[PP-F03] The Quest of Bull Men (Search for the Hoya)

[Xena 0]

Xena had been wandering the jungle like forest terrain of floor 3, after encountering a NPC to activate this quest who said he'd meet her at the location. her hood was down for once and it revealed two tiger like cat ears, down under her robe a tiger tail also existed waving slightly back and forth as she moved. In her hand a small black book could be seen, inside it was information on the quest, one she honestly shouldn't even be going towards, it was a labyrinth with which was said to house 2 minotaur's, supposedly a item meant for marrying another player could be obtained by this quest, which she wouldn't be willing to mention to anyone, She certainly listened closely too her surroundings, her eyes darting around. The entire area could be dangerous for all she knew. And her appearance certainly wouldn't help her, what was she thinking anyway. Sure she liked tigers but, cosplaying as a tiger girl? perhaps in another game, but in this one. She sighed to herself. "At least no ones around to see me like this..." As she followed a small hand written map she made, it was likely the closest she could get without having to fear any enemies, though she could hear the insistent rattling of snakes. She had already killed 4 of them as she walked through the forest, thankfully the blood didn't remain on her clawed gauntlets. "It should be coming up soon, perhaps ill have a chance to do this on my own, though... I wish Freyd were here to help..." She had stated that last part more quietly, Freyd likely wouldn't want her to go mentioning him so casually. Her boots broke a branch or two as she walked up towards what seemed like a stone building. "Looks like this is it." She had stated softly, with a small movement the book snapped shut, and shattered into particles returning into her inventory. "If the knowledge i have is correct the enemies inside shouldn't be too dangerous, a level 4 should be more then enough to handle it right?" She had continued talking to herself running a finger against the stone making a loud scraping noise, her clawed finger didn't even wear down from doing so. "Yeesh, i guess the entrance isn't here though."



Xena | HP: 80/80 | EN: 26/26 | DMG: 7 | MIT: 6 | LD: 3 | BLD: 12 | REC: 2

Spoiler

Xena,
Level: 4
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 80/80
EN: 26/26

Stats:
Damage: 7
Mitigation: 6
Loot Dice: 3
BLD: 12
REC: 2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Panther Claw's
Armor: Panther Cloth Armor
Misc: The Fierceness of Grass

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Claws R3

Active Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Addons:

Active Extra Skills:

Inactive Extra Skills:
Hiding R1

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions (50 HP) x3

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by Xena

[Raidou 1]

A gentle step through brush, the tall walls of tanned stone faintly visible through the clouds of white. Traveling seemingly aimless, and yet wasn't. Slowly bolstering stocks, preparing for the coming tides. He'd needed more than a few different parcels, and the grove near that labyrinth proved to be fruitful. The ripe taste of a strange mixture still muddied his mind, and the bitter crisp air helped to clear it up. The faint glow of blue that permeated that mist, piercing it like a knife.

This was his home, and in it, he could never be lost.

Soft murmurs in the distance play upon his ears. "Another?" Raidou remarks beneath belated breath. All too often, players staggered their ways into these halls, and found themselves on the receiving end of a bit more than they could chew. Raking blades on stone, a grinding as that shape sized up the walls looking for entry. "Yet another stray finding their barrings." The soft footfalls in grass, the opaque fade turning from one of a formless mass to one of color.

Cat ears?

A sharp cough, breaking his concentration on a pair of fuzz upon an orange colored hair. "The entrance is on the south side."

Consumed:
Poached Egg (Filled): +3 ACC

Raidou | HP: 980/980 | EN: 116/116 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 69 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 53 | LD: 9 | AA | V.D.: 107

Spoiler

Raidou, The Red Wanderer
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 87
HP: 980/980
EN: 116/116

Stats:
Damage: 23
Mitigation: 69
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 7
Battle Healing: 53
Loot Dice: 9
AA
V.D.: 107

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Auric Sunlight - Finality of Faith [T4/Demonic/2HSS] +3 Damage, AA
Armor: Red Wander's Resolve - Sympathy [T1/Demonic/Cloth] 2 Evasion, 2 Vampiric Defensive
Misc: Tactician's Gaze - Ogma [T1/Perfect/Trinket]: +3 Accuracy

Skills:
Straight Sword R5
Cloth Armor R5
Battle Healing R5
Howl
Searching R5
Fighting Spirit

Active Mods:
Detect
Athletics
Vengeful Riposte
Tracking
Justified Riposte

Addons:
Nimble
Ferocity
Precision
Focused Howl
Stamina
Reveal

Active Extra Skills:
Parry
Survival
Forgotten King’s Authority
Concentration

Housing Buffs:
Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
Squeaky Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Delicious: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed.
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 treasure chests
Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor []: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild:
Tanos Statue: +25 Mitigation for a thread.

 

[Astreya 0]

"No, c'mon!  It'll be fun I promise!" Astreya spoke as she walked alongside Nari, the two of them heading deeper into the Forest of Wavering Mist.  It seemed like Nari was a touch unsettled about it all, but Astreya didn't really seem to mind in the slightest.  She'd already handled this particular quest a handful of times already and so leading her new friend through it was not at all a problem for her.  "So like, look," she spoke, turning to walk backwards as she kept her eyes on Nari, the younger woman seeming to know enough where to go without need of any sort of eyes.  "This guy here wants us toylike, go beat up the Minotaur in this maze, y'know?  And they totally drop some cool trinkets if we do.  I'm, like, still using one!" she announced, rather a bit 'too proud' of the fact as she showed off the Hoya Amulet.

"But look, we like, go through, beat up the Minotaur, then go smack the other one around, call it a day.  Larbrook doesn't fight so you don't, like, need to worry about him. Just like come along with me, and we'll smash some minotaurs and call it a day!  It's a fun little quest!" she cheered, giving the woman a grin.  "Besides, what're friends for right?  Power leveling!"

Astreya Statblock

Spoiler

 

-Level 32
-HP: 700
-- 640(Base) + 60 (Iron Skin)
-NRG: 102
-- 82 (Base) + 20 (Energist)

-Base Damage: 15
-- 1(Base) + 7 (Weapon Skill) + 1 (Impetus) + 6 (Weapon)
-Mitigation: 104
-- 0(Base) + 35 (Armor Skill) + 15 (Iron Skin) + 54 (Armor)
-Regeneration: 5% (Currently 35)
-- 0(Base) + 5% (Battle Healing)
-Accuracy: 3
-- 0(Base) + 1 (Weapon) + 2 (Accessory)
-Thorns: 0
-- 0(Base)
-EN Recovery: 0
-Taunt: 1
--0(Base) + 1 (Fighting Spirit)

===
Gear:
Item name: Glacial Blade (ID# 202819)
Item type: 2H Straight Sword
Quality: T3 | Perfect 
Enhancement(s): [ACC][DMG][DMG]
Description: A two-handed blade with what appears to be a hilt wrapped around a growth of icy crystal.  A large central crystal comes from the center, with two smaller ones forming the guard. While it doesn't hold any Cold enhancements on its own, it nonetheless seems to give off a slight fog from the chilled blade.

Item name: Battle Dress Mk II (ID# 202878)
Item type: Heavy Armor
Quality: T3 | Perfect 
Enhancement(s): [MIT][MIT][MIT]
Description: Keeping in with the design of her previous armor, the heavy-yet-fashionable heavy plate keeps the young woman well-protected, allowing her to ignore blows from her opponents with ease!  

»Hoya of the West | Perfect T1 Trinket
[Accuracy II] - Add 2 onto your BD rolls (Cannot cause crits)
[Prosperity] - Gain +1 to the base multiplier when receiving col from killing an enemy.

 

 

[Xena 0]

Xena could hear the woods breath, it wasn't until she heard another voice talking though that her gaze turned towards the forest. She could rather easily hear the sound of boots against grass. As her eyes gazed around the terrain they actually seemed to dilate, until they finally came across the person they were looking for, another player. Well shit, thats the second time she got caught in the open by another player. Though they seemed to be more interested in telling her the way to go then attacking her. "South huh, alright then." Her gaze didn't leave him, this felt shifty, and she could tell that. "Well uh, what are you doing here, going after the quest too i assume?" She stated as she looked him over from the distance they were, red cloak. A sword and a few other things, she actually liked his cloak, it looked rather nice. But she wasn't about to comment on that quite yet, this could still be a foe, one she wasn't ready to handle what so ever. "Or are you out here gathering materials?" Another possibility as this area does have a few rare materials to its name. Her clawed gauntlets slowly moved to her hips holding them, she certainly wasn't threatening and she wasn't trying to be. In truth her attire made her look rather friendly, despite the foresty vibe it gave. "If you were doing the quest we could do it together." She stated rather simply, almost too friendly, in truth she believed friendliness was the only way she was gonna survive this.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari felt her eyes shifting across the forested area as Astreya led her onwards. The younger girl – who made a show of being comfortable and calm – seemed to be misreading Nari’s nerves, somehow thinking that the walk through the forest, or the quest itself, had Nari in edge.

Nari wouldn’t admit it aloud – not yet, at least, but it was something entirely – ‘Did she just say friend?’

Nari’s feet will come to a sudden stop as her mind processes the words the younger girls was spitting out at her. The tip of her nose, and the cheeks on her face turning a soft red colour.

“You… consider us friends?” Her voice will carry a soft hint of uncertainty, as if speaking it allowed will break away any chance of reality.

Hands fidgeting slightly, her shield will softly tap against her right thigh, the sword sheathed on her hip bouncing as it does so.

Remembering why they were here, Nari will force herself to continue walking again, pushing one foot in front of the other.

“I… don’t have many friends…” She realised how odd the statement must have sounded – she didn’t want to sound whiney or like she was upset about it, and quickly added, “But, that’s okay. It means those I do have are that much… closer…”

Her words trailed off as her flushed more. Her eyes shifted to glance at Astreya, trying to judge her resection to it all. ‘This is not going how I was hoping… she probably things I’m a fool…’

Nari Statblock

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 6 | HP: 120/120 | EN: 30/30 | DMG: 7 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0

Equipped Items

Spoiler

 

Wølf Fang Blade [One-Handed Straight Sword; Perfect] A hand and a half blade with a silver cross hilt, the blade itself is coloured a dark blood red that glimmers in the light. The hilt, wrapped in a black leather, is long enough for two hands to hold, with a small silver round pommel on its finishing end.

| Enhancement: Keen [2 Slot] | Effect: After a successful attack, gain +(1 per slot) BD. Keen expires once you exit combat. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit.)

| Enhancement: Bleed [1 Slot] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 deal (12 * Tier) unmitigated bleed damage each enemy turn for 2 turns. Bleed damage does not stack, but can be refreshed. The highest tier of Bleed damage overrides lower tier versions; cannot be overridden by lower-tier versions.

Frost of Defiance [Heavy/Plate Armour] Glittering with a hint of ice blue colour, this plate armour has a near-frozen appearance to it, as if ice rests on its surface at all times. Along its edge lines are a shifting ice blue and dark purple colouring, seemingly drifting in and out between the two colours with no clear path.

| Mitigation [2 Slots] | Effect:  Prevent (12 * Tier) damage from successful attacks against you.

Lanreth's Defender [Heater Shield] Black outline with a dark purple interior, red howling wolf painted in the centre.

| Enhancement: Thorns [1 Slot] | Effect: Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (9 * Tier) unmitigated damage to the attacking enemy. Only activates on damage dealing, melee attacks.

 

Battle-Ready Inventory

Spoiler

 

Arrowhead Brooch | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | Accuracy III

Music Box | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | LD III

 

 

Weapon Skills

Spoiler

Straight Sword Skill
Rank 5
Passive
Effect: +7 DMG

 

Armour Skills

Spoiler

Heavy Armor
Rank 2
Passive
Effect: MIT + 12. You can only benefit from one armour skill at a time (the respective armour type must be equipped). Your evasion is capped at 1 enhancement slot and you take -1 to Stealth Rating per rank.

 

Spoiler

Word Count: 254

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Stats

[Raidou 1]

Finding himself staring again out of his peripheral, feigning a glance at the large structure that dwarfed them both. Beginning to pass behind her and shuffling past. "Not quite, I live around here." Lifting aloft, the small glowing star causing the mists to disperse and reveal the ground beneath. He'd pass just in front of the mouth of that maze, as a blade pokes out the space. A sharp grinding and a blast sends a scattering of sand that obscures vision, a harsh grinding noise finds its way out of that dust cloud.

The sudden sound of an unsheathing blade. A flare of yellow light causes it become opaque. Another impact sends a spray of digital shards out in a wave. Raidou exhales and spins the blade, sliding it in the space behind his right shoulder, next to a second one. Catching the pillar fragment with that same hand, he adjusts a pair of glasses and leans forward. Plucking it up with a ginger index and thumb, he tosses it to the girl.

"That's one. Made this easy on us."

TECH-C [x16], -12 EN

ID:203476 | BD:9, CD: 6, CRIT+1 Using [x16] TECH-C vs. Govarron, the Western Hoya Minotaur Dealing 384 DMG, [Counter] Triggered!

Players:
[H: 3] Raidou | HP: 980/980 | EN: 104/116 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 69 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 53 | LD: 9 | AA | V.D.: 107
Xena | HP: 80/80 | EN: 26/26 | DMG: 7 | MIT: 6 | LD: 3 | BLD: 12 | REC: 2

Monster:
Govarron, the Western Hoya Minotaur | HP: 150/150 | DMG: 45 | EVA: 1

[Astreya 0]

As soon as the other woman spoke, Astreya felt like a light had turned on in her brain.  Ah-ha.  So that's what she was so nervous about.  Nari didn't even have to speak the rest of what was on her mind for Astreya to begin to deconstruct it down to its bare components.  The girl had already admitted to not being exceedingly sociable, and to have a great deal of difficulty when it came to such a thing.  That she used the online games as a way to be someone other than herself- it stood to reason that in the "real world" that they all came from that she might not have very many friends at all.  

Astreya couldn't help but to feel her heart hurt a little at that- being together, with people, was the only way that the dark-haired girl truly found happiness, and so to hear that someone else wasn't exactly often found with friends... that saddened her a bit.  Of course, none of that negativity appeared on her face- she kept that same, bright sunny smile that she always did as she looked back at the woman she'd dubbed 'friend.'  

Nari's words just confirmed what Astreya had already expected to hear and she couldn't help but to let that smile broaden slightly, even as Nari walked ahead before the spunky brunette hopped behind her, catching her in a hug.  "Well then that just makes me feel more special being one of them!" she spoke, before quickly releasing her and hopping on ahead, where the entrance to the labyrinth loomed, the girl peeking inside.  

"C'mon!  We're almost there!" Astreya called, seemingly not having any sense of shame or hesitation about such close, personal interaction in a very short amount of time.  Inwardly, she also presumed that would catch Nari a touch off-guard.  If the woman didn't have many friends, she was also likely starved for physical interaction- simulated or no.  She just wanted to help the other as much as she could- and to ensure that she was someone who stayed a friend to Astreya.

Search for Minotaur: 1/5

[Xena 0]

Xena watched the man walk up to and past her, her cat ears had twitched a tiny bit as her tail swayed to the side that was furthest from him. "Uh ahuh." She stated turning to follow him slowly pulling her hood up, she was mildly spooked by the man, jeez for being a broker she didn't know jack shit about the top tier items of the game. It all seemed so magical, and out of her reach that she didn't even understand it. "Well, what are yo-" As she said that Raidou decided to use a skill, and thus a minotaur suddenly just, existed. In truth it scared the shit out of her which was evident as she jumped back at least 6 feet, the heels of her boots digging into the ground as she made a panicked murmur. She had almost instinctively activated her hide ability. But by the time she did it seemed the minotaur was already dead. "C-could you like! I don't know warn me next time!" In truth it was like her hair was standing on end, that scared her half to death and it only lasted about 5 seconds. She caught something that was thrown at her which she looked at for about 5 seconds not knowing what the hell it was.

Edited February 9, 2022 by Xena

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her heart fluttered slightly as Astreya spoke about feeling special to be one of Nari’s friends – something she had a hard time agreeing with. ‘I’m sure I’ve heard-“

The words in her mind came to a sudden halt as Astreya called out from behind her, and Nari felt a tingling sensation in her mind just a split second before the girl wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.

The colour drained from Nari’s face as she felt the warm touch of the younger girl – her knees going weak and the sudden battle to hold up both of their weight. She felt, for a moment, as if she was going to buckle under her own weight – Astreya herself no burden to her, beyond the fact of being there.

‘I-this is not happening. It’s a dream. You’re dreaming.’ Raising a hand up, she smacked herself lightly on the cheek, confirming that she was not, in fact dreaming.

Determined not to make a fool of herself – or a scene, she still remembered that encounter with NIGHT – Nari willed her legs to stand and carry her, pushing onwards as the feeling of the girl around her seemed to hover over her.

Nari remained silent for a few moments, the weight of Astreya hanging from her before letting go still resting on her shoulders.

“Uhm… Astr-Iris? Do… do you know where we’re going…?” Her voice broke a little, touched by emotions she’d prefer not to describe aloud. “Because…I’ve really no idea…”

She cocked her head to the side, suddenly remembering that Yuki had likely been crushed on her shoulders beneath Astreya’s embrace – before spotting the small white fox trailing along behind them, an oddly judgmental look upon its tiny face.

Search for minotaur: 2/5

Spoiler

Word Count: 287

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Continuity

[Astreya 0]

Astreya didn't at all comment about the woman smacking herself on the cheek or even going completely stiff at the hug- that was pretty close to what Astreya had expected to happen.  She couldn't help but to feel tickled that the girl had reacted in such a way... it was nice, really.  Astreya herself really was a touchy, huggy person.  Physical contact was second-nature to her, and that allowed her to get this close to the violet-haired woman without seeming to feel any repercussions about doing so.  She just liked to have that contact... and honestly she'd kind of missed it here in the game.

At the call to her name, the brunette paused, turning slightly in a slight spin. "Um, like, mostly, yeah!" the girl agreed, beaming another one of her sunny smiles towards her friend.  "This is like, the third or fourth time I've been in here?  So it's a little weird but I'm pretty sure, it's like... this way..." she murmured as she turned, beginning to make her way down one of the hallways, pausing now and then to check on something on the walls themselves.

"There's actually like, sort of a pattern to it.  I noticed it the last time," she spoke, her tone carrying with it a playful tone.  "I think we just need to like... go this way a little further?" she murmured, before pausing as she examined one of the walls.  "So like, did you still wanna hang out after this too?  Get some xp and then- ooh, we can go check out Gaius' restaurant, or whatever?  That might be fun," the girl spoke, excited at the thought of the food.  "Or like, just hang out, if you wanna," she offered, trying not to be leading but spending another afternoon alone was not at the top of her list.

Search for Minotaur 3/5

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari watched the girl spinning along the path ahead of her, a slight smile coming to her lips – one that seemed to be simple…joy? Her eyes followed the graceful movements of her guide, listening as the girl continued to prattle on – something that would normally cause Nari a headache, but now seemed…enjoyable. She was wondering about the oddness of it all, how this single person was having such a positive effect on her when normally she would be driven away by something like this. It truly made Nari wonder if there was something more to it all…

"So like, did you still wanna hang out after this too?  Get some xp and then- ooh, we can go check out Gaius' restaurant, or whatever?  That might be fun," The words caught Nari by surprise, and she realised she had tuned out of the conversation for a moment, drawn back by the sudden request for continued companionship. "Or like, just hang out, if you wanna,"

“Yes! Absolutely!” Her voice shouted at once. Realising the excitement – and how odd it might sound, Nari continued a little more softly. “I mean, a restaurant sounds…that sounds really nice. Trying out different delicacies. And…Gaius…that was the one from the party, right? The one who claims to be the best cook?”

Nari felt her cheeks flush ever so slightly as her mind returned to the Christmas party. That had been…an experience, but at least it had introduced her to Astreya. She had no regrets about the whole experience, if that was the outcome.

“We can put his words to the test, and see if he’s just full of it.” Smiling devilishly at her words, she’ll watch as Astreya seems to go to and fro, checking walls for something that was clearly beyond Nari’s understanding at the time, but she made a mental note of anything that seemed to provide the girl an answer to the direction they needed to go.

‘I…could get used to this…’ Nari thought. A sudden, second thought occurred to her, and she quickly added a question before she could be overridden.

“Uhm…Astreya…I…I was wondering…do you normally play rearguard or…?” She let the question hang in the air, allowing the girl to fill in the blanks – she wasn’t knew to this, after all, so she must have an idea of what Nari was getting at…

Search for Minotaur 4/5

Spoiler

Word Count: 391

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth

[Astreya 0]

At the sudden (aggressive!) agreement from Nari, Astreya couldn't help but to grin, her expression taking on a look of genuine happiness.  "All right!  This'll be like, so much fun!" she agreed aloud, the young woman looking just to have some sort of friendship in the game with someone that she saw more than just once in awhile.  Melodie was like a groundhog and only came out once in awhile, and some of the other newbies she'd befriended had all-but gone back into hiding after a quest or two, feeling that it likely wasn't something they could keep up with.

For Astreya, of course, she couldn't blame them.  She'd been them.  She'd just kept hoping that the Front Liners would get her out of there... but eventually she had come to realize that it wasn't always going to be like that and that they would need more bodies to keep pushing forward.  Some people would get tired of it or... worse.  She couldn't let everyone else suffer because of her own fear.  Then there were those like Raidou and Freyd who were people she'd forged quick, strong ties with... but rarely saw.

"Yeah!  He was the really loud guy that like, had the playing cards!" the girl called, not minding her own voice echoing, it seemed.  "But I'm, like, really curious.  Because Blueberry's desserts were like, super good.  So if he taught her, it has to be good, right?"

She realized they were close to the minotaur and paused slightly, looking down the hallway.  She was about to alert her friend to that, when Nari had a sudden question, leading Astreya to blink, glancing back at her.  "Uhm...I don't normally, like, play games very often," she admitted with a grin.  "But like... in volleyball I play the setter- kind of like... a support-leader?" she spoke, not sure where the question was headed.  "I have all the armor here so I don't get hurt," she admitted with a small laugh.  "Why, what's up?  Our friend is right up here," she added, just so Nari wouldn't forget.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari glanced in the direction that Astreya had pointed, a sudden serious look coming over her face. She drew the sword that had been sheathed on her hip, letting it swing in her left hand, testing its balance. Her right arm pulled up her shield, and she felt herself naturally take her combative stance – the shield before her with the blade levelled horizontally across its top.

Suddenly remembering she wasn’t alone, she felt her eyes redden slightly, the embarrassment thankfully not reaching her face – likely due to the focus on it. Her heart had already calmed itself, settling into a slow, steady beat as she felt herself entering her combat mindset.

“I…don’t know what you normally do, but I’m used to being upfront and taking the hits…does that work for you…?” Nari knew that the girl was likely far stronger than she herself was, but it didn’t seem right to not offer the position, regardless of the difference in level between the two. ‘I will defend those whom I walk the path with, and in doing so, shall provide them the shelter to continue their own path forwards.’

From her feet, a suddenly flash of white raced up her body, settling comfortably onto her shoulders and training its beady black eyes on Astreya. Nari let her head tilt slightly, resting it against the winter fox’s form, her whispered words of comfort coming without hesitation from her lips. “Worry not Yuki, we’ll be fine. I’ll protect you, forever.”

Spoiler

Word Count: 247

 

[Astreya 0]

Post Action:
Concentration + ST-I vs Eastern Hoya 
Roll: #203847
BD: 2 + 3 + 1 = 6 (Hit thank everything) | 15 * 12 = 180 Damage | Defeated!
Received: Hoya of the East (Eva/Eva/Quality) - Given to Nari

--

As the young woman she had paired with had indicated that she was much more of a defender and tank than anything else, Astreya couldn't help but to grin slightly in response.  "Hey, me too!  Well, like, at least in here.  A few people at the start, like, told me to try and focus one way and I listened but I've always kind of been digging that sword-and-shield style," she spoke with a grin.  "It looks good on you- I'm gonna have to try it too!" she spoke with a nod and a grin, before she reached back, pulling the large weapon from her shoulders.

As soon as she held it in hand, the weapon itself seemed to cool the air around it, a slight fog coming from the weapon.  "I'm not, like, saying that you can't take the hits and try to defend me... but I like, took on this responsibility of defending all the new players.  That's like, why I'm always in the Town of Beginnings.  Lots of people are starting to like, take their first steps after realizing that the Front Liners can't do it alone.  I don't know if you know Freyd, or Raidou, but both of them were like... people that helped me realize what I'm going to do," she spoke as she stepped forward toward the darkness.

"Defender of the Meek and all that, you know?  Like, I'm not as cool or as awesome as some of the people...and maybe I won't be useful in raids... but I can help all the people that, like, want to get there, get there."  She took a step forward then as she lifted her blade, the frost starting to form around the blade as the Minotaur let out a roar of challenge- before Astreya's blade slashed downward in a singular, powerful stroke.

Data froze and tore from the creature's body at the blow, before it disintegrated, leaving just the charm behind.  Astreya gently took it, returning to her friend.  "So like, let me defend you, until you're strong enough to defend me, okay?" she asked, beaming the same sunny smile at Nari, even as the ice cold blade continued to give off its soft pall.

Astreya-
HP: 700/700 | DMG: 15 | MIT: 104 | ACC: 3 | BH: 35 | NRG: 92/102

Minotaur-
HP: 0/150

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari, her mind lost to the words “It looks good on you”, feels her entire face lighting up. Her sword and shield dip as her mouth opens, as if to speak – but the words seem lost to the air. As she stares, she suddenly realising that Astreya had continued talking, the words entirely lost to the sudden pounding in her ears.

Just as Nari was about to ask Astreya what the girl had said – Astreya lunged forward, her blade driving through the minotaur in one, fell swoop and striking the monster from existence.

"So like, let me defend you, until you're strong enough to defend me, okay?" Nari shook herself at the words, finally managing to bring herself back to reality in its entirety.

“I-I don’t think you need…what was that?” Her shock at the earlier words seemed suddenly engulfed by the shock at what she had just seen. Her mind was still catching up with it, it had all happened so fast. Her hand unconsciously took the proffered trinket as she waited for an answer from the girl.

‘I have a lot of catching up to do if I want to impress…’ The voice in her head carried a slight sarcastic tone, and Nari pushed it aside as she forced herself to listen to Astreya’s words.

Spoiler

Word Count: 217

 

[Astreya 0]

Astreya could tell that if anything else, Nari was lost in thought at the way the fight had gone.  Astreya didn't mind- she'd been perfectly in awe of the wicked potential that Freyd had unleashed more than once upon enemies, and even then what Krysta had done against a dragon, as well.  These people who were so much higher leveled than she was... there was a lot of power there that she didn't have.  And while she couldn't hope to contend with them, she'd still do as she said- defend the meek.

"Wait, I don't, like, need what?" the woman asked, tilting her head a little to the side in response to Nari's question.  The second part came right after it, and Astreya blinked as she turned, looking back toward the fallen foe.  "That?  That was, like, just one of my sword arts, y'know?" she spoke, beaming a smile at Nari.  "It'll, like, be totally something you can do too!" she cheered, before she reached down to grab ahold of Nari's wrist.  "C'mon!  there's another one that, like, drops the Accuracy buff that I've been using," she spoke, grinning as she began to all-but drag the other girl onward.

Astreya-
HP: 700/700 | DMG: 15 | MIT: 104 | ACC: 3 | BH: 35 | NRG: 96/102

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari let herself be pulled by the wrist, trailing behind trying to figure out exactly what had just happened – and how she would ever be able to catch up to someone like Astreya. She couldn’t imagine it – not like what she had just seen. She knew that she was a capable fighter herself, her time in Aikido had assured that, but she had never truly understood the power that could be found within Aincrad until this exact moment.

She knew that sword arts made a huge difference in combat – but she herself had always focused on the more defensive options. Her idea had been the focus on being able to take the hit, while providing slight counters to whittle down the opponent. But what she had just seen…that was something else entirely.

“Another one? Is it as easy to defeat as this one? If so…I wouldn’t mind watching you more.” It took a couple seconds before Nari realised what she had said, and she hastily added, “Watching you work with your sword! The swords arts!”

‘Smooth. You’re really something, just a…smooth.’ She sneered at the voice in her head, not willing to let it wear her down. Not here, not now.

Spoiler

Word Count: 201

 

[Raidou 1]

A slight twist of his wrist offers light into that maze, exposing the long narrows that would lead deeper. The Pillar fragment, held like fire in his hand, waving away the mist's obscurity. "If I could, I would have, I apologize for startling you." Spoken in a gentle and almost too low tone, like a rambling. The truth was, the thing undoubtedly picked up the sounds of metal on the walls and had moved to figure out the source. The girl seemed on edge, and most would be with a sudden crack of thunder after it being silent for so long. That red robe began to disappear into the confines of the maze, before it would stop and pivot. Swaying like a flag, a pair of mirrored lenses reflecting the light in his hands. "You'll have to collect the other half to complete it, that is what you were after, wasn't it?" Again, the nomad catches himself staring intently at a pair of ears, trying to decipher if they were real or not. A new thing to decode or understand.

[Xena 0]

As she walked the tail continued swaying side to side beneath her cloak. Almost unseeable due to said cloak, she held her clawed gauntlets softly against eachother in a crossed arm motion as she walked, she followed the man as he seemed to grasp this quest for more then she could currently. She simply had no idea what to do with it. "It's, it's fine. I apologize for getting so riled up, I'm kind of scared of other players outside of safe zones..." She spoke with truth to her words, her level was too low to enter dangerous area's at this point and yet she was still risking her life to try and get some progress in her EXP leveling and what not. "I, honestly I assume that's what I was after, there was supposed to be a NPC here but he seems to of not even spawned in, I've never even heard of such a bug before." Her cat ears twitched a tad as she turned her head, they certainly were a mystery for the time being. "I... just wanna get this done and leave, this place gives me the creeps..." She stated in a soft and innocent tone, she just didn't have the guts to be around players she didn't know right now. But then again, she didn't seem to mind this guy too much. 

[Astreya 0]

"Yeah!  There's another one.  He's, like, about the same, really.  They're kind of a matched set," the girl explained with a small grin, even as the quest giver that was with them wanted to take the item from Nari, Astreya didn't really give the NPC the ability to do so.  He had his own thing that he needed to do... but Astreya really didn't see the need to get that.  The trinkets were way more helpful and valuable anyway, so far as she was concerned.  

"But like, if you wanna watch, I can show you how to use the two-handed sword, if you wanna like, teach me how to use the sword and shield, y'know?" she asked, a smile beamed over at her friend.  "I don't really know how to, like, work that very well.  I feel like I'd have a lot more swinging power with, like, the weapon I've got.  It'll be, like, wild to change up my fighting style," she admitted with a small thought.

She paused slightly as she began to seek out the other minotaur, giving a small sound.  "But like, we can just practice together more!  I'd like to be able to, like, do a lot more of the defending thing.  I've just, like, sorta done it like a solo player for awhile.  None of the people, like, that I made friends with hung around to keep doing it.  And I feel bad asking the like, stronger players I know to hang out," she admitted with a small smile.

Astreya-
HP: 700/700 | DMG: 15 | MIT: 104 | ACC: 3 | BH: 35 | NRG: 100/102