[color=lightgray][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/pTMPkMp.png[/img]
[h2][color=#B38B6D]Dahlia Fletcher[/color][/h2][/center]

[color=#B38B6D]Time: [/color]Nightfall
[color=#B38B6D]Location: [/color]Sorian Waterfront -> Sada Kurau
[color=#B38B6D]Interaction: [/color] [@Apex Sunburn]
[hr]

The night was a fickle ally. On the one hand, it cloaked Dahlia’s movements as effectively as her worn cloak and provided comfort with the sweet sparkle of the stars above.

...On the other hand, it amplified every creak of wood and the faintest scuff of her boots, each sound striking like a gong in her ears.

Dahlia crouched behind a stack of crates near the pier, her warm brown eyes scanning the Sada Kurau like a hawk sizing up its prey. The warship loomed before her, intimidating even in the dim glow of moonlight. She tucked a few unruly strands of wavy brown hair back under her hood, muttering under her breath, [color=#B38B6D]“Just another day in paradise.”[/color]

Dahlia’s heart pounded furiously as she slipped into the cover of darkness near the Sorian docks. Seraphina’s threats still echoed in her ears, rattling her more than she cared to admit. 

[i][color=#B38B6D]Just get in, do what they want, and get out alive.[/color][/i]

Dahlia adjusted her cloak, pulling it tighter around herself as she skirted a cluster of crates.  [i][color=#B38B6D]So Dahlia, what’s the game plan if you're caught? Charm the crew with my winning personality? Yeah, right.[/color][/i] Her gaze swept the hull until it caught on a dangling rope. [color=#B38B6D]“Guess I’m climbing. Great."[/color] 

The sounds of the crew working aboard the Sada Kurau filtered down to her ears. The deck was alive with activity, and while the chaos was intimidating, it was also an unexpected advantage.

She moved swiftly and silently. Years of slipping unnoticed through city streets served her well now. Reaching the rope, she tested it with a firm tug, her fingers brushing against its rough surface. It held firm.

Dahlia took a deep breath, the scent of salt and sea filling her lungs. [color=#B38B6D]“Alright, Dahlia, just don’t look down,”[/color] she muttered as she began to climb. Her hands worked quickly, gripping and pulling as she scaled the ship’s side. The strain burned her arms, but she pressed on, her freckled cheeks flushed with effort.

Halfway up, she paused to catch her breath, clinging to the rope. The water below looked impossibly far away, [color=#B38B6D]“Fall, and it’s game over,”[/color] she whispered. [color=#B38B6D]“No pressure.”[/color]

Finally, she hauled herself over, landing softly on the deck. She dropped into a low crouch, flattening herself against the shadows as she scanned her surroundings. A quick glance confirmed what she had hoped—the crew remained preoccupied, their focus entirely on their tasks. Dahlia bit her lip, her breath held tight. 

For a moment, she simply sat there, her knees pulled to her chest and her back pressed against the wood. Her chest rose and fell with each shallow breath, the weight of her situation sinking in. Seraphina’s words played on repeat in her mind once more, but she pushed them aside.

[i][color=#B38B6D]One problem at a time.[/color] [/i][/color]