[PP-F9] <<The Gatekeeper of Fire>> Mac wont stop flirting with Baldur and Baldur is into it. Cord and Mari are now a third wheel

[Mari 1]

Mari sat in a cave, doing her best to keep cool in the heat of the floor.  With her back resting against the cool stone and her legs spawled out in front of her. Thankfully her survival skill stopped most of the brunt of the heat, but it was still unpleasant. She wore her new outfit, one more 'frontliner ready'  it featured warm hues of orange and black - and the harness of Flame Aura which Macradon had given her. Her attire was much more suited to this floor. But it was one of her least liked floors; there was nothing but horrible memories here, and smells - and the heat. The only good thing about this floor were the dwarves and the high reward quests which she had hoped to do with a few people she knew, namely, Macradon and Baldur.

Baldur... was someone she really wanted to get to know more; so when it came to trying to complete new quests...it was only natural for her to deviate toward asking the man. She did try messaging Macradon. But hadn't heard back from him just yet. The last time she had seen him was at the Gala, where he had shoved multiple strawberries into his face and clothes - before taking his fiance to the dance floor. 'He's probably still with her.' Mari thought to herself. They looked...so happy.  Mari envied that in a way... she hadn't been able to experience something like that for a long time... not anything real anyway.

So with very few people she could turn to on her friends list, and even fewer who could do such a high leveled quest, Mari had messaged Baldur.
 

To: Baldur From: Mari Subject: Quest. Hey, I've been working on trying to complete some quests - and there is this <<GateKeeper of Fire>> Quest. If you want to join, I'll be in a cave just outside Knorilt... far enough to not deal with those sulfur fumes. I've marked it on the map. I'll be there for the next few hours; if you don't show up or reply I figure you're busy. Don't worry about it if you are. Take care. -Mari.

-

 

 

 

 

 

Her message was...probably a little hard to read. Anyone with a lick of sense could probably figure out she'd been burned before, and that wasn't because she was on a floor made of molten lava. Mari wasn't normally one to ramble in messages, she was direct and to the point. But with so many unanswered messages from Alkor... and others, she just - wanted to reiterate that it was okay if Baldur didn't reply, or didn't show up. In truth, a part of Mari was terrified of repeating past mistakes - of wanting to reach out to others too much, and annoying them, or overwhelming them. Mari...knew there was a very real chance Baldur wouldn't show up.

Why would he? You met each other once. You're pathetic.

Mari grumbled as she shifted her scarf up to  cover the lower half of  her face. It was too hot here. Way too hot.
 

To: Macradon From: Mari Subject: Quest Join me on this Gatekeeper of Fire quest.  I also invited Baldur. Please bring water. -Mari

 

 

General
Level: 53 | HP: 1090  |Energy: 106

STATS
DAM: 11 | EVA 3  | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | 

SKILLS
Rank 5 Weapon (+5 DMG)
-Weapon Mod: Precision (+1 ACC)
Rank 5 Charge (+5 Damage -1 ACC)
Charge Mod BULL RUSH: Successful charge stuns target 1 turn
Rank 5 Light Armor (+25 MIT)
SURVIVAL

EQUIPPED
Name: Kusanagi | Item Type: Dagger | Tier 2
Enhancements: Bleed 2 | Damage 2
'Bleed Damage of 24 for 2 turns on a roll of 8-10'

Name: Beacon Necklace | Item Type: Pendant | Tier 2
Enhancements  +3 ACC 

Name: Infernal Shadow | Item Type: Light Armour | Tier 3
Enhancements:  +2 Eva | +1 Flame Aura
'Effect: Prevent (6 per slot * Tier) damage per slot from successful attacks against you. Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (5 per slot * Tier) unmitigated burn damage to the attacking enemy.

 

 

@Baldur @Macradon @Cordelia

Edited March 4, 2020 by Mari

[Macradon 0]

Please bring water.

That was the last thing he remembered of Mari sending him a message regarding the quest. It was a quest he had done before with Cordelia, the one he apparently scarred during the gala, which was funsies. The knight checked through his inventory to find what he had at his disposal, and lucky him, he actually had his starter water bottle from his starting gear in his inventory, untouched from the beginning to now “... do water bottles have expiration dates in here?” he thought for himself as he put that in his inventory and ventured up towards the 9th floor where he would be able to meet up with Mari, all he had to do was to track her with his skill, that should be easy enough to do, it wasn’t like he used that skill for anything else anymore, it was a pretty useless skill compared to what else you could invest your skill points into. On his way to the 9th floor, he made sure to get as many defensive consumables he would need for this, since if Baldur was coming, he knew damage would be more than enough with Mari and him while Macradon would try to AOE hate the damage onto him.

To: Mari From: Macradon Subject: re: Quest Omw - Macradon

< Hearty Seafood Soup consumed >
< Snack of the Hare consumed >
< Snack og the Eagle consumed >

Stats

Spoiler

Macradon - Lvl 86
1765 HP
187 Energy
3 Accuracy
4 Evasion
19 Base Damage (31 w/ Holy)
- (1 Base +7 Skill +1 Athletics +9 Familiar +1 Ferocity)
152 Mitigation 
- (35 Skill + 72 Armor + 45 Food)

Items
Blade of the Dictator ............ // +12 Holy Damage, Phase
Silverlight ...................... // +72 Mitigation, 36 Frost Thorn(21 on a Crit), 6 Freeze damage(2 turns)
Flame Shadow ..................... // Fireproof, +1 Evasion

Belphegor - Familiar ............. // +9 Damage

Battle Ready Inventory
Teleportation Crystal ............ // Teleport to a designated location
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.
Col Deposit ...................... // +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col
from treasure chests.
Damage Mitigation ................ // +45 Damage Mitigation
Accuracy ......................... // +2 Accuracy
Evasion .......................... // +2 Evasion | Filling: +1 Evasion

Skills
Two Handed Straight Sword  | Rank 5: +7 Damage
Heavy Armor                | Rank 5: +35 Damage Mitigation
Searching                  | Rank 5: +5 LD. +5 Stealth Detection
Battle Healing             | Rank 5: Heal 5%(88) HP each post In-Battle
Fighting Spirit            | +1 Hate generation
Gatherer                   | Obtain additional materials after a successful out of combat gathering based on a natural CD result.
Hiding                   | Rank 5: +5 Stealth roll
Extended Mod Limit       | Rank 3: +3 Mod Slots
Parry                    | Reduce incoming damage by 50%(rounded down)
Energist                 | Add 5xTier(15) Energy to your max pool
Charge                   | Rank 5: +5 on Initial hit

Disguise                   | +1 to your BD and +1 to your opponent’s BD
Survival                   | Heal 45 HP when out of battle
Familiar Mastery: Fighter  | Rank 3: +9(Tier x Rank) Damage
Meditation                 | Recover 3xTier(15) energy with post action. Recover 2xTier(10) energy if you are hit before your next round

Skill Mods
Precision                  | +1 Accuracy
Athletics                  | +1 Damage, +45 Health
Ferocity                   | Increases Base Damage by 1
Finesse                    | Rank 3: Decreases Energy Cost of attacks by 3
Reveal                     | +2 LD when searching for dungeons and labyrinths. You may also search for a sub-dungeon or labyrinth once every 15 posts (instead of 20)
Surprise Attack          | Cannot miss from stealth. +1xTier(3) base damage on first attack
Vengeful Riposte         | Return 50% of damage(mitigatable) to target
Justified Riposte        | Stun attacker for 1 turn
Vanish                   | In combat post action to stealth. Free action in combat to stealth if mob has been slain
Tracking                   | Allows the user to track a previously-encountered monster, NPC, or other player. Negates all bonuses to the target’s Stealth Rating. After tracking, your first attack against the tracked creature cannot miss. Cannot be used in combat

 

[Baldur 0]

Baldur had been out on a quest with his newest almost kohai, Cordelia, when he got a message from Mari asking for him to join her on the quest <<The Gatekeeper of Fire>>. The Samurai gestured with his hand, clearing his UI of the message before he stood back up from where they had been sitting in the shade on the 19th floor. All around them the collapsed stone walls covered in moss and vines rose up to block out the sliver of sun that peaked out between the floor they were on and the one above it. He could see that the sun was poking just above The Last Tower.

"Hey Cordelia-chan. I just got a request from a friend to join her on doing <<The Gatekeeper of Fire>>. It can be a challenging quest to solo, you wanna go along with us on a team?"

Baldur once again called up his UI, but this time it was to sort through his equipment, seeing if he had everything he needed in order to complete the quest well.

"I admit, I'm a little rusty on the quest. I'll have to see what my info broker had to say about some of the more unique challenges of this boss. It's been a long time since I went down there and fought cerberus."

He gave a slight smirk. It had been a very long time since he had been down there for that quest. Tyger had been their tank back then.

Brushing leaves and moss from his haori where he had sat on it, Baldur gestured that they should head towards Ralberg so that they could teleport wherever they wanted to.

"I think it'll be a good quest, and good to get used to working as a group if you're going to be joining the frontlines soon."

@Cordelia

Spoiler

» Baldur, The Gaijin Samurai

• Modified HP: 1330
• Modified EN: 130
• Modified MIT: 79
• Modified ACC: 7 WF/6 MM
• Modified DMG: 23 WF/26 MM
• Modified EVA: 2
• Battle Heal: 53
• Search:
• Temp Buff: +2 Damage Crystal
• Temp Buff: +2 Damage - 30 MIT Potein snack
• Temp Buff: +30 Mitigation Potion (tier 2)
• Temp Buff: +2 Accuracy Snack

» 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
• Magatama - +3 ACC
• 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

 

Edited February 29, 2020 by Baldur

[Cordelia 0]

“Oh, that quest?” Cordelia asked, tilting her head. “Of course. I’ve done the quest but it’d be nice to do it again.”

Although she had already finished the quest with Mr. I’ll Dive My Hands Into Punch, it couldn’t help to get another one of those burn tickets. Those things were more useful than she realized. Perfect for her weapon once she levels up enough!

She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s just like the old one with the Cerberus, but just a little bit for difficult?” She explained. “Fight a couple of dogs and then a big one with three heads,” she said with a light laugh. 

She adjusted her gloves and then gave him thumbs up. “You may be right. I suppose it wouldn’t be bad to start practicing with a group now, huh?” She exclaimed with a grin as she rested her knuckles on her hips. “So, who are these friends of yours anyway?”

[Mari 1]

Mari tilted her head back and shut her eyes; Macradon was very quick to respond. Stating he'd be on his way. Good. Mari hoped he'd bring some water - it'd be even better if it was infused with something like cucumber or strawberries.

Flashbacks of the gala danced across her mind...

Okay, maybe not strawberries. Not if he was the one putting them in there; she didn't quite trust that. Still, it was good knowing Macradon would be there. If Baldur didn't show up...at least she'd be able to mess around with her white haired friend, and if Baldur did turn up... then they'd be able to enjoy the quest together. Well, as much as one could enjoy a floor so horribly hot.

Mari groaned as she shuffled further into the cave and away from the heat. At least the caves walls were cool to the touch.

Just as Mari began to wonder if everyone had decided to play some sort of joke on her, Macradon's shadowed form appeared in the cave entrance. Mari hailed him down. "Back here." She said. Mac waved back with a goofy grin as he entered. 

"And here I thought I'd be without my waterboy." Mari joked. Her smile faded slightly. "I haven't heard back from Baldur yet. We can wait a little longer. If he doesn't show up it'll just be me and you..." Mari opened up her HUD and started to go through her items.  "Would you believe I haven't even done the Guardian of Fire quest?" Mari joked. "I try to avoid the hotter floors...but with the Floor Boss battle coming up soon, I need all the SP I can get so I can max out my Battle Healing in one go."

Mari gestured for Macradon to come sit next to her against the wall. "I have two Snowfrost potions, some feasts that increase ACC and evasion some potions that'd help stack on the damage." Mari started - "AoE's would be good against the hellhounds. If its just me and you...can you take charge of those? Then when it comes to the big drooly boss  boy - I can activate charge and go hard against the first head.  If I activate charge, and use the queens honey - I could potentially do a maximum damage output of around 247..." Mari sighed as she double checked that with the health of each head.  "Damn...Daggers really aren't the best for stuff like this are they?" 

She was hoping to be able to take the lead, to prove her worth to Macradon, that she was capable of being a frontliner - but even after putting in her all...she still wasn't able to do as much damage as others with bigger weapons.  "Ah I suppose I'll leave that talk for now....wait to see if Baldur shows up...hey you think if I shank its eyes - it'd go blind?" Mari joked.


@Macradon  @Baldur  @Cordelia

[Macradon 0]

The knight finally made his way to the meeting point where he thought Mari would be, and he was right. He waved back at her when she made notice of his entrance “Hey Mari, one bottle of water, as you ordered.” he said and brought out a bottle of water from his inventory “It’s from my starter pack eons ago, I hope there is no expiration dates on these items.” he said with a chortle. “Oh, Baldur’s coming? Finally couraged up and asked him to be your friend?” he asked, curious to how she would be regarding the subject of Baldur, especially compared to what she had been saying and reacting with earlier when they had talked together.

“We should be able to easily clear it, I’ve done this quest before with a girl, Cordelia. Suddenly I just met her on the way to the place, so I believe we should be more than capable of actually taking care of this. I’ve juiced myself up with defensive buffs, so I should be more than capable of tanking this fight, if I even have to do so.” he said with a confident smile that he were to be the victor against the hellhound once again.

@Mari

[Baldur 0]

Baldur turned his head to face Cordelia when she asked who it was even as he drafted up his respond.

"She's kind of been a recluse, so you don't know her, but she used to be a frontliner back when we were still trying to clear bosses on single digit floors. She's made a bit of a resurgence... she's... orange though. Reformed. She's working on a bit of repentence. Her name is Mari."

Baldur's fingers danced across the keyboard of his UI as only someone who has spent his life growing up as a forum troll could. He had once been told in voice chat the click clack of his keyboard had sounded like rain on a metal roof.

Quote

Mari<< I'm on my way. We could probably use a little more help, so I'm bringing along a girl you probably haven't met yet. Her name is Cordelia and she's trying to become a frontliner. I figure some group work would help her out along that path. We'll be there shortly.

"Alright, let's go."

Baldur lead Cord the rest of the way to the teleporter, and then down to Mari's floor. Slowly following the coordinates that she had sent to him. The floor was uncomfortable to the Samurai. He preferred the balmy weather of the beach floors at most, and the cooler floors at best.

Quote

Mari<< I think I'm nearby, but I can't seem to find your cave. 

"Huh, she should be around here somewhere..."

Baldur flipped through his menu, and noticed his friend list showed that Macradon was on this floor as well. He would be someone good to introduce Cord to as well.

[Cordelia 0]

"Oh, I'm sure I'll get along with her. She sounds lovely-- hah?" She paused, stopping dead in her tracks to give him an incredulous look. "Mari? Kind of short, orange hair, kind of really feisty Mari?" Okay, okay, okay, it wasn't that she disliked her, she was more scared Mari disliked her. 

Well, this will be an interesting experience, indeed.

Cordelia grimaced as she jumped off of the teleport pad. She and Mari had ended off on good terms, right. . ? She had apologized, so everything was all good, right? Sure. 

She peeked from behind Baldur and gulped. Why was she so nervous about this? Was it because she cared about how Mari thought of her? Hell no. Was it because Mari was Baldur's friend and she somewhat cared about how Baldur thought of her? Maybe. 

"Again, to be clear. This is the Mari with the orange hair, right?" She asked, turning to look at Baldur with a deadpan. 

[Mari 1]

Mari grabbed the water from Macradon and eyed it suspiciously. "Err, how do you even still have this ?" Mari opened the canister and sniffed it. It...smelt..okay? Did water go bad? She took a swig from it; it tasted fine. Well, that was a relief. "Thanks. I appreciate it. I got some water canisters - but Uh, I don't want to waste them since they'd be useful for regen."  

"Ashhsfgfsh." Mari made an incomprehensible sound as Macradon asked her about inviting Baldur. "Shhushh you. I know how to make friends!" Mari retorted, red in the face. Macradon mentioned Cordelia, right as Baldur had messaged her back. "Oh..Oh..." Mari said.  "Uhm....Baldur is actually bringing her." Mari said with surprise. Well, what a coincidence. And Baldur was nearby too; Mari grabbed Macradon and pulled him forward. "Hey, are Baldur and Cordelia dating you think?"  it was an offhanded question, as Mari was curious. "C'mon he's just outside the cave." 

As they left the cave Mari spotted the familiar visage of the blue clad samurai. Mari felt her heart skip a beat as she waved him over. "Baldur, over here." Even with saying that, Mari had began to approach him. "I'm happy you came." She said with a genuine smile, radiating about as much warmth as the area around them.

"Oh!" Mari blinked when she saw Cordelia peeking out from behind Baldur. Wait..Were they a thing?  Why...did that matter? What even possessed Mari to ask Macradon such a thing in the first place? It's not like she liked Baldur, that was absurd. She had only met him once before. It was general banter, that's all, nothing more. "H-Hi Cord." Mari said with a small wave. "Baldur said you were coming." Mari wasn't sure if Cordelia liked her or not. Mari had...been less than thrilled with her when they first met. Mari didn't agree with Cordelia's ideals on life and how worthless it seemed to be, but upon further introspection, the girl seemed to be going through things.  She had considerably perked up - Mari even got the chance to apologize to her during a quest.

"We didn't get to talk much at the gala." Mari said to cord with a small smile, remembering her ruby red dress. "You had legs for days in that dress." Mari said with a coy smile giving Cordelia a small nod of approval. Mari had planned on approaching Cordelia that night...before she was stupidly attacked by some idiots rouge familiar. Vigrion or something? Mari couldn't remember his name. It wasn't important right now, that was in the past.  "Right. Since everyone is here..." Mari glanced back at Cordelia then to Baldur. It sounded like she may be a pupil of his, but Mari couldn't assume.

"Let's get to planning." Mari said as she clapped her hands together. "I have two Snowfrost potions, some feasts that increase ACC and evasion some potions that'd help stack on the damage. Err...I also have some water canisters - a teleportation crystal, field rations and immolation potions... I'm happy to share any of that with you all." Mari flashed them all a nervous smile. The last time she had this many eyes on her had been during the Boss Raid meeting; where Zelrius had burst in and claimed no one in his guild would join.

Mari cleared her throat. "We should get those who can do AoE try to take out the hellhounds asap." Mari shifted her gaze over to Mac, then back to Cordelia. "Mac and Cordelia - you both have amazing AoE skills. If you both attack one after the other I have no doubt that we can destroy the infantry - then - myself and Baldur can go in and attack. Hopefully we can take out one of its heads."  The more Mari spoke, the higher her confidence grew. Without realizing it she had straightened herself, shoulders back. "  If I activate charge, and use the queens honey - I could potentially do a maximum damage output of around 247...I know that isn't much, but with myself and Baldur - we should be able to knock out an entire head in a round."  Mari sighed as she  ran a hand through her hair. "Unfortunately I can't even paralyze the damn thing. Sorry...I'm getting ahead of myself - what do you all think?" 

@Macradon @Baldur @Cordelia

Edited March 3, 2020 by Mari

[Baldur 0]

Baldur was about to introduce Cordelia and Mari to one another, but it appeared they had already met. Something about a dress Cord was wearing that showed off long legs? Baldur very carefully schooled his expression and didn't look at anyone but Macradon, with his dreamy white hair, and his rippling memes.

"Uh.. Mac. This is Cordelia. She's a Katana user I bumped into in the middle of a quest, and we've been questing together a bit while she tries to level up for the Frontlines. She's got a powerful weapon on her when her luck holds." Baldur said with a rue-ful smile, remembering the wide swing of luck she had between quests.

It was then that Mari began to list off her consumables she had brought along with her, and it was an impressive, useful array of buffs. Then she lead straight into strategy.

"I appreciate the offer of consumables, but I have enough for myself, though no one else... with a set of damage buffs, I imagine I should be able to one shot the trash on this quest. I'm not sure how tough the heads are though. I can do about 420 to 465 damage on a charge. I'm sure if Mac gets lucky on one of his patented AoEs he could take out everything in one shot."

Baldur tossed the orange penguin ranger a playful smile, trying to deflect from his numbers to so no one would think he was trying to brag.

[Macradon 0]

He chuckled at Mari “Water is for losers. All I drink is energy drink, which is probably why I can never sleep. That or the voices, but they tell me it’s the energy drink.” he said jokingly … at least he thought of it as a joke … “But yeah, I’ve had this since the beginning … was like I was never really in need of this and just quickly got the hang of finding a living.” he said proudly about his start of the game. “This is gonna be … interesting.” he replied with a smile as he heard Cordelia was coming as well “Let’s see where this journey brings us.”.

“Uhh, I doubt it, but I guess they could be?” he replied, even if it seemed like a rhetorical question from Mari. He shrugged when she began walking out towards the cave opening where the last pair were “Aight.” he said and followed. Emerging from the cave opening, Macradon spotted the players quite quickly, he joined Mari in waving at the two “Heyo!” he called out. 

It was like Cordelia and Mari had locked sight with each other, like they were ignoring the two bois, but oh well. As his crimson gaze locked into the hazy brown of Baldur, Macradon blushed and quickly averted his eyes to the ground “Bruh …” he said, trying to get this flustered mindset away from the flowy brunette locks of the Gaijin Samurai. “Uh .. y-yeah … I’ve met her before.” he replied, looking back up at Baldur, but quickly averting from locking eye contact again. “I’ve actually done this quest with her already, so …” he said and looked up at Baldur “It’s not my first time.”.

The tension was quickly dispersed when Mari began planning and talking about preparing for the fight “I’m already fireproof, so you shouldn’t worry about fire damage towards me, I can take it.” he said, adding to the conversation as to how they were to tackle this debacle. “If I just hide for a bit, I could probably swoop in, take down the first few hellhounds, and you guys can begin pummeling on the big thingy.” he proposed as a plan for their initial strike.

@Mari @Baldur @Cordelia

[Cordelia 0]

"Hello, it's great to see you again," she exclaimed, finally ridding the nervousness from her system. "Mhm, Baldur said you were going to be assisting with this quest, too." She gave her a smile. Oh hell, what was she so worried about? This was going to be fine! Absolutely fine! 

"Oh, right, I saw you there but you looked a little. . . occupied," she murmured, giving her a sympathetic look. That whole evening went by in such a blur, but she was sure that she had made more. . . lasting memories there than she had made in the first year in SAO.  Her face flushed as she laughed nervously. "Oh, really? Thank you, I suppose. You looked great in your dress, too," she added, remembering the bright orange dress that Mari had on that night. 

She looked over at Macradon and nodded to Baldur. "Yeah. . . we've met. . ." she trailed off, looking between Macradon and Baldur. 

What the fu--

"Yeah, I'm not going to get involved in this," she muttered under her breath, walking past the two. . . bros and towards Mari. She looked over her shoulder before turning to Mari with the most serious face she could muster. "We do not talk about what is happening over there. We do not," she whispered quickly. 

It took a bit for her to compose herself after what she had just witnessed, but hey, at least she now has a burning image of someone she looked up to and Mr. Dive My Hand Into Punch flirting with each other in her mind. 

Cordelia let out a sigh of relief when Mari started to discuss strategies for the future battle. At least she wasn't the only normal person in this party. . . thank God. She nodded her head. "Alright, it sounds good," she beamed, grinning at Mari. "Although, I'm pretty sure status conditions won't affect the Cerberus. At least, that's what my info-broker told me," she shrugged. She looked over to Macradon, nearly crying happy tears when he finally came back from whatever high he came from. "That could work, too."

[Mari 1]

"Y..You think?" Mari asked in shock as Cordelia complimented her outfit. Mari shifted her gaze away and laughed awkwardly. "Thanks...honestly I really don't have a lotta self confidence...  I just..."  I hate the way I look. Mari thought to herself.  "Thanks." Mari said to Cordelia a second time.  It was...relieving to be able to talk to Cordelia like this, Mari had been worried that there may have been some tension between the two - but there was none. It felt...almost normal to be able to talk to the tall silver haired woman like this. Mari nodded when Cordelia said that Baldur mentioned Mari was assisting with the quest. "Yeh. I was wanting to take the quest - because I want to replace one of my bleed slots with burn." Mari gave Cordelia a wry grin. "I may even replace both with it." She gestured to her outfit and hair. "I guess I kinda got the whole 'fiery flare' thing going for me." 

Mari turned her attention to Baldur, he had quickly dismissed her plan and she felt her heart sink a little - then - he seemed to lock eyes with Macradon. "I...uh..." Mari shifted her gaze to her friend; who was looking at the tall samurai in...wait...was Macradon Blushing?? It almost felt like if she were to blink she'd see little cherubs floating around their heads, with flowers in full bloom.

Mari felt Cordelia grab her upper arm and pull her away from the two men. Cordelia leaned in, telling Mari that they do not talk about what was going on over there. Mari's blue eyes shifted over Cordelia's shoulders to glance at the two ...they...were having some sort of moment. Mari felt a small pang of envy as she shifted her eyes back to Cordelia. "You know..." Mari said with a rueful smile. "I feel whenever I'm with Mac...stuff like this happens." She shook her head with a small laugh. "But, I feel like sometimes that's what I need. Well maybe not that." She gestured with a tilt of her head. "But, yanno - that lightheartedness that reminds me that this world isn't always so...harsh."

Mari shrugged her shoulders and cleared her throat, talking louder now; in hopes to snap the others out of their little tit for tat. 

"RIght. Well, Macradon is fireproof, but I sure as hell am not. Still...if you both are that confident I suppose we don't need any of the items. Cordelia...did you want anything I listed? I really don't mind sharing. I had bought a bunch of stuff in mind to take questing with a uh..."  Ah... she had planned to do all this with Alkor.  "With someone who I don't think considers me a friend anymore so...more for us. Right?" Mari said with a forced laugh.

Dammit.

This was harder than she thought.  "I heard that too - my damage mostly specializes in status ailments - but I can still knock off a decent chunk of its health. Jeez. I feel kinda silly inviting everyone who has already done the quest before. Still-"  Mari paused when she caught Baldur and Macradon giving each other bloody goo-goo eyes again.

Jesus Christ

"That's it!" Mari exclaimed as she straightened her back - her cheeks flushed. Why did this annoy her so much. Mari wedged herself between Macradon and Baldur. Someone had to take charge here. "Fine."

Mari turned to Macradon and shoved a finger into his chest. "You. You're in charge of cleanup damage. Cordelia will attack the heads first with a sweeping attack, I'll go in second and you third with a last, strong AOE."

She turned to Baldur; cheeks red, brows furrowed. Why did she care what this stupid man did? Him and his stupid broad shoulders and long silken hair with eyes that carried a caring warmth she never dare dream to experience. Him and his stupid chiseled clavicles and cheeks, and his straight ass back. She bet his hands weren't even that warm or soft. Who the hell cared if he flirted with stupid cotton ball Macradon. Right! Right.  "And You." She said, placing an index finger against Baldurs chest. "If you say you can defeat the trash of this floor. Do it. You take care of the little guys and we'll head on in with the Cerberus.  Then in the second sweep, you'll be able to finish up whatever we don't get."

Mari stood back from everyone. "Got it?" She asked. "Any questions?"

@Macradon @Cordelia @Baldur

Edited March 3, 2020 by Mari

[Baldur 0]

Baldur's deep ocean blue eyes matched the crimson orbs that burned within Macradon's eyes, but the depths of the oceans of Baldur's soul poured fourth to quench the insatiable fire of Macradon's own eyes, as the strong, chiseled jaw of the argentette was forced to give way beneath the weight of Baldur's feels. The fire of his eyes seemed to spread into his cheeks as the the powerfully built man suddenly, almost breathlessly whispered the words that seemed to echo through the moment.

“Bruh … Uh .. y-yeah … I’ve met her before. I’ve actually done this quest with her already, so …It’s not my first time.”.

Baldur felt a surge of jealously run through him, but he quickly stamped it down.

"I've been meaning to tell you, Mac... I can't think you enough, for giving me your special sword..."

Baldur caressed the handle of his ivory blade absentmindedly as he thanked the frontliner for his generous gift to the gaijin samurai that one hot, halloween night. Baldur could barely remember the details, other than they had come away exhausted from risking their lives together. He not realized he and Macradon had grown that close, but he would never be able to thank the man enough.

"I hope to continue to put it to good use, and I'll use it on this quest tonight as well. To show you how much I appreciate it."

Baldur reached up and rested a hand on Macradon's bare upper arm, giving it a light squeeze before he forced his blue eyes to break from Big Mac, and turn towards the girls, a light blush as his gaze passed over the two of them. How had this all started? With the two of them talking about fancy dresses he had never seen, and tried not to imagine.

It's business time.

"I am fine however we want to break this. With Big Mac's AoE, he may be able to take all of the hounds at once, where as it would probably take me 3 times as long, and I can't generate hate on all of them at one. I am fine following the lead here."

 

[Macradon 0]

This time, Macradon tried to keep eye contact with the samurai, it was a bit difficult with what had been said and the way the samurai looked at him. He felt his heart beat, like there was some kind of doki doki heartiful power loving lovey dovey heart bond between him and the samurai. “I’m … I’m glad you enjoyed my sword, it’s the least I could do for you, you needed the experience of it much more than I’d ever needed, so all I could do was give it to you.” he replied, trying to be more assertive in his voice.

After being pushed away slightly by Mari intersecting the loving center of the Big Mac sandwich of Macradon and Baldur, Macradon would keep his distance from the one she seemed to like like a lot. He chuckled and pointed a thumb towards himself “Don’t worry, this Mac Daddy will do his best to take out your so called trash. I’ll be the trashiest in town, just ask Baldur.” he replied jokingly and sent a wink at the samurai to see if Mari would do anything about that.

@Mari @Cordelia @Baldur

[Cordelia 0]

If there had ever been a time where Cordelia had wanted to jump into a flaming hot pit of lava, it would be right now.

Seriously, what the hell was going on? Was she somehow warped to some alternate dimension where Macradon, a.k.a. Mr. Dive My Hand Into Punch and a person she looked up to were a thing? She paused. Didn't Macradon have some sort of significant other? She paused again. Wait a minute.

"You two confuse me greatly," she muttered quietly, turning her attention back the task at hand. Or at least, she tried. She was still baffled and she wasn't exactly sure why. 

 “Don’t worry, this Mac Daddy will do his best to take out your so called trash. I’ll be the trashiest in town, just ask Baldur.”

It was a miracle that she wasn't crying now.

"Alright!" She exclaimed abruptly, wanting to stop this before it got more than she could handle. "Why don't we head out for this thing already, huh?" She said, and without waiting for an answer, she ventured back into the cave.

"Baldur, why does my katana hate me?" She cried as she leaped back from the dogs she had just attacked, the holy light slowly dimming down as her attack finished. Every. Time. "Why do you hate me?!" She screamed, clutching the katana in a crazed position.

Déjà vu much?

---

ID: 137159
BD: 9, Hit [+5 DMG]
14+5=19x8=152-45- 107

ID: 137160
BD: 10, Hit [+6 DMG]
14+6=20x8=160-45=115

ID: 137161
BD: 8, Hit 
14x8=112-45=67 

[2/2/1] Cordelia: HP: 895/920 | EN: 72/90 | 14 DMG | 12 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | 2 REC | 4 HLY
[0/0/0] Baldur: ???
[0/0/0] Macradon: ???
[0/0/0] Mari: ???

Infernal Hell Hound #1: HP: 243/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 
Infernal Hell Hound #2: HP: 235/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 
Infernal Hell Hound #2: HP: 283/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 

[Mari 1]

It all crumbled around her.

The plan she had tried to formulate...the group of people as Macradon and Baldur continued to have some strange connection Mari couldn't fathom, even Cordelia - who didn't seem to want to be a part of the group. This is your fault. They've all done this quest before. You're an idiot for trying to take the lead. No one respects you, no one even likes you

Mari pushed back at Macradon with a mighty huff shooting him a betrayed look, although she couldn't quite pick why she felt like he had betrayed her.. "You are being trash you buttface." She muttered as she moved away from the two. Let them have her fun, she shouldn't get in the way of whatever was going on.

The doubt ate away at her, bubbling up within her during the moments where others seemed to flourish. She felt like she had no right to be here, no place to stand. Hell. She doubted they'd even notice if she stepped away and left. Mari took a single step back. Away from Macradon, the closest friend she had made in a long time, away from Baldur - who stood proud and confident with chestnut eyes focused lovingly on her friend. 'If I leave they'd probably be better off anyway.'  Mari took another step back, Away from Cordelia - who had run off into the caves and -

Wait...

She had ran back into the cave Mari had been waiting for them - and there were spawns in there? Mari didn't recall seeing anything like that. She had chosen to just jump on in. Mari started to recalculate things in her head; worried about her. Right...so knowing Cordelia, she'd have thrown some AOE at the hellhounds...Mari didn't have one of those...'sh*t' She really was useless, wasn't she?

Mari shot a glare at both Macradon and Baldur, she was already hurt enough as it was. "I hope you're both happy with yourselves." She turned her back on them and headed into the cave with Cordelia; she knew she didn't have a strong weapon, she couldn't just wipe them all out here like the others who had bigger and better weapons, stronger defenses... more time on the battlefield - but at least it'd be something. Right?


There she saw Cordelia; and...surprisingly enough...three hellhounds. "Well..." Mari said as she pulled out her dagger - "I didn't see these guys in here earlier but hey..." It flashed with her Sword Art skill. "It's a shame...I didn't get time to use any damage potions before you rushed in." She shifted her eyes to Cordelia, "Sorry about that."  She had wanted to buff herself up she wanted to give her, and others more accuracy - she wanted to give herself strength - to aid against the fire damage but...

Sometimes nothing goes the way you want it to, and that reigned true for her attack. Despite activating the skill, kicking off the ground perfectly - and pirouetting into the second beast - she had a fatal miss-step.  On the first spin, her foot caught on a rock and she was sent tumbling forward - past the three hellhands as she slid across the cave on her stomach. 

Mari groaned and pressed her head into the dirt, still lying there on her stomach. "This was a stupid idea..." She mumbled into the ground.

@Baldur  @Macradon  @Cordelia

 

ID:137171   2+4 -2 =4  MISS
11 x 13 =  143-45=98
[x13] Eternal Cyclone (11 Energy) - The user holds their dagger in a reverse-grip, and then spins wildly at high speeds, becoming a bladed whirlwind that strikes the target repeatedly.

 

[2/2/1] Cordelia: HP: 895/920 | EN: 72/90 | 14 DMG | 12 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | 2 REC | 4 HLY
[0/0/0] Baldur: ???
[0/0/0] Macradon: ???
[0/0/0] Mari:   HP: 1090  | EN: 104/106  | 11 DAM  | EVA 3 | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | FLAME AURA 2

Infernal Hell Hound #1: HP: 243/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 
Infernal Hell Hound #2: HP: 235/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 
Infernal Hell Hound #2: HP: 283/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 

Edited March 6, 2020 by Mari

[Macradon 0]

After the very funny charade between the two, totally not into each other, male warriors with their large and long swords clashing every now and again on the frontlines, Macradon would chuckle and follow the others into the cave, it was finally time to show his expertise. But before he really got anywhere, Mari pushed him, harder than usual, much more fierce than usual. With the look she gave him, he felt hurt, why would she act like this? Why of all the shenanigans he had done before her and with her would this be the one to tick her off. Macradon merely watched with a shocked face at his friend, a shocked and hurt face “Yeouch.” he calmly said after hearing some words where trash was the only thing he could pick up from the mumbling.

He shook his head quietly and just calmly walked into the cave this time to join the battle “Let’s go, Baldur” he said and waved his hand at the Gaijin Samurai. Cordelia was the first to engage upon the hellhounds, and she also had a holy blade like Macradon had, it was quite intriguing to watch someone else with the holy enhancement from time to time. He sighed heavily by what seemed like Mari’s disapproving and disappointed look “Oh well.” he muttered and tried to ignore that to focus on what was at hand now. Next up to engage was Mari, she jumped straight into the fight like usual but unfortunately was not able to land a proper hit on any of the hellhounds, she even tumbled off from the attack. 

“S**t!” Macradon exclaimed as he rushed in with his Charge skill, and with a reckless attack quickly jumped into action. With multiple wide sweeps Macradon cleaved into two of the hellhounds, his blade shining a bright holy light like Cordelia’s had done, but the Blade of the Dictator shined in a much more intense light. Not only did the blade light up, but it seemed to tear into one of the hellhounds more than the other, the attack seemingly ripping through its digital for like it was a 1000 degree knife through room temperature butter. After the attack had finished and two of the hellhounds hands been shattered into crystals, Macradon would quickly step in between Mari and the remaining hellhound “Are you ok?” he asked Mari over his shoulder while trying to give a hand down to her so she could get back up "Utilize me as a meat shield, like I said I would be." he said to her, trying to keep her safe.

@Baldur @Cordelia @Mari

Spoiler

                                    Attack 1:(19+5+12+2)x12-(45/2) = 398 Damage to Infernal Hellhound 1
                                    Attack 2:(19+5)x12-45 = 288 Damage to Infernal Hellhound 2
                                    Attack 3: Miss.

ID: 137185
CD: 9 -> Recovery Proc

[-/-/1] Cordelia: HP: 895/920 | EN: 72/90 | 14 DMG | 12 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | 2 REC | 4 HLY
[-/-/0] Baldur: ???
[-/-/1] Macradon: HP: 1765/1765 | EN: 179/187 | 19 DMG | 152 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | PHASE | 12 HLY | 6 REC | 88 BH | 36 FRTHRN | FIREPROOF (-25)(-25)(+88)(-14)(+6)
[-/-/0] Mari:   HP: 1090  | EN: 104/106  | 11 DAM  | EVA 3 | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | FLAME AURA 2

Infernal Hell Hound #1: HP: 0/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 
Infernal Hell Hound #2: HP: 0/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 
Infernal Hell Hound #2: HP: 283/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 

[Baldur 0]

Baldur was slightly started from his intimate connection with his longtime comrade when Mari suddenly came up and pushed Mac, calling him trash. His chestnut eyebrows climbed up his forehead in surprise as he looked at Mac, to make sure the ruggedly handsome man was ok. Then Baldur realized that Cordelia had charged ahead into a cave to confront the Infernal doggos and Mari was hot on her heels.

I thought Macradon was with another girl. Are he and Mari a thing now? Perhaps that's what caused the seemingly out of place eruption.

Mac sped off to back them up, but Baldur took his time walking further into the cave. He figured if he let Mac swoop in and be the hero, than maybe that would go to repairing the budding romance between Mac and Mari.

I could call them M&M.

With a slight smile on his face, Baldur turned the corner and saw a scene of chaos. Cordelia was berating her sword, Mari had crashed into the ground, and Macradon had managed to finish off 2 of the 3 doggos, as Baldur just barely witnessed them shatter into shards of light.

The last of the dread puppers turned to cast an infernal glance towards Cordelia and Baldur's hackles raised. Cord was his kohai, he had brought her here, and it was his responsibility to watch out for her. Who knew how much damage these things could do, but he wasn't about to let one hurt her.

"Cord, watch out."

Baldur stepped out into the chamber where it opened out to give them all more room to fight, and he let out the breath he had been holding, causing the world around him to seem to slow down and stop suddenly.

In a moment, Baldur's oceanic eyes turned to steel as they took in the terrain of the room, the position of his friends, and the position of the <<Infernal Hell Hound.>> Instantly he gauged the distance between the two of them, and the range he need to activate <<charge>> and his <<San Ge>> sword art. The temperature of the cave would be enough to harm anyone who didn't have the <<survival>> skill, but even with it, it brought sweat to Baldur's brow. As he focused his eyes on his target, the red cursor appeared above it, and with a the smooth, precise practice of someone who had done this thousands of times, Baldur slid into the stance required to charge his most powerful sword art.

Once the system took over, everything snapped back into pace. There was a streak of light, the color of sunset from Baldur's armor, the blue of his haori, and the pure, clean white light of his sword as it painted the air between where he stood, and a few feet behind the <<Infernal Hell Hound>>. But when the wave of colors coalesced into the form of Baldur, his sword was already back in its sheath, and the creature behind him which had been his quarry shattered like glass as the sound echoed through the room. The hoari, as if buffeted by an invisible breeze, blew back around Baldur as his sudden deceleration caused it to want to keep blowing past him.

The wanna-be samurai turned back to face the group, brushing stray strands of his chestnut hair off of his face, and smiled at them.

"I think you've got a chance to take your potion now if you want, Mari."

---

ID# 137334 BD: 4+7=hit
San Ge: 23+5(charge)=28x15= 420 DMG - 45 MIT = 375 DMG Dealt

[-/-/-] Cordelia: HP: 895/920 | EN: 72/90 | 14 DMG | 12 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | 2 REC | 4 HLY
[-/-/-] Baldur: HP: 1305/1330 | EN: 119/130 | 23WF/26MM DMG | 7WF/6MM ACC | EVA 2 | MIT 79 | BH 53 | -12 EN, +1 EN, -25 DMG (thorns)
[-/-/-] Macradon: HP: 1765/1765 | EN: 179/187 | 19 DMG | 152 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | PHASE | 12 HLY | 6 REC | 88 BH | 36 FRTHRN | FIREPROOF 
[-/-/-] Mari:   HP: 1090  | EN: 104/106  | 11 DAM  | EVA 3 | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | FLAME AURA 2

Infernal Hell Hound #1: HP: 0/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 
Infernal Hell Hound #2: HP: 0/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 
Infernal Hell Hound #2: HP: 0/350 | DMG: 125 | Flame Aura: 45 MIT/25 Thorns | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 

Edited March 8, 2020 by Baldur

[Mari 1]

"No..." Mari said quietly as she took Macradon's hand and used it to help lift her up. The front of her clothing was covered in dirt. Her cheeks still stained red from everything that had transpired - radiating a heat that betrayed emotions she tried so hard to shove deep down below. "I'm a little hurt - but..." Her voice wavered, she was trying to be strong in this moment. She wanted to push down that pain she felt, she couldn’t...wouldn’t allow herself to cry here. Her feelings didn’t matter. She didn’t matter.

Mari shut her eyes and sighed. She felt silly admitting it. That she shouldn't be feeling upset over the situation. She shouldn't take anything for granted, and the fact that people were here with here...really should be enough. "I wanted this to go well. I wanted to prove that I was capable of planning a small raid. I wanted to show you that I'd be a semi decent teacher - and I..." Mari scratched the back of her head, feeling more and more foolish the more she spoke. "I felt like no one was listening to me - even after I tried to take control of the situation. Mari bit her lip, then stepped in closer. "Seeing you two act like that made me mad, and...for what its worth Macradon. I'm sorry for what I said back there."  Her words were barely above a whisper, and were only for him to hear. Finally, she gave Macradon a light slap on the back, her voice returning to a level where everyone could hear. “I told you I don’t want you to be my meat shield, just be my friend.”

It was then, that Baldur stepped in - Mari couldn’t help but turn her eyes toward him. His form eclipsed the sun - shadowed and silent as he entered the cave. Despite the heat of the field he bought a strange coolness with his stride.

His Katana danced brilliantly, his grip on the hilt strong and the way he held it...It sliced through the air as even as an undaunted horizon with waves of Azure crashing down upon it as his Haori billowed up and around him. He looked…

Stunning

There were no other words to describe it. Nor him. In those brief moments, in that deathly precision, he looked stunning.

"I think you've got a chance to take your potion now if you want, Mari."

Mari blinked. She wasn’t sure what to say. She opened her mouth to reply. A catty reply, a sarcastic one. A compliment. Anything. But nothing came out. She felt the heat of the floor more than ever in that moment. A kind of blush that bared all that Mari was as red drowned out the freckles in her face - bearing her soul for all to see. It was in that brief moment, Mari realized why she was mad earlier. She thought this idiot of a samurai was hot.

A crush...it was such an infantile word in a way, crushes weren’t what adults were supposed to have. It was meant to happen in the schoolyard between teens and children. It was meant to be carefree and innocent. But, was what Mari felt that? Her blood boiled when she thought of Macradon and him flirting together, and she felt like she had swallowed butterflies. Her heart pounded, roaring like a mighty beast.

No.

No. No. No. No. This wasn’t happening. Nope. Nope. Macradon liked him. Mari wasn’t  going to do this to her friend. And it was very clear that Baldur had some sort of attraction to Macradon. There was simply no faking such intense feelings of passion that had clearly travelled between the two.

Mari reached out to Macradon with a shaking hand. It hurt, and it was stupid that she did. Because she didn’t know Baldur, not well, not really. “You have my support.” Mari said quietly as she pushed Macradon toward Baldur, with just enough force that the white haired man would fall into the samurai.

There.

He was within arms reach of the Samurai. She would be alone again, as things should be.

Mari turned her eyes to Cordellia. “Guess you showed some of that famous Luck Baldur was talking about.” Mari said with a small smile. “Shall we go ahead and find that Cerberus, give those two a moment alone?” Mari asked as she jutted a thumb out toward the men behind them. “I’m not sure I really wanna see what they’ll get up to.”

And with that, Mari grabbed Cordellia's hand and gently tugged it forward - leading the white haired woman further into the cave. "If we go down far enough, we might get to the opening on the other side and find the big ass dog we're meant to kill. I just hope I don't get slobbered on." Mari didn't say anything. But she took great solice in Cordellia, to be able to have her here - to be able to hold anothers hand tight to stop her own from shaking... If Mari were good with words, and boy howdy she was not she'd thank her companion for keeping a level head, for drawing the attention to the matter at hand - and for being able to hold strong in a fight. "You were really something back there too, yanno." Mari said. Yeh, a compliment. That would work.

@Cordelia @Macradon @Baldur

Edited March 8, 2020 by Mari