PP-F2 and F10: (KE) 'This can't end well'

[Mari 1]

ID: 66735 LD:9+3 = 12= Fail

When was the last time she ventured out of the 10th floor? When was the last time Mari was out in daylight? No one could answer that. Not even Mari herself. The pink haired PKer had been solo for such a long time, and the time she hadn’t been, were short lived and filled with betrayal. She was no longer going to bother with people. With the frontlines, with the squabble. They could all go about their lives, busy f**king one another. She’d sit idlly by and wait for the sh*itstorm to pass.

Mari found herself on the second floor, the floor where it all spiralled out of control. Coming here used to ebb at Mari, tugging at her insides. Tearing her heart apart with memories of her daughter, Evelyn. Of Alkor - and the price he paid. How both she and her now deceased lover had been marked as Player Killers. Such things, she was numb to them now. There was only so much a human mind and soul could take before it just gave in, slumped in a decrepit, lazy, heap. Unworthy of even the virtual air she breathed. Still, be it out of spite or sheer stubborness. Mari continued on.

Mari knealt amongst  a patch of crystaline blue flowers,dirtied hands unceremoniously attempting to rip them up - root and all for a new potion she had planned, her movements, as usually were too ruff and she failed to find anything of worth - other than a few tattered petals.

 

[Esther 0]

 

Esther wanted to collect more ingredients - she wanted to better herself, to practise more, to better her new profession goals. Esther’s hand danced gracefully through her hair as she chewed on her cheek. Wondering if it really was this easy...going out...hunting for materials...returning to a store...practising...it seemed so mundane it was almost pleasant. It was structured, it gave her a schedule to adhere to, and realistic goals. Esther didn’t have to venture far out of the town to reach the forest. There were nearby mobs, but she was careful enough to avoid them. Esther still did not want to fight, even if it were against virtual beasts.

She came to the edge of the forest, and noticed a flurry of pink. “Hmm?” It was such a curious color. Something she would never expect to see in a forest of all places. Was it a monster? Unlikely, Aincrad wasn’t the kind of game to have cute fluffy pastel monsters. “Hello?” Esther called out, approaching the movement. Esther stepped between the trees, heeled boots crunching softly against the earth. It didn’t take long for her to find it. To find someone. There in front of her crouched a small girl, her hair was disheveled, and her clothes dirty and torn. Esther had no idea who this girl was, or why she looked so unkempt. “Oh my gosh!” Esther cried out, breaching the gap between her and the other girl. “You look hurt, are you ok?” Esther asked, as she placed a hand upon the others back.

Peering into the other girls face Esther almost recoiled, the dirtied features - the cold, dead blue eyes that stared back at her - and the angry mark of a PKer stared her down. Esther didn’t know who this girl was, but she wanted to know. This girl had killed someone, but that might not make her a bad person. She looked like she was in trouble, in need. Esther placed a trembling hand over her thumping heart - and took a few deep breaths. Trying to calm herself.

 

This girl was a PKer.

 

But she looked so….hurt….

Esther shut her eyes, almost afraid to look at the other girl in the face again. “Can I help you?” She asked, her shaky voice betraying the adrenaline rushing through her, she was afraid - but she couldn’t just assume something about someone. She didn’t know this girl, nor her reasons. All she could do was offer the other help.

[Mari 1]

ID:66736 LD 4 + 3 = 7 FAIL


Mari heard the fumbled noises of another player approaching. The movements were too haphazard to be a mob. Too loud to be an experienced player trying to get the jump on her. Mari was once the strongest player in Aincrad, and was once, if not still a feared killer. Mari would lose count if she tried to count how many people wanted her head on a silver platter, or how many people avoided her completely, simply because her reputation preceeded her. Sometimes, when she was alone she wondered if she should just give in and be the bloodthirsty PKer everyone assumed she was. Would that meet their expectations? Would that bring excitement into their stupid little lives? The more she thought about it, the more plausible it became, but truth be told. She was too lazy to do that. She could simply turn around and attack the person, but, she was too lazy, far too lazy to do that right now. There was little point in spilling blood when she had better things to do.

Mari ignored the noise. With any luck, the player would see her cursor and the telltale shades of pink and hightail it out of there. Leaving her to gather materials in peace. That didn’t happen. She felt a hand rest on her back, “Piss off.” She hissed not bothering to turn and give the other player any form of attention, nor the time of day. The other girl persisted. Suggesting that Mari looked hurt, Mari glanced up at the other girl who jumped back. Unlike Mari, this girl looked pristine, as though she had never experienced battle, loss, or anything for that matter. Her green eyes were wide, shining bright with an innocence Mari had lost long, long ago. Her lilac here nestled neatly in the light blue etheral flowers beneath, creating an almost pleasant display of colour. Mari scowled at her. The girl, she was too innocent and pure, she had no idea what she was attempting to pry herself into. People like that pissed her off. People who just shoved themselves into everyones lives, who insisted they could help, when in reality they had no clue what they were getting themselves into.

“Not hurt. Just experienced, now, kindly F**k off before I break your wrist.” the presence of the other had bothered Mari to the point that she was just mindlessly ripping apart the flowers.

[Esther 0]

ID:66737  LD: 6

 

Esther got a response she was somewhat expecting from the other woman, a cold tone and what sounded like an empty threat, the pink haired players voice cut through Esther, and sent a shiver down her spine. The air she carried was different than that of Arc, hers held a real threat. This woman was not someone to mess with, still she felt no real mailce from her, despite her powerfully venomous tone. “Mmm…” Esther backed away from the pink player and seated herself cross legged across from her. She held onto her ankles and rocked gently back and forth. “Better?” She asked gently, feeling much calmer at the turn of events. “Oh, I’m Esther, by the way.”

Calmer wasn’t the right word. Esther was nervous, and her heart continued to beat hard against her chest. This was a form of conflict she didn’t exactly like, but it confirmed one thing. This woman wasn’t a ferocious PKer. At least not the ones she heard rumours about - if she was so bloodthirsty surely she would have struck Esther down then and there without a warning or second thought. Instead, the woman pushed up her defences, and offered a weak threat.

The woman shot Esther a glare before going back to what she was doing. Esther just watched. The flowers themselves were...for lack of a better word. Breathtaking. They were a soft hue of blue, almost white, and beneath the canopy of the leaves- they almost seemed to glow. Esther reached out, plucking some of the flowers to give to Arc. Hoping that he would appreciate the color. She, then mimicing Mari, also tried to pry out flowers to gain material. She failed.

It looked like she was gathering Alchemy materials. Was this woman an alchemist? Isn’t it strange for a Pker to make potions and crystals that help and aid people...it seemed counter intuitive to Esther. “Hey.” Esther spoke, against her better judgement. She was going to sit silently, but as always curiosity got the better of her. “You’re a PKer right? But you also look like you’re an Alchemist.” Esther pointed to the materials the other was trying to  gather. “Forgive me if I am being rude, but isn’t that...mmm really opposite? I mean, you hurt people, but you also make things to heal them?” Esther gave an awkward laugh, “Is that a business plan you have?”

 

+1 Etheral Blue flower bunch added to inventory

Edited September 2, 2016 by Esther

[Mari 1]

Mari ignored Esther, she didn’t care who the other girl was. Moving a few feet away from her wasn’t ‘better’ “It’s just as annoying.” Mari muttered, attempting to pry more materials from the small patch of ice blue flowers. Mari wasn’t used to such cheerfulmess. She wasn’t used to people, or interactions in general. Esther reminded Mari a little of Lowenthal - her positive attitude. It pissed Mari off. Mari’s interactions with Lowenthal didn’t go well.

“It’s not strange, its profitable.” Mari muttered through gritted teeth. “I don’t hurt people. People hurt themselves.” She hissed at Esther before standing. People like the lilac haired girl pissed Mari off. They just took one look at you, and made all these assumptions. She was no different to anyone else in this world. Mari had enough of the other woman. She didn’t want to put up with her clearly fake positivity. “Don’t bother me again. Else you just might hurt yourself too.” Mari warned. Her threat sounded true, but it held no promise to it. Mari was tired. She didn’t want to bother with people, she didn’t want to deal with their fake promises, their fake smiles and lies. It was all just a ruse. There was little to no point in communicating with anyone anymore. Mari left Esther there, with any luck the stupid girl would get injured by a rampaging boar and not venture out alone again.

“Stupid woman, approaching a Pker on her own..the f**k is her problem.” She muttered.

Mari headed to the teleport pad outside of the safe zone, she knew venturing this far down was a stupid thing to do. She didn't even gain anything from it. She had hoped that people would be too busy over the rumours and the frenzy of the newest floor. So much for that. Mari whisked herself away to the 10th floor, and made quick haste to her Alchemic tent.

She pulled out her materials for the day, it was time to put the thoughts of that stupid girl behind her, and focus on something else.

[Esther 0]

Esther wasn’t entirely sure what to think of their encounter. It ended almost as quickly as it began. What did she mean by she didn’t hurt people? That they just hurt themselves. The words seemed so simple, but they could hold so many different meanings. Mari could mean that people attacked her and she fought in self defence. She could mean that people just rubbed her the wrong way and they should know better. Her last words hinted at that, but they seemed to be quickly thrown in. The pacifist watched as Mari practically stormed off, even bothered - the other woman had a certain grace about her that Esther just had to admire. She looked roughed up, worse for wear - torn and broken.  Yet, that brilliantly candy coloured woman - continued to hold her head high. Her eyes continued to look forward. Esther found that quality beautiful, in a way.

Esther bought her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. Enjoying the scenic sounds of the forest. The rustling of the grass, the chitter of the birds above. Even the far off grunting of Boars -which if she encountered she’d have a high chance of being hurt or worse, killed. It was tranquil. Serene. Her own little world in a virtual world, in a bigger world still. These moments, they were the moments people needed to enjoy more often.

“I wonder who she is…” Esther mused out loud. There were two ways she could find out, and she would try both. First - would be a message to Arc. If he so wanted to reply, he would. If he was uncomfortable with talking to her, or didn’t want to. She’d accept that as it is. Esther believed that somehow, the two would cross paths again

 

To: Arc From: Esther Subject: Who is this? Body: Arc, I am sory to bother you. I just encountered a woman who seemed a little sad. She is an alchemist and I want to find her store. She is short, and looks younger than what she sounds like. She’s got pink hair, blue eyes, and wears pink armor. She’s also a PKer. Do you know who this might be? Regards, Esther.

She sent the message off. That was the first option. Now the second. Going into town and asking around herself. It didn’t take long to make her way into town, and it was even shorter amount of time to find the information she was looking for. The first person she asked, stared at her wide eyed indisbelief, as they whispered in a hushed tone. “You saw Mari? The Pink PKer?”

Mari…

Esther knew of her, but didn’t know of her. She had heard the name before, and with some more prying she found that the woman had a shop on the 10th floor, just outside the safe zone. Esther shivered at the thought of traversing so far up by herself. Still… it was only just on the border of the safe zone right? And worst case scenario….she would just ask for help. Surely a stronger player would happily help her head toward the shop.

“Right.”

Esther had a plan, she had a goal, there was no time for hesitation. She wanted to send one last message to Arc. To let him know not to bother with it, as she had found the information she was looking for.

 

To: Arc From: Esther Subject: Open this first Body: Arc, I’m really sorry. I found the information I was looking for. I’m heading up to the store now. Please forgive me for wasting your time. Regards, Esther.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that was settled, it was onto the 10th floor.

The 10th floor was a dreary and dark place. There was no bright lights, no soft breeze carrying the scents of lush life and greenery. The entire floor felt like it sucked the life out of you. Just by being there. Esther hugged herself. It wasn’t a place she liked. If that Mari woman spent most of her time here. There was no wonder she was so miserable. Esther wasn’t sure how she could help, or even if she could help - but she had an idea. One that she wanted to at least try to implement.

Esther, had the unfortunate realisation that she was the only other player currently on the floor - the NPCs were terrifying. Ghouls and undead creatures. She had walked into a store only to quickly excuse herself seconds later, the stench of decay simply being too much. Esther had to be quick about this. She made it to the gate of the town; where a giant dragon stood watch. It payed her no mind, so Esther did the same. Assuming it may just be part of the scenary.

Taking a few steps out of town, she saw blackness beyond her. Total darkness. Except, a dim glow off to the left. That had to be it, right? Esther bit her lip, and ran.

She just Ran to the glow. Past a few shambling zombies, past some other undescribable creature, she ran. As she grew closer - she noticed it was a ramshackle tent. With one final burst of energy she threw herself through the ‘door’ of the tent. Collapsing on the floor, breathing heavily. “That. Was. Intense.” She said between ragged breaths.

Edited September 2, 2016 by Esther

[Mari 1]

“What the f*k?”

It had been an hour, and Mari thought she was at peace. That she didn’t have to deal with that stupid bright coloured eyesore any more. It seemed as though Esther didn’t even know who Mari was. It would have been great if it stayed that way, but no. The stupid cow had to literally come rolling into her store.

“Why are you here?” Mari seethed through gritted teeth. It was bad enough that she had been approached once already, even worse that Esther had barrelled her way into Mari’s sanctuary away from the world. Mari didn’t lock her store during ‘day’ hours purely for the odd person who would purchase a concoction. She regretted her decision for doing so. If she had locked up Esther wouldn’t be able to get in, maybe she’d get eaten by the undead just beyond her door.

“If you’re here to buy something, do it then get the f**k out of my store.”

[Esther 0]

 

Esther groaned, pushing herself up onto her knees. “Man, that takes a lot out of you! I was worried I’d get hit by a mob or something, considering I don’t have any weapons...that would not end well right?” Esther said as she looked up at Mari with a self depreciating laugh. Esther dusted herself off, and got to her feet. She didn’t mean to ignore Mari’s threat, she just couldn’t help it. There was so much going on in this little store.

Where to begin?

It was quaint, small. Three people could fit, but any more and it may get cramped. The thick smell of spices and heavy perfumes hung in the air. The light was dim, something Esther wasn’t fond of, but the type of light made it almost magical. There were a plethora of jars hanging from  cords that zig zagged along the ceiling. Each Jar was filled with buzzing fireflies, creating a wonderful - moving yellow glow that oozed a etheral kind of warmth. The walls looked like they were made of thick, faded material. The floor was covered in rugs and pillows of varying colors, shapes and sizes. Some of the pillows looked so soft and comfortable Esther had an urge to just hurl herself into one and take a nap.

 

There were few pieces of furniture.  Straight opposite the entrance sat a low table with Alchemic tools strewn across it. Behind that table sat a very, very, angry looking Mari. Esthers eyes lingered on the other women before shifting to the other things in the room. A cabinet that held an array of crystals  stood to one side. Esther wandered up to it - her green eyes staring at each one in amazement. They all looked like they were high levelled. Mari was an amazing alchemist. How can someone so skilled at making healing items be considered so feared?

On the opposite side, there was a table.The table was littered with various potions and concoctions. She picked one up and glanced at its contents, it looked like a galaxy. She gave it a shake, and her eyes lit up. “Oh Mari!” She exclaimed in utter delight. “You made all this?” She asked. Gesturing toward the potions and crystals. “You’re brilliant!” Esther turned to the table, glancing over them - she grabbed at least 5 different vials, and bought them over to Mari. Clambering to sit in front of her. “Look at all this. This is what I want to do.”

Esther wasn’t afraid of Mari, she wasn’t put off by her exterior or her harsh words, right now - that seemed like nothing compared to the rush of excitement she felt.

“I want to become your apprentice.”

[Mari 1]

Mari watched as Esther wandered around her store like a lost child. Green eyes wide in amazement. “Never seen a cabinet before?” Mari quipped, but her barbed words were ignored. Her eyebrow twitched and she clenched her fist. Such a small thing shouldn’t get to her - but this girl. She didn’t seem to respond to anything, bar what was happening in her own, empty head.

Silence ensued, and Mari could do nothing more than watch in seething annoyance at this girl and the whimsy and wonder she seemed to extrude. How did she find this the least bit entertaining? Mari saw little to no point in idling by the way Esther was. Just staring at each intricate detail. It was pointless. It was a game, nothing more. Their predicament didn’t change that.

Esther picked up a potion, and exclaimed on how amazing it was, on how ‘brilliant’ Mari was. The earnest compliment did little to sway Mari. She had heard it all before, and assumed that Esther was just playing ‘nice’ to gain something from Mari. Wasn’t that always the way? Mari placed her head in the palm of her hand, resting her elbow on the desk. She gave a shrug. “If you like it so much drink it. Don’t look at it.” Her dark eyes watched the other girl as she scooped up a bunch of potions and tumbled toward her.

Mari didn’t have much time to sit up, and hold onto the table to prevent Esther from knocking the entire thing over with sheer force. “What the hell!? Watch it. F**k me.” Mari exclaimed, as she then quickly caught the small potion vials before they could roll off the table and completely away.

The woman’s next question caught Mari off guard. “You what?”

This woman...this chipper, whimsical candy coloured woman literally tumbled into Mari’s life, she ignored Mari’s threats, her quips, her stares, her reputation, everything. She ignored it all, and asked somethiing of Mari that one should never have asked. She wanted to be Mari’s apprentice.

Mari gripped the table, her eyes turning dark. “That’s it huh?” She hissed. “You want to be my apprentice? You want to buddy up to your old pal Mari?” She hissed, her knuckles shaking from the force she was extruding. “Get all nice n’ close, get her lil’ walls down. Use it as bragging rights? ‘Oh look at me I am close to Mari!’ then WHAT?” Mari slammed open alms hard against the wooden table, sending the vials rolling off it and landing gently on the floor in all directions. “OH how about we go on a F**KING ADVENTURE?” She screamed at Esther, “THEN when Mari FINALLY decides that hey, maybe this Esther chick isn’t that bad - f**king BANG!  You pull your weapon out on her and try to kill her.” Mari lifted the table, flipping it toward Esther.

“I don’t need a lying little twat to be my apprentice.”

[Ashrah 0]

"You've got to be kidding me." He repeated the words for a third time when the second message flickered across his HUD. The mercenary felt a sense of disturbing irony race through him when he read the obvious description of Mari, Thom's first and last love. What a horrible thing, the woman who had been broken and rattled by his death was meeting perhaps the most annoying person in all of Aincrad. Tobias stopped himself. It's not so much that she's annoying as that she doesn't know when to cut her losses. This might get her killed. Someone like Mari wouldn't be too fond of her prying.

He knew he had to do something before the girl who wouldn't even try to defend herself got handled by a notorious PKer. Mari is nice at some level, sure, but she's come unhinged. I wouldn't put a good number more deaths past her. I can't just let her go off looking for the Lion's den... His hand fell to his side when he read her second message. F*ck.

The mercenary broke into a dead sprint. There was no apparent cause beyond the window that instantly minimized in his wake. The system was set to automatically close them when the player ceased idling. He made for the teleportation hub and called out the name of his destination. Arc dissipated in a grand display of colors and light, then reappeared once again nine floors higher. This was as close as he ever came to the front lines. This was where he learned of Alkor's fate, and where he lost some of his courage.

It was where he would regain what he had lost, too.

I have to make it in time. He sprint through the city and toward his destination, just outside the safe zone. Perhaps if he did not draw his blade, Mari might not become defensive. There was no telling. He knew the woman most likely disliked him. It may have been a 50/50. When he came to the tent and flipped open the canvas, the light shifted and his eyes slowly adjusted.

He was just in time to hear the deceptively strong woman unload verbally into his wavering acquaintance. "What the hell are you thinking?" he seethed through grit teeth, staring at Esther now. "Come on, let's go." Normally, he would have at least greeted Mari. This time, he was doing both women a favor. It was better that he didn't even acknowledge the woman. It was best that they leave her to her own devices.

Arc took several bold steps inward and strategically placed himself between the two women. Even if Mari might kill him in one or two strikes, it would give Esther time to run. If she has the sense, he thought grimly. "There are stores on the first floor where you can learn alchemy," he chided the girl. "This place is dangerous." His meaning was thinly veiled, enough that Mari would probably take it exactly the way he meant it. "Dangerous for idiots like you, anyway," he added, to be sure that Esther knew he was not pleased with her decision. "I'll help you find one of those places."

[Esther 0]

Esther jumped back as Mari flipped over the table. The action had completely shocked her, and caught her by surprise. "Wh-" Esther placed her hands over her head as vials, and alchemy tools went flying, for fear that one of them would hit her in the head. Pain limiters were disabled, but it was a reaction. Esther didn't know Mari, she didn't know the rumors of her explosive anger and short fuse. So how was she supposed to know that this is how Mari would react? Mari shouted at her, and insulted her - and Esther's brow furrowed in frustration. It reminded her of Arc. Esther had placed herself in a scary situation, and a part of her wanted to run away, but if she did; she would have regretted it. Esther was unnerved, but - as she was contemplating to stay or run, Arc appeared. Esther turned to the entrance, green eyes filled with relief. She lowered her shaking hands. He looked furious, but his words were almost protective. Even his actions, as he placed himself between Esther and the raging Player Killer. He didn't know it, but he gave her the boost of confidence she needed. Esther straightened herself, a plan quickly formed in her head.

"You made the comment 'why not drink it' right?" Esther asked, glancing around the floor before picking up one of the vials. She turned it between her thumb and forefinger to inspect it. The vial itself was only half full. The liquid was clear, and the vial was labelled as 'truth serum' Esther gave a defiant look towards Mari as she flipped open the lid with her thumb and downed the contents in a single gulp. The sensation was almost instantaneous, her head began to swim and the room began to spin. Esther took a few steps to steady herself, lifting one hand up to grasp her head. The other dropped the empty vial - which shattered into a myriad of pixels before it could hit the floor. "I can't lie now can I?" She asked - the question was pointed, almost challenging. Esther was sure that Arc would call her stark raving mad for doing this, but she didn't care.
 

Esther, in all her defiant glory side stepped Arc, carefully placing a hand on her chest to steady herself, and to keep him in place. She passed him, then knelt down and carefully put the table the right way up, first addressing Arc's question. "What am I doing...?" She paused as if mulling over the question, but with the effects of the truth serum in full swing, thoughts thoughts manifested themselves out loud. "I wanted to do more. You, in a strange way pushed me to go out, get a profession- to contribute more...I still have not picked a starter weapon, and if I can help it. I never will. I just so happened upon Mari. Originally, being an apprentice never crossed my mind till I saw all of her wares." 

Esther finished putting the table in place and glanced at Mari. "She's talented. Amazingly so. She has skill and experience, and items that I have never, ever seen on the first floor." Esther began placing all the fallen objects back on the table. "I don't care about the Player Killer status, and her attitude reminds me of you. You two seem very similar. Of course, that's an assumption, I've only really just met Mari."

Esther was already quite honest, and chatty - it seemed as though the truth serum had little effect on the woman, it seemed to make her talk more if that was even possible. Esther finished setting the table again, to the best of her abilities. "Saying the place is dangerous - just because she is a PKer...and not even acknowledging her with some form of greeting is kind of rude." Esther chided, before adding unabashedly, "then again, you are kind of a rude person, not that it bothers me." It was something she'd never normally say, and with the truth serum clouding her mind, Esther wasn't even aware of her verbal onslaught of social faux paux.

The  lilac haired girl headed back toward Arc, offering him a reassuring smile, "I appreciate that you came here, for an idiot like me and that you care enough to ward me away, but I stand firm in my decision." 

Esther headed back toward Mari, sitting herself across from the angry, angry woman. "I can't lie now, can I? Ask what you want, do what you want, then decide. I want to be your apprentice."

 

[Mari 1]

Before Mari could do or say anything else to further antagonize Esther, Arc arrived. Mari didn't know how to feel about Arc. The two had butted heads. Each of them had been close to Alkor, to Thom. His entire presence seemed to almost sedate Mari, her eyes darted between him and Esther. "Tch.." Mari turned, the way Arc had placed himself between her and Esther - did he really think that little of her? Did he really think Mari would physically harm Esther? Of course...the two hadn't really spoken much. After she had inadvertantly told him of Thom's death - they went their seperate ways. She assumed he still hated her, still held her accountable for Thom's death, could she really blame him? Mari ran her hands through her hair, giving a sigh as she returned to her seat.

"You know...you never picked up those crystals." Mari said, it was their last deal, from their last encounter - she had remembered. Arc didn't even acknowledge Mari, and it almost stung. A part of her wanted to treat him in the same respect, but she couldn't. He was Thom's friend, as much as Mari hated the world around her, and everyone in it - she couldn't bring herself to be as vitrolic to him as she were to others. If not for him, for Thom.

Mari arched a brow, turning her attention to Esther, watching her drink the Truth Serum. "You're game, and yes - it's called Truth Serum." Mari added in an annoyed tone, "Are you going to pay for that? I am running a business here." her tone was low, seething - but she held her tongue on saying anything more, instead listening to the verbal vomit of words from Esther. If Mari didn't know any better she'd almost assume the Truth Serum didn't work - it was a little odd to see that Esthers demeanour barely changed. The chipper woman started talking to Arc, again praising Mari. Mari didn't understand it. Sure, she was adept at her craft - but she wasn't the best. Mari gave a wry smile as Esther chastised Arc for not greeting Mari. Mari's blue eyes flashed over toward Arc, as if saying 'serves you right' but she kept silent. Even if she did say something, it'd have been drowend out by Esther.

Esther had even gone and tidied up Mari's rampage, this - Mari did comment on. "You don't have to do that." Her words fell upon deaf ears. Again, Esther asked to be Mari's apprentice, and Mari visibly twitched at the word. "You know..." Mari began, "I had a younger kid come up to me - insisting on being my apprentice not too long ago. I'm not a people person, but..." Mari paused, eyes darting toward Arc. "In memory of a certain someone, I told myself that it's about time I at least attempt to socialise a bit more, to not push everyone away. Know what he did? He drew his weapon on me, called me weak - wanted to kill me right then and there, and for what?" Mari pulled out her unique weapon and coat from her inventory and threw it onto the table in front of her. "A few goddamned unique items? That's it. That's the f**king greed of this place. I tried, and I got burnt." 

It was the first time Mari opened up about the experience, more so, it was the most she had opened up in quite some time. Why she was being so chatty toward an annoyingly cliche'd happy go lucky bimbo, and a man who hated her? Mari wasn't sure, it just seemed appropriate. Esther had been so bold and brash in drinking the truth serum - the least Mari could do was be upfront with her. "I don't like the word. I don't like the sentiment. I don't like  people. I don't need to rely on people. What's the point if they all die, or betray you? Why would you be any different?" Mari paused,A few of the things she had said...It only took till now for Mari to add them together. "So...it's true then? You have no weapon, and I can assume that you...." She pointed her finger in Esthers direction, circling her form with little circles. "Don't have any unarmed combat skills either?"6

[Ashrah 0]

Are you really avoiding her because of me? Arc did not look in the woman's direction as the question hit him. He felt the blood draining from his face. His knuckles shivered and tightened as the voice bit into him. Are you kidding me right now, Tobias? A girl says she was in love with me and you freeze up, not sure what to do? Is it because I never mentioned it to you? Or is it because, in your crazy fantasy version of it all, I'm above caring for someone like that? Does it not fit with your bloody narrative?

Shut up. Shut the hell up. What did you see in her, anyway? He almost felt his best friend's jeering smirk when he asked that. What gave her the right to melt that ice of yours?

See for yourself, dumbass. As if on cue, he turned his green gaze toward Mari and folded his arms. Esther's words only half struck him as he responded. "Yeah, sorry, I forgot." That's bull. You just decided you didn't want to see her again. You didn't want to believe that she'd watched me die. You didn't want to think that it was the same Alkor you knew. You wanted to deny it all, just like you've been doing all along. 'I forgot?' What a pathetic excuse, Tobes.

What do you want from me? He almost told her it served her right for trying to impose her venomous worldview onto others, but the mercenary relented. The way she spoke about trying to be nice was completely at odds with the way she had treated others since the moment he met her. Tobias did not profess to understand Mari, but he knew that any attempt she made to be nice was lined with acerbic attitude and vile expectations.She actively believed everyone was out to get her, and she didn't let anyone stray far beyond that massive wall she built after Thom died.

Help her, like you helped me. That stung him. Arc seethed in silence for a moment before he spoke. "If you're doing it for him, you're spitting in his face." He turned his eyes away again. "You have to want it for yourself. If you don't, then it's not real. It's just something you're doing to make yourself feel better. He would have told you not to bother."

Yeah. There's a difference between being nice and acting nice. You never could manage to "act" nice, could you, Thom? The smirk that came with the thought never reached his face.

Nope. And I stopped trying. Why do something you're bad at. Isn't that what you said? Do what comes naturally, even when people hate you for it. That's not your problem. It's theirs.

That's it exactly. Dad said that all the time. You only get one life, and there's only one you. Gotta be genuine, or the whole experience is fake. That's a waste of a life.

He placed some Col down on the table in front of Mari, enough to cover the cost of the potion. Instead of letting Esther answer the question as asked, Tobias cut in. What's the point if they all die, or betray you? "None of that is your problem," he said. "In the end, the only person you're accountable for is you. Whatever those people do, that's something you can't control. You can only be Mari. Thom could only be Thom. Tobias can only be Tobias. This moron," he said as he placed a hand on Esther's head, "can only be herself. Don't try to worry about what other people are doing. Worry about being the person you want to be."

There you are, Tobias. Will your words reach her, like they did me? Will she see my shadow behind you, reaching out for her?

He finally glanced down at Esther. "You talk too much," he told her. That was all. There was no reason to get mad at her for saying how she felt like that. She wasn't a bad person, if an annoying one. Why had he rushed here in the first place? He knew Mari wouldn't kill someone for no reason. He had just assumed Esther, in one of her fits of annoying cheerfulness, might trigger something that caused the notorious woman to relapse into a killing rage.

I thought you weren't worried about her?

Go soak your head.

 

 

[Esther 0]

Esther listened patiently to Mari. body bopping up and down with excitement and adrenaline coursing through her. For whatever reason, Mari seemed to calm down, at least for now. Esther glanced over her shoulder at Arc, and wondered if his presence had anything to do with it. The two seemed to know each other, Esther went to ask how, and why - but her words were caught in her breath as Mari mentioned what her previous 'apprentice' had done. She blinked as she saw the items fall onto the table before her, "I don't about those, I don't even know what unique things are." Esther said, pushing them away with her hands.

Esther was about to comment on Mari, and her attempt at opening up to people, but Arc had his own thing to say. That she was spitting in 'his' face. "Whoa!" Esther turned to face Arc, "Whoa! Whoa, WHOA! Just a minute. It looks like Mari's at least trying to open up to someone." Esther glanced back to Mari, giving her a look as if to say 'I got your back' before turning to face Arc again. "You both keep going on about he I don't know who he is, but I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate being talked about this way. At least Mari is trying, does it matter if she's doing it for someone else? Does it really matter if that person is giving her the strength to do something she is struggling to do on her own? If that person is giving her that strength, and isn't even here...is that really spitting on their face?" Esther turned away from Arc with a hmph as she crossed her arms. "I Don't. Think. So."

The onslaught of words were something that would never fall from her lips in normal circumstances, in any other circumstance she'd be delicately treading around the conversation, doing her best to avoid further conflict and attempting to help both sides, but with the truth serum in full effect, she didn't have the ability to do so. She didn't even register what she was saying most the time. "You two are FAR too much alike. Sheesh." Esther muttered again with a pout. Esther held the pose for a few seconds before she relaxed, turning her attention to Mari, using a softer tone - "I guess it was presumptious of me. I can take a guess that's what people have been doing to you for a while right? You let your guard down, only to have someone hurt you, and betray you even more?" Esther asked, "So you've given up, you've decided to not let the world hurt you any more than it has, because you're afraid, right?" Esther asked, reaching out to clasp one of Mari's hand, offering it a squeeze. "You're afraid of what you'll do, that you'll let whoever 'he' is down right? That you'll loose yourself? Please don't be!" Esther squeezed Mari's hand. "I can't lie right now right? So you know I'm telling the truth when I say I want to help you. "

Again, Arc had stepped in, placing Col on the table for the potion that she had drunk, Esther glanced up toward him with questioning eyes. Now, it almost seemed as though Arc was trying to console Mari, even though his way of doing it was for lack of better words, absolutely terrible. There were two names however, that caught Esther's attention. The first name, Thom. She glanced from Arc to Mari, back to Arc, then back to Mari - her brain slowly piecing the information together. Thom, must have been someone very close to the both of these people. "ohh...he is Thom..." Esther whispered to herself. "Thom isn't Arcs lover....he's Mari's..." She whispered again. Esther didn't know who Tobias was, but she could take a guess. She let go of Mari;s hand and pointed up at Arc. "And you're Tobias right?" 

As in response to her question ARc placed a hand on Esthers head, calling her a moron, Esther gave him a pout as he said she spoke too much. "I can't help it." She whined. "I can't seem to stop saying whatever is in my mind right now. And right now its telling me you two need to make up." Esther muttered, referring to Arc and Mari. 

Mari had asked another series of questions, and almost instantaneously, Esther replied to them. "No weapon at all!" She beamed proudly. "No combat, no nothing. I don't ever want to pick up a weapon." 

[Mari 1]

 

 

 

Esther didn't realise just how much of an impact her words had on Mari, nor how much they rang true."Why are you being so insistent?" Mari mumbled, glancing away from Esther as the other woman tenderly gripped her hand. Mari's first instinct was to pull away, but she couldn't. The warmth that emanated from the other woman, it felt as though it was zapping Mari's energy. "You don't get it." Mari muttered, "I've already lost. I've lost my daughter. I've lost him, I've lost everything. What strength is left? What is there?" Her words didn't hold the venomous bite they usually did, it was a difficult sensation to describe. Esther was pouring her heart out to Mari, trying in complete earnest to help the Pker. Mari wanted to believe it, she wanted to believe the words that Esther offered - the kindness that she held. The tender care in her eyes, but that'd fade. "I have this effect on people..." Mari began, turning her eyes back to Esther. "I seem to taint anyone who stays close to me, I inadvertently bring them down to my level. I'm not doing that to anyone else. Especially not someone who seems as earnest as you. It'd be in your best interests to leave." 

It was at this point that Arc interjected, approaching the table an throwing Col on it. Mari sighed heavily. "I don't want your Col." Her words held little bite, as though she was trying so hard to push the two away, but with the both of them here, her words faltered, and held no real power or bile toward Arc or Esther. As Arc spoke, Mari hung her head, she laughed bitterly, pulling her hands away from Esther. "You both...." She shook her head, her voice was cracking. It wasn't fair, Arc had already reminded Mari so much of his fallen comrade, of the man Mari had loved, and now they both were double teaming her. "This isn't fair." Mari said between small gasps, "You both sound too much like him. That isn't fair." Mari pulled her arms down under the table, she tightly wrapped them around herself to stop them shaking. Mari leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the table. She blinked and tears betrayed her general stoic appearance. She saw too much of Thom in Arc, it was heartbreaking. If Mari were truthful with herself, she wanted to reach out to Arc - to catch hold of anything that could give her insight into the person Thom was - to talk about all the great things he had done here in Aincrad, but she never got that chance. From the day the two met - Arc had treated her with nothing but hostility, and could she really blame him? Could she really blame anyone? 

"You can't neither of you can. Not after what I've done." Mari muttered. "You want to follow someone like me girl?" Mari asked, her head still firmly placed against the table. "It's my fault Thom became a Player Killer..."  Mari, through gasped, teary breaths started telling the two before her of it all, of everything, of how she had inadvertently killed her daughter; The tale of ARgumail and how he had threatened and tried to murder multiple people, and how Thom had been there, how she found out that one of her own guild members were being hunted, and threatened with torture, how he begged for her to end his life.      of how innocent children chased her down out of greed - as Mari pleaded with them to stop, they were their own downfall against her, as she watched helplessly, when one of them fell, and how she failed to catch them. How she had to use violent means to save multiple people, of how she - in her own rage, in her own foolish attempt to scare someone, resulted in their death. Mari explained each action in livid detail, something she had not done in a long time. Every so often, she'd hear Esther meekly ask for her to stop, It sounded as though Esther was crying, but Mari continued. "No, you hear all of it." She murmured between her stories. 

It didn't matter if Arc hated her, it didn't matter if Esther hated her - what would two more people to that ever growing list do? "What's to stop incidents like this happening again and again?" Mari muttered, "What's to stop me killing you girl? Or you, Tobias?"

Mari fell silent, before muttering the very words Alkor...Thom had uttered to her on the night they shared their first kiss - the night she fell irrevocably in love with the man, " We are the architects of our own actions, and must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic."

[Ashrah 0]

He heard her tell of how Thom had taken a life, and his gaze went distant. The sort of person his best friend was, that horrifying sense of justice and the inability to empathize... it did not surprise him, but it did sadden him a bit. No one should have to live or die with another person's blood on their hands. They were different in that way. For Thom, the idea of taking a life was justified the moment someone did something heinous. Tobias knew that a life for a life only meant two lives were gone. His father taught him to care fiercely for everyone, and Thom's grandmother had tried to do the same. That her grandson drank deep from the chalice of his blind justice made Tobias think. Will he be able to face her when they meet again?

"Arc." They both said his name, then he corrected them. "Call me Arc."

No part of him wanted to be brought over into Aincrad. It was what Thom wanted, for him to reach Mari. When the woman broke down and confessed her sins, the Mercenary closed his cold eyes. The woman who she was before this world corrupted her might never be seen again. Her pain was great. Thom was another corpse on an abundantly massive pile for her, and all those eyes stared into her soul. He could scarce imagine how heavily that weighed.

"She doesn't even want to help herself," he turned away from the two women as he broached the topic of Esther's desire to help. "Until she decides to open up, neither of us can ever span the distance between us and her." He raised a hand as she urged the two of them to make up, then shook his head slowly once. "I've done my time with people who don't like to open up long enough to know, if Mari wants to do it, she has to come to that conclusion on her own. Trying to force it on her will only make her reject us more. She's telling us all of this stuff because she doesn't know what else to do. It doesn't even have to be us. We're just the ones pushing her right now. You hear the thinly veiled threats. Her saying that she'd kill us, but that's not how it is."

He glanced toward his best friend's love, then sighed as his eyes slipped shut. "She's trying to scare us away, because she's afraid herself. She would have killed us by now if she really wanted to."

When she spoke her last words, his eyes got extremely wide. His father's own sentiment poured from her lips, and he almost lost his mind. Not here. Not from you.

I said that to her.

Tobias froze in place. He stared hard at Mari as his gaze wavered, and the rage beneath the surface bubbled over. His fists trembled at his sides, but he refused to fall prey to his own weakness. Unlike Thom, he had reservations about what could spur him to action. Why would you say that to her?

Your father said it, right? He told you that because you needed to take responsibility, but he also said that you should share that wisdom with anyone who needed it. Why would I not tell her what she needed to hear, but didn't want to? That's what you did for me. I only did what you would have done.

So in the end, you did want to help people. You did change. You opened up, and you shared part of yourself with this woman.

Nah, I did that long before the end. I shared the hope you gave me with her, Tobes. Can you bring yourself to pick up that torch and give her something worth fighting for again?

I'm not falling in love with your woman, jackass.

Man, you're hopeless. I'm not interested in letting a sloppy scrub like you have my girlfriend, either. Just make sure she gets off this dark path. Bring her back into the light, and maybe one day bring her to meet grandmom.

Tobias went totally cold for a moment. That much? You loved her that much?

No response came. Arc knew what he had to do. "Damn right," he told her as he shot a smile back over his shoulder, "and you better not forget that. But you better understand the meaning, too. If you keep using my father's words as an excuse to wallow in a pit of sorrow, I'll kick your ass myself."  He turned around, more himself in that world than he'd ever been since the day he synched to the NerveGear. "You're responsible for picking up the pieces when you break something, even if its yourself. Stop being stubborn and fix things instead of constantly breaking them in hopes of finding peace."

Tobias snorted, then glanced sidelong as he spoke his next words. "Grandma would never have approved of someone who couldn't do that much."

 

 

[Mari 1]

Arc and Esther, the two before her had vastly different reactions from her stories. Her memories. One pleaded and begged her to stop, the other - as Mari expected, did nothing. Stoic and near emotionless in appearance. Mari slowly lifted her head, watching the two from behind a curtain of pink hair. The biggest reaction from it all? Was a correction, he insisted on his username, Arc - rather than using his real name. Mari was cruel, and heartless, but she wasn't exactly a monster. "Right. Arc." She muttered in a deadpan tone.

Arc seemed unmoved by Mari, and her feeble attempts to open up to the two, Mari was sure she felt her heart sink as he dismissed her attempts. Stating a harsh truth, how she hadn't wanted to help herself. In a way, he was right. Mari had all but given up on herself long ago, but the presence of these two? Thom's dearest friend, and a girl who did not know when to shut up, or to call it quits, it made Mari waver. Mari thought, if not now when? Why not at least try  to open up, and the start of that - was confessing all her sins in remarkably livid, macabre detail. Yet even that wasn't enough for him.

"Do you hate me?" Mari asked as she lifted her gaze from his shaking fists up to Arcs. Her blue eyes weary, tired, and it was clear she had been holding back as many tears as humanly possible. They bore into Arc, looking past his bubbling anger, they stared deep into him as though they were watching the turmoil he so desperately tried to hide. She could see how furious he was, just from her uttering the same words as Thom. Even as they shut, Mari's gaze was relentless, she watched, and waited for some kind of reaction from the man.

It came quicker than Mari had thought, and she wasn't sure if it was forced or not. Was Arc doing this for his sake? Or for Thom? Was he putting on a show for Esther? When the two last spoke, it didn't exactly end on a good note, but it wasn't anywhere near this strained, or vitriolic. Just what had happened? Was it because Mari did nothing? Or was it her past transgressions? Arc offered her a smile, and it was at that point Mari turned away. "Not approve huh?" She breathed. "In a world like this, you make your own armor, or you die cold, naked, and alone. I'm just trying to survive."

 

[Ashrah 0]

That hit him harder than he thought. Were you trying to tell me that I was doing the same thing all along?

Took you long enough.

Yeah, well I'm done with it. No use wearing armor that makes you sell your soul. Arc let out a huff as she spoke and shook his head. "I don't have time to hate people who spend all their time hating themselves," he replied. "No one can do a better job than you can at this point." He folded his arms and glanced at her with unfeeling eyes, the same way Thom had looked at him every day until the cold armor that his best friend once wore melted away.

"You want to know why?" he asked. "That woman was a lady every single time I saw her, even when her mind was slipping away." He shook his head. "Even in her moments of greatest weakness, she was never anything but who she was. She was brutally honest, even when it wasn't in her best interest to be that way. Even when it wasn't pretty." Thom was the same way. He got it from her. "Seeing you here, listening to you talk about all these awful things and talking about it driving you into a corner..."

"Where are you in all of it?" His words were cruel perhaps, but they rang like a keen blade. True. "You're not facing forward when you let the circumstances drive you. Even if you break, even if it seems impossible, even if you fall down dead because of it, you fight. That's freedom," he said freedom in a way that denoted passion on another level entirely. "To die on your own terms is far better than to live on ones that you don't agree to. Isn't that the way Thom lived? Tell me it's not. I'll call you a liar to your face."

Tobias turned from her. "I'd walk naked through every floor of this flying castle and brave death before I ever let it consume me that way."

Sounds like you've come to a decision about how you want to live from now on.

Yeah. Just like my brother did.

He could feel Thom's smile when he said that.

[Esther 0]

Esther frowned slightly at Arcs words  as she wiped away her own tears with the back of her hand. She didn't like hearing everything that Mari had said, it was all so painful and Esther couldn't understand how the woman before her hadn't completely broken down. How she was still here, sure she didn't look like she was coping well, but she was alive wasn't that something? Why couldn't Arc see that? "Arc..." Esther whined between small sobs. "Don't you think she's been through enough?" 

Unlike Arc, Esther wasn't one to use harsh, cold words. She couldn't possibly see how such things could help Mari, when all Esther wanted to do right now was clamber over the table and offer the pink haired girl a long, well deserved hug. Mari asked Arc if he hated her, and Esther - looking from one to the other, had to admit - it most certainly seemed that way. The words caused more tears to spill freely over Esther's cheeks. "Stop it..." her words were quiet, mumbled, and wouldn't have been heard over the two bickering before her.

"Please....stop..."

Again she begged as Arc folded his arms, his cold eyes relentlessly glaring down at Mari - a look Esther had mistaken as one of anger, and revulsion. "I said STOP IT!" Esther stood, wiping more tears from her eyes as she angrily scowled at the two. her voice shook with an empathetic pain. "Just STOP!" She first turned to Arc, stepping over the cushions she grabbed him by the cuff of his coat. "You don't have to be so mean! You're pushing everyone away because Thom died right? She's doing the same. You're both the same." Esther pushed Arc toward Mari, "Arc..." She almost pleaded with him. "You're pushing away the last person Thom opened up to. IS that what he would want?" Esther pushed her forehead into Arcs back, wet tears dripping onto his clothing.

"I can't stand seeing this fighting...you're both talking...but you're not listening to what anyone is saying..." SHe mumbled, before reaching out to place a hand on Thom's head, pushing it down so he would bow, a typical form of an apology. "You Apologise!" Esther let go of him just as quickly as she had manhandled him, then climbed over the table. Actions sloppy, drunk on the effects of the truth serum.

"And YOU!" She called out to Mari, clumsily moving to sit behind the Pink PKer, wrapping her arms around the girls waist she burried her head into the crook of Mari's neck. An action, on all accounts, that was incredibly dangerous and stupid. "Stop hating yourself. None of this is your fault. I'm sure Thom told you that right? That this wasn't your fault? That you're still you?"

[Ashrah 0]

"Don't act like you know me." He spoke almost softly when he responded to Esther, but he never looked her way. "Don't." He wanted to explode at her, but knew it would make things work. Those words would be enough. They weren't overly cruel, but sharp enough that she would feel the wound. It was not her business to jump in like she was. Even if she were hurt by their argument, she could not possibly imagine the storm inside either of them. He pulled away from her when she leaned against him, then wheeled around and slapped her hand away when she went to force him to apologize.

"I told you to stop." His eyes did not waver as he spoke, and his expression remained unreadable. He was visibly not alright with the situation. "You can feel whatever type of way you want, but I'm not going to stand by while you act like a child with the emotions of others. I've told you this world isn't all sunshine and rainbows before. Get used to it."

By the time he said those words, she was already dangerously close to Mari. Arc felt his eyes narrow. Typical Esther. She'll never grow up.