[PP/F5] About Time We Talked... <<Butcher of the Sands>>

[Kityuisa 0]

Spoiler

Spoiler

♥Level: 13

Health: 260 | Energy: 26
EVA: 1 | MIT: 23 | ACC: 3
DMG: 6

 

Skills:

Combat skills: 
♥N/A

 

Weapon skills: 
♥ Rank Three, Dagger +3 DMG

 

♥ Armor skills: 
♥ Rank One, Light Armor +5 MIT

 

Extra skills: 
♥N/A

 

Utility Skills: 
♥N/A

 

Modifiers: 
♥N/A

 

Inventory

♥ [Equipped] [Rare] Sharp Dagger: +2 DMG 
♥ [Equipped] [Perfect] Black Swan: +1 EVA, +2 MIT
♥ [Equipped] [Perfect] Blossoming Wind: +3 ACC

 

Battle Ready:

♥ Starter Healing Potion (Heals 50) x3
♥ T1 HP Potion, Uncommon (Heals 40) x5
♥ T1 Over-Health Potion (+50 Temp HP) x1
♥ [Empty]
♥ [Empty]

 

Kityuisa gripped the hilt of her dagger, panting as the sand creature in front of her burst into pixels. Kityuisa heaved. It had been a hard fight... Kityuisa had been out in the desert dunes and was making her way into the domain of the Arena of Spears. Kityuisa watched as a quest window popped open, "Defeat Butcher of the Sands...." Kityuisa thought for a moment, she had been wanting to talk to Pinball for quite some time now, so she figured now seemed better a time than any. She could use the help of a powerful friend for this quest... Kityuisa opened the floor menu. Scrolling until she just so happened to stumble upon Pinball's name, Kityuisa tapped it. A map of location data popped up, but Kityuisa's eyes zoned in on the message icon laying right above the map. She tapped it and waited for a second, the words forming in her mind of what to say and how to invite him to talk.

Quote

To: @Pinball

Hey Pin, do you have a few hours to talk? I could really use your help with some questions.. I don't know anyone that might have gone through the same thing as me that won't kill me on sight... If you can, meet me where you get the arena of spears quest to kill the Butcher of the Sands. We can fight and talk at the same time.

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Kityuisa

[Pinball 1]

If she had messaged him at any other time, in any other place, she wouldn't have gotten a response. If he had been asleep, not only would the soft chime of a new notification do nothing to rouse him, but upon waking he'd find himself devoid of the will to even spare her a reply. 

The fact of the matter was that Pinball liked to come off as horribly apathetic. 

But, in a twisted turn of events, his thoughts eventually led him to the decision to meet up with her despite the waves of remorse and unwillingness to help her that crashed down on him like so many waves on the shoreline. 

He found her quick. He knew the location of the quest and he knew the floor like the back of his hand - he'd practically explored every nook and cranny of them in the years he'd been trapped here, and this quest's notoriety had not been lost on him when he'd made his choice. 

"You realize these quests are going to be the thing that gets you killed," he spat. But he needed this quest as much as she did - and in spite of his hatred of the leveling mechanics, he knew he was powerful enough to carry her through it. 

He wouldn't say that, though. Pinball made his way towards the quest location. 

Player Stats: 

Spoiler

~Skills/Stats~ 

Level: 53
Health: 1060 | Energy: 106
DMG: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3
 
Skills:
 
Combat skills:
►N/A
 
Weapon skills:
►<<2H Assault Spear>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
►<<1H Straight Sword>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
 
Armor skills:
►N/A
 
Extra skills:
►<<Familiar Mastery: Fighter>> [18/18]: Rank 3 - Grandmaster
►<<Martial Arts>> [0/50]: N/A
►<<Survival>> ~ Active
 
Utility Skills:
►<<Hiding>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
 
Modifiers:
►[Active] <<2H Assault Spear: Ferocity>>: +1 Base DMG
►[Active] <<2H Assault Spear: Finesse>> ~ Rank 3 
►[Active] <<Sneak Attack: Assassin>>
►[Active] <<Hiding: Vanish>> 
 
Inventory
»[Equipped] [Demonic] Cold Fervor: +2 Freeze, Phase, Cursed 
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Dragon’s Skin: +3 EVA
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Warrior’s Focus: +3 ACC
 
Battle Ready: 
» [3x] Teleportation Crystal 
» [2x] Greater Curative Potion: +120 HP 
» [5x] Spinach-Artichoke Dip: +2 EVA  
» [Uncommon] Tyrfing: Absolute Accuracy 

 

[Kityuisa 0]

As soon as Pinball appeared, Kityuisa felt her gaze drop. Her vulnerability appearing as he drew closer to her. "How about you stop worrying about my death!?" Her gaze dropped, "I just needed to talk to you..." She rubbed her elbow... "I didn't know how else to get you to come here to talk..." 

Kityuisa had been looking for Pinballs name on the list of floors for a really long time now.. "I've been looking for you..." She bit her lip, her upsetting depression showing clearly through her eyes. She had so many things to ask Pinball...

Kityuisa followed as Pinball began to move towards the arena, she didn't want to ask just yet... She wondered if she should wait until after their fight to ask the questions that were burning in her mind. Her voice being stuck down her throat as she thought. The fact of the matter was that yes, this quest could definitely kill her. 

[Pinball 1]

Then there was a storm. In an instant, dust and sand picked up by a violent wind swirled around them, beating them back with semi-annoying lashes of wind and dirt. It was a sudden and dramatic shift that could only truly mean one thing: they were getting closer to the boss. 

"Looking for me," Pinball echoed, unamused. His voice was tired and low and rough, and sometimes it seemed like he stared at one thing for just a second too long or spaced out only to snap back to reality sporadically. Talking to him as he was now was strange, and normally it was easy to tell that there was something horribly off about the teenager. 

"I'm not worried," the murderer continued, "I'm just making sure you know what's up." 

And then he fell silent again as they inched closer and closer to the arena in the not-so-distant distance. Pinball had never been a conversation starter. 

Instead, he focused on trying his best not to dwell on the questionable intricacies of his forced stoicism.

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa felt the wind bashing against her, her hair fluttering wildly in the wind. Kityuisa made no move to fix her hair as sand kicked up and swirled around her. After this Kityuisa could do with a bath... Kityuisa nodded, watching his blank expression. He was a rather curious appearing individual. One that seemed emotionless. Kityuisa knew that things happened, experiences, and it made her all the more keen to ask the questions she had.

"Yeah, I know what's up." Kityuisa grumbled back, walking in silence. Here was her chance.. Her chance to ask her questions... But first... "You've killed people... What was your reasoning for killing them.. Is it worth it..?" Kityuisa managed to stutter out a few questions for Pinball. She needed to know what his take on his experiences were. Obviously something had changed them, something that Kityuisa didn't really care for the reasoning behind his actions. She just wanted to know how it changed things...

[Pinball 1]

That question caught him off guard. For a moment he found himself staring at the girl beside him, surprised; but soon his face relaxed and he turned away, returning his attention to the task at hand. 

But he shoved his hands in his coat pockets and set his jaw. How was he supposed to respond to that? 

Did he even know the answer? 

Finally, as inner turmoil plagued his psyche, he found an answer. "Killing people is never worth it," he spat, ignoring the question about reasoning. If she was asking him if his reason for killing was worth it, she wasn't going to get an answer - because that's something he didn't want to think about himself. Then, lower, he added, "But I'm not done yet." 

He craned his head to the side, looking her up and down. He frowned - and then he turned away. 

Pinball didn't say anything else. 

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa felt slightly taken aback by Pinball's answer. Her eyes narrowing, "You can stop spitting your replies at me." She looked away. Only barely catching what he said next, "I see... I guess... I've been having this trouble.." Kityuisa wasn't really sure how to put it into words.

The fact that i'm a psychotic person who gets caught up enough to want to kill? How does one just word that? I can't even gather up the words in my own thoughts.

Kityuisa watched as he turned away from her. Great, this seems to be going nowhere... Kityuisa groaned inside, how would she get her answers if he wasn't interested in answering? 

"Pinball, I asked you here to ask you a series of questions. I want to figure something out, and I can't just walk up to anybody and ask them. The words.. They don't come to me properly and it all feels distorted." Kityuisa frowned as she tried to figure out a way to ask her next question. 

[Pinball 1]

A sharp roar emanated from the center of the Arena of Spears. Shrouded in a storm of sand, there was a silhouette that urged them closer with a massive sword gripped in two reptilian claw-hand-things. 

"Then you've got a while to think about it," he said coolly, hefting his spear in both hands. To be truthful, he thought he understood how she felt. Every time he tried to sit down and think about things, he just couldn't summon the words. There were only feelings: anger, sadness, indifference. 

But Pinball didn't waste a second more. The teenager leapt forth, leaving a trail of snowflakes and globules of shadow behind him. 

Sando Setsu's name was revealed, and it charged for them, spinning its buster sword around in circles, trying to swipe at them all. It was quick - but so was Pinball. Before it really got a chance to pick up speed, Pinball caught it with his spear; and froze it solid. There were quick flashes of deep purple, evanescent balls  of shadow originating from the black flame surrounding his weapon, and a flury of snowflakes as he cut the Field Boss to ribbons. With each struck, frost coated its body, forcing it to slow down - and, well, freeze. 

But even as his attack died down, the monster was already forcing its way out. It wouldn't be long before the ice shattered and the whirling dervish was free to try and attack them again. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Dimension Stampede] [-14 EN] {Well Rested} 
Sando Setsu: ID#119606 BD: 10 (Crit+2)  LD: 20 (Kit) MD: 4-1= 3 (Miss!) ~ 18+2= 20*15= 300-10= 290 DMG + Freeze + Phase

[LD: 1-10] Pinball: 1060/1060 HP | 92/106 EN | 18 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA 
[LD: 11-20] Kityuisa: 260/260 HP | 26/26 EN | 6 DMG | 3 ACC | 23 MIT | 1 EVA 

Sando Setsu: 60/350 HP | 20 MIT 30 MIT | 100 DMG  150 DMG [FROZEN]
Sando Satsu ignores Block, Evasion, and Mitigation. But does not do bonus damage on a 9-10
-Cull of the Meek: On a natural roll of 10 he will spin with his weapon at maximum reach hitting everyone in the fight. He will gain 10 hp per person hit.
-Dominus: When he reaches 175 hp, he grows massive in size upping his damage to 150 and mitigation to 30 for the rest of the fight.

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa understood, she had to think to come up with the words. She had been wanting to talk to him, being Pinball for a while now.. She thought she had all of her questions figured out but when the time came to it, she was at a loss for words--- Her thoughts got interrupted by the roar of the Sando Satsu. Kityuisa narrowed her eyes. Her dagger instantly coming out of its sheath. She watched as Pinball went in for his first attack.

Kityuisa gripped her sword, this "boss" had quite a bit of armor, so she knew her attacks wouldn't land a hit. But, she felt like perhaps she could stun the beast. Kityuisa gripped her dagger, her eyes narrowing. 

Kityuisa felt her body give way to her sword skill. She flipped her dagger in reverse as she felt her body gracefully launch forward. Kityuisa felt her body leap in the direction of the beast. He had been frozen up till this point. But--- Her attack failed as the beast unexpectedly ripped part of its body free from its frozen state. Kityuisa's eyes widened, the intense shock wave that the monster had managed to pull off, pushing her backwards. Kityuisa stumbled out of the air, but landed gracefully on her feet. Her eyes glinting with anger, If part of it hadn't broken free so quickly, or if it hadn't been frozen at all, I would have landed my hit! 

Kityuisa was beyond pissed, she wanted to have a go at the monster.

Party Passive Effects: N/A
Enemy Passive Effects: N/A
Roll: ID# 119611
BD: 2 + 3 = 5 ; Missed Attack.

Party

     ♥   Kityuisa | 260/200 HP | 17/26 EN | 6 DMG | 23 MIT | 3 ACC | 1 EVA
     ♥   Pinball | 1060/1060 HP | 92/106 EN | 18 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA 

Enemy

     ♥   Sando Setsu | 60/350 HP | 30 MIT | 150 DMG

Edited July 22, 2019 by Kityuisa

[Pinball 1]

Finally, Sando Setsu seemed like it was starting to break free of the ice. First its head and its torso, then its arms and a leg; but Pinball was going to take advantage of its icy stasis. As Kityuisa moved forward, Pinball ran to the side to flank it, the tip of his spear held low to the ground and just barely scraping against the sand. 

Where Kit felt threatened and made a retreat, Pinball leapt into the air, bringing Cold Fervor down furiously in judgement of the alledgedly berserk Field Boss. With each stab and slash of his spear, the monster's health dropped lower and lower, until finally it hit zero and Pinball swiped his weapon through a cloud of pixels. 

He pulled his arms back and looked over to Kityuisa. The rewards screen would blaze to life in front of them, and behind the two players the gates of the Arena slowly swung open once more. 

                                                                                                                                       

Party Passive Effects: N/A
Enemy Passive Effects: N/A
Action Taken: Sword Art - [Dimension Stampede] [-14 EN/+1 EN] {Well Rested} 
Sando Setsu: ID#119739 BD: 4+3= 7 (Hit!) LD: 11 (Kit) MD: 1 (Miss!)  [FROZEN] ~ 18*15= 270-30= 240 DMG 

Party

     ♥   Kityuisa | 260/200 HP | 17/26 EN | 6 DMG | 23 MIT | 3 ACC | 1 EVA
     ♥   Pinball | 1060/1060 HP | 79/106 EN | 18 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA 

Enemy

     ♥   Sando Setsu | 0/350 HP | 30 MIT | 150 DMG

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa watched as Pinball made the final hit, she hadn't managed to have her go at the thing. But it was better that it was dead now, rather than her. Kityuisa watched the victory flash before her screen, tapping the circle to move on with her life. They had done it, the Sanso was dead and Kityuisa hadn't landed a single hit on the thing. Then Pinball had killed it in two hits... Kityuisa chuckled to herself. She had to get stronger.

She began to walk out of the arena, the quest complete. The rewards already with her, "I have a choice I need to make.. And I don't know how to make it." Kityuisa bit her lip, "I fought this one guy... Mars... He mentioned you... a lot..." Kityuisa closed her eyes as she fiddled with her fingers. Opening them so she could keep walking. Walking and talking, maybe they could sit down somewhere.

[Pinball 1]

Pinball dismissed the rewards with a practiced swipe of his finger and opened his Inventory. In a flash, his spear dematerialized, and in another a sword sprung to life in his hand, a scabbard now at his waist. He sheathed the gold and silver weapon and followed along quietly beside Kityuisa. He spared her a quick glance and couldn't help but notice how nervous she looked. 

He turned away, then, stifling another sigh. She wasn't scared of him - that much was obvious. Stupidly obvious. So what was on her mind? 

"A choice," Pinball said. That was it. 

"Mars?" For once, there was a slight spark of interest in Pinball's cold, dead eyes. "He mentioned me?" 

Then it really hit him. 

"You fought him. And you're still alive?" Pinball snorted. "I don't think he was trying very hard to kill you." He remembered once, a long time ago, they had been rivals; a bittersweet memory that Pinball pushed to the edge of his mind. A memory he hoped he would one day forget. 

Once they were outside and past the raging sandstorm, Pinball would stop walking and instead take a seat in the sand. It was implied that Kit should do the same, but she'd find Pinball didn't care either way. Something strange happened then. Pinball's face softened - but only just a bit. Some of the tension in his eyebrows lifted, though his eyes remained as empty and emotionless as they had always been. 

He didn't say anything else - but he waited for her to talk. And he was listening. 

[Kityuisa 0]

"Yes.. A choice... My little sister, she got stuck here too.. But.. Only, I can't seem to find her anywhere. I don't know her username or anything... I just.. I miss her... But I don't want to lose her. The fact that she's stuck here. I'd rather it would all be over for her than anything else..." Kityuisa felt her eyes flash, "I can't lose her to this game..." Kityuisa bit her lip, it made her sound like a terrible person when she outright said it like that...

As Pinball questioned her about Mars, Kityuisa nodded, "Y-yeah.. He was helping me find Willow.. And then, he helped me train her.. it's just.. he wanted to duel so we could train her. He went really easy on me.. But the words that he said. Will I really lose everyone if my secrets are revealed? My secrets of my life before the game? The secrets of all the thoughts i've had since the beginning? The secrets of the nightmares I have every single night? The secret that I would rather my sister be dead than in this game?" Kityuisa at that point had broken, streams rolling down her face, "I can't lose anyone else like I lost my sister.." Her sister hadn't even died... But Kityuisa acted as if she was gone. Mars had really screwed her up in the head. "Mars said some things... And I keep wondering if they are all true.." Kityuisa stopped short. She felt like some of what she needed had been lifted off her chest. But she still had a lot to say.. For now, she would hope Pinball could help her a bit.. Before she went on to ask her other questions.

[Pinball 1]

This... was a lot to unpack. Pinball had to take a step back and really think - a mental exercise that felt like it got harder and harder the less sleep he got. 

And sleep was an increasingly rare commodity. 

The way she phrased it: the nightmares, Mars' manipulation? All things that he himself didn't want to think about. The real reason he couldn't sleep at night - the reason it seemed like he could never rest - was because even in his waking hours, he was plagued by nightmares. 

There was a feeling he couldn't shake now, either. He remembered when he first met Mars. It felt like years ago. But he seemed so fake. Pinball thought he had gotten him to drop the act; he thought he'd known the real Mars. But what if he didn't? What if what he thought was real was just another charade? 

And Pinball knew a lot about losing people close to you.

"Mars is a shifty character," Pinball started, his voice catching in his throat. It felt unreal that he was talking to somebody - especially about someone he knew personally. Or had known, rather. He felt his face twist and harden. "So is everyone. The only person you should really listen to is yourself.

Some people just don't deserve to be heard from." 

He shook his head, and, his voice just barely a whisper, added, "But don't make that mistake. You should trust the people you care about." 

After a few seconds his face regained that same level of stoicism he had sported for the majority of time they had spent together; such a sudden change, in fact, that it was hard to believe it had even happened. Pinball himself was already starting to forget what he had said. 

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa's eyes widened, Pinball has feelings? She was surprised by what he said. She bit her lip. "Pinball.. If it comes down to it.." She took a seat this time, next to Pinball. She had been standing because she had been so nervous.

"If it comes down to it... What happens if I end up..." Kityuisa drew a hand across her throat, "What happens if I make the choice to end it for my sister. End her grief and end her pain..." Kityuisa furrowed her brows. She was obviously messed up in the head if she talked about killing her sister as easily as that. 

"I try to trust my friends, but my fear is that they will end up turning on me..." Kityuisa fiddled with her hands. She was scared to lose people. Pinball she felt, knew how she felt. She barely knew him, that's why she felt she could talk to him. He wouldn't have the right to judge her. But he could easily kill me... Kityuisa frowned, I'm not scared though... She glanced back to Pinball, "How would I deal with it if everyone I care about, I lose?"

[Pinball 1]

"End her pain?" 

Just like that his demeanor changed. It didn't warp or slowly alter; it wasn't a gradual thing. It was a snap - in an instant, what tiny bit of emotion he had shown vanished. His face twisted angrily, his fist resting on the pommel of his sword. "You talk about something like that so easily." 

The words came out haltingly. Each syllable practically oozed from his mouth like toxic waste. He was disgusted. He was angry. But most of all, he was disappointed. 

The swordsman slowly rose to his feet. "Would you really kill your own sister? Someone living and breathing? Your own family, trapped in a place like this with you?" Pinball had never been one to shout, and that didn't change now. His voice was low and cold. "Does she really mean that little?" 

He took a step forward. "How about this," he suggested, leaning closer. "You're worried about losing people? About them turning on you? If I find out you kill someone - anyone. I don't care who it is-" Dead blue eyes stared daggers at Kit. "-I'll make sure you never have to worry about people betraying you ever again. Do you understand me?

Don't let me see your name on that Monument unless it's crossed out."  

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa narrowed her eyes, fire blazing in the midst of her crimson orbs, "You have no idea, do you." Kityuisa had a large frown dotting her face, she was biting her tongue. If she said anything to set this man off, he would kill her on the spot.. But at the same time, she was infuriated. Pinball didn't scare her. "You, with the orange cursor above your head. You literally." Kityuisa mimicked an explosion going off in her head. She turned away from him, "I'm trying to figure it all out, aren't I. Why else would I come to you with my [bad word] questions?" Kityuisa closed her eyes letting out a small sigh before feeling her body drop to the floor. She covered her face with her hands.

"I feel so... weak... This is..." Kityuisa felt tears bubble up in her eyes. 

"I did that one quest. Where you fight your own demons.." Kityuisa was frowning even more now. "Plus my meeting with Mars..." Kityuisa felt the tears pool up and over her eyelids. They began to fall down her cheeks and into her hands. She uncovered her face, now looking up at Pinball with tears streaming down her face. Her emotions unchecked, pain lining her face, "I don't know what to do Pin..." Kityuisa was breaking down as she continued to talk, "I have so many things running in my head that i'm going insane.. I get so many thoughts... Am I just another murderer like Mars said? Will I really lose everything I hold dear if they find out who I was in the real world?" Kityuisa was begging Pinball for answers.

[Pinball 1]

Her outburst and the tears welling up in her eyes had no effect on Pinball's icy exterior. "I've got no idea? Really?" Unfazed by the mention of Calming the Soul and now similarly stoic in the face of Mars' name drop, Pinball rested his fist on the pommel of his sword. Unflinching, distant. 

"Insanity doesn't look good on you. You want to be a murderer?" 

Pinball gripped the hilt of Tyrfing, but did not move from his spot in the sand. "I don't care whatever the hell you did in the real world. Nobody else will either. This is your reality now. You're gonna have to accept that." 

He shrugged off her tearful pleading for answers and frowned deeply out of frustration, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes locked onto the player in front of him. He held himself stiff in the shoulders, like he was waiting for her to move - anticipating an attack. "So get your [censored] together or I'll get it together for you." 

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa removed her hands, wiping the tears off her face, "You think I want to be a murderer?" Kityuisa shook her head, "I don't. I wish I had never killed anyone. You know, after a while you forget their faces." 

"Does insanity look good on anyone?" Kityuisa had to shove her feelings down. Pinball wasn't really helping.. "I obviously know I have to accept that. Have I let any of this affect me when fighting?" Kityuisa thought of the times she had actually had become lost in her thoughts during battle. She had let her psychotic nature take over. She sometimes yearned to see the pixels of something being deleted from the world. The pixelated blood that showed up, when she made a cut deep enough.

Kityuisa watched as Pinball kept stiff, his hand still on his hilt. Kityuisa stayed, unmoving. "I'm trying to get myself together, obviously." Kityuisa kept her eyes locked with Pinball's.

[Pinball 1]

"Maybe fighting isn't something you should do," he replied bluntly, his voice deadpan. "The frontlines are corrupt. I can see its hold on you." Shadowy tendrils wrapped around her arms; a twisted puppet master. The frontlines were to blame for people losing their grip on their own humanity. The ambition and the murderous intent in every one of the new players' eyes were all too obvious to him. 

"It sounds like you regret it. So why even think about it? If it's something you hate doing. Just don't. Take a step away from everything." He trailed a finger across the handle of his sword. "Get rid of all the combat crap you've been stockpiling. You don't need it. Not really. Play the game a new way. Help others differently. Violence isn't the answer.

Atone." 

And as cruel as it seemed, he turned his back on her then. Without so much as a wave, he adjusted the coat around his shoulders and walked. 

"You don't want to be another name on my list."