighting a girl. Blink swallowed, before seeing what the curious Matsuri would do. Perhaps this was just going to be a repeat of what happened earlier again… heh.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]While initially cautious, Matsuri had received a lesson in what being overly cautious can let happen. Although the girl certainly did no favors to make herself seem more credible, if she ignores the injuries in front of her, this girl will certainly die from infection, or worse, because she cannot outrun the wolves. Since she was the only one in the group who was familiar with the practice, she began to conjure spider silk. Matsuri observed that Kagami used it earlier to help out a girl who was attacked by a wolf earlier. Spider silk summoned by conjuring is perfectly clean and absorbent, making it excellent for cleaning wounds and preventing further bleeding. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie isn't so sure what Blink meant initially. Did she look angry? Valerie, seemingly concerned,[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "Oh. I'm not angry." It strikes her then, however. She looks down at her own body. The pain starts to come through and she begins to wake up. "Oh." She thinks long and hard. Words are hard, especially after her few past days. She still feels groggy, as though she'd just woken up from a long nap, despite having woken up a couple of days ago. "I've been stuck in the forest for a… long time, I guess. I'm sorry that I'm being weird. I forgot what people look like. Is that… weird?" She sits down where she was standing. Tears well up in her eyes as the pain continues to sting. Whereas her body felt numb before, as though she'd taken an analgesic, now that she has left the shade of the forest, her body seems to be more receptive to itself. She begins to notice the mud caked in her hair and the poor condition of her clothing. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink had no idea what Matsuri was doing, or how she was doing it, but she to ignore that for now. The injured woman was clearly in pain… Blink could sense the distress in her heartbeat, and it wasn't comfortable to listen to at all; she didn't know first aid, but she wasn't gonna just stand here and look at her like a foreign object. Hurrying over, Blink offered a hand to help her to her feet.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink whispered, gesturing to the flowing, crystal-clear water behind her. Blink paused. "And… don't worry about being weird in a place like this. You're just a lil' mucky, that's all." Blink said with a playful smile.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri was uncertain exactly what circumstances Valerie was in, but the longer she watched her in pain, the more uncertain she began to feel about her being someone worthy of fear. Especially in watching how Blink handled her. That being said, she wasn't sure of the wisdom of helping someone up after they collapse after claiming that they been stuck in the forest for a very long time without seeing the face of another person. Besides, those sores on her feet look painful enough exposed to the open air, much less making her stand on them again. Truthfully, what she needs is someone who can actually heal her, but with nobody like that around, what was one to do? Regardless, Matsuri knew she had to say something, Somewhat assertively, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"She needs to take it easy. We can clean her from here. I need to bandage her with this. I need time. Can you clean her?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie watches the two graciously concern themselves with her. She covers her mouth with her hand, ashamed. Her senses have come back to her.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "You don't need to do that. I'll be okay. All I wanted was to see people." With that, she starts to sob. She wipes her eyes with her arm. "How indignant. Everything is just so confusing." She feels a great temptation to bite into her peach, but that would be odd, she assumes, especially considering the impression she has already imparted onto these strangers. She tosses the peach aside. Some part of her feels guilty for wasting food but it is much less impactful since she could conjure some with ease. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink bit her lip, before nodding in reply to Matsuri. Reaching over the autumn-yellow clusters of foliage, Blink took scoops of water, before running it through the poor girl's hair. When she started to sob, Blink's heart somewhat sank a little in her chest. Oh… she'd been alone in this world for a while, a burden Blink couldn't even imagine how she'd deal with. She'd probably end up dead or crazy after the first day. Rubbing the woman's shoulder as soothingly as she could manage, Blink wiped away the dried stains of dirt from her hair, revealing a layer of rich, golden-blonde behind that.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Confused[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]… I know that feel." Blink said quietly as she continued to gently wash the girl's hair, despite her polite objection. Should she spill the fact that she used to be a dude here? N-no… not yet.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Can you remember your name?" [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Name? Name. My name. My name is… My name is Valerie… Chords… Valerie Chords? Yes. Valerie Chords."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hehe, you sure?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink playfully said, before doing one of her unusual quirks where she literally said internet abbreviations. "Jk. I'm Blink, and she's Matsuri." Blink took another handful of water, beginning to scrub the filth from Valerie's arm. Blink was starting to feel… herself, again. Although her body was something she was never going to get used to, she could feel her personality coming back. And it was most likely the presence of other people… if she'd been alone, then… as she'd thought previously, who knows.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri gives a much more stern reaction to Valerie. Although she was obviously confused, Matsuri was concerned that Valerie was declining help when realistically she is very lucky that she was found before nightfall. If she'd been attacked by a wolf, or worst, she'd have no way to defend herself. And watching her toss away the peach, Matsuri comes to the conclusion that Valerie has been far more concerned with pleasing us than her own survival, which was a genuinely scary thought for Matsuri, one she couldn't take lightly. However, she'd keep it nice for now, since Valerie doesn't need anything to aggravate her, "Even if you say things like that, what kinds of people would it make us to watch you continue to suffer." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri's smile is gone, restored back to that neutral look of a slight frown, conveying neither anger nor sadness, nor anything at all. Matsuri had been conjuring for the entire time, waiting for the mud and grime caked over her wounds to be cleansed so that she could properly bandage them.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie nods.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "I'm not thinking straight right now." She pauses for several moments before looking up to Matsuri. "Please help me." She doesn't want to die now - not after she'd walked so long to leave the forest. There's a sharp disconnect between herself and Matsuri, she feels. It bothers her internally. Blink's attention helps a lot to stabilize Valerie. She feels like an utter wreck. There was something about the forest that clouded her senses. Perhaps a repressed memory or some magical effect of the forest. She scoots closer to the water and starts to clean herself off. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"...[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Missed a bit.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]" Blink pointed out. Dipping her finger in the water, Blink poked Valerie's nose with a smile, brushing away the speck of dirt in an attempt to cheer her up, or calm her down, at the very least. Getting this close to Valerie's face caused an instant blush to Blink's cheeks. Ah… was everybody in this world stunningly beautiful now, or was this just a coincidence? It was like whoever designed them watched too much anime or something. Not that Blink was complaining if that was the case. She still had the mind of a heterosexual dude, after all.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Stepping back a little, Blink couldn't help but wonder how the hell Matsuri was doing what she was doing. Blue eyes watching curiously, Blink wasn't sure what to say. Magic? Was… magic… a thing here, too? Curious to see if she had such powers, Blink deeply thought about bandages, outstretching her hands as she concentrated hard on the object. But, nothing happened. And now she'd made herself look stupid.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink could hear Valerie's heartbeat intensifying somewhat; she was starting to calm down a little, although she was still scared. Doing her best to rub away any spots Valerie missed, she was starting to look clean once again. Although her wounds were still kinda bad… best Blink could do here was step back, and let Matsuri do her thing.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"You… um… need help with those?[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]" Blink asked quietly nonetheless, not wanting to sit back and do nothing. Although it was truly mesmerizing how Matsu had managed to created the silky strands from absolute nothingness.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri felt a sudden twinge at her emotional side. Although it sounded like she had given up on herself before, maybe she felt differently after what she had said. This is the first time someone had earnestly been asked for help, and it felt sort of nice. Matsuri didn't quite smile, but she wasn't frowning either, and had the aura of curiosity about her. "I'll do my best."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Turning to face Blink, Matsuri does however turn to a true, though not particularly vibrant smile. She had seen before that she was trying to use conjuring just through mimicry, and that made Matsuri feel a sense of jubilation within that she could never express properly on the outside. Just the way that she tries to make everyone have a good time, something about it seems nice. Though, Matsuri also started to realize that once they've taken care of Valerie, she'll probably be added to their party. Right now, Matsuri doesn't really know her, and she had an odd distaste of her at first. But looking at her as she is now, she clearly doesn't seem quite herself. Just after being cleaned off, she already looks much more approachable. Matsuri thinks to herself about how appearance can really influence her. It doesn't take her long however to realize she has enough spider silk, and stops conjuring more. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink, as usual, seems ready to find some way to be useful, so Matsuri grabs the silk midway, and tears it in half. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"She has two feet right? You can do one." Matsuri blushes, knowing she said something pretty embarrassing.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie's somber mood seems to break when Blink makes a playful bout at her. She turns to Blink and looks at her for a few seconds before breaking into a soft giggle. She gives Blink a toothy smile as she starts to drag herself away from the water. She pulls herself up, standing on the edges of her feet as to not further irritate the sores and gashes. She walks into the river. The water is only a couple feet deep. She sits down and pulls a large part of her hair to her side. She dips her hair into the water and, with her hands, scrubs out the filth. She, then, dips her head into the water, lets the water sink in, then pulls back up. She stands up and starts to wade back towards the other ladies. Matsuri finishes conjuring what looks like cotton. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh. I can do that with fruits." She sits down in a different spot from before as to not sit on the filth that had been picked from her body. Her feet still hurt but she acclimated to the pain already. She lifts her feet off the ground, ready to be bandaged. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink couldn't help but blush profoundly as she watched Valerie wash herself off. Oh, wow… as she'd expected, there was somebody really quite beautiful underneath the layer of muck. She wasn't sure how to describe it, but she had a pure, natural beauty to her. Although Blink did her best not to make it obvious she was staring. She was technically a girl now that she was in this body, and most girls preferred guys. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Closing her eyes, Blink gave a quiet, happy hum as she heard Valerie's heartbeat start to return to a normal pace, beating in time almost to Matsuri's and her own. Everything seemed calm once more.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]When Blink heard what Matsuri said, she couldn't help but break into a little bout of laughter, before gently taking the bundle of freshly-created pure white silk. Reaching over to Valerie's outstretched left foot, Blink smiled to herself gently as she did her best to bandage the red cuts on the foot. Although, Blink's work would no doubt be a quite a bit more makeshift than Matsuri's.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Good as new, right?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri found herself in the strange position of both not wanting to talk more than she had to, while simultaneously being the only one who could possibly explain everything. Maybe Anolia is the type who'd want to drag someone like Matsuri out of her shell… Even still, it wasn't like she was having a horrible time. Matsuri gives Blink the other strand, and both get to work on the bandaging. While one would reasonably expect Matsuri to be good at this since she knew to summon the spider silk, the rest was hard to replicate with pure mimicry. While bandaging Valerie, she comments on her fruit conjuring, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"You can make anything with conjuring. I'll teach you both." When she finished her attempt, the result wasn't pretty, but at the very least it was functional. Matsuri takes a seat by the riverside, placing her feet in the river and laying back to watch the sky.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie smiles as she is cared for. She puts her feet back down when they are finished. Many questions run through her head. She can't bring herself to ask them, however. She has already imposed enough on these strangers. More than anything, she wants to ask if she could accompany them. She would rather die than be alone with the forest. Her head has cleared now. She might as well have been unconscious before. Matsuri mentions the conjuring. It intrigues her that she could make anything with it but she doubts anything really meant anything at all. She nods in response. She figures it would just be the same as she did with the fruit. Valerie tugs on her legs, bringing them up her chest and puts her arms around them. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Anything?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink asked plainly. So… anybody could conjure anything in this world? Did that mean she could get her music-making equipment back? Well… probably not. She didn't know how the things were made - just how to use them, and how to fix them if they broke. Blink looked slightly disappointed at this thought, before she sat cross-legged on the floor. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I wonder why we're here."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink said plainly. The afterlife was the only viable explanation for her. She tugged on some grass as she was slightly lost in thought for a moment. Here she was, in the body of a pink-haired woman, with two other girls, in an unknown world. It was a lot to get her head around, but for now, the scene was peaceful and happy.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I guess it's just us for now." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink quietly said, brushing grass and pollen from her legs as she stood up. "Where shall we go, then...? After you've taught us how to conjure and that, I mean. Like… are maps a thing here?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri pats the spot next to her, as if to signal Blink to come sit next to her. Blink tilted her head slightly, before obliging, sitting cross-legged next to Matsuri, and facing her. Matsuri begins like she is going to tell a story, "I don't know why we are here, but I've been here for a week now. I met a girl named Kagami who told me about the world. This world was created because the last world was destroyed, and a goddess named Anolia put it back together. The world is different now." Matsuri continues to explain the 10 rules, and then stops talking altogether as she closes her eyes. This is the longest you've seen Matsuri talk, and she seems more or less worn out by it. Her heartbeat is normal, but she has started breathing a lot more deeply, as if she needed the air. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie listens intently. Everything seems to make sense. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I wonder what class I am." She wants to ask more but she still fears to press too hard. She sighs to herself and looks out in the direction the river flows. After a few moments, she turns to Blink and watches her intently. She can't help but break a little smile. She has a lot of things to be grateful for now. She figures she might as well show some good will towards Matsuri and Blink. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"...Wow." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink mumbled. That was all… a lot to take in. And definitely hard to believe, but Matsuri's heartbeat seemed to indicate she was being perfectly truthful. And the rule about everyone being a woman now would explain why she was in this form. Why would Anolia make it so everyone's a woman though? And why ban writing? And… agh. It made sense slightly, but Blink didn't get most of the rules. However, she liked the idea of everything being one big MMO-kind of thing. It was a cool kind of fantasy she sort of dreamed of. Although she'd probably suck. And she could actually die, it wasn't a virtual reality. So far, her only noticeable powers was to hear things better. Maybe she was a scout of some sort. Or one of those other shit-tier classes… [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"So… I guess we owe Anolia everything. I can remember the old world… everything went a little '[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]wtf[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]'." Blink paused, biting her lip. She seemed to want to say something, but she didn't have the courage to say it. She moved on to another train of thought. "So, I guess we should farm weak monsters or something like that to get better?" Blink suggested, before she thought about what Valerie had said. It wasn't like they had a HUD or menu like most MMO's… they'd need to find out what kind of class they were through personal experience.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I don't know what class I'd be. I sucked doing physical things. I can hear things better, and hear your heartbeats, that's about it. Maybe I'm some kind of Tracker." Blink mumbled, picking grass from the floor and releasing it into the gentle flow of the wind as she talked. She had a ton of questions, but she didn't really want to ask them yet. Matsuri looked like she'd talked past her comfort zone already.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie lays down on her back. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I don't know a lot about games. I was an office worker before… something like that." She holds her hands up above her and starts to conjure a kiwi. Fruit always made her feel better. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I… uh… played a lot of MMO's. But this isn't like anything I've ever played before. ...Kinda sucks how we can't make a base without it getting destroyed."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink said. Would of been cool to have a place to go back to after every 'raid' they made or whatever. If Blink ever had the courage to actually face up to monsters. After Valerie announced who she used to be, Blink figured she might as well introduce herself too. Although she wouldn't tell all of it. Especially the being a boy part.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I used to make music. Electronic, dubstep, chillstep… that sorta thing. Not useful here, with the non-electronics rule…" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink mumbled. She was curious as to what Matsuri used to be in the past life… she seemed to have an aura of mystery about her.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"What'd you use to be in the old world, Matsuri…?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink asked quietly. "Not meaning to be nosy. I'm just a lil' curious."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri didn't open her eyes, but she gave the brief version of her answer, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I don't know." And it was true. Matsuri had no recollection of ever having had a past life. Kagami said something about it, but she didn't really grasp what was said. Just the concept of being a thing that can interact with other things in existence was a large idea to tackle. The idea that in addition to that, she might have had a past experience much like this, but in a different world was far more than Matsuri could hope to understand. All she really knew was that she had a lot to learn about people, and herself. Right now, she knows close to nothing, and simply isn't ready to try to tackle that issue.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie starts to get sleepy. It dawns upon her that she had hardly slept in the forest. She's not quite sure how she hasn't fallen asleep yet. She tries her best not to close her eyes. She stops conjuring her kiwi and turns her body towards the other two. If she conjured a kiwi, there wouldn't be any way to peel it anyways. She wonders, if she were to fall asleep, would they leave her there? The thought worries Valerie a little. If they are willing to leave her here, while she is asleep, then it's probably not a good idea to stick with them. Is it? They extended her a helping hand but Valerie doesn't know how long they've known each other and whether they think of her as a nuisance or not. Blink talks about music. Old hymns, of the time before, start to surface in Valerie's mind. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh… Hmm.. I think. I used to sing a lot."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"...Could you give us a little tune, then? If you want to, that is… I just like it when people sing. Clears my mind." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink asked Valerie. Blink was dying to listen to some sort of music; she had been ever since the start. Female vocals were always relaxing to listen to, and Blink wanted to follow some sort of plan here. Blink wasn't bad (or good) at singing when she was a male, but she'd probably suck now. She didn't know how to properly control the female voicebox, it'd be like a dying cat if Blink tried… or something like that.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie sits up. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh. I'd like to. Give me a moment." She scoots to face the other ladies. She thinks hard for a couple of minutes. She nods her head when she recalls one song. One she used to sing often. She clears her throat then hums, "Doooo. Reeee. Miiii. Faaaa. Sooooooo." The sound is mellifluous and unwavering. "Okay. Could you clap with me?" She starts clapping. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Although Valerie instructs Matsuri to clap, she wasn't really the type to want to do something so loud. She had already met with two people, and made a lengthy explanation within the past few minutes, and she'd be going into cooldown mode for a bit. Although, Matsuri might have chosen differently had she realized this might appear unfriendly.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Disregarding that neither of the two started along with her, Valerie cries out a saccharine aria. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"It's too cooold[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]for you heeeeeere[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]so, let me hooold[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]both your hands in[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]the holes of my sweater." [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ahh…" Blink exhaled once Valerie was done with her beautiful tune, as if she'd been invigorated. Her voice was soothing, angelic even, to Blink's ears. With her advanced hearing or whatever, it sounded even better. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]God… she'd just been so desperate for something musical, almost as if music was like a drug. It was just what she needed. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I needed that... ty..." Blink said quietly. She smiled. "You're really good. Like… really good. Man… makes me wish I still had my sampling software. Vocal chillstep would be great with that voice..." Blink dreamily mumbled to herself, blushing slightly. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]After a pause between some more relaxed breaths, Blink twiddled her pink hair around her finger. Having long hair felt weird… [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Matsuri?" Blink asked quietly. At this point, when they were calm, Blink liked to have a plan before she did something. Especially when they were without any gear, in the middle of nowhere. Could be some… like… level 20 spawn zone, for all she knew. Hopefully this 'Anolia' knew how fair 'spawn points' or whatever worked. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"What do you think we should do now? I'm… not looking forward to night-time."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink admitted quietly. She didn't want to ask the shy girl any more questions, but… she probably had the most experience. Blink felt vulnerable, although being with others helped to put her mind at ease, she was still pretty cowardly at the end of the day. If respawning was a thing, fine, but it wasn't. This world may be drastically more unreal, but dying was still a thing.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri looks up curiously at Blink when she heard her name called. Beforehand, she was simply enjoying listening to Valerie sing as she relaxed. Though she didn't seem to mind when Blink asked her questions, probably because she still wanted to ask Blink some questions of her own. "Most of the monsters can't climb. If I'm scared, I climb a tree. I also take a lot of naps throughout the day. I don't know a good way to deal with them yet, but."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri begins conjuring something again. From the looks of it, she is summoning an iron rod. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie grins. It felt nice to let that out. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Somehow, I feel like I would've known what you were saying before, but everything from the previous life is still kind of fuzzy. Uh. Thanks anyways. I feel a lot better now." She smiles warmly at Matsuri. "I was in the forest a really long time and there didn't seem to be any wolves."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri responds quickly, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"If you stay by the river, you won't find them since they like to surround the target." Matsuri looked up towards Valerie smiling, and studied her curiously now however. She seemed so happy that you'd hardly believe that she was in so much pain just a little while ago. Matsuri wasn't sure if she had anything to say about the past life situation however. For her, it wasn't just fuzzy. She woke up with no understanding of social customs, any sense of who she was or anything. She had to figure it out, and even still didn't understand. Just talking takes so much of her concentration that she speaks softly and slowly to compensate. Yet to reveal this would make her too vulnerable, so she didn't mind being thought of as shy instead. But what could you say, when someone thinks they are feeling the same thing, when you can't relate to them at all? Matsuri didn't know, so she said nothing instead, aloof as always.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink gulped. Wolves? Oh, boy… by the way Matsuri gave advice, wolves were a thing. Blink hated the idea of getting swarmed by wolves, and then… ew. It sent shivers down her spine. Thankfully, the river seemed safe. Although Blink's tree-climbing skills were probably questionable.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I hope we fight chickens first. Or something easy." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink said with a joking smile, before remembering the two probably wouldn't get such references. She remembered playing an MMO where there was a spot where chickens would just spawn, offering slow but easy XP. With minimal risk of dying. Cruel, but they were only pixels at the end of the day. This was real, so Blink would feel really bad if she did that. And Anolia didn't seem to like making things easy.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Also, judging by Valerie's thoughts of the past being fuzzy and Matsuri not being able to remember anything at all, Blink wondered how she'd remembered her past so well in comparison. ...Did the memories fade in time? Oh God… that made sense actually. And Blink didn't want to forget who she was.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Her reflection… she still couldn't get used to it at all. Blink's hair fiddling intensified somewhat as she kept quiet, looking into the water.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"We need a plan, right? The sun will set eventually and the wolves may come about. All we need is to avoid them. We can make things so we don't have to go looking around for things to use. It might get cold during the night too, so we should have something to keep us warm. We need shelter, essentially."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Valerie balls her hand into a fist. "I doubt we could build a full shelter. Matsuri said they wouldn't come to the river. Then, we need warmth. We could make fur coats. We can just camp out here."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri blinks, looking with uncertainty at Valerie. After having spent several days alone in the forest, she only now is thinking about warmth and shelter. More importantly, Matsuri has seemed to manage with naught but a place to protect her from the wind, and the clothes on her back. She had her small black jacket for warmth, and fur would seem like it would be much too warm. Matsuri could tell these things seemed important by the way Valerie gestured, but why could she do without them before? After finishing her makeshift weapon, a steel rod, Matsuri speaks up, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"We need those things?"[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"It[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] is [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]an idea…" Blink mumbled. "Like… this place changes, right? What if it suddenly gets real cold when we wake up? Carrying it around would be useful at least…" Blink pondered. Fur sounded snuggly and warm, and if they could make anything, it wasn't like they needed to skin an animal to get it. Which was a nifty feature. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]On the other hand, both Matsuri and Valerie had survived dressed in pretty lightweight clothes, or Blink assumed that's how it went anyway. Maybe Anolia made it so the temperature was always comfortable?[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Has it ever got hotter or colder here for you guys?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink asked, wanting to confirm her suspicions. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"It isn't so much that we need these things. It is better that we don't get sick from the cold, especially if we're staying here in the open next to the river."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Valerie turns to Blink. "I haven't been awake for very long so I haven't experienced any significant environmental change. It's always just been the forest around here for me."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri can't help but look at her own clothes. She feels really comfortable like this, and she has managed to keep warm. Does that mean that she is considered underdressed? She hasn't gotten the chance to wear more than this much, but she liked it. She felt extremely unencumbered, but also very protected wearing this much, and she wasn't comfortable with changing. Even still, Matsuri didn't want to be a bother to Blink and Valerie. With her typical unfeeling expression, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"If you think it is important." Though she couldn't fool Blink with this, as internally, her body betrayed that Matsuri wasn't comfortable.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink could hear the gentle, echoing beat inside Matsuri's chest shift in tempo, creating a somewhat unnatural sound in Blink's ear that caused her to wince slightly. It was clear Matsuri was uncomfortable with wearing furs, but Blink didn't really want to call her out on it. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Maybe we should just see how the first night goes…"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink quietly suggested. "We could make blankets. Or… um…" Blink blushed. "...w-we could like, huddle together if we get cold. Like penguins." Blink added, although her voice faded to a very shy tone at the mention of suggesting this. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie watches the other two. She'd said too much, even when she was just trying to look out for them. She wanted to step up to figuring out what to do, but it seemed to make the others uncomfortable. She wraps her arms around her legs again, silent and defeated. She doesn't mind the idea of huddling together but, unlike penguins, people have skin. They'd need something to huddle under. She looks away, back towards the horizon of the river. Words are hard. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink added something else suddenly.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "W-we can still make furs though! Like, um… um…" Blink said quickly before she paused, clearly flustered. She could hear Valerie's heartbeat sink a little in rhythm. Oh man… this was awkward. Was there a way to make them both comfortable? Maybe she should just change the conversation soon. "I could, like… carry them around my neck when we're not using them?"[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Although Matsuri wasn't quite sure how, it seemed like Blink could tell that she didn't agree in earnest. While at first Matsuri felt a bit relieved and touched that Blink was looking out for her, she was quickly starting to notice that Blink not only revealed to Valerie that she was uncomfortable despite giving no easily discernible indications that this was the case, but effectively established herself as the worst kind of middleman. She wanted both Matsuri and Valerie to be happy in the end, but she didn't really know what to do any more than anyone else. Of course, blankets would be an ideal solution for Matsuri, but she didn't know what would make everyone happy. In the end, isn't it easier if Matsuri simply felt uncomfortable? Matsuri shook her head softly, reminding herself what was important.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "Blink, I'll be happy to make you and Valerie something warm." [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh… sure. If you're okay with it." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink replied quietly. She kind of wanted to know how to make stuff, but it'd probably take a lot of practice. For some reason, Blink kind of wanted to walk around a little. Whilst sticking to the river, of course. "Can you walk and create things at the same time?" She asked.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri's compromise hurts Valerie a little and further confuses her. Did it not get colder at night? Matsuri politely questioned the need for furs and she'd been awake a lot longer than both of them, it seemed. Valerie feels the need to take her mind away from the subject. She starts to conjure a peach. Hopefully, food would distract her and the others from the very subtle disagreement. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"When's the last time you've eaten a peach?" The question isn't directed at anyone in particular. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri gives a small smile just to make sure Blink got the message that she was alright, though it only lasts briefly. In the end, it didn't bother her if they wanted to wear furs, she just didn't want to wear them herself. Unless it became absolutely necessary, she didn't like the restrictiveness of thick clothing. Blankets and other things which could be quickly discarded, and more importantly, flash stepped out of were much more preferable. Then, moving to answer her question, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Conjuring requires you to focus. It is hard to pay attention. You need to picture the thing you are conjuring in your mind, and maintain that image as it comes into being." Matsuri then notices that Valerie suddenly brought up an oddball topic all of a sudden. She knew that Valerie liked fruit, but the transition seemed awkward. Maybe she felt uncomfortable before, but why? Regardless, all there was to do was answer the question. "I didn't know they existed until now."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ohhh, I get it. You just have to think of the object and wait."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink said in reply to Matsuri. So… conjuring sounded like it depended on concentration, and a 'focused mind' or whatever. Blink was probably going to be awful at that. All she could focus on was music. And she could be pretty impatient at times; she'd most likely be able to conjure a small object at best.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Peaches? Hm…" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink thought for a moment. A peach… to be honest, Blink never really was a fan of healthy foods. She used to be more into noodles, fried chicken, and stuff like that. 'Nerd food', basically. The war made stuff like fruit pretty rare where she was anyway, unless it was in a can.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"...I… can't remember, to be honest." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Answered after a pause of thought. Blink definitely knew what a peach was, but she couldn't remember ever eating one.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"You guys wanna walk around a bit while the sun's up? See if we can find anything?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink asked. Maybe there was some super easy loot nearby, or something like that. Or an easy mob. "Following the river, of course."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well. You can taste one now. I think they are pretty great."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Valerie continues to conjure the peach. "A walk sounds like a good idea. I want to finish conjuring these first though. If you can learn about peaches, you can conjure it yourself, right?" She finishes the first peach and splits it in half, throws out the pit then holds out each half to the other ladies. She watches them, hoping they find comfort in the food as she does. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri looked curiously at Valerie, as she found it odd that she had such an insistence of pushing these fruits on them. She had food before, could this be any different. She wasn't particularly hungry, but having been offered several times already, the only offer besides accepting would be to tell her she was annoying, which Matsuri found unattractive. So, not quite enthusiastic about the experience, she takes the peach, and takes a small bite from the peach. For some reason, the fruit seemed especially sweet. Matsuri enjoyed the flavor, but as expected her appetite wasn't quite ready for a snack. She consumes the rest regardless. Having finished the peach, she starts walking on ahead. But then, she stops before having walked too far to be out of earshot, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Thanks." Matsuri begins conjuring the furs requested of her while walking. Though there is no way she can pay attention to where she is walking like this.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink smiled and gave a thankful nod as she finished her half of the peach. Refreshing, and it would stave off hunger for a while.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Mm[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]- thank you."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink said, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. Peaches were good. Putting her hands in the pockets of her jacket as she walked, Blink enjoyed the ambience. The delicate sound of running water in the background, wings flapping, grass brushing against the blades of each other… and… the fresh air was nice…. much better than the manky air of the bunker. Keeping quiet, Blink seemed to be enjoying and be relaxed by the scenery, although she was keeping an eye out for anything of interest, or more heartbeats[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent].[/BCOLOR]

Valerie stands up and looks about. It couldn't hurt to walk so long as she did so carefully. She nods her head when the other ladies thank her. She walks on the edges of her feet, waddling to catch up to the others.

 

[dragonesper]

Getting tired from moving about more than she had done before Michaela finally slumped down in the grass after testing her balance and limits. It was fun, and strange, to walk again after so long and the experience was a bittersweet thing. Was she dead? If this was heaven then Michaela would be happy about being dead, though it was strange that she was naked...

Remembering her unclothed state she blushed brightly. Clothes! Clothes! Looking around she tried to see if the was anything useful for her to fashion into clothes. Seeing nothing she mourned as the lack of materials to help her with her issue, especially since leaving the clearing naked was a bit concerning. If only she had some cotton fabric, that was so comfy, but the war had made it something rare. Imagining the reliable, slightly soft fabric dyed in assorted colors she thought back to the pictures she often had ogled on.

Lost in her daydreaming she suddenly found herself with several pieced of fabric, giving a small outcry of surprise she had barely sensed the odd feeling off summoning the cloths. Turning thoughtful she decided to try again. This time she tried it with imagining silk, the softness, the glow and lustre. Keeping all those things in mind she at last had the cloth in her hands.

Giddy with the new experience Michael continued testing it further, she needed some tools, a scissor, some needles, threads, measuring tape... Focusing she summoned item after item, growing a little bit more adept for each try. The exception was the scissors, she couldn't even seem to grasp it in her mind so she had to settled with a piece of sharp metal. With all her tools made she finally got to work putting together the clothes.

-*-

Several hours later Michaela was now dressed with her tools and the remaining useful scraps in a travel bag. It had been a challenge with the sharp metal and she cut her fingers once or twice while making a handle for her makeshift know. Her craftiness was rewarded though and she had even manage to use the remaining, almost useless pieces of fabric to make a hair-tie and a rope for her bag. "Awesome!" Happy she was at last ready to explore, she was feeling well-rested from working on a project and now she could explore wherever she were.

 

[Cwispy]

A collab full of combat between Fi and Dubs

Ravenna x Umoura

Ravenna had been awake all night, stewing on the glow of the bottled fireflies, until morning peeked over the edge of the mountains. She put the jar away in her pack, and then tore down her own tent, the fabric wet with the morning mist. She rips a branch away from a nearby tree and wades into the stream looking for fish. All the effort was for naught, she couldn't seem to catch a thing since they were scarce to begin with. She rubbed the geometrical planes of her cheeks in confusion. Then she went about foraging for edible flora.
As she was autonomously going through the task of identifying plants and meticulously picking the parts she needed, her mind was back at her camp sight, wondering about her new friend. Ravenna was considering how easily she trusted the girl, but was that because she didn't feel the slightest bit threatened by her new companion? She shook her head in response. It couldn't have been true, because she knew Umoura wasn't weak… just unrealized. Ravenna wondered if she was sleeping well, and then she wondered when Umoura had awoken in this world, and how she slept in the time between, before they had met.

Her head was swimming, her vision blurring as she finally lifted her head. It was Umoura's first night of actual sleep, no longer having to cut her sleep short to watch for monsters, finally able to get some real rest. She staggered out of the tent, taking a second to adjust her eyes to the outside light. "G-good morning…?" She muttered as she walked out of the tent, expecting to see Ravenna outside. Peering around the camp, it didn't appear that the other girl was anywhere to be seen. She wondered where she had gone, but her attention was broken by a rustling coming from bushes on the other side of the camp. "Ravenna, is that you? Welcome back…" she started, cutting it off with a yelp as she approached the bush, a large (and quite ugly) troll walking out, holding a large jagged cleaver. It pointed at her and made an unintelligible series of grunts and calls, and another one popped out of another bush, holding a much larger stone club, wielding it with two hands due to its size.
"R-Ravenna! Help! Where are you?" she screamed, immediately turning around to run, the trolls laughing and beginning to chase her. Her feet kicked up dust as she picked a random direction and followed it, doing what she could to escape the two trolls chasing her.

Ravenna's train of thought was slowed, not impeded, by Umoura's familiar voice screaming for help. Shit. YES! Ravenna's train of thought set a new course and gained fervent momentum. Yes, YES, YESS! Good thing she brought her pack. She loved the feeling of adrenaline surging through her powerful frame; she bolted in the direction of Umoura's scream. She became quicker and quicker, riding the momentum, and following the sound of a break in the treeline, and one- no two sets of feet- were following behind the direction of what sounded like Umoura's trail. She was in a full on sprint when she could make out the two hideous (yet rather large- taller than Ravenna by at least two heads) forest trolls, one gripping a cleaver and the other a stone club carried in both hands (the weapon significantly slowed down its wielder) in between the thicket of trees hobbling after Umoura- but she couldn't see where Umoura was yet, they must be obscuring her, she thought. Ravenna slipped on Happy Fist, who was tethered to her pack always, onto her right arm with stunning deftness. She shifts trek to put her on a collision course with the trolls.
They wouldn't have even turned if it wasn't for Happy Fist, but by the time it said "Cheese, Mother-fucker!" Ravenna was sailing through the air and she planted the heavy metal fist squarely into the face of the troll with the stone club. This attack shocked the other troll, and it gaped for a moment, allowing Ravenna enough time to plant her feet on the ground, and upper cut the troll with the stone club, knocking it flat on its back. She was going to mount it and pummel it, to make sure it wouldn't get back up, but the cleaver troll snapped into reality. Would he attack or defend? Ravena scanned for Umoura.

With the sound of a fist (both it punching and yelling a very cheesy line, no pun intended), Umoura looked back over, seeing the slower of the two trolls knocked to the ground. The other one turned back around, raising its cleaver, now pointed at Ravenna. She knew that Ravenna, for all her bluster, probably wasn't going to be able to keep up her guard against both of them, and turned back around. Damned if she could figure out the rules of this world, but that didn't mean she couldn't play along with them.
"How does this go again… Ice!" She raised her hands like she did on that day, and ice shards lept from her hands, dashing into the troll's back. It didn't impale it as she had hoped, but embedded as they were, they certainly pissed it off, and it turned back around to face her with a murderous gaze. She breathed a sigh of relief, though she was now the target of the troll's aggression, she had bought Ravenna some breathing room. She took a step back, her foot planted firmly against the dirt, and she raised her hands again, trying to intimidate it. "W-want some more?" She yelled at it, hoping that it might give up and leave. It let out a terrible yell and charged, apparently, it did not give up.

The knocked down troll was stirring. They'd have to move quick. But what was that, the ice blast Umoura conjured? If confused, and excited Ravenna. She instinctively knew what she had to do. "Catch!" She reached into her pack and produced a small flask containing blue liquid, and then chucked it at Umoura, hoping she would catch it. It was a Mana Potion, useful for upping magic power, or so Ravenna thought, although she wasn't quite sure where the notion originated. To buy her friend some time to drink the potion, she ran and leapt after the troll charging Umoura and punched the ice shards in its back, shattering them, but hopefully embedding bits of glacial shrapnel deeper into the trolls body. What happened next, she didn't anticipate. It swung its cleaver around in a rage, and Ravenna had barely enough time to pull Happy Fist up to block it. The force from the blow knocked her back, but she managed to stay on her feet. Then she noticed the other troll looming over her with a slight stagger. It's face was scrunched and smeared with its own blood, the nose looked broken. It's heavy stone club followed its roar. Ravenna had narrowly used Happy Fist to block that blow too, but with serious repercussions to her rib cage, as she immediately felt the force of the swing sweep her off her feet and send her hurtling backwards into a tree. The cleaver wielding Troll turned its attention back to Umoura, while the stone-club wielding troll zeroed in its gaze in on Ravenna. Even though the situation was dire, Ravenna's frame trembled with blood-lust, and the troll approaching her paused in recognition.

While she was obviously hesitant to drink anything whose origins were a mystery to her, she decided that Ravenna giving it to her had some meaning, and she quickly popped it open and drank it, suddenly feeling a lot more energetic. Still, by the time she was done, the trolls had turned on Ravenna and were quickly beating her down, and Umoura knew she had to act fast, seeing the blood on Ravenna's face.
"W-watch out! Take this! Earth!" She raised her hands again, and the earth suddenly shook, a large protrusion of stone and dirt suddenly erupting from underneath the troll with the cleaver, knocking it to the ground as the protrusion broke off and collapsed onto it, trapping it underneath it. She turned her attention to the one with the stone club, and raised her hands again. "Wind!" She yelled, the wind suddenly picking up sharply causing the club troll to lose its balance, and ripping the stone club from its hands. Though, the potion had its limits, and after using this spell, she felt herself suddenly become light headed, everything swimming as she collapsed to her knees on the ground, at least hopeful that she did something to help out Ravenna.

Ravenna watched in awe as Umoura orchestrated the elements at her fingertips. She was right, this girl was powerful. One troll was trapped underneath a rock, and wouldn't likely be able to get up immediately without struggling, but it was definitely not down for the count. Either way, it bought Ravenna time to do what she needed, because now the Troll looming over her had its weapon stripped from its grasp, and it's head swiveled from it's weapon to the woman in front of it, knowing full well that the tides had turned against it. "Ya know, for all your hulking stinkiness, you're really cowards. I won't forgive that!" Ravenna planted a foot on the tree behind her and sank into her haunches, springing off of it in full speed towards her enemy. It stumbled back, but it was all in vain, the Heroine was much faster than the troll, and reached it within fractions of a second, planting the metal fist into its groin. This was a sensitive spot on monsters, she had noticed in her travels. It sank to its knees as it let out a guttural cry of agony, but it was cut short after Ravenna twisted through the air for a spinning fist that finally knocked out the troll.
Ravenna wiped the blood of her face and walked over to the other troll still struggling underneath the chunk of earth. She stepped on its wrist and kicked its cleaver away. She looked over at Umoura with a giant grin. "Care to do the honors?" She indicated finishing it off with its own weapon, as she nodded at the cleaver.

She nodded, but walked away from the cleaver. She sensed something else, like an instinct, and walked over to the large, two handed club instead. Picking it up, she walked back over to the downed orc, and raised it over her head, smashing the troll's head in as she looked away. "Th-there, that nasty thing is dead…" She looked away from its body, and walked back over to the campsite, leaving Ravenna to deal with the last one, taking a bit to catch her breath after the fight, her head still swimming and dizzy.

Ravenna arrived back at the campsite, Happy Fist was dripping in blood. She set her pack down, removing Happy Fist and setting the bloody fist aside, and then grabs her pack and walks up to Umoura, kneeling down by her feet, and producing the flowery edibles she had collected for Umoura earlier. She held them out in her hand. "Are you okay?"

She shakes her head, and stays sitting, face pointed downwards. "Th-that took a lot out of me, surprisingly. I just need a little time to rest, that's all. Plus…" She grimaces. "I don't like blood, it makes me queasy…"

Ravenna sighed but smiled slightly, remembering what it felt like to be so dejected. "Go clean up and get something to drink. I'll breakdown camp. I can show you a peaceful place if you'd like?"

"Alright, fine…" She gets to her feet, and heads off to the river to clean herself, and get some water, still a little wobbly.

 

[Jakers]

Wall-O-Text MK.3

[BCOLOR=transparent]B[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]link kept her hands in the pockets of her jean jacket, her boots rustling and swishing through the groups of fallen leaves and grass blades at her feet. Usually she'd be tired and sweaty from all this walking, yet… she felt pretty fine right now. She definitely wasn't okay with any of this yet, but at least she wasn't alone. The two girls' heartbeats thumped soothingly with the trickling water of the river, creating a relaxing ambience. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]There hadn't been any danger yet; early night-time here wasn't as scary as Blink had thought. ...Maybe this place wasn't so bad. She had companions, basically infinite food and water, super hearing powers, and a lovely area to walk around in. The only downside was the[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]… ehm…[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] boobs. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]But she'd get used to it sooner or later; better than dying, after all.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A little luminance of the moon escaped through the roof of leaves above the three, creating a camouflage pattern of moonlight on the forest floor. Blink took a breath of the clean air, before turning to the river. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Um… one sec," [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink murmured, turning to Valerie and Matsuri with a somewhat awkward smile. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Need a drink real quick."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Rather abruptly, Blink scampered over to the river at their side, and hunched over the flowing pool. She wasn't actually that thirsty… it was just… she needed to see her reflection. One more time; to remind herself who she was now. She was taking sips of river water, her hair getting somewhat splashed in the process, but Blink's eyes remained focused on the pink-haired girl in front of her. A question refused to stop repeating in her mind:[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]…Should she tell them…? [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As the night sky began to grow darker, the sounds of wolves and various creatures of the night became more and more frequent. Matsuri however, did not allow any of these to bother her. The night was practically her element, as she could vanish into darkness whenever the situation dictated. Though, she couldn't help but use it occasionally just to get a feel for it. Though she was the most veteran of the group with surviving in this world, she still wasn't comfortable with her body's movements. It wasn't anything as severe as being uncoordinated, but Matsuri did feel a sense of unfamiliarity with the various functions her body was capable of. Playing with her abilities unnecessarily was just another way to learn. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]When Blink called out that she wanted to get a drink, unaware of Blink's abilities, Matsuri assumed that Blink didn't know exactly where she was. Because of this, Matsuri followed Blink at a distance, hiding in the shadows with her Assassin abilities. Matsuri didn't feel particularly paranoid of Blink, but she did hold a curiosity for what she might be feeling.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink bit her lip, before washing her face briefly with a splash of cold water. She'd just look weird if she kept doing this. Taking a final sip from the river, Blink wiped her mouth with her sleeve, before getting back to her feet. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Thump. Thump. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]A heartbeat nearby. Had one of the girls come with her? She hadn't heard any footsteps. Blink looked over her shoulder, squinting. That was… weird. Nobody was there. She could still hear a heartbeat, though, despite her eyes seeing nothing but forest. A little wave of panic fell over Blink. Was it a creature of some sort? She'd heard some weird animal sounds on the way here, although she hadn't paid much attention to them… [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]No - the heartbeat sounded familiar. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Thump. Thump.[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]Like… Matsuri's. Why couldn't Blink see her though? She had to be hiding in the grass, although Blink couldn't even see a trace of the small girl. Blink wiped her half-damp hair away from her face, and closed her eyes as she listened carefully.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"M-Matsuri? …That you?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink called out, albeit unsurely. Just to be safe, Blink backed up a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri saw that Blink was over by the water again. It seemed like she spent some time just looking at the water without doing anything. This wasn't the first time Matsuri observed this behavior in Blink either. It was the same thing she had done the first time they met. When she looked in the water like that, it filled Matsuri with an overwhelming sense of curiosity. Though at first she assumed it had something to do with what she saw in the water itself, it looked this time like she just needed a glimpse to get what she'd like out of it. It wasn't anything like that gaze of wonder that she had given before. Matsuri began to wonder if she had just invaded on something private as Blink bit her lip. Matsuri knew that she had excused herself, and though she didn't make any specific claims not to follow her, it would be reasonable to assume that she'd expect a brief respite from company if nobody followed her. That would explain why she made such a cursory glance, but then…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri's thoughts stopped dead in their tracks as Blink's behavior suddenly changed, like she sensed the presence of something around. Immediately doubting her own senses, Matsuri quietly but swiftly checks her entire surroundings looking for the enemy. However, the enemy was not to be found, and Blink was looking right at Matsuri. This frazzled Matsuri, as she thought to be cloaked in the surrounding darkness right now. This power was strongest at night, so certainly she couldn't be detected so easily. Matsuri practically turned white when Blink called her by name. How? How could she so easily break through her technique? Was she doing it wrong? Would Blink be mad? Matsuri felt her face grow hot as she was caught, essentially spying on Blink. Even if she was curious, that could hardly be a reason that could redeem her. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri in the end can't think of anything she could say to explain herself, but she does ultimately reveal herself to avoid scaring Blink. Bashfully, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Yeah, its me."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie trails behind the group at a distance. At her pace, she could barely keep up. Any faster would reopen her wounds. The darkness didn't help much either. She stumbles over an unprecedented hole in the ground but, luckily, manages to recuperate her balance by stomping down the sole of the foot that didn't land in the ditch. She holds in her inclination to yelp at the pain and continues on. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink let out a puff of relief that it was, as suspected, Matsuri. Although Blink was a little puzzled why she'd go invisible near herself, she didn't give it much afterthought. Perhaps trying to play a trick on her or something? Well, thanks to her super hearing, it seemed like pretty much nobody could sneak up on her. So long as they had a heart.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You had me going for a second there… thought you were a monster, or summin'." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink said awkwardly, gently walking back to Matsuri. Why did she look so embarrassed? Perhaps she was wondering how Blink knew where she was. Blink outstretched her finger, gently prodding Matsuri's chest, where her heart was located.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I can hear your heartbeat. Valerie's, too. It lets me know if you're all here." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink explained with a smile. She pointed in a seemingly random direction with nobody there, before Valerie shuffled into view where she was pointing. Blink gave a tiny smile to herself. She liked these powers. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri thought she was embarrassed before, but at least before she held onto her sense of independance. Matsuri preferred to be somewhat aloof so that her inexperience in dealing with people wouldn't show. With each step Blink took towards her she felt as though she was less and less able to remain so aloof. Soon, Blink was right on top of her, with a hand over her chest, lecturing her about her power to hear her heartbeat. No wonder she could tell where she was hiding. Though, Matsuri grew ever more nervous, as she didn't feel like she was ready to ask Blink about what she saw in the water. Ultimately, Matsuri just felt vulnerable in this situation. However, it wasn't a bad kind of vulnerable. Matsuri liked the feeling of her beating chest against Blink's hand. She silently meditated on this feeling for a moment before realizing that she owed Blink a response. Hoping to not have to answer for her actions, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm sorry."[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie continues to tread behind the others. They stop. Valerie takes this time to catch up to them. She starts to feel the chill of the night roll in. It's not nearly so cold as she anticipated. She comes upon Blink with her hand on Matsuri's chest. Matsuri apologizes. This puzzles Valerie but she doesn't think much of it. She starts to walk ahead, certain that Matsuri and Blink wouldn't have any trouble catching up to her. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink cocked her head.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Sorry? For what? Watchin' me drink?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink asked playfully. Matsuri seemed to have a pretty shy nature, so Blink resisted the urge to playfully jab her forehead or something. She was a curious little thing, but Blink didn't really mind being watched by her. She probably had her reasons… [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Heh… don't worry about it."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink said in a slightly more serious tone, before turning to catch up with Valerie. Understandably, she'd pressed on ahead, almost out of view. Thank God…dess… for this heartbeat tracking. Blink gave a little gesture for Matsuri to follow.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As Blink walked, she started to become a little unsettled. She wasn't sure why… but… the night was starting to get a bit colder than before, and definitely darker. And she was sure she heard the[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] howl of a wolf [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]now and again. She could've sworn the howls were getting closer. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Still, they'd be safe by the river, right? Nonetheless, Blink was easily scared at heart, and the dark certainly didn't help that.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"M-Maybe we should stop soon."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink quietly said to nobody in particular. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri thought that Blink would be more concerned, but ultimately, she found herself confused by Blink's response. Even if she took the time to stop and look at the water again, was it different this time? She didn't seem terribly concerned that Matsuri had been spying on her, and didn't even want to know why she had done it. Matsuri thought that maybe she had totally misread the entire situation, and that was a little disappointing since she had found herself so interested. That being said, she also felt grateful that the situation didn't end up hurting Blink's feelings. Though, it might have affected her trust…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Regardless, Matsuri wanted to stay with this group, so she followed Blink's lead, noticing that something had her troubled. With that hearing of her's, they would have quite a bit of safety. Though, speaking of safety, she had yet to pass out the furs that she had conjured while moving along the river. Matsuri remembered this as she felt a brisk wind blow past her body. Normally she wouldn't want to distract someone with danger so close, but for someone with Blink's ability, the cold itself was the most potent threat to her concentration. Wrapping the long, warm, fur mat, which clearly intended to function as a blanket around Blink's shoulders, Matsuri took hold of her long iron bar, as if she understood danger might be nearby. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I'll help."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie looks back towards the others. "What will you help with?" She wasn't sure why the others suddenly became tense. She's glad they decided to stop. She probably couldn't walk much further in her condition. Something was about to happen. She could tell the others could sense it but she couldn't sense it herself. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Those howls,"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink replied to Valerie, wrapping the fur around herself hurriedly.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "You can hear them, right?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie shakes her head.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Huh… really…?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink swallowed.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "I keep hearing howls that're too close for comfort. M…maybe I'm just hearing things."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink anxiously mumbled. At the end of the day, she did have heightened hearing. She supposed that meant the wolves were far away? But she could have sworn the howls were getting nearer and nearer. And wolves weren't nice and cuddly. In a world like this, they'd be scary. Scary was bad.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink snuggled a bit in her fur blanket for comfort. She felt like she needed some form of protection, at least. Snapping a branch hanging low from a tree, Blink peeled the leaves off the long stick, making a cudgel that would probably break in a few hits. It was something, at least. The howls seemed to stop.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink was quiet, and somewhat calm for a while in the comfort in her furs. Hearing things… yeah, she was probably hearing weird things. The howls seemed to be far in the distance now. Some time passed.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Out of nowhere her eyes winced, before juttering in fright. Going rather pale, Blink suddenly whispered:[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Something's coming."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie tilts her head. She believes Blink's intuition but she doesn't know how to react. She could barely walk. How could she fend for herself from wolves? She, worriedly, watches the distance. Her eyes aren't so good to see through the darkness too well.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri was no better than Valerie and Blink at seeing in the dark, but unlike them, she would be hard to see, even by creatures with night vision. For this reason, she needed to pick a position which would allow her to intercept attackers before they made their move. Since the enemy was wolves, they would like to circle just out of range first before making their move, so Matsuri waiting at the distance she assumed the wolves would conduct their stalking from. Fortunately for the group, it wasn't a full pack, and instead was a small group of three wolves. Matsuri had guessed her distance correctly, and landed a basic horizontal slash across the wolf's side. The cut would normally be shallow due to the bluntness of the weapon, but since the slash was a surprise attack, it tore through the wolf's leg muscles anyway. However, with her cover blown, the other two wolves lunged in towards Blink and Valerie, looking to make an easy kill.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As soon as the bloodthirsty heartbeats came into earshot, Blink scampered backwards, near hyperventilation as she held aloft her stick, though she clearly wouldn't be able to do much with it. Eyes that glimpsed rage in the dark approached, and beasts of grey fur and sharp teeth surrounded them. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink was, needless to say, absolutely terrified. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri used her stealth powers to go in for the kill on one of the wolves, but before Blink could process it, one of the wolves was already lunging for a bite attack. Blink's reflexes were subpar, but she still managed to hold the stick sideways, thrusting it forward with a whimper as the wolf bit into the long stick instead of her flesh. The wolf growled, before unclamping its jaw around the stick and falling back, as if it was stunned. Blink's gamer's instinct said that was prompting for her to do a counter-attack… but… she couldn't. She didn't have the guts.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink staggered back, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she watched the wolf begin to recover with horror. She just hoped she'd have the luck to pull off the same block again.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie watches, terrified, as Matsuri and Blink are attacked. She wasn't expecting them to be attacked if anything. Wolves don't usually attack people at random. or even on sight. Did they do something to provoke them? Valerie falls back as one of the wolves heads towards her. She closes her eyes and braces for the attack. At the height of her panic, a brilliant orange glow fills the area. Valerie's Beast of Fury, a large orange-red fox with several tails, awakens. It tears out of the space beside Valerie. Without hesitation, it strikes the wolf with a bite to the neck. The wolf is caught by surprise and has no time to react. The bite connects and a gush of blood erupts. The fox holds the wolf tightly in its jaws. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri, after crippling the first target, decides to avoid landing the mortal blow in favor of helping out Blink, who seemed to be struggling. After having just barely avoided getting torn into by the wolf's teeth, it was clear that leaving her to fend for herself would lead to injury. Therefore, having observed that the wolf enjoyed a frontal charging method of attack, she knew which position she'd need to take as the wolf first began its dash. Flash steps are a useful tool for landing surprise attacks, but they are only useful if you can intuit where you can afford the half second delay. In this case, the best place would be, from above![/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri watches the movement of the wolf attacking Blink intensely, trusting Valerie to warn her if the injured wolf were attacking her. As soon as the wolf makes a move, she will flash step about 3 feet in front of her, and one foot above its head, putting her exactly where she needs to be to intercept its attack on Blink.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink bewilderedly watched as the wolf approached again. A streak of orange in the corner of her eye… the sounds of furious biting, and the spilling of blood. Dammit! Powers… powers… she did her best to concentrate and make [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]something[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] happen to save her life, but nothing happened. Useless! Couldn't she do anything else at all? There was no way she could block this attack.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The gaping jaw of the wolf came nearer.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Nea[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]rer, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]nea[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]r[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]er, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]n[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]ea[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]rer-[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]-*BAM!*[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]In the nick of time, Matsuri dropped from above, stomping the wolf back to the floor with a well-placed kick. So previously sure that she was going to die, Blink remained still and speechless for an instant, before staggering back. She…[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] she saved her life.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The wolf was stunned and grounded after the kick; Blink's reaction was to smash the wolf over the head. It didn't fully kill it thanks to Blink's weak muscles, but it stunned it further. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Powers. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]POWERS! [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]She tried her best to think and concentrate or whatever you did to activate special abilities, but she couldn't. Was her class useless in combat, unlike the other two?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie looks up to see the orange fox, tightly gripping the wolf in its jaw. It looks towards the other ladies, prompting Valerie to look over towards them as well. The fox seems hardly concerned with the others. It looks back towards Valerie. Valerie points towards the other wolf. The orange fox drops the now-dead wolf and dashes towards the wolf facing Blink.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Seeing that the wolf attacking Blink was well handled, Matsuri redirects her attention to the wolf she initially attacked. Due to its injuries, rather than continuing the attack, it was attempting to limp to safety. While Matsuri knew that the wolf would be unable to fight back and wasn't fond of needlessly taking a life, she knew better than to let the wolf go. Leaving it alone means having to face it again later, and there is no guarantee that it won't bring friends. Flash stepping forward to catch up to the wolf, Matsuri trends slowly and carefully, trying to avoid any nasty surprises while she has the advantage. When nothing changes, Matsuri uses her venom strike to land the mortal blow. She turns away however, as to not watch the animal suffer to its death.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink fell back a little, regaining her breath for a moment as the wolf began to shakily recover, although it was clearly dazed and injured. Nonetheless, it slowly approached, grunting half-heartedly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A fox, bright orange in colour, with several tails flowing behind it, came in from the side. The wolf died almost instantly as the fox clamped its jaws around the rugged, grey-furred neck of the wolf, splashing blood on the ground below it. Blink almost turned and sprinted for her life at the sight of this new, more powerful beast, but it wasn't intent on attacking her. It was an ally.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]No more howls. Blink looked between the bloody fox, to Matsuri, and back to Valerie again, before falling back onto her behind as the adrenaline washed over her.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Holy shit."[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]She whispered in shock-filled relief. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie sighs in relief. When Blink turns to her, she nods at her. She tries to get up, crawling at first then pulling herself up to her feet. She has no words for what happened. Was this normal? She walks over to the orange fox. It looks back at her. She wonders if this is what her power is, if it could be called that. Calling forth an animal to fight for her is hardly being involved herself. If this were to happen again, the last thing Valerie wants is to sit on the side and cower. She sighs. Now, how would she get rid of it?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri's first concern was the safety of her new friends, though it wasn't obvious that she had felt anything at all with that dead look in her eyes. Softly, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Is everyone alright?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Matsuri says this as she already starts examining Blink and Valerie, noting in particular how unnerved they were. Matsuri didn't understand it herself, but it seemed like fighting with the wolves triggered this. At first, she assumed it was simply the effects of adrenaline, but there was something else to their state of being that suggested something was wrong. Matsuri tries to compare the feelings she sees in Blink to the ones she feels when she refuses to watch something suffer, but ultimately finds herself stymied. They weren't the same, and she can't stop to think this intensely when she is needed to make sure Blink and Valerie are ok. Refocusing her eyes on Blink, she awaits her response. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I… y-yeah. Thanks to you two."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink stammered, wiping her forehead shakily. For some reason, she quietly laughed to herself. Probably out of sheer relief; never in her life had she been in a situation where her life was actually in danger. Apart from back in the other world… but that didn't involve scary wolves. For a first encounter… that was nothing less than terrifying. Not to mention Valerie's fox; that thing was ruthless, although it certainly got the job done. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]From what Blink could gather, Valerie was some sort of summoner kind of class, whilst Matsuri was an agile teleporty fighter. Blink didn't understand her own class yet. She couldn't really cast any magic when she tried. Maybe a lame out-of-combat scout was just what she was made for… [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]great[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent].[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"...I'm kinda useless in a fight, aren't I."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink quietly said to herself. For some reason, she felt a bit of a gnaw of guilt in her stomach. She couldn't exactly repay them, and now she was feeling like that one useless damsel-in-distress character from those shows. She hated those characters; how ironic… [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink laid onto her back from her sitting position, letting her magenta hair sprawl on the grass behind her. Her breathing began to relax, her blue eyes reflecting moonlight as she watched the sky, letting the cold breeze ease her nerves. She looked to the side, and for some reason, became bashful as Matsuri looked at her. Those eyes… so calm yet lifeless, it gave Blink little butterflies in her stomach. Maybe in partially a good way; she didn't know.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"There's no more wolves… I[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] think[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]. Jeez, this Goddess could be a little nicer to the newbies!" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink chuckled half-annoyedly. Blink paused, and tightened the fur blanket around herself. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Uhm… thanks for this. It's really warm…"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink quietly said to Matsuri, shuffling and snuggling against the blanket, although Blink's senses were still as alert as a meerkat's. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent] The adrenaline comedown was already making her tired, but she didn't really want to sleep when more wolves could probably just spawn. They should probably find another place to sleep without dead wolves in their spot… she'd just go with the flow for whatever the others wanted to do.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri watched, and watched, and watched Blink. Throughout the entire interaction, she couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at the complexity of emotions that transpired across Blink's face. Compared to the meager number of expressions Matsuri could express, Blink's were so much more subtle, complex, and expressive. Matsuri couldn't help but be a little jealous of Blink. In particular, Matsuri loved the way Blink's eyes looked at things when she was being particularly introspective. Even though she completely lacked any kind of understanding on what the significance of those subtle changes, Matsuri did understand enough to know that it showed a form of purity that she'd never attain. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri felt guilty however, as she was essentially wanting to be more like Blink, even though she had such a painful expression on her face. Even though she didn't explicitly state it, she obviously felt like she didn't contribute enough to the fight. Maybe she feels indebted, useless, lost, confuse, or some mixture of those and more. Even still, this only made Matsuri feel more connected to her. Matsuri took a moment to contemplate how strange it was that such negative feelings would allow her to feel closer to another person. Matsuri thought to herself, that she wished she could provide something back to Blink. Even if Blink never developed any powers, Matsuri would always want to be with her, so she could learn about this depth of emotion that she was lacking.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri snaps to attention again as Blink thanks her. Matsuri grants a small little smile, both because she liked to hear such things from Blink, but also out of amusement that she has been spacing out too much. Speaking extremely softly to herself, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"What am I going to do with myself, or actually, what can I do now?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri thinks on this for just a moment, and then walks over besides Blink. She then takes a seat next to Blink, and lays down beside her. Matsuri lays on her side so that she can look at Blink as she talks, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm glad you like it, but don't fall asleep here." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Internally however, Matsuri was worried about things such as how tired Blink looked, worries about if she was cold, and wanting to know what was on her mind. Matsuri found that although she wanted to ask these things, it was just too embarrassing to do it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie watches the other two, wistfully, as they talk to each other. She turns to face the orange beast, which is nonchalantly sitting on its hind, lapping the blood stains from its paws, not that the blood stood out much against its hue of fur. Valerie sits down in her place. She's not sure what to do anymore. Was there any point to living? All the things she aspired to before are gone. In its place is a world of monsters and strangers. She hangs her head between her legs and sinks into thoughts. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink's face became heavily flushed as Matsuri laid next to her. Ah… she wasn't used to being this close to girls. Not that that was a bad thing, but - oh! - right. Sleep somewhere else.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Uhm, r-right. Somewhere with less dead wolves would be nice." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink chuckled. She rubbed her eyes with her knuckles, getting back to her feet. She grimaced a little at the sight of the dead wolves, before turning around, wiping her hand over her face.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink watched the large orange fox, sitting casually as it wiped the blood from its paws. The thing unsettled Blink deeply, but as far as she could understand, it was under Valerie's control. …And it saved her. Speaking of Valerie, she didn't look too good. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink swallowed. The place was probably getting to her. Blink already missed her music-making software and such, but it wasn't like she had many people she deeply cared about. She missed her friends, sure, but… others probably had it worse. A lot worse.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hey…"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink said quietly, although shakily. It wasn't like Blink'd just forgotten about the wolf attack. She crouched next to Valerie, leaning in slightly. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"You okay?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie looks up to Blink. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I don't know. I'm not wounded." She leans to a side and brushes off some of the dirt on her clothing. She is okay, as far as things go, and a lot better than she was a few hours ago. The world just feels so empty now. "I don't know…"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink wasn't sure how to reply for a while. Ah… usually when one of her friends wasn't feeling great, she'd just do or say something funny to cheer them up. But there wasn't anything to be funny about right now. Instead, Blink went with her gut instinct.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink inhaled, before putting an arm around Valerie.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I… I'm confused, too. I don't know why I was picked to be here."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink whispered. She paused. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"But maybe we'll find more answers."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She said, not knowing if what she was saying was helping or not. She tried her best to comfort her nonetheless.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie is slightly surprised by the hug. She sits silently, contemplating. She's very grateful for the concern. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"There is nothing to look forward to. There is nowhere to go. Where does one begin to look for answers even?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink thought for a moment.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"...Matsuri said something about being able to talk with the Goddess herself. I'm sure she'd give us answers…" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink said, although she seemed a little uneasy about the idea. It was probably hard to get an audience with the Goddess, meaning something like a high-tier dungeon… and… ah… she had trouble with mere wolves.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"As for places… I'm sure this world is as beautiful as it is dangerous." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink whispered, giving Valerie a squeeze before letting go and standing onto her feet.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "We'll find something out here. …I know it." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]She whispered. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie wishes she could find comfort in Blink's words. She would have to see it for herself before she could believe it. For now, she could only hope to find something to look forward to and that is enough to keep her from abandoning herself. She wants to hold onto her previous life, even if that meant things were harder. She nods to herself. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I'll try my best."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink smiles at Valerie. If she could summon things like that fox at will, she was going to be a powerful ally. Blink always found summoners awesome; she played as them in her silly games from time to time. Which made Blink question her own usefulness again… she really,[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] really [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]didn't want to end up as a liability to these two. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Maybe she didn't know what she could do just yet. But she knew it wasn't anything to do with melee combat. Or being particularly agile, like Matsuri. And she couldn't seem to do any special magic stuff. She'd find out in time, but for now, she needed some rest. Hopefully no more wolf attacks would happen tonight. Or ever.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Let's find a place to sleep, then. A spot with less… d-dead wolves would be great, heh…" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink said with a nervous chuckle, putting a hand in front of her mouth as she yawned.[/BCOLOR]

 

[☆Luna☆]

Not Horribly Long, But Still

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri notes that the group looks ready to leave, so she gets up herself. It seemed like Valerie had some sort of issues with this world that she couldn't quite understand. Blink tried to help by speaking positively to Valerie, but honestly, she wasn't particularly convincing. If Valerie was feeling depressed, Matsuri didn't know what would solve that other than time. Though, her behavior made Matsuri wonder, what does someone who has lost their memory of the old world have to mourn in the new world.

For Matsuri, this was her only world. There is no distinction between old and new, there is just this one that she is living in right now. If in reality she had come from the old world and simply couldn't remember it, would she be in Valerie's shoes. It was hard to say, but there is no way Matsuri could confront her with such thoughts. Instead, she stays around Blink's side, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"If you are tired and confused, we should find something close. I'll keep watch in the night."

Valerie stands up, ready to move. She doesn't say anything. She looks towards Matsuri, set to follow her wherever. Her life is in their hands now. She would help them so long as she could. The orange fox trots to Valerie's side. It watches the distance intently.

Blink looks at Matsuri.
"Thanks… but wake me up if you're getting tired. I'll… *yawn*… take over."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink rubbed her eyes again, her feet shuffling against the moonlit grass as she walked. She was getting tired of this forest. But at least it'd change at some point.

As Blink walked, she'd been wondering why she had a pair of headphones around her neck. If electrical items weren't allowed, why was this here? To be honest, it didn't seem like it had a wire to plug anything into. Or any features normal headphones had. It was just purely made of a goldish metal, probably brass, considering it wasn't heavy. It was like a helmet in a way. Weird… it didn't do anything special if she put it on.

Blink left it up to Matsuri's judgement where to sleep. She'd survived pretty long here without taking a scratch, after all.

After just about fifthteen minutes of walking, Matsuri finds a place to her liking. Due to a naturally formed alcove protected one of their flanks from enemies, making her only have to keep watch over one side. They would be cornered if they had to fight, but it was well worth the upside so long as nothing terrible came at them. The primary issue was that Matsuri would have to keep herself awake when she hadn't gotten any rest while she was with her new friends. She had become accustomed to sleeping in a catlike fashion to survive on her own. But, Matsuri wanted to prove to her new friends that she was reliable.

Matsuri continues to use her pretty voice, which contrasts heavily with the rather expressionless visual and tonal expressions. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I'll wake you in the morning. I will keep you safe."

Blink gave another suppressed yawn to herself, before giving a dozy smile to Matsuri.
"Alright, thanks… remember what I said earlier…"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She mumbled, before almost falling to the ground in eagerness to sleep. She didn't know why she felt so tired all of a sudden. Like, yeah, people needed to sleep, but she was unusually tired. Especially when she was still frightened about any more beasts coming out of nowhere.

It didn't take long Blink to find a spot comfortable enough for her. Shuffling on her back, Blink wrapped the fur blanket around herself like a cocoon. As usual, she got into her preferred sleeping position: her left side. Beds back in the bunker were hard as rocks anyway, so the hard ground wasn't much to phase her. Usually she listened to music to help her sleep, but she seemed fine without it.

Comfortable, her eyes began to get heavy. She sort of felt bad for Matsuri staying awake to keep watch, but she seemed fine with it. Any of the group betraying Blink in her sleep was pretty much zero percent, in her opinion. These were genuinely nice people. Not manipulative.

She almost felt like she'd wake up in the world she was used to, but by now she knew that wouldn't happen. This wasn't a stupid dream. As the night remained silent apart from the gently beating hearts of her allies, Blink drifted asleep amidst a drowsy clutter of her own thoughts.

As Valerie follows along, the orange fox trots along too. Wherever Valerie walks, the orange fox walks too. It is hard to keep up with the group, what with her wounds, but Valerie manages it. When they arrive at the alcove, the hole lights up a light shade of orange, making the alcove rather conspicuous if one were to see it from a distance. Valerie nods to the orange fox to sit at the back of the cave, but the fox's light still shines against the walls near the entrance. Valerie takes a seat near the entrance, staring off into the distance. She looks off into the distance to avoid looking at anyone else, lest her stare bother them. She doesn't feel tired. She was asleep only a few hours ago.

Seeing that Valerie didn't go to sleep, she moves over to her side and takes a seat. She knows that Valerie had to have heard that she intended to be the night watch, so she didn't bother to ask if she didn't hear. Instead, she simply wanted to be somewhere that Valerie knew she could approach her. Looking off into the forest, Matsuri waits by Valerie silently.

Valerie looks back to find Matsuri next to her. She can't help but look at her for a few moments then. She hadn't thought it before but Matsuri is very pretty, especially up close. "Hey." She's used to Matsuri's lack of clothing. If she was in a better state of mind when they first met, it might've come as more of a shock but she's seen her enough now that it didn't strike her as odd. Valerie wishes she had more to say but small talk is hard considering the circumstances.

Matsuri looks towards Valerie curiously. She didn't really know what kind of conversation Valerie expected to stem from simply saying "hey", but maybe she was just like Matsuri in that she withholds a lot of the things she'd want to say. Regardless, it seemed to Matsuri that Valerie was looking her over. Matsuri wasn't suspicious, but once again she felt curious as to the reasoning however. In the end though, she simply looked at Valerie with her usual expression, not saying anything back, but strangely something subtle in her expression suggests that she didn't blow Valerie off.


When Valerie receives no response, she looks away again. She wants to talk about something. Perhaps the world they live in or the world from before. She can't bring herself to it. For a long moment, Valerie stares out into the dark distance. There isn't much to see but she finds it easier than staring at Matsuri's blank face. Not that it is an unpleasant face. Valerie hopes she didn't make her feel uncomfortable. Since Matsuri's expression hardly changes, it is impossible to tell how she feels.

Matsuri doesn't really understand why Valerie suddenly looked away when she was trying to hear out what she was trying to say. It seems like it is one of those moments where you have something to say, but can't seem to figure out how you should say it, or even if you should say anything at all. Maybe, if Matsuri said something… [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Are you worried?" Matsuri says this in an intentionally vague way, hoping she is misunderstood as perceptive so that Valerie might open up.

Valerie looks back towards Matsuri. She nods her head. Valerie wants her old life back. She doesn't understand this new world. She wants her coffee, her family, her car, her job... She longs to have a life as fulfilling as the one she had before even if different. She looks into Matsuri's eyes then decides to ask. "Could you give me a life better than the one I lost?"

Matsuri shakes her head, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I can't." Matsuri seems puzzled, "Is that what was bothering you?"

Valerie nods.

Matsuri appends a thought, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"That is really strange."

Valerie frowns. "It's not."

Matsuri looks surprised, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I can't make your life. It is weird you think I can."

Valerie nods again. "I guess so." She pauses for a few moments. "You could though. People make other people happy. Without other people, everyone would be lonely and unhappy."

Matsuri thinks on this for a moment. It was true in a few ways. She felt more at peace when she was with others than she did by herself, but the time she spent alone wasn't truly lonesome. For the first few days, it was actually easier that way, and it still is sometimes. Matsuri didn't even know what it was like to move around when she existed, and had no idea what anything was or what she was doing. When you show that kind of weakness to people, they naturally want to avoid you, or make you subservient to them. Rather than show weakness in front of others, rather than experiencing this form of cruelty, she'd much prefer to be alone. She worked hard to get here, and wants to have friends, but it is a lot of work for her. She became something, for the reason that she wanted to be the kind of person who could be together with others. So maybe there is some merit to what Valerie is saying.

"I can only be me, and you can only be you. I can't promise it will make us happy."

Valerie nods for the third time. She acknowledges Matsuri's viewpoint. However, Valerie knows that just being with others would make her happy. Especially if it's someone particularly amiable or even just pretty, like Matsuri. She figures she would tell Matsuri this some other time. So long as they are all together, Valerie knows she'll be content. From the next day onwards, she knows she will be more lively. She has to find something to live for and it could just be these two ladies. .

Matsuri lays down since Valerie seems to be done with this conversation. Though, she still has a few things to say herself. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Still can't sleep?"

Valerie shakes her head. "Not nearly. If you are sleepy, go to sleep. I will stay up regardless. I think it is because I only woke up earlier today."

Matsuri seems to understand, and scurries off towards Blink. Matsuri was going to stay up, but if Valerie and her are sleep deprived in the morning, that only hurts everyone. Sneaking under the covers with her to keep warm, she passes out fairly quickly and comfortably.

Valerie stays up until dawn, watching the horizon. The orange fox doesn't seem to sleep either. It eventually ambles back over to Valerie and sits at her side. The time passes uneventfully. [/BCOLOR]

 

[envogue]

As Jun took notice of the approaching wolves, she raised her fists instinctively. She hadn't thought that the wolf's pack would return here. Was this just bad luck? Or perhaps they had come to find their lost member? The truth of the matter was irrelevant; these creatures were out for blood. Jun was armed now, but that didn't fill her with confidence when facing down a whole pack of wolves. She had dabbled in martial arts before, but she was no fighter, and she couldn't help but feel that this might be it.

Suddenly, it seemed that her companion had taken it upon herself to act first. All she had done was throw a few measly berries at the wolves, but it certainly got their attention. Jun took the opportunity to attack. She leaped forward and slammed one of her makeshift claws directly into the nearest wolf's neck. Without hesitating, she swung her arm around, with the wolf still impaled on her claw, and hurled the corpse into the midst of the wolf pack. That took a number of them off their feet, but Jun found herself swiftly assailed by another wolf from the side. She managed to block it's assault with one arm, and stab it in the gut with the other. As she pushed it loose of her claw, two of the wolves recovered from her initial strike and leaped on her. They brought her to the ground, but before they could bite, Jun brought her hands together and slammed the two wolves into each other, stunning them. She then took the opportunity to finish them off quickly. Then, yet another wolf attacked her from behind, having circled around as the others made their assault. It fastened it's jaw on her leg, causing Jun to cry out. She reached around and grabbed the wolf by it's head, and wrenched it off her leg before piercing it's neck with one of her claws.

It was at that point Jun finally had a moment to breathe. But she soon realised there was one wolf left. However, when she looked around to find it, she saw it dragging it's back leg, trying it's hardest to advance on Chryseis. She assumed it had been injured more severely than the rest when she threw that one wolf on top of them. It wasn't moving fast enough to be a threat, so Jun simply casually walked up to it and put it to rest. The battle was over, and it seemed they had emerged just fine, except for at least one injury on Jun's part. It hurt, but she could walk on it fine for now. "Did you get hurt?" Jun asked. She thought it was unlikely, since she had thought most of them on her own, but she hardly had time to keep an eye on what was happening to Chryseis the whole time. "We should probably move somewhere else." She stated, as while these wolves were dead, who knew if there might be more out there. If nothing else, she didn't want to sit around near these corpses any more than any sane human would.

Chryseis was thankful her berries had managed to serve as a distraction just long enough for Jun to attack. She couldn't do much else but watch her partner handle the pack of wolves, but with the Jun's skill all Chryseis had to do was stay out of her way. She managed to do just that, even when the last wounded wolf started to advance on Chryseis. Chryseis could have put it down herself with how wounded it was, but she was glad not to have to.

"No, I didn't..." Chryseis responded, exhaling for the first time since the battle started. With it now over, she felt comfortable enough now that there was no obvious danger. She headed over to Jun, golden eyes inspecting all of what she could see. It wasn't long before Chryseis noticed the broken skin and blood on Jun's arm. She made it a point not to make a big deal out of Jun's injury, but to do something about it after they had found a safe place. "I agree," Chryseis said, giving a look around at all of the dead bodies. Her eyes caught sight of the knife in the dead humanoid's body, and Chryseis lightly jogged over to it. She pried it from the dead thing's fingers, and walked back towards Jun. "There are sure to be more enemies in the forest, but it still provides more cover than walking in the plains."

Chryseis ran her fingertip along the knife's blade, noticing it was a little dull. It wasn't much of a looker either, but at least if she ever found herself in a bind or needing to cut something, it would be there for her. "Let us go," Chryseis said. She turned away and started to walk. She knew there had to be a water source somewhere nearby, and wanted to find it.

 

[York]

Collab Between York, Dubs, and Esper o.o

[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci led belinda through the forest basking in the dew of morning left over for the rising sun. As it reached around midday, Luci could feel Red stir beneath her bones. She was certain she wouldn't need to feed him today, since the pain of the girl she tortured through the night was still fresh and nourishing the demon. Luci figured she'd have at least a day to figure out what to do with Belinda. Her mind raced but her face was expressionless. They traveled together until they stepped into another clearing. Again, it was like the screaming headlights of an incoming car. Luci had been so absorbed in trying to figure out how to either get away from, or do away with, Belinda, that she didn't even notice the other girl standing in the clearing. Luci stopped in her tracks. If Belinda didn't notice the girl, she'd notice Luci stopping. It was a mistake to stop, but Luci stood there regardless, not sure what to do. The thought of more company made her panic. She would rather be alone, but it seemed that people wanted to band together in this confusing world. The other girl was small and lithe, with red hair. She wasn't as beautiful as Luci. The vanity swam through her in her pools of thought. She shook her head mentally, remaining expressionless on the outside. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Michaela turned to see two other people, women, and blinked in surprise. She had been alone for several hours already and suddenly there was company? Shifting a little first she then flashed a friendly smile. "Hello, I'm guessing our situation is the same? Or something. I'm not sure how I got here to be honest, how about you?" Okay, she really had to stop babbling. Right now. Studying the two women she wasn't sure what to think of them, the black-haired woman just had this air of mystery like the dark heroines in the novels and the other woman was just as hard to decipher, making it difficult to get a clear impression of her personality. Most likely because neither of them had spoken yet, and she wasn't used to people anymore.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]At first, Belinda didn't notice the apparent presence of another in front of her for a moment… Though, upon hearing a new voice, she looked up, waving back as she blinked a little. It looked like she was running into people faster than anticipated, but, was that really a bad thing? They haven't amassed a crowd or something, so, she was relatively fine with the extra company she had. "Me neither... " She said simply, deciding to leave out the part where she had suddenly switched genders. Perhaps that would come later; she didn't feel like trying to explain suddenly well, transitioning from a male to a female in what seemed like a blink of an eye right at the moment.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci glanced between both girls, not really sure what to say. It was odd, but she often felt like a newborn in this world, bleating out against an infinity of new discovery. Everything was new to her. She had only been alive for a week, in a woman's body, with a Demon inside of it, she's already died once. The two girls in front of her were so casual, as if they had extra time to prepare for these encounters. "I can't… remember anything." She added to the conversation. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]So short replies, and one of them was really sad, the black-haired woman was really like a dark heroine. The dark-pink haired woman was kinda stoic, in a cool way. What was she going to say? That she was happy that they were in the same situation? No, what kind of jerk would say that? That she was happy to meet them? Yes, that would be right. "Umm, well, I know our situation kinda sucks." Except for her it was incredibly awesome to be able to walk again, perhaps she shouldn't make a point of that… "But, I'm glad to have allies in this, if you don't mind me joining." Offering a small smile she switched between looking at them and the ground, feeling a bit shy at her suggestion. Would they accept her?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda took a few moments to consider this offer, then, she nodded, extending her hand a little. "The name's Belinda." She added, figuring this would be the opportune time to introduce herself… Though, she looked towards Luci, wondering if she would do the same; it was uncertain if she too would welcome this newcomer, but, she figured she'd just hope for the best right now. Despite starting to lose herself in her thoughts a little, Belinda managed to keep her hand extended, and even mustered up the courage to smile a little, in a friendly manner.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Luci." She said flatly. The name departed from her lips like it was not her own, like there was no recognition in the name. Belinda had agreed to allow this newcomer to tag along with us. Luci winced mentally when she did. She neglected to offer her hand because she didn't want to hurt them, but also because she wasn't thrilled about the company. Luci was only along for the ride, taking the temporary companionship for what it was. Lucil was baffled by their apparent ability to trust. Were none of them suspecting of the other? Was this not a dangerous world? Her mind raced.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Smiling brightly the redhead grasped the offered hand and shook it happily with both hands. "I'm Michaela, but it's kinda tedious to say so Mika or Ella works just fine." While it was a little awkward that Luci hadn't offered her hand Michaela decided to not poke at it, the darker girl was really like a heroine from a novel. Letting go of Belinda's hand she was really happy they had accepted her, and Belinda really was cool, but nice too. Now she just had to avoid troubling them...[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]So far… So good, Belinda nodded a little at what Micheala, their newfound "party member" said. "So, where should we go?" she asked. It looked like she was unsure of where to head off to next, but, she felt like there must be an end to this forest… However, even if she did reach it's end, what then? Perhaps it was for the best to just figure out what everyone thought about all of this, and, see if they can't find some form of civilization maybe… Or, at least a place to shelter themselves from the elements sooner or later.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I know where." Luci said slowly. She did. Her day travel through these woods yesterday had acquainted her with possible venues for shelter. Although, she had to ask one question to both of them before they decided to trek anywhere, "Have either of you… seen a monster?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Monsters? Why are you talking about things happening in stories and games?" Puzzled she looked at the two women, she herself had barely woken a few hours ago so her experience was limited and her awareness of the dangers she could meet was still limited to simple things like the weather and bugs.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Uh… Nothing yet." Belinda said, she shrugged a little as she looked around, as ominous as this forest may be sometimes, there was no visible threat to them as of yet. Though, this didn't stop her from keeping her guard up for now; who knows what might jump out at them when they least expected it?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci's gaze hardened at their new "friend", "Mika. Belinda. Be alert. Monsters are all around." She wouldn't realize it now, but a part of her was referring just as much to herself as she was to the creatures she had stumbled upon during yesterday's hunting expedition. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci stood and turned on her heel and begins leading their trek through the woods. Twigs crunched underneath her feet, but it was as if the aura of Red XIII made her glide 'tween the trees. Like his investment was so great that he'd use his own influence to make sure she was like an immaculate doll, an immaculate doll puppeted to cause the suffering of the living. She was always struggling with him inside her, and it pulled at the corners of her eyebrows, causing them to knit when she walked. She almost looked hurt. But she couldn't tell them. She could never tell anyone. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]These girls seemed normal, as if they had already had some textured nuance to define them, some sort of backseat startup primed in another world. Luci wouldn't realize it now either, but she was truly still a child in this world. Most of her memories were lodged in the subconscious screams she sometimes mistook for the whispering limbs of trees. She could also recall everything that Red had showed her, and to Luci, those visions were still vivid, so vivid that she can recall her own red hot blood gushing from her nostril as the stone collided and crushed her skull. And that certainly couldn't have helped her memory. But for now she could tell she was different from these women; younger in mentality, older in body, and she certainly benefited from the edges provided by both.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]What? Monsters were real? Oh man… Had she really died and gone somewhere or not? Thoughtful Michaela glanced over to Belinda before following Luci, would they be okay? Maybe, they were more than one, they could back each other up. "So, Luci, how many monsters have you run into? And when did you wake up out here in the woods anyway? And you too Belinda, when did you wake up in these woods?" Not wanting the silence turn awkward she asked all the questions she could imagine being relevant. Relevant questions were good.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda scratched her head a little, she wasn't entirely sure what Luci meant by that, but, she nodded carefully. "I'll keep that in mind." She said, cocking her head to one side, she started to get the feeling that Luci was more than she seemed… Though, why that was the case was still a pretty big mystery to her. That body too though, what was that about? She could see the possibility that the person might have attacked Luci, but, was that truly the case? It seems there were plenty of questions that remain unanswered for the time being, and, Belinda wasn't too sure what to think about that.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I didn't wake up here. And, I've run into a few monsters." Luci's response mirrored her brisk pace. "You can also create things while focusing. It seems like magic." Their new companion Michaela was the talkative type it seems, which would make for an awkward trip, because both Luci and Belinda were scarce with words. However she wouldn't be cold. She'd converse with Micheala if she so desired.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Mn, that! You can do it with fabrics and simple stuff like that. Still it was really difficult making them," cheerful Michaela confirmed Luci's words. "But it's kinda fun, now I have an infinite supply of fabrics~" Skipping along she was capable of following the pace that Lucy had set for now, but no matter how healed she had been thanks to whatever had happened it wouldn't change her lacking endurance.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Huh… Remind me to give that a try sometime…" Belinda said thoughtfully… She walked a little faster to keep up with the other two, figuring it would be for the best not to get left behind. However, she still wasn't quite sure where exactly they were headed here; the forest had yet to yield to even another clearing….[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]

[/BCOLOR]

 

[Saito Hajime]

Chryseis was thankful her berries had managed to serve as a distraction just long enough for Jun to attack. She couldn't do much else but watch her partner handle the pack of wolves, but with the Jun's skill all Chryseis had to do was stay out of her way. She managed to do just that, even when the last wounded wolf started to advance on Chryseis. Chryseis could have put it down herself with how wounded it was, but she was glad not to have to.

"No, I didn't..." Chryseis responded, exhaling for the first time since the battle started. With it now over, she felt comfortable enough now that there was no obvious danger. She headed over to Jun, golden eyes inspecting all of what she could see. It wasn't long before Chryseis noticed the broken skin and blood on Jun's arm. She made it a point not to make a big deal out of Jun's injury, but to do something about it after they had found a safe place. "I agree," Chryseis said, giving a look around at all of the dead bodies. Her eyes caught sight of the knife in the dead humanoid's body, and Chryseis lightly jogged over to it. She pried it from the dead thing's fingers, and walked back towards Jun. "There are sure to be more enemies in the forest, but it still provides more cover than walking in the plains."

Chryseis ran her fingertip along the knife's blade, noticing it was a little dull. It wasn't much of a looker either, but at least if she ever found herself in a bind or needing to cut something, it would be there for her. "Let us go," Chryseis said. She turned away and started to walk. She knew there had to be a water source somewhere nearby, and wanted to find it.

Chryseis' decision to take the knife from the battleground made Jun think more about her own bizarre choice of weapon. She really couldn't explain why she had been set on making these crude claws, but it just felt right. Seeing as Chryseis had the knife herself, there was no point in changing her mind now. It was probably for the best that Chryseis had the knife anyway; she doubted many people would be comfortable using these claws like Jun was, so better for Chryseis to have a weapon anyone could use, even if she had no combat experience. Seeing as Jun had fought the wolves on instinct alone, perhaps Chryseis would also have some hidden talents.

In any case, it was time for them to move away from the mess Jun had made. She wondered a little if all the blood she had on her would attract more wolves, but that wasn't something she could help much for the time being. With luck, they might come across somewhere she could get clean.

And as luck would have it, they managed to find a stream. "Thank God!" Jun exclaimed. She was quite eager to get all this blood off her. She jogged down to the water and hastily started splashing it on her person. She was probably going to make herself wet, but better to be wet than caked with blood as far as she was concerned. After a few moments, she managed to wash the bulk of the blood off her body, though her clothes were still stained with some of it. Her wound still ached, but the bleeding had mostly stopped. It was finally a good time for her to sit down and rest. Goodness knew she needed a break after all that fighting.

"Say, Chryseis..." She began, a thought having come to her. "You said when we met you woke up one day with only your name....do you really remember nothing about who you used to be?" Jun had such a clear recollection of her past life, it was almost as if she had been male mere moments ago. It was hard to imagine that someone wouldn't remember a thing about their past. She supposed it must be some form of amnesia, and yet it seemed far too coincidental to have nothing to do with this sudden change of scenery that had befallen the pair of them. Chryseis probably had no answers regarding why she remembered nothing, but Jun thought it might be helpful to ask about it at any rate. "What about the world we came from? Do you not remember that either? Even....how it ended?" The end of the world was certainly something Jun would never forget, no matter how long she spent in this new world. She could scarcely believe that someone would forget an experience like that, but she would soon learn...

 

[☆Luna☆]

Medium Wall

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink let out a small moan as the light of the rising sun forced her awake. Her sleep had been dreamless, but… relaxing nonetheless. She was somewhat disheartened to find she was still female, but it was expected. She knew this was all real by now.

Unsteadily, Blink's eyes opened. She was about to do her usual thing of shuffling a little before going back to sleep again, but her eyes widened in realisation. She kept very still, and her cheeks flushed bright red. Matsuri was right next to her under the blanket. She could feel her body heat, and hear her soft, delicate breathing. It was… wonderful, truth be told. Butterflies fluttered in Blink's stomach. She didn't want to make any sudden moves to make Matsuri wake up.

Blink could hear Valerie's heartbeat behind her. She supposed Matsuri and Valerie swapped positions in the night… which made Blink feel a little guilty. Valerie seemed like she needed the sleep.

Warm. It felt… warm… to be this close to someone. Cheeks becoming redder the more she looked at Matusri, Blink couldn't help but shuffle a tiny bit closer to her. Remaining still, Blink closed her eyes but didn't go to sleep, and savoured the moment for a while, a tiny albeit nervous smile accompanying her blush.

After a few minutes of laying perfectly asleep next to Blink, Matsuri begins to rouse. Since this is one of her first moments of an actual night's rest, she didn't realize how difficult it would be just to get her body ready to move again. Moving about restlessly, Matsuri ends up tossing herself right against Blink. From this position, oblivious to her situation, Matsuri stretches out her arms and lets out a yawn before she starts to open her eyes. Seeing her sudden closeness to Blink, Matsuri blushes a bit, but surprisingly you manage to get that rare soft smile out of her, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Good morning." Part of Matsuri wanted to move away from Blink, but the rest of her thought that she was better off trying to play it off. After all, she didn't want to reveal she has trouble getting up in the mornings, even if it might already be obvious.

Blink eyes fluttered open in surprise when Matsuri got even closer to her. Her heartstrings pulled by the adorable little yawn and smile, Blink stuttered a little as she talked. She really wanted to hug Matsuri right now, but she didn't have the guts. She felt shy enough as it was, though in a good way.
"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Hey… m-mornin'..." Blink whispered drowsily. She wasn't sure when to start to get up, so she stayed sort of locked in place as her cheeks remained red. Blink didn't really want to get up anyway; she wasn't a morning person.

After a bit of a while, Blink eventually decided she should get up. Even if the warmth of Matsuri next to her was wonderful, she'd just go back to sleep again if she remained stationary.

Blink gave a quiet humming sound, before rolling onto her front. She looked up at Valerie, and the fox next to her. Valerie seemed alert. Blink was beyond relieved nobody had ran away in the night, or something. She felt this group getting together and trusting eachother more as the days went by.
"Unh… was everything okay in the night…?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink dazedly asked Valerie, looking up at her. She didn't know she had a bit of a dumb look on her face, and her pink hair was sort of messy and around her eyes. As stated earlier, Blink wasn't a morning person.

Valerie looks back towards them She's smiling slightly. She nods her head curtly. "Nothing to report. Seems like the things of the forest are avoiding us." The orange fox looks back as well. Valerie exudes a much more jovial countenance than that of the day before.

Although Matsuri had done her best to try to hide her sluggish behavior, Blink didn't seem to try to hide hers at all. It was a relief to Matsuri that she wasn't the only one who had trouble waking up in the morning. Besides, if she looked anything like Blink when she was tired, maybe it wasn't such a terrible thing. She looked kinda pretty like that, in a way that Matsuri couldn't really explain. Maybe showing vulnerability in that way actually made her more endearing. Matsuri picks herself up, standing to her feet, looking to the outside. Would there be even more friends in the future? She knew that she originally wanted to make a lot of friends, but in practice, they were a lot more work than she imagined. Would she be able to handle having more? Matsuri thought about these things away from Blink and Valerie.

Blink crawled onto her feet, brushing off some of the dirt on her clothes, and rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She should probably bathe soon… and eat something. Blink was somewhat scared of the time when she needed to bathe because… well… it'd be really weird. She wasn't a dude anymore. No way would she get used to it.

Blink made slow and drowsy steps to Valerie, blinking as she looked at the fox.
"You have a name for him…?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink asked in a drunk-like tone, clearly wishing to go back into bed.

Valerie shakes her head. "How do you know if it is male? Besides, I don't know if it has a name already or not." The orange fox stares at Blink for a moment then looks over to Matsuri. Valerie stands up and starts to stretch, having been in a static position for most of the night.

"Oh… I thought they were, like, your spirit animal." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink mumbled. She seemed a little nervous when the fox stared at her. She'd seen what the fox could do, but she found he or she pretty cool nonetheless. She also had a habit of assuming pets, such as dogs, were a 'he' all the time. She didn't know why, she just did it… she really wasn't that eager to validate the gender.

Valerie rubs the orange fox behind the ear. It doesn't seem to react much to the attention. It turns its attention back to Blink then again to Matsuri before turning to Valerie. Valerie smiles at the others, ready to move again. She doesn't seem tired despite, presumably, having not slept the night before.

"I'm… uh… gonna wash in the river real quick. No peeking." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink added jokingly, not that she knew of the two's sexual preferences. This was going to be weird as heck, but she might as well get it out of the way.

Matsuri speaks with concern, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"What will you do if a monster attacks you without me?"

Blink stops. Crud, she hadn't thought about that…
"Maybe… uh… I'll be careful?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She said unsurely, almost like a child trying to assure a parent.

Even though Matsuri's face is the least expressive thing Blink has likely come across, it is still clear that she wasn't buying this. Matsuri wasn't insensitive however. When you are completely naked, you are much more vulnerable, and it might be hard to expose that to someone you just met. Even still, Blink couldn't defend herself in that last fight. Even if she yelled for help well in advance, she might be dead by the time I came from all the way over here. So Matsuri starts heading towards the river. Actually seeming slightly vulnerable, a little bit of Matsuri's emotion comes through. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I don't want to lose you, so, I want to come. I won't look, so please."

"I…" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink began unsurely, biting her lip a little. She supposed she didn't have any choice… Matsuri was right. Blink enjoyed her privacy, but she enjoyed being alive too.
"Okay. But… yeah… please don't look."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink said. Not that she didn't trust Matsuri, it was just going to be a really weird moment for her. And it would almost assuredly be embarrassing if someone was watching.

Matsuri lowers her head, not expecting Blink to say such a thing. She said that she wouldn't look, but Blink still didn't trust her. Matsuri thought about it a bit more, and realized that she might do the exact same. We haven't known each other for even a day, so there was no way she could be trusted not to look. Was she supposed to offer some sort of assurance? Matsuri thinks on this intensely until she comes up with an idea. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I promise I won't look. If I end up lying, I'll let you do anything you want to me." Matsuri, unfortunately, has no idea how this looks from an outside perspective, so she actually means this in a very innocent way.

Blink blushed her own heartbeat accelerating, quite surprised by what Matsuri just said. She didn't know how to reply for a moment.
"No, no, it's okay. I believe you. Y-you don't have to promise that."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink ended with a nervous laugh. She was pretty sure Matsuri didn't mean in it the way Blink initially interpreted, but still, she believed her.

Besides, if Matsuri did lie, what would Blink even do? She didn't have the heart to do anything bad to her. Did Matsuri think she did? Probably not, but… still.

Matsuri didn't quite understand Blink's sudden change of heart, but whatever it was seemed to be bothering her, so maybe it would be best to drop it. Regardless, she'd need to take a bath at some point, so coming with Blink to the river wasn't a terrible idea. Though, Matsuri was unsure how Valerie felt about all of this. She looks over in Valerie's direction in an attempt to discern her feelings.

Valerie nods to Matsuri. "It's better if we stick together. However, I think we should be more concerned with figuring out where we want to go next." Matsuri and Blink's exchange was cute but cute is not important right now. Valerie longs to get away from the area.

When she was dirty, Blink felt pretty uncomfortable. All those germs… but in the end, Blink supposed Valerie was right. Although randomly choosing a direction to walk seemed to be the only way of choosing a path.
"Well… uhm… maybe a vantage point would come in handy. We could try and find one?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink suggested.

Blink really had no idea where to go. To be honest, Blink wasn't even perfectly sure which direction was north. And this world changed, too… damn, not even a map would come in handy, but it was agreed they needed to go somewhere. …Maybe a quick wash first, though…? It depended on the others' opinions; Blink was terrible at organising things.

Matsuri feels uncomfortable hearing that Valerie wanted to move ahead already. Matsuri understands that she wants to do some exploring, but there really wasn't any rush. Taking a bath wouldn't take long, and she would be unhappy basically the entire day if she didn't get a chance to clean herself. Matsuri didn't really want to lead the charge against this one however, so she spoke quietly, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I want a bath."

Valerie nods. "Sure. Take a bath. I'm not stopping you. I'm just a little impatient." She keeps smiling earnestly. Valerie didn't see the problem. Even if they saw each other undressed, there's nothing compromising about that in this sort of world. Societal standards don't apply anymore. Besides, Matsuri was pretty much more than half naked all the time.

Blink wasn't really sure what to say at this point, but she was glad things didn't get too awkward. Blink could understand Valerie's impatience, because she probably didn't like this place. But, aye, cleanliness was a lovely thing. After killing those wolves, the fox could probably use a bath. Although the fox was kinda scary in Blink's opinion.
"We won't be long. Afterwards, we're getting outta' here!" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink announced with a grin.

After a pause, she unsurely began to head in the direction of the river.

Following closely behind Blink, Matsuri trails dutifully behind Blink. She was happy that she was able to push her agenda without too much of a fight. When the pair arrives at the river, Matsuri, true to her word, waits behind a tree looking the opposite direction to give Blink some privacy. She hums softly to herself to pass the time.

Blink looked behind her, and listened for the heartbeat of Matsuri. Yep… she wasn't looking, not that she'd expect her to.
"Well… here goes."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink whispered to herself.

Uncomfortably, she began to unclothe, dumping her attire in a pile by the side of the river. Into the reflection, she caught a glimpse of what her new body… truly was.

Everything suddenly felt so weird that her head began to become light, but she took heavy breaths, and tiptoed into the crystal waters. It didn't take her long to get used to the cold water, but every time she looked down at her own body, she was close to having a panic attack. Scoop after scoop, she wiped her legs, her arms, her face and hair clean of any dirt, holding back hurried and heavy breaths. Seeing herself as a female was even stranger of a sensation than she'd thought, and she really really wanted to get this over quickly.

Ok… that'd do. Seeing no more specks of dirt to be washed, Blink's damp hair trailed behind her as she pulled her soaking body from the river. Grabbing her bundle of clothes, she moved with haste behind a tree to change in privacy.
"O-Okay, done!" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink called out in the most normal tone she could muster.

After a pause, she leant against the tree in silence for a few moments, her blue eyes shaky; unbelieving.

Matsuri, hearing that Blink was finished, headed towards the river without delay. She noticed that Blink sounded a little funny, like she was frazzled, but ultimately Matsuri attributed it to the face that she probably was trying to make good time to appease Valerie, and ran to change behind the trees naked. Even though there was no chance that Matsuri would spy on her friends while they were naked and didn't want to be seen, she seemed to understand that running around stark naked might be a bit embarrassing. Matsuri herself felt very relaxed when she bathed however. Someone seeing her naked was no big deal either, so she didn't feel particularly vigilant against such threats. The only thing she had to worry about were monsters, and she was but one flash step from her weapon. Taking her time scrubbing herself down, it is apparent why Matsuri has such healthy looking skin. She scrubs every part of herself very thoroughly and carefully, even in those tricky spots on her back. This time however, she looked into the water, thinking back to what she saw yesterday.

Matsuri saw such marvelous expressions on Blink's face when she did it, but all Matsuri could see was herself. There wasn't anything there that made her look any more pleasant. Just the same cold stare she seems to keep with her. Speaking softly to herself, "I look so empty…" Matsuri looks longingly at her reflection, wishing to see something more, but she finishes her bath before discovering anything, so she gives up. She picks up her clothing, carrying it with her, only for her to realize she didn't conjure anything to dry off with since she was so caught up with her thoughts. Hoping that Blink had better forethought, Matsuri moves to her location. Somewhat reserved, "I forgot to bring something to dry. Can you help?"

Blink averted her eyes when she heard Matsuri's heartbeat approaching, knowing that she probably wasn't dressed yet. Blink felt a bit flustered, knowing that she'd see Matsuri naked if she turned around without thinking.

By now Blink was clothed in her t-shirt and jeans, although her hair was damp. Not having a hairdryer sucked, even more so when your hair was very long and pink all of a sudden. Like Matsuri, she didn't really bring a proper towel, but she made do by using her jeans and wringing them out afterwards. They'd dry eventually; she didn't mind them being a bit damp.

As Matsuri asked her question, Blink supposed she hadn't put on her denim jacket yet… she didn't mind not wearing it for a while.
"H… here. You can use my jacket. Catch."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink replied. Untying it from her waist, Blink gently threw it behind her in the direction of Matsuri's heartbeat without turning around. Haa… she'd be such a gentleman right now if that was still a thing.

Matsuri caught the jacket, but in the end she doesn't use it to dry off. Matsuri didn't want to use Blink's jacket in such a way, as she didn't want Blink to be without recourse should the weather become cold. The world here has pretty drastic changes in environment, so it was entirely possible that she would need it. If it were just a matter of drying off, she'd just need to summon some cloth to absorb the moisture. In the mean time, just moving around would help her dry off. The entire area was pretty hot, so Matsuri didn't mind being without her clothing for just a few moments. Although Blink was still looking away from her, Matsuri places Blink's jacket across her shoulder. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I don't want you to be without clothes. I can't make something this nice. Take care of yourself."

"I-I don't mind. It'll dry off quickly in this hot weather…" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink said quietly, trying not to completely melt when a naked girl was directly behind her. Her shirt was fine for now, and the fur blanket was there. She didn't want Matsuri to be all wet, and Valerie was probably waiting to get going.
"If you want to use it, please do. It's not that special to me." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink whispered.

For a moment, she seemed sad. What she [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]really held special was her instruments, her programs, her real clothes, and her friends. And… mom. And dad. Just like that… all of that was gone. But she didn't make herself think too hard about that. Not here.

Matsuri realized that even if Blink was being nice by giving her something to dry off, accepting this kindness meant that she would be ruining Blink's nice jacket. It might be one thing if she had another one, or we could easily get a new one, but that wasn't the case currently. Plus, there was something offputting about having this conversation towards her back. In a spur of the moment crazy idea, Matsuri used her flash step, moving to face Blink, but she was so close to her face that she wouldn't be able to see anything but her face so long as she didn't try to move away. As Matsuri expected, she can control what comes with her, as she was able to flash step with just her body, leaving the water that was not already absorbed by her body to fall harmlessly to the ground. Looking Blink straight in the eyes, though with no special feelings or intensity visibly apparent,[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "Even if you don't understand it is special, it is still special."
Although she felt pretty cool saying that, Matsuri now understood why Blink didn't want to bathe together. Matsuri thought that being naked in front of other people wouldn't be so bad, but in practice she suddenly felt compromised. Not knowing what else to do, Matsuri turns bright red, and retreats with yet another flash step towards the clothes she left laying on the ground. She changes into them quickly, then tugs on Blink's hand to signal that she was ready to go back.

Blink was still stiff, red and shaking a bit Matsuri teleporting right in front of her whilst naked. Blink hadn't looked down, but being right next to such a pretty face made her just as shy. Matsuri's eyes had always gave Blink those little butterflies in her stomach… so… mysterious, and rare…

"U-um…?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink stuttered as Matsuri gave her hand a pull. She heard Matsuri slipping her clothes back on, but she wanted to make sure. It was curious how Matsuri had suddenly seemed very embarrassed. Maybe she'd only just learnt that being naked in front of someone felt weird. ...When she said she couldn't remember anything, did that mean she'd forgotten the 'norms' of society too? It was curious to think about.

Either way, Blink didn't want Matsuri to get embarrassed again, or see the poor thing naked for that matter. She double-checked, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"You're… changed now… r-right?"

Matsuri still seemed rather awkward about the entire event, but on the upside, this is the most emotion Blink has seen out of her yet. She trailed closely behind Blink, not letting go of her hand for a few seconds, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Yeah. I, I think I understand now." Knowing that she should let go, Matsuri moves her hand back to her side. She actually felt vulnerable just with the fact that Blink had the information of her doing such a thing. Matsuri knows it would be completely unreasonable to ask her to forget that ever happened, but internally she knew that was what she wanted. Matsuri felt such a tempest within her, she couldn't even remember how it was that Blink responded. Regardless, Matsuri made a mental note to take Blink's warnings more seriously in the future. After thinking like this for several seconds, "Valerie is waiting."

"...Oh, right." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink said after Matsuri's reminder. She'd been a little lost in thought due to Matsuri's behaviour, but it'd still be a while before she understood the curious girl. Taking the jacket off her shoulders, Blink slipped it on, her hand still a bit warm and… empty-feeling from where Matsuri had held it.

Blink began to walk at a slow-ish pace, her hands in the pockets of her jacket as she walked. She looked behind her once in a while to check Matsuri was still there and no monsters were about… for some reason she did this even though she could hear heartbeats. It was almost a habit.

"...Why do you think my jacket's special?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink asked Matsuri in a quiet tone.

Matsuri looked at Blink for a few seconds without saying anything. In the heat of the moment, she thought that Blink would think badly of her for acting so strange. Even though Matsuri was so confident that she'd be ok being naked in front of other girls, when she made the plunge she didn't even consider how Blink would feel. Even to this moment, she couldn't imagine what Blink was feeling, but somehow, she actually heard Matsuri out in that moment. Matsuri felt oddly happy, like maybe that humiliating moment might have actually been worthwhile. Looking off in the distance Matsuri smiles a soft smile. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"The clothes we wear when we enter this world are all unique. Everyone's are different. For me, they were the first things to mark my identity in the new world. They are markers of the start of your new life in this world. Even when we inevitably move on to new things, I can wear these, and remember how it all started. I know a lot of people discount these kinds of things because this isn't their first birth, but for me, it is. I'm glad I came to exist here. And as time goes on, I'll only feel that way more and more. Even if it isn't your first time, it should be the same..."

Blink blinked, caught off guard by this sudden deep statement. She… she never would have thought of it that way, but now, Blink wanted to think of it that way. The headphones marked her love for music, and her denim jacket marked her individuality. She thought she got it now…
"...I see."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink whispered. She paused, before doing up her jacket.

She wanted to give Matsuri a big hug for the little speech, but respected her personal space. Matsuri was a box of surprises, and inside, Blink was really growing to like her.

As Blink began to walk again, her eyes seemed to flood with worry. Four… four heartbeats were by the place they'd slept! It should only be Valerie and the fox!

Yet Valerie's heartbeat didn't seem to show any particular stress, Blink whispered in Matsuri's ear, putting a hand on her shoulder to indicate for her to stop walking.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"T-there's two others people… or things… by Valerie." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri prepares herself, nodding succinctly towards Blink to show she understood. If Valerie were surrounded by hostiles, they'd need to be combat ready. If they were other adventurers, then it might end up even more complicated. [/BCOLOR]

 

[envogue]

Chryseis' decision to take the knife from the battleground made Jun think more about her own bizarre choice of weapon. She really couldn't explain why she had been set on making these crude claws, but it just felt right. Seeing as Chryseis had the knife herself, there was no point in changing her mind now. It was probably for the best that Chryseis had the knife anyway; she doubted many people would be comfortable using these claws like Jun was, so better for Chryseis to have a weapon anyone could use, even if she had no combat experience. Seeing as Jun had fought the wolves on instinct alone, perhaps Chryseis would also have some hidden talents.

In any case, it was time for them to move away from the mess Jun had made. She wondered a little if all the blood she had on her would attract more wolves, but that wasn't something she could help much for the time being. With luck, they might come across somewhere she could get clean.

And as luck would have it, they managed to find a stream. "Thank God!" Jun exclaimed. She was quite eager to get all this blood off her. She jogged down to the water and hastily started splashing it on her person. She was probably going to make herself wet, but better to be wet than caked with blood as far as she was concerned. After a few moments, she managed to wash the bulk of the blood off her body, though her clothes were still stained with some of it. Her wound still ached, but the bleeding had mostly stopped. It was finally a good time for her to sit down and rest. Goodness knew she needed a break after all that fighting.

"Say, Chryseis..." She began, a thought having come to her. "You said when we met you woke up one day with only your name....do you really remember nothing about who you used to be?" Jun had such a clear recollection of her past life, it was almost as if she had been male mere moments ago. It was hard to imagine that someone wouldn't remember a thing about their past. She supposed it must be some form of amnesia, and yet it seemed far too coincidental to have nothing to do with this sudden change of scenery that had befallen the pair of them. Chryseis probably had no answers regarding why she remembered nothing, but Jun thought it might be helpful to ask about it at any rate. "What about the world we came from? Do you not remember that either? Even....how it ended?" The end of the world was certainly something Jun would never forget, no matter how long she spent in this new world. She could scarcely believe that someone would forget an experience like that, but she would soon learn...

Chryseis' eyes lit up as she set her sights on a stream, the trickling sound of water music to her ears. She followed Jun over to the shallow body of water, but stopped at the water's edge. Being so close to water unsettled her a bit, even if it wasn't deep enough for her to realistically drown in. There was just something about it that made her feel unsafe. It was a strange feeling, something she'd felt ever since being born into this brand new world; but, alas Chryseis knew that water was essential for all life and she would have to deal with her fear at some point.

Looking down at her reflection, Chryseis gave a small sigh and began to turn away to find a place to get settled into. She found a smooth, slanted stone and took a seat where she could still see Jun cleaning off in the stream. With Jun's wound cleaned, Chryseis imagined it would need something to keep from becoming infected, and she had just the trick. With her vast knowledge of plants and herbs, Chryseis was able to whip up something for most things. Granted she had the supplies for it, it would be no issue. The herbs she had picked earlier would get the job done for Jun.

As Chryseis was grinding the herbs into a fine paste with a rock, she heard Jun call out to her and glanced up from her task with a curious expression. Her expression only grew more curious as Jun continued, and honestly, Chryseis was unsure of what to answer with. Yes, it was true, she had no recollection of her past. She too wanted answers, but she hardly knew where to start. There was nothing in the cards, or in the stars, and meditation had proved fruitless so far.

"That's right," Chryseis answered coolly, as if she hadn't just been confused seconds before. She rolled up the piece of cloth that the herb paste was ground into, and hopped down from the rock. "I've told you all I know." She started to approach the water's edge, stopping once more before her feet could touch it. "I've spent a lot of time meditating on it, and I'm convinced that anything about my past is buried deep inside of me...somewhere," she said, inhaling deeply. Chryseis knew her answers were probably frustrating, but it's all she had.

With a strong desire to change the subject, or at least divert some of the attention away from herself, Chryseis extended her hand and beckoned for Jun to come closer. "Here, let me bandage your leg. This paste will help you heal faster and disinfect your wound."

 

[Saito Hajime]

Chryseis' eyes lit up as she set her sights on a stream, the trickling sound of water music to her ears. She followed Jun over to the shallow body of water, but stopped at the water's edge. Being so close to water unsettled her a bit, even if it wasn't deep enough for her to realistically drown in. There was just something about it that made her feel unsafe. It was a strange feeling, something she'd felt ever since being born into this brand new world; but, alas Chryseis knew that water was essential for all life and she would have to deal with her fear at some point.

Looking down at her reflection, Chryseis gave a small sigh and began to turn away to find a place to get settled into. She found a smooth, slanted stone and took a seat where she could still see Jun cleaning off in the stream. With Jun's wound cleaned, Chryseis imagined it would need something to keep from becoming infected, and she had just the trick. With her vast knowledge of plants and herbs, Chryseis was able to whip up something for most things. Granted she had the supplies for it, it would be no issue. The herbs she had picked earlier would get the job done for Jun.

As Chryseis was grinding the herbs into a fine paste with a rock, she heard Jun call out to her and glanced up from her task with a curious expression. Her expression only grew more curious as Jun continued, and honestly, Chryseis was unsure of what to answer with. Yes, it was true, she had no recollection of her past. She too wanted answers, but she hardly knew where to start. There was nothing in the cards, or in the stars, and meditation had proved fruitless so far.

"That's right," Chryseis answered coolly, as if she hadn't just been confused seconds before. She rolled up the piece of cloth that the herb paste was ground into, and hopped down from the rock. "I've told you all I know." She started to approach the water's edge, stopping once more before her feet could touch it. "I've spent a lot of time meditating on it, and I'm convinced that anything about my past is buried deep inside of me...somewhere," she said, inhaling deeply. Chryseis knew her answers were probably frustrating, but it's all she had.

With a strong desire to change the subject, or at least divert some of the attention away from herself, Chryseis extended her hand and beckoned for Jun to come closer. "Here, let me bandage your leg. This paste will help you heal faster and disinfect your wound."

Jun moved closer and allowed Chryseis to apply the bandage. It occurred to her that not anyone, certainly not Jun herself, would have skill with herbal remedies. "Perhaps this talent of yours has something to do with your past? Not anyone could make something like this." Jun told her, mostly wondering aloud. "Then again, I never learnt to fight like I did with those wolves. Perhaps it's just a quirk of this baffling new world..." She was dismayed, as she thought she may have come up with something that might give them some answers, only to realise it mattered little in this new world. Analysis and logic had been a large part of Jun's life, looking closely out how the world worked and why things were wrong. But here in this world, she couldn't rely on conventional knowledge and wisdom to answer anything. It was highly disconcerting.

"We should rest a while here." She said. Perhaps Chryseis would be tired as well, and desire to rest for a while. But Jun knew part of the reason they should rest is because walking around on a wound would only aggravate it. This was only logical, but it made Jun feel like it was her fault they had to rest, which didn't sit well with her at all. She hated the feeling of being a burden. "We can carry on once we're both feeling up to it." It may or may not have been obvious, but she was avoiding mentioning her wound healing. Jun was no medical expert, but she hoped it wouldn't take long for her to be 100 percent again. Hopefully Chryseis' paste was the stuff of miracles.

Jun took a seat on a rock near the stream. She figured Chryseis wouldn't appreciate her prodding her too much over her past, not that it would accomplish anything to bring it up again anyway. She instead began to ruminate on what she knew. If it was possible others had found themselves in this world, it was possible they might be like Chryseis, rather than herself. If that was the case, if his wife and son were here, perhaps they too had forgotten who they were. Additionally, if either of them had undergone a physical transformation like her own, Jun wouldn't recognise either of them if she found them, meaning it was entirely possible she would never find her family in this world.

A weird thought occurred to Jun as she contemplated these facts. Given she remembered nothing of who she was, and it was entirely possible she too had been physically transformed, it was entirely possible that Chryseis might be her wife transformed....or even her son. But Jun dismissed such speculation; it would just make things awkward if she got carried away with such thoughts. She could only pray her family would be recognisable by some method...

 

[Karakui]

A deep sound echoed throughout the cave, accompanied by a flash of orange light. As the light faded, the girl turned her head slightly and could vaguely make out the shapes of 4 other people, one lying on the ground. She glanced left as she picked herself up. She could see there a list of 39 bars, 26 of which were in yellow, 10 of which were in green and 3 of which were in red. Good. Looks like most of us managed to dodge the explosion in time. She looked up, and saw a 40th, much larger bar. It was still green and about 80% filled. The dust cleared, and below the bar appeared a colossal monster constructed of flesh textured as such that it resembled the star-filled night sky. Over this skin, it wore huge plates of purple metal, and it clutched an axe of similar material in its hands. She stood and watched it swing the blade around as the healthbars on her left slowly depleted. When it raised the axe above its head, she ran forwards, pointed her outstretched palm towards the beast and shouted "Mjolnir!". A bolt, no, a titanic beam of lightning arced towards the level 94 Celestial Minotaur, and upon impact, exploded violently. Unfortunately, she had been slightly too close, and had been thrown back by the explosion, her leg stuck under a fallen stone. She watched helplessly as the minotaur's axe fell upon her, but blacked out just before it hit. Being asleep, she couldn't see it, but her display had been replaced by a red "Server Error" notification.

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The girl was awoken by the sound of angular sandstone fragments scattering across a larger sandstone rock after falling from a height of about 7 feet (which is a surprisingly distinct sound). Her eyes opened slowly, as if they were as heavy as lead, and she looked around. The only light illuminating the cave was that which filtered lightly in through the entrance, so she could see little. "Did we beat the event boss? If so, I should have a stardust fragment in my inven-" her voice trailed off suddenly. "There's no UI... is the server bugged?" She crawled to her feet, and leaned against the wall, accidentally putting her hand on one of the scattered shards from earlier. She jumped back in surprise "Ouch! Wait... the dive system doesn't have a pain simulation function, which means... this is reality? Why am I in a cave then? I should be in my bedroom." Still drowsy from waking up, she staggered slowly towards the light, and emerged into it, shading her eyes with her hand until the intense sunlight died down. Her hand fell to her side and the narrator camera switched to third person and flew up into the air to illustrate the sheer scale of the spectacle she was beholding. Far below her, the ground was shifting, as if it were a great bowl of liquid being stirred by an invisible spoon. Even the cliff she stood on was changing, and she moved back into the cave entrance a little for shelter. She watched in wonder as forests rose up from deserts and mountains gave way to meadows.

When the land finally settled, she exited once more and looked around. It was then that she caught a glimpse of her own self in the mirror-like surface of a silvery pool of water that had grown on the mountain path she stood on. She looked like something out of a game. Or more specifically, she looked identical to her avatar in the game she had been playing before - a powerful elemental mage named Naore. Even her dramatic wing accessory she had won the sole copy of in an earlier event challenge. Whoever it was who had caused this, and she was convinced it was a who and not a what, was someone she would really like to meet. She was quite surprised that even with the vast deformation of physics to cause her current appearance, she seemed to be having no problems controlling said body. She thought for a while, then smirked in a mischievous matter. "If my physical aspects are now that of a game then..." She wasn't really sure how she was supposed to do this, so she held out her hand and kind of just willed whatever supernatural energy might exist into it. Right on cue, a thin and quick bolt of crimson lightning streaked down from the sky and thoroughly toasted a clump of grass. This coaxed only a small but disturbingly psychotic laugh.

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Sometime later, after a needlessly dramatic 80s-style cartoon time skip:

The girl, now having become somewhat adept with her newfound abilities and fully embracing the new world, was walking through a forest. Or it might not have been a forest. It might have been a desert, or a ravine. No one really knows, since no one could tell when the land would shift and completely ruin that landscape painting you were trying to do. She was hunting weak boar-like creatures to absorb their blood, and just as she made the last kill of the area, she heard footsteps. Someone, or someones, were walking through the undergrowth/sand/dirt towards her. She suspected they would be monsters, but should they be human, they would be the first humans she had encountered since her arrival in this world. She ultimately decided to sit on a conveniently placed boulder and await their arrival.

@AnyoneWhosePartyMightWantAMagicalTank

 

[Infinity]

More Ravenna x Umoura collab

Ravenna x Umoura

It began as a low melodic hum sustained from the Heroine's diaphragm. It sounded like a blood red rose, velvet, like it belonged in a smoky bar filled room. It gained legato momentum and ascended into a high belt, a declaration to the nature surrounding. Ravenna remembered the piece from the intro to a metal album comprised mostly of vocal layers, resulting into a crescendo chanting of sorts that made the listener feel release. If anyone had asked, she would say she sang it because she remembered it, and she was letting the creatures of the forest know who's new in town. But really, she sang it because it reminded her of a hope that she had for a world already doomed to total annihilation. It all swirled down the drain.
She begins the second song of the album;
"Begin hyper communication,
Restore our vision,
Of natural progression,
Rise in groves to reclaim the source,
The center….

We will be the salvation the Mother seeks."
Each syllable was drawn to it's aesthetic limit and was heavy with her breath, to produce a more viscous sound. Ravenna remembers being a boy and listening to these songs, filled with an ecstasy in which can only be found in a war torn country, where hope is as coveted as black market luxuries. It made him energetic back then, but now it made her nostalgic and a little solemn. The singing of the song was rather ironic. Thinking of the past now made her mind wander to her companion trailing behind her as they walked through the woods, their path alit by the solar zenith.
Ravenna had recalled something they talked about… she slowed her pace to match her friend, "Hey Umoura. Remember when I said I thought I remembered these Favored- or whatever they're called- and how they were making people forget? Since you don't seem to recall your past life, why do you think you would've chosen to forget? The Favored weren't forcing people, or so I think…"

A walk punctuated by the sounds of a girl singing heavy metal. It wasn't necessarily what Umoura had in mind, but it was better than being alone. Though she wondered how long she could stand it, being alone was starting to sound much more pleasant. The walk continued for a while with nothing but the sounds of her voice, though it eventually became actual questions, to which Umoura breathed a sigh of relief. Her hands clenched the large club, using it currently as a makeshift walking stick, her stomach growling from the extended time on their feet.
Her face turned to the other girl at her question, confusion evident on her face, though that emotion was soon hidden behind a mask, like so many other emotions of hers. "I don't know. I don't even know if it was one of those Favored people that wiped my memories. Maybe I never had any to begin with, maybe they were wiped clean when this world became different. But if it had…" She closed her eyes. There were only a few reasons she could think of that would involve her willingly losing her memories, none of them good. "There would have had to be a good reason for me to do that to myself. A really good reason. It's just, now that it's done, I don't think I'll ever figure out what that reason is, at least, unless my memories come back on their own." There was hope there, at least. If her memories were simply lost, and could come back, then she wouldn't need to worry at all. It would only be a matter of time then, and time seemed to be something they had plenty of, with no other obligations in the world other than to survive.

Ravenna saw the flash of confusion streak across Umoura's face, although it was quickly hidden. She liked this, that there was something to be hidden. There was depth and dimension to Umoura, even if she didn't have memories to base it off of, and Ravenna could only tell this because of the way she hid it. There was this childish need to attempt to shatter the defenses Umoura erected. Ravenna wanted her to open up.
"Hmm. Well, I hope they do come back," Ravenna scratched the back of her head, a toothy grin spread across her face as she eyed the large weapon in Umoura's hands, casually jabbing with, "Compensating for something?" Ravenna wasn't one to talk, noting the large robo-fist tethered to the back of her pack. She continued, "I like to think of this life as a second chance. Whatever we did in our past lives, I don't think it matters now. We can move forward as who we are now. Like, our badass teamwork back there! I think we have adapted nicely so far." Her big grin was still stretched across her features, like a wrecking ball of sincerity threatening the walls others may hide behind.
Ravenna remembered the fight and truly appreciated that someone else was with her. She loved combat by herself, but with another, it was elevated to a whole new level. She hoped she would be able to fight by her side again.

"I hope so as well." She ignored the compensation comment, she didn't really like those kinds of remarks. Each step got a little heavier, the walk was long and she could tell she was getting tired already, she cursed the seemingly frail body she had been given. "Maybe, but did we even need a second chance? I don't know how the world was before, but I don't think it could have been so bad that everything needed to reset. It's stupid and it makes no sense." She crossed her arms, as best as she could with the weapon in her hands. "It's not about us having good teamwork, that's just us doing what we need to to survive. I want to figure out what happened, as well as my memories, even though it seems like neither of those two things will happen anytime soon." She was frustrated, it was apparent. For someone logical like Umoura, not understanding what was going on was irritating her, and even frightening her a little. Without knowing the rules of the world, she didn't know what she could do to deal with them. What if they came along something they couldn't handle? She passively kicked a clump of dirt as they walked past it, scattering it in the breeze.

"Teamwork is precisely what it's all about." Ravenna winks at Umoura, noticing her kick the dirt and chuckling softly. Then she huffs and straightens out theatrically, clears her throat and straightens the fur around her neck, gripping it as if it was the fold of a suit; she was acting like a teacher, which was perfect since Umoura wore a school uniform. "Allow me to enlighten you, young grasshopper." She drew in a long breath, preparing to talk at length, "The song I sang? Remember the line 'We will be the salvation the Mother seeks'. I remember that song from the past, and the boy I was before thought it gave him hope. The 'mother'," Ravenna used her fingers for quotation marks, "is a reference to the planet before. The reason why that song gave who I was hope, was because those that lived then were killing the Earth. The 'mother'. It makes me wonder what kind of beasts would do that. Kill their own mother. Who I was before was hopeful, but complicit because he couldn't or didn't do anything by himself to stop it."
Ravenna sighed and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. Apparently the world's leaders were shit and used pieces of paper to convince people to do the worst things. Sometimes, they didn't even need the paper to do horrible things."
Her demeanor changed and she clenched her fist. Ravenna was honest to a fault and could wear her heart on her sleeve quite easily, "He always thought that if he could be a leader, he'd be a good one who remembers the people, one who could bring people together to be their mother's salvation."
Hazy recollections of the girls she'd seen taking advantage of their newfound strengths to hurt others, although, their forms were featureless, and it seemed like a bad trip. She shook her head, and exhaled once again.
"Would you like to rest Umoura?" Her face became stolid wearing a slack smile.

Umoura wasn't sure how she felt about everything that Ravenna was saying. Those songs? The world in the past? At the moment, without being able to remember anything, they seemed rather meaningless to her, and she wondered why the older girl was so fixated on them. Still, it wasn't a topic of conversation she wanted to get into. Asking about the past would just bring up things that she didn't know about, and would simply frustrate her, being unable to remember them herself. She wasn't the kind of person that could simply make small talk either, especially when it considered other's feelings.
"Hmm.." That was the only comment she gave to it all. What Umoura wanted to have been in the past didn't mean anything now, what she wanted to focus on now was the new world in front of her. "A small break wouldn't be too bad, I suppose. I am a little exhausted now…" A fallen tree lay a small ways away, and she walked over to it, stepping through some brush. She sat down on it, exhaling softly, looking forward to any sort of relief. "I don't even know what it is you're talking about. My memories are gone to a point that I have no idea how the old world was, other than very tiny bits and pieces." She shrugged, and set her club to the side, plopping it down on the soft loomy dirt. She looked up into the sky, intending to catch her breath as much as possible while here.

Ravenna continues to stand, but she positions herself across from where Umoura is sitting. "That's good. You can move forward because you won't be weighted down by those memories." Ravenna eyed the stone club, "Speaking of weight, why'd you choose to bring something so cumbersome?" It confused her. Umoura was tiny comparatively (to Ravenna, and the club), and she was already exhausted from the trek? Ravenna imagined Umoura would be more suited for something light and sleek, but deadly. She squats on her haunches to be at Umoura's eye level.


She looked over. Honestly, she wasn't sure that was a question she could really answer. Umoura didn't really know why she had chosen it, but something about it made her more comfortable. "It isn't heavy at all. It's rather light, here, see for yourself!" She offered the handle to her. The stone club itself was massive, made of heavy stone, yet for some reason she handled it as if the weight of it was completely meaningless, her light frame seemingly handling the club as if she had been wielding such a large, blunt weapon all of her life.

Ravenna's brow furrowed in concentration as she accepted the challenge and gripped the shaft of the club. She lifted it, which she could, since Ravenna was solidly built and strong anyways, but it didn't prevent the strain she felt. Wielding this thing would be impossible without two hands, and draining after any prolonged period of use. So then how did such a small girl handle it? Was Ravenna mistaken about the assumptions she'd made about Umoura's physical strength? No, she was rather good at measuring someone's physical power from just a glance. Maybe it was another rule in this world? Happy Fist was light to her, maybe it would be heavy to Umoura? She decided she would test it.
"Hmm. Here." She sets the club down, it falls with a thump, making the strain she'd experienced trying to hold it evident. She unfettered the fist from her pack and placed it on the ground, "Just to test something. Pick that up, tell me if it's heavy." Happy Fist was almost half the size of Umoura, and it was bulky and metal. There was a handle for someone to grip it on the inside, but unless bereft of her own perception, Ravenna couldn't imagine it'd be anything other than light and easily manoeuvrable.

She picked it up. Or at least tried to. Her strain was evident, and she barely was able to lift it, using both hands. She eventually had to let go of it, dropping it to the ground with a thud. "That must be made of something heavy then, that thing is much heavier than this." She picked up her own club off the ground, swinging it back onto her shoulder with only the tiniest of effort. Umoura hadn't realized the two were actually similar in weight, thought she found it a little odd that Ravenna struggled so much with the club, when she didn't with her fists. "Are you sure that the club was that heavy? You seem to handle your fist with much less effort… although you could just be used to it by now." She sat back on the log, avoiding any further exertion while she rested.

Ravenna shook her head slowly at Umoura. "I actually think that in this realm, we are chosen by weapons somehow. Discovering Happy Fist is what allowed me to gain my abilities and talents. Maybe not everyone, but those that discover what weapons they need to use have an easier time in this world. Or at least, that's what I've deduced." She shrugged and began to tether Happy Fist to her Pack once more. While tying it off she continued, "I don't know how to explain it, but I think that's one of the rules of this world. Or something along those lines. Monsters are common, so it makes sense that we have latent talents to defend ourselves and fight back. The source of these rules and changes are a mystery."

"Do you think so? Still, I don't really feel anything in particular for this thing. It's not heavy, but it's not that comfortable in my hands. Still, it's a weapon, and I'll use it for defense if I need to." She exhaled slowly. "I hope it doesn't come to that." She stands up, a little more refreshed after that short break, and moved back to Ravenna, gesturing that they should continue their talk while on the move once again. "That's probably what it is. Not to mention, that magic or whatever I could use. It feels so second nature after a bit, but thinking on it now, the fact that I can use it period should be completely alien to me. It's just more things I don't understand, and I just HATE things I don't understand." She shook her fist at that. "All these stupid rules and changes and nothing to even tell me what's new, or why the world is this way. I just don't understand these things…"

Ravenna was glad to see her friend start opening up a bit. She got up and started after her, picking up the pace to match Umoura's. Upon the mentioning of magic, she remembered how intense that was, "Your magic was really impressive! I can't even do anything like that. And you shouldn't hate things you don't understand. Why would there be any need to find out anything at all, if you didn't understand?" Ravenna thumbs the tatooed line over the bridge of her nose out of habit and chuckles. "I will agree though, there should be an easier way to understand what has happened, but I've discovered a lot of the smaller nuances just by travelling. We'll just have to get all scientific! Ya know, observation and all that jazz." Ravenna flashed a toothy grin at Umoura. "But maybe we should make finding someone capable of explaining our first objective, and we'll just observe the rest for ourselves. I know these woods well enough to search where people might seek shelter for the night." After she had pontificated on her ability to navigate the woods, she remembered how she had messed up on getting out of the gorge. She had also set up camp in troll romping grounds. Her brow furrows once more as she wrestles with her memory and the declaration of her abilities. One thing Ravenna could not do was lie, and she didn't want to lie about her abilities. But she let her statement stand. She thought she qualified for "well enough".

"It's not that I hate things I don't understand, I hate things I'm not able to understand. Magic? It's pure fairy tale, but somehow I'm able to do it, and nothing has told me why so far." Umoura shakes her head, a little frustrated. "Maybe I'll figure it out later, but being clueless like we are is completely frustrating." She kept walking alongside Ravenna, listening to her talk. "Do you really think there will be any more people around? I have yet to see anyone other than yourself since waking up here. We could very well be the only two people left alive… Maybe the others were killed by those monsters…" It was certainly a morbid thought. And it could very well be the case for all she knew. Everyone could have died when the world changed, and by some freak occurrence, only Ravenna and Umoura could be left. What would she do if that was the case? Eventually, just trying to live would get too bothersome. Fighting those creatures for the rest of her life, just trying to survive… She didn't want that. There had to be a purpose to why she was continuing on, or she didn't want to, period.

Ravenna snorted and raised a fist, "I do. I mean, if we have magic, and weapons, I imagine there are others too who possess combat ability. It's improbable that we're the only ones left. Plus, I'm pretty sure I've seen others at some point, I just can't remember very well." The amnesic cadavers without faces or distinct forms floated back through her mind, the feminine phantoms fighting. The only quality she could pin on these mental interlopers were the fact that they all seemed like women. Just like Ravenna and Umoura.
The path they were walking along was a natural trail, created by the thick canopy which deterred the growth of large shrubs, and also aided by the footprints of creatures whom likely used these trails to hunt. Water was nearby, and a stream could be faintly heard in the distance. She remembered an alcove nearby, but they were still a few minutes away. Ravenna initially found shelter here, away from the craziness of her newborn beginnings in this fantasia. This little alcove went untouched by monsters the entire time she stayed, which was useful for when she didn't have Happy Fist. "You're a glass half empty kinda girl, you know that?" Ravenna jabbed at Umoura with an idiom. She was determined to break through that shell, even if it involved making Umoura pissed, the frustration already apparent. Ravenna knew, however ,that letting off steam was about the healthiest thing you could do in this crazy world. A sly grin spread across her face, her piercing amethyst eyes looking down on her companion.

"Perhaps, but do you know for sure? Have you even found anyone? If you can't remember them, did they even exist?" Her questions seemed to cast doubt on Ravenna's memories. After all, she knew she couldn't trust memories here. "And maybe I am pessimistic, but so what? If you go into this all hopeful, you're just going to do something stupid that gets you killed, or gives you false hope that inevitably fucks you over. Do you really want that?" Passing through the forest, she was constantly on alert, even as she talked. She didn't want anything to jump them, and especially not any creatures like those trolls. Due to this, she didn't notice the grin on Ravenna's face, but also was not phased by her jabs, being a lot more practical. "If there was anyone left, I'd like to think we would've seen them by now…"

Ravenna shrugs indifferently, save the loose smirk that tugged on the edge of her lips, "You assume an outcome from being optimistic. Some would call that presumptuous. Just like assuming pessimism wouldn't somehow obscure your perception either."
"When God gives you lemons, you squirt them into the eyes of your foes!" Happy Fist's robotic voice rings out like a doll whose string has been pulled.
"See. Even Happy Fist is a glass half full kind of.. fist thingy," she chuckles then let's out a sigh of relief, "I'm just thinking rationally. Odds are, we're not the only two left on the planet. I think that would be a rather impractical turn of events. What ominous forces would want to put me and you together, of all people?" Ravenna's voice drags at the back of her vocal chords to produce a unique feminine gravely tone, one that suited her, and the way she projected it made her seem more aggressive than others in asserting her point, but her demeanor was calm, and she would always remain unbowed to the sway of another, unless of course her honesty and need to be veracious compelled otherwise.
"How about this, if we don't find anyone after at least a week of searching, I'll let you hit me in the face as hard as you want with that big ole' stick of compensation you wield like a freak of nature, mmkay?" Ravenna points at the corner of her jaw, "Right here. As hard as you want." To Ravenna, that was an irresistible bet. It had no drawbacks, and she might get to test Umoura's physical capacities with her own face, if Umoura was right. Her own eyes gleamed with delight.

"Why would I want to do that?" Umoura honestly had no idea why Ravenna even brought it up into consideration. "There's no point in that. And I never said I wanted to stop looking for people. But if you keep your hopes up, and it turns out you're wrong? You're gonna be crushed. Me, I expect the worst. That way, when something good does happen, then it's a happy surprise. For you, if something bad happens, it'll be a nasty surprise, and I know what kind of surprise I'd prefer." She ignored Happy Fist's comments, and simply walked in front of Ravenna, leading the way this time. Irritated a bit by Ravenna's insistence on looking on the bright side of things, she had to admit that smacking her in the face was a tempting idea. Still, it really would serve no point, it wouldn't help anything, and so she didn't do anything. Besides, if worst came to worst, she would need to rely on Ravenna for survival anyway. Still, if their viewpoints weren't matching now… She shook her head. She'd worry about that at another point in time.

"Crushed?!" Ravenna theatrically pretends that a boulder has fallen atop her, faintly squealing as if she was trapped. Then she started to laugh brightly, and then she punctuates it with a shrug, "If you say so. I don't think that's how it all breaks up and down, and I think you'll find more of what you expect than otherwise. But alas, I am just a mortal woman, what would I know?" Ravenna notices how Umoura has pulled out in front of her, and once again, the sly grin spreads across her face. It was humorous how their temperaments differed, but at the same time, Ravenna recalled how they fought together, as a team. Ravenna was the uplifting sort, and Umoura looked like she desperately needed to be uplifted. Ravenna gave her a place to sleep and food, and some conversation, so as far as her Karma was concerned, she was heading down the right path, whether her actions were appreciated or not. She wasn't the type where her kindness hinged upon the gratitude of those she bestowed it to. She did what she did because it was intrinsic to her being, not because of an expected outcome, or the avoidance of pain. She'd welcome it all. Her philosophy was a little extreme, but in this new and dangerous world, extreme was what was needed. And it would make her stronger than most.
Emerging from the textured nuance of her past life, thoughts spontaneously floated to the surface of her mind, with a quote on the edge of her lips. "Practice is this life, and realization is this life, and this life is revealed right here and now." She whispered the saying, not because she didn't want Umoura to hear, but because it had hit her profoundly like an epiphany. A huge smile fueled by joy spread across her face, and again, from the tendencies defined by a life she never lived, she kissed her index and middle finger and then touched the nearest tree, her tribute to the forest.

Umoura shook her head. At this point, it might be best for her to ignore Ravenna's ramblings. She was certain they wouldn't find anyone, no matter what Ravenna said. While Ravenna whispered to herself, some random saying that Umoura didn't hear, and went and touched a tree, Umoura kept an eye out in the forest, still walking ahead of her. She didn't want to be distracted, there was already enough proof that there were things in the forest that wanted to kill them, and she didn't want to risk anything. She stopped suddenly. Was that… a voice? She suddenly started moving faster, yet quieter, gently running to behind a tree and looking ahead. Up ahead, there was a depression in the forest, a clearing set into the ground. Over in the terrain was an alcove, and was that… something? A monster perhaps? She wasn't able to see clearly into it, and cursed. If it was a monster, it didn't seem to be doing anything. But maybe… could it be a person? Still, she'd have to get close to find out, and if it WAS a monster, she didn't want to be seen. She quickly ran from tree to tree, staying out of sight of the alcove. Eventually, she was close enough to it to get a better view, not caring how far away Ravenna might be at this point. She poked her head out from behind the tree, and gasped. It very much was another person, another girl from the looks of it. Someone with long blond hair, a green top and pair of shorts. But… would she be friendly? She stayed behind the tree, debating whether to approach her or not.

 

[☆Luna☆]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna tailed behind Umoura as she scampered off towards the location Ravenna was leading them to in the first place. As soon as she noticed what Umoura was so interested in, a shit eating grin spread across her face. It was at this moment that the thought occurred to her that if there is anything put on her tombstone- anything- she'd want 'I told you so' as her epitaph. That's it. Forever and ever after, she'd rest with those words. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]And those she told would be eating them until their own demise.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The details were indistinct, but when looking Ravenna could make out long blonde hair, a graham cracker complexion, a green top- and a large orange fox flicking its multiple tails about as it idles about. Something akin to excitement traveled up the spine and down her arms, slivering along her body, leaving a trail of goosebumps. This girl could be strong. She could be dangerous. An all too familiar grin spreads across Ravenna's face and tightens at her jaw. Umoura was in the backseat of her thoughts, so before she simply abandoned her for the prospect of conflict, she quietly stated, "I'll go out first, okay?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura shook her head. She wouldn't want to leave Ravenna alone by herself. What if something happened to her new friend? She decided to simply follow Ravenna for now, and let her take the lead, but she kept her weapon at the ready. Still, they would probably be like Ravenna and Umoura, confused but otherwise not a threat, and she was glad to be proven wrong that there were others around, not just them.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna emerged from the tree-line with Umoura steadily following her. She walked towards the woman; Ravenna noticed that she seemed slightly older than herself, but she wasn't as big as Ravenna or as physically strong, but the beast at her side warned Ravenna that she was indeed strong. She approached with a casual pace, her shoulders relaxed, a loose smile played across her face. Ravenna's amethyst eyes flickered back and forth between the girl and her fox. Finally she stopped about 7 meters from them, enough of a distance to put on Happy Fist if need be, the robotic fist tethered to her pack that she had hoisted over her shoulder with her right arm. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hey. The name's Ravenna," there wasn't a hint of fear in her eyes, and the look almost begged- 'fight me!'-almost, "I don't mean you any harm." She drops her pack to confirm her statement and she uses her free right hand to scratch the back of her head, "It's rare to meet someone else in this new world. I'm sure you're like me right?- woke up with the worst case of amnesia, and an entire life is now behind you like it was just a bad dream, right? I was wondering if maybe you knew why that was." [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna's request was honest, but as always, the chance to dance with death slowly played on repeat in the back of her head, like the nervous addict constantly hoping their fix will fall in their lap. She had to admit though, this girl was beautiful. Moreso compared to Umoura, who was rather plain, and dressed oddly. Her emerald eyes were big and pure, almost innocent looking. And it was the kind of beauty that Ravenna thought only she could enjoy, because it also came with the guttural exhales reverberating through the vicious fox that stood by her side.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie hardly noticed the stranger walk up. She'd been so deep in thought that she'd disconnected. If it weren't for the orange fox's aggressive purrs, the lady could've probably walked all the way up to her without breaking her concentration. They don't seem like they would be trouble. If the lady has any ill intent, all Valerie has to do is stall until the others arrive, she figures. Blink would pick up on their heartbeats as well as those of any others that might be with them. "Hello, there. I'm afraid I don't reciprocate the way you feel." She remembers the old world and met two people upon waking up. The old world wasn't so bad for her and the people who she woke up to treated her relatively well. "I know why everything is different, however." Valerie puts her hand on the orange fox's head, rubbing the back of its left ear slowly. She does this for a moment, looking upon the two. "I don't mean you any harm either. Do either of you want a peach?" She starts to conjure one, regardless of whatever they might say. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna's jaw dropped slightly, an almost incredulous expression. For some reason, Ravenna found herself unable to understand this girl. Her words were audible and decipherable, but her mannerism and actions… like she lacked a bubble. Ravenna felt calm, and the girl with her fox seemed just as calm. So then how did she not reciprocate what she felt? And then the peach? Without an introduction? Ravenna's mind was swimming, but she did admit, that peach looked awfully succulent. The slack from how she was stunned, tightened as her mouth watered. "I'd love one!" She exclaimed, turning back to Umoura with that same shit eating grin. She tilted her head with the cock of her eyebrow in the direction of this new person in their midst. The I told you so hopefully lingered in the air. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura was too busy ignoring Ravenna to notice. Instead, she simply stared at the fox… Something bubbled up inside her, and combined with the stress and panic from the strange world, something completely broke inside of her. "Oh my god, he's so cute!!!" She bounded over, and sat in front of the fox. Crossing her legs, she held her arm out to it. "Hehe, hey there little fella, can I say hello?" Her attitude was almost a complete 180 from how it used to be, and she completely ignored the other two. Well, Ravenna moreso. She looked up at Valerie. "Your pet is absolutely adorable, does he have a name?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie smiles. They haven't learned conjuring yet. The other lady approaches suddenly. This concerns Valerie until she squees her adoration of the orange fox. Valerie laughs a little. "Isn't it so?" The orange fox doesn't seem to acknowledge the attention and looks back to Valerie. "I haven't learned its name yet. I think she'll tell me soon but she doesn't talk much." It wasn't more than a strong gut feeling but the orange fox hasn't talked at all. Valerie's sure that it would talk to her eventually, perhaps once it grows stronger. "Would you like a peach too?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura looks disappointed as the fox ignores her, but nods. "Y-yes please!" She is glad that the person is nice, and gets back up on her feet, looking over at her. Something about the girl put her at peace, a completely different feeling than the constant tension she felt around Ravenna. "It's so nice to meet someone else, I'm glad that we're not the only two people around."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna joined the other girl in laughter at Umoura's excited outburst. Ravenna sighed in relief for her friend. It was the first time she'd seen her at ease. This caused Ravenna to silently weigh her contribution in that. It wouldn't surprise her if she was Umoura's source of anxiety. She had always felt like an outsider anyways, someone who was better off alone, because she seemed to have an unintentional impact on the people around her, or at least, this was a sentiment felt from another life. The core of what was left there in the world of ruin was still preserved here in this new world. A relaxed smile propped itself on her lips. Ultimately she was thankful that she was able to help Umoura find someone [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]else [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]in this world. She stood there in silence, simply smiling at the playful scene unfurling. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie keeps herself from looking off in the distance, lest she give off the impression that she's waiting for the others. She finishes conjuring the first peach and holds it up, looking towards Ravenna. She'd confirmed first. "I'm glad too. It's just you guys, right?" If anyone else were around, the orange fox would figure it out. If they're telling the truth, Valerie would eventually tell them the truth too. She trusts the orange fox to stay alert while her guard is down. Not that she could do much alone anyways but they didn't know that. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yes, just us." Umoura takes the peach, biting into it. The sweetness is divine, and she smiles. "Is it just you? Or…" She looks into the alcove. There were more than a single depression in the alcove, she either wasn't alone, or was a VERY restless sleeper. She decided on the former, but stayed quiet about that tidbit. She'd ask first to see if she was comfortable talking about it. "Have you also seen any of those monsters around? I thought you might be one at a distance, at first, but I'm glad that you aren't." She was trying to be as sociable as she could. After all, Umoura didn't know if they were coming off as trustworthy, and probably weren't, but there was no sense in fighting or making enemies at this point.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She figured that the girl would return the same question. No point in lying. The others would arrive eventually, she's sure. As she starts to conjure another peach, she shakes her head. "I'm here with others. We spent the night here. They went off to handle some personal affairs. They should be back soon-ish. We ran into some monsters yesterday but they didn't cause… too much trouble. No injuries sustained, fortunately." She smiles again. They're nice. She's glad for that too. Their body language didn't suggest anything hostile. Besides, she has food and they seem hungry.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna whimpered slightly when Umoura took the peach that was meant for her. Valerie and Ravenna made eye contact as she held the peach, but alas, Umoura was digging her canines into it's juicy flesh. She had to physically shake off the levels of jealousy accumulating as she watched drops of peach nectar dripping from Umoura's chin. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She straightened out at the mention of combat, but was tuned in enough during her turmoil to catch that the other girl did explicitly state she wasn't alone. Violence always made her perk up. "Yeh, we got into a fight this morning with two ugly trolls. That's how she got that thing," Ravenna pointed at the stone club and smirked, "They didn't stand a chance. Hmph." She crossed her arms in triumph. Then she shifts towards the unknown girl with her hands clasped together, as if she was praying, and then Ravenna bowed slightly at her hips, lowering her head. "Thank you for the food," then she stands aright and gestures at Umoura, "This is Umoura, what is your name?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie, "Oh. I'm terribly sorry. I should've introduced myself." She laughs. "I'm Valerie. Valerie Chords… If last names matter to you anymore. Ravenna and Umoura. What nice names." She didn't mean flattery either. Both names are quite nice. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura nodded. "Valerie is a nice name, and it's nice to meet you." She finished off the peach, and let out a sigh. "I can't wait to meet your friends as well. It's a lot more comforting knowing there's others around. Until they get here…" She wiggled the stem of the peach. "How did you make this? Was it that magic stuff again? I can do magic, but I can't just make things…"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie, "Thank you. You can make stuff too. You just have to know what you're making." She finishes the peach and holds it up again. "Just think really hard about what you want to make, what it's like and how it feels. Give it a try. Pick your favorite fruit." She pauses for a moment. "Well. It doesn't have to be a fruit. It can be almost anything. Fruits, vegetables, furs, water, whatever. I think it can't be super specific things. Like, Butterfingers or Kit-Kats. If you remember what those are. You could probably think of plain chocolate however, and it'll end up tasting like what you remember it tasting like."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna walks up to Valerie and accepts the peach, bowing a bit in gratitude. She smooths her fingers over the soft skin of the fruit, it was incredible, because it was just like how they used to be. She recalls the boy Nolan often examining fruit like this before he ate it. Her fingers traced the lines he would've traced. It was an odd sense of nostalgia that made Ravenna's eyes glisten for a moment. Then she heard Butterfingers and Kit-Kats. Her eyes widen like a spooked animal, even her ears perked up at the brand names. Waves of nostalgia wash her over in her own mind. She had been here for only a week or so, and in the time that she was alone, she had completely forgot most of her past life- well, not forgot, it was just blurry and non-existent. That life's pertinence had completely been erased due to the harsh demands of their new world. Until she met Umoura… and now Valerie. Maybe finding each other was the key to unlocking their memories. Ravenna had stood there without even biting into the peach, but she turned back to stare at it in awe. "Amazing." She mumbles. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink hung back a little from Matsuri, focusing in on the heartbeats as she approached the two unknown people, or creatures, for all she knew. Valerie seemed absolutely fine, and the fox's heartbeat was calm. Which suggested it didn't need to go into combat. Voices… she wasn't sure if it was just Valerie's voice, but it sounded like there were different voices in the mix. One of the heartbeats was strong; excitable… whilst the other was quieter; a little more drawn-in. Though she couldn't make out what they were saying - Matsuri could probably hear it too.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Which meant… [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"More… people. They're definitely people."[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]Blink whispered. Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, Blink didn't know. But she was partly scared. What if they were super-powerful grinders who could kill them in a click of a finger? Dying to people like those was a frightening thought.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink swallowed nervously, keeping still. She didn't want to move at a fast pace, for she wasn't sneaky and agile like Matsuri. She wasn't sure whether to assume just to run in all like 'hello!' or run in all like 'who the hell are you?!'. Truth be told, she didn't want to do either. But if Valerie was in trouble, then… [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"What should we do?" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink asked her companion quietly, biting her lip. Matsuri's judgement was probably better, for she might have met other 'players', and her invisibility could surely come in handy.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri watched Blink carefully, looking for any expression which might reveal some form of detail so she could react even faster than Blink could tell her information if necessary. Matsuri felt bad, since the entire plan she created relied on the alcove being a safe place. Thinking back, without having both Valerie and Matsuri, the alcove was nothing more than a place to get pinned without escape. Matsuri should have suggested Valerie to come along, or at least move to an area with more escape options. Since Blink trusted her to be able to make the call for how to act, she'd need to come up with something, but Matsuri still felt the pressure from having displayed imperfect judgement in the past. Regardless, Matsuri did not fold, and calmly and quietly conveyed her opinion. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"We should assume they are friendly since they aren't fighting. You are more friendly, so I'll have you approach. I'll keep you safe, so run if there is trouble. If they are friends, call out to me so I can come unarmed."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink gave a timid nod.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Okay."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]So the 'hello!' option it was. Matsuri was right, they were probably friendly, as nobody seemed particularly stressed or angry. All she had to do was walk in there without looking murderous. Simple enough, though her cowardice was telling her to stay right where she was.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Nonetheless, Blink began to walk towards the alcove. She didn't make an effort to be quiet, otherwise she'd look like she was sneaking up on them for a backstab, or something like that. Taking a deep breath before she got close enough to actually see the two unknown people, Blink stepped forward, trying to look friendly, though she looked more awkward than anything.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Two girls… just as expected. One was tall, with messy black hair, ear piercings, and amethyst eyes that made Blink just a little bit uncomfortable. Seeing the intimidating weapon laying by a pack by said girl's feet, Blink became even more uneasy. As for the other, a bit smaller and skinnier, with long hazel hair, and kinda cute brown eyes behind a pair of glasses. It wasn't only the sight of her that calmed her down a bit, but Blink came to realise both were smiling and eating peaches. Hee… Valerie was certainly okay then. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Despite being calm about the situation, Blink wasn't great at introducing herself to others. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Erm…[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] hi…?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Was all she could say, adorning a welcoming albeit unsteady smile. Her eyes seemed nervously fixated on the taller girl and her threatening glove-weapon for a moment, before she waited to see how the two would react. She couldn't be 100% sure they were friendly yet, though she was 99.9% sure.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie waves at Blink. "Welcome back." She holds an arm up towards Blink. "This is a friend of mine. Her name is Blink. Isn't it nice?" As soon as Blink came into sight, she makes sure to disarm the situation before a misunderstanding develops. "You can tell Matsuri to come along too, Blink. They won't cause any trouble, I'm sure." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink seemed a little flattered when Valerie complimented her name, smiling with relief at her. So… these people were fine. Blink was glad she wasn't going to get one-shotted by some high leveled raiders or what-have-you. Goodness knows what being turned into a kawaii girl could do to your sanity… Blink felt like she was at the lightest end of the spectrum, previously being a dude and all.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Um, thanks. Sorry if we took a bit long back there. Forgot to bring an actual towel, hee..." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink quietly said, though the presence of the two stranger unsettled her still somewhat. She'd get to know them shortly though, it was just a customary reaction to be shy of new people for Blink. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She nodded at Valerie's following sentence, and turned around in the direction of Matsuri's heartbeat.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri![/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]They're fine![/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink called out.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri, having heard Blink's call, knew the situation was safe. It seemed that she would have some new friends if the trend of meeting and joining kept up. Coming out of the brush, Matsuri leaves her metal rod behind as to not look like a maniac. Matsuri knew that her expression didn't give a lot of hints as to her feelings, so she wanted to at least control what she could to make a good impression. Looking towards the two girls, she scans over them briefly before revealing her beautiful, though quiet, voice, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Are they friends?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna had studied the first girl as she walked up. She seemed timid at first, their glances clashing, and Ravenna's eyes would knock Blink's towards Happy Fist. She sighs internally. Everyone was always scared or intimidated, and she was always misunderstood. Despite this realization about Blink, Ravenna thought she was incredibly pretty, enough to take her breath away. The oceans in her eyes shifted from deep blue to aquamarine when exposed to direct light, and that pink hair complimented them perfectly. Blink was also a nice name, Ravenna agreed, because it was short and succinct. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]And then their third friend emerged into the alcove, with a sort of graceful agility, and relatively no clothing. Ravenna was only taken aback by it slightly, simply because it was inconsistent with the rest of them, but Ravenna didn't have an aversion to exposed flesh. With her character and temperament, she could willfully strip with no shame. No. But it was her eyes that intrigued Ravenna. Similar in color to Valerie's eyes, yet they possessed a darker shade of Jade, but their alluring quality was the emptiness reflected inside. Kind of like Umoura's, except, Matsuri's eyes displayed an even deeper void than Umoura. But they were curious and hungry for discovery and interaction. Impressive. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna could tell she was strong. They all were. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She bit into the peach finally, as Matsuri asked if they were friends. Ravenna mistakenly assumed that she was asking about the relation between Umoura and herself. After chewing for a second, she responded casually with, "I would say so, but I can't speak for her." She nodded towards Umoura, cross legged and sitting within range of the fox. She took another bite of the peach, looking at Valerie this time, wondering when she was going to explain what she knew about this world. Ravenna hadn't forgotten her claim, that she knew why things were the way they were. She decided to stay silent on the subject, thinking it was more appropriate for Umoura to bring it up, since she had wanted an explanation for this world more than Ravenna. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura likewise gazed at the group. She remained sitting, cross legged on the ground, looking up. A pair of girls, one with long magenta hair, headphones, and an outfit that made her feel she had just come out of a club… whatever a club was anyway. Her mind made the reference but she didn't understand what it was. The other girl… was certainly not dressed modestly, if at all. A jacket, a very skimpy pair of undergarments, and that seemed to be it. They were certainly an odd conglomeration of people, and Umoura briefly wondered what exactly was going on with them. Well, with any of them really. Nobody shared the same manner of dress, the same manner of speech, yet they were all still females… She shook her head, it wouldn't do to get too into trying to analyze them before she even talked with them. She raised her hand in greeting to them, but stayed on the ground. "It's nice to meet you two… Umm, Matsuri and Blink? I'm Umoura, and that's Ravenna, and I guess you could consider us friends. We're certainly not any of those enemies, that's for sure." She finally got up, and stretched her arms and legs, lifting her arms above her head as she did. "It's nice to meet more people, I at one point wondered if we were the only two people left in the world." Her arms lowered, and she gazed at both Blink and Matsuri, and occasionally turning around to Valerie. "Umm, have you guys met anyone else? And, well, seen all the strange things going on in the world? What exactly is going on? What are these creatures that keep trying to attack us." Her hand moved to point at the peach as Ravenna beat into it. "And what's with this strange magic stuff?" She sighed, and crossed her arms. "I don't really get any of it… But it's probably rude of me to bombard you all with questions. Would you like to sit down, relax, and get to know each other? I think that would be the best thing to do right now."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink seemed to loosen up a little; although she'd been a bit panicked at first, finding other friendly people was fantastic news; most likely rarer than gold. Ravenna, and Umoura… she couldn't tell what abilities the two possessed, but Ravenna's fist weapon obviously had something to with her 'class'. It was nice to meet others, but wasn't there a limit to the number of people you could know? Ack… that rule might've ended being a problem. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink blinked, before heading closer to the others.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well, ehm… nice to meet ya' too then." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink said, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Sorry if I'm acting a lil' weird, I just… well…" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink cleared her throat, cutting off. They seemed safe, and they had a combat-skilled fox to deal with if they randomly attacked them. Blink wasn't sure why she was being so cautious all of a sudden; maybe it was the fact that she was growing to like Matsuri and Valerie more and more, and she didn't want to lose them nor anything happen to them now. She wasn't strong enough to protect them from anything… well, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]yet[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent].[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]When Umoura began with the questions, Blink sympathised with her somewhat. She'd probably be asking the exact same things if it weren't for her stroke of pure luck.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Don't worry, I… I only just woke up in this place yesterday. Answers was all I wanted; I was lucky I had Matsuri to give them to me."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink said, looking at the floor, then fondly looking at Matsuri for a moment. She took up Umoura's offer, and sat down in a fairly casual position. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"It's alright to ask questions. The world's been changed; redesigned, in fact, by some 'Goddess'. Everyone's a female, everything's different, the world changes - there's magic wibbly-wobblies and - egh… it's so hard to explain."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink explained in a quick, confused cluster as she sat. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She fumbled a little in her sitting position, sky-blue eyes looking at the two; though Blink wasn't sure if[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] both[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] of them didn't already know about this world. Blink didn't fully understand it yet, but she'd try her best.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"If you ever played an MMO… then that's kinda what our new world's themed about. It's weird, I know… but better than dying." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink mumbled. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri is happy to see that Blink went to answering the barrage of questions Umoura was throwing their way. While Matsuri doesn't think herself to be antisocial, she prefers giving answers in the form of short statements rather than full blown explanations. With complex questions like the nature of the world, it is not surprisingly difficult to give short answers which adequately explain. Though, not oblivious to her surroundings, Matsuri takes a curiosity to the type of glance that Ravenna used while observing her. It wasn't unlike the glance that she saw from Blink in the river, just much more subdued. Is it possible that Ravenna saw something in Matsuri, or was there something about her that Ravenna respected. Matsuri, in either case, wanted to know what she could possibly have that could warrant either. Though, asking such a thing in front of everyone would be too embarrassing, especially if she simply misunderstood.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Regardless, Matsuri wanted to show in some way that she intended to be friendly, so she moved to sit next to Umoura wordlessly, trying her best at a smile, but only managing slightly less aloof.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna mulled over the response Blink gave Umoura. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]An MMO huh? [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Even from the dark recesses of memory, she could still conjure an image of young Nolan playing video games, so the term MMO was familiar. This helped Ravenna puzzle the pieces, like when she observed weapon handling and the inherent difference between her and Umoura in what they chose to wield. She began to think that the weapon choices were based on a class system. If so, Ravenna has known about her class, just not what her class is specifically. The MMO redesign from this so called Goddess also explains the magic and monsters. Maybe they even have levels too? [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna scratched her cheek like a feline, "Everyone is a female now? Well that explains why I changed from being a boy in the previous world." She crossed her arms and sighed. Who was this gender-bending Goddess? Why did she care to change their world? There were so many questions Ravenna had, but she was content to let Umoura ask them as she finished up her peach. She tossed the core, and smiled at Valerie once more in gratitude. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura smiled at Matsuri sitting next to her. She wanted to show that she was friendly, so the stranger would trust her. Her face returned to looking at Blink as she talked. "An… MMO? I don't think I remember what that was. And that's a thing too. I don't remember anything about what the world used to be like, other than small bits and pieces." She sighed. "So what's this about a goddess? I'm supposed to believe some goddess just decided to change everything? Make us all into girls? That's a little hard to swallow… although, I can't say it's not the case either." She wanted to protest how illogical it was, but she remembered that everything else had been illogical already. The magic, the monsters…[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She was pretty confused, but she tried to take it all in. She looked back at Blink, then over to Valerie. "Alright, so… Everything is different, it's like a game. I can follow that. So what's new? We're all girls, but surely there's more rules, right?" She adjusted her position, sitting more comfortably, her legs out in front of her on the grass. "You guys seem to know more about this."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink was still a little shocked at how Ravenna had admitted she used to be a boy. It wasn't that Blink found it weird, it was just… how could they be so open about it? Blink swallowed. She wouldn't have the courage to just spit it out like that. Just because of the absurdity of all of it… [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Nonetheless, Blink's mindset recovered as she listened to Umoura.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"It's weird, I know… but that's just how it is now." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink mumbled. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"There's no logical explanation for it, or anything like that… all of this just happened. I guess 'Goddesses' or whatever really do exist…"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink mumbled, looking at the floor. She'd never believed in a God or Goddess or any religion in general, so finding out there really was a Goddess had came as quite a shock to her. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"And… um… yeah. There's more rules. They're all weird… some of them quite stupid, even, but I guess it's to make this 'game world' balanced." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink took in a deep breath, and flopped onto her back, watching the blue sky through the cracks of the leaves. Matsuri probably didn't want to go through the rules again for these two… Blink could remember most of them, if not all of them.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]After a few moments, Blink sat up again, and explained all that Matsuri had told her about the rules. The 'classes', the changing world, everybody speaks English, the knowledge slots, and so on. They might've not believed her, but she didn't care. She trusted Matsuri, and Blink was ready to believe anything when she'd been turned into some pink-haired tracker girl or something. And there was a multi-tailed fox sitting not a few feet away from her, for goodness sake! This world was a fantasy, albeit a dangerous one.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Haah… s-so… you got all that?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink asked when she was finally done explaining, laying onto her back again.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna rubbed the back of her neck, a little taken back. Even she couldn't have methodically figured out all these rules. She never would have figured out how knowledge slots worked. That explains the severe amnesia that always affected her. Could she thank the goddess for limiting her capacity to write or read? But she would thank her for this strength. So overall, the redesign of the word wasn't necessarily a change for the worse. It was either this or death. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She shrugged. The rule that she was most concerned with was the rule that even she could use magic to a minor degree. Ravenna looked down at her pack and wondered if it, and Happy Fist were magical items. It would make sense, but if so, what was her class? A pack and a fist? [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yeh." Ravenna would gladly suspend her own disbelief for full immersion. Goddesses, magic, monsters… Welp, it beat any alternative. It beats the end of the world, and all life on it. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna switched glances between the three of their new companions. She had wondered which one of them had been here the longest. Blink said she had just woken up, and that Matsuri had told her the rules. Ravenna's gaze stopped on Matsuri. She had to have been here the longest out of all three of them. Ravenna and Matsuri were likely the "same age". In Ravenna's mind, that may have explained what she saw in her eyes. It was something inferred, but it seemed to be plainly written in the girl's eyes. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]It was odd, but Matsuri likely knew her new self more than any of them, yet, she still seemed empty in a way. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You're right. It doesn't seem there is any logical explanation for it. All of that sounds completely insane." She called it like she saw it. Why exactly was the world like this? What purpose did it serve? Whoever this goddess was, she was clearly just toying with everything for some asinine reason, and to Umoura, it kind of pissed her off. "It doesn't make any goddamn sense. There's nothing we get out of it. So what, we're all girls now, right? Even those who used to be guys? How the hell is the world's population gonna survive like that? It's not. And that's if we all don't get killed by the monsters roaming about, which are apparently also something that's happening. It's like this goddess wants to murder us all in the slowest possible way." She stood up now, stretching herself a bit as she talked. "And all this knowledge slot crap? That doesn't make sense either. We just forget about people if we know too many of them? Complete and utter bullshit. Why do we have to put up with stupid rules like these? Are we being punished for something? I might not remember how the world used to be, but I do remember it at least made sense." She sat back down, and visibly sighed. Her hands gripped the grass underneath her. It was all so damn illogical. It made no sense, and she didn't like it. "I guess that's just my own opinion. To some people, I could see how this might be fun…" She glanced over at Ravenna, it was obvious who that comment was directed to. "But I'm not one who wants to play games with my life. I'd rather not risk death just to be some person's entertainment. Still, I'd like to know what it was we could do about it, and I have no idea. For now, I guess there's nothing to do but put up with it."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As Blink was well aware, Matsuri's opinion of this world could not be more opposite of Umoura's. Listening to her talk, Matsuri watched carefully, absorbing every word and gesture. Then, came introspection. When Matsuri learned of the rules, she didn't react at all. When you first enter a world for the first time, it is probably extremely natural to accept it for everything that it is. After all, when you first wake up, it is the only thing you've ever known, so even if it happened to be brutally unfair, how could you be any the wiser? More importantly, even if it was unfair, and you were privy to that knowledge, what would be the point other than suffering needlessly. No matter what we do, we only have this world and this life. It might be fun to pretend that we had a different one, but to forget the magnitude of what we have all ready is just… [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri stopped for a moment as she had this thought. Did she just find something within herself? Matsuri shook her head, not able to keep up with her own self discover, unable to confirm her thoughts or express them to anyone. She just couldn't yet, the words were clear in her head, but they were trapped there in a jumble she had yet to fully organize. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]So in her own way of calling out for help, she looked to Blink directly, just hoping she'd say something to diffuse the situation. Matsuri had only seen her do it on three occasions, but somehow she thought that maybe it was something she could trust her to do.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink wasn't too surprised by Umoura's outburst… no doubt there were people who saw it that way. In a way, Blink thought of this world of kind of stupid too, but some of the rules were quite thoughtful. And the Goddess had done what she could to stop everyone from dying, anyway. That was worth some praise. Blink's mindset of this world was to just go with the flow. It wasn't like they could change any of these rules.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink caught the eyes of Matsuri, and she understood what she wanted fairly quickly. Blink was planning to say something to try and calm Umoura anyway. Ravenna seemed more experienced in this world, and seemed pretty chill with the rules. In time, everybody would get used to this place. It was just their next world. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink shuffled a little closer to Umoura, though she feared she might get more angry. She seemed like someone who liked to solve things logically, and this world was illogical to the max.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I know it makes no sense. But we've just got to play the hand we're given… and we drew a full hand of jokers."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink said with the quietest of chuckles. She paused, and her face grew a little more serious. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"If we get one of those scrolls, we can get answers from the Goddess herself. There's a reason for all these strange rules; there has to be." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"For now though, we're 5. 6 if you count foxy there, hehe…! I'm sure we can get through this, unfair rules or not." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]She said to everyone in general. She wasn't trying to make some big speech, just a little morale raise in the group was always a nice thing. Besides, Blink was pretty sure that they could conquer a 'dungeon' or whatever in time. She (and maybe some others?) just needed combat training, item-summoning training… and to discover what her class actually was.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She wasn't mad anymore. Though she was a little frustrated, it was true what they were saying. She couldn't do much about it, although… "Those scrolls, they let you talk to her, right? So if we find one, we can ask her why she did this? And maybe she'd know why my memories were gone…" She looked over at Matsuri. Umoura wondered what she was thinking, she had been awfully silent herself. It would be rude of her to ask however, so she turned herself back to Blink. "Alright. If we need to play by the rules, then I'll accept that. So we just find one of these dungeon thingies, find a scroll, and get our answers. That doesn't sound impossible. We have these strange powers, I'm sure we'll be okay." All she wanted to do was find the answers, and if it meant playing along, then that's what she'd do.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Rather abruptly, Matsuri realizes there is something that she can say. Since she had been so quiet, she felt like she had to say something right away as to not give the impression that she just didn't talk. Additionally, she saw that Umoura was looking her over. Although she didn't know exactly why she did that, there was a chance that it was because she was trying to form a first impression. Matsuri learned from the previous day how important those are, so in her best attempt to be friendly, Matsuri called out slightly louder than usual, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I'll do everything I can, and help you get those answers."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]I told you so. It's all she ever wanted to say. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna silently hurrahs as Blink makes their new living situation palatable to the frustrated Umoura. It was something Ravenna couldn't achieve. Umoura would just feel more tense because of her. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Then her ears perked up at the word dungeon. Ravenna had been training all this time, honing herself, was it so that she could conquer these dungeons and speak to the Goddess? Part of her told her that wasn't what her destiny was, but then what was it? Her imagination began conjuring faint impressions of what a dungeon might be, until Matsuri's outburst.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]A big smile stretched upon Ravenna's face and she silently agreed with Matsuri to help Umoura. Goddess Willing. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie silently listens in on the conversation. Her contemplation of all these subjects had already boiled over. She is more concerned with figuring out her powers completely. She looks over to the orange fox. The orange fox returns the gaze, as though it knew what Valerie's intent was. Valerie feels a strong premonition that, very soon, she will be able to speak with the orange fox and that it would guide her. She wonders if the others had things to guide them too. Surely, they would feel something similar. [/BCOLOR]

 

[Jakers]

A post so monstrously large that I have to split it into three spoilers:

A casual stroll

[BCOLOR=transparent]A[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]fter a little more idle chatting at the alcove, it hadn't been long before the group had decided they'd need to explore. Choosing a direction was partially random thanks to the lack of a navigating equipment, but nonetheless, following the river seemed safe enough. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It'd been a couple hours of walking, and the time of day had shifted into mid-day. The sun rose in the centre of the skies like a gleaming orb of gold, and the skies had that somewhat… otherworldly look that this reformed world possessed. One thing Blink could agree on was that the Goddess had certainly done well on the aesthetics of Earth Mk.2 or whatever… [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The yellow-tipped trees had gradually became sparser, until the group found themselves in the centre of two large mountains. Short green grass grew around the whole area, with the river lying in between, like a pathway through the two stone giants. Blink took a moment to take the place in.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"...You have to admit, Earth looks much nicer than before. Hopefully there's no monsters to ruin this, heh…" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink said half-jokingly. She let the fresh air brush past her, and enjoyed the feeling. Being in a bunker, stuck in front of some screen for a whole life really made her enjoy this experience a whole lot more.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She took a glance behind her, making sure they weren't about to get ganked by some crazy raiders or monsters. She needed to remind herself that she had super-hearing now and again, but still, what if there was a monster that she couldn't detect? She took a moment to catch her breath.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"So… everybody alright?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink asked through pants. Stamina/cardio wasn't her strong point, but she could keep going for a while.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura followed close behind Blink. Walking didn't bother her as much, but she found her stomach growling a short time after they had started. Was she always this hungry before? While they walked, she experimented with trying that conjuring that Valerie had showed them, but try as she might, she didn't know of any foods to summon. Eventually, she just thought of the same peach that she had been given, and sure enough, it started to slowly appear. When it was done, she nommed it happily, but figured she'd have to learn new foods if she didn't want to be stuck with peaches for an eternity.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm doing alright, now that I have something to eat." She bit into the next peach she had summoned, and kept close to Blink. "Do you, umm, happen to know where we're going?" While they stopped, she sat her club down on the ground, using it as a prop so she could lean against it a bit, taking a bit of weight off of her legs. The world was indeed beautiful, and she took the time to admire the grass and mountains. This sort of nature reminded her of home… that is, it felt nostalgic, though she could not remember what home looked like. More lost memories anyway.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Silent and lost in thought, Ravenna had spent the entirety of their walk observing the scenery and bringing up the rear of the group. It was walks like these that made her remember the old world, and the walks she used to take in it. Soon the group found themselves trekking through a valley, a large expanse of land leading towards upgrades that splintered into the sky, and the river they followed snaked it's way through, charting the path of least resistance. It made sense to follow it, although Ravenna had wondered if it would eventually lead them towards a dead-end. The river was steadily growing in girth as they continued, and soon it may become impassable. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Like the beauty she had seen in Blink, the landscape too took her breath away. She inhaled deeply, swathing her lungs in fresh air, before exhaling sharply through her nose. Back in the old world, air as clean as this was impossible. It was often laden with the fumes from plants and refineries all over the world, but here the air was crisp and untainted. Never before had Ravenna been able to be so carefree, even if there were monsters. Despite Umoura's contentions, Ravenna would always maintain that the human monsters of the old world were much worse than the monsters of this newly revitalized Earth. She'd remember Nolan rapping his fingers at a plastic keyboard, reading endless amounts of articles about a war, about failing leaders, about imminent destruction. And the humans of that Earth did it to themselves. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She exhaled once again, enjoying the rebound in her lungs upon inhalation. Leading the group, Blink finally slowed to a stop, panting and turning around to check on the group. Umoura was close at her heels and stopped to rest on her club. Ravenna shrugged, she wasn't tired in the least, and could keep going, but she decided vocalizing that was unnecessary because some of the others may have wanted to rest. She took this time to go kneel at the riverside to look at her reflection. Her face had become her own, this feminine body was hers, she had accepted it all. Self-acceptance was only a piece of the puzzle. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]What am I doing here? [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She turned around briefly to look at her companions, wondering silently if sticking around was really a good idea. Alone she could cover more distance, and she wouldn't have to worry about annoying anyone with her disposition. But she turned back around, cupping her hands, and reaching into the river to gather some water in her palms, splashing it over her face. It was refreshing, and reminded her that being apart of this group was also refreshing. She wanted to fight alongside them, just like she had done with Umoura. Ravenna, stooped over, let her fingers dance in the running water for a few moments longer, at least until the group decided to start walking again.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri, much like the reflective Ravenna, spent much of the trip lost in her own thoughts. Although Matsuri was currently partial to Blink, whom she had managed to get closest to so far, she decided it was important to walk alongside Umoura and Ravenna. She had yet to get close to anyone other than Blink, and even that was a fairly shallow and one sided relationship. Right now, in Matsuri's mind, it had to be that way. Her current rate of self discovery was simply too much for her to keep track of. Going from knowing basically nothing about anything to understanding the basics has put an enormous toll on Matsuri, and she hasn't been willing to show this vulnerability to others. That fear that she might be abandoned or taken advantage of for her lack of experience simply created a natural distance. Even still, she at least knew, one day, when she finally figured everything out, maybe she'd be able to at least begin to share with others. Though, Matsuri didn't know if she'd be able to keep up her act long enough for it to matter. It had yet to show, but Matsuri has already begun to fall apart. She remained quiet, watching Blink hopefully.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie treads along with the orange fox at her side. It seems to watch the front diligently. Valerie is glad that they decided to start moving along. The forest was an unpleasant place for her, since her birth into the new world wasn't much of a pleasant experience. Valerie looks over from person to person, reading their faces for brief moments. Surely, everyone was dubious about the current state of things in the world. They decided to walk aimlessly. There's nothing to strive for. Basic needs have been eliminated. Or, have they? Humans need food, shelter and something to keep them busy. Even humans that moved around in the old world carried their homes on their backs. Personal space. Responsibilities. Community. Forms of expression. Procreation. Everything is gone. The orange fox looks up to Valerie. Valerie returns the gaze. Valerie can feel the orange fox's voice resonate in her mind, planting itself. Valerie mentally signs a friendly feeling to the orange fox. The orange fox returns the gesture. It looks back towards the road. Soon. Soon, the fox will speak. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Nope." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink replied to Umoura honestly. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"But we're out of that forest, at least. We can't really navigate properly, so… I guess we'll just have to keep going random places until we find one of those dungeons." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]She said. Blink wanted Umoura to get answers and all, but if the group was going to succeed out here, they needed to progress. They needed gear, XP, and to master whatever skills they had.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]…But Blink wasn't looking forward to the first dungeon. In fact, she was dreading it. Dreading the traps, dreading the monsters, dreading the fact that she could die in various horrible ways. Whilst she maintained a cool exterior in the calm daylight, she was terrified. And to top that, she could get someone else killed. She couldn't bear a burden like that… [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She watched Ravenna splashing water over her face, and felt a little at ease. She wasn't intimidated by her anymore… and now she felt like a bit of a jerk. She had yet to have a proper conversation with anyone other than Matsuri and Valerie… so maybe she should get to know the others better. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]On the subject of Matsuri, her heartbeat seemed somewhat off, but her facial expression seemed to be okay. Being introduced to this group from the past, and the way of how people from the past used to live must be confusing for her; Blink decided to give her some space, but she was there for her if needed. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna peered over her shoulder at Blink, then she returned to looking back at the river, but she projected her voice for them all to hear, "We can navigate just fine," she points at the river, "And if we can't survive out here, I imagine we'll be no chance for a dungeon." She chuckles, "I guess Umoura has rubbed off on me." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna shifts onto the balls of her feet and slowly stands, stretching her calves. "If I may, I don't believe we should just be heading in a random direction. If we're really looking for a dungeon, walking randomly is not the way to find one. I think setting up at a location where we can scout from and get a lay of the land." She rubs her chin, remembering the rule about the topography and geography changing. But how often did this occur? Before, after, or during dungeons? Was it completely random, or was there a way to predict changes in the landscape?Their odds didn't seem in their favor, but her calculating changed her mind, so she continued with, "But. That could prove just as fruitless as well. Either way. A camp gives a home base to work from, and we can move it any time. Easier to rest or even practice our skills, maybe train. That's what I like to do." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna recalled on her old experience. She would have never just waddled in a random direction hoping for providence. Umoura had her pegged for her optimism, but she could also be quite objective. Ravenna had to learn the hard way, and is still learning the hard way. Although surviving and training and finding really interesting places to swim and explore and enjoy was difficult, Ravenna thought figuring out group dynamics among a group of females was way more daunting than surviving a night in their new world. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Make sure you always wash your hands… in the tears of your enemies!!" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Happy Fist's metallic voice chimed in. A sheepish grin pops onto Ravenna's face. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Um. It does that sometimes." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]From the distance, a subtle rumbling is audible only to Blink. A group of 3 ogres approaches, each with extremely thick tough skin that is resilient against slashing weapons, a thick wooden club, and monstrous strength for smashing skulls in. They lack coordination and cooperation however, and they are not the sharpest. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ohh, fudge…" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink mumbled under her breath. Those heartbeats… massive, pounding, and aggressive. She bit her lip, and stopped.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Guys? I… w-well… something's coming[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]. Three big things.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink whispered. She could barely hide her terror. This wasn't some level 1 'trash mob' or something like that… these things were huge. Part of her wanted to run from this battle, but if the others would stand and fight, so would she. ...Even if she couldn't fight that well.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie looks off towards the forest. The orange fox does as well. She couldn't hear anything yet but she stands at the ready to instruct the orange fox. So long as she focuses on the fox, it'll do as she says, she feels. She wouldn't be able to attack what is, presumably, the enemy with her fists. It seems unwise, especially if it's a large creature. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri comes to attention, quickly putting all unnecessary thoughts to the back of her mind, thinking only of the tactics she would employ to protect her friends. Gathering her iron rod, she looks to the horizons, calculating various combinations of flash steps. Then, once she composed her thoughts, she spoke, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm going to hide. If you are in trouble, or create an opening, I'll be there."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Disappearing in a purple flash, Matsuri hides among the nearby trees. [/BCOLOR]

The Fight Begins

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura had been walking silently alongside the rest of them. There was a lot she had to think about… How everything was so messed up, and different. But more importantly, how little she knew about it. She couldn't even say what was wrong with the world, she didn't remember enough about the old one. But, as Happy Fist's wonderfully happy tone expressed, they wouldn't remain walking peacefully for long. Three ugly ogres, three giant wooden clubs, smelling of rancid socks and moldy cheese, approached the group. The expression on their face weren't friendly ones… probably, Umoura wasn't an expert in ogre facial communication. She sighed, and looked over at Ravenna. "Well, there's your little practice of skill you were talking about. The rest of you do know how to fight, right?" It would be her first time seeing how the others fought, other than Ravenna, and if they were to be trusty companions, their ability to combat others would be more than helpful. Her foot planted itself firmly in the forest floor, hefting her makeshift walking stick to her shoulder, looking as fierce as one in a schoolgirl outfit could.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Three big things eh? [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]A hyena cackle rips from her throat. Almost as soon as the words had left Blink's lips, she was slipping Happy Fist onto her right hand. Although no one had had time to consider what she had said, Umoura quipped about Ravenna's love for combat. Maybe Ravenna was rubbing off on her? Either way, a huge grin spread across her face. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She approaches Blink and puts the Mana Potion in her hands. "You may be able to use this. Umoura can tell you how it works," she gives Blink a wink and a light playful bro punch to the shoulder, "Watch me, alright?" [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]With that she charges in the direction of the Ogres, yelling out to Matsuri at the beginning of her sprint, "I'll race you!" She hoped Matsuri would get the hint and realize Ravenna was going to prepare an opening. Hopefully the quick and nimble Matsuri would get there before she would. In the corner of her eye as she ran, she took a final glance at Valerie and her fox, highly anxious to see what she would do. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Her charge was punctuated by a war cry that she aimed to get the Ogre's attention with. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink looked at the potion. Blue… stereotypically, blue was a mana potion. Which would've been great if she'd figured out her powers at this point. She couldn't be sure it was mana though, it could turn her into a frog for all she knew, so for now, she pocketed it. Blink smiled gingerly at the punch to her shoulder.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"...Alright." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]She said quietly. She watched Ravenna charge, as if she was actually enjoying the battle. Not even a glint of fear was in her eyes. Blink watched somewhat bewilderedly. Was… was she meant to be able to do that? Blink probably wouldn't be able to charge without whimpering a little. God! What was she good for? She was so desperate to just do something to help like the others, but her melee attacks probably did as much damage as poking someone. The only thing she was good at was music! In a motion of frustration and desperation, Blink flung her arm forward at one of the ogres. ...And for the first time, something happened. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]*[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]T[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]H[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]RR[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]RR[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]M![/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]*[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A brief growl of what could only be described as unfathomably deep bass was flung forth from her outstretched hand. The sound funneled from her arm to the upper-half of the ogres, disorientating them somewhat, but dealing no damage by the looks of things. But… still! She did something![/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink didn't fully understand what spell she'd just cast, but it was something. Enough to her tremble with excitement and emit a quiet laugh of disbelief. She was starting to understand what she could do, and it felt wonderful. She could feel her confidence rising, but she still needed time to fully figure out her stuff. And wouldn't be charging in anytime soon.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Almost immediately after the ogres became slightly disoriented from Blink's sound wave attack, Matsuri uses the brief opening to flash step in front of one of the ogres, land a solid hit against the arm that is holding the club, and flash out back to the surrounding trees before any retaliation can be made. Due to the Ogre's thick skin and strong muscles, even the bonus damage caused from Matsuri attacking while the opponent was off guard was not enough to cause it to drop its weapon.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With the appearance of the obviously unfriendly ogres, Valerie starts to trod towards them at a steady pace as Ravenna starts to dash. When Ravenna looks back towards Valerie, Valerie realizes Ravenna's intent. A voice resonates then.[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]Fury! Fury![/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]The orange fox finally spoke. Mentally, at least. Valerie mentally inquires as to what the orange fox means. The fox responds with a visual thought of a sword. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Conjure! Conjure! [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie realizes Fury Blade then. She smirks as her intuition comes to fruition. She continues her steady pace towards their enemies. The orange fox, excitedly, starts to run towards the ogres. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blood! Blood![/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]She followed somewhat behind Ravenna. At this point, she was getting more comfortable with the idea of being up close and personal with the enemies, and the safety and confidence afforded by wielding a large club were probably the reasons for that. Her target was the ogre on the left of the group, to the side of the one Ravenna was about to mercilessly beat on. As she ran, she stuck her hands out, wondering what other kinds of magic she could cast. Fire perhaps? She imagined it, but nothing happened. Okay… wind? As she did, her mind imagined a breeze, building into a raging tempestous wind, ripping across a field of grass. She felt that breeze on her body, opening her eyes to find herself running twice as fast, propelled by the push of the air. She smiled, as the wind propelled her like a missile, raising her club, propelling far past Ravenna's own feet. The ogre blinked once, almost certainly surprised to see a younger girl hurling towards him. Too late, he raised his arm to block it, but not fast enough, as the club slammed into his chest at twice the speed any regular human could swing such an object. She didn't need to speak, or say anything cool, all she was worried about was taking the damn thing out.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The ogres, enraged by the sudden aggressions which they expected to initiate, begin to wind back their clubs. They look to wildly swing at the first thing to come into their range. Those who don't come in with a plan can expect to break some bones should they get clobbered.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna was impressed by Umoura's sudden burst of speed and her attack which followed Matsuri's stealth attack. She was thrilled to be fighting along others again. And Blink was able to muster up some powerful sound that she directed at the Ogres.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]After Umoura's attack, the Ogre's were well and primed on the defense, holding their exaggeratedly long clubs at the ready, poised to strike. Ravenna knew running in was dangerous, but she had no long range capabilities. Hopefully Blink would come in handy and drop some more bass. Either way, she had no time to hesitate. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She jumps into the air, lunging at the Ogre Matsuri hurt earlier, trying to hopefully whittle it's health down, by focusing their attacks. However, she wasn't aiming at the Ogre. As she sailed through the air all the Ogres swung at once. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Stupid and Putrid [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]she thought. Instead of trying to connect Happy Fist with the Ogre, she deliberately swung at it's club, hitting the makeshift weapon dead in its center. The result from the blow was that the club fractured and snapped, hanging on by a few splinters, and the momentum from attacking a club which was coming at her full force sent her backwards (and really hurt her right arm) which helped her to avoid at least one of the other clubs. The club that missed her met it's ally, and hit the Ogre Ravenna had just attacked. The other club however, kissed her own leg, just barely, but it threw her off in the air and she landed less gracefully than she had hoped, tumbling backwards, she shifted into a sprawl, only to realize how damaged her left calf was from the blow. It hurt like a mother-fucker. She cursed under her breath but knew it couldn't be helped. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Since one Ogre accidentally hit the other while going for Ravenna, she hoped this would spark some neanderthal rage pent up in their pea sized skulls. Infighting would be lovely. She wasn't pessimistic or optimistic, she was realistic, and getting through that hardened skin would be tough, and she imagined that these creatures wouldn't easily be defeated by the blunt trauma of Happy Fist. Their chances of winning were low if they didn't have something… [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink remained at a safe distance, watching the others beat the living crap out of the ogres, and Valerie approaching slowly and menacingly with the fox at her side. Ah, thank God they were actually getting somewhere… but those ogres still must've had a lot of 'HP' left, or whatever. This was far from over. She needed to experiment more with her powers to help get this fight won.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink threw forth her hand again, but nothing came out. Damn it! How did she do it last time? [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Think, Blink… think! [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]She could only remember the fact she was thinking about a song in her head the last ti-[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]…![/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Wait a minute. If Blink's theory was right, she might just die happy. She was going to think of the sound of a snare drum this time, and throw forth her arm.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]*THAK!*[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]And it happened. Blink's eyes fluttered in disbelief, and she began to quietly laugh to herself. Like a child in a toybox, she experimented with random sounds. She could make a beat. She could play a tune with just her mind. Random notes didn't seem to help much though, and were probably confusing her allies. She needed to take her powers one step further. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Could she…[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] drop the bass?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It seemed so stupid, but so brilliantly wonderful that she couldn't wait to try it. Without further ado, Blink licked her lips with anticipation, and slipped on the headphones around her neck as if she suddenly knew what to do.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]([/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]https://youtu.be/zd_Kz_vtmpE?t=27s[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent])[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]HERE IT COMES--![/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The bass dropped, as Blink would say, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]like a f**king bomb. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]A shockwave of blue light rippled its way through the fields, and Blink's strands of pink hair seemed to float with the beat. She closed her eyes, her mind focusing purely on the song. Every drumbeat, bass, synthesizer and the effects to go with them were being processed in her musical mind, and being emitted as a powerful speed buff for her allies. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Oh, you stupid ogres. Bring. It. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]On.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie stops a safe distance away from the ogres. The orange fox jumps into the confusion, aiming straight for the ogre with the broken club's face. The orange fox digs its hind legs into the ogre's chest and swipes at its eyes. The ogre, still fumbling from its ally's friendly fire, roars in pain and slowly lifts his arm to react to the sudden attack. The orange fox darts forward, leaping behind the ogre. The ogre puts its hands to its face, trying to rub its eyes. Valerie jobs over to Ravenna. "You alright? That was a hefty blow." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Feeling the effects of Blink's song, Matsuri feels herself become more emboldened to take advantage of shorter openings and to attempt more strikes before flashing back to safety. The effect was not merely physical, but also quite psychological. Matsuri had never heard such an intense rhythm. As she listened to it, she couldn't help but feel possessed by the tempo. Flash stepping to attack the ogre protecting its eyes, Matsuri notices that even as she attacks, she loses her own natural attack rhythm, and it instead matches that of Blink's song. Landing a series of 3 strikes, the ogre's skin ruptures, allowing Matsuri to land a finishing blow by imbuing her attack with the power of Venom Strike. With venom coursing through its body, the ogre loses control of its muscles, groveling in pain as it collapses to the floor, never to rise again. Matsuri narrowly gets away with a flash step back. Landing such a large number of strikes was a risk far greater than she'd usually take. Feeling short of breath, Matsuri takes a moment of rest.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura was quite happy to see Ravenna and the others attack the other trolls. It threw the one she herself hit into confusion, and the ogres flailing at Ravenna kept them from returning their attacks to Umoura. She was surprised to see the others tearing through the ogres. They were certainly competent fighters, and she breathed a sigh of relief at that fact. Still, she had her own to deal with, while the other two ogres were getting utterly destroyed, and she raised her club for another swing, once more ready to attack it. The ogre however was infuriated, and slammed it's club onto the ground directly next to her, knocking her over. It was clearly pissed off, and raised its club for yet another attack. Umoura braced herself for it, but suddenly… was that music? She heard the song coming from Blink, and she quickly rolled out of the way as the club slammed down. Something about the song was different from other music, and hearing the rhythm was somehow empowering her. She took her own club and spun around again, slamming the club directly into one of the ogre's knees with a sickening cracking sound. It dropped to the ground, howling in pain, as she turned to see how the rest of the girls were doing in the fight.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna flashed a thumbs up at Valerie to assure her that she was okay, even though her leg and arm throbbed with pain. She'd have to thank Valerie later for the concern. In a flash, Matsuri had utilized a series of little strikes that she punctuated with a stronger attack that eliminated the Ogre Ravenna had broken the weapon of, and Umoura had just landed a critical blow against another Ogre. The fox also helped to pincer in these last two. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]And this music?! It gave Ravenna chills of excitement that ran through her body. She'd have to tell Blink later how incredible she was. Enveloped in the blue glow of the beat that pulsed like a steady heart, unwavering in its resolve. Ravenna could feel the energetic effects, and she grinned. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Taking advantage of the opening created by Umoura, Ravenna sprinted towards the ugly creature and raised Happy Fist, poised to strike. She was incredibly fast, not Matsuri fast, but still, her speed allowed her to bridge the distance between her and the Ogre in a flash. Happy Fist sank into its face, the velocity of the attack coupled with the weight of the metal fist was enough to crush the Ogre's nose to wacky dust. Blood poured from its nostrils, and cuts opened above its eyes, spilling red into its vision. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Blood and a Roar. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]She didn't expect it, but instead of reeling from the blow and maybe even chancing an escape, the Ogre wildly swung back at her, although the swing was misplaced and headed for Umoura. Luckily it missed, but its frenzy and fervor increased, and it continued to swing wildly, landing blows that kicked up large tufts of the earth. They couldn't back down now, but creating an opening while it was frenzied would be difficult, and this ogre's frenzy spurned its remaining ally into one as well, except it began to charge straight for Valerie. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]So… good…![/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink was lost for a moment in the music. She could feel it pulse through her body, and it felt like euphoria to finally hear some good music. Except she was in control of it. All those song ideas she came up with in her head were a reality. The smile simply wouldn't go from Blink's face for a few moments. She and her friends were destroying these ogres, and she was helping.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Her mind snapped back to reality though, when an ogre made a charge for Valerie. Valerie had proved herself a force to be reckoned with… but a swing from that thing could destroy her. She needed to distract it. Blink's eyes narrowed, and she bit her lip as she raised her arms. The beat suddenly stopped (1:35), and a green flash came from the DJ's fingers, before the beat returned harder than before. The sudden change in sound confused the ogre, and it felt disorientated. It tripped, made a grunt, and completely missed Valerie. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink grinned to herself. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Stupid thing.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] It probably didn't even appreciate music, or even know what music was. Maybe it was just a bunch of random sounds to its ears, which was good. Aggressive, murderous ogres didn't deserve to feel the euphoria of the beat. It was then Blink realised how fired up she was getting. She hadn't felt her confidence boost like this before. She felt like her and the others could take on the world… [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink elevated the rhythm again (2:15), continuing the speed-enhancing song for her allies. The song just seemed to get better as the fight progressed. The ogre grunted, and hastily returned to its feet in its frenzy. It eyed Blink and roared, but Blink was too lost in the music to care. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Come get me." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]She whispered. Her allies would descend upon it soon. The ogres didn't have a hope at this point in her eyes.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The orange fox continues its romp, as Valerie mentally directs it. She can't tell it anything more complicated than 'attack this' or 'attack that'. The orange fox seemingly does as it pleases when it comes to anything but which target to focus. Ravenna reengages and the other ladies converge on the ogres in a wave of attacks. Valerie keeps an eye on the situation. One Ogre, in a fit of anger, starts to dash towards her. Valerie turns and dashes to put some distance between herself and the ogre. After a short burst of steps, a blast of sound hits the Ogre, fumbling its movements. Valerie was ready to pull the blade if need be but this is more convenient. She would have to thank Blink later. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura moved her hand to cover her face, to avoid any possible blood splatter as Ravenna sinks her fist into the Ogre's face. The wild swinging of the Ogre only increased as it was injured, and she was able to jump back in time to avoid being knocked away like a baseball. The mad beast continued to swing its club relentlessly, keeping any would be physical attackers far away. Not even the sounds of Blink's uplifting music would help survive a direct hit from that thing. She turned to Val, hoping that her or Blink would be of some assistance, only to see the third untouched Ogre starting to chase Val. She looked back at the first ogre, and yelled at Ravenna. "Go help Val! I'll try and take this thing down!" She focused on the flailing creature, which was effectively keeping any physical attackers away. Well if that wouldn't work, why not magic? She shot her hands out in front of her, thinking about the elements. She had tried fire, earth, wind, why not water? Her thoughts reached out, and a jet of water suddenly dashed from her hands, barreling into the wounded knee of the Ogre. In a howl of pain, it dropped to the ground, yelling and grunting. She knew she would only have this chance, and she lifted up her club. This part was something she'd never get used to, and she slammed her club down… thoroughly smashing into the Ogre's skull, caving in the face and destroying the brain inside. It was most certainly dead.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna nods at Umoura and turns to scan Valerie's situation. She wasn't in dire need of assistance since Blink had used her power to make the Ogre fumble to the ground. If anything it was defeated. Ravenna sprints at the creature and jumps to smash its club, this time shattering the weapon completely in half, rendering it useless. The Ogre got to it's knees in confusion, with half its club missing while it still gripped the shaft. Then Umoura smashed it's allie's head in with her own absurdly sized club. Certainly, it could feel its own impending doom, surrounded by girls who'd made light work of the other Ogres in their coordinated efforts. And with its weapon gone…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna put her hands on her hips and stared at the creature with a jester's grin. It stood up and looked down on her with a fear plagued gaze. After a few moments of staring, it begins to saunter away. Ravenna would spare it, recognizing its defeat, and not necessarily worried about reinforcements, but she could not, however, say the same for her comrades. She was now twice as confident in her abilities, and especially in the abilities of her allies. She knew it all along they were strong.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She removes Happy Fist and begins trekking back towards Blink to congratulate her. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Seeing the Ogre run off in terror, Matsuri, unlike Ravenna, would make sure that the job was done. Thanks to the panicked state of the ogre, she would be able to score a big hit. Normally using poisoned strike would be too risky due to the fact that she'd take the poison herself if she wasn't able to properly cut through the ogre's thick skin. Unfortunately for the ogre, Matsuri had already landed several strikes against its kind, and knew exactly how hard she needed to strike to get the kill. A grounded strike wouldn't offer enough power, so she used the aerial varient that she used to save Blink from the wolves earlier, this time from even higher up. Matching the speed of the Ogre precisely, Matsuri comes down on its neck with her poison strike. Although the move wouldn't kill the Ogre immediately, it would likely fall to poison within minutes. Oblivious to this fact, the Ogre continues to run, fearing for the life it still seeks to protect, in vain. [/BCOLOR]

Aftermath

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri falls to her knees, tired from the fight. She hasn't had to summon her energy like this before, as she previously avoided fights rather than participated in them. The recoil from striking was nothing like simply running around. She accepted the strain however, as she would need this strength if she was ever to protect anything.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink's song ended as Matsuri struck the last remaining ogre, leaving it hobbling away to die. Blink moved the headphones from her head to their usual position around her neck, and breathed heavily as she smiled. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"…That's… hah…[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] that's a wrap[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She said happily, though exhaustedly. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She felt like she'd used a lot of energy in that fight, but still had enough to go on. Dropping bass was hard work, after all! Heh… Blink would never used to get used to the fact she could do that. It was just simply epic. The fact that she, in a brutal, unforgiving world, was a DJ. A class able to give buffs to large parties, and debuffs to enemies, in the form of whatever music she could think of. It just felt like the perfect role for her. But anyway.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink would have been surprised by the brutality of Umoura's attack, and Matsuri's merciless attitude, but at the end of the day, it was the right decision to not take a chance. What if a spared ogre was allowed to run free, only to heal up the next day, and murder another innocent person? [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]In games, monsters were AI. They didn't learn. They were only programmed to kill things when a player got within a certain proximity of them. These 'AI' just seemed to have a 'fleeing' mechanic installed in them. If Blink was about to get crushed by an ogre, if she got to her knees and sobbed for her life, or started running, the ogres would just see their game becoming more fun. And then, she'd be a pile of red. They had no 'mercy' mechanic. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Or that was how Blink saw it, at least. …She'd need proof before she could feel comfortable leaving an ogre to flee. They just… couldn't learn. And… in a way, it was upsetting. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]But Blink shook off this sudden train of thought. Seeing Ravenna approaching, Blink swallowed. It was almost as if Blink could tell Ravenna wanted to congratulate her. And whilst Blink would agree that the music was pretty epic, she wasn't the one doing all the fighting and stuff.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Heh, n-no, don't thank me… you guys were the cool ones."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink said, modestly putting up her hands as Ravenna approached.[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]"I was just here. You know, doing things…" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna chuckled at Blink in response, flashing a playful grin, "Are you kidding me? Did you even hear your own music? It was intense, and really got my blood pumping." She opens up her palm, motioning to the potion she had given Blink earlier, "I definitely want to hear more of it."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink was clearly flattered, but her reddening face did its best to remain modest as she handed Ravenna the blue potion.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Um…[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] (w-wow)…[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] thanks! I'm glad you liked it." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink quietly said, holding back one of those girly giggles she would mentally kick herself for doing. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"If my music somehow makes you more badass, t-then you can hear it anytime." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink added with a playful wink in return.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Anytime?" Ravenna seductively teased, before laughing and saluting Blink, "It was a pleasure." Then she jogged off towards the stream to clean Happy Fist. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Valerie starts to trot back towards the group once all is done. She took the opportunity to observe everyone during the battle. The orange fox returns to her side as well. During the battle, the fox had inflicted several cuts and wounds on the ogres to distract and bother them while the others dealt the main blows. Valerie gives a friendly nod to Blink. "Thanks for covering me. Everyone did a great job." She held back during the battle in case something unexpected appeared. If everyone else was occupied with the ogres, she'd be able to deal with the new problem while the orange fox trots about on its own. She doesn't feel the need to express this to the group but rather to just keep in mind her reasons for making that choice. She nods to herself. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura panted heavily herself, using her club to balance herself and keep her on her feet. She turned away from the bloody scene in front of her, the Ogre she had smashed was laying on the ground, its skull caved in, bits of bone and lots of blood scattering the area. She felt sick from having done such a gruesome thing, she had told herself that killing would be necessary, and it wasn't like she was killing humans, so that made it okay… right? Fortunately, none of the blood had gotten on her, other than a little which had splashed on the ends of her shoes. She slowly walked away, but stopped when she saw Matsuri on her knees. She was exhausted herself, but Umoura made her way over to Matsuri, and stopped in front of her, holding out her hand. "A-are you okay…? Here, let me help you up, we'll go rest somewhere that's not near bodies.." Umoura was concerned over the girl's health, they might have been strangers, but Umoura was the kind of person that wanted to help those in need in front of her. She might have been tired herself, but she had the energy to help someone else walk, at least till they found an adequate spot to rest from the battle.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Matsuri continued to pant for air, even as Umoura showed her the kindness to extend a hand up. While Matsuri originally didn't feel the fatigue, throwing her body around like that was only possible due to the adrenaline running through her body. Although she managed to avoid getting hit by enemies, the sheer amount of strain caused by catapulting her body around for extra power was beginning to catch up to her. Matsuri is fortunate that she didn't suffer ligament damage, leaving the only real issue to be fatigue and soreness. Matsuri barely gets out the words, coughing afterwards, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I need a moment."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura nodded, and simply plopped down onto her own rear, sitting alongside Matsuri. If she was gonna rest, Umoura would as well. "Take your time then. The others will understand, they're probably exhausted myself." Umoura's arms were throbbing themselves, even with her talent for swinging the club around, it was still a massive and heavy stone club, and propelling it around with magic did a number on her smaller frame. She didn't say much more than that, not being particularly good at small talk, but she figured that Matsuri would rather rest instead of talk, and so she took the time to catch her own breath.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The final phases of fatigue begin to set in, and Matsuri finds herself start to feel light-headed. Her whole world began to grow fuzzy as the last of the adrenaline left her body. Her body hurt all over. Matsuri, despite normally being the type to think critically in observation of her surroundings now found herself unable to reach a coherent thought. With the last of her rationalization gone, Matsuri fell forward into Umoura, feeling almost drunk with feelings of exhaustion for but a few seconds, followed quickly by her simply passing out. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura was surprised to see Matsuri collapse into her, and for a few moments was immensely worried. She realized though that the girl was simply tired, horribly exhausted from their efforts against the ogres. They weren't going to be able to keep going with her in this state, so Umoura moved slightly, adjusting Matsuri's position so that she was laying backwards, her body resting in Umoura's lap. Her own club was left on the ground, and she simply sat there, serving as a pillow for Matsuri. The other girls would hopefully come check on them, she didn't want to yell for their attention, so Matsuri could rest.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink had been examining the ogre' corpses for anything useful (to no avail), until she'd only just noticed the condition of Umoura and Matsuri. She suddenly felt like a jerk. She'd been so distracted with flattery for her music, she'd forgotten about the condition of her friends. Matsuri's heartbeat was slow; she'd passed out. As for Umoura, she looked fine, though somewhat shaken-up. Blink didn't know why Matsuri had suddenly passed out, and she was suddenly worried. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]What if she'd been hit with a poison attack? Was she sick? Was Umoura sick too? Not to mention they didn't have a healer-[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink rushed over.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Matsuri? Is she alright?!--" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink quickly shifted her glance up to Umoura.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "--Are you alright?!" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Blink added in a frantic whisper, sliding onto her knees near the two readily. As if she was expecting one of them to desperately need something. Blink usually wasn't one to over-react, but she had a passion not to lose [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]anyone[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] in this group. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura nodded at Blink, panting a bit. "She's fine… probably. Just tired… as am I…" She kept sitting down, not wanting to move and disturb Matsuri, even if it meant she couldn't really get comfortable in the position. "We'll just have to wait until she wakes up, assuming she isn't fully out for the night. Besides, I'm sure all of us could take a break. I know we're all really tired…" She yawned as she said the last part, the exhaustion was really hitting her now. Umoura figured that whoever she was in her past life, it probably wasn't somebody who was active and athletic, if this much made her so exhausted.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink seemed mostly reassured, but still a little worried. It probably was just exhaustion, after all the moves they'd been doing. Matsuri had been teleporting like crazy in that fight; no wonder the poor thing was knocked out. Blink figured that although she'd felt pretty tired after the fight, she hadn't exerted too much of her power. Which made her think there were more powerful DJ moves she hadn't discovered yet. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Blink gave an understanding nod to Umoura after she yawned.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"S-So you're okay? Thank God… dess." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]She added slowly.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "We'll stop for a while, then. I can't hear anything else nearby, and I'm sure the others won't mind." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]She paused, looking at the adorable scene in front of her, giving a fond smile. Hee… Umoura was kind of trapped. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Feel free to take a siesta with sleeping beauty there,"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Blink playfully said. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"I'll go get you some water. Spitting elements everywhere must be hard work, heh." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Umoura nodded, and adjusted herself slightly, so she could lay on her back on the grass, Matsuri's head still on her lap. She put her hands behind her head, closing her eyes briefly, not intending to sleep, but feeling herself slowly slip into a dream.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With that, Blink got up to go and fetch some by the river. Ravenna, who was washing off her fist thing, might have a canteen Blink could borrow or something. She passed Valerie and her fox, who seemed to be okay. Valerie could sure look scary and badass when she wanted to; her fox just seemed to decimate those ogres, leaving them easily finished off. Valerie, in Blink's opinion, was very powerful. It was a relief she was nice, and on her side.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As she approached the stream, Blink had a tiny tiny urge to give Ravenna a playful push into the river… but Ravenna would probably spin around and dunk her if she tried it. Blink began to gather water like a good girl instead, humming parts of the tune she'd played earlier. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ravenna was surprised when she turned back to see Blink walking away from Umoura's and Matsuri's collapsed figures. Were they tired? As Blink approached, Ravenna could tell that her mood was elevated, so it seemed there probably wasn't any alarm. Umoura and Matsuri were probably tired. That's how Ravenna felt after her first few days of training. Admittedly her left leg and right arm throbbed with pain at the moment, and even her right hand was trembling slightly, but she would just grit her teeth and carry on. It wasn't like the pain was an inconvenience, rather, it just informed Ravenna that she was still alive, and fragile, but strong. Such a brittle thing, human life, but so remarkably filled to the brim and overflowing with passion. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'll set up camp for us." Ravenna said as she washed the last little bit of monster blood off of Happy Fist. She began setting up the tents at the edge of the river. [/BCOLOR]

 

[Cwispy]

Collab- Dubs x Saito x Esper x York x Sailor

[BCOLOR=transparent]Hours had passed in silence, the kind of silence only the canopy of the forest could contain. Micheala and Belinda, were assumingly right at her heels, and she could hear their footsteps on the fresh grass and twigs. But Luci never looked back at them, not once. Once again, she was deliberating in her mind about what she should do if she gets the chance to leave them. She had decided she didn't want to hurt them. They had done nothing to her. But as long as they were in her presence, she could potentially hurt them, and the thought of that made her sick, but it made Red stir with delight. She could feel the tug of his influence. He was trying to get her to touch them, to inflict pain on them. The hint of pleasure he brought forth to remind her of what she was missing, turned her an even paler shade, and made her palms sweat. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She tried to shake off the thoughts mentally, but in the end, she couldn't free herself from what was already inside of her. What ended up breaking her focus with Red were the faint thumpings she could hear from behind them. They sounded like hooves beating on the ground. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci spun around, hopefully alerting Belinda and Micheala. She could spot them in the distance, there were four small green gangly goblins riding on boars. Two had makeshift spears or lances, one seemed to be brandishing a short sword (which looked large in the goblins hands), and the one leading the pack had a net adorned with two heavy balls, likely made for tangling opponents to capture them. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Run." As soon as she said it she was bolting in the direction they were already traveling, but she was hoping they'd be able to reach the riverbed. They'd have a chance if they could get across. But these goblins had the advantage of being mounted, which means, they'd likely catch up soon. When Luci had looked, before she ran, they were maybe 50 meters away. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Having opened her mouth to end the silence several times Michaela really, really wanted to speak up and break the silence that was over the group. They could talk to each other, right? Finally gaining the courage she was about to cheerfully suggest them having a crafting session together, that way they could bond![/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Still, the suggestion died on her lips as Luci turned all of a sudden and looked behind them. Seeing the four green creatures that belong more in a video game than anywhere else Michaela paled and froze. They were creepy, they had weapons, they rode on boars![/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The pure inanity of the boars broke the spell and she turned and followed Luci's path, hoping to escape whatever was so hostile towards them. "What are those things?!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda instantly turned around upon hearing a sudden unfamiliar thumping noise. It didn't take her very long to figure out that they were under attack, noticing the rather primitive looking tools their assailants had… She was almost certain she could have taken them on, had it not been for the fact that she was unarmed. With that in mind, she noticed the others already starting to flee… So, without much hesitation, she followed suit, not stopping to look back yet. "I don't know what they are… But, we need to arm ourselves…" She said between breaths, trying to make sure she was breathing steadily; whenever she ran in the past… It was a reliable way to help keep herself going for longer than she normally could.[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]Chryseis, being exhausted from the day's events, was more than happy to take Jun up on her offer to rest before continuing on their journey. She knew that Jun would need a bit to heal, and the paste would take a few hours to fully do it's job. With a quick nod in Jun's direction, Chryseis sat down near the rock she was previously relaxing on, and leaned her back against it for support. There were a few things on her mind as she began to drift off, but she preferred not to think too heavily about anything right then.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]When Chryseis awoke, she glanced over to where Jun was with a soft sigh of relief. Her new friend seemed to be in perfect condition, at least physically. She then looked up at the sky, pleased to see that the stars and moon were becoming more visible from where they were settled in. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, eyes closing as she began to ask the stars for guidance. Something snapped the Astrologist out of her trance, though. Chryseis was no stranger to strange feelings, the issue was just finding out what had caused it. Her hands instinctively went to the small card case hanging from her waist, and she removed her tarot deck.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hey, Jun?" Chryseis turned to Jun, a new casualness in her tone when she spoke. The night time seemed to put Chryseis in her element. "Would you like me to read your fortune for you?" The astrologist could see this benefiting the both of them if Jun agreed to it. She'd get a chance to know Jun in a more unconventional way without Jun needing to do much at all, and Jun could possibly get some insight into her new life. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci could see the edge of the forest as they ran. Belinda was right, they would need to arm themselves. Before they could actually exit the treeline, they became surrounded by the boar mounted goblins. Luci, Micheala, and Belinda had to form up close to each other to avoid being caught by the tips of spears that the goblins were threatening to stick them with as they rotated around the group. At first, the goblins were keeping their distance out of sport, their green faces twisted into jaunting jeers. The leader's face was adorned with small bones, phalanges Luci guessed, as he unraveled his net. If one of them were caught in that net, they may not be able to escape together. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Red stirred in her right arm. He was coaxing her once again, to let him show her the way out. She didn't have time to consider whether it would be a good idea or not, she had to act. Except, she wasn't even within arms reach to touch them. She could feel Red's restlessness, as if he was aware of a capability that she wasn't. Luci ultimately decided to trust the demon within. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Stay close." She commanded the group quietly. Then she reached out with her right arm, aimed at the face of the leader goblin, and simply let Red perform. Luci extended the shadow from her right arm, and her "touch" reached the face of the goblin leading the three others. He squealed out in agony and fell off his boar, the small stubbly legged creature ran off right as he hit the ground. Luci had to hold out against the pleasure flooding and threatening to drown out her cognizance to let the beast come out. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Red then did something new. As they held the goblin's face via the shadow grasp, it felt like Red slivered inside the goblin's brain. He rearranged some things in the monster's mind to turn it against its own allies. Luci let go of the goblin from long range. Once the pleasure subsided, she watched as the same goblin threw its net at the goblin with the shortsword. It managed to tangle the boar it was riding on, and thus they fell together, toppling over. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jun was rather surprised by the sudden offer for her fortune to be read. She didn't quite remember if Chryseis had mentioned being capable of reading fortunes, but she supposed it was best not to question it. "Uh, sure, read away." She began. "Uh, how exactly do you plan on-"[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She suddenly shot up onto her feet. "Do you hear that?" She asked Chryseis. She could hear noises from afar. Choosing not to wait up, she headed off to investigate the sound of the commotion. She quickly found herself looking upon an incredible scene. The first thing she noticed was that there were other people. It would've made her heart leap with joy, had she not quickly realised they were under attack from a group of humanoid creatures, much like the one Jun and Chryseis had found dead earlier. These ones rode what appeared to be boars. While at the back of her mind, Jun knew she didn't actually know for sure what was going on, her instincts and her desire to find others in this world drove her to rush to the aid of the humans.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]In a flash, Jun found herself hurling bolas at one of the mounted creatures. She would've been more surprised at the fact she suddenly materialised a new weapon from nowhere, but now was not the time for such musings. Her attack met its mark, and wrapped around the spear-wielding creature, causing it to fall from its mount. Jun then sprinted to join the melee, and would strike at the creatures with her claws.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci was surprised by the woman that jumped into the fray. It all happened so fast. For a moment, her arm positioned itself aiming at the new person in their midst. Luci struggled to resist Red, and placed her hand back at her side. One of the goblins handling a spear was taken off its mount, its weapon flew high into the air and clanked on the ground a few feet from where Luci, Belinda, and Micheala were gathered. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda's eyes followed the spear as she dared to look back just once… Following its trajectory as it landed just a few feet in front of her. In a flash, she darted forwards, a plan having already formed in her mind as she snatched the spear in her hands. While she hadn't used a spear herself, she had seen ones being used all the time… In games she'd played, in movies, and even, in rare occasions, spear wielders using them in person. It wasn't too hard, or at least that's what she thought… With that in mind, she gripped her only weapon tightly as she looked up towards the enemies that were still standing… Preparing to make her stand, seeming to have thrown all concepts of self preservation away, even if it was just for the moment.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Out of breath Michaela was both glad and afraid they came to a stop. She could catch her breath now, but they were surrounded. Seeing the events unfold in front and around her a chill of fear struck. She was gonna die, she was gonna die. There was no way she could fight those things. Breath quickening she froze up yet again. The newcomer to the fight and the spear didn't even enter her mind as she merely was there, more in the way than a help.[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]Chryseis was pleased to hear Jun's answer, but her relaxed demeanor changed rather quickly as the commotion in the distance became audible. Her plans to read Jun's fortune would have to take a backseat for now.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]While not as eager to jump into battle as Jun, Chryseis couldn't let her go alone, and judging by the muffled voices someone was in trouble. She watched Jun run ahead before finally reacting and chasing after her. Only Jun's back was visible in the darkness, but Chryseis was close enough to follow along through the forest. She skidded to a halt several feet behind Jun, a sudden gasp escaping her as she took in the mounted goblins with weapons. They were nearly identical to the ones they had found in the forest earlier, except they looked a lot uglier when they were still breathing.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Golden eyes shifted to the other three women in attendance, an indescribable feeling washing over her at the revelation that they had found others. Something felt off, though. There was an unspoken for presence in attendance, Chyrseis could tell that much even in the heat of battle. She looked to her companion, hand finding her card deck instantly.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Stay on guard, Jun!" Chryseis warned, flicking the button open for her case. The tarot cards tucked neatly away in her case seemed to possess a mind of their own in that moment. Swirls of magic danced around the silver haired woman and into the cards, enchanting them and causing them to float around her body in a circle rotation. It was her first time using her cards in such a way, but it felt natural, just as easy as walking for Chryseis. She pointed out a card([/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent](Strength XI)[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] at random, one with a rather powerful, muscular looking woman on it. It twirled several times and then glowed vibrantly, moving to hover above Jun's head and imbuing her with enhanced physical power.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci watched as the next woman arrived and cast a spell over her comrade who was providence in this melee. Micheala was frozen, so she was useless, and Belinda at least armed herself, but if it wasn't for this newcomer, Luci's life may have been forfeit because her allies didn't know how to cope with combat. Luci silently thanked them both, quickly, and then knelt down and picked up a blunt rock. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The goblin with the short sword was still toppled over, sprawled on the ground, tangled in the net, as his hog ran off into the woods, and their leader was still groggy from the mind-rape. Luci hurriedly sprung at the short-sword goblin, not giving him time to react as she latched onto its ankle, and then she shifted her hand to its face. It screamed from the excruciating pain. Luci raised the rock with a smile on her face, tipsy from the pleasure, and she plunged it into the small facial bones of the goblin. She kept hitting it until it went limp. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She turned towards their leader, who was getting up and, at this point, looking for an exit route. He could see that the battle was lost, and he was also terrified of the dark presence that crawled beneath Luci's bones. The last goblin mounted swung around to his leader to pick him up, they were both in prime position to be finished off. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With a flying leap, Jun caught up to the last mounted goblin and delivered a blow to its head. But to her surprise, the force of the blow sent the creature hurtling off the boar and careening into the goblin leader, the force of the impact killing both of them. Jun knew she was a lot stronger than she had ever been, but this was a bit more than she had expected. She then took notice of the strange card object that was hovering above her head. Taking a closer look, it was like one of those tarot cards. Perhaps this had something to do with it? But she soon realised she still had more important things to worry about. Surveying the area, it seemed the battle was over. "Hey, are you guys alright?" She called out. Hopefully they weren't all too shocked to speak up after that battle.[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda turned to Micheala, looking back towards their opponents for a brief moment before running towards her… Suddenly handing her the spear she was holding. "Snap out of it! Now's not the time to lose your cool!" She said abruptly; a little strange for someone like her to say something like this… But, then again, she wasn't exactly thinking as she said this, nor was she exactly thinking as she raised her fists, about to strike the last remaining enemy. However, thankfully, the last one appeared to have been finished by Luci herself. Closing her eyes for a moment, she started to regain her calm demeanor she had before, turning to Micheala again. "Are you okay?" She asked, sounding just slightly concerned, probably a little less than she intended.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Flinching at the scolding Michaela finally snapped out of the panic that had gripped her heart. Looking regretfully at Belinda and nodded. "I'm sorry… I'm really, really sorry." Dropping her head shamefully she looked about to cry for a moment but instead she spoke again in the same mournful tone. "I won't be a burden again, I promise."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Chryseis had to admit that even she was impressed by Jun's attack on the goblin, but she was convinced that she hadn't hit the limit, yet. Regardless, she was glad that the battle was over, and followed behind Jun to meet up with the group. Chyrseis, however chose to stay quiet - at least until the others spoke up. She wasn't as eager to introduce herself, especially since that dark presence still lingered. Her eyes could detect many things unseen by normal eyes, but this was less about seeing.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The card soon abandoned it's post above Jun's head, returning to it's place in it's owner's card deck. Now that the rush of adrenaline from the battle was dying down, Chyrseis couldn't help but to wonder about the three women before them, and about their origins. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Her hands were shaking from the pleasure she was inflicting moments ago, and some blood spatter still decorated her face. With her left hand, she grabbed her right arm to still it. To someone else, it may have looked like she was scared, but her breathing was already returning to tidal, and her heartbeat was settling. Luci turned around on her heel towards everyone else, a few feet from where Micheal and Belinda were, and maybe two or three meters from the women that came to aid them. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She finally got an actual chance to look at them now. One had black hair and red eyes, just like Luci, which actually brought her an odd sense of relief. It looked like she was wearing warrior attire, and they were dyed in red, neutral grays, and blacks. She was pretty and incredibly useful on the battlefield. Then she looks at the other woman and… Red rises to the surface, like he's curious. Luci doesn't know what it means, but for a brief moment, the shaking in her hands gets worse. Then as quickly as he came, the demon subsides and dives like he's trying to conceal his own presence. Luci doesn't know what it all means, but she returns to studying this woman after her swift spasm caused by Red. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She had silver and wisened hair, her skin was the color of chocolate, and her eyes were alight like topaz. Luci couldn't help but think that she was incredibly beautiful, and it came with a tinge of jealousy. Especially when she noticed how well she was endowed, versus every other woman in the vicinity. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci stepped over to Belinda and Micheala, turning to Micheala. Luci recalled the first time her and Belinda met, and the state she was in. Luci decided to go off that experience in dealing with this new one, "I believe you. It's okay Micheala. We're all still alive." She put on a sincere smile for Micheala, hoping it would help calm her.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]She turned back towards the newcomers, to the black haired woman specifically, and spoke, "Yes. I don't think any of us were hurt," Luci especially wasn't hurt, to the contrary, she felt great, the consequence of her attacks giving her pleasure, "Why'd you help us?" Her tone was inquisitive and her gaze sharpened. Luci couldn't fathom why other people would put themselves in harm's way to help strangers, although unbeknownst to her, this was precisely what she had done for Belinda and Micheala. They would've likely died if not for their assistance. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Of all the things Jun could have been asked, this she had not expected. In a sense, she could understand that some people were naturally suspicious of others, but she had thought anyone caught in this new existence would just be happy to see more people. Or perhaps this lot were native to this world? She couldn't say for sure by herself. "Gee, I dunno. I guess I'm weird like that, thinking it's the right thing to do to help others." She was being sarcastic. "I mean, I don't know about you people, but having spontaneously awoken in a bizarre new world, I think I'm eager to find and help as many other people as I can."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She gestured to Chryseis behind her. "This is Chryseis. And I'm Jun." She hoped introductions would follow, and not more cynicism and suspicion.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda looked towards Micheala, about to try and comfort her… But, stopped abruptly when she saw that Luci had it covered. Instead, she stuck her hands in her pockets, looking towards the people who had joined her. "Belinda." She said simply, looking a bit unsure, yet, satisfied with the new company that had joined them; at the very least, they'd had a better chance of surviving if they were met with another threat…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Smiling meekly Michaela nodded at the two newcomers. "I'm Michaela, but you can call me Mika or Ella since my name's a bit of a pain." It was a lie, she just didn't like being called by her full name. Maybe she should just introduce herself with a nickname? Yeah, that sounded like a better plan.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The darker haired girl seemed to be suffering from some sort of tremor in her hand, and Chryseis almost asked if she was alright, but it seemed to stop no more than a second later. Chryseis tilted her head to the side curiously as the black haired girl then stepped forward and took the lead over her group. Chryseis guessed that she was in charge, just judging by her dominance on the battlefield and the way she soothed her friend. There was still that strange presence though, but it was far less noticeable than before and Chryseis couldn't even begin to pinpoint where it was coming from now. She chalked it up to the after effects of the adrenaline rush, or paranoia. The last thing she wanted to do was worry, especially when things had turned out alright.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Chyrseis was beginning to see that maybe they posed no real threat after all, but that thought was short lived as the girl asked them what their intentions were. Chryseis raised her eyebrows at the girl, her expression one of surprise. Those weren't usually the first words out of someone's mouth after being helped, but maybe she was just as skeptical as Chryseis was. This world and it's inhabitants were still a large mystery.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Chyrseis made note of Belinda, the pink haired girl and Michaela, the red haired girl. The two weren't as confident after what had happened in the field, and understandably so. She found the two of them easier to relate to, and it caused her to soften up. "It's a pleasure to meet you all," She said, smiling faintly. She walked forward and stopped beside Jun. "Maybe we can find somewhere to recuperate, just for a little while? I'm sure you three are exhausted and our camp is nearby." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci's expression didn't react in the slightest to Jun's response, but when Chryseis spoke up it softened. She had an alluring and mystical quality, enchanting even. For some reason she caught herself imagining what it would be like to lie in her lap and look up at the stars. The thought caused her to blush slightly and she pushed it aside. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci nodded and looked back at Micheala and Belinda, "If it's okay with you two." she said in response to Chryseis's offer to join them at their camp. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I wouldn't really call it much of a camp…" Jun stated. Unless Chryseis had been erecting tents while Jun wasn't looking, their little spot near the river was still just a patch of grass with some rocks. "But if you guys really want to, we can go back to our, uh, 'camp'. Just follow us." She started off in the direction of the 'camp', assuming that the others would begin following her and Chryseis.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda cocked her head a little "Well… It's safer than sticking around here…" she admitted after a moment, remembering that little encounter with those Goblin things earlier. "I'll take you up on the offer." She said after a moment, deciding to follow after Jun abruptly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh, a camp!" Thinking about the idealized images she had of storm kitchens, tents and in some cases electricity she was kinda hoping it was that, but the romantic idea of blankets and a campfire was also appealing.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]About to follow the others she froze as she saw the remaining spear by one of the dead goblins. Pausing she glanced between it and the group. Should, shouldn't… Still, if she didn't help with fighting the next time then they really might leave her behind for being useless again. Swallowing down the bile as she inched closer to the corpse she looked at in a mix of horror and disgust. Eww, why was she doing this? Not wanting to linger by the increasingly pungent smell she bent down quickly and picked up the spear. Grimacing as the smell was still on the spear she gripped it tightly while swearing to herself that the weapon would be washed as soon as possible.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Armed, and a little more prepared to fight, she followed the group, not wishing to be left behind.[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]A wide grin found it's way onto Chryseis' lips after hearing that everyone wanted to head to their camp. To her, it was the best possible place to settle down. She didn't need amenities or anything. That patch of grass and that rock was perfect for all of her meditative purposes, and where there was water there was bound to be food. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Speaking of food...[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Chryseis had just remembered all of those berries she picked earlier in the day, and was positive that the others would want some as well. She waited until they stopped at their campsite, and reached for her satchel."I have berries, as well, if you all are feeling famished." Chryseis smiled, holding the small bag open to share with the others. While it may not have been the most satisfying thing in this world, Chryseis had grown accustomed to eating berries, and she found them very filling when eaten in large handfuls. [/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]The fruity aroma of picked berries that Chryseis produced, made Luci's mouth water. She didn't remember the last time she ate. A little timid in approaching, she eventually took a berry and sat down. She couldn't feel Red's presence anymore which was… freeing. Although the shadows still cloaked her body, which let her know that he was not gone. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Thank you. My name is Luci." She finally introduced herself, moreso to Chryseis than Jun. Not that Luci didn't like Jun, she just didn't know what to make of her yet. But Chryseis seemed nurturing and that lured in Luci. Especially now that Red's presence had almost virtually subsided, it left a void in Luci that she didn't how to fill. She watched Chryseis curiously.[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well, make yourselves at home." Jun announced to the group, as they arrived at their 'camp'. She had a feeling that Michaela might be disappointed, seeing as she seemed so excited over the prospect of a camp, and she doubted it was a patch of grass she had in mind. Jun herself returned to the very rock she had been seated on before rushing out to save these people. "So, if you all don't mind me prying, shall I assume everyone here woke up here the same way? Strange new world, able to remember the old one…?" She had a feeling that would be the case for all of them, but it wouldn't pay not to make sure. For all she knew, maybe some of them were born in this world. Or came from a different one altogether. "Also, any memory problems?" She added. Maybe one of them was just like Chryseis.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci looked at Jun. "Old one?... I woke up here a day ago after I was… I don't remember anything before that, except for bits and pieces of already being in this world." She didn't really know how to communicate that she was 'born' two days ago, yet advanced in her physical and mental maturation. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda looked around, inspecting the patch of grass carefully, then, she plopped down right in the middle, seeming content. "It'll do… And, as for the arrival thing, well, yeah… She said calmly, deciding to leave out the part where she was once a male… Perhaps it was a bit too sudden to say the least to be breaking news such as that really.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reaching the camp Michaela's expression really did fall, there wasn't even a tent here! Forlorn she accepted some berries from Chryseis and ate them before answering Jun's question: "Yeah, I remember," and she wasn't really sure they had died and gone to heaven anymore, probably not a good idea to share that theory. "I woke up this morning, all alone in the forest," and with legs that worked, but telling them about her former condition didn't sit well with her. She really didn't like pity and she wasn't sure if the miracle would last or not.[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]Their responses were not all the same, and yet, this was about what Jun had expected. At the least, it confirmed her circumstances were not unique. Time would tell if this would be the same for everyone they encountered, but at least it was good to know for now that there was a chance others would be the same. As for the right now, however, while the others had been fine to respond to her question, she couldn't help but feel like they weren't eager to share many details. Whether it was through reluctance or negligence, Jun figured she was going to try and learn some more. First thing she decided to tackle was arguably a big one; whether anyone had undergone a transformation quite like hers.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Alright, so I don't suppose either of you remember being a man on the old world, do you?" The question was aimed at Belinda and Michaela. They were the ones that mentioned knowing about earth. "And before you wonder, yes, I used to be one myself." It wasn't something she had actually mentioned to Chryseis yet, so she wondered if it would come as a shock. But as far as Jun was concerned, it wasn't a big deal. She couldn't care less about such a detail like that, except for hoping to someday reverse the transformation. The only reason she hadn't mentioned it earlier was because it seemed inappropriate to bring it up in the middle of fighting wolves and other nonsense.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well… Uh…" Belinda rubbed the back of her neck a little; thiiis was a little awkward to say the least, but, she figured telling the truth wouldn't hurt. "You could say that I did…" She said, frowning a little as she tried to remember when exactly the change happened, or, to be precise; when the world had almost seemed to reset itself… Perhaps, everyone had just lost consciousness, or something like that, but, it still didn't come close to explaining why the world around them had suddenly drastically changed…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Chryseis was surprised at the turn Luci's attitude had taken. She seemed friendlier somehow, and less cynical than before. It was a nice change considering they were all still strangers, and getting to know one another would be much easier this way. She gave a warm smile to the black haired girl, then shifted her attention to Jun after Michaela took her berries. Her expression softened as the others began discussing the old world.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hm..." Chryseis was hardly able to contribute to the conversation, something she was grateful for. She didn't like the air of confusion that everyone seemed to have around them, and she preferred not knowing. Learning that Jun used to be a man did come as a shock to Chryseis though. That was more than she had ever expected to learn, especially since Jun failed to mention it during their talks. Of course, Chryseis didn't have much experience with the opposite sex in the new world, but this was basic knowledge.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Strange. So, it's almost safe to say that everyone that used to be a man is now a woman," Chyrseis said quietly, eyes going to Belinda. "What reason would there be for that? I suppose that keeps things simple..."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Luci wasn't pleased with the way the conversation had turned, although she hid her discontent through sealed lips. She had nothing to add, nothing to insert No input to help Jun's insatiable need for answers. This world made no sense to Luci either, and she had no conception of the masculine except for what lingered in the spaces between her bones and blood. Now that she could associate Belinda and, especially, Jun with that masculine energy, her body language immediately reflected how they added to her discontent. She was afraid of Jun for some strange reason, and now she was uncertain of Belinda. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Her gaze paused over Micheala but then rested on Chryseis. She was the one that didn't seem thrilled with these questions, and Luci liked that. A part of Luci had wanted to get up and leave them entirely, but she was curious. What was Red hiding from, and why? That seemed to have something to do with Chryseis. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Should, should not… Thinking about whether or not to tell about her past since two of the others had done so Michaela really wasn't sure what to say. Getting more and more conflicted she finally gave an outcry of frustration. "Argh! Really, why does it have to be so difficult!" Complex things happened in books, and this was one of those complex things. Finding no answer she looked at the others seriously. "We're not gonna figure it out now. Let's sleep. It's late and we should have a tent made before it's too dark."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Heh, sounds good to me." Jun responded. She had asked all the big questions, and she entirely agreed that they weren't going to figure anything out tonight. If there was a purpose to all this, they wouldn't figure it out between the 5 of them. Still, it was comforting to know she wasn't the only person that had suddenly transformed into a female. That also meant there was every chance he could find his family here. "So...got any ideas how to build a tent?" She asked. Jun had no idea how to build any kind of tent, whether it was the regular kind of one fashioned out of uncommon materials. Someone else was going to have to do the work on this one.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Umm, if we conjure the things we need we can make a canvas… And get some sticks from the woods to hold it up…" Almost mumbling Michaela suggested it carefully, the others could make things too, right? That's how they had gotten their clothes, right?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda looked a little concerned, noticing Micheala's state of mind… But, at the same time, she figured she would give her some space for now… They probably should settle down to sleep at any rate, though, the prospect of shelter made her stand up again. "I'll look for some big leaves; they'll help protect us for the night." she said, shrugging a little as she looked towards the forest, wondering if the plant life there could produce the leafs they'd need.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Chyrseis gave a look of concern to Michaela when she had her outburst. She worried that maybe the girl hadn't recovered from the attack, but decided not to ask for fear of startling the girl even more. Relaxing a bit, Chyrseis sighed deeply and glanced up at the sky. "That won't be necessary. The weather will be clear tonight, and the night sky is beautiful. I wouldn't miss this for a bit of weak shelter," Chyrseis said calmly, smiling. "I am happy to assist in other ways, however."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"This area houses a variety of plants, Belinda. You should have no trouble finding large leafed ones," Chyrseis said. Then, a thought came to her, and Chyrseis perked up a bit. "If you want, I can go with you. I'll forage for more food, and you can collect the leafs for your shelter.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Umm… Haven't any of you tried to conjure things?" Asking tentatively Michaela looked at them in confusion, had they misunderstood her? Figuring it was worth a try she thought about the apples she had eaten… Was it last week? Remembering them and thinking about them hard an apple materialized in her hands, leaving her to smile in tired victory. As in perfect timing her stomach rumbled and she blushed deeply. The berries hadn't been enough.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda nodded, looking just a little surprised "Sure… Two pairs of hands are faster than one." she concluded, heading towards the forest after a bit, but, this time, deciding to wait for Chyrseis.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Seeing Belinda and Chryseis decide to go off and find natural materials shortly after Michaela brought up the idea of "conjuring" things made Jun wonder if half the group was ignoring the other. Shaking her head, Jun decided to try things Michaela's way. "Alright, so how does this work? I just try thinking about it, and it appears?" Thinking back to when she produced a bolas out of nowhere, Jun had to admit this didn't seem as absurd as it sounded, at least for the mere fact that this world had some wacky new rules for everyone to follow. So she decided to just…try sitting there and producing cloth from the aether, or wherever this was going to come from. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]And there she sat, for a few moments, attempting to create cloth from nothing. She felt foolish. "I'm not sure this is working-GAH!" Suddenly there was cloth. One big sheet of cloth, made to order. "Okay, that happened…" Jun had the feeling this was going to take some getting used to. "I guess we still need something to prop it up with. Can I conjure something like that too?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yeah, as long it's something simple. I tried making a scissor but it didn't work at all." Nodding lightly Michaela glanced over to the two women that were heading towards the forest to forage. Of course they weren't listening to her, she wasn't as cool or charming as either of them. Pushing away the thoughts she smiled brightly to Jun, she was nice, and who cared if she had been a guy, she was still nice.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Chyrseis had never given much thought to conjuring or how she acquired her clothes in the first place. It was one of those things that just were, and she was okay with that. But when Michaela seemingly produced an apple out of thin air, Chyrseis couldn't help but to be impressed. She watched with a silent fascination, and made a note of what Michaela had said. Her silence could easily be mistaken for snobbishness, but Chyrseis preferred to observe what Jun and Michaela were doing instead of stepping in.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Turning to Belinda, Chyrseis nodded and headed off to meet with her. "Our supplies may not be necessary after all," she said, walking beside her. "But I do love exploring the forests."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Belinda shrugged, stretching out a little "I suppose so... " she said, looking just a little disappointed when she realized that they've already got the whole shelter thing covered… For the most part that is.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]While Micheala and Jun conversed, and while Chryseis and Belinda headed off towards the edges of the woods, Luci had her eyes closed and was busy conjuring. The art in manifesting materials was to imagine a mental image, letting fingers grasp at the air, really [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]feeling [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]the object. Thin, wiry, wrapped around her palm tightly, embedded in her skin… and the warm liquid oozing out tween her fingers. Luci opened her eyes to see the strong twine in her hands that normally would've taken hours to fashion out of plant material. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The conjuring took its toll, the imagery causing her remembrance of actions she tried to bury. She grit her teeth in silence, hoping no one would notice the sudden change in her mood. It all rose to the surface suddenly. Anger, sadness, helplessness… regret. Luci had to get away. She would return when the tents were set up. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]After dropping the twine, she stood and turned on her heel, starting towards the woods.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jun spent the next few moments conjuring up something made of wood to use for the tent. She had to wonder what the specifics of this conjuring nonsense were. If they couldn't conjure complex things like Michaela claimed, then could they also not dictate the shape or quantity of the material? In that case, why did Jun get such a specific amount of cloth? Maybe they could control it. Then perhaps Jun could get something better than a simple chunk of wood.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]But before she could try that out, she realised she already had a blocky beam of wood. Maybe she had spent so long thinking about how not to get a block of wood she invariably ended up thinking about a simple block of wood. "Oh well." She sighed. Maybe she could break it up into smaller pieces if necessary. She then thought they would need something to tie everything together. Like some kind of thread. But before she could set to the task of conjuring things, she noticed some twine on the ground. Did someone else conjure it? If so, they didn't bother to tell Jun. Shrugging, Jun gathered up what she had. "Alright, that...might do." She had honestly never set up a tent in her life. Even before the war, Korea wasn't much of a place to go camping. She turned to Michaela. "Know anything about putting tents together?" Hopefully either she or someone else would, or Jun would be sitting here thumbing about trying to make a tent all night.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]While chatting with Jun she saw Luci leaving, wanting to follow the mysterious but kind girl Michaela felt conflicted. She'd be an annoyance, right? Her attention was soon diverted back to Jun and she smiled sheepishly. "Umm, propping up with sticks?" Smiling apologetically she continued meekly: "What I know about camping is from novels, sorry…" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jun sighed. "Alight, fine, guess it's up to me…" She then set about the laborious task of making a tent with no knowledge of how to build a tent.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eventually, something vaguely resembling a rudimentary tent was set up. It was by no means professional looking, but a person was capable of sleeping under it. And that's precisely what Jun planned to do. "Goodnight, Michaela." She said as she shuffled under the tent and prepared for sleep.[/BCOLOR]