[PP-04] <<Absolute Zero>> w/ Oscar

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia sighed as she hugged her black coat closer to her. It may not match her hair but it was a lot warmer than her regular armor at the moment. The enhancements were practically the same, anyway.

"This quest isn't worth the cold," she mumbled, sneezing not too soon after. 

"I think it's too high leveled for me, anyway," Cordelia muttered, opening her menu with a grunt. Who could help her? Yukiro- no, out of the question. Bahr? She hasn't talked to him in so long and it felt weird to just ask him to do a quest now. Oscar. . ? Her lips pressed into a thin line as she opened up the message bored. Why the hell not.

Spoiler

To: @Oscar

Hey, can you come to floor four and help me with a quest? You don't have to if you don't.

Cordelia sighed as she sent the message. This day was going to be weird.

Spoiler

 LVL: 23 | HP: 460/460 | EN: 46/46 | 12+3=15 DMG | 2 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 SAVVY | 2 KEEN | 4 HLY

INVENTORY: 

☆ T1 Katana | Haunted Verdict: [Cursed] 1 HLY, 2 DMG
☆ T1 Light Armor | Coat of a Husk: +2 EVA, +1 SAVVY
☆ T1 Jewelry | Aura Sensors: +1 EVA, +2 KEEN

BATTLE READY:

[5] Standard Healing Potions [Heals 50 HP]

CONSUMED:

Viscous Dragon Fang Potion: +3 DMG

SKILLS:

☆ R2 Accuracy Familiar Mastery: 2 ACC
☆ Disguise: [Gain +1 EVA until the start of your next turn]
☆ Survival: [Increases out of combat health regeneration to (15 * Tier) per post. Grants immunity to most damage dealing environmental
attacks/effects.]
☆ R1 Curved Sword Skill 
☆ R5 Katana Skill [+7 DMG/+1 BASE]

 

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar - Lvl 33
660 HP
66 Energy
4 Accuracy (3 Base + 1 Food)
3 Evasion
17 Base Damage - (1 Base +7 Skill +1 Ferocity +4 Weapon + 4 Buffs)
82 Mitigation 

Items
Shining Battleaxe ............ // Holy, Cursed, +4 DMG
Librarium Overcoat ................. // +3 EVA
Plated Azure Tights ............... // +36 MIT, +3 Recovery

Leeroy & Jenkins - Familiar ............. // +3 Accuracy

Battle Ready Inventory
Teleportation Crystal .............. // 
Empty Inventory Slot   ............ // 
Empty Inventory Slot ............ // 
Empty Inventory Slot ............. // 
Empty inventory slot ............ //
Empty inventory slot ............ //

Buffs
Rested ........................... // -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.
Filling .......................... // Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Relaxed .......................... // Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Skills
2HBA                      | Rank 5: +8 Damage
Light Armor                | Rank 2: +8 Damage Mitigation
Concentration                   | +1 to your BD (3 turn cooldown)
Survival                   | Heal 15*Tier HP when out of battle
Familiar Mastery: Accurate | Rank 3: +3 Accuracy

Skill Mods
Ferocity                   | Increases Base Damage by 1
 

Oscar was, uncharacteristically, merely relaxing in his home when he got Cordelia's message. His finger hovered over the icon in his menu for a moment, wondering what this was all about. But only for a brief moment. Any ill will he felt towards her had long since melted away. Though he had to harden his heart for a time in order to recover from the shock of her rejection, he had gotten over it pretty easily. To top it off he had promised her that they would still be friends. He saw no reason to break that promise. That was, until she called him to Floor Four. He swore under his breath. There were only two quests she could possibly need help with on that floor and he felt like he knew what it was.

So, he scarfed down a plethora of buffs, put on his coat, grabbed his axe, and was out the door. It wasn't too long before Oscar was stepped off of the Teleportation Platform into the frigid cold. He looked around the plaza. He had initially been looking for her long blonde hair, but then recalled that she mentioned wanting to change to white. With that in mind, he re-scanned the plaza until his eyes fell upon the only white-haired woman to be seen. Sure enough, it was Cordelia. He hardly recognized her after her transformation. He strode over to her, his feet crunching beneath the snow as he walked.

"Yo! Cordelia! I almost didn't recognize you. Loving the new look!"

She would turn to see that she wasn't the only one that had gone through a major transformation. Gone were the blue clothes and the Katana, replaced instead by dark military-style clothing and a large battleaxe slung across his back. His blonde-hair and confident smile were unchanged, however. He beamed down at her as he patted her on the head playfully.

"So what are we killing today?"

Focused Chili Dog Consumed - +1 ACC, +2 DMG, -20 MIT
Tiger's Rage Consumed - +2 DMG
Hearty Dog Consumed - +30 MIT
Terra Firma Scale Consumed - +1 MIT Slot (+18)

[Cordelia 0]

Her eyes widened by a small fraction as she heard Oscar's familiar voice. Damn, she thought she would be ready for this but apparently not. It has been. . . a while since she's actually seen him. Not his damn clone in her head, thank God. 

Somehow, it still hurt to think about that day.

She stared at him. He looked different. A good different, but he was still Oscar.

Cordelia felt tears brimming on her eyes as she shakily opened her arms, giving him a tight hug as she sniffed. "You look good, too," she said murmured, smiling to herself. "I didn't think that you would be the type to get a battleaxe, either," she mumbled, sniffing one last time before she let go of him. 

"R-right," she pipped, wiping her eyes with one of her wrists before opening the quest menu. "We're supposed to be killing a variation of the Avalanche monster from the other quest on this floor," Cordelia replied, turning her head to give him a small smile. "You think you're up to it?"

[Oscar 0]

Oscar was taken slightly by surprise when she threw her arms around her and began staining his chest with tears. Unsure of what to do, Oscar gingerly wrapped one arm around her and returned the gesture. It was a little strange, the embrace. But Oscar didn't mind. He would be lying if he said all romantic feelings were gone, but he was definitely able to manage himself a bit more effectively now. After a beat, she released him and stepped back. With only a few words, she confirmed his suspicions about which quest they would be tackling today. He gave her an excited smile and nodded. Oscar had been wanting to take this particular beast on for quite some time, but didn't really feel like he quite had the damage for it. But with the two of them working together again, Oscar felt confident that they could take it on.

"Hell yeah! Let's get this done. I've been waiting for ages to do this quest!"

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia gave him a small nod and gestures to the town’s exit. “Let’s get going now, yeah?” She asked softly before turning to leave.

”So, uh,” she said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. “How is the battleaxe treating you? I don’t think I’ve ever really seen a person use one. . . or a tiger least I don’t think I have, anyway,” Cordelia sniffed, wiping at her crusty eyes with an annoyed groan.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

“I like he new outfit, too,” she blurted out. “It’s really different and I almost didn’t recognize you at first,” she said, laughing to herself. “It looks really nice on you, though,” she added, turning to give him a wide smile.

”I haven’t seen you in a while, too,” she mumbled, scratching her arm. “I feel like it’s been ages. Literal ages. There’s so many things I want to tell you, too,” the girl sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sure I can save it for another time, though.”

[Oscar 0]

"After the boss yeah?"

Oscar pat her head once more before turning on his heels and beckoning for Cordelia to follow. He really wanted to talk to her as well. It had been too long. But if the last time they had a heart-to-heart right before a quest was any indication, Oscar would prefer to save it until after the fight. Together, the two of them ventured out into the frozen tundra. It was quite enjoyable to be in Cordelia's company once more. Especially given what had occurred between them. It was hard to talk while the wind was cutting them to the bone, so Oscar traveled in relative silence. That was, until his attention was attracted to rumbling in the distance. Oscar held up one hand and stopped, looking around for the source. He eventually found it. Or, rather, it found them.

A massive golem of ice and snow stepped out from behind a ridge. It towered over them like Goliath to David. Oscar wondered for a moment how they would bring down such a colossus. But then he remembered it was just a matter of hitting it until its health bar reached zero. Oscar took off to charge at the beast. Unfortunately, he slipped on a patch of ice and slammed his face into the ground rather unceremoniously. He groaned and carefully rose to his feet.

"Ugh. Try to stun that thing I guess, Cordelia."

Spoiler

Oscar 660/660 HP | 65/66 EN | 17 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 81 MIT | 4 HOLY
Cordelia 460/460 HP | 46/46 EN | 15 DMG | 2 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 SAVVY | 2 KEEN | 4 HOLY

ID: 129019 BD1. Miss.

Avalanche, the Absolute Zero 850/850 HP | DMG 200 | ACC 3 | EVA -2 | FRZ 2 | 75 MIT

 

[Cordelia 0]

She smiled to herself as she nodded her head. "Yeah. . . after the boss," she murmured, following after him.

The two walked in silence for a bit. It wasn't like the last time they had seen each other, thank the lord for that, but it seemed more of a comfortable silence. She was okay with that. Anything other than awkward and tense silence seems good to her, actually. 

Cordelia gritted her teeth together as she felt the cold, sharp wind hit her face. What was the point of the damn Survival skill if it wasn't going to do its damn job? She got this stupid skill in the first place so that she didn't have to feel the cold, gosh darn it! 

Cordelia halted abruptly as Oscar held up his hand. Oh, she was so excited! She hasn't been up against anything challenging in a while!

Her gaze tilted up as she gazed upon the giant ice creature. It seemed a lot bigger than she last remembered it. . . hm. Well, never the less, it shall be fun!

Cordelia sweatdropped as she watched Oscar face plant into the frozen ground. "Are you alright?" She asked, a small and joking smirk playing on her lips as she walked over to him. 

Cordelia nodded her head and flashed him a small smile before whistling briefly. Almost immediately, her eyes had turned a bright red, signalling that Pacco was indeed here! Ah ha! He does care!

With her now keen vision, the girl bolted off, unsheathing her katana in the process as well as activating one of her stun sword arts. Ooh, she had never used this before! Stunning an enemy had never really been her priority before! This might be interesting. . ! 

With a quick slash of her katana, she had already managed to deliver the stun, which somehow made sense. . . right?

☆ (ﾉ´･ω･)ﾉ ﾐ ┻━┻ ☆

ID: 129020
BD: 4+2+2=8, Hit [STUN] [+2 ACC N.T.]

ID:
MD:

Oscar 660/660 HP | 65/66 EN | 17 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 81 MIT | 4 HOLY
Cordelia 460/460 HP | 33/46 EN | 15 DMG | 2 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 SAVVY | 2 KEEN | 4 HOLY

Avalanche, the Absolute Zero 760/850 HP | DMG 200 | ACC 3 | EVA -2 | FRZ 2 | 75 MIT [STUNNED] -90 HP

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 660/660 HP | 50/66 EN | 17 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 81 MIT | 4 HOLY
Cordelia 460/460 HP | 33/46 EN | 15 DMG | 2 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 SAVVY | 2 KEEN | 4 HOLY

ID: 129044 BD3+3+2 Deal 163 DMG

Avalanche, the Absolute Zero 597/850 HP | DMG 200 | ACC 3 | EVA -2 | FRZ 2 | 75 MIT [STUNNED] -90 HP

This time, Oscar was about to redeem himself for his previous failure. He made sure that his footing was stable before rushing towards the boss as quickly as his feet could carry him. He couldn't let Cordelia do all the hard work, after all. Once he got within striking distance, he began to run up the side of the boss. Between his momentum and the myriad footholds, Oscar was able to find enough purchase to get all up in the boss's face. Once he had, he swung his axe with all his might directly into the boss's face. The boss reeled and staggered backwards as Oscar backflipped off of the boss and landed next to Cordelia. He'd done a fair chunk of damage and also got to show off with some sweet acrobatic nonsense that would have never worked in real life. Only a single phrase came to mind after that display of badassitude.

"Oh, word?"

[Bahr 0]

Spoiler

• LEVEL: 42
• HP: 860 | ENERGY: 84
• DMG: 15 | MIT: 54 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3
  SKILLS 3/7 | MODS 3/5
  
  HOME BUFFS
  » RESTED
       ➥ -1 EN FOR THE FIRST TWO TURNS OF COMBAT
  » RELAXED
       ➥ +10 TO OUT OF COMBAT HP REGENERATION
       ➥ FULL ENERGY REGENERATION AFTER TWO POSTS OUT OF COMBAT
•  
• SKILLS
• EXTRA SKILLS
  » DISGUISE
       ➥ FREE ACTION
       ➥ +1 EVA UNTIL START OF YOUR NEXT TURN
            ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
  » MEDITATION
       ➥ POST ACTION
       ➥ RECOVER AN ADDITIONAL 10 ENERGY - GETTING HIT BY AN ATTACK BEFORE YOUR NEXT TURN REDUCES ADDITIONAL ENERGY RECOVERY TO 6
            ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
  
  COMBAT SKILLS
  » PARRY
       ➥ POST ACTION
       ➥ REDUCE FINAL DAMAGE OF NEXT ATTACK AGAINST YOU BY 50% (ROUNDED DOWN) AND NEGATES STUN/PARALYSIS EFFECT OF THAT ATTACK
            ➥ COOLDOWN: 2 TURNS
            ➥ 5 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  
  WEAPON SKILLS
  » TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD R5
       ➥ +7 DMG WHEN TWO-HANDED WEAPON IS EQUIPPED
  
  ARMOR SKILLS
  » LIGHT ARMOR R4
       ➥ +18 MIT 
  
  MODS
  » LIGHT ARMOR MOD: ATHLETICS
       ➥ +1 DMG
       ➥ +20 HP
  » PARRY MOD: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE
       ➥ POST ACTION: COMBINE WITH PARRY
       ➥ SUCCESSFUL PARRY STUNS OPPONENT
            ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
  » WEAPON MOD: PRECISION
       ➥ PASSIVE
       ➥ +1 ACC
  
  SWORD ARTS
  » [X2 AOE] BLAST
       ➥ 2 ENERGY +2 PER TARGET HIT CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X2] STRAIGHT
       ➥ 2 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X3] SCOOPED
       ➥ 3 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X4 STUN] LIGHTNING
       ➥ 7 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X4] CYCLONE
       ➥ 4 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X5] BACK RUSH
       ➥ 5 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X6 STUN] FIGHT BLADE
       ➥ 9 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X7] ASTRAL HELL
       ➥ 7 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X8 AOE STUN] TEMPEST
       ➥ 8 ENERGY +2 PER TARGET HIT CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X12] CALAMITOUS TRAGEDY
       ➥ 12 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X13] GALAXY DESTROYER
       ➥ 13 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X12 AOE] CALAMITY DISASTER
       ➥ 13 ENERGY +2 PER TARGET HIT CONSUMED ON USE

INVENTORY
ARMOR
» [EQUIPPED] "COAT OF THE BLOODEDGE" - LIGHT ARMOR (T1 - PERFECT)
     ➥ +3 EVA
» [EQUIPPED] "HERO'S HAKAMA" - LIGHT ARMOR (T2 - PERFECT)
     ➥ +36 MIT
     ➥ RECOVERY 1

WEAPONS
» [EQUIPPED] "SCARECROW'S SICKLE" - TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD (T2 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ +6 DMG
     ➥ BLEED

FAMILIAR
» [EQUIPPED] SWINE BAJESUS R3
     ➥ +3 ACC

A flash of red and white. The harsh twang of a blade against a thick sheet of ice. The gigantic creature groaned and took a knee as Bahr flashed to the side of his companions, blade at the ready. 

"Sorry I'm late. Looks like you guys have this covered, but I'd hate to miss out on all the fun," he mused, nudging Oscar's elbow with his own. His eyes flickered to the blonde than accompanied him. "Nice to see you again, Cornholio. Wait a second..." He squinted. "Are you... Are you her? Something seems different about you." She looked as though she had gone through multiple face lifts.

Bahr tried to think of something witty to say, but he was drawing a blank. More than likely, the author simply ran out of gas and was unable to arbitrate a reason to include more dialogue. Strange how that happens.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 860/860 | EN: 84-12=72/84 | DMG: 15 | MIT: 54 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLEED 1
Oscar: 660/660 HP | 50/66 EN | DMG: 17 | MIT: 81 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY 1
Cordelia: 460/460 HP | 33/46 EN | DMG: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | SAVVY 1 | KEEN 2 | HOLY 1

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -12 EN ("RESTED" HOUSE BUFF REDUCES ENERGY COST BY 1)

Avalanche, the Absolute Zero: 597-120=477/850 HP | DMG: 200 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -2 | FREEZE 2 | ID: 129049 | BD: 5+6=11, Hit for 15x13=195-75=120 DMG | STUNNED

 

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia blinked.

So many things seemed to happen at once, she didn’t know what to focus on. 

Once things had finally started to settle down, her eyes narrowed. “Bahr?” She mumbled confusingly, crossing her arms as she deadpanned at him. 

Cornholio-

She sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose with an irritated smile. “Yeah, nice to see you, too,” she said, already giving up on trying to correct him.

Cordelia shrugged her shoulders. “It’s just a haircut and a dye job,” she mumbled, picking up a strand of her now white hair. “Nothing really else. . .”

Her eyes averted back to the quest mob. Right! No time for socializing, not yet at least. Seeing that her stun had worn off, she decided that it was probably best to just stun it again. . . even if she was missing out on higher damage. She was pretty sure that Bahr and Oscar had that handled, anyway.

With a burst of speed and power, Cordelia darted off, the hilt of her katana securely placed above her hands as she delivered another <<Iai>>.

Just as Cordelia landed her attack, the snow golem batted her away like a fly, dropping her HP dangerously low.

Well, shoot.

ID: 129104

BD: 7, Hit

ID: 129625
MD: 5, Hit

Bahr: H: 1 | HP: 860/860 | EN: 80/84 | DMG: 15 | MIT: 54 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLEED 1
Oscar: H: 1 | 660/660 HP | 50/66 EN | DMG: 17 | MIT: 81 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY 1
Cordelia: H: 2 | 260/460 HP | 20/46 EN | DMG: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | SAVVY 1 | KEEN 2 | HOLY 1

Avalanche, the Absolute Zero 387/850 HP | DMG 200 | ACC 3 | EVA -2 | FRZ 2 | 75 MIT [ -90

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 860/860 | EN: 80/84 | DMG: 15 | MIT: 54 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLEED 1
Oscar: 660/660 HP | 34/66 EN | DMG: 17 | MIT: 81 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY 1
Cordelia: 260/460 HP | 20/46 EN | DMG: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | SAVVY 1 | KEEN 2 | HOLY 1

ID: 129626 BD4+3+2. Deal 163 DMG

Avalanche, the Absolute Zero 224/850 HP | DMG 200 | ACC 3 | EVA -2 | FRZ 2 | 75 MIT

Seeing Cordelia get swatted like a fly ignited something in Oscar. A fire he had long since thought he had contained. Pure, unadulterated rage bubbled up in his chest. Without missing a beat, Oscar charged towards the massive golem of ice and snow. He launched himself into the air and brought his cocked his weapon back to strike. Summoning all of his might, Oscar sliced the golem across the face, causing it to stagger backwards. Oscar pitched forward and placed his feet against the golem. Then, he springboarded off of the beast and landed lightly on the ground next to Cordelia. "Hey! You okay?" His eyes fell upon her health bar, noting that she was still, just barely, in the green. He was able to breathe just a bit easier after seeing that. Oscar really didn't know what he would do if Cordelia had died here. The thought itself was repugnant.

[Bahr 0]

Bahr had seen a lot during his time in Aincrad, but seldom did he see a hit like that. Absolute Zero swatted Cordelia away much like a child would a forgotten plaything, and her body skidded across the powdery snow like a stone across a pond. As Oscar dove in against the beast, Bahr took the opportunity to check the health bars hovering in the peripheries of his HUD. Cordelia was hurt, but she would live. But he wasn't sure that she could take another hit like that.

As Oscar rushed to her side, Bahr could immediately see what was going on here. She was more to him than just a friend. He was probably trying to impress her. Bahr had made this same mistake in the past. He wouldn't allow this to turn into the same situation as that one.

So he flung himself in front of the beast as it bore down on the pair, placing himself firmly between Avalanche and his friends, pointing his sword toward its snarling face as it slowed to a halt. "Not today, asshole," he muttered as the blade began to vibrate with red-hot intensity, painting the snow around them with a crimson hue. "You won't get to them unless you go through me, or they want you to." 

With that, he crashed forward into the beast, planting the tip of his sword firmly into its stomach. Despite the velocity of the attack, the monster only slid back a few inches before roaring and turbulently shaking its entire body. Bahr was flung away while his sword remained buried in the beast. He managed to catch himself on his boots, sliding back several feet as a "Damn it!" escaped his lips. It looked like the rest was up to them.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 860/860 | EN: 84-12=72/84 | DMG: 15 | MIT: 54 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLEED 1
Oscar: 660/660 HP | 50/66 EN | DMG: 17 | MIT: 81 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY 1
Cordelia: 260/460 HP | 33/46 EN | DMG: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | SAVVY 1 | KEEN 2 | HOLY 1

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -12 EN ("RESTED" HOUSE BUFF REDUCES ENERGY COST BY 1)

Avalanche, the Absolute Zero: 224-120=104/850 HP | DMG: 200 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -2 | FREEZE 2 | ID: 129627 | BD: 2+6=8, Hit for 15x13=195-75=120 DMG

 

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia mumbled a few curses under her breath as her body tumbled across the cold ground. What an asshat. 

Her now much shorter hair draped over her face as she gritted her teeth together. She wasn’t fast enough to evade its dumb ass attacks. Seriously, what was the point of having a skill that negates environmental effects if specific quests totally just throw it out the window?

Her hand ran over the top of her head, pushing the stray strands away before she turned her head to Oscar, who had just gotten back from dealing a big chunk of damage to the Avalanche.

“Yeah. . . yeah, I’m fine,” she muttered, standing up wobbly as she picked up the hilt of her katana from the ground next to her. “Sorry about that.”

Cordelia averted her eyes back to the giant snow golem. Bahr had just finished his attack, leaving his sword embedded into the ice that made up the Avalanche. 

“Well, you only live once,” the girl sighed, seeing that it was her turn to attack.

Her boots dug into the snow just briefly before she took off, her katana outstretched with both of her hands beside her. 

<<San Ge>> had already activated by the time she had jumped into the air, now it was just the matter of executing it. 

Haunted Verdict blurred in the air as she delivered fast cuts and slashes, only to chop directly down for her finishing attack. 

Avalanche let out a deafening and deep roar of pain before it eventually burst into shards of red in the air. 

Cordelia sighed in relief as she landed back on the snowy ground. “Thank God that’s over with.”

Spoiler

ID: 129628
BD: 4+2+2=8, Success

ID: 
MD: 

Bahr: HP: 860/860 | EN: 80/84 | DMG: 15 | MIT: 54 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLEED 1
Oscar: 660/660 HP | 50/66 EN | DMG: 17 | MIT: 81 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY 1
Cordelia: 260/460 HP | 20/46 EN | DMG: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | SAVVY 1 | KEEN 2 | HOLY 1

Avalanche, the Absolute Zero 0/850 HP | DMG 200 | ACC 3 | EVA -2 | FRZ 2 | 75 MIT 

 

[Oscar 0]

As the boss shattered like glass, Oscar was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Out of the three of them, the one person who definitely couldn't suffer a ton of damage was the very person who had taken the most hits. He felt a little guilty for dragging her into it, all things considered. But then he remembered that she invited him. So that flew out the window almost immediately. He was eternally grateful for Bahr, who had appeared out of nowhere to provide them aid. Oscar trudged through the snow, giving the man a wide grin as he held out his hand. "Damn, Bahr. You really came in clutch there. What brings you all the way out here?" The last time they had seen one another, they'd had a bit of a heart-to-heart. Was the Bloodedge stalking him to make sure he didn't get himself killed? Or perhaps it was just coincidence that he was all the way out in the middle of nowhere on a whim.

[Bahr 0]

As Cornelius reduced Avalanche to contents befitting a dustpan, Bahr let loose a sigh of relief he had been holding back. Seemed the kid had grit after all. His eyes traced Scarecrow's Sickle as it fell from where it had been lodged into the now defunct boss' abdomen, piercing the sheet of ice below as it buried its tip and remained upright. He slowly meandered over to the blade and seized it with a hefty pull, plucking it from the crystalline frost and returning it to its sheath on his lower back just in time to regard the approaching Oscar.

"Damn, Bahr. You really came in clutch there. What brings you all the way out here?"

"Oh, no reason," came Bahr's nonchalant reply, issued with a loose shrug. In reality, when he had checked Oscar's location data on a whim and deciphered where he was, he'd known there was only one reason the man would come here. Conciliator had given Bahr a bit of data on this boss, and he'd held back from challenging it for a reason. If he didn't feel fit to take on Avalanche just yet, he knew for damn sure Oscar wasn't ready, either. Though, the impromptu date had been a surprise. "Fourth floor is a nice place. Come here all the time. In fact, there's a really nice spot that I was heading to back in Snowfrost. You guys interested?" He eyed Cordelia for a moment, ensuring there was enough distance to lean in and say the next bit a tad more quietly to Oscar, out of her earshot. "It's got somewhat of a romantic ambiance, if you know what I mean," he said lowly with a grin and a nudge.

"Come on, I'll show you the way."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[Location: Snowfrost - White Rabbit Tavern]
[Time: 16:33:17]
[Weather: Overcast, snowy]
[Party: Bahr, Oscar, Cordelia]

"Here it is!" Bahr announced as he pushed open the door of the White Rabbit Tavern, striding into the permeating warmth and leaving the cold of the fourth floor behind. Mountains of snow and frigid, miserable air gave way to a cozy and relaxed ambiance. Crackles could be heard from across the parlor, emitted from the warm flames that licked away within a homely fireplace on the wall adjacent from the door. It hardly even felt like a bar; rather, a cafe that also served liquor. He strode up to the bar, but didn't take a seat there. He was eyeing the armchairs surrounding the fire. A good place to decompress after the intensity of a close battle. "And how's Alexander doing today?" he inquired, regarding the NPC behind the counter with an upward tilt of his jaw.

"Doing well! No Lessa today?"

"Nah," he chortled with a toothy grin as Oscar and Cordelia joined him at the counter. "Just a couple of goons. You got cookies baking?"

A childish mischief settled into the NPC's brick-colored eyes, accompanied by a wry smirk that rivaled the authenticity of a real human being. "Chocolate chip. I take it you'll want some?" 

"All of them, plus whatever these two will be having. I'll take my usual. We'll be at the fire, yeah?" was Bahr's enthusiastic reply, pointing toward the armchairs. Alexander gave him a nod, and Bahr's eyes flickered toward the pair before motioning toward the spot with his head.

He settled back into the warm leather seat with a satisfied sigh, already feeling the tension being dispelled from his bunched up muscles. As the other two took their seats, he didn't so much as move an inch. He was exactly where he wanted to be. "So," he started, eyes shifting between the pair. "The hell were a couple of hooligans like yourselves doing taking on Avalanche?"

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia stared at the twinkling red crystals in the air before she eventually turned away. Well! That fight was certainly longer and more bothersome than she wanted it to be! Who cares, though? It's all done and over with.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before she sheathed her katana in its hold and walked towards Bahr and Oscar. "Nice. . . spot?" She echoed, furrowing her brows. Sounds. . .

fishy.

She rolled her eyes before shrugging her shoulders. "I guess so? I was just going to do nothing after this quest anyway. I guess I can tag along."

The girl whistled for her crow to come-- which he did-- before the three had set out back to Snowfrost.

☆-☆

Cordelia peered through the door, past Bahr's shoulder and into the unfamiliar tavern. "I've never been here before," she said almost inaudibly as she stepped into the warm atmosphere. Seeing that Bahr had already left for the counter, she scrambled after him.

She looked between Bahr and the-- also, unfamiliar-- NPC. The two looked like they were acquainted, if not friends. The interaction felt almost too human to her. Shudder.

Lessa?

She shook her head and smiled. Well, he does have a life!

Cordelia blinked at the leaving Bahr before she turned to Alexander with a small smile. "I'll just have a black coffee if you have that," she said almost too excitedly before nodding her head and following after Bahr to the armchairs. 

She sat down stiffly and sighed. Damn, she hated the cold with a burning passion. 

"I got bored," she said bluntly, shrugging her shoulders. "I haven't seen Oscar in a while too, so I asked him to come with me."

 

[Oscar 0]

"It's got somewhat of a romantic ambiance, if you know what I mean."

Christ Almighty. What had he gotten himself into?

Short of any quick excuse to get himself out of this situation - coupled with the fact that he wanted to get out of this abysmal cold - Oscar followed along. As they walked, he looked over at Cordelia. His eyes lingered on her devastated health bar. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. I probably should have dinged Bahr to begin with. This could have gone sideways so easily. It was strange, really. Oscar wasn't exactly the type to lend much voice to his regrets. But he was supposed to be the voice of reason. At least, as far as everyone else went. Putting his own neck on the line was one thing. But not everyone had the same death wish he did. He couldn't say c'est la vie in this situation. Not with when other people's lives had been at stake. Especially not Cordelia. The thought almost, almost, stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Damn I'm pathetic," he said under his breath. It was a good thing that the howling gales were so fierce out in the frozen tundra. It might have cut him to the bone but at least it drowned out the shot he took at himself.

Oscar didn't really pay much attention to where they were going. He just wasn't in the mood anymore. He felt the burden of keeping everyone alive more keenly than was healthy. He knew that. He also knew that if he kept putting Cordelia up on this pedestal, it was going to be the death of him. Oscar's mind was being pulled in so many directions, it was a wonder that he was able to keep his legs moving.

Don't take it so hard when people get hurt.

When they do, it's going to hurt you.

Don't get so attached.

Take care of everyone.

Don't worry about yourself.

Keep yourself safe.

The cacophonous voices resounding through his head enraptured every bit of his mental energy. If there was a ever a feeling of being mentally drawn-and-quartered, this was that. As Cordelia and Bahr placed their orders, Oscar was silent. He was on autopilot. When they sat down next to the fire, he followed suit. He couldn't even feel the warmth of the fire or the feel of the supple leather armchair supporting him. He rested his hands on the chair, a solemn expression on his face. He'd never been in this situation before. Even as a child, Oscar always had a plan. Failing that, instinct. He could trust himself to make the right call. But what was the right call now? Ever since he'd been trapped here, Oscar had not once made the correct decision when it involved people he cared about. 

And, like that, everything he thought he had put to bed came roaring back to the surface.

The thing about depression is that it really only takes the lightest of taps in the wrong direction to send you spiraling. And spiral he did. Oscar sat silently, pensively gazing into the fire without. It wasn't that he didn't hear his friends conversing around him. He just didn't care to engage. The emptiness was back and the inadequacy. He played his mistakes over and over again in his head, from Tyson to this near-debacle. Every near death he subjected himself to. Ostracizing Cordelia with an ill-advised and poorly timed confession of love that. Like a video on repeat, his mistakes played ever-so-vibrantly in his mind. If it took one hit to someone he cared about to undo everything he'd worked so hard to deal with...

Yeah but I didn't deal with it, did I?

A single thought stuck out in the chaos. Stern, simple. Thought-provoking in the sense that its very existence caused the voices to cease. The images to disappear. Slowly, the gears started to turn again. He heard the sounds of the Tavern, faintly at first. But the sounds began to swell like an orchestra until, like that, he was back. He blinked once. Twice. He took a deep breath. His chest ached. A jagged scar tearing straight down through his torso that was just... empty. But he was here. He was in the moment. He could live with that. At the same time, there was just a little flicker in that ravenous abyss. A candlelight against the expanse of darkness, ready to wink out at any moment. But it wouldn't. If Oscar couldn't be sure of anything else, there was that. After all, despite everything, he'd managed to save himself from tearing his own mind apart from the strain of literal years of repressed emotion that he had deluded himself into thinking he'd put to bed once and for all.

In a brief moment, his mind surged back in time. Before SAO and Aincrad and NerveGears were a thing. Back before he'd even cut his teeth on the real world. He thought back to a pier on a midsummer afternoon. A fishing trip just like any other. Fundamentally, an occasion that didn't warrant any special remembrance. The Major liked to spout off his one-liners - his advice on life - on occasions such as these. Oscar, on the other hand, focused on his line and reeling in the next catch. He never even registered the phrase when it was uttered. But it came back to him nonetheless, cutting through time and worlds alike. Just one more gift from the man who saved his life.

"You like to take on the world by yourself. And son, you can move mountains. But you're going to find out one day that your strength alone isn't enough. You need to learn to lean on people. It's a skill just like any other. Sometimes, you need to ask for help."

He knew he'd been silent for too long. His gaze hadn't flickered from the fireplace for... minutes? He might have been "back" but he wasn't sure how long he'd been "out." But something told him that enough time had passed to cause concern. His eyes shot over to Cordelia, then to Bahr. Ask for help, huh? It was obvious enough. He taught that. He preached that. But he never put it into practice in his own life. There's a first time for everything.

He parted his mouth to speak. His voice caught in his throat. There was just something that seemed so fundamentally wrong about it. Did he really need to bother them with this? Surely they had better things to do with their time. Grow some balls. Out with it. He sighed, defeated. His body slouched down in the chair. Then he spoke up, his voice shamefully quiet. "Guys. I'm not okay."

[Bahr 0]

"I got bored." It was a blunt response, and how it was so casually issued rubbed Bahr the wrong way. You were bored? The inquiry swam about in his gray matter as his eyes stayed steady on Cordelia.

"I haven't seen Oscar in a while too, so I asked him to come with me."

So Bahr had had it all wrong. Oscar wasn't out there trying to impress a girl - she had gotten bored and decided to embark on a suicide mission, dragging Oscar along with her. Bahr's crimson and verdant hues flickered beyond her, to the very man in question. He was sitting perfectly still, gaze affixed to the flames. Bahr's orbs snapped back to Cordelia, still neutral in expression as he digested the information. Gradually, they hardened.

"Bored, huh?" he articulated in an accusing tone, careful enunciation packed in behind each syllable. Don't get emotional about it. Just- "Bored."

Too late.

"So you, what? Decided to go on a suicide mission? Drag my friend along, like, 'No big deal. We can die together. It's only Avalanche.'" The edges of his lips had curved downward into a scowl, intensity lingering in his eyes as be barreled ahead. "Bored. What an absolute joke." Anything would have been better than "bored." "I thought we could handle it," or, "We didn't know what we were getting ourselves into," or, "It was an accident." Nope. Bored.

Bahr opened his menu and navigated to his messages, opening his conversation with his info broker, Conciliator. He had to scroll up quite a ways to find it, but that was okay. Hopefully that would drive home the point that Bahr had known about this boss for quite some time, but had been sitting on it rather than getting involved before he was ready. Finally, he settled on the message he had been looking for, and swiveled it around so that Cordelia could see. It was an information sheet for the boss.

"Even I hadn't fought this boss yet - for a reason. Did you even know what you were getting yourself into? What if it had frozen you? You'd both be dead. No manner of speed or strength would have saved you. You would have been the first to go, and Oscar would have died soon after. Just two more names crossed out on that infernal Monument, and another pair of profiles that would never populate location data in my friend list again."

Something tightened around his heart with that last bit. It wasn't just the fact that he had seen that on Zayne's profile for years - there were more now. It seemed like every few months, another name in his friend list would just suddenly stop showing location data and never display it again. Most recently, it had been Kirbs. He still held out hope that she was still alive somewhere, isolating herself in a zone that blocked location information. But with every passing day that Oscar, Conciliator, and himself failed to turn up any new leads, that glimmer of hope stretched thinner and thinner, while the dread continually accumulated mass. Dread was like that. Small at first, quiet enough that you could ignore it. But it always grew until it was the only thing you could hear. A deafening cacophony that drowned out everything else. It was already happening with Kirbs. What if it had been Oscar and Cordelia, too?

"What a childish thing to do, honestly," he chided through clenched teeth, dismissing the windows. "It's stupid enough to take risks like that alone. But when someone else's life is on the line? That's inexcusable. If you don't feel ashamed, you should. If you do, good."

Was he scolding her, or himself? The line was becoming blurred. He'd done the exact same thing with someone else before, bringing her right back to this very place afterward in an attempt to diffuse the tension. He had dodged properly taking accountability for his actions that day, but what about now? He felt the burden of his decisions weighing on his until his shoulders and neck started to ache.

"I've got a mind to-"

"Guys." The voice was so small and pitiful that Bahr barely heard it over his own seething. "I'm not okay."

What? The adrenaline that was surging through Bahr's veins made it difficult to decipher the meaning in Oscar's words. But when he did, his fingers slowly loosened their grip on the arms of his chair. A nervous glance shifted to Cordelia, and his eyebrows furrowed in an inquisitive way, as though they were asking the question for him. "What did he mean by that?"

Back to Oscar. He was slumped into his chair and looked extremely uncomfortable. Like a bucket of tarantulas had been tossed onto him and were slowly working their way all over his body, fuzzy appendages lightly grazing every square inch of his body with each deliberate movement. His skin looked pale and chalky, the color having drained out of it. Beads of sweat stuck to his forehead. Just what had happened in the past few minutes?

"What's the matter?" Bahr finally asked. He honestly had no clue. Was he going to be sick? Had the fight been too much for him? What?

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia eyes narrowed at his hostile tone for a second before she sighed and leaned her head against the chair. What crawled up his ass and died? 

“I don’t get why you’re acting all riled up,” she said dryly, lifting her head to give Bahr a pointed look. “We’re well and alive!” She exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. “The past is in the past,” Cordelia drawled, “no need to make such a large fuss about it. What matters is that we didn’t die, right?”

And she was right! She was the only one who actually got hit, so why was he acting like it was the end of the damn world?

Cordelia leaned forward with a huff and gave him a look before she looked over the information. Man, why was this guy so pissed, like, Jesus Christ.

She flicked the window away and leaned her elbows against her knees, propping her chin on her knuckles with slightly narrowed eyes. “Like I said, the past is in the past, we got the quest done for both me and Oscar and you,” Cordelia uttered.

”Personally I would rather die here than the [censored] hole I call Earth,” she muttered under her breath almost inaudibly due to the crackling of flames.

Another? 

Ah, she got it now. He lost someone close to him. No wonder why he acted like his dog just got run over. She wasn’t sure if what she was feeling was sympathy or pity, maybe a mix of the two?

“Okay, okay.” She raised her hands up and frowned. “I’m sorry, okay? God, just stop acting like Armageddon just arrived. I won’t do it with anyone next time,” she clasped her hands together and tilted her head. “Okay? Now can you please get off my ass about this?”

Her head was going to explode at this rate.

Cordelia almost didn’t hear the faint utter of Oscar over her already blaring thoughts. Why did it sound so unfamiliar? Cordelia exhaled, not even realizing that she had been keeping her breath in the whole time.

Oscar? She had almost forgotten he was here. . . no wonder why she was feeling so incredibly off. Oscar would’ve already butted in if anyone started to argue, really.

She turned her head to Oscar. “What do you mean-“ she paused, her body unmoving for a second before she sat up straighter. 

He looked like he was a million miles away. Everything from the blank look in his normally vibrant eyes to his slouched body posture just screamed. . . nothing.

She looked over Bahr, her eyes licking with him as she realized that his expression was just the same as hers; confused.

She glanced back at Bahr worriedly again. What did he mean he wasn’t okay? He should be okay! She didn’t let the boss event touch him! Oh-ho-ho she would kill that damn Avalanche ten times over again if it had did something to Oscar!

 

 

 

[Oscar 0]

The gates were open now. But Oscar just didn't know what to say. He could drone on and on about every single thing that was gnawing at him. While he was sure Cordelia and Bahr would listen, he wasn't sure it would do him any good. After all, everything circled back to his very first day in Aincrad. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to start there. Oscar sat up a little straighter. He didn't look so much like he was going to vomit anymore. That being said, he definitely didn't look well. It was funny how one's mental state correlated directly to their physical well-being. A sudden shift in mood could cause a dramatic physical change. But enough of that line of thought. It was time to let the cat out of the bag.

"Well Bahr knows some of this. Out in the real world, I was a psychologist. Specifically, I worked with at-risk kids to try and help set them on a good path in life. Well there was this kid I got assigned to. Terrible grades, horrible attitude. Pretty much what you'd expect from a kid that the system had actively worked against since the day he was born. I grew up in the system. I know what it's like out there for a kid with no options. I was just lucky enough to get out." Oscar paused to realign his thoughts in an effort to prevent him from going on a tangent. "Anyway, so this kid. I probably worked with him for two years. It was slow going. But it was social work, so of course it was. Anyway. By the time I was done, his grades had done a complete 180. He was getting involved in his school, his community. We was really squeezing out every last ounce of his potential. Not gonna lie, I was proud of him and myself."

Another pause. Oscar wasn't sure he wanted to continue. It was almost as if verbalizing what happened made it somehow more real. But he'd come this far and he was desperate for some relief from the guilt and the anguish.

"So it got to a point that he didn't need me around as much in a professional capacity, but like I said. I saw myself in this kid. So we kept in touch. I was something of a mentor to him. So come time for graduation, he gets accepted into all three of his top universities. I'm over the moon and he's excited about this new game coming out. So I pick it up for him and he mentions that he wants to play it with me. Sort like a role reversal thing. I never played video games that much but he loved it. So here I go, getting another NerveGear and a copy of SAO. Launch day comes and we get in. We're doing what everyone else was doing. Killing boars outside of town, just wandering around. Well he gets to low HP and pulls aggro on a boar. I had ample time to jump in the way of the boar and take the hit, but I didn't think anything of it. And, well, you've both probably heard this story before. He got killed right before the GM announcement."

His voice was beginning to crack. His eyes were burning and his tongue felt thick in his throat. He took a moment to collect himself before continuing.

"So I did the only logical thing. I buried it down deep. Kept telling myself 'I've moved on' or 'he's in a better place.' All those lies you tell yourself so you don't completely lose it. Never really handled it though. I'm supposed to be the responsible one. I'm supposed to be the voice of reason. We got lucky today. If Bahr hadn't shown up, then Cordelia probably would have died. And even when Bahr did show up, if the thing took a notion to freeze us, same thing. I had the same knowledge about the boss Bahr did. I should have pumped the brakes. I should have called in more help. But I didn't. I let this infernal death wish of mine cloud my judgement and put someone I care about in danger. I keep deluding myself into thinking I have everything under control. Clearly I don't."