TaroAndSelia

Voicing Our Feelings

Shimizu Ryuunosuke (清水  隆之介)

Voicing Our Feelings

Nakazawa Asuka (中澤  明日香)

Voicing Our Feelings

Kobayashi Shiori (小林  詩織)

✧ Talrae ✧ (LOOKING FOR CO-GM)

The day had been exhausting. If Alisea had thought herself weary after seven hours of walking, she hadn't the words to describe the aftermath of seven hours of smithing. It had gone well--at first. She had finished and sold the ten daggers necessary for the quest, only having one break during the process. Despite the growing fatigue that not even a short break could chase away, Alisea had continued confidently. Two more daggers were successes. The next pair shattered. Despite her arms barely being able to lift the hammer, Alisea had forged on and made one more dagger. She even pressed her energy--and her luck--with one more, but she lost control of the hammer and the blade had snapped.

Without the strength to so much as carry herself to the inn, Alisea had lain there running the calculations in her head. All told, she had sold off thirteen daggers. That was 351 renn. But she had paid 360 renn for the iron, and the 50 for using the Workshop. That meant 59 renn less than when she started.

Even now as she thought on it, it made her sigh. "I really cannot afford this hobby," she muttered to herself. Not on the margin, certainly. It would have to be shelved for a time she could collect her own iron--and not pay for the use of a forge. Still, she had tried. And learned. She took a measure of satisfaction in that. It was a new game--a new world in so many ways!--and one could only learn the limits through experimentation.

For example, when Alisea had entered this bath to relax, she had found it at the usual lukecool temperature. Wishing for nothing more than a hot bath, she had tried launching a fire burst into the water. When it hit the surface and disappeared with a sad sputter, Alisea had tried going up a step and struck it with a fire strike. Then another. Some of the water became a wonderful steam, that was true; but what remained was a warm, blissful bath that she had spent the last twenty minutes sitting in, letting the tension, knots, and weariness melt away.

Her other experiment for the day had been the rings--and the experiment wasn't over yet. After the failed daggers, Alisea had taken a true break: she drained the last of her waterskin and lay still until she could see the setting sun through the Workshop's door. The magess even took the time to open her menu and find an old PM from Karma asking about clothes. She had been a little sheepish for being so late in replying, but she sent back a short, If not too late, I would order a fresh set of clothes. Then she took up her last iron ore and tried to make something new: a ring. To her delight, three rings came of the attempt. That had sparked an idea, and with renewed vigor Alisea made one final trip to buy ore.

Her time in the bath was over. Night had come and everyone would be gathering--and Alisea hoped to pull Reylan aside before people arrived. Dressing quickly and making her way to Eden's dining Hall, the magess did indeed discover their soon-to-be-Guildmaster in his usual seat, tucked away in a corner. Her face split into a wide smile and she sauntered over to the seated archer. "Reylan!" she greeted enthusiastically, fighting to keep the discomfort of sore muscles from showing. "Just the man I was hoping to see!"

She let that hang there as she dropped into the seat right beside him. One hand maneuvered to open her inventory. "You said you have a good Art skill, right?" she asked, though her eyes were skimming the screen before her. In a moment, a small band of iron appeared in her other hand. Alisea presented the ring to Reylan. "Could you engrave, or even paint, this?" she inquired "The ring itself has no effect, but I thought it would be a nice tribute to make guild rings for everyone. I have nine."

_{@demonspade64@Ithradine}

Worlds Apart

Anni stumbled wearily along the path.  Night had swallowed them all--one for longer than the remaining.  She tried to shake the thought from her head; she had resolved to be strong about this.  She had to be.  Looking at the others, they were strong.  The dark soldier.  Mr. Bert carrying Stormy.  Ascot at the front.  Tabi in the back.  In the middle, Saffron and Kate--

Anni’s eyes caught those of the waitress.  The small girl’s emotions threatened to spill out once more.

---

Earlier...

At the warm touch of a hand on her shoulder, Anni’s breath caught in her throat.  She couldn’t raise her head to see who it was, but she welcomed the contact; as small as it was, it reminded her she wasn’t alone.

"Let it all out, kid." Michael told her. "Just know that we're here for you. It'll be alright."

So it was Mike.  Anni’s sobs began anew, this time unrestrained by attempts to push words to her lips.  In her head her pleading didn’t stop, but no longer was she able to frame it into coherent words or complete thoughts.  It was a jumble of emotion and imagery, but that was all she could offer anymore--and He knew what it all meant.

“ I always wondered why man cried for nothingness? Would they certainly think their tears would make the dead to re-live? Or would they hope the dead will know that they are crying for him? I really don't know the reason why.”

Another voice.  The scary person’s voice.  The ‘be wild’ voice.

“Then tell me, why do you cry? And what is this boredom and uncomfortable feelings called?”

Anni hadn’t words, nor the ability to express them.  Eyes still closed, Anni shook her bowed head side to side.

Another person came, crouching at her side and draping an arm across her shoulder.  Kate’s voice began to speak.  It, too, was shaky, but it attempted to be soothing.  ”Anni, it’s okay.  You’re okay.  We’ll tell the Magician we can’t do this and have him send us back.”

An alarm blared in Anni’s head.  A horrible cold blossomed in her bosom, sending small shivers out along her body.  Her supplication stopped; but for the first time since arriving in Irriss, Anni understood her answer.

”Look, just take this cursed thing and throw it-” Kate continued, her hand reaching to the Semblance at Anni’s side.

Fire raced through every fiber of Anni’s being.  ”NO!!!” she practically screamed, jumping away from the older girl.

Kate stared, dumbfounded.  Anni was surprised, too, but she lifted herself to stand tall.  Tear stains covered her entire face, and her eyes were still red and swollen; nevertheless, she stood with the majesty of a queen.  ”No,” Anni repeated, her voice calmer but firm.  ”It’s mine.  The mask is mine.  The choice is mine.  I understand it now.  All this time,”  Anni’s voice cracked and a strange smile turned up her lips.  ”All this time, I’ve been asking.  Praying.  Trying to know what I was supposed to do.  From the moment Koda put his on.  And God never said yes.  And He never said no, not in all that time.  And I understand it now.  The choice is mine.  The mask is mine.  It’s mine.”

The young girl tugged her sleeve over her palm and began to wipe the tear stains from her cheeks.  ”Koda is fine now.  It’s better he pass on than stay as that... that.  We’ll move on, too.  The Magician can send you back, but I’m staying.  I’m helping.”

---

Kate turned away, looking first into the darkness, then at Saffron--anywhere but at Anni.  Anni turned away too.  It hurt, seeing her friend avoid her.  As she couldn’t look around, Anni focused her gaze downward.  She would just watch the path.  Check for potholes, or coins someone dropped, or interesting patches of grass.

“Hey, Anni!” Ascot called out, flying over to the girl. He glanced back at Ellard, then again to Anni--hesitating. “Anni,” he hovered beside her. The glow from his wings illuminated her face; she looked shaken, small… But determined. “You agree with me, then? About the masks?” Ascot blurted out, beaming down at her. He was glad to finally have someone with a similar thought. They needed these masks, they were essential.

His smile faltered. ‘Have I ever really looked at her before?’ Ascot’s mind raced back to the time he asked her out, and his face turned a deep shade of red. He stole another glance at Ellard, then landed next to the girl. “...Are… Are you alright?” His wings folded neatly behind him. Ascot tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear. He swallowed. “I know I was--...” He let his voice trail off, looking down at whatever she was looking for. “I’m here. Now.”

Anni turned her head just enough to peek at Ascot out the corner of her eye.  She smiled, barely.  He was acting a little more like the boy she knew from Lightbridge High.  Maybe his Semblance just… pushed differently, and that was what made him act weird.  But if he could be normal… If he could, he wouldn’t become like Koda.  Right?

”No.”  It was the simple, honest answer.  ”I’m not alright.  Not at all.”  She cut her voice off there as the emotions surged once again.  Moisture gathered in the corners of her eyes.  But she held it together.

Ambrosia pooled into his cupped hands, warm and sweet. Ascot looked at her with a soft and worried smile. “Here… Did you eat?” He offered the strange substance to her, practically putting it into her hands. “We have to keep our strength up. I know it’s hard, but our survival depends on it.” He could feel his feet lifting from the ground again, and he landed, clearing his throat. “Ah… What’s wrong?”

Where to even start with such a question.  A friend was upset with her, a man had died, she was still traveling with the one who had killed him, Stormy’s arm had to be reattached with magic, it was definitely a school night and she hadn’t finished the geometry homework and Mom would be frantic--nowhere in all her worries was there room for food.  She simply stared through the offered ration.

”This.  This is what’s wrong,”  Anni answered, taking out her mask to look at it once more.  The same narrow eyes; the same monstrous grin.  ”I don’t know, I only…”  Her voice disappeared for a moment.  Then:  ”Before you, um, tried to… to ask me out, earlier…”  Anni’s cheeks blushed slightly as she broached the subject.  She had to pause and suck in a deep breath.  ”Before that, I was trying to ask you.  Do you… believe in God?”

Ascot raised his eyebrows. He looked down at the mask, brows furrowed. “God? I… I don’t understand.” He leaned back, looking straight up at the sky. The stars were different than they were in Lightbridge, than they were in back home. He wondered if they had constellations here. Ascot scanned the night sky as they walked, letting a moment of silence pass between them. It was unusual; for the first time since he got his Semblance, Ascot felt small. He looked over at Anni and studied the way her cheeks flushed a rosy pink, the bright blue of her eyes. Her face was splotched red from crying. “Yes, I believe in God. Don’t you?” He grinned at her.

She simply nodded, her gaze following his out into the stars--and beyond.  ”I pray a lot.  Especially when I need guidance.  And I thought, of course God would guide me this time.  This is a huge decision--bigger than presents or a job or even college.  But… He isn’t going to say.  If He told me to, I would put this on; or, if He said the opposite, I would drop it right here.  But He doesn’t.  He wants me to choose for myself.  And that scares me.”

The girl dared to sneak a peek back at her friend, still walking alongside her coworker.  Anni snapped her eyes quickly back to the heavens.  ”I think… if I could help without it, I wouldn’t put this on.  I want to stay as me.  But I don’t believe being just human will be enough for… for whatever the Ghost Girl needs us to do.  Do I help?  Or do I stay human?” she asked rhetorically.  Only after the words were out did she realize the implication about those already wearing a Semblance--including Ascot.  ”I mean-!  That is, um, you’re still-!” she flustered.

The boy sighed and scratched the back of his head. “It’s not about Ghost Girl, is it? She said we would face even worse if her world wasn’t saved… Isn’t that bigger than us?” Ascot tapped his chin thoughtfully, then looked back up at the night sky. “I don’t know either… It’s not my place to say,” he began slowly, as if chewing the words, “but you know what choice I made.” The wings on his back fluttered briefly, gesturing. He looked back to Anni.

“If God wants you to choose, that must mean he’ll support whatever choice you make, right?” Ascot raised his pointer finger, speaking matter-of-factly. “No matter what you choose, it’s what he wants. Your free will, your agency.” He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, second guessed himself, and gave up. “But that comes at cost… You’ll do what’s best for the group… Won’t you?”

Anni spent some moments thinking that over.  Best for the group?  Her thoughts hadn’t been leaning that way; she had been wrapped up in which choice was right.  Which was best?  If both were right, then--

A flash of blue light lit the path ahead.  Startled out of her thoughts, Anni looked to the source.  A woman and… probably a man, though at a distance it wouldn’t be nice to assume.  Everyone seemed surprised by the sudden appearance of the pair; the two parties stared in a silent face-off for some moments before the woman with blue fire spoke.  This was the Magician.

His appearance was bizarre, yet oddly comforting to the small girl.  She wished she could see his face clearly.  Acting on that desire without realizing, Anni stepped tentatively forward as she listened to him speak.  His words confirmed her own fear:  that if she was to stay and do, she would need to wear the mask.  ’But why?  What is it that we have to do?’ Anni wondered.  She wondered it so much that she began to open her mouth to ask exactly that.

The small girl pulled in a steadying breath.  ”Um… What-?” she began faintly, almost bashfully.

Ascot flew over to the pair, his fists balled up in righteous anger. Without thinking, he let his words spill out, loudly blurting what he thought of the mysterious Magician. “Why are you brainwashing all those people?! How can we trust you?”

✧ Talrae ✧ (LOOKING FOR CO-GM)

Long, uneventful forging--just a day in the workforce

Startled, Alisea looked up at the bear--er, man.  She obediently followed his gesture, but didn't waste the effort to confirm the existence of the alleged notice.  Rather, she turned back to scrutinize the man.  Several moments passed as she sized him up--and indeed, there was a lot to size.  Then her face split into a wide, friendly smile.  "I see!  I was wondering how to begin.  Thank you, Mister...?"

"Bahkmann, but that's only for royalty and priests. You call me Forge-Master." The smith wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his thick arms. The heat in the forge was considerable, despite the fact that only a few stations were occupied. The workshop was rather large, being able to host nearly 20 or so freelance smiths and crafters at once. A simple forge, an anvil, barrel of water for cooling and a standing wooden table with all the various tools were all there was. Yet it was enough to get anyone started on simple crafting.  "Holler over there when you got the coins in the chest. I'm gonna grab some embers for you." Bahkmann went off, wiping his grimy arms on his dirty shirt.

Approaching the box, Alisea did wonder briefly if the game could be cheated.  Would it recognize if she didn't put the money in?  The obvious answer was yes--and the fact that the developers put a fee on crafting facilities to begin with was proof enough they were sadists--but theoretically the ultra-realism Talrae tried to provide should leave holes like that.  Dropping her two silvers in, the magess had to wonder what beginning crafter would even be able to afford those kinds of fees; fifty renn for a day was no paltry sum.  Not this early.

With a silent sigh Alisea turned away from her departed coin.  She called cheerfully to the Forge-Master and walked back to her station.  As he came back, she smiled wide.  "Again, thank you.  Do you have any tips for someone trying this for her first time, Forge-Master?"

"Don't hit your self with the hammer. Ha ha ha!" Bahkmann laughed heartily at the terrible joke as he carefully put in the embers with some dry leaves to get the fire started. He blew softly until the leaves caught fire. He proceeded put some thicker logs in to really feed the fire. "I can't reveal all my secrets lil' missy. Or else you'd have my job."

She couldn't force more than a courteous smile at his joke, but force that much she did.  "Secrets were not what I had in mind, Forge-Master.  I would be happy for a review of the basics."

"Well... if you are in here it probably means that you know at least the basics about smithing."  The smith scratched the side of his face a little bit before picking up the little shovel he used to bring over the ember. "I suppose if I had to give a word... just do what your instinct tells you to do. Let your body tell you where the hammer should strike." He began taking off but turned around briefly to add. "And don't hit the anvil so hard! I'll make you pay if it breaks."

And that was it.  In review:  the game charged you if you wanted to craft.  You would have to interact with Forge-Master Bahkmann every time you came.  And he offered no tutorial whatsoever, so his only real purpose was to enforce the extor...ah, toll.  All in a game that professed to be the Best and was trying to kill you.  Alisea had never been one to curse, but if ever she felt there was an appropriate target, it was the nimrods calling themselves developers.

'Very well. I really should accept it as a given that they hate players. Except... The memory of rich rewards upon departing the dungeon arose. 'Except whomever is in charge of the dungeons. He favors players who take the risk of raiding.' It was a curious thought, but it was one Alisea certainly wasn't going to discard. Somebody wanted to watch them clear dungeons--clear floors, even--and somebody (maybe the same person, maybe not) was brutally discouraging attempts to be anywhere but.

Still, they had agreed to wait a few days before going again, so she had a job to do now. The magess donned the heavy apron, arranged her tools as she guessed she would need them, and readied her iron. Alisea spent some time pumping the bellows, bringing the fresh fire to a point it would actually be usable. Finally the game threw her a consolation: the flames were heated in a fraction of the time it would take in reality. Everything ready, the irritated magess enthusiastically set to work.

Burn out impurities; cool. Heat until it glows; beat it into the desired shape; when the heat fades, cool it in water, wait, reheat, and continue beating. The process was guesswork built on unrealistic games and semi-realistic books, but--irksome though it was--she found Forge-Master Bahkmann's words to be accurate: there was a moment when it simply felt right. The more she trusted those moments and acted on the instinct, the more she grew confident that the weapon would turn out well.

With a small beep and accompanying notification screen, Alisea received an iron dagger. Fatigue swept through her body. Her arms were heavy as dumbbells and sweat dripped from her brow. Even her core was warning her that she was overworking. But she had finished the dagger. For that, the girl rewarded herself with a respite--a sit near her station that lasted just long enough for her arms to be able to swing a hammer again. Then she went back to work, crafting her second dagger. When the notification confirmed her success, she let herself slump to the ground and breathe out in relief.

Checking the time again, Alisea found eleven had come and gone. It had taken nearly an hour--but that included the time to find the ore and the Workshop. Pushing herself to her feet, Alisea hurried back to Forge-Master Bahkmann. "Forge-Master! Thank you again for your help. Do you know the nearest place I might sell these daggers?" Making more would prove faster, even factoring in time to rest. Buy the ore; forge the iron; sell the daggers--if she kept that cycle going for the entire day (and indeed, after two silver she wasn't going to do any less), Alisea could finish... sixteen blades, she hoped. Twenty if she hit a steady rhythm.

Voicing Our Feelings

Alright, alright. Sounds perfect. I've been working, too; no blame in that. After the day ends, I'll be back to work on basic sheets for everyone.

✧ Talrae ✧ (LOOKING FOR CO-GM)

Alisea

Day 4 - Genesis City

---

Alisea's eyes sparked with excitement. She hadn't honestly expected him to be a Tinker, but him knowing a Tinker was a wonderful surprise. "Thank you for your offer, but I have too much to do right now. If your group is staying here, though, perhaps I will see you at dinner tonight." Alisea smiled at Reylan behind the marauder's retreating back and mouthed a silent, "Good job!" before hurrying off herself.

One quick bath, a final self-check she was presentable, and Alisea was on her way to the market. Spells were her first priority, and 475 renn later she had a wonderful repertoire. The magess would have loved to continue purchasing, but good judgment held the remnant of her funds in reserve--first for the daily cost of food, and second for the supplies their party would have to purchase for the next raid on the dungeon. Pausing for a short time to eat a morning meal (purchased from a bakery at the edge of the market), Alisea evaluated options for earning more renn. The first, most straight-forward method was completing quests. The second, and the method the young woman favored most, was to practice crafting. And the third option was, naturally, traditional grinding.

The best course going forward, then, would be to pursue all three in the same action. Swallowing the last bite of scone, Alisea thanked Baker Josef and made her way to the city hall. It didn't take long for the magess to find the familiar blonde head of the clerk who had shown her the first set of quests; and, upon inquiry, the woman informed Alisea that a number of new requests had indeed been submitted. When she saw the request for defending the iron mine, Alisea's heart leaped; then it dropped when she read the details. It didn't fit into the time frame she had. That couldn't be helped, the magess supposed; the other pair of quests--talk to ten of the villagers and craft ten items--would have to suffice for the present.

Ever quick to find the shortest line between herself and her objective, Alisea began by thanking the clerk for the information. She even took it a step further and asked if there was a way she could arrange to be notified when a new request was brought in. That lead to a brief conversation with the virtual woman, but ultimately she arrived at the answer that there was no such kind shortcut--not even for a willing Adventurer trying to prove helpful.

Alisea waved a farewell and paused long enough to check the time. The readout informed her the day had advanced beyond ten and was drawing toward half past. That left much of the day to use--though she couldn't deny a bit of irritation at how much time she had lost sleeping through the morning. With a resigned shake of her head, Alisea moved back to the market.

The young woman scanned through the shops and stalls until she found what she needed: a Workshop, available for public use. It was a little out of the way, but it had everything she would need to start. From there she searched around until she found a stall selling ore from the mines. Digging into her remaining coins, Alisea handed over the first two silvers she could grab; in exchange, the vendor returned a two copper in change and handed her a pair of ore. Alisea moved to put them into her inventory--and immediately a tremendous fatigue gripped her body. Everything felt heavy, as though gravity had multiplied and was determined to drag her to the ground.

It took a moment, but realization lit up the girl's eyes. She opened her inventory again and withdrew the two ore. As suddenly as it had come, the weight vanished. 'Overburdened,' Alisea thought glumly. With only a pair of ore. Such was the price of leaving her strength attribute with a single point. 'The trigger only comes from weight in my inventory, then? I can carry the ore by hand, I suppose, but...' She looked back the way she had come. The Workshop wasn't far, but it certainly wasn't right next door, either. At this point, though, she didn't see any other option. 'Maybe I can call this training. It might improve my Strength--with good fortune, it might improve my Agility, too.'

With that simple thought in mind, Alisea wrapped up both ore in her arms and set off to the workshop. She started at a walk, then sped up until she was as close to a jog as she could manage with the extra load. On an impulse, she tried using the Air-Walker's Sandals. Her next step landed on the air, as did four more. It was a thrilling moment--until her next step didn't find the ground quickly enough. Alisea fell headlong, her arms spilling the ore she carried as she crashed unceremoniously to the cobblestone.

She lay there for a moment, giving the embarrassment enough time to really sink in and color her cheeks. The only positive Alisea could see right then was that nobody in her group was around to see that. Resolving to practice with her new sandals later, the smith-to-be picked her head up to find where her cargo had gone. They had landed just ahead, so she quickly gathered them up and hurried on her way.

Arriving at the Workshop, Alisea moved to a station and set to work. Wondering where to start, she decided the easiest weapon to craft in a game was the dagger. Hopefully that held true here. Setting one ore aside and focusing on the other, Alisea set to work.

_@HueMan

Voicing Our Feelings

Alright, describe the city for me. Are you thinking somewhere generic in a specified nation? Or somewhere unique that's more of a crossroads for nations? Is it an older, conservative city? Is it newer, younger, with more liberal views? What is the approximate climate? The current time of year?

Is this a university town? Touristy? Do most of the people have generational ties to the city, or is it newer and growing quickly as people move to it from elsewhere? What industry (or industries) is bringing in the majority of people? Is it technology, with the heavy need for tech-savvy, university-educated individuals? That would make for an upper-middleclass population, generally speaking. Maybe it's an industrial zone, lots of smog and warehouses, and the company happened to find a comfortable place to set up?

Please and thanks. I admit, I'm not sure how many of these questions are going to prove relevant; it's more just... I'm trying to picture the world these characters are in. How they have grown up, who their ancestors are, what they see as they look to the future--all of that.

The Trainer's Tale

< Lily (and Phreddy)
Age: 16
Traits: Happy, bubbly, and social.
Quirks: Lily always brings Phreddy with her.
Team:
Tyrogue - "Kurlo" Male, level 5, Guts, Adamant nature
Cleffa - "Aria" Female, level 4, Cute Charm, Jolly nature
Vulpix - "Shana" Female, level 6, Flash Fire, Rash nature
Swablu - "Chi" Female, level 5, Natural Cure, Gentle nature

^ Megan
Age: 18
Traits: Kind, gentle, and studious.
Quirks: Megan loves to read... and she's a massive fangirl for the original Light Trainers.
Team:
Roselia - "Rose" Female, level 11, Poison Point, Modest nature
Volbeat - "Shun" Male, level 11, Illuminate, Serious nature

v Natalie
Age: 17
Traits: Taciturn, selfless, and observant.
Quirks: Natalie seldom speaks. Her Pokemon seem to understand her anyway, especially Mina. Much of Natalie's communication is done by pulling a person to whatever it is she wanted to tell him about.
Team:
Eevee - "Samuel" Male, level 8, Synchronize, Careful nature
Eevee - "Chloe" Female, level 9, Synchronize, Mild nature
Ralts - "Mina" Female, level 6, Telepathy, Quiet nature