[F01-PP] A Short Visit «The First Few Lessons»

[Shin Kagami 0]

Kagami’s eyes were fixated at the gloomy, gray sky that was just lightly obscured behind the leaves of the tree where they lay as they hummed a song to themselves to pass the time. What was the name of that song again? Kagami wracked their brain for a moment before giving up. It didn’t really matter much; it wasn’t like remembering the names of songs were important nowadays anyways.

It wasn’t long before a leaf began to fall from the tree and land on Kagami’s face. Without so much as lifting a finger, they blew it off their face. They couldn’t understand why they couldn’t just stay in and help Kohi tend to the coffee shop. It was always busier on days like these where even the NPCs tended to stay inside. She had been acting odd lately, pushing for Kagami to do more stuff outside the shop. More “adventurer” stuff as the coffee shop owner put it. But Kagami couldn’t make sense of it. Maybe I’ll grill her a bit when I get back, the silver-haired player decided. But I might as well do something to talk to her about tonight.

Kagami stood up and dusted off her clothes consisting of a buttoned-up dress shirt and slacks before wandering the stone pathways around Tolbana. They weren’t looking for anything in particular, but it wasn’t long until something did find them. A portly, old man with a monocle over one eye who droned on and on about his work and how busy he was and how he needed a favor from an adventurer. 

Kagami sighed and just tuned out Dorian’s ramblings, just nodding their head until the system recognized their acceptance. They disliked the part of themself that acted this way towards Dorian. Was this annoying every time they relaxed on the First Floor outside of the coffee shop? Yes, but it wasn’t their fault. Kagami pitied the NPCs who were tied to quests. Resigned to a fate with zero control over their life. Still, the pity they had for the NPCs for this particular questline had almost completely dried out after the umpteenth time they had been approached for this “favor”, so they didn’t feel that bad.

After the eternity of expositional dialogue had passed, Kagami readily accepted the quest and moved on to the next part: finding the everpresent alchemist’s workshop. Their experience taught them that, in the glory of Cardinal’s infinite guidance, they’d eventually find the workshop no matter which twist or turn they took. For a quest that’s supposed to take place in Tolbana, it’s awfully done mostly in the Town of Beginnings. Though Kagami didn’t mind as they rested their hand on the pommel of their sheathed rapier. Eventually it had to be found.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the front door of Zackariah’s workshop. They put their hand on the door handle and braced themselves for whatever was behind it. One time it was full of smoke, another time a pungent smell that put skunks to shame wrecked Kagami’s senses. They pushed open the door. And they were pleasantly surprised by a sweet aroma reminiscent of toasted marshmallows.

Kagami walked up to the counter, ready to hear yet another spiel from the quest-bound NPC. Their hand was outstretched ready to accept the strange vial that the alchemist always had prepared. Wasn’t their first time drinking it, but they sure hoped it’d be their last. At least this time the concoction tasted like s'mores. After downing the potion, Kagami gave a mock salute to Zackariah, turned about face, and began to march.

Kagami marched out of the alchemist’s workshop, out of the small town of Tolbana, and all the way to the «The Stone Valley» on the western side of the First Floor. Kagami took their time, enjoying the sights that they never dreamed of seeing in the other world. Not for the lack of areas but for the lack of dreams. Kagami wore a dry smile. No need to think about that place. Not here anyways.

It didn’t take very long to find themselves near a babbling brook surrounded by forest on both sides of the riverbed. As Kagami bent down to inspect some vegetation, she realized something. Come to think of it, Zackariah never explained what materials he needed, so perhaps just some random grass would be fine, they thought with their back turned to the treeline…

 

«[Tier Lock] system is in effect to utilize the [Assist] system. [Tier Lock] will lock players down to Tier 2.»

Stats (already updated to reflect receiving «Zackariah's Special Fondue»):

Spoiler

Name: Shin Kagami
True Tier: 2
Level: 11
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 220/220
EN: 40/40

Stats:
Damage: 10
Mitigation: 18
Accuracy: 1
Evasion: 1
Loot Die: 3
Stealth Rating: -1
REC: 1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket:
  - Vanity Rapier
Armor/Trinket:
  - Light Armor (Recovery 1/Evasion 1)
Shield/Armor/Trinket:
  -

Combat Mastery:
  -

Combat Shift:
  -

Familiar Skill:
  -

Custom Skill:
  -

Skills:
  - Light Armor R3
  - Rapier R5

Extra Skills:
  - Disguise

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Ferocity
  - Precision
  - Stamina

Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:

Word Count: 736

@Pinball

 

[Pinball 1]

Somebody else was on the path. He wasn't sure how he could tell -- which of his senses it was that alerted him to this fact -- but he just knew. Without thinking, almost reflexively, he'd entered stealth. His body would vanish without a trace, and Pinball would seek cover in the treeline and wait for them to pass. But their approach had been slow. The benefit in that was that Pinball knew that they probably hadn't had time to see him. The problem was that he wouldn't know when it'd be safe to keep moving. A little irritated by this thought, Pinball threw away any thoughts of moving on and instead crept forward to see who was taking their sweet time meandering around on the first floor. 

A player stood hunched over, inspecting a particularly shrubby patch of grass. Was she out gathering? His thoughts began to click. She was probably new -- or at the very least, she was just catching up on the First Lessons. Pinball scowled. What a lame quest series that was. It was a popular pick though, especially for the people who'd never left the starting city. As he watched, a notification blazed to life next to him. 

Would I like to assist Shin Kagami? 

He looked back at the girl. Cardinal really was all kinds of twisted. 

But it was kind of funny. 

Pinball clicked "yes," and the interface disappeared. A little emblem appeared under his health bar to signify his tier lock. 

Still in stealth, Pinball wandered up behind the young woman and took a peek at the grass she was looking at. 

"No, I don't think that's what you're looking for."

Just like that, Pinball's stealth dropped. Standing behind Shin Kagami was a tall young man, hooded, wearing a long black cloak. His eyes were the color of ice, and his expression was fit to match. He didn't smile, though if you looked super deep into his tone, there might have been the slightest trace of amusement in his voice. He straightened himself and took a step back, careful not to appear too threatening (though the orange cursor bobbing lazily over his head likely didn't help him much). He scratched his chin, and when he did, his cloak parted to reveal that he was completely unarmored -- he wore a warm looking gray shirt, dark pants, and a pair of well-traveled boots. 

"Would you like some help?" 

*** 

[Tier Locked] - Tier 2 Stats: 

Pinball | HP: 400/400 | EN: 68/68 | DMG: 14 | ACC:4 | EVA:3 | BH:22 | LD:5

Player Stats (True): 

Spoiler

Level: 33 (Paragon Level 40)
Health: 820 | Energy: 120
DMG: 20  | ACC: 4  | EVA: 3  | BH: 45 | LD: 5 
Shift: Tech

Skills:

Combat Skills:
► Battle Healing [30/30]
► Energist [8/8]
► Combat Mastery: Damage [13/13]

Weapon Skills:
► Thrown Weapons [30/30] 
    Add Ons: 
►Focus 
►Precision 
►Stamina 

Utility Skills:
► Quick Change [8/8] 
► Searching: [22/30] -> (Skylight: R5) 

Extra Skills:
► Disguise
► Survival
► Forgotten King’s Authority 
► Hiding [30/30]

Familiar Skill: 
► Rending Familiar [10/10]

Armor Skills:
►N/A

Modifiers:
► Sneak Attack: Trickster 
► Vanish 
► Tracking
► Untraceable

Miscellaneous: 
► +1 LD to Looting, Searching for/Opening Treasure Chests (Paragon) 
► Earn Col Equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in a thread (Paragon) 

Inventory:
»[Equipped] [Demonic] Cold Fervor: +2 Freeze, Phase, Cursed 
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Warrior’s Focus: +3 ACC
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Black Cloak: +3 EVA 

Battle Ready: 
» [Reusable Consumable] Rhino’s Horn 
» [2x] Teleportation Crystal 
» [x4] Lacrimosa - HP Recovery III Crystal {Instant}
» [Demonic TW] Hellfire: Burn, Bleed, Blight, Static
» [Demonic TW] Astral Blade: Holy, Fallen, Phase, Damage
» [Uncommon TW] Tyrfing: Absolute Accuracy 
» [Perfect Cloth] Cloak of the Harbingers: +3 LD

Housing Buffs: 

Spoiler

Squeaky Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
Relaxed: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Item Stash: +1 BR Slot 
Skylight (Searching): +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cannot boost a skill without ranks, or increase a skill past its maximum rank. Cannot boost a skill the user has not learned yet. Ranks obtained using this buff will make the mods of that rank available for purchase. Mods obtained this way are unusable if this buff is removed until the skill is returned to the appropriate rank by way of SP purchase.
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt 

 

Edited August 21 by Pinball

[Shin Kagami 0]

”No, I don’t think that’s what you’re looking for, ” a voice stated behind Kagami. A hint of amusement and perhaps smugness seeping through his tone.

But Kagami didn’t shift around or even turn the slightest bit to see the other person. Their focus stayed wholly on the grass in front of them. ”Is that so…”, their voice trailed off and plainly uncaring for whoever it was behind them. They knew the risks of being out here by themself, but it was well worth the risk to run into interesting individuals. ”Can’t say I know much about this… But I do know I’m not looking for a lecture.” Kagami delicately twisted and turned the blades of grass in her hand before crudely yanking it out of the ground and placing whatever was still intact into a pouch at her side.

Kagami, still crouching, shifted and turned to see the young man behind them in the corner of their vision. It helped that he stepped back just a step when Kagami did so. Kagami examined him from head to toe, trying to get a temperature check on the unknown player. It was obvious enough that he didn’t pose a threat just yet because Kagami left their back open, but that wasn’t what they were looking for. He looked like the type of guy who’d rather hide than fight, and that didn’t just pertain to combat.

"Would you like some help?” he asked.

Kagami’s eyes purposefully lingered over the orange cursor. They didn’t want the young man to think that they didn’t see the obvious red flag, especially when they would flash a smile at him after a short moment. ”Don't know about help but I could give some company if you're bored out here,” Kagami said before standing up and motioning to the man to follow them. There was no real direction in mind that they had, Kagami just began walking off in a random direction on a whim.

There was a question Kagami wanted to ask the other player but it just wasn’t the time. It’d be bad to scare him off before they had that conversation.

@Pinball

ID: 231280 | LD: 7+3=10. Total number of materials found: 0

Word count: 357

[Pinball 1]

"Bored?" Was Pinball bored? He wasn't sure. He didn't often approach people. He'd come on pretty confident for someone who preferred his solitude though, and now he was floundering like a fish out of water. He didn't usually enjoy company. He usually didn't get bored, either. Pinball just sort of existed on a day-to-day basis, and that was usually enough for him. 

He struggled to find the right reply, but Shin wasted no time in continuing down the path, seemingly unbothered by his sudden appearance -- and not at all intrigued by the orange crystal above his head, as far as he could tell. Pinball frowned. After another moment spent deciding whether or not he wanted to just vanish into the forest again and leave, he followed after her. "Sure." He lowered his head and followed, the hood of his cloak shadowing his features. Dressed in such dark clothing, he cut a pretty suspicious figure against the otherwise verdant landscape of the First Floor. 

At a loss for words, or perhaps not having anything to say at all, Pinball followed. At the very least, he could protect her from potential attackers. 

[Shin Kagami 0]

The pair walked for a couple of minutes wordlessly. The forest had grown dark as they traveled deeper and deeper without any rays of sunlight filtered through the canopy to illuminate their way. ”I’d kill to be inside with a warm cup of coffee and a nice book with this weather,” Kagami muttered under their breath. ”But I can’t. Not if I want to ignore Dorian anyways…”

It didn’t take very long until Kagami stopped to look at a few vines that had encroached up a tree. The striking green vines had almost completely covered the tree’s trunk that had grown black and dry. ”Yeah, bored, “ Kagami eventually responded to the young man’s response from several minutes before. ”As in not doing anything better except sneaking up on defenseless people minding their own business.” Kagami turned their head to the young man and gave him a tight smile. ”I know this whole ‘gathering materials’ thing is also fairly boring, but you didn’t look like you had anything better to do, so… I thought, ‘Why not keep each other company?’ Right?”

Kagami scrounged around in their bag, as they rarely carried anything in their inventory, looking for the knife they kept on them and then producing it. They brandished the knife, chopping away an inch worth of the vine’s stem before pocketing both the knife and the specimen.

@Pinball

ID: 231281 | LD: 7+3=10. Total number of materials found: 0

Word count: 238

[Pinball 1]

She seemed pretty confident for a player alone with a Player Killer. Pinball almost snorted. She went so far as to accuse him of having nothing better to do than sneak up on people minding their own business -- his lips quirked at that. 

"Right," Pinball agreed, sure. He was very tempted to leave at that moment, but he instead stood quietly watching her as she picked her herbs. His gaze wandered elsewhere. If he truly did have something better to do, wouldn't he be doing it? His eyes settled on the Town of Beginnings, and Pinball frowned. He did have something better to do. He'd just forgotten that he had. 

But he was here now, and he'd see it through. Even though he'd likely never see her again, it'd probably make him seem like he couldn't take a joke (he couldn't) if he suddenly decided to leave now. Though admittedly, he wasn't sure how much more smugness his patience would be able to take. He tried to remember all the different parts of the First Lessons questline and found his memory lacking. 

[Shin Kagami 0]

Kagami clicked their tongue while they were facing away from the young man. Four sentences. That’s it. That’s all the young man thought Kagami was worth. Not even three words since the two of them entered the forest proper. Kagami slowly turned around to directly face the young man and their fiery orange-reddish eyes narrowed into a piercing glare. They could barely see themselves reflected in his icy gray-bluish eyes. Kagami stood there grinding their teeth as a mixture of anger and frustration rushed over them. Why won’t you say anything. Do you care about anything?, Kagami thought as they clenched their fists until their knuckles turned white.

This continued for a few moments until Kagami eventually uncurled their fists. They slowly approached Pinball while maintaining eye contact and tilting their head side to side in a fervorous attempt to see what might lie beyond that stone face. Kagami would reach out to yank Pinball’s chin downwards if the young man let them. If not, Kagami would just stay at whatever Pinball deemed a comfortable distance between the two of them. Regardless, Kagami would say something just barely audible for the two of them present. ”I’ll let you in on a little secret…”, Kagami said as their lips curled into a wicked smile. ”I’ve killed someone too.”

Kagami’s figure quickly flashed as they used the Disguise skill to change their appearance from their lithe build with pale skin to a dark-skinned man who was whittled down to their bones. Some of his fingers were missing and the ones that were left were blackened with frostbite. The hollow cheeks and sunken eyes showed no sign of rest. His mouth hung open and tongue lolled out, finally relaxed in death. But as quickly as that man’s figure appeared, Kagami reappeared in his place, giving the same venomous grin but with blood red eyes. ”Do I have your attention now?”, Kagami said with a sweetly sickening tone as they reached around Pinball to pick a berry off a bush and stowed it into the pouch on their belt. ”If so, let’s talk a bit more on the way back to Tolbana. I bet it’s something you’re dying to talk about. At least, I’m sure someone was dying so you could talk about it.” Kagami took a step away from Pinball and towards the forest exit. ”At least we can trade stories about how it happened. Would be nice since we can’t tell anyone else, don’t you think?”

@Pinball

ID: 231282 | LD: 15+3=18. Total number of materials found: 1

Word count: 414

[Pinball 1]

Pinball's face twisted in an ugly rage. 

"You think that's fucking funny?" It had been a very long time since Pinball had been so shocked, disgusted, infuriated. He didn't know who this person was, but he was beginning to see that they weren't your average fresh player in need of help. Whoever they were, they were deeply disturbed, and adrenaline pumped through his digital veins, urging him to action. But he resisted, instead glaring down at her with eyes of ice and a tone that dripped venom. "Yeah, you've got my attention." 

Pinball stood right where he was, his expression grim. He pulled his hood back over his head. "Go on ahead and turn in your quest," he spat, "and don't worry a bit." 

His eyes glinted an icy blue, a chill gold, flashing beneath the darkness of his hood. "I'll find you when you're out." 

Without another word, Pinball's body was consumed by shadow, and he vanished. 

*** 

Stealth: ID#231344 LD: 13+6= 19 Stealth Rating

Edited September 13 by Pinball

[Shin Kagami 0]

Kagami’s eyes widened and their smile grew more animate as they reveled in Pinball’s sudden, yet reasonable outrage. It wasn’t quite the reaction they were expecting, but it only made Kagami more interested in the player in front of them. ”I’ll see you in a bit then,” they said, performing a mock salute while Pinball became one with the shadows. Kagami looked around to look for a trace of the other player but just shrugged when nothing apparent was in view. Kagami  just hoped he wouldn’t bail on them.

Kagami strolled back to Tolbana and the journey was wonderfully mundane as they took their time and hummed Études Op. 10 to themselves to pass it. The sun had already reached its zenith when Kagami arrived back in Tolbana. Just down the road, they spotted Dorian who was pestering a few players who were passing by to ask them to begin the starting task of the questline. Kagami stared at all of the people there with pity, both for Dorian’s trapped fate and the players who will probably keep on hearing that incessant tirade until they bear through it. Yet, life continued on for Kagami, even if it didn’t for others.

It didn’t take long for Kagami to find Zackariah’s workshop again. They gently opened and closed the door behind them and brought out their pouch of materials. ”I got a few things you can look at, “ Kagami said with a bit of excitement leaking out. Even if Zackariah was bound like Dorian, they were ready to head something new.

”Hm—, you picked this all yourself?”, the alchemist asked. Kagami nodded in response. ”Only the berry’s worth anything. Surprised you thought a parasitic vine and some grass would do.”

Kagami pursed their lips and was about to speak up before just accepting the fate Zackariah presented them. But thankfully, Zackariah wasn’t going to leave them empty-handed.

Kagami walked out the store the same way they came and started heading further down the road from the alchemist’s workshop. Lyle the blacksmith… Blacksmith… Ah, there you are, Kagami thought, eventually finding another workshop with an anvil and hammer on a hanging sign board.

It didn’t take long for Kagami to find Lyle in his foundry that was scarce save for various materials or smithing implements. But Lyle didn’t dare to entertain a single word from Kagami who had to calm down and remind themself that the quest NPCs didn’t seem to be able to do much else with themselves. Kagami took one of the rapiers off the wall and promised Lyle to return it after hunting the boarlets that he wanted the tusks for. It seemed as soon as Kagami had entered, they were forced to exit. Yet again, told to do another task. Though at least this time, it was a bit further up their alley. 

Thankfully, the boarlets were plentiful throughout the First Floor and it was only a hop and a skip from the town. Kagami looked around for one last time to find Pinball, but couldn’t catch even a glimpse of him. Talk about an annoying ability. ”Hey, killer, you still around here?”

ID: 231345 | LD: 6+3=9. Active stealth detection failed.

Word Count: 525

@Pinball

[Pinball 1]

He'd told her that he'd find her when she was out. And he could. He had maxed Searching, and, more importantly, had access to Tracking, an ability he'd made liberal use of in the past. But in truth, Pinball had never left. He'd followed Kagami into the safe zone just a few steps behind her. He hadn't let her out of his sight. Pinball watched as she walked merrily down the streets of Tolbana, and he watched as she spoke to Zackariah to unlock the second part of the quest. When she'd exited the safe zone and called for him, his response was immediate. 

"Never left." 

Gone one second, and there the next, Pinball exited stealth and reappeared beside Kagami. He'd had time to tame his emotions since they'd last spoke, and his face was again a wall of ice... but he could not hide the disdain in his voice. He no longer desired to be anywhere near her, but he felt he had a responsibility to hear her out. 

"I'm listening." 

[Shin Kagami 0]

”I don’t think so, “ Kagami said as they turned their head towards Pinball with a sour expression on their face. Their demeanor didn’t bear any hint of venom or malicious glee that they wore on their sleeve not too long ago. Instead, their gaze was directed at Pinball but their focus was on something that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. ”You’re not getting away that easily. Like I said, someone was dying so that you can tell your story. So you— go— first.” Kagami’s tone grew firmer and their face darker with every word. Suddenly, it all returned to normal. In the blink of an eye, almost as if it was overwritten, their entire body had relaxed.

Kagami gracefully drew the rapier from its sheath drawing an arc in the air with its tip and made sure that the tip was far from Pinball. Eventually, the sheath found its home on Kagami’s belt on their left side and the rapier pointing to the ground in a fool’s guard.

Kagami flashed a smile at Pinball. A childish one. ”Then, maybe I’ll tell you mine.” They may be childish but it’d be foolish to call it an innocent smile.

Word Count: 200

Stats (updated to reflect equipping T1 Perfect Rapier from Lyle):

  Hide contents

Name: Shin Kagami
True Tier: 2
Level: 11
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 220/220
EN: 40/40

Stats:
Damage: 11
Mitigation: 18
Accuracy: 3
Evasion: 1
Loot Die: 3
Stealth Rating: -1
REC: 1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket:
  - T1 Perfect Rapier (Accuracy 2/Damage 1) [from Lyle]
Armor/Trinket:
  - Light Armor (Recovery 1/Evasion 1)
Shield/Armor/Trinket:
  -

Combat Mastery:
  -

Combat Shift:
  -

Familiar Skill:
  -

Custom Skill:
  -

Skills:
  - Light Armor R3
  - Rapier R5

Extra Skills:
  - Disguise

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Ferocity
  - Precision
  - Stamina

Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:

[Pinball 1]

He couldn't believe this lady. His story? He didn't have a story. 

"I got mad and I killed somebody. What does it matter? What do you get out of this?" She was all smiles. Like they were playing some game. They were talking about people's lives. More specifically, about ending them. Why was she smiling? "I don't get what's so funny." 

Pinball watched her carefully. He was more guarded now, more on edge than he had been when he'd thought he was approaching some random newbie in a field. He wouldn't be surprised like that again. Not by her or by anyone. He'd learned his lesson the hard way. The real question was... 

Should he kill her now? Or later? 

He shoved the thought aside. He wasn't sure where it had come from and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Nobody would be dying. Not if he could help it. 

[Shin Kagami 0]

”Because stories and experiences are what connects us to other people. It’s the good, bad, and ugly in our lives that make us who we are; for the better and for the worse,” Kagami said pointedly. ”And also if you weren’t such a wet rag while I was talking to you, maybe I wouldn’t have even brought this up.”

”What I need to know is how you got enveloped in such a rage that’s enough to justify killing someone? What happened afterwards? What did the people around you think of it and how did they treat you differently?” Kagami fired question after question towards Pinball, though they weren’t going to leave their own questions unanswered. ”But I guess I’ll go first because your knickers are in a twist.”

Kagami closed their eyes and their expression darkened as they recalled the third time they tainted their hands with the death of another being. The second time in this game. And this was the first time they were explaining the experience to someone else. ”I was in the mountains. I was the only person who was able-bodied enough to investigate some… rumors. So I did, thinking I was going to be face to face with a beast. But I happened upon an old man who admitted to everything. So I killed him on the spot. He didn’t put up much of a fight to be honest.”

Kagami took a deep breath and looked inwards, trying to piece together their exact feelings about what they’ve done. Their fragmented emotions and memories became whole once more as they talked about what led up to the fateful encounter in that alpine environment. It wasn't the first time their hands were tainted by their volition, nor the first time they had some remorse for their actions.

”Yet, I don’t regret a thing. I did it to protect others because the old man was threatening other people with his selfish actions.” After all, who would regret self-defense? Even better, defense for the sake of others.

”Oops, did I forget to mention that my kill wasn’t in cold blood?” Kagami put a hand over their mouth in mock surprise. ”Must’ve escaped my mind.” Of course, it would be different if Kagami talked about the first time in the game, but that would ruin all the fun. Even while their empathy for and connection to other players had grown dull, Kagami still had the self-awareness that talking about a shared experience would raise alarm bells. And as for the first time in their life? They hadn’t ever shared that with anyone. They didn’t plan to.

 

---

 

Kagami looked away from Pinball for a moment and saw three boarlets begin to charge the pair. Kagami brandished the rapier that they borrowed, elbow relaxed, poised to strike. Two of them ran headlong into the tip of the blade with minimal effort and a firm grip from Kagami. The other brushed its tusk along the length of the rapier as Kagami guided it away from them and it crashed down the short hill.
Kagami gave a sideways, smug grin to Pinball. They repeated the same words they heard earlier. ”Don’t worry, I’m listening.”

 

Word count: 530
 

Combat Summary:
 

Spoiler

Used AoE-I against Boarlets 1 through 3. Missed against Boarlet 1. Hit and killed Boarlets 2 and 3.

• Attack against Boarlet 1: ID: 234638 | BD: 2 + 3 = 5
• Attack against Boarlet 2: ID: 234639 | BD: 4 + 3 = 7
• Attack against Boarlet 3: ID: 234640 | BD: 7 + 3 = 10 (unnatural)

Boarlet 1 missed.

• Attack from Boarlet 1: ID: 234640 | MD: 6 - 1 = 5

Stats:

Spoiler

Shin Kagami | HP: 220/220 | EN: 25/40 | DMG: 11 | MIT:18 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | REC: 1

[0] Boarlet 1 | HP: 5/5 | DMG: 3

Boarlet 2 | HP: 0/5 | DMG: 3

Boarlet 3 | HP: 0/5 | DMG: 3

 

[Pinball 1]

Pinball bit back a sharp retort and listened quietly. He didn't reply, either. He didn't have to justify what he'd told her. He didn't want to. Who was she to demand something like that from him? He didn't want to talk about it. He wouldn't talk about it. But he'd listen to what she had to say, regardless. That's the only reason he was still standing there. 

Even as she talked about it he couldn't understand how somebody could talk so freely about something so horrible. What she was essentially admitting to was the assisted suicide of an old man who had done something terrible. Pinball wasn't sure how to take it. He didn't react. He remained standing with his arms crossed, as silent as he ever was. She finished by adding that her kill wasn't in cold blood, as if to get a rise out of him. Pinball didn't bite. 

The boars began to stir and Kagami got to work. She briefly addressed him. She was listening. Waiting for his story. Would he give it to her? 

"No. I'm good." 

[Shin Kagami 0]

Kagami’s eyes narrowed in on Pinball and they grit their teeth. A few seconds passed, and the only noise was the wind sweeping across the hills. Then, after a deep breath, the tension on Kagami’s face faded away with the breeze. They only wore a smile. ”I guess there’s nothing left to say then,” Kagami said. No venom, no malice, no taunts. It took only a few moments before their demeanor reverted to the time before Pinball had approached them. Just a sincere smile, as if they had just met and were complete strangers who hadn’t yet exchanged a word. After all, there was no point in putting in any effort when they’d get nothing out of it. Neither the slightest bit of enjoyment, nor a story to tell.

Though it wasn’t long before the remaining boarlet finally took advantage of Kagami’s distraction, tackling the player and performing a hit-and-run. Kagami clenched their side as their unconscious filled the gaps in sensation that the game did not allow. As it faded, they dusted themselves off and flashed a glare at the boarlet. Talk about annoying.

Kagami turned back towards Pinball, this time not planning on letting themself to be distracted and caught by surprise. ”So… what do you plan to do now?”

Word count: 212

Combat Summary:

Spoiler

Kagami recovers 2 EN.

Recovery does not proc.

• ID: 235798 | CD: 6

Used ST-I against Boarlet 1. Missed.

• Attack against Boarlet 1: ID: 235770 | BD: 1 + 3 = 4

Boarlet 1 hit Kagami. Kagami loses 4 HP 

• Attack from Boatlet 1: ID: 235770 | BD: 9

Stats:

Spoiler

Shin Kagami | HP: 216/220 | EN: 15/40 | DMG: 11 | MIT:18 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | REC: 1

[0] Boarlet 1 | HP: 5/5 | DMG: 3

Boarlet 2 | HP: 0/5 | DMG: 3[/s\

Boarlet 3 | HP: 0/5 | DMG: 3