[F03-PP] Call it Strife -- <<Search for the Hoya>>

[NIGHT 0]

NIGHT silently stewed, trekking along the dirt path. She wasn't paying attention anymore, just... wordlessly brooding as she walked. Her head was a mess, as it usually was after an argument, and her hands numbed from the force and anger she had clenched them with.

For starters, how did she get so cocky? She'd berated Yukiro with the confidence the likes she had never seen before. As much as it gave her friend something to think about, her own words haunted her at every step at her pace.

"Who are you, when there's no one left to fight, and there's no one left to save?"

NIGHT sighed, slicking back her hair. If she didn't believe in her own words, no amount of conviction could turn one to sway. There was more thinking to be done, for her and what she wanted out of life. That much she was sure.

In her contemplation, she hadn't noticed that they'd reached their destination. Nyanko tried to call out to her, but it was too late. Her gaze met the shiny blade of the lone minotaur left, a scatter of crystal ash trailing behind it. Her eyes widened, having forgotten to brace for the impact.

One swing left her staggered and her health bar depleting. NIGHT gritted her teeth, trying to bring her senses back to reality.

@Yukiro

Quote

ID: 129846 | BD: 5 (3, +2) | MD: 6
NIGHT missed!
Minotaur #2 attacked NIGHT!
30 - 8 = 22 DMG
> Thorns activated for 18 DMG.

Minotaur #2 | HP 27/45 (-18) | DMG: 30

NIGHT | HP: 218/240 (-22) | EN: 22/24 (-2) | DMG: 8 | MIT: 8 | ACC: 2

Edited November 21, 2019 by NIGHT

[Yukiro 0]

Spoiler

Yukiro: 280 HP | 28 EN | 10 DMG | 2 ACC | 18 MIT | 3 EVA | 1 REG 
Minotaurs: HP 45 | DMG 30
ID# 129854 | BD: 8
Yukiro: HP 280/280 | EN 21/28 (-3+1)
Minotaur 2: HP 0/45 (-30)

Right after Yukiro had slain the first minotaur he saw the second attack NIGHT. He suppressed his urge to cry out and tell her to get away, because he didn't want to hurt or confuse her further.Instead his arm simply ripped upwards, his sword whipping up with it and slicing through the ox man, dropping it's HP bar from just over half to zero. The beast man shattered. Yukiro let out a heavy sigh and turned back to face NIGHT. "Are you okay?" he asked as gently as he could manage, "That was a pretty nasty blow." 

"... Also... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you earlier. It was wrong." He looked at the ground. He mostly felt bad for being rude and having forced all the baggage of his personal problems on her, but he was also sorry for not listening to what she had to say. "I won't ask for your forgiveness, but know that I am sorry," he offered one more time. 

@NIGHT

Edited November 21, 2019 by Yukiro

[NIGHT 0]

"Are you okay?"

NIGHT placed a hand on the gash, the red and white light starting to fade. Her torso numbed incessantly as she continued to breathe. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"That was a pretty nasty blow."

"..."

She really didn't want to speak right now. The irritation with her friend and herself was too much to bear at the moment. Not to mention her disassociating that took her away from the present in the most dire of times. She wondered if there was a way to curb that, to force herself back to her reality.

"... Also... I'm sorry," Yukiro began, apologizing. "I shouldn't have yelled at you earlier. It was wrong." His head lowered, probably in guilt or shame, but NIGHT wasn't looking. Still too preoccupied with her thoughts, she simply hummed, eyes gazing into the distance. "I won't ask for your forgiveness, but know that I am sorry."

"... It's fine," she finally managed to voice out, a hand moving over to her kitten on instinct. The soft fur of her cat helped her regain her hold onto the moment, just slightly. "Really, promise. Just... lead the way."

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

"... It's fine," NIGHT told Yukiro unconvincingly. Her hand moved to the kitten Nyanko and started petting it. The tiny cat nuzzled up to NIGHT's hand and mewed. "Really, promise. Just... lead the way." 
She was so obviously not fine that it made Yukiro feel guilty. Did his way of life really seem that bad to her? He knew it wasn't normal, but... wow, she had been heavily affected by that. But saying something might make it worse... that wasn't what he wanted to do to her. And he had a history of taking things to far too quickly with her. 
He opened his mouth to say something, but didn't. Instead he just followed orders and turned away, leading her into the labyrinth. 
They wandered for nearly an hour, during which time Yukiro failed to clear his head. He was still drawing a blank on how to bring NIGHT's mood back up. It was then they found a particularly large and lavish room. 

@NIGHT

[NIGHT 0]

By the end of the hour, NIGHT had regained her hold on her conscience. Walking in silence helped, in a way that it let her stew for such an extended period, and she'd given up on entertaining her thoughts completely out of exhaustion. By far, it wasn't the best method to tackle it, but it was enough for her at the moment.

She looked to Yukiro, wondering how he was faring. Her fingers had been busy gently stroking Nyanko's back, the kitten murping to fill up the silence that sat between them. As much as she loathed to feel it, she felt regret creeping in about their argument earlier, but continued to stay tight-lipped. It was a trouble for another day for her.

As the hallway of the tomb they were pacing in opened up, NIGHT could see a significantly large pedestal in the gaps between Yukiro's frame. Could this be the place they were sent to find? She approached the centre of the room, her senses relishing in being exercised, keeping a watch for any traps around the area.

None she could spot. And Nyanko gave her an approving nod too. Heading over to the monument, she examined the crumbling skeleton over, and gently eased the pendant off of its ashes.

Her final movement was to hold it up to Yukiro so he could see their prize.

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

NIGHT pushed around Yukiro to get into the room. Yukiro followed her just in case of a trap. There was a large pedestal in the center of the massive, otherwise empty room. NIGHT approached the pedestal in the center of the room. Yukiro's senses went on alert to scan for traps. None stood out to him, at least.
NIGHT spent a while examining something. He wasn't sure what, but apparently it was very interesting. 
After a short while NIGHT held up a pendant of some sort. It was visually very appealing, but Yukiro didn't know it's effects. 
That said, he already knew what he wanted to do with it. 
"Keep it. I don't need the item, so it's yours," he offered. 

Shortly after finding the pendant the two players exited the maze and went their own way. But something still felt incomplete to Yukiro. Like it was left... unfinished in some way. 
He'd have to find out what it was later. For now he had more training to do. 

Spoiler

Thread rewards:

NIGHT:
- Hoya of Minos
- 3 SP
- 200 col

Yukiro:
- 3 SP
- 200 col