[PP-F09] Out of the Frying Pan <<Guardian of Fire>>

[Pinball 1]

The Ninth Floor was their second -- and final -- destination. Pinball was none too pleased with this, of course. He thought that the Ninth was a hellish floor that had no reason to exist other than to make players miserable. But was that really such a far-fetched concept, given the nature of their imprisonment? Probably not. But the Ninth Floor was a very specific level of sucky that he just couldn't quite get over. 

Their plan was the same. Usually, when Pinball was alone and had more time, he'd just walk between the floors. He stayed on the lower ones for the most part anyway, so it wasn't as time consuming as one might think. But he was on a schedule, and he wasn't alone. So they teleported to the Ninth Floor's safe zone much like they'd traveled to the Fifth's. They teleported together, Pinball slinked off into the shadows, and they rejoined each other outside the city's gates.

That was the plan, and that was where Pinball found himself waiting for Mishiro. 

The sky was black with smoke, and dyed a deep crimson. The heat was intense. Thankfully, both he and Mishiro had the Survival skill now. They'd need it where they were going, as it would protect them from taking damage over time in the hellhound's lairs. But much like in the desert, while the Survival skill helped prevent damage, it didn't do all that much to prevent discomfort. Already sweat beaded his skin. He threw his cloak over his shoulders, letting his chest and arms breathe. The distant horizon was bleeding red, all smog and magma and jagged rock. 

Pinball looked even more miserable than usual. 

*** 

Pinball: 840/840 HP | 120/120 EN | DMG: 20 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | BH: 37 | LD: 6

Player Stats: 

Spoiler

Level: 33 (Paragon Level 41)
Health: 840 | Energy: 120
DMG: 20  | ACC: 5  | EVA: 4  | BH: 37 | LD: 6 
Shift: Tech

Skills:

Combat Skills:
► Battle Healing [22/30]
► 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:
► Unhindered 

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 
» [x3] 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

Housing Buffs: 
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 28 by Pinball

[Mishiro 0]

"you're in for a tough fight."

they had agreed from the very start that information gathering, among all other things that had to be done in the safe zones, would entirely be left to her. it was a task she was rarely stuck with, if she were ever given any orders outside of the usual script at all, but fermata, as a guild specialized in the free exchange of information, liked to ensure that it is at least part of its members' basic skill set. so, she had found the broker without issue. conveyed to the only clinic in yogan from knorilt village in order to receive better treatment for its grave injuries.

"but knorilt -- has been living in fear of that beast since it awakened. too many casualties in the past week alone," the broker continues, even-faced despite its condition. it peers over the map she had handed it, circles a small area further south of knorlit, "cerberus roams the lands around the village, but your best bet is the infernal cavern. should you defeat it, take out its soul and show it to me. your efforts will receive fair compensation."

she takes back the map and rolls it up. "i'll meet you at the village, then."

she doesn't need the map, not after pinball had already found the cavern in a previous version of the quest, but the item is necessary for the system to prompt her acceptance of the quest itself. and it doesn't ever hurt to check. excusing herself with a polite nod, she proceeds to the building's exit, passing a nurse carrying a tray of medicine on the way.

outside, the air is thick and heavy with heat. the skies above are dark, the sharp-edged buildings populating the streets even more so. if there is a day/night cycle in floor 9, its residents could only glimpse the barest hints of it from beneath the ashen clouds. she does not dwell on the conditions of this place so much, other than trying to recall what else it has to offer to her outside of this quest chain. every floor has some return value in the form of a respawning field boss.

pinball is waiting for her outside the gates. stealth down, cloak partially off -- a rare sight outside of his manse, these days. [survival] lessens the discomfort some, doesn’t stamp it out entirely. she sympathizes, but she keeps her own (heavier) cloak tightly clasped around her neck and shoulders. “i picked up the quest,” she says as she nears him. “so we can skip out on knorilt entirely and finish this all faster, i hope. unless you wanted to stop by for a break…?”

she follows his gaze into the distance, silently weighing the necessity of her next words.

“i’ve never really been here before.”

 

a corpse is talking.

Spoiler [ knorilt. knorlit. knorilt. knorlit. knorjkldhglkz ] STATS: Spoiler LEVEL 22: HP 440 | EN 62 | DMG 19 | | ACC 4 | AA | FLN 6 (6-8) | VO 10% WEAPON: RAPIER V + STAMINA + PRECISION + FEROCITY + ST SPECIALIST -- COMBAT MASTERY: DAMAGE III EXTRA 1 + 2: FIRST AID V + ADD-ON: FIELD MEDIC; 3: SURVIVAL (total sp: 105 | used: 99 / unused: 11)   EQUIPMENT: walpurgisnacht T3E4 WEAPON (RAPIER). CURSED, FALLEN, VAMPIRIC (OFFENSIVE), ABSOLUTE ACCURACY dioscuri T1E3 JEWELRY. ACCURACY III

Edited September 2 by Mishiro

[Pinball 1]

Mishiro rejoined him shortly. 

"We can," he replied absently. He was unable, at first, to tear his eyes from the foreboding horizon. With a bit of effort, he managed. "But no, I don't think we need to. Not yet, anyway. This should be a lot quicker than the last one." 

But a break, he thought, sounded nice. If only they'd thought of it after they'd already finished the quest -- now he was going to spend the whole time wishing he could take a break. Mishiro commented that she'd never really been here before, to which Pinball snorted dryly. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and shook his head. "Well, count yourself lucky. This place sucks."

Pinball had to practically peel himself from his resting place, he was so resistant to getting started. He shook himself out of it, though. There was no use in complaining any more about it. Besides, they were already here. "Alright, it's a bit of a walk..." 

Setting his jaw and looking ahead, Pinball took the first few steps into the hellscape of Floor Nine. 

[Mishiro 0]

her eyes linger on her companion.

"...mn."

after, then. there is a point where they would have to wait out the second quest's spawn timer and she can't imagine doing so in the middle of a volcanic field. she's dignified in this kind of suffering. she shakes her head sympathetically at pinball's complaint, doesn't offer anything more.

best not to dwell on it.

and she follows.

they walk in silence, closely matching each other's pace. scarcely a few steps outside of yogan, and the land breaks into adjoining parts, narrow and wide, a peninsula of islands amid flowing rivers and pools of magma. heat presses down on them from every direction and she can't stop herself from glancing down whenever their path takes them too close to its source. forcing her steps gentle, so that she doesn't slip. has anyone ever fallen in--? at what point does [survival]'s protection just stop working?

the maze is only a small part of their journey, and soon, they are back on unbroken land. she continues to keep a close eye on their surroundings, her attention slightly divided. she tries to recall everything they had discussed, written, and retrieved in the previous days. cerberus' mechanics and abilities, its pack of flaming hounds. fermata's layout of the cavern. knowledge can determine the outcome of a fight before it even begins and she strives to have as much of it as she could. even back then, in that single high school tournament.

 

 

they see knorilt in the distance.

she can't remember a single thing.

Edited September 7 by Mishiro

[Pinball 1]

Knorlit came and went. There was nothing for them there -- MIshiro had already picked up the quest, so they didn't need to speak with anybody there. Pinball had done the quest a long time ago, and he still knew the way. Across cracked, steaming earth, noxious black smoke and rivers of lava they went. 

Pinball himself had fallen again into a fairly deep silence. The Ninth Floor had put him into a rather particular mood, and his otherwise plain expression was cracked by a furrowed brow. But he marched steadily onwards. As they left Knorlit behind and began their journey further into that horrible land of stone and volcanoes, Pinball glanced back at Mishiro. "You alright?" He was just checking in. 

"Shouldn't be much longer. We'll be coming up on a cave soon. That's where the hounds spawn." As they got closer and closer to the Inferno Cavern, his memories came back to him, fresher and fresher in his mind's eye. It had been Arabelle he'd taken this quest with, hadn't he? Pinball winced. He wondered what she was up to, and then caught himself. He was just grateful she didn't bother him anymore. 

[Mishiro 0]

"'m fine."

she keeps walking, her eyes trained on the ground. had she given him any reason to ask? she mentally sifts through the events of the past few minutes but doesn't turn up anything in particular.

"i just need to finish this."

and i could maybe use a lighter cloak.

true to pinball's word, it doesn't take them long to reach their destination. the journey was relatively painless compared to the last one but that was because it wasn't the point. the real danger waited ahead. at the brink of it, they slow to a pause for a moment (or she does, and her shadow doesn't leave her) and the woman raises her head to take in the full size of the mouth of the cave. at least they aren't diving into the pitch black -- even from here, its interior is lighted by the fires raging further within. she shuts her eyes and takes in a long, deep breath. when she reopens them, she's already felt out her connection with her sword. "head straight for cerberus. i'll clear out the small fry."

they're clearing this today.

she sets off in a brisk walk and soon hastens her pace when she finds her bearings. the passageway is straight and wide enough to fit a full party, or rather a gargantuan three-headed dog, and indiscernible sounds echo off its walls. sword aglow, she fixes her sights on an opening further ahead and disappears down the passage, leaving a trail of light behind her. four massive hounds stalking about the entrance of the larger cavern within raise their heads in unison at her approach, but before any of them could do anything past baring their teeth in aggression, she had already cut them all down, turning them into shards.

the way is clear.

in the middle of the cavern, all three cerberus heads turn in the player's direction and howl in rage.

 

-> combat: aoe-i vs hellhounds 1-4 [4/6 hellhounds slain]

Spoiler

POST ACTION: AOE-I vs Hellhounds 1 to 4 [11 + (2 * 4) = 19 - 2 = 17 EN]
229496: BD 1 + 4 + 1 = 6: 19 * 11 = 209 DMG -> Hellhound 1
229497: BD 8: (19 + 6) * 11 = 275 DMG -> Hellhound 2
229498: BD 4 + 4 + 1 = 9: 19 * 11 = 209 DMG -> Hellhound 3
229499: BD 8: (19 + 6) * 11 = 275 DMG -> Hellhound 4

Mishiro | HP: 440/440 | EN: 45/62 | DMG: 19 | ACC: 4 | AA | FLN: 6 (6-8) | VO: 10%
Pinball | HP: 840/840 | EN: 120/120 | DMG: 20 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | BH: 37 | LD: 6

Hellhound 1 | HP: 0/200 | DMG: 50
Hellhound 2 | HP: 0/200 | DMG: 50
Hellhound 3 | HP: 0/200 | DMG: 50
Hellhound 4 | HP: 0/200 | DMG: 50

 

Edited September 11 by Mishiro

[Pinball 1]

"Got it." 

Mishiro took point -- more than half the full pack of Hellhounds descended upon them, their jowels alight with flame. No sooner had they spawned had Mishiro dispatched them, her sword aglow with the last embers of her sword art. Pinball rushed ahead. Two more Hellhounds jumped into the path in front of him. Pinball didn't stop, and he didn't slow. A knife took care of each of them, replaced immediately by a new pair. Pinball's eyes were on Cerberus, its three heads, and the magma bubbling in its jaws. 

This time, he got in close. Pinball's form flickered. First here, then there, then back to his original position, his knives braced for impact. As he slid back across the cavern floor, two of Cerberus's three heads were jerked in awkward directions from the impact of Pinball's attack, and then were destroyed. All that remained was the one head, and Cerberus -- looking not too unlike your average Hellhound now -- snapped its fiery jaws in Pinball's direction, but only caught air. Pinball was too quick. But was that really that impressive, considering he was fighting such an outdated mob? Pinball didn't think so. 

*** 

Spoiler

Free Action: [Quick Change] - {Cold Fervor} -> {Tyrfing} 
POST ACTION: {Well Rested} [TECH-F] [-16 EN] 
Hellhound 5: ID#229717 BD: 1+6 - 20*12= 240 DMG  
Hellhound 6: ID#229718 BD: 1+6 - 20*12= 240 DMG
Cerberus Head 1: ID#229719 BD: 6 - 20*12= 240 DMG
Cerberus Head 2: ID#229720 BD: 8 - 20+1= 21*12= 252 DMG 

Mishiro | HP: 440/440 | EN: 45/62 | DMG: 19 | ACC: 4 | AA | FLN: 6 (6-8) | VO: 10%
Pinball | HP: 840/840 | EN: 104/120 | DMG: 20 | ABS.ACC | ACC: 6 | EVA: 4 | BH: 37 | LD: 6

Hellhound 5 | HP: 0/200 | DMG: 50
Hellhound 6 | HP: 0/200 | DMG: 50

Head#3 attacks Pinball 
ID#229721 BD: 2 (Miss) 

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

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

 

Edited September 4 by Pinball

[Mishiro 0]

the entire body comes crashing forward, the flaming jaws of cerberus' last head chasing pinball. it misses.

she doesn't give it another chance. (maybe, in an objective sense, it's almost inconsequential. does she care?) her hand is tight around her weapon's hilt. from the side, the player approaches and winds her blade into position for a sword art. target locked -- the system carries her off like a bolt, carving a lethal strike through the hound's throat.

the entire body falls, the three heads reduced to wriggling stumps. she lands on one knee, shoulders dropping at an exhaled breath. then she rises, spins around, her eyes empty as she watches the beast's death throes.

why isn't it -- oh.

a single step forward brings her close to a semitransparent screen. she taps on it, absorbing a portion of cerberus' [soul] as the injured broker had asked, one for her and one for pinball, and their opponent is finally given rest. in a few hours, cardinal will bring back a stronger duplicate, but in this moment, peace reigns amid the death heat of the cavern, and across from pinball, the glimmers of cerberus' remnant data lights his other's conflicted expression. "i thought that was..."

no, he didn't need to hear that. not now.

"that was two out of three." she quickly sheathes her blade and turns from pinball, walking them back to the entrance of the cavern. at least there is sincerity in the faint smile pulling up the corners of her lips when she glances over her shoulder to address him. small triumphs. "let's turn this in and take that break, shall we?"

 

-> combat: st-i vs cerberus head #3 [cerberus slain]

Spoiler

PASSIVE: +3 EN

POST ACTION: ST-I vs Cerberus Head #3 [14 - 2 = 12 EN]
229777: BD 7: (19 + 6) * 15 = 375 DMG -> Cerberus Head #3

Mishiro | HP: 440/440 | EN: 36/62 | DMG: 19 | ACC: 4 | AA | FLN: 6 (6-8) | VO: 10%
Pinball | HP: 840/840 | EN: 104/120 | DMG: 20 | ABS.ACC | ACC: 6 | EVA: 4 | BH: 37 | LD: 6

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

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

 

Edited September 11 by Mishiro

[Pinball 1]

"Hm?" Thought it was what? Pinball had turned to Mishiro after staring at Cerberus writhe about the cavern floor in its death throes. That sort of thing had been happening a lot more often -- mobs, in their last moments, wailing in agony. He wasn't sure what that was all about, though he assumed that this time it was because of the quest's requirements. Mishiro continued, and Pinball couldn't help but feel as though he had missed something important. 

But all of that worry faded when he saw her smile. "Alright," he said. "Let's do that." 

He hurried to her side as the cavern became to rumble. Loose rocks fell from the walls. The ground beneath their feet seemed to shake in anger. Get out, get out, get out, the cavern seemed to say. From behind them he heard a new pack of Hellhounds, come no doubt to chase them out of the cavern. Pinball figured that this was Cardinal trying to get them to leave so it can change the set, prepare the second part of the quest now that they'd met the prerequisite. He wondered what would happen if they stayed. He wondered how long it was going to take once they'd left. 

In the distance, he saw what looked like a speck of flame crossing the dark sky. The Phoenix, the Field Boss of Floor Nine. He was pretty familiar with that one, but he figured he had enough Hellstorms to last him for a little while. Instead he turned his attention to Mishiro as they walked. 

"I doubt Knorilt has anything good to eat," Pinball said. He totally wasn't trying to make up an excuse to leave Floor Nine. Totally not. And sure, they might have something in their inventories they could munch on, but where was the fun in that? "Do you want to hop over to another for a lunch break and then come back?" 

[Mishiro 0]

soon as they had reached a safe distance, the passage collapses. rocks fill out the entrance, turning the area temporarily inaccessible, but its indent against f9's fiery landscape remains clear. paused beneath the slight overhang that remained, the player reaches into her cloak and clicks a small button on the side of her timepiece. she had previously calibrated it to follow the next quest's timer, or so she thinks she would have. in her head, she still feels like she's running. her heart is light and every sodden thought occupying her mind has been shifted to the side to make way for the physicality of the present moment.

the third and most difficult quest looms over them, but for the next couple of hours, there is really nothing else to do but rest.

(she wants to brush up on her notes again. she had gone without this time and the last, but.)

and they have packed lunch. if not something she prepared for the occasion, their combined inventories surely hold enough byproducts from their matching professions, though if she were to guess, pinball's request does not entirely come from culinary preferences. "alright," she replies. we'll have to make that walk again. at least the better environment seems a fair tradeoff. her tone takes on a rare, lighter quality. "but you have to be sure that i can still drag you back, okay?"

from infernal cavern to knorilt, the woman silently passes the time ruminating on their options. their individual homes are tempting, so tempting that they had lulled her into those long spates of idleness and she almost wants to avoid them for what they stand for, at least until they're done. and the cozier floors have high player densities and she has no knowledge of her companion's standing with the frontlines at present. "we could go to floor 16. i'll buy us a room at an inn and leave a window open. or more conservatively, its combat zones seem friendlier than this place. good enough for a picnic, i think."

she's drawn from her thoughts by the appearance of a familiar figure in the distance. during the short time they had spent on the quest, the injured broker had somehow made it all the way back to its origin point. it awaits them now, freshly bandaged and looking all the better, by knorilt's gates, and it holds a hand out to stop the lone guard from immediately raising its weapon at the sight of pinball. likely because he was in her company. she approaches it alone, anyway, a flickering red flame bursting to life above her open palm. cerberus' [soul]. "it's done."

she holds it closer, expecting the broker to take it, but it simply gives a tired, grateful nod. "on behalf of knorilt village, i thank you. here is the payment promised. and keep the soul -- consider it part of your reward."

the quest completion window that appears temporarily blocks her sight of the stoic broker turning and leaving without another word. she dismisses the screen, then her eyes happen to fall on cerberus' last flame. she curls her hand inwards, watches it harmlessly disperse in the spaces around her fingers. a small notification at the corner of her eye tells her that it was automatically returned to her inventory. as pinball rejoins her, she says, distractedly, "can i keep your [soul], too?"

Edited September 25 by Mishiro

[Pinball 1]

Pinball's spirits were immediately lifted. He just about smiled. "Of course," he said, "you can drag me anywhere." His mind was already wandering, dreaming up a scene: rolling green hills or clean cobbled streets, a blue sky, or the smell of fresh rain and damp earth. Anything and anywhere he imagined was better than here. 

He was daydreaming, and because of that, he ended up walking closer than he'd meant to to the settlement of Knorilt. The guard lowered his weapon, but the broker they'd accepted the quest from put an arm out for him to lower it. Pinball frowned. He took a few steps back anyways and let Mishiro handle the turn-in. He had almost forgotten himself. 

Pinball rejoined her a few moments later, and she asked him if she could keep his drop from the quest. "Sure." It wasn't like he was going to be using it. He swiped his menu open and sent it over. He thought about the guard lowering his weapon as he approached. He tried not to get in his feelings about it. As Mishiro accepted the item, he let his eyes pass over her face. Again, the question crossed his mind. 

His eyes were back on the road before she closed the trade menu. 

"Floor 16 sounds nice. I wouldn't mind stopping at an inn for a bit." He hadn't slept well last night and they had been out since sunrise. A bed sounded very nice. "Unless you'd rather a picnic. I'm not super familiar with good spots for that on the 16th, though." 

 

[Mishiro 0]

the second [soul] falls into her inventory. if she had spoken strangely, and if it had provoked any response from him, she does not notice. they're back to deciding the logistics of their break.

"i'm not, either," she admits. there was little reason for her to visit floor 16's combat zones. pinball had left the final decision to her but she thinks she can tell his preference. "and looking around takes time. i'll find us an inn."

 

 

floor 16, like floor 9, is a volcanic region, but on the surface the two could not be any more different. the teleport takes them to a rainforest of trees made out of stone and a village of wood and thatch houses connected by stairs, ladders, and bridges. water runs beneath the walkways and the sun's light is dappled by the canopy hanging from far overhead. she takes in the inviting scenery as she walks away from the teleport point and the bustling parts of the village to its outer circles, where she starts her search.

the place she eventually settles on is a little ways off the larger roads. two-storied, not too busy despite the afternoon hours. she ducks inside, noticing how everything is just slightly smaller. "room for one." the dwarven inkeeper is barely half her height. her eyes briefly glance down at a wooden board displaying a menu, he was looking for something else to eat, right...? "and one of everything from here--" the tip of her finger draws a short line downwards. "--to here. can i ask for it to be brought up to my room?"

it doesn't question why an unaccompanied woman was ordering a veritable feast of tavern food. she was providing business. a server appears almost instantaneously with an array of plates balanced on its stocky arms and it follows her upstairs. once fully settled in her room, she cracks open a window and leans out a little. elbows propped on the sill, eyes closed. she silently enjoys the feel of the soft breeze stirring her hair and the cheerful ambience of the village.

Edited September 15 by Mishiro

[Pinball 1]

He was standing in between buildings and hugging shadowed corners of the city as soon as they had entered. He followed from a far, careful not to attract any unwanted attention. He watched Mishiro begin her search and felt the simple desire to walk beside her without having to hide. The thought made his face twist. He'd thrown that luxury away a long time ago (and how dare you for even thinking you'd want it). Pinball buried the thought deep down and followed. 

She'd picked on a place a little ways off the larger roads, something comparatively inconspicuous. While Mishiro headed inside to prepare food a room, Pinball waited outside. He was not seen, nor heard, and the crowd of NPCs moved about their day none the wiser. It was as almost as if he didn't exist at all. Eyes of ice stared out at the world from the shadows of an alleyway. 

A window overhead was opened and Pinball looked up to find Mishiro propped on the sill, her eyes closed. Pinball stayed quiet, and for a moment, didn't do anything but watch her. 

He kicked up the wall and stood crouched in the windowsill beside her, his hand against the frame for balance. He was half in, half out, his cloak trailing behind him, and he was looking at her when he appeared. "Hey." He glanced behind him, taking in the view of the city streets from where they stood before entering the room from the window. "Sorry for the wait."

Pinball unequipped his cloak and took a curious look at the plates and platters set out for them. 

Edited September 13 by Pinball

[Mishiro 0]

water rushes down the falls. the tavern door past the bend opens and shuts to the tromp of heavy boots and jovial greetings. she listens; prises the layers of white noise. he’s lost to her in sight.

and she can’t find him in sound, either. she feels the weight of his presence the instant he comes out of hiding. “welcome back,” she breathes. pinball has a leg up on the windowsill, crowding her away from the middle, and she leans further to the side to allow him the space to slip in. “it wasn’t that long.”

outside, the town is undisturbed. drawing away from the window, she undoes the clasp of her heavy cloak and lays it on the back of a chair. her gloves follow, pressed neatly atop the pile. pinball, who had gone to inspect the food, would find that the dishes mostly consist of regular tavern fare: freshly baked bread with a block of cheese, cod cakes, stir-fried greens, a cut of venison served on a rack and drizzled with a red sauce, complementary soup and cold tea. the exception is a pair of sherbets, spooned into the same thin glass bowls she uses in her shop. "i thought the servings would be smaller, like everything else." his companion takes a seat across from him, tucking her hair back behind her ear. she notes with some amusement that while the dwarves had led her to a room where all the furniture is human-sized, the dimensions of the space are not so easily changed. if pinball stood on his tiptoes, he could lay his palm flat against the ceiling. "but i suppose their dietary needs are unchanged by their statures... or they're used to catering to humans. hm. anyway, let's eat. help yourself."

she ladles the soup into her bowl, letting pinball pick apart the main courses first. the broth is thick, the wooden bowl warm against her palms, and the vegetables are cut into bite-sized cubes that are easy to pick up with her chopsticks. she eats in relative silence for a while, until she sets down her empty bowl and starts taking small servings of the other dishes onto her plate. "i was wondering earlier," she says as she sits back down. "since the cave fell in, no one else can take the quest now, can they? and some of these quests -- field bosses, now -- have higher repeat values than others. did the frontliners of your time ever have a rotation for these things? who can farm what quest at a certain time, and such."

absently, she tries to pick the meat from the bone with her chopsticks. "it's a good thing no one else seems to be after that etching today..."

Edited September 15 by Mishiro

[Pinball 1]

Pinball sat down with Mishiro and started picking out his food. If their lunch was any indication, the dwarves ate much better than he did. It wasn't like it mattered much. You couldn't gain weight, and your health was solely dictated by a green bar in the top left corner of your vision. There was no need to worry about vitamins, protein, fats, or nutrients; Pinball was sure in the real world, his body was enduring much worse on life support. But it was a little embarrassing. His diet consisted mostly of various sweets, and he just didn't get tired of eating them. He liked pastries, mostly, and sometimes chocolates. His only saving grace was that he didn't enjoy candy. Pinball wasn't sure if Mishiro knew about it, but he certainly wasn't going to give her any cause for suspicion. He took a little bit of everything, and he didn't skimp on the vegetables. Or the bread. Maybe too much bread. As he was filling his plate, Pinball answered her question. 

"I don't think Field Bosses were very popular in my time," he answered honestly. He couldn't remember ever fighting one, or even hearing about other frontliners going after them. "Or if there were even many at all. But I imagine if there was one, and there was an issue between multiple groups, they'd work something out... probably." Pinball left it at that. His opinion on frontliners wasn't a particularly shining one. 

"For sure," he agreed. He watched Mishiro try to pick the bone from her chopsticks and attempted to do so once himself. He failed. Not wanting to pick the meat apart with his hands like an animal in front of Mishiro, he opted for the utensils that he was more familiar with. He ate a bit. The food made him more talkative. "The next quest is going to be a lot tougher than this one, but we'll be able to handle it. I was thinking we could go into a dungeon afterwards, if you were okay with that."

 

Edited September 18 by Pinball

[Mishiro 0]

probably.

it ends there. and she lets it rest. he hadn't run into the issue before, despite her belief that questions of those sort would be more common in the higher tiers. had their numbers been just that sparse, then, that running into each other unintended was simply not a concern?

she quietly nods along when pinball shifts away from the topic, continuing to pick through her food. nothing she likely didn't already know, when they had arranged all this. (she needs to read those notes.) but her eyes raise, questioning, at his proposal. she stops eating. "a tier four dungeon?" she clarifies, not doubtful, but on the edge of it. this is too sudden. she needs to learn how to deal with ‘sudden.’ “i’m not opposed, but…”

the problem is, their time in the desert revealed how the gap in their numbers worked in practice. she could pull her weight in damage but she doesn’t know if pinball should rely on her so readily. a battle is more than a numbers game.

she hasn’t been in a dungeon since her time with _________.

“just from my impression, there’s a possibility that we might have to retreat halfway if either of our health bars drop too low. i can’t reliably tank for you yet, not at this level.” she gently lowers her chopsticks and takes her mug of tea instead. half-hidden behind the rim, she bundles up her hesitation, pushes it down. “so, if ever, i’ll owe you a dungeon map."

Edited September 19 by Mishiro

[Pinball 1]

"A tier four dungeon." He confirmed. If Mishiro was worried, he didn't notice. His face was buried in his food, and he would never have suggested it if it meant putting her in harm's way. It was when she trailed off that she had his attention. He quietly waited for her to finish. 

"That's not a problem." Pinball said. "And you won't owe me anything. It's not difficult to get your hands on a map." 

Pinball went back to his food. His mind went to the next fight ahead of them, and the dungeon they'd take on after. Before he knew it, his plate was empty. He pulled back, puzzled. Had he not gotten enough, or was there just not a lot there to begin with? Pinball pushed the empty tray aside. 

"We can go straight into the dungeon after Cerberus, before the buffs wear off. Shouldn't be a problem." 

Edited September 21 by Pinball

[Mishiro 0]

"..."

the steam rising from her cup feathers outwards at a softly expelled breath. no, it isn't a question of trust. hasn't been for a long while.

most of the conversation dies down as they finish their meals occupied by their individual thoughts. only murmured comments or requests to pass something from one side to the other occasionally break through. the plates are cleared, the bones picked through cleanly, and all is neatly stacked and pushed to one side of the table despite the amount ordered and her initial hesitation to use anything but chopsticks. after allowing herself a much longer time to enjoy her crafted sherbet, she slips through a crack in the door with their plates and passes them off to an idle employee.

her return to their room is paired with a tired, almost yearning glance at the bed -- but for the same reason she had ordered a single in the first place does she seat herself back at the table, wiping her fingers on a napkin. she pulls out their notes from her inventory and drops her gaze to skim through the pages.

"don't worry about the time. i'm keeping track for us."

Edited September 24 by Mishiro

[Pinball 1]

The food was finished, the words between them had been spoken. Or at least most of them, anyway. Pinball stood, too, as Mishiro handed off the empty trays and platters, and, for a moment, stared longingly at the bed. But there was only one, and Mishiro sat back down at the table, and Pinball wasn't going to just take it for himself. And he wasn't going to sleep unless she did. 

He wandered the minimally furnished room for a bit before stopping at the window. There was still a slight breeze. He leaned against the windowsill. In the meantime, Pinball was simply content enjoying the breeze and watching the city outside. Soon, they'd be going back to the 9th Floor and fighting a whole ensemble of dangerous mobs. But at that moment, they were resting, and he was full, and Pinball thought that he was the closest to happy that he would ever get. 

[Mishiro 0]

she's looking at the depths of an emptiness she didn't know she had within herself.

grief. shame. injustice. the WEIGHT OF A SOUL. when your days all blend together, one sunrise bleeding into another into another sunset, at what point do you recognize that time itself is spilling from between your fingers like water? your other half is at the window, the softest he's ever appeared in this light. she cracks open the ring of the binder, spreads detached clippings over the table. her palms come to rest on either side of the first leaves. foreign words. foreign handwriting. as though someone else had lived through your last seven days. you're as calm as you had always looked but your head is a mess. from left to right, one after another, she reads through the lines and figures written, runs it through in her mind twice. she trawls through memories further beyond but your only destination is the waste land.

all the connections had snapped.

click.

__:__:__.

and so the clock hand stops. in swiping the cloak from the back of the chair, she upturns the inside pocket containing the timepiece. it rolls out from the heavy fabric, and before her fingers could snag the trailing gold chain, it falls to the floor with a crack. she drops to her knees reaching for it, turns it upwards.

across the fractured glass face, a vague reflection looks back.

Edited September 25 by Mishiro