[PP- F9 + 11] Into The Depths to Blow Off Steam <<Guardian of Fire>> (Lessa)

[Jomei 0]

With Lessa's affirmation that she would not vanish on him, as so many others had in the past, Jomei almost felt a warmth fill him. The smile he shone across to her was soft, genuine, and caring. "Good." he said, the gladness heard clearly in his voice, "Because, lately, there's not many people I can count on that are around anymore. Most either went off to do their own thing or.." A lump formed in his throat, cutting off his sentence and keeping that last word from slipping off of his tongue. The ginger gently gnawed on his lower lip as that beat of silence, that would have been plagued with a word that could knock most people in Aincrad down a notch. He continued, trying not to let that linger long, "So, if I'm being honest, you're probably one of the.. three of four people I can really count on right now. I don't know how I'd be if I had to scratch your name off that list too."

After dismissing himself to change into something more suitable for adventure, he returned to see Lessa just as ready as he was in his living space. A familiar, yet welcome sight, Lessa's combat gear had become, being what he would usually see her in. As the two began to make their way out, Jomei turned to his owl familiar, who sat perched in the corner of the common area. With a flap of her wings, Adere took flight and soared, closing the distance and landing on Jomei's shoulder. Locking the apartment door behind him as they left, the two walked the streets of Taft in the direction of the town square. Lessa made mention that her own companion was left at a nearby park, expressing how the canine companion simply despised doing anything other than stay in the house and sleep.. Sounded a bit like himself the past few weeks.. Though, excited to see its master, Riker came bounding up to the two, seeming to give quite a few townsfolk a bit of a scare in the process. 

---

<<Ninth Floor:  Knorlit Village>>

It had been so long since Jomei had been on this hell scape of a floor, that he had forgotten just how hot it was. Even with his Survival skill kicking in to give him a bit of protection against the elements, he still couldn't avoid breaking a sweat. Running the tip of his fingers along his brow to wipe a bead of sweat that was forming, he looked around at the hazy visage of the floor's main settlement. "Alright, we should probably start a party.. then you could share the quest with me. Unless we need to go pick it up." he scoffs as he scans the village again, "I feel like these quests change every once in awhile, giving a fresh face to it.. so I doubt its the same NPC that I grabbed it from the last time." 

[Lessa 1]

"Ahhh, yeah," Lessa drawled, flicking her wrist to summon her menu. She took a few seconds to locate the quest, and though her eyes continued to skim the description, her feet never stopped moving. "I don't actually see anything about picking up the quest, but that could just be because I've already done so. It does want us to gather some information though, just from the people in the area." Loosing a quick shrug, she added, "I'm not sure exactly what that entails. Just do a bunch of eavesdropping? Spy on some NPCs?"

Appearing to think better of it, Lessa simply strode up to the nearest NPC. "Hey," she greeted simply, accenting the word with a quick wave of her hand. "Can you tell us anything about the Cerberus or Inferno Cavern?"

The young man's eyes popped wide, and like a deer in the headlights, he simply stared back at Lessa. Then he whipped around, moved into a choppy run, and disappeared across the street.

Lessa let a long pause hang in the space the man had just occupied, before finally murmuring, "Okayyyy. I guess maybe I did it wrong? Does that break the quest or something? Because I-"

"Oh don't mind him." The sudden voice had Lessa whipping around herself, coming face to face with a tank of a woman. Beautiful, and also a little terrifying, the NPC gestured with a hand that could probably snap a man's neck. "Sorry about Ralf there. He's scared of everything, including Cerberus, the Inferno Cavern, and talking to people. Also talking. And people." The woman grinned, a gesture which Lessa matched; she liked this goddess immensely.

"You don't seem to have the same problem," the Guardian answered, and the NPC laughed.

"Not at all. Takes a hell of a lot to scare me. The name's Jaina. You two looking to take on Cerberus?"

Lessa nodded. "More or less. I figure you've beat us to him?"

Another laugh, and then, "Lucky for you, I haven't had the time." Jaina's eyes narrowed good-naturedly. "Doesn't mean I'm scared of him though."

"Of course not," Lessa assured her. "Can you tell us anything about him?"

Jaina shrugged her enormous shoulders, then pointed a finger. "Just that he's that direction. Bit of a walk up toward the volcano, but you shouldn't miss it if you keep to path." A gleam came into her hazel eyes as she said, "When you've beaten him, come back and fight me. Tell me which one of us is stronger?"

Though she knew dueling an NPC was out of the question, Lessa nodded. "Definitely."

[Jomei 0]

A simple hum in agreement as he nodded his head, the red-head followed along. The quest's parameters didn't seem to mention anything of a select person to speak with who would lay out the path and plan for the players to follow. No, it seemed they just needed to gather information on the Cerberus while wandering the town. Added a bit more of a natural feel to it, he supposed, and with the amount of NPC's wandering the streets at this hour, they should be able to find out what they need in no time.

That is.. if the first man that Lessa tried to talk to wasn't jittery and unwilling to speak of the Cerberus. A single brow raised over Jomei's eye, did the Cerberus cause that many issues for the townsfolk? He'd fought the beast before, at a lower level, so it wasn't out of the ordinary. A bystander spoke up, however, letting them know that they had simply made a wrong choice in conversation partners. Standing just off to the side of Lessa's shoulder, he looked across at the woman. She was large, with biceps like kegs.. could probably bench press Jomei if she wanted to. He simply listened as Lessa did the talking, looking back and forth between the women as they engaged in natural conversation... with suggested hints of flirtation mingled in. 

By the end of the two's mingling, they had received directions to the Cerberus' whereabouts, and Lessa had a date for a duel with an NPC. "Thanks a lot" the ginger smiled with a small bow from his shoulders and a two finger salute. "I'll make sure she get's back in one piece." he added, olive orbs shifting to Lessa with a playful wink. "Looks like its a bit of a walk to the volcano, we should probably get moving." his voice becoming a bit more business as he nodded to Lessa and began walking the path that lead across the flatlands. 

The gap in conversation placed a silence between the two that was problematic for the Irishman. Even with all of this exciting hellscape to look at, he could not stop his mind from wandering back to this past month. His eyes trailed to the path at his feet, his lips curling slightly into a frown. Stop it. He needed to just break the silence, say the first thing that comes to mind. Turning he chin towards Lessa, he spoke up, "If you don't mind me asking.. you said you and Bahr were still together. It seemed like things were going well.. but well." his shoulders rose and fell with a shrug, "Not sure if the unhappy feelings you spoke of earlier had to do with any of that." Dammit, why bring up depressing stuff like this again.. idiot. "Sorry, probably not my place to ask."

[Lessa 1]

A small bolt of electricity shot through Lessa as Jomei spoke Bahr's name. She wondered when that sensation would go away. She worried that it never would.

"It's fine," she answered him, though her tone suggested that was far from the truth. Even her body language betrayed the discomfort she felt as her shoulders hunched, and all trace of light left her eyes. The woman seemed to draw inward, collapsing in on herself. A long moment passed before she blew out a breath, then sucked in another. "Honestly, Jomei?" she began, in a voice that sounded a bit robotic even to her own ears, "I couldn't tell you. Not because I don't want to, but because I just don't know." 

Her gaze remained fixed on the path ahead, and though she skirted fallen rocks and deep holes, it was evident in the jerky motions that her mind had, again, traveled elsewhere. "It isn't like he went anywhere," she stated suddenly. "He didn't leave. I know where he is. It's just that he's not... here. If that makes sense." She lifted both hands, but realizing she had nothing to do with them, let them fall again. "I could message him. I could show up at his house, or his shop, or where he likes to train. And I have. But even when I do, he's just... not there. He's somewhere else. It's like he's constantly distracted, and even when I'm right in front of him, he's focused on other things." If she realized the irony of the situation, and the fact she did the same thing in that moment, she never showed it. Instead, she swallowed hard, then continued. "After a while, the shift starts to get to you, you know? Like you're just nagging them, and they're only talking to you out of some weird sense of obligation." Lessa winced as the words left her lips, as if hearing them spoken aloud caused her physical pain. "A part of it's probably my own mind leaping to worst case scenarios. Maybe even a big part of it is. But when you can't reach them anymore, and you can't find that spark, and you start using the 'good times' to justify holding on any longer..."

Her voice trailed, and for a while, the pair simply walked in silence. When she finally spoke again, Lessa seemed a bit steadier. "I know better than to make my entire life about someone else. I did that with Alkor, and it hurt us both in the end. I've learned my lesson. I wonder if that's why this caught me so off-guard. I told myself 'it's not a repeat of Alkor, so it's okay.' That it was healthy, and sustainable, and-" She choked out a harsh laugh. "Fate, even." Pausing to mull it over, Lessa amended, "Maybe it still was fate. I think he came into my life when I needed him to, and I'm grateful for that. But I figured it would last, because it just felt right. It was perfect. And then it just... wasn't. It wasn't anything." 

"He just slipped away from me." This time, when she lifted both her hands, she stared dumbly at them. "Right through my fingers. Even as I held on as tightly as I dared to." Her hands clenched into fists. "I don't think he did it on purpose, but god, it hurts like he did. It hurts like withdrawals from a drug I didn't even know I was taking. It just... fucking sucks."

[Jomei 0]

The question came off as sincere, truly. Jomei cared about Lessa's happiness and truly hoped that-- outside of everything she had told him was eating at her on the inside-- she had something to ground her. In this case that something was a someone. Not someone to rely on for her only source of happiness, just someone to add to it. To amplify it even. 

Either Jomei was blind to any hints she had dropped in her heavy hearted confession within his townhouse earlier, or this was a whole 'nother level to the pit of Lessa's despair. The answer she had given him was rather long winded, and he felt terrible that -what was originally just asking about her significant other- he had asked a question that brought her so much pain. He felt like his guts had been wrenched from his body just listening to the absent mindedness of Bahr, and he could only imagine the pain she felt herself. 

Words escaped him, his mind trying to piece together some semblance of what to say. Mouth agape and olive eyes scanning the path before them, as if the answer could be found written on some overturned stone. "Less, I.." he managed to get out through a breathy gasp, but she continued. The pain lingered in her voice, but it didn't feel like his question had knocked the air out of her with a sucker punch to the gut. 

"You could have just told me to mind my own business." he added with the smallest of scoffs, though trying to throw a bad joke in was probably not the best approach. The toe of his boot met a small rock, sending it tumbling across the path before rolling to a rough stop. "You don't deserve that. Not someone as amazing as you." he outwardly said, "I know you'd give up a lot for those you care about, so you deserve that back ten fold." Shoulders rose and fell sharply as he shrugged his shoulders, shoving fists into the oversized pockets of his jacket, "And, honestly, if no guy can give that to you.. then I don't think any guy deserves you." With a brow furrowed, confidence behind his voice, Jomei took a couple of steps to get ahead of Lessa before turning around and walking backwards, lowering his head at the neck slightly to meet her gaze. "If I may speak freely? Maybe the love you two shared was just meant for the time being.. maybe he was someone to be there when you needed it, but that time came to an end. And now, I believe, is the time for you." A hand rose from his pocket to point at the woman, emphasizing his point. "You told me earlier you needed to focus on what you love again, so I think its time for you to focus on that. Time to focus on you."  His arms stretched outwards and palms upwards in an emphasized gesture, "And who knows.. maybe someone else will come along who makes you happ- no, amplifies your happiness.. then if the time is right, you give love another chance." Jomei's backwards stride suddenly came to a halt as he stood at his full height just in front of Lessa, "But I'll be damned if I let someone treat you like you don't exist. You don't need that negativity in your life." 

[Lessa 1]

"And, honestly, if no guy can give that to you.. then I don't think any guy deserves you."

Excuses and explanations leapt to Lessa's lips, the need to defend him coming as a knee-jerk reaction. "Yeah, but I-" 

"If I may speak freely?"

Her mouth snapped shut, and a bit numbly, she nodded her confirmation. Of course, it didn't seem Jomei needed the go-ahead. He plunged into a rousing speech, those expressive emerald eyes alive with passion as they caught and held hers. Even as he lit a fire within her, she felt herself shiver beneath the intensity in his gaze. Even as he filled her head with words, darting like fish in an over-stocked tank, she realized she had nothing to say to him. When Jomei stopped suddenly, she drew up only a hair's breadth away from him. So many years had been spent as a larger-than-life figure in Aincrad - a person who could always be looked up to. Yet in that moment, the nine inches between them might have been a mile. He seemed to tower over her, bathing her in shadow, and making her feel remarkably small. Surprisingly, Lessa found solace in more than just the cool shade. There was something comforting in knowing, if only for a minute, she could be the small one. She could let him be the voice of reason. She could let him be strong. She could let herself be vulnerable.

Gauntleted hands rose to hide her face, and finally, the tears came. Like rain down a windowpane, they streaked across her flushed cheeks, then slipped away to leave tiny spots on the hard-packed earth. Her shoulders hunched, and though they rocked with each sob, Lessa made no sound. Distantly, she marveled at how good it felt to finally let go. And how few tears she actually had left to shed.

"I'm okay," she breathed after only a moment. Shifting, she snatched up the end of her blue cape, and used it to swipe at her damp face. Her red-rimmed eyes still swam with tears, but when she smiled at him, her relief was evident. "Yeah, I'm good. I just- needed a sec. To get it out. I didn't realize how much I needed to."

"And I didn't realize how much I needed to hear someone say all that."

[Jomei 0]

A geyser far off sent a stream of boiling steam into the air, distant, but the resounding hiss heard as though they were standing right over it. Swords clashed against a rock golem as players fought against a monster, Jomei could hear distinguish their voices as they called out battle strategies, yet their figures were nothing by small specks of color with how far away they battled from the two. All the sounds that this floor had to offer could be heard as a blanket of silence fell over Jomei and Lessa, his final words sticking to the humid air. 

The only sound that pierced the quiet was the shaking and shuddering of the blonde's metal pauldons as she began to cry. Her face hidden behind her hands, tears still slipping past and falling to the ground at her feet, a tiny sizzle as they immediately evaporated from the volcanic heat. The hardened expression Jomei had worn to get his message across cracked and softened as he released a pent-up breath through his nostrils. Part of him wanted to hug her, just wrap his arms around her and hold her tight to tell her that everything would be okay.. that she would be okay. He thought the better of it though, instead hooking his thumbs into the belt that hugged his waist. Lessa needed this, and Jomei didn't want to insert himself into her moment of clarity and relief. 

The smile that she shone up to him, though the deep pools of glistening blue still clung to tears, was contagious. Tilting his head slightly to meet her gaze, his lips pulled into a crooked smile. "Take all the time you need. I'm sorry it took until now for you to hear it.. But I promise you, things are going to start looking up for you. You've just got to let it." 

A quick peek over his shoulder, Jomei turned his attention towards the entrance to the towering volcano not too far off from where the two had stopped to water the earth. He looked back to Lessa one more time, "If you're still up for it, we should be able to get to the Cerberus in no time.. But if you're feeling like you might want to back out, I'll follow you."

[Lessa 1]

Lessa shook her head, blew out a hard breath, then rolled her shoulders. "Nope," she answered him. "I can do this. I'm ready. Focused. In the zone." With both hands, she mimicked the tunnel vision gesture she had made in his apartment. This time, however, it had a completely different meaning.

Her gaze shifted away from her companion, and she gazed up at the volcano that loomed overhead. "Looking up," she murmured, the sound barely audible over the clash of steel and roar of a distant enemy. He had promised her that things would look up, if only she let them. Let them? Had she been sabotaging herself all along? The months spent in Manderley, reading over old messages, and obsessively checking for new ones? She had grown addicted not to any substance, but to the memories of a time that had long since passed. Clinging like a drowning man to a quickly disintegrating chunk of ice wasn't doing her any favors.

Stepping up to Jomei, she hooked her arm through his, and gave it a gentle tug. She took her first real step toward the Inferno Cavern, and out of the hole she had dug for herself. "Let's go get a piece of the action, before whoever's there now clears everything out. Waiting for a boss to respawn is never fun."

Fortunately for the pair of them, the cave's guardians shimmered into existence the moment they approached. In fact, they had to leap apart to avoid the hellhounds spawning on top of them. "Crap," Lessa spat, dragging her sword from it's sheath. "I hate it when they do that."

Though she easily packed the firepower to dispense of all three hounds at once, Lessa opted instead to lash out at the closest one. No point in rushing the experience, right?

---

Lessa: 820/820 HP | 101/114 EN | 23 DMG | 112 MIT | 2 ACC | 41 BH | 8 HM | 8 HLY | 8 REC | 72 THRNS

Lessa attacks Hellhound A > [x12] ST-I (12 EN) > [x15] ST-I (14 EN) (ST Specialist) > [x15] ST-I (13 EN) (Well-Rested)
114-13 = 101 EN
203788 | BD: 8 - HIT
23*15= 345

Hellhound A: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG
Hellhound B: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG
Hellhound C: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG

[Jomei 0]

A hooked smirk added to his determined expression when he saw a bit of that spark come to life in Lessa's eyes once again. "Good. I was hoping you'd say that. Besides, I don't think the new friend you made in town would be too happy to hear we ditched the quest before even attempting it." 

With a half turn from Lessa, Jomei looked towards the entrance to the volcano. It had been some time since he had done any fighting, well before Telrenya had left. He was confident in his level that they would have no issue taking down the Cerberus and any other monsters that stood in the way.. he more so hoped he wouldn't make a fool out of himself. His attention turned back to the blonde as he felt an arm within his, beckoning him to push forward. Jomei grinned with a breathy chuckle, "Yeah, not sure if the Cerberus has the patience to wait for us to go through another heart to heart." 

They had only gotten a couple of meters closer to the rocky entrance of the mountain, before three, flaming figures sprang to life from a white flash. "Dammit." he said as he stumbled to the side a few steps away from Lessa, "Normally you see them coming.. wasn't expecting that." Lessa was quick to initiating combat with the three hellhounds. Brandishing her longsword, she made swift work of the first of the demons. Jomei was soon to follow, ripping the darkened blade of Nihilim's Wrath from its scabbard on his hip and dropped to a knee as one of the Hellhounds rushed at Jomei, leaping into the air with a gaping maw to rip and tear at his face. The moment Jomei's knee hit the ground, he thrust his rapier upwards, piercing through the underbelly of the hellhound, its body exploding into a snowfall of pixels.. vanishing just as quickly as it had appeared. 

ID 203789 | BD 8(+4) 
ST-1 = 12 x 23 = 276 

Lessa: 820/820 HP | 101/114 EN | 23 DMG | 112 MIT | 2 ACC | 41 BH | 8 HM | 8 HLY | 8 REC | 72 THRNS
Jomei:  820/820 HP | 110/120 EN | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 41 BH | 16 HLY B | 48 BLD | 8 FLN | 

Hellhound A: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG
Hellhound B: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG
Hellhound C: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG

[Lessa 1]

At his reference to Lessa's new friend, she couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I'd hate to let her down," she stated. "I'm entirely certain that woman could crush my skull with her thighs if I displeased her. Not saying it would be a bad way to go, but I'd rather not."

Perhaps sensing that his prey's mind was elsewhere, the third and final hellhound gave a hellish growl, his maw twisted into a gruesome snarl. Had she not just seen his two companions go down so easily, Lessa might have found the visual for more frightening. When the creature hunkered down and prepared to strike, she did the same. And as it sprang forward, claws shimmering in the bright sunlight, Lessa met it mid-air. Her sword pulsed once, a brilliant, blinding gold, before it slashed across the hellhound's side. 

Or, at least, that's what she thought would happen. 

The hound managed to get a foot between her blade and her body, and as it extended to its full length, it shoved the blade away. Claws like daggers skittered harmlessly against Lessa's heavy breastplate, but her gaze instinctively flicked to her health bar. Barely a sliver gone. Still not a comfy feeling, knowing something so low level could get past her that way.

"I swear," she began, rolling her shoulders, "I was just about to comment on how much easier these guys are to kill. And I managed to miss one." She blew out a hard breath, lips vibrating like a horse's, before she turned to Jomei. "You good finishing that asshole off?"

---

Lessa: 820/820 HP | 100/114 EN | 23 DMG | 112 MIT | 2 ACC | 41 BH | 8 HM | 8 HLY | 8 REC | 72 THRNS
Jomei:  820/820 HP | 110/120 EN | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 41 BH | 16 HLY B | 48 BLD | 8 FLN | 

Lessa uses ST-I | 203945 BD: 1 | MISS -2 EN

Hellhound A: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG
Hellhound B: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG
Hellhound C: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG | 203944 MD: 8 HIT | 50-112 = 1 DMG

[Jomei 0]

The resonating sound of claws raking against a metal surface shrieked through the air, drowning out other sounds of battle for a split moment. A quick shift of his kneeling stance and Jomei turned himself around to see how his companion was doing. Were it nerves, thoughts of their prior conversation, or just bad luck of the dice, Lessa had swung and missed her target, opening up herself for a quick counter attack from the Hellhound. 

Pushing the toe of his boot into the dirt, Jomei sprung up from a kneel and immediately took to a jog to close the distance between himself and Lessa. These canines proved to be more of a necessary nuisance, rather than any real threat to their well being. Sword in his right hand, Jomei brought the blade across his body and swiped it back in the opposite direction with a backhand cut. He had targeted the virtual tendons of the Hellhound's back leg, causing it to drop to the floor. Walking a couple of steps to close the distance entirely, nonchalantly twirling his blade in his hand before catching it in a reverse grip above his head, dropping the hammer down, and plunging the tip of his blade into the back of the downed beast to finish it off. 

His chin would tilt upwards to look forward at the blonde, slightly jerking his head to the side to toss a few loose strands of hair back into place as his lips hooked into a smirk. "If you wanted me to do all the hard work.. you could have just asked." 

As the third of the hellhounds fell, a nearby growl caught their attention. Atop a rocky surface about ten feet above them, another three hellhounds came into view, peering down at the two players. Vicious barks with licks of flame spewing from the corners of their toothy maws, they began to descend the rocky terrain, leaping from surface to surface before pouncing upon Jomei and Lessa. The first two charged at the ginger, who began to match their speed and retreat out of the way with a few backwards steps and hops. "Okay, now there's more of them!" Jomei shouted back over towards Lessa. 

Lessa: 819/820 HP | 100/114 EN | 23 DMG | 112 MIT | 2 ACC | 41 BH | 8 HM | 8 HLY | 8 REC | 72 THRNS
Jomei:  820/820 HP | 104/120 EN | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 41 BH | 16 HLY B | 48 BLD | 8 FLN | 

ID 203947 | D 7(+4) | ST-1: 23 x 12 = 276

Hellhound A: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG
Hellhound B: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG
Hellhound C: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG - 276
Hellhound D: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG | ID 903949 | BD 6 (-3) vs Jomei
Hellhound E: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG | ID 903949 | MD 4 (-3) vs Jomei
Hellhound F: 128/200 HP | 50 DMG | ID 903950 | MD 6 50(-112) = 1 DMG vs Lessa | Thorns 72

[Lessa 1]

"Hardy har har," she drawled, though she couldn't keep the smile from creeping onto her own lips. While the miss had been embarrassing, she recognized that she was not the first to ever whiff it, nor would she be the last. It was a game, after all, and sometimes she simply came up short. Jomei's good natured teasing also worked to lessen the blow. "I got the first one," she eventually replied. "I suppose I just wanted to see what kind of man you were, and if you could manage two of them." 

With a wink, she stepped between her companion and the three newcomers. As it always did, the need for redemption flared hot in her chest. She could handle looking like an idiot once, but twice? That was far less forgivable.

Apparently, her desire to prove herself proved useful. This time when her sword pulsed with energy, she felt the power blast all the way up her arm. This is gonna be a good one, she caught herself thinking as she exploded toward the first hellhound. It bared its fangs, tendrils of fire slipping out from beneath blackened gums. She bared her own, snarling at the enemy as she leaned into the attack. This time, she wouldn't let it get the upper hand. The creature had only just dropped to its haunches, collecting its energy to spring upward, when she brought the heavy blade down on its head. Her toned arms felt no impact as it slid like a knife through butter, and the creature burst into pixels.

Turning, she caught Jomei as he dodged the attacks of the other two. "Fancy footwork, twinkle toes."

---

Lessa: 819/820 HP | 89/114 EN | 23 DMG | 112 MIT | 2 ACC | 41 BH | 8 HM | 8 HLY | 8 REC | 72 THRNS
Jomei:  820/820 HP | 104/120 EN | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 41 BH | 16 HLY B | 48 BLD | 8 FLN | 

ID 203953 | BD 10 | ST-1: 25 x 15 = 375
EN: 100+1-14+2 (I totally forgot I had stamina)=89

Hellhound D: 0/200 HP | 50 DMG | ID 903949 
Hellhound E: 200/200 HP | 50 DMG | ID 903949 
Hellhound F: 128/200 HP | 50 DMG | ID 903950 

 

[Jomei 0]

As Lessa's blade came down atop the hellhound with an explosive attack that made her previous blunder seem like she was just toying with them, the ginger nearly lost his footing. Catching his heel on a crack in the ground. He stumbled backwards a couple of steps before righting himself. Jomei never doubted that Lessa was strong, probably stronger than he was with her use of a two handed weapon. But the way her blade cut through the canine like it was nothing but air caught him off guard, especially as the glass-like shards of data erupted out to either side with its demise. 

"Oh so we're trash talking now?" Jomei said through a chuckle, "I'd say I didn't think you had it in you.. but that's a lie. I just hadn't pushed your buttons enough to get it out." He had forgotten how much fun it was to fight alongside Lessa. How long had it been at this point, and was the last time they actually fought something together when they met to complete the Bandit camp quest? And on the same floor coincidentally. 

Jomei wore his brows low with a confident glare in his eyes as he sized up his opponent, the smile he wore upon his lips not faltering. Like drawing the string of a bow, Jomei pulled his wrist back along the side of his jaw, the tip of his saber pointing forward. The very end of his black sword glimmered in a golden light that began to climb up the blade like a small flame, imbuing his rapier with power. A single step forward and his blade traveled forth like a bullet rocketing from its chamber, colliding with the form of a Hellhound and immediately tearing its virtual form into two pieces.

"One more and we'll be even.. unless I snag it first." 

Lessa: 820/820 HP | 89/114 EN | 23 DMG | 112 MIT | 2 ACC | 41 BH | 8 HM | 8 HLY | 8 REC | 72 THRNS
Jomei:  820/820 HP | 98/120 EN | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 41 BH | 16 HLY B | 48 BLD | 8 FLN | 

ID 203961  | BD 9 | ST-1: 23(+1) x 12 = 288

Hellhound D: 0/200 HP | 50 DMG | 
Hellhound E: 0/200 HP | 50 DMG | 
Hellhound F: 128/200 HP | 50 DMG | ID 203961  | MD 7(-3) |

[Lessa 1]

I didn't think you had it in you.

Regret pricked at the back of her mind. Trash talk had been her second language before Aincrad, and she'd thrown insults around with the best of them. In fact, Alyssa had told many a young man to do wildly inappropriate things with their mothers in the heat of battle. So it seemed so foreign a concept that some people may not know that side of her. That they hadn't known her before this black cloud firmly affixed itself to the space above her head.

But that's a lie.

A small sigh of relief.

If Jomei could see through that mask she couldn't seem to take off, maybe there was hope for her yet.

"I have my moments," she informed him. "I've said some... shall we say, unladylike things. But only when I know the other person can handle it." She turned to wink over her shoulder as she approached the final hound. "Or if they're hitting on me or something."

Pausing long enough to run the final enemy through, she straightened, then turned back to her friend. "If nothing else, at least Aincrad proved, once and for all, that girls actually do play video games. Imagine if there were only guys here." With a dramatic shutter, she added, "Major sausage fest."

---

Lessa: 819/820 HP | 78/114 EN | 23 DMG | 112 MIT | 2 ACC | 41 BH | 8 HM | 8 HLY | 8 REC | 72 THRNS
Jomei:  820/820 HP | 98/120 EN | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 41 BH | 16 HLY B | 48 BLD | 8 FLN | 
 

ID 204013 | BD 9 | ST-1: 24 x 15 = 375
EN: 89+1-14+2 =89

Hellhound D: 0/200 HP | 50 DMG | 
Hellhound E: 0/200 HP | 50 DMG | 
Hellhound F: 0/200 HP | 50 DMG |

[Jomei 0]

Shoving the tip of his rapier into the dirt at his feet, he used the blade as a cane of sorts, resting the palms of his hands atop each other at the pommel. With a crooked smile on his face, he watched, confident in her abilities, as Lessa moved in towards the final Hellhound to take the kill. "Well.. I don't think I've given any indication of trying to hit on you.. so I'll take it you expect the former. But if you'd prefer I did, then I can try and think of something." he added with a sharp laugh. As expected, Lessa made quick, easy, work of the final canine, the beast letting out a yelp as the woman's blade pierced through one end and out the other. The two were left in peace for a moment, at least.. as peaceful as one could get within the confides of a volcano. 

Lessa made a point that SAO gave women a chance to shine in the spotlight of gaming, where it was normally a male dominated hobby. Girls always received a bad rep for being gamers, either trashed for not being good enough, or becoming prey for harassment. Aincrad really erased that misconception, and painted everyone in an equal light. "I don't even want to think about that." he said with a small laugh, pulling the tip of his rapier from the ground and loosely holding onto the handle before taking a few steps towards her to close the distance. "Pretty sure there's a good number of women here who would crush me at video games.. SAO included." Shifting his weight from one foot to another, he looked at Lessa with a cocked brow and matching smirk, "You're probably one of them, if I'm being honest. I'd definitely hate to be on the receiving end of that sword of yours." 

After taking a moment to take in the surroundings, he looked to Lessa once more. "Hey." his smile soft, warm. "I'm glad we decided to do this. If you hadn't come to check up on me, I'd probably still be sitting alone with my thoughts. And.. I'm happy if was you who showed up to help me get off my ass. So thanks." 

[Lessa 1]

"Maybe," Lessa replied, flashing him a grin as she plunged the tip of her massive blade into the ground. She leaned on it casually as she regarded the red-haired swordsman. "I was honestly a complete noob when I joined SAO. Now first person shooters, I was awesome at. Having to keep up with older brothers definitely improved my own skills, and more often than not, I beat them. I was decent at sporting games, too, and driving games. But all this stuff?" With one hand, the woman motioned to their surroundings. "Swords, and magic, and quests, and all that fancy stuff?" She blew out a hard breath that sent her bangs fluttering. "Not a chance. Honestly, Link, Henry, and Ben made fun of SAO when it was first advertised. That it was nerd stuff."

Though reflecting on her brothers stole some of the shine from her eyes, she continued. "But I think we all knew that the Nervegear tech was way too cool to pass up. So I snagged a bootleg copy to beat them in." She loosed a short laugh. "And look where it got me."

Realizing she'd ventured off on yet another tangent, Lessa's expression softened. "Yeah," she replied, "I'm glad we decided to do this, too. It, ah, played out a little differently than I had anticipated. I kind of figured you'd be the one crying on my shoulder, and not the other way around." A slight blush rose to her cheeks as she dropped her gaze. "But I'm glad you feel like I helped anyway."

[Jomei 0]

“Link, Henry, and Ben eh?” He repeated after her, “Don’t think you ever told me the names of your brothers.” A small hum, like an audible smile as hisnlios curved into a smile, “I’m learning more about you everytime we talk.” It was about time the two engaged in more personal conversation and allow their true lives, sealed tight behind the taboo floodgate, to trickle out. The two always  had a close friendship, despite not always being together much, and almost as old as SAO itself. 

“I never had any siblings.. one, tall redheaded kid was enough for my parents.” He ended up talking through a small laugh. “Never really had any experience with video games either, until my mom and I moved and I went to high school.” His head tilted towards Lessa with a wrinkled brow, “It was then that you dorky ginger you know today was born.”

“The friends I made in high school introduced me to fantasy games.. like Dungeons and Dragons or other video games. That really took my interest over shooters or sports games.” With a small nod of his head, he continued, “I suppose thats what prepared me most for Aincrad.”

His soft, emerald gaze turned towards Lessa once again. “Well, I wasn’t exactly expecting your company much at all, so I wasn’t prepared to talk much about everything anyway.” The smile he wore didn’t falter, and his eyes remained. “I’m just happy to have helped you. That itself was enough to make me smile.”

[Lessa 1]

“Yup,” Lessa confirmed, loosing a small sigh at the mention of them. “They’re my brothers. Triplets, actually, and older than me. I was the odd one out, but I did everything I could to be ‘one of the guys.’” Now she laughed softly, shaking her head. “I figure that’s why I’ve always been a little rough around the edges, and something of a tom-boy. I have no idea how to do my makeup right, or style my hair, or match my shoes to my shirt. But I dont shy away from hard work, and I like getting my hands dirty. Plus, my Call of Duty K:D is pretty impressive, which is what really matters, right?”

As Jomei began to fill in the blanks about his own family, Lessa found herself nodding along. “I guess you’re going to be the expert on all things fantasy, then,” she informed him. “DnD is so far out of my comfort zone. But I guess we’re kind of loving it now, aren’t we?” A smile quirked her lips as she added, “Though I’m not a dwarf, which is kind of too bad. I’d make a kick ass dwarf.”

When he explained that helping her was enough, Lessa felt herself to a little mushy. “That’s so sweet. You’re really sweet. Thank you.”

Even as the blush climbed her cheeks, she motioned to the cave. “Shall we? I think big baddy has probably respawned.”

[Jomei 0]

"If I'm being real with you." he began with a hooking smirk, "I couldn't tell you what a K-D is.. I don't think I've touched a Call of Duty game in my life. But I'll take your word for it, and pretend I'm super impressed." Jomei proceeded to lift his arms and bend at the waist in front of Lessa, mockingly bowing to her for her incredibly high K:D ratio... or was it supposed to be low? 

It seemed that, just as first person shooters were not Jomei's favorite type of game, the fantasy genre wasn't Lessa's forte. Though, as she said, they were pretty much living in a dungeons and dragons-esque world as it was. That was the entire reason Jomei felt the need to try this game, to step into the shoes of a character of his creation for real, rather than just theater of the mind based off of dice, papers, and miniatures. Of course, he wasn't this 'character' anymore.. he was himself.. and he was actually fighting for his life. 

A small laugh bubbled up as Lessa related herself to a Dwarf. "Hm" he thought on it, looking at the woman as if trying to determine if the 'dwarf' shirt she had put on fit right or not. "Beauty of an elf, heart of a dwarf. I like that." He drew the fingers of one hand down his chin, "Just missing the bushy beard." 

The two slowly returned back to the situation at hand from the conversational bubble they had temporarily drifted away within. The extreme heat that billowed out of the entrance to the volcano, where the Cerberus awaited melted a bit of Jomei's cheery disposition, but the smile kept strong. "Right. Lets do this." The craggy interior of the volcano was illuminated in orangish-red light given off by the streams of molten hot magma that poured into the cavern from an unknown source. The heat that emanated from every single surface around them hit Jomei like wave after wave of pure flames. The man grimaced as he wiped a puddle of sweat from his forehead, he was no fan of the heat.. especially to this extreme level.

Crawling forth from a cave wreathed in flames, embers licking at its black, scorched fur, The Cerberus made itself known to the two players. Each head bore its sharp teeth, molten lava pouring from the corners of its mouth, salivating as they looked at the two tasty morsels who entered its lair. A blazing fire, starting at the nape of its neck, and engulfing the entirety of its tail, matching the raging fury in the boss' eyes. Three roars sounded out in tandem, causing the ground around them to shake and quiver. 

"Might as well get this party started" Jomei said as he pulled his rapier from its scabbard once more, "I'd hate to make it a short one.. but I can't stand this godforsaken heat." Shooting off towards the side, Jomei made a wide arc towards the Cerberus, all six of its eyes turned towards the ginger as he took to the rocky wall and ran along it to obtain the higher ground against the large beast. Jomei would then kick off the wall, launching himself like a bolt from a ballista, his rapier piercing deep into one of the heads of the Cerberus. Jomei hit the ground with a roll, maneuvering himself to dodge out of the way of the snarling bites from the two remaining heads. "Your turn Lessa!" he would shout over to the blonde.

Name	Target	Attack	ID	BD/MD	Damage
Jomei	Head 1	ST-1	205937	6(+4) 10 FLN	23+8 x 12 = 372
Head 1	Jomei		205937	6	---
Head 2	Jomei		205938	7(-3)	Miss
Head 3	Jomei		205938	3(-3)	Miss

 

 

 

Relaxed | EN restored to full after 2 out of combat posts

Lessa: 820/820 HP | 104/114 EN | 23 DMG | 112 MIT | 2 ACC | 41 BH | 8 HM | 8 HLY | 8 REC | 72 THRNS -10 EN
Jomei:  820/820 HP | 120/120 EN | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 41 BH | 16 HLY B | 48 BLD | 8 FLN | 

Cerberus: 
Head 1: 0/200 HP | 40 DMG
Head 2: 200/200 HP | 40 DMG
Head 3: 200/200 HP | 40 DMG

Triple Threat | Each head functions as its own entity, with its own health bar.  <<Cerberus>> makes a separate attack per head still alive. 
Glowing Maw | The fiery jaws of the beast leave targets sundered. On MD 9-10, the Cerberus will ignore 50% (rounded up) of the target’s Mitigation and inflict Burn on them for two rounds dealing 10 unmitigated damage per turn.

[Lessa 1]

 

She grinned as he bowed, and of course, she replied in turn. With a flutter of her eyelashes and a practiced "princess wave," she let him shower her with praise. "Yes, yes, I know it may be overwhelming being in the company of such raw talent and immeasurable beauty," she crooned in a horrendous British accent. "But don't forget, I am a mere mortal. I bleed, just like you and all the other filthy casuals." Only when she'd dropped her hand again did the booming laugh escape her. "I'm glad you're impressed," Lessa told him, her usual Michiganian accent returning. "360NoScope and 420BlazeIt just complained about my being a girl, and said incredibly vulgar things about my mom."

Though the humor never left her eyes, her expression softened as Jomei likened her to various DnD races. At his mention of a beard, her gesture matched his, and she stroked invisible facial hair. "I'm sure there's a potion for that somewhere. And I've seen The Greatest Showman. Maybe a beard will make me a better singer. And by better singer, I mean a passable singer." Nodding toward her companion, she added, "For all the musical talent you have, I have absolutely none."

The pair strolled into the cave together, each step increasing the already oppressive heat. By the time they squared off against the flaming Cerberus, Lessa swore she could feel her face melting off. "Good lord," she muttered, blinking back beads of sweat as they dripped into her eyes. By the time Jomei dealt with the first head, and did some moaning of his own, Lessa had come to the same conclusion.

"Fine by me," she called back. "There are very few things I hate more than being sweaty. I'm definitely ready to be done here."

Done with so much, she thought as she strode toward Cerberus. His remaining two heads thrashed wildly, the vibrant flames reflected back in her steady blue eyes. Done with the moping, done with the depression, done with the doubt, the worry, the fear. Done with the sadness, and the attachment, and the longing. And the heat. She was just so fucking done.

The heads fell with wet thumps on the hard earth only seconds before they burst into pixels. Lessa hardly paused long enough to claim her loot before she turned back to Jomei.

"Let's head back and grab a cold shower." The words weren't even out of her lips before she sucked in a hard breath. "I mean, not together, obviously. Separate showers. If you want to. I'm not saying you have to shower or anything, so if you don't want to shower, that's cool too."

They were halfway back to town before she finally threw down her proverbial shovel and stopped digging herself any deeper.

---

Relaxed | EN restored to full after 2 out of combat posts

Lessa: 820/820 HP | 102/114 EN | 23 DMG | 112 MIT | 2 ACC | 41 BH | 8 HM | 8 HLY | 8 REC | 72 THRNS
Jomei:  811/820 HP | 120/120 EN | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 41 BH | 16 HLY B | 48 BLD | 8 FLN

Energy: 114-(11+4)+2(stamina)+1(bedroom) = 102

Cerberus: 
Head 1: 0/200 HP | 40 DMG
Head 2: 200/200 HP | 40 DMG | 206463 | BD: 10 | 25*11= 275
Head 3: 200/200 HP | 40 DMG | 206464 | BD: 10 | 25*11= 275

(WC to this point: 15,162)