[F04-PP] <<Absolute Zero>> Hot Chocolate and chill (Lessa)

[Baldur 0]

Quest:

Spoiler

<< Absolute Zero >>

This Quest Takes Place on Floor 4.

This Quest is repeatable for Zero Degree Icicle only.

 

 

It is said that many years ago a Respawning Boss was found by the name <<Avalanche>>... however players that have fought it before was surprised to not see it one day, eventually the boss was found again… but its disappearance worried many… they began to wonder if the defeat into floor 20 began to sink into the game changing everything as they knew it… well, they we’re right. As they explored the area they found a lake that seemed innocent enough, however as a group of players grew closer and closer the evolved form of Avalanche has rose out of the water and stood proudly in the center of the lake ready to attack the party… unknowing what to do the party fled to be able to share the tale and share the information about the new boss… “Avalanche the Absolute Zero”.

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<< Avalanche the Absolute Zero >>

HP: 850 - MIT: 75 - DMG: 200 - Freeze: 2 (Will Freeze on Natural Rolls of 8-10) - ACC: 3 - EVA: -2

Damage Increase on a Natural Roll of 9: 50 - Damage Increase on a Natural Roll of 10: 100

Abilities:

You must roll for this boss on a separate roll.

<<Grand Slam>> : On a CD of 12, this boss will raise its arm and slam against everyone in your party, dealing damage to everyone and freezing them in place.

<<Zero Degree Weather>> : The boss radiates negative weather that forces the players to have -2 in their evasion, this cannot be avoided with Survival.

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Rewards:

4 SP - 2500 Col - Zero Degree Icicle

 

Zero Degree Icicle (T2 Rare Weapon of Choice) - Freeze / Accuracy - Permanent weapon

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Recommended Level: 30

Baldur:

Spoiler

» Baldur, The Gaijin Samurai

» Base Stats

• Base HP: 1330
• Base EN: 130
• Base MIT: 79
• Base ACC: 3 (4 and does not automatically miss on 1s with Warden's Fury)
• Base DMG: 19 (with fighting familiar)
• Muramasa Base DMG: 22 (No bonus from familiar)
• Base EVA: 3
• Battle Heal: 53 HP
• Search: +0

» Items Equipped:

• Warden's Fury - Absolute Accuracy/2 Paralyze
• OR Muramasa - +12 Damage
• Montsuki haori - 54 DMG MIT/+1 EVASION
• Emerald Teardrop - +2 ACC/+1 EVASION
• Hammerspace Backpack (HB) +1 BR item (allows stacks up to 7)

» Battle-Ready Inventory:

• Medium Damage Potion ^x7 | Rare T2 Item | +2 Damage
• Basic Teleportation Crystal ^x1 | Good Item | Teleports player to the Town of Beginnings
• Max Mass HP Recovery Crystal ^x7 | Perfect T2 Item | +30*Target Tier (30/60/90)
• Max T2 HP Recovery Crystal II ^x5 | Perfect T2 Item | +180 HP
• Safeguard Potion ^x3 | Perfect Tier 1 | Safeguard
• HB: Max Vitality Snack ^x2 | Rare Tier 2 | Grants +12 Energy
• EWL: Medium Antidote Potion ^x1 | Rare Tier 2 | Immune to negative status effects for 2 turns
• EWL: Muramasa or Warden's Fury
• EWL:
   

» Skills:

• Searching | Rank 0/5 | +0 Bonus to LD, +0 to Stealth Detect
• Battle Healing | 4 Rank | While in combat, recover 1% per rank (45HP) at the beginning of your turn
• Charge | 5 ranks | +1 base damage per rank (+5 damage) once per opponent per combat
• One Handed Curved Sword | Rank 1/5 | Novice
• Katana | Rank 5/5 | Grand Master
• Light Armor | 5 Rank | +25 Mitigation
• Concentration | No Ranks | Gain +1 BD for a single attack | 5 Turn Cooldown
• Familiar Mastery: Fighter |  3 Ranks | +9 base damage (Does not stack with equipment)
• Survival | Purchased |  Increases out of combat health regen to (15xTier) 45 per post
• Extended Weight Limit | Purchased | Increases Battle Ready Inventory by 3
• Parry | Purchased | 3 Turn Cooldown | 5 Energy | Reduces incoming damage by 50%
• Quick Change | Purchased | Swap Equipment as a free action | 3 Turn Cooldown

» Mods:

• Athletics: +1 DMG +30 HP
• Katana Precision: +1 to Accuracy
• Katana Ferocity: +1 damage on katana sword arts
• Sprint & Acrobatics: +1 Evasion
• Finesse: Rank 3 | -3 Energy cost to sword arts

Baldur, the gaijin samurai, azure kensei, stood amidst the snow and lights of the fourth floor. The once sky blue haori was now developing a snow capped appearance, and the white flames that rose up from the hem now seemed more ice than fire. In spite of wearing armor, he appeared formally dressed. It was nothing different than he usually wore, but with his feet burried in the snow he seemed more an immovable statue of a some long dead hero than a man about to take a quest with his oldest and closest friend in this world. Though the two years that had passed since they had been trapped in the game was a low bar to clear, Baldur knew Lessa better than many people he had known in his previous life. The world outside. The real world. He may not bleed if pricked here, but if he died, he died. If his loved ones died, they died. It put them in a weird sort of, pseudo-world. Theirs were the only lives that wouldn't respawn. No one could reset something and bring them back. The entire experiment would have been interesting to study in some ethics and philosophy class, if it weren't for the fact that these were his friends and... people group. It would be a tragedy that defined a generation.

With his arms crossed, and his hands buried in his armpits against a cold he felt more mentally than physically, Baldur waited for the blond to return. She had had the foresight to message him and asked if he wanted a hot coco before they headed out to the tundra of the fourth floor.

I should have thought of that. Baldur considered, more angry at himself for thinking that she would be ready to join him at the drop of a hat at the gates of the town.

It's been a long time since we were last here.

This place had always been special to them. They had bonded here. Grown together as people here. Cried together here.

Yet it had been a long time since Baldur had spent what felt like a summer in Lessa's small cabin. Teaching children, and just... being. Baldur missed just being beside her. He had never been able to make a move forward though. The memory of Tyger still held him back. She wasn't the only reason he needed to push forward to clear the game, and while Baldur finally realized his heart had moved on, waking up in the real world and going from living with her to being in... infatuated with another women may be too strange to bear. Relationships in this game may only exist in this game. The world outside would be different, and the confines of reality would fall on them all.

And so Baldur stood grounded, snow covered, and immobile while the world whipped flurries of snow all around him. Immortal compared to the short lived lives of snowflakes. He had experienced so much here, and if they didn't finish clearing the tower they would be lost, like snowflakes in the tundra.

Edited January 28, 2020 by Baldur

[Lessa 1]

Spoiler

Level: 44 | HP: 910 | Energy: 88 | Base DMG: 16 | Base MIT: 89 | Acc: 4 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 | Bleed: 1
2HSS [5] | Heavy Armor [5] | Protector Familiar [3] | Survival | Howl | Precision | Ferocity | Athletics
Scarecrow Sickle [+3 DMG/+1 BLD] | Rose Gauntlets [+2 Thorns/+1 HM] | Rosebud Charm [+3 ACC]

Housing
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down).
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests.
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.

Seeing him had a strange effect on her. To say it was like seeing a ghost wasn't quite accurate, considering her initial encounter with Alkor had been incredibly different. He had been as close to a ghost as Lessa could come. Instead, it was a sickly-sweet nostalgia that both warmed her and weighed her down. He didn't remind her of happier times. On the contrary, she had been at her lowest during those months. But Baldur hadn't been the cause. No, he'd sat at the bottom of that rut with her, providing a light in otherwise impenetrable darkness. If it hadn't been for him, she might not have found the strength to claw her way out.

"Ironic, huh?" she heard herself mutter, the words climbing upward as hot steam in the frigid air. Riker merely glanced at her, wide eyes like whiskey and full of patience. Apparently, he had grown accustomed to his companion spouting nonsense. As such, he only continued to stare as she concluded, "The mentor becomes the mentee." It seemed a lifetime ago that she had led Baldur and Tyger through their first quest. After, of course, nearly killing them. 

Again, they were dark times.

The swordswoman adjusted her black cloak over her shoulders, gave a slight nod of her head. "Alright, let's go." Her wolf familiar obliged, dutifully plodding along beside her. With each crunch of snow underfoot, carrying her closer, she noticed something else about him. The wild mane of brown hair, casually pulled back from a face of hard lines and sharp angles. The ornate armor stolen directly from a textbook on Japanese history. The way he watched her, gaze so intense it was as if he saw through her.

Everything changed, and yet, nothing did at all. Despite the many ways in which they'd transformed, Lessa was able to find the familiar in him as she approached one of her oldest friends.

"Hi there."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur had once assembled a team of player, newer players, and then taken that group to assault the highest floor available, 8 at the time. It had been himself, Ariel, Oikawa, Rayleff, and Corzeph, plus Tyger. They had been pushed to limits, and took on the strongest content that could be found. He had personally ensured every person had a teleport crystal at the ready. Baldur had been there at the devastating Rohk fight, when they had lost several players, including a pillar of the community Azide, a man he greatly respected, but never got to know as well as he wanted. Baldur had been there to pick up the pieces when Zel and Dom had been murdered, and push the frontline forward. Baldur had been there when Teayre, the murderous, turned the corner and begged for help, for guidance, for a hope of redemption. Baldur had taken Calrex under his wing to help the man learn how to communicate with Teayre again, through teaching him the blade and how to communicate his feelings and beliefs to her through that shared language. Baldur had been there for Hikoru to cry on his shoulder, just as Lessa had let the Gaijin Samurai cry on hers. Baldur had been there to face down the pure chaos of a PvP fight, as players sided with the floor boss over their own friends, and then sought a way to bring redemption to Hirru. Baldur had been there when a Halloween event boss almost killed the entire front line, including Hestia and Jonathan. He had seen them break, people weeping at the lose of their friends and loved ones. Baldur had gone from giving Hestia his name, to no longer being able to trust her. Baldur had come and gone from the frontlines since the very beginning, but he had always faced down whatever trials came before him calm, collected, and with a steel will to match the steel blue in his eyes.

But he had no idea if he had the strength to move forward when he finally saw her walking towards him.

The sight of Lessa brought warmth to his heart he didn't realize he was missing. Just the sight of her made all that feeling of cold disappear. But a weight settled in his stomach. It wasn't quite anxiety, or at least Baldur didn't identify it as such. It was a burden. Not Lessa, but of his own creation. He could never return her feelings, he realized. He wanted to. He wanted to rush and embrace her, spin her through the air laughing and smiling and without a care in the world. Perhaps in a different world. That was Jason's world, not Baldur's. Lessa wanted out, and Baldur wanted to stay. Lessa hated this world, but Baldur had never felt so at home anywhere else.

And I will do everything within my power to send her and everyone else home.

Once, like a dream, she looked at him and everything felt new. He could still remember the summer light coming in through the windows. It had been a vacation for his heart a soul.

But the way forward was broken, and it needed to be fixed.

Love is just fickle when it calls.

The samurai felt torn. His two halfs at war with each other. Lessa had been one of the few constant companions since he had begun this journey. He would always have a place for her in heart, it just wasn't the one he wanted her to have.

You're over complicating things! She's your dearest friend. Treat her as such.

Baldur took a deep breath, and like a crack in a glacier, the accumulated snow crashed down all around him, raining from his hair onto his face and then down the front of his kimono. It brought the cold she had dispelled rushing back, and cause his gasp to become even bigger, and with a wave of motion he had been freed from the snowy weight upon his shoulders.

"Hey..." Baldur said with a sheepish smile as he accepted the hot chocolate after a momentary awkward pause. He took the warm up up to his face and blew on the steam.

"I - it's good to see you. I've missed you." He flashed her a warm smile, his cheeks rosy from the cold and the wind.

"How are you doing these days? It feels like a good sign that you left the cabin and decided to join me on a quest. I have to admit, I was a little surprised when you suggested one. I.. had thought you had given up fighting but..." Baldur paused, struggling with the wording of what he wanted to say. I want to protect you? She can protect herself. She's smart. She's strong. Sure maybe she needs some help, but so have you. Then what?

"There's no one I would want more watching my back, and fighting side by side with me."

He gave her a smile and then took a sip of the hot chocolate.

"Oh! Hot hot hot!" He gave her a sheepish smile and then blew on it again.

 

[Lessa 1]

There was something in his smile that gave her pause. Embarrassment, maybe? Whatever it was, it took some of the sheen off the happy expression, and had Lessa wondering what was on his mind. Maybe she would ask him, eventually. But for the time being, they would need to break the ice that had formed during their absence. 

"Yeah, I've missed you too," she answered, and meant it. After he'd accepted the offered to-go cup, Lessa pressed her newly-freed hand to her own hot chocolate. The warmth pulsed through her gloved palms, and she relished in the sensation;there were few feelings that topped holding something hot on a cold day. And that day certainly fit the bill, an icy wind whipping between them, and sending the hem of her heavy cloak swinging. While the arctic temps could not actually affect her health bar, it sent a shiver through her nonetheless.

When he asked how she'd been, Lessa's mind filled with the events of the previous months. They had been, well, different from her usual grind. Baldur, it seemed, had picked up on that fact as well. "I definitely had given it up," she confirmed. "It just seemed... I don't know, pointless? For every mob I killed, there were two more waiting to spawn." Her shoulders rose, then fell. "Don't get me wrong, I wanted to beat the game, even back then. But I didn't think the Frontlines were my place."

The ghost of a frown swirled around her lips with the same lightness as snowflakes on the breeze. "Truth be told, I didn't think I had a place." Her eyes dropped to her cup, which she studied as she added, "Teaching was really nice, but I didn't feel like I was living up to my potential. I think I secretly wanted more, but didn't know how to go about doing it."

Lessa blinked a few times, snow clinging to her thick eyelashes like crystals, then looked back to Baldur. "Then some random player asked me to fight the Lich King with him. God knows why I said yes, but I did, and it almost killed me." Despite the topic of discussion, the frown was chased away as she spoke of it. "But it got me back in the questing scene. Did a few more here and there, picked up some new gear, met some new people." Her right hand moved from the cup to gesture, a sort of spiraling motion that cut the cold air. "And it all just snowballed from there."

As his next statement sunk in, a pleased blush warmed her cheeks. "I appreciate that," she told him. "I know I definitely want you in my party, which is mainly why I called you out here. Though I never would have suggested the hot chocolate if I'd known you'd hurt yourself on it."

Grinning now, she turned to nudge his arm with hers. "Anyway, enough about me. What have you been up to?"

[Baldur 0]

Baldur felt his hackles rise up when Lessa mentioned that she had almost died to the Lich King. Baldur didn't think he had done that quest before, but from what he remembered it had some unique mechanics to it. The idea of her being close to death though, and only now learning about it, sent a torrent of emotions through the samurai that he wasn't sure how to control let alone understand. He was furious, at whomever had almost let her die, and at him for being so distant from her that she could have died, and he wouldn't have found out until he went to look at the wall one day. The righteous fury of a white knight, and the guilt of feeling like a bad friend. The two warred within him to the point where he almost missed something.

There was an almost imperceptible smile on her face, and a slight distance to her eyes. Had he not known her as well as he did, he would have missed the signs. She didn't look back on the quest with anger, or embarrassment, or fear. It was a good memory to her.

The new instinct warred with the other two in the back of Baldur's mind, to the point where he almost didn't hear the rest of what she said.

If she isn't angry, you don't get to be angry on her behalf. The mighty Baldur mad, while the woman who had almost died was not. That makes sense...

As he shamed himself mentally for his feelings, he gestured with his hot chocolate to prompt them to begin their long, cold walk out to where the quest mob would be.

"Me...? Well... unfortunately not much. About halloween I emerged from my own hole. I fought the event boss, and then have been exploring the labyrinth for the 25th floor boss. We seem to have stuck in place. With so many people abandoning the front, and with the fatigue that seems to have set in from the 24th floor... I felt like if I didn't kick someone in the pants to push forward, we'd sit there for too long."

He had found Macradon and Zandra in the Labyrinth, but they seemed to have fought to a standstill, and had needed Ariel and himself to give them a break from the fighting. Then the four of them pushed forward with renewed vigor.

"We found the labyrinth guardian, so once we defeat it, we should be able to start moving forward again. I'm supposed to meet up with the others soon to fight it."

He took off the lid of his hot chocolate and let a few snowflakes fall into it, as they continued to fall and get caught in his dark brown hair.

"This is a welcome reprieve, so thank you." He gave her a sidelong smile as if to say, 'I know how ridiculous it is to say fighting a giant ice monster is a reprieve, but I mean it.'

Suddenly the samurai whirled, walking backwards now without a care in the world.

"I'm working on a house! It's going to be on the 24th floor. I'm trying to find just the right one, but I think I've found it. Hopefully once the fight is over, I'll be able to set it up and have a housewarming party. I hope you'll love it! It's got a ton of guest rooms, and lots of beautiful ponds, and a great view of the ocean and islands of the floor. Plus, I'm going to open up a dojo. I'm going to call it "Musha Shugyo Dojo" it translates roughly to - A warrior's quest for self improvement dojo. It's a bit high minded zen that makes me sound like some sort of prudish self aggrandising intellectual, but I believe in it's meaning. It's about using the martial arts to improve yourself, and find meaning in what we do. I'm going to call the style that I teach, Katsujinken. The life giving sword. It's a metaphor again for self improvement, but the purpose of our swords are to give life. To save lives. That of those who cannot fight, those of the entire tower, and ourselves."

It wasn't often Baldur would word vomit, but Lessa was the rare person Baldur could open up to like this and his enthusiasm was palpable.

"I've already got several students. Calrex was the guinea pig, so he's already graduated - " he laughed at the absurdity of his statement "but Morgenstern has sought me out, I've helped Teayre, and potentially another student, Cordelia. Being a katana user isn't required, it's just something I have a better command of. But the bushido, or the kendo, I have taught seems to have actually helped people. I want to pursue that."

[Lessa 1]

"Oh!" Lessa's eye brightened at the mention of the labyrinth boss. "I heard through the grapevine that it'd been found. Suppose I should have known you'd helped with all that." But even as genuine approval bloomed across her wind-flushed cheeks, concern lurked just beneath the surface. Boss battles of any kind were dangerous, and they grew even more-so the higher the players climbed. Baldur can handle it, Lessa reminded herself, but there was still a slight tension in her tone when she added, "I'll be following your progress. When you get back, you can tell me all about it, okay?" Though her laugh was strained, she let it tumble past her numb lips anyway. "Might as well live vicariously through you crazy Frontliners for a while."

Be careful. The words probably didn't need saying, and for all she knew, they'd end up cursing him somehow. Was it like saying 'good luck,' to an actor, or the name of a certain Scottish general? Well, it wasn't worth talking about Mackers, and it wasn't worth potentially jinxing Baldur. So instead, Lessa simply slanted him a sideways smile. "Yeah, get back here and give me all the details. I'd better hear them from you before I see them on some rumor page."

As the brown-haired swordsman launched into a lively discussion about his new house, Lessa felt herself relaxing. Less talk of potentially dying, and more talk of something that made him happy. Fine by me. His eyes shimmered, and his face was flushed by more than the cold by the time he'd concluded. The woman found the sight oddly comforting in a way she hadn't expected. "Your house sounds lovely, Baldur," she told him, "as does what you're doing with your students. I actually know Cordelia, and I'm sure she's going to benefit greatly from having you as a teacher."

"I'd love to see your house," she continued after a long drink of her hot chocolate. "You could come see Manderley sometime, too. It's a log cabin up on 22. My own little piece of heaven." This time, when Lessa smiled, there were no reservations. "Now officially one of my favorite places in Aincrad."

The wind whipped around them as they walked, the snow crunching satisfyingly underfoot with each step. After a few moments, Lessa's stride matched Baldur's, and they strode in unison toward their final destination. "So will that be your main focus?" the blonde asked suddenly, turning to her companion. "Working in your dojo? Or do you plan to stay with the Frontlines as well?"

[Baldur 0]

The snow began to pick up the further into the mountains that they walked, but it seemed a bit of the ice surrounding them had begun to thaw. At first, Baldur had been embarrassed at his outburst of words, being unable to stop as he described his hopes and aspirations for his home and his dojo. It had been something lingering in the back of his mind for a long time, but finally giving voice to it with Lessa had somehow begun to build it up and make it something true. Something... tangible. 

"It would be my honor to regale you with the tales of our amazing triumph over adversity, dashing the 25th floor boss to the ground and securing a major milestone for our cause... but it never seems to work out like that. For some reason, people can just never agree on what the best course forward is, nor set aside their pride to compromise... And I'm afraid that includes me too."

Baldur took a sip of his hot chocolate as they continued their way.

"Shield and Beat retiring because of the conflict with Hestia hurt me in a way I never quite understood. It robbed me of my optimism, and my hope. With Shield, I felt like I had found a kindred spirit. And even though I didn't always agree with him, I felt like he and I could discuss, and debate, and come to a logical compromise we could agree on. We were in the middle bringing the frontline together in a way I have never seen it brought together before, but before we could even announce the plan, distrust and suspicion and greed took hold of everyone and the dream was butchered before it could be more than  whisper."

Baldur walked along in retrospective silence for a moment, and with a final sip of his hot chocolate, the cup shattered into silver blue polygons with a sound lost in the snow.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to vent like that... I've just... I guess I've missed long walks with my closest confident."

Lessa asked him a question he wasn't prepared to answer. He hadn't ever expected he even needed to choose between the two.

"Anyways, enough about me. Something seems different about you. What has been going on in your life lately that gives you that little smile I see."

[Lessa 1]

There was something poetic about the way Baldur spoke. There always had been, for as long as she could remember. Though his words didn't rhyme, and he carried a Katana instead of a lute, he had always reminded her a bit of a bard. Not the goofy, helpless, comedic relief type. Rather, he spoke in a way that painted pictures, and told stories in a way that brought them to life. He could have simply told her the Frontliners fought, but instead he metaphorically took her hand and led her through the whole situation. He provided commentary on his thoughts, and his emotions, as well. Baldur was no open book, but he let down his walls where she was concerned. I suppose I do the same thing.

"You know you never have to apologize for that sort of thing," she reminded him gently. "We've always opened up to each other like this." Shifting her to-go cup to one gloved hand, the other cut through the air in an all-encompassing gesture. "Judgement free zone, remember?" Her head tilted, blonde hair cascading over her shoulder as she studied the taller man. Though he already had a decade on her, something in his face made him appear even older. Was he tired, or just worn out? Or was there something more to it? Her stomach rolled, a flash of embarrassment as she realized she had severely neglected her friend duties. How was he supposed to know she was still there for him, after so many months had passed in silence? "I'm really glad to be talking with you, too." I mean it.

Distantly, she recognized the way he completely ignored her question. Sore spot? she wondered, but left it alone. 

His final question coaxed another smile from her, the same one he spoke of when he asked. "I've been feeling different," she admitted. "I've had something of a fresh start. I met some new people, and focusing on getting stronger again has sort of rejuvenated me." The small, embarrassed smile grew into a million-watt grin. "And I saw horses, Baldur. Can you believe it? I finally went riding!"

[Baldur 0]

"Horses?" Baldur chimed the words, though his excitement was forced. Not that he wasn't excited for her, just that he wasn't excited by horses. He was just excited that she had found something she loved. He knew she had an attachment to them outside of the game, but he also couldn't remember ever really seeing horses in SAO. Not that he remember their lack of presence either.

"No wonder you had a little extra hop in your trot." he gave her a warm smile that said from the bottom of his heart, it was good to see her happy and smiling. 

The warmth was short lived as they entered into valley of Avalanche, cold wind blew and swept up the ends of Baldur's haori, causing the white flames to dance and the coat to make a windswept cracking sound. The gaijin samurai held up an arm to cover his face, as if it would help hold back the sharp wind that cause his cheeks and nose to redden even more than they had been. He suddenly wished he still had his cup of hot chocolate to warm him up.

"There, that should be the lake."

Baldur pointed down the slope, though it was hard to see as the wind blew snow flurries up towards them. The path was narrow, and would along the edge of the valley as it descended down to the large frozen lake, where at the middle was what appeared to be a rock outcropping, or an iceberg, but would eventually reveal itself to be the monster.

"Do you have any preparation you want to take? I don't think we'll particularly need any, but you never know. The freeze effect can be pretty annoying, but neither of us should be in any danger. Unfortunately, I don't have a way to tank, but if you follow me in, it shouldn't be much of an issue. Not that you need me to tank it for you..." Baldur gave her a sheepish smile.

"I'm just used to taking the lead now. Sorry."

[Lessa 1]

"Hah!" she exclaimed, pointing at her companion with her free hand. "Trot. Horses." Lessa downed the last sip of her hot chocolate, then watched the item break down in her hand. The sensation had been so unusual when she'd first joined, but she had grown so used to it over the years. What would happen when she was thrust back into the real world, and had to actually dispose of her garbage? The horror.

"Goofy as hell," she added, words on the heels of soft laughter, "but I still liked it. Thank you."

Speaking of liking things, Baldur wasn't a fan of horses. At least, she assumed as much from his lack of enthusiasm. Any equestrian would have been jumping out of their metaphorical boots at the chance to go riding. The fact he did no such thing was telling, and likely explained why he'd never joined her in the hunt for her four-legged friends. That was okay - they couldn't both enjoy the same things. That would completely remove the diversity from their friendship, and likely most of the excitement. Besides, he liked math, so...

Lessa followed Baldur's finger, tracking down the slanted path toward the frozen lake. Wind whipped a flurry of flakes across the snow-muddled surface, giving the impression of a icy, barren wasteland. It was as beautiful as it was deadly, especially if the beast they sought lurked there. Well, at least they were both more than capable of handling themselves. Once, she and Alkor had faced down a foe that they had no business dealing with. Realistically, Orochi should have smacked the stupid out of both of them that night - they were fortunate to be alive. Though that fight had taken place on this exact floor, this fight would end much differently. She was stronger now, and so was Baldur.

Her hand waved absently, slicing the cold air, as she answered, "No worries. You're actually the stronger of the two of us now, so I'll just follow your lead." With a mischievous smile, she observed, "The student has become the teacher."

[Baldur 0]

Lessa laughed at his pun, and to Baldur the floor suddenly seemed sunny and warm.

"When I left, I was but a learner. Now, I am the master" Baldur said in his best Darth Vader impression, which was absolutely nothing like Darth Vader. Instead, he picked up a pine cone from the ground and threw it down into the ravine. They were not terribly high up, but the path wound all the way around the lake before reaching the ground level to fight the boss.

"Sorry, I'm feeling a little showy." The pine cone didn't make a huge sounds, but it did strike the pile of rocks in the middle of the lake and activate <<Avalanche the Absolute Zeor>> animation to emerge. The giant ice monster seemed to burst forth from the lake, arms flailing wide as a monstrous roar began to reverberate off of the slopes of the mountains around it. Baldur flashed Lessa a smile and gave her a wink before got a running start and leapt from the embankment high above the lake. As he fell towards the monster, his hand remained on his katana at his side, and suddenly he managed to configure himself in the pre-motion to activate his sword art and charge it while mid-aid.

The result was that instead of hitting the ground like a pine cone, the system took over Baldur's body and he shot impossibly towards the monster, a streak of blue haori, and sunset colored armor shot forth like an arrow, and as he got close, white and gold light blossomed in the shape of an arc as Baldur's sword was drawn and cut through the form of the icy behemoth. The sword art carried his form almost dancing around Avalanche, as each new attack seemed to freeze a rainbow of white light through him until the final hit rained down on him with a clap of thunder that should have shattered him. Instead, when Baldur stopped moving, slipping slightly on the ice with his momentum, <<Avalanche the Absolute had lost almost half his HP and was paralyzed.

"You're up!"

@Lessa

---

ID#140296 BD: 9 (Crit)
19 (base) +1 (crit) +5 (charge) = 25x15= 375 Raw - 75 MIT = 300 DMG Dealt

[2]<<Baldur>> HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 118/130 | MIT: 79 | DMG: 19 | Absolute ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 1 | BH: 53 | Conc (0/3) | Parry (2/2) | QChange (3/3)
[0]<<Lessa>> HP: 910/910 | EN: 88/88
<< Avalanche the Absolute Zero >> HP: 550/850 | MIT: 75 | DMG: 200 | Freeze: 2 (8-10) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -2 | Crit +50/100 | CD12 = AoE+Freeze | -2 Evasion Aura PARALYZED

Edited April 24, 2020 by Baldur

[Lessa 1]

"Darth Vader," she commented, grinning. "Nice." It had been a while since she'd fallen down the Star Wars rabbit hole. She would have to watch the movies again when... well, when she could. Her list of things to do after busting out of Aincrad was getting very, very long.

At Baldur's apology, the woman waved her hand through the frigid air. "Nah, don't apologize. If we can't be showy now and then, what's the point all of this?" Lessa eased Scarecrow's Sickle from it's spot on her back; it hummed with power against her palm. Her previous weapon, Hell Rose, had always given off a pleasant warmth. This sword, on the other hand, presented something entirely different. If forced to put a word to it, Lessa would have to go with 'anger.' The sword was angry, and if she focused too much, she grew angry as well. Was this the violent history that Bahr had warned her about? Or was she imagining it all? Can swords in this game have their own personalities?

"You're up!"

Crap.

Lost in thought, Lessa had completely missed Baldur's approach and initial attack. They were both fortunate that the enemy was so low-level, or else her carelessness might have put them in danger. I'm being reckless, she silently scolded herself, moving into a jog to close the distance between herself and Baldur. Just because he's a much more capable fighter doesn't mean you can ride his coat-tails.

"I've got your back," she assured him, reaching out to pat his shoulder as she slipped by. By the time she launched toward the icy behemoth, Scarecrow's Sickle was already pulsing with blood-red light. Time to carve an ice statue, came her singular thought as she shifted her weight and dragged her blade from her right hip to her left shoulder. The blade dragged a shimmering crimson gash across the monster's side, and it's enraged cry muted her own shout of excitement.

---

Lessa uses Galaxy Destroyer.
ID#143853 BD: 9
16 (base) + 1 (crit) = 17x13 = 221 Raw - 75 MIT = 146 DMG Dealt

[2]<<Baldur>> HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 118/130 | MIT: 79 | DMG: 19 | Absolute ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 1 | BH: 53 | Conc (0/3) | Parry (2/2) | QChange (3/3)
[2]<<Lessa>> HP: 910/910 | EN: 76/88 | MIT: 89 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | THNS: 2 | HM: 1 | BLD: 1
<< Avalanche the Absolute Zero >> HP: 404/850 | MIT: 75 | DMG: 200 | Freeze: 2 (8-10) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -2 | Crit +50/100 | CD12 = AoE+Freeze | -2 Evasion Aura PARALYZED

[Baldur 0]

"Wooo-aooo-woooh" Baldur mimicked the lightsaber noises as he waved his word around, preparing for an attack from Avalanche that wouldn't come since had paralyzed it. He laughed at himself as he waited for <<San Ge>> to come back up off of cooldown. Just as <<Avalanche>> was about to be able to do so, it came off and Baldur shot forward. Against this creature, and with this sword, it was impossible for him not to hit. This monstrosity was just too slow.

"Who wants some snow cones?!"

White light arced against the frigid, blue white of the ice as the gaijin samurai activated his sword art. Each time the white light impacted the icy armored body of Avalanche, chips of stone and ice shattered and spun off around them, flecks of cold hitting him like mini bits of cold shrapnel, sans the damage.

"I guess with this thing, we're on Hoth, aren't we? I don't care if we're getting hurt, I'm not climbing inside of a dead tauntaun." Baldur gave a smirk at Lessa as he jumped backwards, trying to get some more defensible footing.

"I mean, in this situation, I'm obviously Luke, and you're Obviously Leia, not Han. But hey, no judgement. You can be Wedge if you'd prefer."

I'm really testing her on these Star Wars jokes, just cause she caught the Vader reference. Why did he have to suggest Wedge? Not just because he was a better character than Han, but no one except star wars dweebs like him even know who Wedge was, in spite of the critical role he played in the Rebellion. Damn, Disney was supposed to release that Wedge spin off movie this year. We even pre-bought our tickets... and now I'm stuck in here.

Maybe there was a good reason to go home.

---

ID#144917 BD: 5+4+2 (hit)
San Ge: 19x15=285 RAW - 75 MIT = 210 DMG Dealt

[3]<<Baldur>> HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 118/130 | MIT: 79 | DMG: 19 | Absolute ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 1 | BH: 53 | Conc (0/3) | Parry (2/2) | QChange (3/3)
[2]<<Lessa>> HP: 910/910 | EN: 76/88 | MIT: 89 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | THNS: 2 | HM: 1 | BLD: 1
<< Avalanche the Absolute Zero >> HP: 194/850 | MIT: 75 | DMG: 200 | Freeze: 2 (8-10) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -2 | Crit +50/100 | CD12 = AoE+Freeze | -2 Evasion Aura 

Edited April 27, 2020 by Baldur

[Lessa 1]

Her laughter echoed across the frozen lake, a sound too bright for such a cold, barren place. Lessa couldn't remember the last time she'd been so relaxed in the heart of combat. The child with his lightsaber beside her likely played a big part in that newfound calm, and she couldn't stifle her grin as she watched him explode toward the living glacier. He's come so far, she marveled, watching the samurai rake his katana across Avalanche. The sound the attack made reminded her of an ice scraper on the windshield of her old Jeep. 

When he dropped back beside her, and hit her with more Star Wars trivia, there was a moment's hesitation. Wedge sounded so familiar, and distant bells rang somewhere in the depths of her memory, but she simply could not recall the information. So instead, she allowed something mysterious to fire in her blue eyes. "Why can't I be Han?" she inquired, shifting Scarecrow's Sickle from one hand to the other. "I'm pretty handy with a gun. Er- blaster." Like Baldur had before her, Lessa sprung into action. "Besides," she called over her shoulder, "Han's a babe." She definitely wouldn't mind being the devilishly charming scoundrel.

After stringing together another series of powerful attacks, she landed beside the brown-haired boy. "Finish him!" she declared in her best Mortal Kombat voice. 

---

Lessa uses Galaxy Destroyer
ID#145498 BD: 4+4=8
16 (base) x 13 = 208 Raw - 75 MIT = 133 DMG Dealt

[3]<<Baldur>> HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 106/130 | MIT: 79 | DMG: 19 | Absolute ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 1 | BH: 53 | Conc (0/3) | Parry (2/2) | QChange (3/3)
[3]<<Lessa>> HP: 910/910 | EN: 64/88 | MIT: 89 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | THNS: 2 | HM: 1 | BLD: 1
<< Avalanche the Absolute Zero >> HP: 61/850 | MIT: 75 | DMG: 200 | Freeze: 2 (8-10) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -2 | Crit +50/100 | CD12 = AoE+Freeze | -2 Evasion Aura 

[Baldur 0]

"Because..." Baldur said as Lessa darted in with her own sword art, covering for Baldur while he waited for his own to come off of cooldown and he could engage as well. Lessa's new weapon tore into the glacial slow enemy. He was almost too easy to hit, but he was a large, lumbering, lazy, lump of ice. Once Lessa stopped moving she called out for him to finish the creature in a voice that made him think of the old fighting game Mortal Combat.

"... if you're a scruffy looking nerf herder, that would make me Chewy.'

Baldur slid forward on the ice and under the grasping arm of the monster, standing up on the far side and bringing his sword down taking the arm off at the elbow before he spun behind the ice monster stepping sideways as it reeled back and they somehow passed each other through a feat of fancy footwork, putting Baldur on the far side where he could likewise take the other arm off at the shoulder. White, arcing lines of his sword art streaking through the air cleanly, and with such speed that the snow whirled in its wake, but Baldur never stopped moving. He continued flowing, but somehow his steps were always sure, even on the ice of the lake. His sword continued, striking out at the back of Avalanche's right knee, bringing the creature topping down to one leg. Baldur almost felt a moment of pity for the once proud field boss to be laid low with such little effort, but Baldur had only to remember that this was a death game to push aside any hesitation as he brought down his final blow, separating the 'head' of Avalanche the Absolute Zero from the rest of his form, and causing him to explode into cold, blue polygons that were lost, like snowflakes in a blizzard.

A moment later and Baldur whirled his blade around in his now familiar ritual of sheathing his sword, mentally and physically.

"Do I get points for style? I know the Russian judge is always a hard ass, but hopefully I get some bonus points from the American judge."

Baldur flashed her a playful smile as he looked around the frozen lake valley. Now that the boss had been slayed, and his respawn timer reset, the normal background music of the floor filtered in around them. Much softer, somber melodies.

"I think I did a little better that time than against the Nepents." 

---

ID#148006
BD: 4+4=hit
San Ge: 19x15=285 RAW - 75 MIT = 210 DMG Dealt

 

[4]<<Baldur>> HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 93/130 | MIT: 79 | DMG: 19 | Absolute ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 1 | BH: 53 | Conc (0/3) | Parry (2/2) | QChange (3/3)
[3]<<Lessa>> HP: 910/910 | EN: 64/88 | MIT: 89 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | THNS: 2 | HM: 1 | BLD: 1
<< Avalanche the Absolute Zero >> HP: 61/850 | MIT: 75 | DMG: 200 | Freeze: 2 (8-10) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -2 | Crit +50/100 | CD12 = AoE+Freeze | -2 Evasion Aura 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Baldur

[Lessa 1]

It was a pleasure simply watching him. With unrivaled grace and an odd sort of elegance, Baldur dealt a devastating final blow to the field boss. How was it possible that every step be perfect, every action, so precise? Of course, the system lent a helping hand, but the samurai made the work appear so effortless. Lessa had never been much interested in dance, and had been dragged to her cousin's dance recitals. But this? This was remarkable, and she found it damn near impossible to look away.

In a move straight out of a movie, Baldur spun his blade, slid it home. The icy wind tore at his haori and his hair, setting both snapping like ship's sails across the still, serene lake. Every line and curve of his body cried warrior, but with his smile came something gentler, more familiar. Boots crunching in the deep snow and jagged ice, Lessa made her way to him.

"Yeah, the Russians are never happy," she answered him, reaching back to tame her own blonde hair as it flapped madly about her face. "I imagine it has something to do with their fuzzy hats being too tight." Once her wild locks were under control, coiled and held in place with one gauntleted hand, she returned his grin. "But the American is happy to give you a ten out of ten. Perfect score. Well done."

At his mention of their first meeting, Lessa softened. "I should say so," she agreed. "I also seem to remember you facing off against a couple of boars. Definitely not the masterful combat I just witnessed. But hey." She reached out, clapped his arm companionably. "We all started somewhere."

As she drew her hand back, a shadow dulled her bright blue eyes. Her gaze combed his face for a moment, then swung to take in the barren wasteland surrounding them. "A lot has changed since then, hasn't it?"

[Baldur 0]

"It's the only constant thing, even in this world." Baldur said. The platitude had always seemed flat and trite to him as a kid, but the older Baldur got, the more the wisdom of its simple pith resonated with him. A bit of a shadow passed over his mood as well, as he looked at Lessa looking out over all the tundra around them, as if it was never ending. It was an apt landscape to mimic the feeling of the world trapped in Aincrad. It was a tundra to the lives of almost everyone in here. There were, perhaps, only two people in all of Aincrad that didn't find this death game unbearable. The man who created it, and the man who thrived in it. In a single moment, Baldur felt the whole of the world's suffering settle about them like the blanket of fresh snow. For a moment, the gaijin samurai wondered if the tears, or the snowflakes were more numerous. It may be impossible to know.

He also realized what they had been doing. They were filling in the cracks, and the holes, and the gaps in their relationship with stories of what had been. The old memories they kept returning to. What Lessa had been to Baldur, and what Baldur had been to Lessa. He could not put a noun to what they were. Friend seemed to mundane to capture the closeness and fierceness of their relationship, but they were also never anything more. Baldur loved Lessa, and he seemed surprised no one had ever noticed, but then, the two people in such situations always seemed to be the two oblivious to it. Baldur himself had never quite understood his feelings for the girl. She had known him in his ups and downs, and perhaps it was just a failure of language that there didn't exist a term for the kind of relationship they had. Spanish had several words for love. Greeks supposedly had more. Whatever the word, Baldur would lay down his life for her, even if that was the last thing she would want. So Baldur would also live for her as well. He would fight as hard as he could, but he would fight with survival in mind. Not just his, but everyone else's as well. Though perhaps he weighted Lessa's desire to get out of here and return to her family more than he did others. It was not a short list of people that Baldur would give his life to defend or protect, and his honor was on that list too. It had been the central point of his final conversation with Opal all those months ago. But the first name on that list was Lessa.

But even as she shone, the light of it dimmed slightly when he realized how much they had fallen apart. Their good stories were always in the past.The half remembered memories of a summer spent together teaching children and away from the fighting of the frontlines. Christmases missed, and comfort found in the company of one another. How many times had they visited that exact shop, and gotten hot chocolate? He could remember, the two of them coming together after they had both just gotten their wolf familiars.

It was wall paper over cracks.

"A lot has changed."

Where they had ended up now was a mile off from anything he ever would have expected. Some part of him realized he had always followed after her like some kind of puppy. He had chased her golden mane without even realizing what he had done. He remembered the time he had given her his name. He had meant for it to be a gift, but to her it was a burden. She didn't want to remember another name of another friend who might die. It wasn't an honor he was giving her to carry his memory to the next world, it was a reminder that they might die and she might never see him again for another hot chocolate.

"You know, I don't think you ever told me your name." Baldur turned back to her, his eyes a deep blue like the ocean in a storm. "And yet I distinctly remember telling you mine. This seems very unfair." Baldur suddenly held his hand to his head in a very dramatic pose, "But I know you so well that I can divine your name with 100% accuracy." He closed his eyes like he was divining her name from the spirits of the aether.

"You are... Jennifer." Baldur opened one eye, too eager for the suspense to end and to see her reaction. He had chosen Jennifer, simply because it seemed like the most common name of all of his female friends. He knew more Jenn, Jen, Jenny, Jennifers, than any other name.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me I'm right. I know it can be a bit shocking to see true magic at work. Especially since the setting guide that came with the SAO manual said there's no magic left in the world, but I have a special kind of magic that has a limitless fuel source.... sass."

He gave her a playful grin.

"Come along Jennifer. I would like to feel my toes again."

The blue in his eyes softened as he looked to her. For a moment, he held out his hand to her, but only a heart beat later it turned into a beckoning gesture as he moved to take the slope back up the mountain from which they had come down.

[Lessa 1]

"Jennifer?!" Eyes wide, Lessa rounded on Baldur. Pasting on a pout, she feigned insult as her gaze bore into his. "You think I'm a Jennifer?" Scoffing, she shook her head. "Jennifers wear their hair in a messy bun on top of their heads." To demonstrate, she scooped her own mane into a messy pile atop her head. Then, letting it fall again in a thick, blonde wave, she continued. "They have poofy jackets that go down to their knees, and they drink pumpkin spice lattes, and-" Catching herself, the woman cast her companion a sheepish smile. "And I'm totally stereotyping, but to be fair, I haven't met a Jennifer that didn't get on my nerves."

Despite the goofiness of the conversation, an underlying unease remained. It was unfair that she had kept her name from him. Even more unfair was the reason why she had chosen to do so. He had offered it as a precious gift, a secret she might carry close to her heart. He had wanted her to really know him, to see past the avatars, to forge a bond that transcended Aincrad's limitations. He had hoped that, were something to happen to him, she could carry his memory back into the real world. The knowledge had been priceless, yet Lessa had declined to return the favor. Why? Because she hadn't wanted to carry his memory. She hadn't wanted anything to happen to him. And by refusing to offer her own name, she refused to believe she might meet the same fate. Why go through the pain of facing her own mortality? Instead, Lessa had hidden from death, as she had from everything else.

But no longer.

"It's, uh, Alyssa." Suddenly cursing her lack of pockets, Lessa hooked her thumbs in the crisscrossed belts that slung low on her hips. "My name. It's pretty close to Lessa, so it's probably pretty obvious where my in-game came from." Chewing on the inside of her cheek, the woman studied Baldur, waiting for a reaction. Yet before he could answer, she spoke again. "But that doesn't mean anything. Just because you know my name doesn't mean I'm going to die, just like my knowing yours doesn't-"

Christ, she couldn't even bring herself to say it. Instead, she inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly. "Yeah," she finally conceded. "Let's head back. It's cold out here."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur gave Lessa an amused smile as she reenacted every Jennifer she had come across before. It was an interesting, almost karenesque painting she acted out before him. He could definitely see her asking to speak to the manager because her starbucks order wasn't prepared just the right way nor fast enough to not inconvenience her.

Then, after a heavy moment, she opened up to him.

"It's, uh, Alyssa." Of course it was. Lessa. Alyssa. It made sense. It made so much sense that Baldur probably never would have guessed it. It was too obvious, and Baldur was not good with obvious. Convoluted he had down pat. Advanced mathematics he could work with. Guessing Alyssa from Lessa, or seeing what was always right in front of him? Impossible.

"But that doesn't mean anything. Just because you know my name doesn't mean I'm going to die, just like my knowing yours doesn't-"

So that's what it was. Baldur knew how she felt about his name. The burden she didn't want to bear, and likely didn't want him to bear for her. But he would make sure Lessa got out of here and could return home to her family. There was a very, very short list of things he wouldn't do to make sure she saw her family again. But if knowing his real name meant that she had to accept the very real possibility that he might die, as Alkor had done before him, than it made sense. 1+1. It had been right in front of Baldur the whole time.

So of course, he had to make a joke.

"Well, UhAlyssa, it's nice to make your acquaintance." I really can't believe you did that just now. Like, I realize you're a punster, and you like bad jokes. But there should be a limit. Even for me. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

As Baldur mentally berated himself and tried to let none of it show on his face, he continued. "I mean, I can't really argue that every Jen I've ever known doesn't like Pumpkin spice latte, but I don't think I've lived in a climate quite as cold as yours for all the puffy jackets. Though I'll maybe trade you that for ugg boots."

His smile came back, but didn't quite touch his eyes. He started walking up the hill back towards the settlement and put his hands into the sleeves of his haori as respite from the chill.

"Neither of us is going to die, Lessa, but I won't give up, and neither should you." He turned to look at her as they walked up the hill side by side. His smile had a gentle sadness to it, but his eyes held all the steel in the world. The fire that had always burned there, continued to burn just as bright. If there was a way, the gaijin samurai would find it.

[Lessa 1]

One of the many things that Lessa appreciated about Baldur was his unpredictability. It was nearly impossible to gauge exactly what he would do, or say, in any given situation. While she felt she knew him very well, she still hadn't figured out all of his quirks. As such, when he came back with a terrible joke, she was left dumbfounded. Well, what had she expected? An outburst of anger, since she'd kept her name from him for selfish reasons? An outpouring of love, as she'd finally revealed something he considered precious? Yeah, no, it was a joke. And that, she decided after a brief moment of shock, was so inexplicably Baldur.

The laughter bubbled up from her very core, warming her far more completely than the hot chocolate ever could. "It's a pleasure, Jason." His real name had simply slipped out of her, and her eyes flashed to his. It had been surprising, but it hadn't been wrong. In fact, maybe it had been the right move all along. "Ugg Boots are actually pretty comfy," she informed him, falling into step as they continued to climb the hill. 

The crunch of snow beneath their boots synchronized as she matched him, stride for stride. There was something in that smile, a reservation she'd grown accustomed to since entering Aincrad. Hesitation? Doubt? Fear? Whatever it was, however it plagued him, she hated the way it looked on her friend.

 "Neither of us is going to die, Lessa, but I won't give up, and neither should you."

She knew those words, and as they squeezed her heart, she reached out to squeeze his shoulder. Even back then, he'd gone out of his way to reassure her when she'd begun to falter. He'd propped her up, cheered her up, kept her going even as she'd teetered on the edge.

Maybe they hadn't changed so much after all.