[ He assures with a couple of squeezes of her hand, holding on to hers with a gentle firmness as they both glide through the water atop their dolphin mounts. He lets his attention linger on to her blushing face before he turns his attention to head with an eager smile, waiting for whatever adventure awaits them both. ]
The water is so clear...
[ Thankfully, industry has yet to ruin the pristine wild waters of this place yet. It's one of the things he doesn't want for the locals of this world, but the higher-ups of his faction would want to exploit so many of these untouched wonders. ]
Hehe... Thank you, Troy. I don't get compliments like that often!
[Returning the hand squeeze, Ryza couldn't help and feel a boost of confidence in that hearing that! Around him, she couldn't help and feel more like an attractive woman than one of the guys. Even she wanted some attention like that every once in a while.]
Isn't it? I think it's important that we preserve nature like this... But I wouldn't complain if we decided to take advantage of it for some hot springs~!
[She remembers a little incident where she accidently stumbled onto a geyser of hot water with her friends. It was a bit awkward for her, but it turned out to be a happy ending for everyone since they got to take a dip and the village thanked her for giving them a free tourist spot!
As they continue swimming through the waters, Ryza's eyes glitter with excitement as she notices the ruins before them.]
Troy, Troy! Look at that! Aren't the ruins down here so pretty? The entrance to the dungeon should be around here somewhere, so let's get a little lower.
[Right on cue, the dolphins are going to move down closer to where the ruins were at. Not too quickly as they knew that Ryza was the type of girl who wanted to take in environments like this. She was also keeping her eye out for anything like ingredients for her alchemy or treasure to take home.]
[ He'd be delighted to hear about that story, or anything about Ryza in general. He already finds her so fascinating that he's hooked on everything about her, and it was only her pointing it out that distracted him to another wonderful sight. He nods and give her an okay sign, following her lead and still holding on to her hand. Troy follows the path made by the dolphins as they dive deeper, keeping his body straight as he weaves through the water and feeling the drag against his skin. ]
Let's get to it. I'll enter first. Gotta check if it's safe to come in.
[ He keeps his eyes peeled, noting some fine details in the surrounding area as his soldierly instincts fire up. He doesn't know what things Ryza would consider potential ingredients though, but he still tries to look for anything that stands out. From any strange aquatic plants or shiny rocks, but also for that entryway. He nods towards a pathway, leading to some stairs. ]
This place looks like it was above ground once. You know what happened to it?
[If Ryza were younger, she would've given a bratty "Hmph! I can handle myself!" reply. (And to this day, she's still kind of a brat!) But with age comes experience and she knew that she had a habit of rushing ahead and getting everyone into trouble sometimes. Even now, her curiosity can still get the best of her. Considering that Troy was a soldier, she respects his battle intuition better than most. She's fought against monsters, but she's never experienced a war upfront for herself. Plus this meant that Ryza could do what she did best and be a good support unit from the back!
There's a pause as she ponders on Troy's question. In moments like this, Ryza couldn't help and put her alchemy nerd cap on. Her master would've been proud of her analysis skills.]
Hmm... Most of this is pure speculation, but it's assumed that this used to be a civilization from the ancient past. Given how the construction of the buildings, it's possible that these ruins used to be a place of worship. [A beat.] But I dunno what kind of deity they worshiped or what kind of religion it was!
[But if there were answers, then you can bet that Ryza would want to find out. It's that hunger for knowledge and adventure's spirit that driven her to go above and beyond. Once they were near the pathway, she'll be hesitantly letting go of Troy's hand and hopping off of her dolphin.]
Alright then! It's time to show me some of those cool solider skills you've developed for me, Troy! [Reaching into her item bag, she'll be pulling out her trusty staff.] And while we're at it, I'll teach you how to gather ingredients. And before you know it, you'll be thinking like an alchemist!
[ Troy listens, but keeps the thought that occurred in his head to stay there. No matter how much he distances himself from it, the footsteps of gods always lead back to him.
Troy does what he said once he helps Ryza dismount from their dolphin companions. Troy takes his blade out, and casually keeps the spine resting on his forearm while he enters the threshold first. He gestures for her to follow when he determined it's clear, listening to her talk and remain an absolute nerd despite the creepy look of the abandoned temple. He lets his weapon rest on one of his shoulders.
Once in, he lets her take the lead with an "after you" gesture of his arm. But he stays behind close enough to make her feel protected. So much that he looks down, he can see the curve of her shoulder and the finer details of her hair. He knows he's much taller than her, and yet it's enlightening to be reminded when he's standing within an arm's length of her. ]
Y'know, I gotta confess, this is probably the most fun I had on a date in a while. Aha...
[ He smiles awkwardly away from her gaze. He can't see his own expression, but he knows he's blushing after hearing him confess that. ]
[As Troy gestures her to take the lead, Ryza walks along with an innocent hum. A much more serious explorer would've scolded her to take this more seriously! But the fact was that she was with Troy and felt genuinely safe with him around and her natural optimism had told her that everything was going to be fine. And little did she know, her presence was always good for lightening up dark and gloomy moods or people who needed a pick-me-up! She viewed herself as a normal farmer's daughter, but this might've been one of her superpowers.
Hearing Troy say something like that gets a giggle from the alchemist. Even if he was looking away from her, she notices how the tips of his ears were turning red. He seemed so rugged and tough, but it was refreshing to see that even he could get vulnerable and cute.]
Hehehe... I don't know about the other girls you've dated before, but I always like to go off the beaten path. It makes for so many interesting discoveries along the way!
[Deciding to be bold, she slows her pace to the point where they're walking side by side... Then she gently reaches out to take Troy's arm and curls it around her open one. She decides to press it against her ample chest. She feels herself blushing from this gesture too... Ryza does this for two reasons: 1) To make sure that he can feel her heart beating faster with all of these emotions rushing inside of her. And 2) She wants to be flirty in her own way too. Doing this was pretty fun... Rather comfortably, she rests her head against his shoulder.]
And I like this side of you. You're such a cool guy, but now I know that you can be reaaaally cute too! [She says 'cute' as if she's reaching over to poke his nose.] Don't be afraid to be vulnerable with me, okay? If you're ever tired, you can always rest your head on my lap.
[Ryza's legendary thighs weren't just for show now! Some have said that their warmth can even cure headaches.]
[ Her superpower is definitely working on him like a charm, as Troy's mind is distracted by her presence that a lot of the details of abandoned underwater temple became a blur in that moment. Her cute boast about herself as opposed to his previous dates along with the gesture that comes after, was bold move indeed - but a welcome one.
Succeeding in making him feel the thumping of her heart and making his own beat a little harder against his chest, Troy takes a moment to cherish this feeling as he listens to her confession. That poke of his nose made him "ahh" with amusement. ]
Noted, and likewise. Granted, my thighs are probably much harder than yours.
[ It's more muscle, after all. Superhuman muscle to boot, and something somebody once likened to metal fibers. His arm feels the same as she can no doubt feel. But at least his skin is still soft and smooth. ]
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[ He assures with a couple of squeezes of her hand, holding on to hers with a gentle firmness as they both glide through the water atop their dolphin mounts. He lets his attention linger on to her blushing face before he turns his attention to head with an eager smile, waiting for whatever adventure awaits them both. ]
The water is so clear...
[ Thankfully, industry has yet to ruin the pristine wild waters of this place yet. It's one of the things he doesn't want for the locals of this world, but the higher-ups of his faction would want to exploit so many of these untouched wonders. ]
no subject
[Returning the hand squeeze, Ryza couldn't help and feel a boost of confidence in that hearing that! Around him, she couldn't help and feel more like an attractive woman than one of the guys. Even she wanted some attention like that every once in a while.]
Isn't it? I think it's important that we preserve nature like this... But I wouldn't complain if we decided to take advantage of it for some hot springs~!
[She remembers a little incident where she accidently stumbled onto a geyser of hot water with her friends. It was a bit awkward for her, but it turned out to be a happy ending for everyone since they got to take a dip and the village thanked her for giving them a free tourist spot!
As they continue swimming through the waters, Ryza's eyes glitter with excitement as she notices the ruins before them.]
Troy, Troy! Look at that! Aren't the ruins down here so pretty? The entrance to the dungeon should be around here somewhere, so let's get a little lower.
[Right on cue, the dolphins are going to move down closer to where the ruins were at. Not too quickly as they knew that Ryza was the type of girl who wanted to take in environments like this. She was also keeping her eye out for anything like ingredients for her alchemy or treasure to take home.]
no subject
Let's get to it. I'll enter first. Gotta check if it's safe to come in.
[ He keeps his eyes peeled, noting some fine details in the surrounding area as his soldierly instincts fire up. He doesn't know what things Ryza would consider potential ingredients though, but he still tries to look for anything that stands out. From any strange aquatic plants or shiny rocks, but also for that entryway. He nods towards a pathway, leading to some stairs. ]
This place looks like it was above ground once. You know what happened to it?
no subject
There's a pause as she ponders on Troy's question. In moments like this, Ryza couldn't help and put her alchemy nerd cap on. Her master would've been proud of her analysis skills.]
Hmm... Most of this is pure speculation, but it's assumed that this used to be a civilization from the ancient past. Given how the construction of the buildings, it's possible that these ruins used to be a place of worship. [A beat.] But I dunno what kind of deity they worshiped or what kind of religion it was!
[But if there were answers, then you can bet that Ryza would want to find out. It's that hunger for knowledge and adventure's spirit that driven her to go above and beyond. Once they were near the pathway, she'll be hesitantly letting go of Troy's hand and hopping off of her dolphin.]
Alright then! It's time to show me some of those cool solider skills you've developed for me, Troy! [Reaching into her item bag, she'll be pulling out her trusty staff.] And while we're at it, I'll teach you how to gather ingredients. And before you know it, you'll be thinking like an alchemist!
no subject
Troy does what he said once he helps Ryza dismount from their dolphin companions. Troy takes his blade out, and casually keeps the spine resting on his forearm while he enters the threshold first. He gestures for her to follow when he determined it's clear, listening to her talk and remain an absolute nerd despite the creepy look of the abandoned temple. He lets his weapon rest on one of his shoulders.
Once in, he lets her take the lead with an "after you" gesture of his arm. But he stays behind close enough to make her feel protected. So much that he looks down, he can see the curve of her shoulder and the finer details of her hair. He knows he's much taller than her, and yet it's enlightening to be reminded when he's standing within an arm's length of her. ]
Y'know, I gotta confess, this is probably the most fun I had on a date in a while. Aha...
[ He smiles awkwardly away from her gaze. He can't see his own expression, but he knows he's blushing after hearing him confess that. ]
no subject
Hearing Troy say something like that gets a giggle from the alchemist. Even if he was looking away from her, she notices how the tips of his ears were turning red. He seemed so rugged and tough, but it was refreshing to see that even he could get vulnerable and cute.]
Hehehe... I don't know about the other girls you've dated before, but I always like to go off the beaten path. It makes for so many interesting discoveries along the way!
[Deciding to be bold, she slows her pace to the point where they're walking side by side... Then she gently reaches out to take Troy's arm and curls it around her open one. She decides to press it against her ample chest. She feels herself blushing from this gesture too... Ryza does this for two reasons: 1) To make sure that he can feel her heart beating faster with all of these emotions rushing inside of her. And 2) She wants to be flirty in her own way too. Doing this was pretty fun... Rather comfortably, she rests her head against his shoulder.]
And I like this side of you. You're such a cool guy, but now I know that you can be reaaaally cute too! [She says 'cute' as if she's reaching over to poke his nose.] Don't be afraid to be vulnerable with me, okay? If you're ever tired, you can always rest your head on my lap.
[Ryza's legendary thighs weren't just for show now! Some have said that their warmth can even cure headaches.]
no subject
Succeeding in making him feel the thumping of her heart and making his own beat a little harder against his chest, Troy takes a moment to cherish this feeling as he listens to her confession. That poke of his nose made him "ahh" with amusement. ]
Noted, and likewise. Granted, my thighs are probably much harder than yours.
[ It's more muscle, after all. Superhuman muscle to boot, and something somebody once likened to metal fibers. His arm feels the same as she can no doubt feel. But at least his skin is still soft and smooth. ]