[F27 - PP] A Matter of National Security <<The Mysterious Divide: Ordsea>>

[Koga 0]

k o g a the elder wolf Spoiler notes: none   Koga Lvl 32/47 | HP: 860 | EN: 120 | DMG: 23 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 30 | ACC: 5 | LD: 3 | BRN: 56 | BLT: 32/20 | FALN: 8 | REC: 4 | B.HEALING: 47/94   equipped battle-ready inventory T4 Demonic Katana <<Tsuki no Hikari>> [ CRSED // BRN I // BLT I // FALN I ] T4 Perfect Light Armor <<Twilight Coat>> [ EVA II // REC I ] T1 Perfect Trinket <<Kashira Cable - Wolf>> [ ACC III ] none   skills Spoiler | UTILITY Gathering: Fishing I | Successfully forage for materials on a LD 14+ | 0/49 EXP  Searching III | +1 LD per rank. +1 to Stealth Detection per rank. | 14 SP Night Vision | Ignores any penalties from low light or darkness. Negates the bonus Stealth Rating from low light or darkness. | 3 SP | COMBAT Combat Shift: Single Target | For the following Sword Arts, +3 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; ST-I, ST-II, ST-B. No other Shifts may be taken. | 10 SP Mastery: Damage III | Gain 1 * Tier Damage per rank | 13 SP Battle Healing V | Recover 5% (rounded down) of your maximum HP at the start of your turn | 30 SP Emergency Recovery | When non-fatal damage would leave you with 25% or less of your maximum HP, recover 10% of your maximum HP after the attack resolves. Effect cannot occur more than once per thread.  When activated if the player has lower than 10 energy remaining, simply reduce the player's energy to 0. | 6 SP EN Cost: 10 Energist | Increase Base Energy by 5 * Tier | 8 SP Charge | Perform a single attack/Sword Art with +5 base damage. Charge attacks have a -1 Accuracy debuff and cannot be affected by any auto-hit effects. | 10 SP Cooldown: 3 Posts | WEAPON Katana V | +7 DMG when equipped with a Katana | 30 SP Stamina | Reduces the energy of all Katana attacks by 2 EN | 4 SP Precision | Gain +1 ACC. | 2 SP Ferocity | +2 DMG when using Katana Sword Arts | 4 SP | ARMOR Light Armor V | +30 MIT when equipped with Light Armor, -2 Stealth | 30 SP Meticulous | +1 DMG when equipped with Light Armor | 4 SP Resolve | +1 ACC and +10 * Tier HP when equipped with Light Armor | 6 SP | EXTRAS Familiar Master: Rending | You and your familiar attack in tandem, applying Rend [7*tier unmitigatable damage] to the target that lasts for two turns. | 10 SP Cooldown: 5 Turns Survival | Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects. | 0 SP Parry | 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. | 10 SP 9 EN, Cooldown: 3 Turns Vengeful Riposte | 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. | 6 SP Cooldown: 4 Turns Justified Riposte | A successful Parry also stuns the target for 1 turn. | 5 SP Cooldown: 4 Turns buffs Spoiler | PARAGON REWARDS Lv. 5 | Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to Looting | 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). <<Filling>> | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. <<Item Stash>> | +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot <<Tasty>> | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. <<Relaxed>> | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. <<Multipurpose>> | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.

Koga stepped out of his room rubbing his eyes tiredly, his perpetual exhaustion seemingly unperturbed by the soft bed and relative quiet he'd had the good fortune of enjoying last night. The man wondered if the other two were awake yet (he hoped not, he wasn't ready to deal with people yet, no matter how close he was to them) and turned his gaze down the hall, just in time to watch NIGHT and DAY walk out of the same door together.

The same door.

Koga squinted for a moment, and then rubbed his eyes, trying to confirm that his near sightedness hadn't suddenly returned in-game.

Yeah, no, they just walked out of the same door.

"Morning," the man waved at the two before turning and heading towards the prospect of some food and caffeine, far too tired to try and puzzle out why DAY had been so set on having a room for herself, only to spend the night with NIGHT anyways.

Edited March 15, 2022 by Koga

[NIGHT 0]

<<tmd: ordsea>>

only night would stop in her tracks at having been caught by someone she knew. this point was of relevant note, because day was the one who stepped forward falling behind koga, grin on her face, as though completely unaware of the revelation that had just transpired. "good morning to you too, koga!"

and the player cursed herself inwardly for not having imposed the early leave when she knew it to be for the better--

so she shambled behind them, hollow and indifferent (read: debased by frustration and ire), as the trio made their way snaking towards the eatery just a short walk away. it was only when her double fell in speed to match night's pace that she was able to shoot her half a sharp glare.

"i told you so."

"and what good was it to worry about it? it's not like he asked about it." the construct had her hands locked in a clasp behind her back, and the grin on her face spoke of little regrets from their accident. it fell when night opened her mouth to object. "ah-- no, don't worry about it. you can put the blame of it completely on me. it was my idea to begin with, after all."

"yeah," the player retaliated, arms folded and a volume a little too unadjusted for social norms, "and if you'd just told me from the beginning this wouldn't have to happen."

"but that would spoil the surprise! even you had to admit it was an ingenious idea."

"oh, you and your big mouth."

the two continued pacing, and night stewed in the joy of her equal. the nerve of complacency. she seethed as her words flickered in a whisper -- "see, if you'd just be a little quieter--"

"--like you should be now?" came the smile and corrective mention. and night silenced herself unwillingly, offended, turning away from her partner in crime. "you've got so much col, anyway. it was a small price to pay for a good time!"

the look she returned the doppel was ineffable, to day's unspoken dismay. "and if you had a little more tact, you'd know we're with company this time." then, the woman headed through the door into a tavern, with the construct left shrugging and tailing her companion without complaint.

their exchange after was kept to low volumes.

"you remember you could've said no, right?"

"i know that."

"then i rest my case."

night groaned, rolling her eyes before shooting daggers the entity's way. she stopped in her steps, teeth bared. "you."

"me."

"i'm blaming you for this."

and the construct was just as unbothered, demeanor confident. her hand shifted to her chest as she strutted past her companion, leaning in as they shuffled along. "that was what i was going for, yes." her eyes never left the player, and night could feel the stare bearing down on herself, as sleep was threatening to take hold of her once again. "so hey, whatever helps you sleep better at night, right? c'mon, isn't that still me?"

"shut. up."

the two of them would only find silence once seated at a table for three.

| NIGHT  | Lv. 118 >> P. 86, Lv. 32  | Status: //  Notes:  //

Spoiler NIGHT | HP: 1000/1000 | EN: 138/138 | DMG: 21 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 44 | LM: 2 | HLY: 8 | PHASE | LD: 5 | BH: 38 | Stealth Rating: 6 equipped Orgoth's Legacy ACC, PHASE, HOLY (8) Tracksuit of Unfathomable Fashionability MIT (24), LM II Silver Crescent Necklace ACC II, EVA II battle-ready inventory // skills Spoiler mod count: 5/5 2HSS | RANK 5/5 focus, stamina, precision shift: aoe CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4+1/5 reveal BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 EXTENDED MOD LIMIT ENERGIST FAMILIAR: PROFESSION QUICK CHANGE extra SURVIVAL CONCENTRATION HIDING blindside, untraceable, vanish, surprise attack-t buffs Spoiler statue BIALAS | +TAUNT MOTHRA | +1 EN Recovery TANOS | +25 MIT MORETSUNA | +50 HP OROCHI | +1 LD KUMATETSU | +1 DMG consumables - - - - - - paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. sword arts Spoiler en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x15 -> x18 TECH-A | x12 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x12 | DELAY TECH-D | x12 | SHATTER TECH-G | x12 | BURN misc. Spoiler housing Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat.  Relaxed | +(5 * Tier) HP per out-of-combat post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. Squeaky Clean | -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player in a thread. Skylight: Searching | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cooldown of 30 days to reassign. Multipurpose | +1 LD/Prosperity/Stealth/Detection to one post per thread. Can be applied after a roll. Filling | +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player in a thread. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. Col Deposit | +5% col from loot-minimum mobs, +10% col from treasure chests. gathering Greenhouse | +2 G.EXP, +1 CD&LD to gathering attempts. Familiar: Profession | +2 G.EXP Demeter's Cornucopia | +1 CD to gathering attempts.

 

[Koga 0]

A part of Koga was tempted to inform the two women who'd trailed behind him that he was, in fact, not stone-cold deaf, and that he could indeed hear them. The rest of Koga, which had enough sanity and societal wherewithal to recognize that that was not likely not a very smart move if he intended to keep his paltry few remaining friendships intact.

Besides, it didn't take a genius to figure out what they'd been doing.

As soon as the trio were seated, Koga slouched in his chair, crossed his arms and let his head hang back, eyes closed, only opening them again when a server appeared. "Coffee for me, please. If you've got any honey, I'll take some of that as well," he said when it was his turn to order, and then promptly going back to his pseudo-sleep.

A couple of moments of silence passed before Koga actually said anything to the other two in the form of a question. "So did you guys really burn Col for that last night?"

[NIGHT 0]

"whatever the standard meal is."

night hadn't been attentive, but she swore she could've seen the display of a breakfast spread when walking in. no taste, but the player could afford some semblance of normalcy for the time being. as night caught her friend failing to stir, she thought it best to be quiet whilst waiting for their order to arrive.

it was a well needed pause for everyone involved.

so picture this: three party members, sat almost in a line at a round table, each with their own level of duress marked in their expression. and if night and day had been two extremes -- the former taut, arms folded, and the latter nothing short of sunbeams -- then koga had been placed unjustly in the middle; a casual, uncaring slumber.

"So did you guys really burn Col for that last night?"

until the query was asked.

"well, what else is col going to be used for?"

and night wanted the world to have swallowed her up just then. witnessing cardinal mistakenly deciding to be unforgiving made her wish she could dig her own grave instead, if aincrad wasn't going to do it for her.

"y'know," day continued, leaning forward with her chin set to the back of her hands, "i don't think it comes as a surprise to you, koga, but with a farming build like night's, you tend to turn out the pretty penny. there's no shame in spending it once in a while."

even so, the player remained quiet, lips pulled back into her mouth. her entity, however, leaned a cheek towards her makeshift rest. "so, did you manage to get a good night's sleep after all?"

that was good sign if their friend responded in the affirmative, right? after all, he looked like he--

"you looked like you needed it."

then what about night...?

the player rolled her head to face the construct, away from koga, expression pained.

[Koga 0]

Feeling more combative than usual in his morning exhaustion, Koga tried to find some flaw in DAY's logic as NIGHT grimaced beside her, anguish evident on her face. Finding no sound rebuttal Koga simply let out a quiet "Mm-", humming in acknowledgement. If you got the Col, might as well use it, he supposed. Though he still felt that that perhaps wasn't the wisest use of their money. Whatever floats their boat.

"Well, probably got more sleep than you two," Koga answered as he opened his eyes and sat up somewhat proper in his chair, only to immediately ruin that by leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "Not that matters much. Anyways, what's the plan for today. Head over to Ordsea and find...who was it we were supposed to talk to? President? Police Chief?" Was there even police chief's in Aincrad? Captain of the Guard seemed more thematically appropriate here.

[NIGHT 0]

now to talk business -- that was something night could do. though after the events of the past day (why transport wasn't offered towards yvlon at the end of the last quest, the player wasn't sure), even her own memory had been foggy on the details. and it wasn't as though she'd taken notes down on the basis that she'd remember what they were supposed to do.

be it that the folly of human strike the players again.

night cracked her eyes open in earnest, emotions falling to neutrality. so too had day's, she realized, gaze towards her entity. for a moment, she wondered if their forgetfulness had been easily identified by the construct. the grin turned her way told her so.

"president brienne," day reminded the party. she raised a finger to gesture with, waving it around in a circle in the air. "we were supposed to head his way to let him know about the supposed sabotage."

"about the fire?" the pieces fell into place once she had that jostle of a reminder, and to that her counterpart nodded.

"to that, we'll need to find transport over to ordsea, the next region."

and night considered the situation curiously, just as the platter she'd ordered was set onto the table. eggs sous vide, bacon and a few pieces of toast. perhaps the servings were already prepared for issuing, for some of her meals components did seem a little cold. she moved to break the egg, dipping a slice of bacon into the running yolk. "what good would a president do about this, though? hell, is it even reasonable that this floor has a president in the first place...?"

the entity shrugged, looking towards koga as the waiter had placed a cup of coffee down. "beats me. until we get there, none of us are going to know, it seems."

"so much for insight," the player joked, half hearted, taking a bite of her meal.

[Koga 0]

Praise the gods that the other two had a better memory than he did. Even if Koga had been at full wakefulness (or at least what passed for being fully awake for him) he doubted he would have remembered any of that.

Koga said a quiet thank you to the server as she set down a cup of coffee in from of him. No honey though, shame. The man picked up the hot mug, still steaming, and gently blew across the top, as if it would actually help cool it to any degree, before taking a sip. Wasn't bad, but it tasted the same as every other NPC-brewed cup of coffee across Aincrad.

"what good would a president do about this, though? hell, is it even reasonable that this floor has a president in the first place...?"

"beats me. until we get there, none of us are going to know, it seems."

"so much for insight."

"I just don't see how the president of another region would be able to help anyone here. Don't think that international fire fighting is a thing...especially since they're still throwing buckets of water." They were missing something here. They had to be, because so far, nothing they'd said made any sense except who to find. "Whatever," the man said with a shrug before taking another sip of his coffee. "I guess we'll find out when we get there. Speaking of, are we just gonna hire another carriage?"

[NIGHT 0]

and night realized koga had actually brought up a good point. she hummed, thoughtful, at the idea of international fire fighting, but at the same time she wasn't liken to compare the floor to an entire continent. an island was more likely. what was even the cause of the division between the different factions and regions, anyway?

no, wait. that was the whole point of the questline, wasn't it? it was called mysterious divide for a reason, right?

the player stewed in that horrible other realization, too, as she continued eating the rest of her meal. which left day to speak on the topic of discussion, a part that the gemini seemed all too ready to accept. "it's definitely for the best," she commented on transport, a hand resting upon the table. "granted, we could always take the walk over there, but that would take some time. unless you're thinking about taking our quest completion slow."

though she was certain the pace of their progress wasn't commented upon in offense. and yet, it urged night to devour her food at a faster rate, eyes keeping an eye on the construct for signs of boredom. not that she could tell day needed to be entertained, nor was she certain the entity could even feel that way. toast in hand, she considered what else to be done on their journey. "they say that there's been subterfuge with regards to that fire. and sure, division and terrorism aside. but i don't get how this would happen to be related to the quest."

"you mean a motive other than what you'd mentioned, too, right?"

discrimination as the front and centre of their plotline? night could scarcely believe it. she turned to koga after taking a bite of her food, as though to prompt of his guesses as well, humming if not to catch his attention.

[Koga 0]

"granted, we could always take the walk over there, but that would take some time. unless you're thinking about taking our quest completion slow."

"I'm not exactly keen on walking all the way there, so I vote we get a carriage." Koga decided as the sounds of NIGHT's utensils clattering against her platter drew his attention. The way she was shoveling her food in her mouth, Koga would have thought she'd never seen food before. The man squinted at her and quietly sipped his coffee as he watched a moment longer before looking away, only because it was socially unacceptable to stare at someone as they ate.

Koga did, however, find himself being stared at no long after, as if he might have some insight that the other two didn't. He could only shrug in response. "I mean, I don't know jackshit about fires or arson, but if it was the latter they targeted the alchemist hut. So, medicine. Could be reading too much into it, but if someone wanted to cripple infrastructure, what little there is, that's not a bad place to start."

[NIGHT 0]

"huh."

night would never have thought about it that way. it was true that the medicine hut may have been targeted for that purpose. though, were there not also other better locations to have set fires to instead? the thought sat in her mind as she pushed away the dish, finally complete with her meal, chewing what was left of the food in her mouth. she rose from her seat as she did.

"well, time to get going!" day was the one to leave, first, given that the players still needed to drop col on the table. they shuffled out one after another, with the rationale on the pause in conversation that -- "there's always time for talk on the move." a quick drop by the local stables, night making the payment for this road trip, and they were soon to be off.

and it was a wonder how many different designs of wagons the realm had. the over-head shelter in their current floated up like balloons, tethered to the vehicle only by use of tough steel ropes. and night wasn't about to question how possible it was for this to be realistic, but the extra sunlight in from the norm of like models were welcome. she leaned in, elbow on her knees as the parties sat facing each other again, taking in the view for a moment.

then, through her inventory, she pulled out the second phrase kept safely on a paper note. examined the scrap alongside the first, connected only when she brought it out and day joined her piece beside night's own.

"anything comes to mind?"

the player shook her head. "all i'm getting from this sounds like some method of rebirth more than anything. like the mention of a cycle." a conversation not held in private -- she lifted her head, checking in on her friend, hoping that he, too might be interested in the clues they'd picked up along the way.

[Koga 0]

The two women were quick to stand, ready to leave. DAY went on ahead of them as NIGHT left beside some col to pay for her portion while Koga stood and quickly downed the remains of his coffee, only to cough in regret as soon as he was done. It hadn't exactly cooled enough to make that an enjoyable experience. Covering his mouth as he tried to avoid getting his (virtual) germs everywhere, the man also left some col behind before chasing after NIGHT and DAY.

There mode of transport for this journey was...strange, to say the least. Something akin to a hot-air balloon, tied dragged by ropes. While NIGHT may have questioned the viability of such a design, Koga gave it no more than a passing, questioning look. Such designs, he recalled, had been used in a world record breaking sky dive less than a decade ago. It was all about balancing the gas buoyancy with the mass of the carriage. The only real thing that the man thought to question was how the gas was being contained, and what gas could possibly be used in such a small amount.

Video game logic.

The wagon bobbed up and down slightly before finally settling as the three found their way to some seats, and NIGHT procured her portion of their riddle.

"anything comes to mind?" asked DAY, to which could only grunt acknowledgement of having heard the question as he fished out his small scrap of paper.

He too examined his piece, before trading with NIGHT and nodded in agreement with what she'd said. "Maybe. Given it's theme, could be more specific. Circle of Life? Or maybe cause and effect." Koga frowned a moment as he reread the tiny scribbles on the paper. "Both?" This was quickly becoming aggravating, like trying to solve a puzzle but only having half the pieces. "Ugh, I dunno. I think we won't be getting the full picture until we find the other two phrases."

[NIGHT 0]

"y'know, it'd be kind of morbid if it did have anything to do with death and rebirth," night commented, tucking away the note. "or circle of life. aside from the birth part, anyway." her gaze was set to the road ahead, and what storms would await them from the darkening clouds above. it only spoke of rain that came a little too late, a little too far from their origin, that little medicine hut on the other side of the region. and it was on that note that she wondered what the next area would be like.

when the downpour first started, she believed it to be akin to its namesake. ordsea, after all, had the waters tied within its make. and yet the showers had reminded her of home, somewhat. air warm and humid. it almost made her wonder if they were heading towards the tropics, as time went on.

she traced out the directions their quest had sent them on, while contemplating on their movements. north, to east, to south. they would be heading west next, if the pattern continued. and she wondered if there would be anything at the center of it all, had she known of the territories better. a thoughtful hum directed her to look towards the outskirts as they passed them by. crystals once green now fell away to a firey red.

"the person we're looking for," night spoke up, aloud, though to no one in particular, "it's president brienne, right?"

so perhaps no sea, and no waters either, judging from the hue of the light. likewise, she wondered what the city there would be like, though knowing there was a political figure installed in the region told her much about what was to expect. "should we get dressed before visiting them?" something was to be said about first appearances when meeting the wealthy and powerful. and night clutched at her tracksuit, wondering if it would be enough. it usually hadn't been, given society, but amongst other players, it had surely seemed that way.

conflicted. she watched the trees part in lieu of a vast field, the only mark of territory to signify ordsea, aside from the capital in the distance, the shards that struck out from the grasslands, shimmering a ghastly and glittery, beautiful burn.

[Koga 0]

"Hmm, morbid?" Koga repeated the word with a slightly confused look on his face. "Why do you say that?" It didn't seem all that morbid to him. Death was just a part of life, it was only morbid if they made it so.

A crack of thunder split the air just before the gentle pattering of rain began. Fat drops struck the canvas above their heads, keeping them dry by some miracle of physical properties, repelling the water entirely instead of absorbing it until the fabric could no longer contain it all, and slowly dripped it upon those who had found shelter beneath it.

"the person we're looking for, it's president brienne, right?"

"Uhh, yeah, I think so," Koga answered back, pausing his appreciative gaze of the rainy scene just outside the wagon's confines. The air was crisp, but thick and heavy with moisture. It didn't have the smell of the creosote bush like it did at home, nor was their the slightly salty scent of the sea, but still. It was rain. That was enough.

"should we get dressed before visiting them?"

Koga shrugged in response. "I mean, they're gonna be an NPC right? When was the last time an NPC in an MMO actually cared about what the players were wearing?" There was probably some niche or outlier case where it did matter, but if there was, Koga couldn't conjure it to mind right now.

"In any case, I don't think we've got much time. We're almost there."

[NIGHT 0]

"just thematically is all," night responded, almost lucid in her eyes. "the thought of what happens to you, in death, especially without your will." and the player only looked up from her hands once the query about their dress had been answered. for a moment, she turned to day, who had cocked her head to the side with a scrunched expression.

"um, hello? i'm right here, you know, and i resent that."

she wondered if the man saw the irony in the situation -- the two players, alone with one of their opposing kin in a single cart.

"In any case, I don't think we've got much time. We're almost there."

and the construct rolled her eyes, though without disgust. part of the player had wanted to sympathize, but all the same was the idea that they had to be at brienne's home posthaste. so night nodded in agreement when they first passed through the walls of the city. a nameless capital, as of current to the players; despite turning to their resident cardinal guide, day appeared to want to keep her mouth shut, pouting almost solemnly at the idea of being ignored. even with a hand placed upon her shoulder, the entity seemed not to budge.

maybe it was discrimination, after all. just not in the way either of the two had expected.

"well," night continued, looking towards the tallest district in the labyrinth of the settlement, "if we're going to meet them as soon as possible, then so be it. maybe they might not mind given the idea that we're outsiders to begin with. i'll let the coachman know."

behind her, day put on a nigh unconvinced expression, eyebrow raised. and a sigh escaped her, once night came trudging back to her seat.

the road uphill was smooth. red flickers of crystal light and warm lit flames speckled the wet stone, shimmering. and paved roads with a slow speed, even in their weather, made for seamless journeys despite the incline. upon a community gated, their vehicle came to a sudden stop. there was a pause before their escort hollered for them off.

"this is as far as they'll let me go. you'll have to make the rest of the journey in on foot towards the president."

fair was fair. and it poured, still, as the trio shuffled off the deck. day first, drawing the hood upon her cloak up, almost as a retreat. night could understand. the summoning of an umbrella was her answer, drawing close to her aid in response.

with a shrug, she added, looking towards koga. "sorry. umbrella's only big enough for the two of us. tell me you have another one."

[Koga 0]

"um, hello? i'm right here, you know, and i resent that," DAY commented, shooting him a look.

"Yeah, but, you're not really an NPC," Koga replied, crossing his arms and shifting in his seat slightly. "Well, I mean I guess technically you are in the most literal sense, but the connotation..." Koga fizzled out a little as he realized he was having a difficult time explaining his thoughts, and as a result was probably only digging himself into a deeper hole. So, he sighed. "Look, you're the exception to the rule, is what I'm trying to say, okay?"

Gravity shifted as the wagon began to climb the hill and Koga sat there in an awkward silence, not looking at the other two across from him. Good job buddy. Real good job.

"this is as far as they'll let me go. you'll have to make the rest of the journey in on foot towards the president." The coachman called to them, and one by one each of the party hopped off the wagon, before it turned back around and began to rattle it's way back down the hill.

The sound of fabric moving violently drew Koga's attention. NIGHT was holding an umbrella, shielding herself and DAY from the rain.

"Nope, but I'm good," Koga said, grabbing the ends of his collar and tugging on them. Blue light fluttered and coalesced into a leather hood attached to the collar of his coat, the water striking it and running off leaving his head dry. "I keep forgetting to buy one," he explained, before nodding in the direction they needed to go and starting down it as he buttoned up his coat, shielding his torso from the rain as well.

As they walked along, Koga looked around at their surroundings. Lichten. This city was completely different from everything else they'd seen on the floor so far. Where everywhere else was still wooden cottages and buildings, Lichten was stone monoliths, architecturally refined, defined by a culture of its own. Victorian meets Gothic in the tall buildings, each sporting seemingly unnecessary spires wherever they could without becoming too cluttered. In the distance, some clock tower rang a bell. Perhaps Aincrad's approximation of Big Ben.

And straight ahead, the largest building, sporting an even larger courtyard. Fenced off from the streets, the rabble. Perhaps four or five stories tall, but long, countless windows dark on the inside save for the stray orange glow emanating from one here or there. The scale alone would indicate it being the presidential estate.

And that's where they were heading, it seemed.

"So, who wants to do the talking this time?" Koga asked, figuring at this point, they were probably taking turns.

[NIGHT 0]

"well, don't look at me," came day's voice now nondescript. night had forgotten its sound as soon as she'd heard it, as much as she'd expected her other's peppy undertones from the doppel's mouth. "i can't do it."

and it almost felt snarky, the way the entity carried her attitude, but with a wrap of her arm around the construct the player brought her close. almost like protection, even though neither needed it. she took the party in, making sure not to trip on polished stone, crossing a threshold that wasn't visible but she was certain definitely existed in the system. something only her mirror could tell.

past the entryway was a large door, drenched lightly in a warm hue that contrasted the rain's cool darkness. away from the downpour, sheltered by a minimal roof, the woman rasped meagerly, hoping for a response.

night gave them a minute. it never came. her brows furrowed as she hammered at the door, harder this time, and half of it creaked open just as she'd raised her fist for a third knock.

they say first impressions were important. that made the woman the worst offender of the bunch, given that partially soaking and borderline violent was not a good way to present oneself at the step of another. and who greeted them but a portly, elder woman, short with tied gray hair and rimless glasses sporting a butler's suit. "excuse me?"

so the player was speechless. adamant to stay that way, at first, until the greeter rolled her eyes and nearly slammed the door shut again. "hooligans, the three of you. now, try that again and--"

"no no no--" night finally spoke, knocked out of her panic. "-- we're, uh-- we hailed from the other region--"

"srona."

"--srona. the-- the one with the trees, and the forest, and the--"

"dagan."

"-- dagan! right. that's the mountainous..."

it was only then night realized she was being prompted, unnecessarily (although, thankfully?) by her better half. and she glanced to her, half scowling in realizing the err of her method, before turning to the staff rubbing a hand over her face.

she should try again.

"from dagan, to srona. we came here from the last because we were tasked by percival to relay a message to president brienne. is this the right household?"

the butler closed her eyes, two fingers rubbing at the bridge of her nose, before shifting away from the entrance. the door was pulled open. "inside, now. all of you. i presume this has something to do with an extremist group."

"y-yeah? well how did you--"

even the player was a little clueless on the workings of the system, though that was enough of a hint to notify them of their progress. day pushed the woman inside, and the door was held open for koga, before it closed shut. in the main foyer, there was a grand set of polished stairs leading towards the back of the room and splitting out to two different wings. service patrolled, moving to and fro with various items, such as tea, documents, and cleaning tools, in hand.

one man down a wing's entrance lit up at the sight of the players' arrival. and quickly, he moved down the hall he was guarding, vanishing out of sight into another room. night had little clue what that movement was for, but instead turned to the entity who'd uncloaked herself after the while of rain.

still pouting, still unamused. the woman wanted nothing more than to continue staring, still, hopelessly mesmerized by the gleam and lack thereof on her construct's expression, hair only slightly untidied from before.

[Koga 0]

Koga hadn't really considered the fact that DAY might not be able to communicate with the NPCs directly. A fact that, when stated, seemed both unbelievably strange, and yet also incredibly obvious. Koga made a peculiar face for a moment as he ruminated on that fact, wondering what might make the inner mechanisms of the machine they called Aincrad worked in that respect, before realizing he was giving himself a headache and stopping altogether.

The party walked along the cobble and flagstones, NIGHT and DAY benefiting from their shared warmth, whilst Koga was relegated to the cold. Okami, for his part, was unfortunate enough to have to endure rain soaked fur. The sudden realization that the canine would be tracking in water, mud and dirt into the estate made the blood drain from Koga's face. A crass man, sure, but even he had some sense of decorum. Oh, well, it couldn't be helped. He wasn't about to leave his companion out in the rain, and he'd happily fight anyone who tried to tell him otherwise.

Soon enough, they'd all come upon the grand door, NIGHT taking hold of the knocker and banging on the door thrice. At first, there was no answer, beckoning another set of harsh, booming knocks before the door finally swung open to reveal rotund, severe, elderly lady.

And boy was she rude.

The old hag had almost slammed the door in their faces before either could even get a word out. NIGHT, a little quicker on her feet than Koga, interjected and, despite stumbling over her words like a fool, somehow managed to convince the old lady to let them in, though she did not seem happy about it.

Koga followed the other two in, politely nodding towards the woman (and only out of politeness) as he passed. Okami trailed in after him, the sound of water dripping onto wooden floors following the audible sound of a sneer as the woman's gaze followed Koga's mutt. Sucked to be her.

Koga pulled his hood down as the old woman shouldered her way past him, and beckoned for them to follow her: "Come with me." Leading them down one of the halls, she stopped in front of a plain (or at least what passed for plain in this building) looking mahogany door. Knocking quietly, she waited until a sultry, feminine voice called from within: "Enter!"

The woman turned and gestured for them to wait a moment before opening the door and striding into the firelit room. Striding over to a chair whose back faced them, the woman bent over slightly to whisper something into it's occupants ear before turning back to retrieve the players. "Come, quickly now. And don't sit down anywhere, you," she added poking Koga in the chest. "You'll ruin the upholstery." And with that, she slammed the door behind them.

Now standing in the rooms entryway, it was revealed to be a small study. A large rug thrown in the center of the room, a desk sitting in front of the windows, facing the door, behind which a rather large and rough looking man in uniform stood, stone faced and unmoving. A fireplace cast long shadows across the floors, granting just enough light to read from the many books that lined the shelves that circled them all around. And finally, the chair in which their mystery woman sat, who had a matching companion beside it. Across from the two chairs, a sofa and a coffee table, the same dark wood as the desk, sitting between them all.

The woman in the chair rose and turned smiling. Dark, stormy blue eyes drifted over DAY, NIGHT, and then the smile soured as her gaze fell on Koga. "And just what are you supposed to be?" the woman asked incredulously, giving him a disgusted look. "Are you her guard? Oh, perhaps a stable boy. Well, whatever you are, you are in poor attire for an important meeting such as this."

'...What?...'

"Ah, but you, my dear. Clearly, you know how one must present themselves. What a lovely garment, a uh...track suit? If I recall correctly? I hear they are all the rage in Braso," she said, striding over to NIGHT confidently, taking a hand in hers and gently bringing it to her lips to kiss it before continuing. "I am President Brienne of Ordsea. Might I ask your name?"

"Hi, yeah, Koga. Here to help with your extremist problem?" Koga interjected, crossing his arms, upset at the differing caliber of greeting the two had received.

"I wasn't speaking to you," the president replied with a smug smile.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Koga

[NIGHT 0]

day was still visibly disgruntled. and night found it difficult to make amends. what little time they had in the foyer was taken away as the party followed the attendant that allowed them inside. down the halls, towards a room; a knock, and someone called them inside.

and fast work, it seemed. the trio shifted into the study as they were told, day seemingly unbothered by the instructions, though her expression seemed sullen. and with a wrap of her hand around her neck, night was only anxious by the orders given -- quests up till now had always seemed out of the players' own volition to abide, not so much being maneuvered by another's will. it felt like being punished in school all over again, and that had been years ago.

at least she wasn't terribly worse for wear. koga was still soaking, and it was apparent to everyone. the construct noted a look of suspicion once what seemed like the head of affairs had rose from her seat. it only faded when the entity had to turn away, trying her best not to look amused as his equipment was mocked for the occasion.

the player, on the other hand, was a little too stunned at their environment's awareness. after all, could the man be blamed? it was raining outside, and they had no shelter on the way in. so--

"Ah, but you, my dear. Clearly, you know how one must present themselves."

... sorry?

two blinks, a lowered chin and a point towards herself. and apparently, the host seemed to feel confident about her assessment, because the moment she started approaching the player, night felt herself unable to move. a little too shaky for being put on the spot.

it did not help in any way that she felt her fingers be unraveled in the other's palm. lips pressed to the back of her hand, and now the player was terribly, terribly confused. what was it -- a mix between elation at the greeting, for the grandeur of it all? paired with some sort of horror, because she hadn't expected the goddamn president of wherever this was to have decided such an intimate move for some strange visitors from out of town.

if anything, at least it helped night remember her name. out of respect, it repeated in her mind. it ate away at her voice.

"Hi, yeah, Koga. Here to help with your extremist problem?" 

"I wasn't speaking to you."

dear god, night wished brienne was.

and from further in the room, the gemini was only now studying the scene with a slight half-smirk and agitated interest.

"night," the player clarified, after a heartbeat too long for the room to sit in silence. "my name's night. we-- uh... we've come from srona and dagan to seek for your help, on behalf of alchemist percival...?"

it was only at the loosening of brienne's grip, that hand tucked into dress pants pockets that night was able to find herself a little more relaxed. just a tad. her thumb and index wrapped around her wrist, toying with it, the woman trying hard not to fluster.

"continue."

"right, so..."

at this moment, the player started to realize she'd completely forgotten the events that had occurred the previous day. not particularly because they hadn't been captivating, nor memorable, but because night couldn't distract herself from the strangeness of that greeting from before. and also, lack of practice -- day was the one who prompted of speech at the front door earlier, and by sheer luck they'd made it through the entrance. now, the woman simply froze up, and under the scrutiny of a warm, attentive gaze, so too did her words die out.

someone, help this useless lesbian.

 

it was by miracle that the entity spoke up beside her, whispering the words into night's ear. and the player jumped to attention at the commentary, finally finding herself capable.

"--right! so at dagan, there'd been this group of farmers that had been caved in while trying to expand territory. and at srona, percival thought that someone had set fire to one of the medicinal outposts. because foul play had been suspected, we're here to--"

and almost as though on cue to disrupt her explanation, there was a sudden growing noise from beyond the room. day was first to perk at the sounds, pulling herself away from night's ear. clueless, the player turned her head to follow. "huh? what's up...?"

[Koga 0]

To say NIGHT was visibly discomforted by the President's rather forward greetings (at least towards her, in Koga's case, backwards might've described it better), would be an understatement. The woman could hardly string together a coherent thought. A look of pain fell over the man as he listened to NIGHT attempt to explain why they were here. And even more pain when the President seemed entirely unbothered by NIGHT's lackluster efforts. Well, nice to see that feminism was alive and well somewhere, Koga supposed.

The man's silent torture would only go on for so long though, as before NIGHT could actually explain why they were here, a loud clatter and clamor sounded from outside the door. A ruckus that slowly drew the attention of all those present. At first, Koga looked towards the President and her bodyguard for answers, but they both seemed as confused as he did. It wasn't until the bodyguard reached for his weapon that Koga realized something was amiss. "Extremist problem," Koga summarized as he turned towards the door, his hands moving towards his own weapon. "Here to help."

"I did not address you!" the President reminded him, to which both Koga and her bodyguard rolled their eyes. "Miss President," he chided gruffly. This time it was the President's turn to roll her eyes. "Yes, yes, extremists," she said, a tad annoyed. "War-mongers, I would venture to guess they're here for some very important documents," the dark haired woman explained as she strode over to her desk and opened a drawer, pulling out a rather hefty looking dagger, one that looked more fit for battle than ornamentation. "They're secured in various hidden lock boxes and safes around the estate. Here," she pulled a document from the drawer, a sheet of paper that she handed very specifically to NIGHT. "This is a map of the grounds. I ask you, both of you," stern eyes shot over to Koga before drifting back to NIGHT, "find these documents, and keep them from the militants hands. Should they fall into their hands, this whole continent may suffer for it." The woman took a deep breath as shouting became clearer beyond the door. "If I may, I have one last, odd, request." She calmly looked between the two players now, for the moment, the two were no different from her. "Do not harm any of the trespassers. They maybe terrorists, but they are still my people."

[NIGHT 0]

the request wasn't odd. in fact, it was that point that night understood the most. "yes ma'am." and as she joined koga's side to pour over the map, so too did day follow suit behind her, an invisible presence to the altercations before.

one look at the paper, only moments after night had unveiled it to the other player, and there was already a gleam caught in the construct's eyes, form relaxed looking the plan over.

"so, they're hidden across the mansion," night started. her fingers were tracing out the different wings of the mansion, while connecting the indicators for stairs up and down the two floors. different rooms were penned with their purpose in cursive, the player wondered where to begin the search for the documents given only the layout of the home. "but how should we go about looking for them? figure out where the best places to hide some documents would be, and head over?"

"well, that's one way to go about it," the entity commented, calm. then, gaze raised to the players, she grinned, palm lifted in solidarity. "though here's also another suggestion: why not take the opportunity to explore the home a little? just go where you feel like going, and we should be able to pick up on clues about the documents' whereabouts from there."

night tilted her head. if this was a proposal from the one the party believed knew the most about their quest, then perhaps it was a solid idea to follow through upon. "if you think that'll be efficient. sure, i wouldn't mind."

and so day clapped her hands together.

"great!"

without realizing it, night had seen the map handed off to her passed into koga's hands, and hadn't the time to object before the construct took her player's wrist into her hands. "here -- i'm feeling generous despite the slights from earlier, and i'd say you'll need this more than we do. i've got the map memorized at first glance, after all." day gestured to her temple for emphasis, with a smirk.

she turned to start towards the door, pulling night along with her. "and, just so we don't overlap in where we're about to go, i think night and i should head up towards the master bedroom first."

"w--what?!"

the construct shrugged nonchalantly, giving either player no quarter not space for interjection. a turn of the knob on the door, and the route to the hallway was open.

"oh, don't worry. i'm sure there'll be plenty of spaces to look around for documents in there. and we'll make sure to be extra thorough, too. given the size of this estate, i'm sure we'll be taking a while..."

as night failed to stammer out a retaliation, half-dragged out the room, day shot an index to koga from over her shoulder. "so you get free reign of the rest of the house. okay? okay~ glad we got that sorted out. bye bye~!"

the door slammed shut behind the two women. and, with racing steps, they caused a brief commotion as the system trotted its victim towards the stairs.

"we're supposed to be here on a mission!"

"this is part of the mission, night! it's almost like you don't trust me!"

"well, when you'd put it that way, earlier..."