[F10 - PP] The Undergarden | <<Nature's Treasure>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Lounging around in her estate, Nari was at a loss for what to do. Onóra was busy for the day, and most of her other friends had already stated they were off doing something or another of importance. She had considered heading out to visit Nemo’s little paradise again, but hadn’t wanted to go alone.

Bringing up her friends list, she scrolled until she found a name she hadn’t tried yet.

To: Astreya

From: Nari-Lanreth

Message: Hey! No idea if you have other plans today or what, but I recently heard that Nemo’s going to be around on floor ten. Did you want to try hitting up the garden and see what treasures we can find? Let me know, I’m free all day!... And maybe tomorrow too…

Quickly hitting the send button, she rolled back onto her bed, covering her face with her arm and closing her eyes as she waited for a response. ‘Come on Iris… I never thought I’d die of boredom in a game…’

Nari-Lanreth's Statblock

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 9 | HP: 720/720 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 3 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG]
Tier 4

Laurel Wreath (Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread).

Equipped Items

Länn Síonnäch Gheímhrídh [Tier 4; Polearm [One-handed Assault Spear]; Demonic] Standing at nearly 120 cm in length from tip to tip, this short spear contains a metallic-appearing shaft of shifting dark and light violet, twirling in a mesmerising pattern. The blade - connected by a metal collar of a blackness similar to a void - glints with an ice blue colouring, a shift of light violet visible in the surface at the right angle. Twin wrapped lengths of cord - a combination of ice blue and dark violet - hang from the metal collar, intertwining in a mesmerising pattern when in movement. Both sides of the blade, just above the collar, contain a curled white fox, the dark black eyes staring outwards.

| Enhancement: Paralyze [2 Slots] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 (1 slot) or natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 (2 slots) remove the enemy’s action on their next turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties.
| Enhancement: Accuracy [2 Slots] | Effect: Gain +(1 per slot) to the BD when attacking. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit.

Dark Fox's Reckoning [Tier 4; Heavy/Plate Armour] Forged to be shapely, this piece appears thinner than most pieces of heavy armour - leaving what appear to be openings towards the neckline, and the sides of the torso. Smaller shoulders leave limited protection towards the neck, but allow for greater movement. Coloured a dark violet, the edges of the piece outlined in a shifting soft silver, orange and red colour. Upon the chest's centre stands a white fox, slightly cured with fangs barred, black eyes staring out as if at the individual in front of the piece. 

| Enhancement: Recovery [1 Slot] | Effect: Before your post action, make a separate CD roll. On a natural CD7+, regain (1 per slot * Tier) additional energy. This CD roll may also apply to activating the effects of Vamp-Def.

| Enhancement: Heavy Momentum [1 Slot] | Effect: After an unsuccessful attack, gain +(1 per slot * Tier) base damage until your next successful attack, at which point this bonus is removed. Another unsuccessful attack will reactivate this enhancement. Must be using the Heavy Armor Skill for this enhancement to take effect. [For Area of Effect attacks: This effect only activates if you miss all enemies targeted by the attack.]

| Enhancement: Taunt [1 Slot] | Effect: +1 Hate generated from Howl, Focused Howl, and successful attacks.

Dark Fox's Retribution [Tier 4; Celtic Shield] Similar to a wall shield, this piece stands nearly 137cm tall, and nearly 76 cm wide - easily covering the form of a shorter individual. Tapered on the sides, the shield seems to bend inwards slightly on its edges, a perfect opening for an outwardly weapon to be levelled through. The top and bottom edges slightly bend inwards, giving the impression of a less than straight appearance. Coloured in a dark violet, with edges of dark forest green, a white fox, slightly cured with fangs barred is emblazoned on its centre, appearing as if ready to strike. 

| Enhancement: Recovery [1 Slot] | Effect: Before your post action, make a separate CD roll. On a natural CD7+, regain (1 per slot * Tier) additional energy. This CD roll may also apply to activating the effects of Vamp-Def.

| Enhancement: Thorns [2 Slots] | 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

Teleport Crystal {3}
Arrowhead Brooch | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | Accuracy III
Music Box | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | LD III
Starter Healing Potions {5} | Heals 50 HP
Blank Dungeon Map {4} | Tier 4
Immolation Potion {1} | Tier 4
Spyglass {3} | Use to reduce the number of posts required to search for a dungeon, familiar or field bosses by 5 posts. Effect lasts for one thread.

Inventory

T1 Uncommon Health Potions {5} | Heals 5% of Maximum HP
T1 Uncommon Damage Potion {1} | +1 DMG for an entire thread
T1 Uncommon Overhealth Potion {1} | Adds 5% of Maximum HP to users Maximum HP for a thread
T1 Rare Health Potions {1} | Heals 10% of Maximum HP
T1 Monkey Agility {2} | Evasion 1
Super-Duper Anti Snake Sauce (Salve) | Antidote 2
Pure Unadulterated Rage (Meals) | Mitigation 3

Combat Skills

Battle Healing
Rank 2
Passive
Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.

Weapon Skills

Polearm
Rank 5
Passive
Effect: +7 DMG

[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Stamina
Passive
Effect: Reduces EN of all attacks by 2.

[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Precision
Passive
Effect: Gain +1 ACC.

[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] <<Weapon Type>> Focus
Passive
Effect: Decreases minor critical threshold by 1. Also reduces DoT thresholds by 1. Players cannot use Focus and Ferocity at the same time for the same Weapon Type.

[Rank 5 Shift] TECH Specialist
Passive
Effect: For TECH Sword Arts, +4 to multipliers, +3 to EN cost. No other Shifts may be taken.

Sword Arts

[x12] ST-I (12 EN) | A single-target sword art.
[x15] ST-II (15 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.
[x20] ST-B (20 EN) | A devastating single-target sword art. Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll.
[x11] AOE-I (11 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.
[x14] AOE-II (14 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A powerful sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.
[x16] TECH-A (16 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.
[x16] TECH-B (15 EN) | DELAY | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Delay] on the enemy. [Delay] is a status condition that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn.
[x16] TECH-C (15 EN) | COUNTER | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, places [Counter] around the player. [Counter] reduces the final damage taken by its user by 25% (rounded down) for one turn.
[x16] TECH-D (15 EN) | SHATTER | A single-target sword art that applies [Shatter] to an enemy for 3 turns. [Shatter] is a debuff that can stack up to a cap of 3. Each stack of [Shatter] removes -20 MIT from an enemy, down to 0, if it has MIT. 
[x12] TECH-F (11 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE STUN | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. All struck targets are stunned for one turn.
[x3] RAW-A (10 EN) | THORNS | A single-target sword art that utilizes the [Thorns] of the individual against the enemy. Other types of enhancements that apply damage upon contact with the individual are also considered in improving the damage of this sword art (eg. Immolation Potion, Flame/Frost Aura, etc). Outgoing damage is considered mitigatable.  Must have a weapon equipped to activate this sword art.

Armour Skills

Heavy Armor
Rank 5
Passive
Effect: MIT + 35. 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.

[Rank 5 Heavy Armor Addon] Iron Skin
Effect: Gain +15 Mitigation and +15 * Tier HP

Extra Skills

Survival
Cost: Complete <<The Traveler>> with Unlock Conditions
Action: Passive
Effect: Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects.

Parry
Active: Post action
Energy cost: 9 EN
Cooldown: 3 Turns
Effect: Apply the energy cost upon proc, not activation. Reduces the final damage of the next successful attack against you by 50% (rounded down) and negates stun/paralysis effects of that attack. If hit by multiple attacks, only apply parry to the first attack against you. Parry lasts for three turns. Cooldown starts when the player activates the Skill. If the player is hit when using Parry, the cooldown is reset to 3 turns.

[Parry Mod] Vengeful Riposte
Passive
Cooldown: 4 Turns
Effect: A successful Parry also returns 50% (rounded down) of the raw damage that would be dealt to you back to your opponent. The reflected damage can be mitigated by the opponent.

Block [Requires two Extra Skill slots]
Passive
Effect: Requires an equipped shield. User’s evasion cannot be greater than 0 (can still be negative). Grants additional mitigation:
Rank 5: 25 MIT

Combat Mastery

Mitigation
[Expert] -> Rank 3
Passive
Effect: Gain +6*Tier Mitigation per rank. Ranks of this Skill apply to Mitigation enhancement caps.

Estate Buffs

Bedroom
Effect: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat

Storage Closet
Effect: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot

Spoiler

Word Count: 167

 

[Astreya 0]

Post Action- Foraging Roll
RollID: 204707
LD: 10 (Failure!  +4 Exp | 197/299)

Free Action- Hunting Familiar
RollID: 204708 | 384 x 3 = 1152 Col
LD: 20  | 384 x2 = 768 Col
CD: 4  | 384 x2 = 768 Col
Perfect Consumable (1)

--------

The girl shifted forward, the cool mist billowing from her weapon almost seeming to grow in power as she turned, whirling with a perfectly practiced pose as the weapon hurtled overhand in her attack, dropping down onto her foe, splitting the giant ant-like monster cleanly in half.  "Whew," she spoke as she took a few steps backward, the heavy two-handed blade finding its way back into the holster on her shoulder.  "Frosty, you can come back now," she called to the bird.

The frost vulture gave a caw letting her know that it was perfectly fine right where it was, preening itself, and Astreya rolled her eyes as she looked back around at the cavernous area around her.  Rolling her her shoulder out, she was about to keep hunting deeper into the area as she picked up the loot from the fallen mob, when a sudden message came through to her.

She blinked as she read it over.  Weird- she was on the tenth floor.

Quote

To: Nari-Lanreth
From: Astreya
Message: I'm already here!  I'll come back to the main town!  See you in a few!

She shook her head slightly as she glanced back at Frosty.  "Come on, you!" she called, beginning to head back toward Yomi, her bird friend in tow.

---------

Astreya Statblock:

Astreya

Spoiler

 

Level 32 / 11 | HP 740/740 | EN 106/106 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 122 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | LD: 1 | BH: 37 | Taunt: 1 | Prosperity: 1

Equipment:
Glacial Blade - T4 | [ACC][DMG][DMG]
Battle Dress MK III - T4 | [MIT][MIT][MIT]
Glacial Mantle - T4 | [HeavyMomentum][HeavyMomentum][Recovery]

Skills:
Weapon Skill (R5) | 7 Damage
Battle Healing (R5) | 5% (37 HP)
Heavy Armor (R5) | 35 Mitigation

Mods:
Impetus | +1 Damage

Combat Masteries:
Accuracy (R3) | [ACC][ACC][ACC]

Add-ons:
Ferocity | +2 Damage
Precision | +1 Accuracy
Stamina | -2 Energy Consumption
Iron Skin | +15 Mitigation | +60 HP

Extra:
Concentration | Gain AA for 1 Attack | CD: 5

Familiar:
Hunting Familiar | Roll LD/CD without bonuses as if looting a loot-min Mob | CD: 5

Profession:
Forager (R3)  - 193/299 EXP

Items:
Frosted Mantle | T4 Armor | [Thorns][Thorns][Taunt]

 

---------

Total Lewt-
Col: 2688
Perfect Consumable (1)

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari blinked as the message came in, immediately leaping out of the bed to read it. Her eyes quickly raced over it before she collected her few necessary possessions, before racing out the door and heading down the road towards the teleporter pad. She had to stop and turn around halfway there when she realised she’d accidentally left Yuki behind – and as she returned, she knew from the look on the fox’s face that no amount of treats was going to immediately resolve the damage she’d done.

“I’m sorry Yuki…I’m just…excited. Come on, I promise I’ll make it up to you…” Almost reluctantly, the fox climbed up her outstretched hand, settling into her shoulder with a chitter of discontent. Nari sighed inwardly, knowing that the fox wouldn’t let this go anytime soon.

She managed to make it to the teleporter pad without further incident, donning her armour and shield as she went. Her spear cradled into her arm, she stepped up and called out her destination, shutting her eyes as the blinding light surrounded her. When she opened them again, she found herself in a similar dark area – this one natural, the cave walls rising all around her.

“Alright, let’s find Iris…” Bringing up her menu, she prepared the message before sending it off.

Quote

 

To: Astreya

From: Nari-Lanreth

Message: Arrived on floor. Just in front of teleporter pad. How far out are you?

 

Spoiler

Word Count: 233

 

[Astreya 0]

Astreya gave a small sound as she got into the town, meandering toward the center, where the teleportation pad lay.  She'd made her way across the bridges into the main part of the town, and as she came back toward the main area.  Her gaze flickered around the area, curious on if Nari had gotten in here yet or not, but from what she could see, the violet-haired woman hadn't made her appearance yet, and she exhaled slowly, looking up toward Frosty on her shoulder.  The creature looked back at her as well, before letting out a caw, demanding the food from her.

"Ugh, fine," the girl responded, reaching into her inventory.  "Look, we don't have a lot left from Gaius' restaurant.  So if you want to have more, then we'll need to go back," she spoke, chastising the bird as she pulled the food out, letting the creature nibble on it, when the alert flashed across her screen.

To: Nari-Lanreth
From: Astreya
Message: Heyyy!  I'm heading toward the middle from the Eastern bridge.  I'll be there soon!

She sent the message and then glanced out to the central area, waiting for Frosty to finish snacking before she followed along the path leading toward the middle, and as she drew closer, she saw the visage of her violent compatriot and grinned, waving a hand in the air as the girl easily adopted the mask.

"Heyyyy!  Nari!" she called cheerfully as she came forward.  "What weird luck, right?  Like, I was here just messing around, looking for stuff," she spoke, beaming a smile at her. 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari saw the flashing image of Astreya almost immediately – even in the crowd, the girl somehow stuck out. At least, Nari felt like she stuck out. Smiling at her in return, she wandered over towards her, tucking her spear into her body as she went so as to avoid hitting anyone in the crowd with it.

“Hey Iris. Yeah, quite a coincidence…did you hear Nemo was around here too? One of my info…” She paused to let a few NPCs slide past, before continuing. “…well, someone I know told me that he was here. I’ve visited the gardens a few time – have you yet?”

She realised she was talking faster as the words tumbled out, and took a breath to calm herself. She was just excited to finally have something to do, but at the same time…she didn’t want to come across as if she was losing her cool.

“We should go find-“ Her words caught on her tongue as she glanced past Astreya’s form, spotting a familiar face. “Hey. That’s him…I swear it gets easier every time…”

She pointed to man standing out compared to most other NPCs, his outfit seemingly like something you’d find in the sunny vales of Aincrad, rather than the underground portions of this floor. Nari glanced at Astreya, before waving her onwards, waiting until she started walking before following in her stead.

Spoiler

Word Count: 228

 

[Astreya 0]

At the question from Nari, Iris was about to answer, but before she had a chance, the woman continued to just talk in a rapid-fire fashion and that was a little unexpected from the girl, at least as far as Astreya was concerned.  She wasn't really used to Nari starting to open up this much and she made mental notes to adjust how she needed to act around her.  "Nah, I didn't, like, have any idea he was here.  I just like.. kinda just happened to be here looking for some other stuff," she spoke, giving the girl a small grin.  "Just really sorta, like, wandering around, honestly."  

But as the girl looked past her, she turned to see Nemo as well, unable to help but to push a smile out at the NPC.  "Yeah!  Bismuth and I, like, went to check it out once.  After we found it once it totally seemed like I wouldn't run across him again.  So like, you've been there a few times?" she asked, tilting her head toward Nari as she was curious what the girl had been up to.

"Is it totally the same thing every time?  Like, the big garden and everything?  It is like, so cool!" she cheered, pumping her fists in excitement.  The garden had been quite beautiful and while things had been a little...rough near the end, she hoped that Nemo didn't have any hard feelings toward her.  "And there's so many cool things to like, loot there!"

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari glanced back as she walked towards Nemo, pondering the question about if the garden had been the same. She’d been there a few times – and most times the garden had been fairly similar…

“Uhm…I guess there’s sometimes some slight differences. I visited it on the fourth floor once, and it was entirely covered in a light dusting of snow. So many it takes some properties of the floor you originate from?” She really didn’t have much proof to go on – but maybe if today’s garden showed some differences, something similar to this floor – then maybe she could confirm that. “I guess we’ll just have to check and see if it looks different to anything we’ve seen previously and compare?”

As she approached Nemo she gave a slight tilt of her head, letting him run through his ramble before accepting the quest and letting the man lead them towards the entrance to his little paradise. “You are right though, there’s always something great to find there – I actually recently finished maxing out my Foraging skills, thanks to the garden…maybe I’ll find something extra special today!”

Spoiler

Word Count: 185

 

[Astreya 0]

Astreya gave a small nod in response to Nari's words- curious to see just what the changes might be within the questline.  She couldn't help but to wonder what the place would look like, especially given the the fact that things were very likely going to be quite different from when she had seen the first time with Bismuth ,and gave a small hum under her breath as she followed Nari over toward Nemo, who began to give the same sort of pitch that she'd heard the first time.  She glanced to the side, but as her friend noted that she'd recently maxed out her Foraging skill, Astreya turned her gaze onto the girl.

"Whaaaaat?  For real?  Like, mine's still rank three," the girl spoke, frowning slightly.  "But maybe I can, like, get mine maxed  out too!" she cheered in response to the girl's words, before she moved to follow along behind her, folding her hands behind her.  "So like...how have things gone for you?  Like...you've been leveling up so fast lately!  You take many breaks or like..." she continued, letting the question linger on as she was curious if her friend had really just been pushing nonstop... or if she was still taking time for herself.

"Or like, have you made any other friends too?" she asked, curious what Nari had been up to lately.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari flushed slightly at the girl’s surprise, and announcement that she was still at rank three in foraging. Nari had been there not too long ago, but she had been…pushing rather hard. The follow up questions were what Nari was expecting, and she shook her head slightly before speaking the words aloud.

“I uhm…I’ve been pushing fairly hard. Trying to catch up with the front liners in earnest. And it’s been working – I think. At least, I feel like it’s been working.” A quick, beaming smile towards Astreya as she thought back on just how far she’d come. “Oh. Other friends…I mean, yeah…I’ve met some people. I don’t know if you know them – well, you know Bismuth. You just said his name. And then there’s people like Koga and NIGHT…and Onóra…”

Her voice drifted off at the last name, and the tips of her ears flushed slightly as she seemed to drift off in thought for the briefest of moments. “Uhm…and a few others, too! All thanks to you, you know?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 171

 

[Astreya 0]

"Yeah!  I've been kinda like, trying to get there too.  Taking some breaks, like, here and there though," she spoke, waving a hand in the air as if to dismiss the thought.  "But like, for the most part it's totally just putting one foot in front of the other, y'know?" she asked, giving a small grin toward the girl, but as she admitted to having made some friends who'd helped her along the way, Astreya beamed.

"That's awesome!  Yeah Koga's got his shop, like, on the first floor too.  So like, I actually see him all the time," the girl spoke, nodding slightly before she mentioned NIGHT.  Astreya knew the name, of course, but the last one was a new one to her, but as Nari spoke it, there was a very different response to the name.  The tone she used was different, and there was a physical reaction as well, and both of those things couldn't help but to make Astreya begin to wonder.

Of course, she didn't want to push things too far...and she was curious if the girl might bring that name up again.  "Awww, thanks to me?  I'm, like, glad I was able to help you!  I like, helped a lot of people back in chess club by like, comparing conversations to it.  Some people just like...I dunno.  Get too caught up in it all," she spoke, shaking her head.

"You and I both are gonna be all like, tanking together on the Front Lines.  I wonder how close they are to like, the new floor?" she asked, curious.  Maybe she should be up there too?

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari cocked her head listening to Astreya’s words. She was amazed again by the girl – she was able to convey so much in so little words – and yet somehow, she felt like someone who was just…welcoming. Her ears perked up at two sentences though, and she slowly responded, curiosity in her voice.

“I…actually haven’t talked to Koga lately…I had no idea he had a shop on the first.” A bit of pain in her chest as she confessed, she still meant to fix that. “More importantly…did you say chess club? As in, you were apart of chess club?”

Nari couldn’t help but let the amazement reach her voice – and she immediately followed her enquiry up, hoping not to upset her friend. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it. I just figured you’d be more of a…I don’t know, sports type? I never would’ve pictured you in chess club…It’s kinda…cool.”

She smiled at Astreya, hoping her attempt at a look of innocence and apology would void any insult that may have occurred. She truly hadn’t meant anything negative by it, other than having clearly misread the girl.

“Hey, there’s the entrance. Ready to head in?” Not waiting for an answer, Nari will rush forward, stepping between the two large stones that would transport them to the garden itself. She gave a single smile back towards Astreya before disappearing from sight.

Spoiler

Word Count: 229

 

[Astreya 0]

Post Action: Foraging!
ID: 205336
LD: 9 (Failure! | +4 EXP)
CD: N/A

----

"Yeah!  He's like, near the far side of, like, the Town of Beginnings from where mine is but like, I still go and visit him now and then.  You shoulda setup shop on the First Floor too so we totally could've been neighbors!" the girl spoke, beaming one of her sunny smiles over at the blacksmith.

It was then that Nari seemed to pick up on the chess bit and the dark-haired girl gave a teasing little smile over at her friend, about to poke some fun at her for not thinking that Astreya could play chess but Nari immediately let her own words run together, trying to dispel any potential insult before it happened.  "Yeah!  Well, like, I do sports too.  Volleyball setter and like, Cheerleading captain," the girl spoke, beaming a smile over toward Nari.  "But also regional chess champ!  Took third at State but like, that wasn't enough to get to Nationals or whatever," the girl spoke, shaking her head slightly.

"But like, no harm or anything. I get that a lot, if you can, like, believe it," she continued, grinning a little at Nari before they paused just outside of the gates to the garden.  "Yeah!" she agreed, with Nari vanishing first.  Astreya didn't take long to follow up, appearing just beside her in the vast garden, with Nemo just ahead of them.

"Man, this place is so cool," she spoke, excitement on her features as she hopped forward, looking all around.  "I wonder if, like, I'll find some cool stuff this time?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her eyes roamed over the open fields of the garden, gazing over the flowers, bushes, trees and grasses. She saw a collection of different animals – the moss covered wolves, and those odd scissor handed creatures – roaming the garden. A moment after she had entered, Astreya appeared behind her. Turning to smile at the girl, she waved an arm towards the garden.

“Welcome back, to Nemo’s paradise. So, should we start by foraging? Work on some combat routine against some wolves? Or maybe strip down and relax in the sunlight?” She let a laugh out, that likely sounded forced as she tried to figure out why the hell she’d added that last part.

Moving inwards, she began letting her eyes roam, once in a while gingerly pulling back the flowers and leaves of the plants that grew along the edge of the pathway, her mind wandering away slightly as it always did while she worked in the garden.

“Hey… have you considered the front lines lately…? Is it still your goal to get there one of these days…?” Something about her voice sounded off, even to her ears. It was distant, as if there was something she wasn’t saying. In her chest she could feel that tightening again. “Do… you think it’s worthy to want to be there?”

ID205337 | LD: 20 + 1 = 21 | CD: 6 + 1 = 7 | Foraging | Success! (4 Materials; 2,500 col) 

Spoiler

Word Count: 217

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Astreya 0]

Post Action: Foraging
ID: 205423
LD: 10 (Failure! +4 EXP)
CD: 10 (N/A)

------

The grandeur of the garden almost led Astreya to forget the bits that Nari had asked her a little about her own past- given the chess and such, and then upon responding had dropped it... but not wholly.  Of course, she didn't hold it against the girl.  In the normal flow of conversation, going back and forth, she would have expected it, but Nari was still someone that struggled a bit with the act of conversation, it seemed.  She'd admitted such when they'd first met, and she'd certainly gotten better, but it was still quite jarring, at times, the differences in the way that the two communicated.

Still, on the other side of the little portal, the beauty of it all made Astreya smile, a genuine appreciation for the natural beauty on her face.  It was easy to forget that it was all just digital, here.  But as Nari spoke, the girl blinked, giving her a sunny, genuine smile at the thoughts.  "Why not, like, all three?" she asked with a small grin.  She didn't know if the last one was intended as a joke or not, but sunbathing would probably be the most 'normal' thing she'd done in a long time.

She could feel Nemo's gaze on her as she looked at some of the flowers and other herbs, but as of yet she didn't pick anything, caught off-guard by the sudden question from her friend.  "Yeah!  I still like, need to get everyone out of here, y'know?" she spoke, beaming a smile at her friend.  But as she continued, into the second part, Astreya paused, tilting her head to the side in confusion.  "What do you mean?  What's like, unworthy about it?" she asked.  There was no accusation in her tone- just genuine curiosity.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari will keep her eyes focused on the dirt beneath her hands, carefully pulling it aside as the Gardener had once shown her – an action she had somehow begun to mimic without consideration. The words, when they did come, were filled with hesitation and doubt, as if spoken from the heart.

“I…just wonder sometimes. The front lines are the most dangerous place. And yes, the idea is to fight our way to freedom…but…we leave behind those who can’t fight alongside us…leave them to worry. To worry that we may not…return.” She paused, her fingers still digging as she tried to collect her thoughts. “I wonder, what I would do in their place, if I one day awoke, to find my name crossed off, just suddenly…gone.”

She fell silent as she continued working, trying to hold back the tears that were fighting to break free. She didn’t want to break down here – a habit that seemed to be becoming a norm within Nemo’s Garden. ‘Maybe coming here isn’t good for my mental health…unless constantly speaking one’s worries is somehow good?’

ID205424 | LD: 2 + 1 = 3 | CD: 2 + 1 = 3 | Foraging | Failure (0/4 Materials; 0/2,500 col) 

Spoiler

Word Count: 179

 

Edited March 9, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Astreya 0]

Astreya paused slightly, looking back over to the woman as she spoke.  They were quiet and with a distinct lack of confidence.  They weren't something practiced aloud.  Perhaps considered, but never spoken.  And as Nari continued, the dark-haired woman stood off to the side, her gaze distant, focused on some point off on the horizon as the words fell upon her.  Her jaw clenched for a moment- whether in anger, in disappointment or perhaps even just disbelief, Astreya wasn't even sure herself.  The feeling came on with such a suddenness that she refused to let it see light, clamping her teeth around the discontent, forcing it back into the bowels of her soul.

To Astreya, this world, Aincrad, wasn't real.  It was a game.  They were all trapped in here against their will, and the real world was outside.  The digital environment around them was impeccable, and incredibly detailed, but it was still fake.  The friendships and bonds formed were certainly present...but they would persist into the real world.

The vitriol was harder to swallow than she expected, actually taking a few seconds to do so, but she vocalized a 'hmmmm' aloud as she did so, as if to let Nari know that she was thinking about it, rather than trying not to speak the feelings uncensored.  It was no more than five seconds or so, but to Astreya it felt like minutes were ticking by as she gathered her thoughts to present in a way that conveyed her feelings without being swallowed by the emotion that spawned them.

"So like our other friends, like Bismuth and junk?" Astreya asked, turning on her heel to look to Nari, giving her a small grin.  "Naw, I get it.  Like, cause like... if you or I went and the other didn't and like, something happened...it'd be really sad," she spoke, the grin fading into a more somber expression as she continued.  "And I get that, because like, it's really scary.". She paused then, breathing a small sigh before looking back to Nari.  

"But, and like, this is gonna come out all negative but I don't mean it to... it's like, really kind of selfish, y'know?  Which like, it's good to be," she spoke, following up her statement with a quick flurry of words to avoid any sort of repercussion here.  "But I'm not like, planning on tackling the Front Lines for me.  If you like, head back to the Town of Beginnings and just kinda...look around.  There's like, hundreds of people there, that are all waiting to get out, but they're scared.  They want to go home," the girl spoke, looking to Nari.  "And I don't know that one person's doubts should like, outweigh all of that, y'know?"

The young woman spread her hands.  "But it's not like I'm the only voice, too.  If like, the time with other people here is like, more valuable to you than freeing the people here, I totally can't fault you for that.  Everyone like, has their own priorities, y'know?  But I'll be on the Front Lines," she murmured.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari nodded, remaining silent for a few moments as her hands continued to pull at the dirt before her. The words rang true – similar words to her own, about being on the frontlines for those who couldn’t be there themselves. It had long been a goal for Nari, something she had aspired to. But…recently, things had changed. She had changed. She wasn’t sure how to vocalise it at first, and found herself wordless while she considered the situation – taking in Astreya’s words, and deciphering them, trying to find the meaning behind them, and how it related to what she wanted to say herself.

“I get that…I don’t want to…give up on people, to simply let us live and die in here. But…on the front lines, it’s different. We’re not just fighting these little bosses – like Nemo. There’s real danger. Real change of dying.” She turned to look at Astreya, her hands pausing mid motion. “I want back to the real world, but…what if I don’t make it? What about the people I leave behind, here and in the real world. What about those who simply sit at home, waiting for me to return – only to wake up one day and my name is suddenly on the Monument, and all they have is a memory…”

Her voice was steady as she spoke, but her hands gave a slight shake. Her expression carried the slightest doubt, the slightest apprehension about the topic, but a determination in her eyes spoke about wanting to continue it.

“I’m…not the person you first met. I have people now…who I don’t want to lose – who I don’t want to disappoint, or upset. You’re one of them, but you and I would be on the front together…the others…” She let the phrase hang in the air, waiting for Astreya to respond. She knew it was a very heavy topic, but now that it was in the open, Nari wanted to carry it to completion, so long as the other was willing to engage. ‘There’s something about this garden…’

Spoiler

Word Count: 340

 

[Astreya 0]

The words that came from Nari were ones that Astreya herself had fought with over and over again.  It had taken her years to get the strength and the courage to leave the Town of Beginnings.  Two updates had flown through in that time and each time, she had woken up back in this world after hoping that might be the end.  That it would be all over.  But she was still here, and each time it happened, it strengthened her resolve.

Part of her wondered, as it often did when confronted with things that she felt were too similar or too close to home, if this wasn't just Nari trying to try and make Astreya come to terms with her own weaknesses or her own thoughts.  Of course, Nari did seem to be genuinely upset with this, and the rash of narcissism vanished as soon as it had appeared, the sapphire gaze watching her friend, even as a calm smile rested on her own features.

"I know that.  Like, I've seen the way you've grown, and totally heard the way you talk now.  You've, like, definitely grown past Koga's party," she spoke, giving a small laugh toward the girl.  "But like, has enough changed?  Right now, like, all those people are sitting at home and totally waiting for you to return...but if you don't totally, like, grab this with your own hands, then you're just the people back at the Town of Beginnings," Astreya spoke, the gaze almost unblinking, the smile on her features as static as her posture.

"If that fear is going to, like, keep you from doing what you need to do on the Front, or like... keep you from performing at your best, then maybe you should like... y'know, totally sit and see if you can find where your goals are, y'know?  No one's wrong- everyone's just, like, different in what they want.  And if you, like, wanna spend time with the people you care about, then I'll just work extra hard to, like, make sure you get out too," she spoke, beaming a smile onto her friend.  She was definitely scared of dying... but the horror of being stuck here outweighed that fear, and she'd greet it with a smile.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari’s hands resumed their searching, giving her the distraction she needed to organise what Astreya had said, and to figure out what it meant to her. She knew one thing for sure, and as she voiced her response, it was said with conviction.

“I do not fear death, for I am the bringer of it. What I fear, is the loss that I will leave for others. If my time in this world – and the one outside of it – has come to an end, then I will meet Death with arms open, as a long lost friend returning home.” Her voice was filled with a tinge of something bordering on despair, but the words were strong – even if barely more than a whisper. “My place is on the front lines, I know that…but I’ve been alone for so long, that I sometimes forget what it means to have people to return to – and the affect that your loss can have on them. And that is what I fear…being missed. I can fight anything in this game, without hesitation. But I can’t do anything for those who would be left behind, if I’m no longer here…and that’s what terrifies me – not being able to do anything for them.”

Shaking her head, she’ll realise just how dark their conversation had gotten, and in an attempt to at least enjoy the remainder of the day, she’ll pull a single purple tulip from a nearby bush. Stepping up to Astreya, she’ll place the flower into her hair, just above her left ear. Stepping back again, she’ll give a broad smile as she glances over the appearance.

“You know, you look good in purple.” A slight devilish grin, and she’ll add, “But I’m sure you look better out of it.”

Giving a slight giggle, she’ll turn back to the dirt, pulling away at it for a few moments as she awaits Astreya’s reaction – wondering what the girl would say.

Spoiler

Word Count: 324

 

[Astreya 0]

Post Action: Foraging
ID: 205440
LD: 10 (Failure!  Are you kidding me!) | +4 EXP
CD: N/A

----

The words spoken were something important, to Nari.  The change in tone and the way they were said convinced Astreya of that even before the full message was made clear.  She... couldn't empathize with it, not in full.  Of course, there were things that even as the two women were close, they didn't know everything about one another.  Several things stayed shrouded in the shadows, unable to be shown.

But as she seemed to finally realize just where the conversation had gone, Nari shifted, reaching over to a nearby flower bush.  The young woman grinned a little as she arched a brow, not entirely sure where this was going up until Nari came forward, sliding the tulip up into her hair.  The words that followed mostly just brought amusement to Astreya's features, rolling her eyes a little bit at the second as the grin widened.  The flower language for tulips was for love, although Astreya herself wasn't entirely sure if the girl meant that, but given the words she'd spoken alongside of presenting the flower, maybe there was more to it.  Or maybe Astreya was reading too much into it.

She knew Nari was trying to spare the darker bits of the conversation, and so she wouldn't go fully back into it, but instead Astreya moved past her, heading toward a small little pond, examining her reflection in the mirror.  "Hmm...like, not bad," she admitted, giving herself a slight once over.  "I think I might, like maybe work some purple into the black and blue wardrobe," she spoke, giving a small grin before she turned back to her friend.

"We'll, like, totally move on, but let me, like, say one thing, too.  Like, we're both going to be on the front lines, right?  And we're both planning to like, tank things.  We'll be in the hot seat.  Let's just like, promise to cover one another, right?  All the way, all the time," she spoke, offering her hands to the other girl.  "We'll like, not leave one another, or anyone else, behind."