[PP-20] <<Pouncing Puma>> w/ Oscar

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia, still not over the fact that she had done jack [doo-doo] for two of the quests in this stupid questline, ran her hand over her hair with a frown. She was happy that Oscar was dealing damage but come on-- it's not like she was completely useless. It's not like she had a bad weapon, or bad gear, or bad stats-- heck, her weapon was great to her. . !

But this questline. This stupid questline was just screwing her over at this point.

She sighed. Her ego was hurt. She was supposed to be ready for the big bad boss raid. . ! But how was she going to be that if she was constantly screwing up like this? Oscar wasn't going to save her ass every time. What if she were to suddenly go do a quest solo and he wasn't there to protect her. Gah, this made her head hurt even more.

@Oscar

Spoiler

[STATS:]

LVL: 52 | HP: 1060/1060 | EN: 140/140 | 19 DMG | 70 MIT | 6 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF]| 6 HLY | 2 [36] BRN

[INVENTORY:]

☆ T3 Katana | Onimaru: PHSE, 6 HLY, 2 [36] BRN
☆ T1 Light Armor | Bastille’s Resistance: +2 EVA, +1 PARA VNM
☆ T2 Jewelry | Empress' Kanzashi: +3 ACC

[BATTLE READY:]

☆ [5] Standard Healing Potions [Heals 50 HP]

[CONSUMED:]

Super Sight and Speed Shoyu Ramen: +2 ACC, +1 EVA
Super Armor Miso Ramen: +3 MIT [45]

[SKILLS:]

Non-combat:

Passive:

☆ R3 Fighter Familiar Skill: +9 DMG
☆ R3 Hiding Skills: +3 Stealth Rating
☆ R5 Light Armor Skill: 25 MIT
  > Athletics: +1 Base DMG, +20 HP
☆ Disguise: [Gain +1 EVA until the start of your next turn]
☆ Survival: [Increases out of combat health regeneration to (15 * Tier) per post. Grants immunity to most damage dealing environmental
attacks/effects.]

Combat:

☆ R3 Battle Healing

Weapon Skills:
☆ R1 Curved Sword Skill 
☆ R5 Katana Skill [+7 DMG/+1 BASE]
  > Ferocity: +1 DMG
  > Precision: +1 ACC
  > R2 Finesse: -2 EN to all SAs

[BUFFS:]

☆ RELAXED: Increases HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts
☆ ADVANCED TRAINING: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month.
☆ TASTY: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast.
☆ HARD-WORKING: +2 EXP per crafting attempt, +1 crafting attempt

 

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar - Lvl 53
1090 HP
106 Energy
4 Accuracy (+1 Precision +3 Food)
3 Evasion (+2 Food)
22 Base Damage - (1 Base +7 Skill +1 Ferocity +9 Familiar +1 Athletics +3 Potion)
151 Mitigation (+45 Food)
12 Fallen
2 Burn
Savvy
Vampiric (Defensive)

Equipment
Tesseleth’s Fury | Fallen, Fallen, Burn, Burn
Tactical Outfitting Mk.III | Vampiric (Defensive), Savvy, EVA
Mythril Greaves |  +81 MIT

Familiar
Leeroy & Jenkins - Familiar | +3*Tier DMG

Battle Ready Inventory
Teleportation Crystal
Empty Inventory Slot |
Empty Inventory Slot |
Empty Inventory Slot |
Empty Inventory Slot |
Empty Inventory Slot |

Buffs
Well-Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat.
Filling | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 slot.
Relaxed | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Col Stash | 5% Bonus Col from Monster kills and Chests
Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25%

Skills
2HBA | Rank 5: +8 Damage
Light Armor | Rank 5: +25 Damage Mitigation
Battle Healing | Rank 3: Recover 3% Max HP every round while in combat
Concentration | +1 to your BD (3 turn cooldown)
Survival | Heal 15*Tier HP when out of battle
Parry | 2-turn CD, 5 EN Half damage of next attack and remove Stun/Paralysis effects
Meditation | 3-turn CD. Recover an additional (5 * Tier) energy. Getting hit by an attack before the beginning of your next turn reduces the energy recovered to (3 * Tier).

Skill Mods
Ferocity                   | Increases Base Damage by 1
Athletics                  | Increases Base Damage by 1, Max HP by 10*tier
Precision                 | Increases Accuracy by 1
Justified Riposte      | Successful Parries Stun Opponent, 3 Turn CD

The Colossus had been a real son of a biznitch. Oscar could tell that between it and the Leech Lich that it had shaken Cordelia's confidence in herself. Luckily, Oscar had a gift for his girlfriend. It wouldn't undo the mental damage that the two bosses had dealt to her, but it might serve as a welcome distraction throughout all of this nonsense. They were so close to the end now. Two more quests. Then they would be able to say that they were the first people to ever complete this quest chain. That, in and of itself, was quite the achievement. And so Oscar stepped off of the platform onto Floor 20 and found his dear Cordelia a short distance away. With a bright smile, he approached her. As he walked, his hands deftly interacted with his menu. Once he was within three feet of her, the trade window popped up.

"Hey sweetheart, I got a present for you. I hope you like it."

FOCUSED DOG CONSUMED [+2 ACC -> +3 ACC FROM FILLING HOUSING BUFF)
EVASION DOG CONSUMED [+2 EVA]
DIAMOND-INFUSED HOT DOG CONSUMED [+45 MIT]
TITAN'S STRENGTH CONSUMED [+3 DMG]
<<LAKSHMI'S DEFIANCE>> [T3 LIGHT ARMOR - FROST AURA, MIT] transferred to Cordelia

[Cordelia 0]

"Out of all things, I can't believe I was expected to climb a giant rock mountain monster. I thought I've done it all. Fought a ghost, killed a witch. . ! But no. . ! Kayaba wants me to fight a giant mountain--" She paused, watching as a trade window pop up in front of her. Her eyes widened a fraction in surprise as she turned around at the sound of a familiar voice.

"I-- oh?" She blubbered, looking down back at the window again before she looked back up at him. She tilted her head curiously. "Er-- I hope I didn't miss anything. . . was today a special day?" She fretted, panic flowing into her face. "Did I forget to get you something?" She asked. I mean, it wasn't such a far off thought. It wouldn't be the first time she had forgotten something important.

She wracked through her brain for a possible answer. Valentine's Day? No, that was more than a month ago. Saint Patrick's Day? When is that? Do people give gifts on Saint Patrick's Day? What was even the date? 

[Oscar 0]

Oscar chuckled and shook his head. "No you didn't forget to get me anything. I just got something nice and I wanted to give it to you. Shouldn't need a special occasion to give my girl a present, no?" Oscar patted her on the head and then gently kissed her forehead. He didn't know why, but she always brought thoughts of snow to him. Perhaps it was because her presence mirrored the calm of freshly-fallen snow. Regardless of the reason, it was a rare item that could only benefit her now that she reached Tier 3 and the enemies were starting to hit harder. Case in point, he somehow doubted that the boss they were hunting today would be giving them love taps. If only it was a perfect item with an extra slot of Mitigation. It might work just a touch better than the current version. But hey, Essence of Steel existed so there was always a way to improve it. "You ready to go kick this next boss's ass?"

[Cordelia 0]

"Oh." Cordelia's cheeks redden as she looked away in embarrassment. "Now I feel bad for not giving you things," she mumbled childishly, rubbing her elbows before she accepted the trade. "Thank you," she said softly, checking her inventory to take a look at the item. Armor? She supposed it was smart-- she had no mitigation other than the ones provided from her Light Armor Skill. . . so it was probably the right time to get some armor than can last her a while in a battle. Her eyes widened in surprise. It even had a unique enhancement? She looked up at Oscar and blinked. Where did he even get this? Was it identified by a merchant? She was about to argue on why she couldn't keep such a thing but knowing Oscar, he wasn't going to take it back, even if she got on her knees and begged.

Quickly equipping the armor, she gave Oscar a thumbs up. "I better be kicking its ass or I'm going to personally kill the maker of this questline myself," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

---

Received: Lakshmi's Defiance: T3 Light Armor: FROST AURA, MIT
Equipped: Lakshmi's Defiance: T3 Light Armor: FROST AURA, MIT

LVL: 52 | HP: 1060/1060 | EN: 140/140 | 19 DMG | 115 MIT | 6 ACC | 3 EVA | 6 HLY | 2 [36] BRN | FRST AURA

[Oscar 0]

Oscar gave her a bright smile. The armor suited her perfectly. He was especially touched at how she went out of her way to wear it on this quest. Though, they didn't really know what to be prepared for. More mitigation was always a good thing in cases such as these. So off they went to go hunt down their prey. Four statues down, two to go and all that. Honestly, he really hoped that she could have the opportunity to carry him this time. He wasn't too fussed about falling on his face in front of her and it would probably do wonders for her self-esteem. They made their way out of town and off into the wilds. Apparently, due to the limited information, there weren't any markers to follow. All the quest text said was to find the abandoned ruins. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack. But he couldn't think of anyone else to go on this hunt with. It wasn't an exaggeration to call her his favorite person in all of Aincrad. Not even his bromance with Bahr was comparable. "So, any luck finding where we need to go?"

[Cordelia 0]

"It was supposed to be in some kind of temple place, right?" Cordelia looked around with a slight frown. It shouldn't be too far, right? "I'm sure we just have to looked around for a bit and then we'll definitely find it," she exclaimed. 

So she searched high, and then she searched low-- and she just basically searched everywhere. The whole terrain wasn't such a great place to be searching in general, really. Cordelia pursed her lips. Seriously, it was a temple. A temple. It must be pretty big, right? After looking around for a couple of minutes, Cordelia found a peculiar piece of stone that was definitely touch by the hands of a person, given its intricate carvings. "Oh," she looked over to Oscar and grinned. "I think I found something!" She exclaimed, following the stonework in a straight line. 

And there it was. The entrance to the 'temple'. Whatever was in there was beyond her. It was obviously worn down. Time and Mother Nature was not kind at all to this structure, and she can only imagine what the interior looked like. She sighed.

"Well, you ready?"

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

[1]Oscar 1090/1090 HP | 91/106 Energy | 22 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 151 MIT | SAVVY | 12 FLN | 36 BRN (BD8-10) | VMP - DEF
[0]Cordelia HP: 1060/1060 | EN: 140/140 | 19 DMG | 115 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 6 HLY | 2 [36] BRN | FRST AURA

Explode Catapult [x14] vs Suterusu ID: 138694 BD8+3-3 Deal 451 DMG Burn Activates

[BURNING]Suterusu 513/1000 HP | 250 DMG | 1 ACC | 3 EVA | 25 MIT

Players take a penalty of -1 ACC

Oscar headed into the abandoned structure. It seemed like an odd place for a wild creature to call home, but Oscar wasn't one to judge. After all, he was a humble hot dog man what lived in a literal palace. The ground was littered with rubble and the low light made it difficult to see. But eventually, the entry corridor opened up to a wide open space. There, off in the distance, rested a gorgeous panther. Its supple fur glinted in the weak light of the room. It had been dozing, but following their entry into its home, the creature slowly rose to its feet, stretching nonchalantly before prowling over to the two of them. This creature was different than the others. Kumatetsu had been just an angry bear. The Leech Lich was an aberation. Moretsuna was just a big fish. Colossus was just an asshole. But this creature. There was an air of nobility there. This wasn't the same as fighting a normal boss. No, this was tantamount to hunters clashing with one another. Only the one with the sharpest wits and blade would prevail.

Luckily, Oscar had a pretty damn sharp axe.

He rushed forward, bounding over the rubble. Tesseleth's Fury was at the ready and Oscar unleashed his Explode Catapult. Cloaked with black flames, the weapon slammed into the panther, sending it flying away. It rebounded, its fur ablaze and casting a macabre shadow as the creature struggled to douse the flames. "Cordelia! Go for an Iai. Let's finish this quickly!"

[Cordelia 0]

"On it!"

Don't miss. Don't miss. Don't miss. You better not miss!

She darted towards the noire feline. Cordelia raised her katana above her head before she brought it back down. On air. On nothing. 

She cursed and cursed and cursed herself to [no-no word]-ing oblivion. This was supposed to be a good quest. There wasn't any weird mechanics. No leeching ghost. No, it was supposed to be normal to a degree. Why, why couldn't she do it?

Was it the questline that was just throwing her off? What was it? She had never done this badly on previous quests, why was this suddenly happening when she was doing one with Oscar? She looked over back to Suterusu, who was already charging after Oscar, and even managed to land on a blow on him. She bit her lip. What was she doing wrong?

Her hands gripped around her katana until she felt a small sting. Why was she just letting this happen?

---

ID: 138695
BD: 2+6-4=4, Miss hahahahHHAHAHAHAHHAHA. IM GOING TO KMS

ID: 138696
BD: 8-2=6, Hit

[1]Oscar 991/1090 HP | 106/106 Energy | 22 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 151 MIT | SAVVY | 12 FLN | 36 BRN (BD8-10) | VMP - DEF -99 DMG
[0]Cordelia HP: 1060/1060 | EN: 140/140 | 19 DMG | 115 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 6 HLY | 2 [36] BRN | FRST AURA

[BURNING]Suterusu 513/1000 HP | 250 DMG | 1 ACC | 3 EVA | 25 MIT 

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

[1]Oscar 1088/1090 [+43][+54] HP | 90/106 Energy | 22 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 151 MIT | SAVVY | 12 FLN | 36 BRN (BD8-10) | VMP - DEF -99
[0]Cordelia HP: 1060/1060 | EN: 140/140 | 19 DMG | 115 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 6 HLY | 2 [36] BRN | FRST AURA

Explode Catapult [x14] vs Suterusu ID: 138697 BD3 Miss.
CD10 Vampiric activates. Restore 5% HP.

Suterusu 477/1000 HP | 250 DMG | 1 ACC | 3 EVA | 25 MIT 

Suterusu sank its fangs into Oscar's shoulder, taking around a tenth of his health bar from him. Oscar, for his part, looked positively bored. For good reason. First, Battle Healing kicked in. Then, his new Vampiric Enhancement activated - more than doubling his regeneration. Once he was done regenerating, he looked up to his health bar. It had barely moved. In fact, he had to look closer to his actual value to see that he had suffered damage at all. A whopping two points. He could barely hold back his laughter. He pushed the panther away from him and turned his attention to Cordelia. She was having a moment. The tension was palpable. He remembered how things were when he was wielding a katana. Tension was the enemy. Relaxed focus was the key. "Cordelia! Breathe. You're not going to hit anything if you don't relax. Don't get stuck inside your own head. That's just going to make it worse!"

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia blinked almost dumbfoundedly as she looked over to Oscar. Right. Relax. Breath. That can't be too hard, right? She did it everyday, right? Not hard at all!

She felt herself shudder before she calmed herself. Alright. She was okay! Perfectly fine. She let out a long exhale before she dashed back into the battle. She was going to hit. She wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that. 

She prepared another stun attack. Don't miss. Her katana raised above her head. Don't miss. Using all the force she could muster, Cordelia plunged the blade of her katana deep into the side of the black feline's body. 

At first, she wasn't sure how to feel, but then-- slowly but surely-- realization hit her. "I hit it," she whispered. "I hit it!" She exclaimed louder, jumping away from the thing as she looked over to Oscar. "I hit it!" She repeated again, a toothy grin plastered on her face as she thanked whatever was out there. Also, screw you, whatever was out there. 

---

ID: 138698
BD: 9, [+7 DMG] [+BURN] [+STUN] [PHASE PROC] 19+7=26x11= 286-12= 274

[1]Oscar 1088/1090 [+43][+54] HP | 92/106 Energy | 22 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 151 MIT | SAVVY | 12 FLN | 36 BRN (BD8-10) | VMP - DEF
[2]Cordelia HP: 1060/1060 | EN: 127/140 | 19 DMG | 115 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 6 HLY | 2 [36] BRN | FRST AURA -13

Suterusu 167/1000 HP | 250 DMG | 1 ACC | 3 EVA | 25 MIT [STUNNED] [BURN: -36 1/2] -274

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

[1]Oscar 1088/1090 [+43][+54] HP | 92/106 Energy | 22 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 151 MIT | SAVVY | 12 FLN | 36 BRN (BD8-10) | VMP - DEF
[2]Cordelia HP: 1060/1060 | EN: 127/140 | 19 DMG | 115 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 6 HLY | 2 [36] BRN | FRST AURA -13

Explode Catapult vs Suterusu ID: 138699 BD6 Deal 451 DMG

Suterusu 0/1000 HP | 250 DMG | 1 ACC | 3 EVA | 25 MIT

"There we go! Nice one!" His words of wisdom had apparently worked. Cordelia managed to land a stun on the sneaky panther. That would make it unable to benefit from its evasion properties on Oscar's follow-up. He rushed forward, raising his axe high to strike the prone beast. Tesseleth's Fury roared to life with an abyssal energy, its Fallen properties activating on this final blow. As Explode Catapult carried his weapon through the creature's neck, there was a brief pause. Their eyes locked. Suterusu blinked, slowly. It was as if the noble hunter were accepting its fate and commending Oscar and Cordelia on their mastery. Then, his form began to crack and splinter before shattering. The shard scattered on the wind and Oscar put away his weapon. The fifth boss had been slain. Now, there was only one more left to bring down.

[Cordelia 0]

As she watched the black cat slowly fade out of existence, Cordelia exhaled, her composure relaxing as she lowered her sword. It wasn't much but she had managed to do something this fight. It was still a huge step up from the other two quests that she had done with Oscar, thank God. 

"Thank God. Just one more to go!" She exclaimed tiredly, sheathing her katana as she gave Oscar a thumbs up. "I actually did something for once," she chuckled nervously, toying with her fingers. "So I wasn't totally useless this time around. Thanks for that, by the way." She flashed him a smile. She wasn't sure what would've happened if he wasn't here beside her during this fight. Maybe she would've gone on a total frenzy.

She honestly wasn't sure what she would do if she had done nothing again. Maybe go shove her katana down another puma's throat. She would be absolutely livid, that's for damn sure. 

[Oscar 0]

"Of course. Sometimes freaking out is the worst thing you can do. I find that it really inhibits accuracy. Nowadays, I mostly just swing and wind up hitting something. But you need precision and focus with the Katana." Oscar shoved his hands into his pockets and gestured towards the exit with his elbow. "We should probably get going. Don't wanna be here when that thing respawns." He began to whistle a tune as he headed for the exit. He had to step over fallen brickwork and pillars every other step, but he really didn't mind. Right now, they only had one more boss that they needed to bring down. No sense making that two more by being in Suterusu's aggro range when he eventually respawned. "You did really well back there. In case you didn't notice, I missed a little bit there too. But your stun came in clutch there at the end."

[Cordelia 0]

"I guess all the stress from the past few quests got to me when I miss," she murmured, letting out a sigh. "I just didn't want to let you do all this work this time around."

Cordelia looked to the spot where the puma was slain one last time before she nodded her head. "Ah, right. That would be a wise idea." She followed after him, letting herself bask in the somewhat silence. There were closer to the end of this questline than she had realized. One more and they were done. It seemed reassuring. She wasn't sure how much longer she could spend collecting totems without being able to use them. 

She looked up at Oscar and gave him a crooked smile. "Thank you. . ." She mumbled softly, scratching the back of her head with a sheepish smile. "I hope one day I would be the one carrying you through a quest, though," she said abruptly. "I'm almost the same level as you, so it's going to happen soon, I swear!"

[Oscar 0]

"I'd much prefer that we both be on the same page when it comes to competence," Oscar said with a smile. "Right now, our little tag team is only operating at 50% efficiency. Could you imagine what we could do at 100 percent?" He draped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. "You know you don't owe me anything, right? I do the things I do because I want to. Not because I expect compensation." It was a heavy topic. She was coming into her own - which was something Oscar tried to have patience for. But at times, she came down on herself much too hard. There relationship wasn't a competition. At least, Oscar didn't see it as one. Even if it were, he would have already won the moment she decided to stand by him. Sure, a friendly rivalry between the two of them would keep them sharp in this game of death, but ultimately, their energy was much better spent uplifting one another in lieu of repaying any sort of debt they thought they owed.

They finally got clear of the abandoned temple. This prompted Oscar to stop and spin her around, a stern glint in his eye as he met her gaze. "Seriously Cordelia. This isn't a tit-for-tat situation. I don't want anything from you but you. Don't think ever think you're not enough for me. That you're not doing enough for me. You don't need to chase me. You just need to walk with me. You're worth more than numbers. Remember that." He cracked a wide grin and backed off, lacing his fingers behind his head. "We've had this talk so many times, Cord. I worry that there's something unresolved in play. Why don't you verbalize what's eating at you?"

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia leaned against him. "Yeah, I know," she mumbled quietly, sinking into her coat. She honestly couldn't explain her own behavior. . . it was just something she did unconsciously. She bit her lip. The feeling of being burden suddenly came to life in the pits of her stomach. 

She kicked around dirt with the tips of her boots, refusing to meet his gaze. "I don't know, Oscar." She heaved a sigh, covering her face in her hands. "I just-- I don't want to be the person who slows you down," she murmured. "I'm scared. This is the first time I've ever felt like this to anyone, and I don't want to lose it. Any day here could be our last and-- and. . ." she trailed off, uncovering her hands from her face. "What if one day, I-I screw up again like those other quests-- what if I screw up again and you're there?" She asked, looking up at him. "What if you're there and-- and I can't do anything when you. . ." she exhaled shakily, hugging herself as she shook her head. "I know you probably don't need my protection," she stammered, "but I just don't want to screw up everything I have. Being with you has been the happiest moments of my life and I don't know what I would do if it was my fault you're gone."

She gulped, shaking her head. "I don't know," she repeated. "I can't help but feel like a burden every time I screw up." She knew Oscar would disagree with this, and it just made it hurt even more. She couldn't stop feeling it. Even with all the reassurance he had been giving her, it still couldn't keep the thoughts away. She wasn't enough, not in her eyes at least. She wasn't sure if she was ever going to feel like she was. It was a feeling she cursed herself for.

[Oscar 0]

"Cordelia," Oscar began. "We both know that if I wind up getting killed, it's because I did something stupid. It's not going to be any fault of yours. Something I learned really early on is that you can't save everyone. Some people don't want to be saved. I don't know about you, but I'd rather die on my feet." This lesson had been hard to swallow when it came his time to learn it. It was an even harder lesson to teach. "You can't tell yourself 'I could have saved them' or 'I should have done this.' All you can do is the best you can in the moment. And sometimes, Cordelia? Your best isn't good enough. Trust me. I've been down that road. Telling myself I should have said or done something different after the fact. It never once helped anything. It just made me feel like crap."

As much as he would have liked for all of their conversations to be sunshine and rainbows, it was simply the nature of things that, sometimes, things got heavy. And there was nothing heavier than making sure she would be okay in the event of his untimely demise. "I don't plan on going anywhere. But the way I see it, this isn't any different than real life. I could just as easily get hit by a bus than I could let my health bar reach zero here. Whatever happens, happens. But if I die, you need to know that being with you has been the happiest time of my life and I love you for it."

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia leaned her forehead against his chest, taking it all in. "I think you'd refuse to die by bus, even if it did happen," she muttered after a few seconds of silence. She let out a long sigh. "Thank you. . . even if it feels like a brick to the face. I think I needed to hear it from you," she admitted quietly. Of course, being told that her best wasn't good enough didn't make her the most happiest person in the world, it was still something she needed to hear. She had come to terms that she wasn't perfect a long, long time ago. Having this conversation just seemed to solidify the idea. 

"Being with you has been the happiest time of my life, too," she murmured, wrapping her arms around him like he was a giant teddy bear. "Thank you," she croaked, burying her face into his coat, "thank you so much."

Cordelia wasn't sure what she would do if she had lost Oscar, or even anyone to this game. It had yet to ever happen to her, and it felt more like a curse than a blessing. She'd seen what grief can do to a person in SAO. As much as she told herself that she was stronger than that and that she would never fall into the hands of grief like that. . . she wasn't so sure anymore. 

"I love you too."

[Oscar 0]

"So you gotta promise me that even if something we to happen, you'll keep going. It won't be your fault. Unless you, you know, stab me in the throat. Don't really have any words of wisdom to impart on that one," Oscar said before sticking out his tongue playfully. When you got down to brass tacks, Oscar was a stubborn man. He had all the reason in the world to not do something so boneheaded as to get himself axed before everyone finally made it out of this game. He had his eye on the future, tumultuous as it may be. He would take that future on, come what may, with Cordelia by his side. After all, he had plenty of reason to see this through. Finally, he clapped his hands together and said with finality, "Alright, Cord. We've got one more of these standing in the way of us and finishing this quest chain. Let's go kick its ass."