Shay 0 Posted September 6 #1 Share Posted September 6 (edited) Shay stepped down from the teleportation platform on Floor Eight and took in the sights. A large forest encompassed the vast majority of Florenthia, however, there seemed to be no canopy of trees over this settlement. Having been to this floor a few times she was familiar with it but was always too busy to really take in those sights. The populace was a mixture of the typical wood elves and humans, along with serveral players going about their daily business just like her. Though her stone faced expression was sure to make any player wonder if she had learned how to hide an orange cursor over her green one. The quest giver she was looking for, Remington, was found speaking with Sewallus, the Captain of the Guard in Florenthia. Shay would make herself known immediately. “Hey, idiots. I heard you have an ape problem. I’ll take care of it.” Her words were confident, yet demeanor laxed. “Your lack of seriousness in this matter is not helpful stranger. If you want to help, please listen to what we have to say first.” The zoologist would bite back at the woman who was already turning to walk away. “No.” She’ll say trying to begin her search. Sewallus will attempt to stop her, though. “At least allow me to help. It’s my duty to-“ ”I said no.” The girl will growl as she continued to walk a way. It would merely be a waste of time for her. Spoiler Name: Shay True Tier: 4 Level: 33 Paragon Level: 1 HP: 700/700 EN: 84/84 Stats: Damage: 13 Mitigation: 20 Accuracy: 5 Evasion: 3 Battle Healing: 35 Stealth Rating: 5 BLD: 48 Equipped Gear: Weapon/Armor/Trinket: - Murasame α | T4 Katana | BLD II; DMG I Armor/Trinket: - Deep-Red Tie | T4 Trinket | ACC III Shield/Armor/Trinket: - Leather Overcoat | T4 Light Armor | EVA III Combat Mastery: - Combat Shift: - ST Shift Familiar Skill: - Custom Skill: - Skills: - Battle Healing R5 - Cloth Armor R5 - Katana R5 - Quick Change Extra Skills: - Hiding R5 Inactive Extra Skills: Addons: - Focus - Precision - Resolve - Stamina Mods: - Athletics - Surpise Attack: Trickster Inactive Mods: Battle Ready Inventory: - Yatsufusa | T4 Perfect Katana | DMG III x Housing Buffs: Guild Hall Buffs: Scents of the Wild Totem: Wedding Ring: Crafting Profession: Gathering Profession: Note: Shay will be accepting Sewallus’ help, she’s just a bitch. @Oz Edited September 6 by Shay Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted September 6 #2 Share Posted September 6 (edited) Acanthus had barely returned from her trip with Nymoria when she stumbled into what seemed like a confrontation. She witnessed a player confidently talking to some NPCs. “Hey, idiots. I heard you have an ape problem. I’ll take care of it.” Ape problem? Acanthus perked up. She had meant to tackle this quest ever since she had unlocked her TECH shift. The ability would be a powerful one to add to her arsenal. Not to mention she was enjoying the atmosphere of floor eight. It was calm and green, and full of life—she’d take any excuse to prolong her stay here. She wasn’t exactly keen on her upcoming trip to floor ten. Acanthus approached the player. “I hate to bother you, but are you about to take on the Monkey King? I’ve been looking for a party to do that quest with for a few days now, but I haven’t had any luck. I don’t suppose you have any space in your party?” She cautiously peered over at Sewallus, currently trying to get the other player's attention, and Acanthus braced herself. Hopefully she’s nicer to me than she is to the NPCs. Spoiler Acanthus | Lvl 24 | HP: 510/510 | EN: 66/66 | DMG: 14 | MIT:66 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BLD: 36 | PARA | LD:3 Equipment Meteor | T3 Longsword | BLD 2 | PARA In Noctem | T3 Light Armor | MIT 2 EVA 1 Vow of Return | Ring | ACC 3 Battle-Ready Inventory (3) Starter Healing Potions Skills Combat Mastery: DMG R2 TECH Shift Straight Sword R5 Addon: Focus Addon: Precision Light Armor R5 Addon: Resolve Searching R3 Mod (1/5): Night Vision Hiding R3 Thread Consumables: (Currently reflected in stat block) None Edited September 6 by Acanthus Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted September 7 #3 Share Posted September 7 Oh, look. Babes. It wasn't like Oz needed any extra motivation to go after the Monkey King. The longer he roamed beyond the safety of Aincrad's safe zones, the more he found himself leaning on other Players to get by. As disgusted as he was by needing to rely on the skills and talents of others (gross), he recognized that his own combat prowess was so evidently lacking that it was more or less a necessity. He figured that boons such as his newly acquired Leadership skill and the Sword Art supposedly earned from defeating the Monkey King were a good way to make him less useless on the battlefield. If he was going to force other to bonk the bad guys for him, he could at least help make those bonks hurt a little more. Partying up with women was always preferred. The men of this world were too serious and brooding, main character complexes abound. The women oftentimes weren't so sharp around the edges. Not to mention, they were just more fun to look at. He hung his arm over Sewallus' shoulder, who seemed equally surprised as he was perturbed by Oz's sudden intrusion, and sauntered over to the fairer-sexed duo. "We'll be joining, too!" Oz touted enthusiastically, a stark juxtaposition to Sewallus' uncomfortable and confused demeanor. "And before you say no - I can supply beer." Spoiler Oz | HP: 290/290 | EN: 46/46 | DMG: 4 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 4 | LD: 9 | HB: 11 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 2 | ParaVen 2 Level: 14 Equipped. Loathsome Lullaby. [T1 Demonic Throwing Knives - ID: 226394] Vampiric Offensive II | Paralytic Venom II Garment of Gluttony. [T1 Perfect Cloth Armor - ID: 230260] Vampiric Defensive II | Holy Blessing II Laurel Earcuffs. [T1 Perfect Jewelry - ID: 220923] LD III Battle-Ready Inventory. (3) Crystal of the Blood Dragon Horde. Tierless Mass Healing Crystals - Heals user and each member of Party for 10% of Max HP IDs: 222929, 222930, 222931 (5) Crystal of the Blood Dragon Horde. Tierless Mass Healing Crystals - Heals user and each member of Party for 10% of Max HP IDs: 222932, 222933, 222934, 222935, 222936 (5) Crystal of the Blood Dragon Horde. Tierless Mass Healing Crystals - Heals user and each member of Party for 10% of Max HP IDs: 222937, 223187, 223187-1, 223187-2, 223185 (4) Potion of Oh God Oh God Oh God. Tierless Perfect HP Recovery Potions - Heals user for 15% of Max HP IDs: Unknown - acquired here. (5) Potion of Oh God Oh God Oh God. Tierless Perfect HP Recovery Potions - Heals user for 15% of Max HP IDs: Unknown - acquired here. Skills. Spoiler Standard: Searching [Rank 5] +5 LD +5 Stealth Detection Throwing Knives. [Rank 1] +3 DMG when wielding Throwing Knives Combat Mastery: Evasion. [Rank 3] +3 EVA Unhindered. +1 ACC +1 LD +1 EVA +10 HP Extra: Leadership. [Rank 3] Leadership Art: Elusive EN Cost: 4 | CD: 2 turns Increase EVA of all Players in party by 1 for a single turn. Leadership Art: Rally EN Cost: 6 | CD: 2 turns Increase ACC of all Players in party by 1 for a single turn. Leadership Art: Steadfast EN Cost: 8 | CD: 3 turns Status effects that would be applied to the party for the next two turns are instead applied to the user instead. Guild Buffs. Spoiler Lucrative. Reduce LD needed for Salvage rolls by 5 +2 Alchemist crafting EXP per crafting attempt +1 crafting attempt per day at Rank 9 +2 crafting attempts per day at Rank 10 Col Deposit. +5% bonus col from mob loot +10% bonus col from treasure chests Housing Buffs. Spoiler Well Rested. -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat Squeaky Clean. First time suffering DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down) Hard Working (Alchemist). +2 Alchemist crafting EXP per crafting attempt +1 crafting attempt per day Filling. Increase effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot Storage Closet. +1 Battle-Ready Inventory slot Dining Hall. Turn 3 identical food items into a Feast, containing 6 portions for party members to partake in Living Room. Increases out of combat HP regen by 5xTier Reduces full EN regen to 2 out of combat posts Skylight (Searching). +1 Expertise to Searching Practiced Angler. +2 Fishing EXP per fishing attempt +1 LD and +1 CD to fishing attempts Advanced Training. +10% EXP to a thread once per month Multipurpose. +1 LD to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post per thread, applied retroactive to the roll Consumable Buffs. Spoiler Link to post Share on other sites
Shay 0 Posted September 8 Author #4 Share Posted September 8 (edited) Just as she thought she was in the clear to go about her business another player approached her. The disdain she felt for social interaction at this point was already at its maximum potential. If she wasn't careful she would say something she possibly couldn't take back, despite it being for absolutely no reason. "Don't bother me." The woman would say not even turning her head to meet the eyes of the other player. The pianist would open her menu and send an invite to the girl. "And don't die." Again, just as she was about to leave this horrible social encounter a man made himself known in a fashion that Shay utterly despised. Men were all the same. They have interest in you until they don't and they're on to the next thing no questions asked. Titan had disappeared without a trace after he'd finally broken her out of this shell that she now drapes herself in and ChaseR was... It didn't matter. She knew that if she didn't fill out the party at this point they would all just follow her anyways so she would send the man a friend request before going about her business as if no one was walking with her. Moments dragged by from the echoing silence of Shay. She drowned out the conversations happening behind her as they travelled through the forest to find the Monkey King and offered no response to any conversing directed towards her. She didn't need their help, she didn't want their help. Just more people to worry about in shitty life that she wasn't sure she wanted anymore. Her silence would soon be broken by the sound of music, though. A piano composition of her own - A remix of a game soundtrack that she had played before she'd been thrusted into digital jail. As she walked ahead of the group, the assassin would slowly vanish but not into the foliage, just disappear slowly from sight until she was no longer visible. The piano continued... Shay enters Stealth... LD: 15+5 = 20 to detect Edited September 8 by Shay Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted September 8 #5 Share Posted September 8 "Don't bother me. And don't die." I suppose I’ve had worse first interactions. "We'll be joining, too!" A player approached with his arm hanging around a very-confused NPC. Acanthus turned to the cold girl, who appeared disinterested. She turned back to the man, ready to let him down gently. "And before you say no - I can supply beer." “...Beer, you say.” Acanthus eyed him with curiosity. “Wait. Are you Oz? I think I recognize you from floor thirteen. I bought some whiskey from you a few days ago. It was surprisingly good.” She saw a menu appear in front of him—apparently the first player had decided to let him join. “Welcome to the party. I’m Acanthus.” She looked over to the girl. “Judging from my party invite, her name is Shay. I’m sure she is pleased to meet you as well.” She peered ahead to Shay, but she had already disappeared in a whirl of music. Sort of like Pinball, she mused. Acanthus tried to engage Oz in polite conversation on their way out of town, talking about her shop, his bar, and what kinds of beer he was able to come up with in Aincrad. “I suppose it’s too much to ask that you’ve found a recipe that actually simulates intoxication.” Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted September 8 #6 Share Posted September 8 (edited) Nevermind. Turns out the women had main character complexes, too. “Wait. Are you Oz?" Acanthus asked, causing him to perk up a bit and flicker his orbs to meet with hers. "I think I recognize you from floor thirteen. I bought some whiskey from you a few days ago. It was surprisingly good.” A genuine, goofy grin sprawled across Oz's visage, and he could feel a bit of pink rise to his cheeks. It was a rarity to receive a genuine compliment from anyone. "Oh riiiiight, I remember you," he recalled, looking up and off into the middle distance. "Though, I'm surprised you remember me. That whiskey has some wicked effects on memory. Glad you liked it, it was one of the first recipes I managed to cobble together." The girl said Shay was also please to meet him, but he didn't buy it. She was just being polite. “I suppose it’s too much to ask that you’ve found a recipe that actually simulates intoxication.” "No dice on that one - just a hangover cure so far. I caught wind of a rumor a while back that there are ingredients on floors that remain locked that might be capable of inducing inebriation, but it's all just speculation. No way to verify." As they made their way out of the town and into the woods, the path strewn before them became shaded by the thick canopy that hung overhead. Sewallus was remarkably quiet, and Shay hadn't been seen in some time. Oz and Acanthus continued their idle chatter to pass the time, but eventually, silence left its mark on the mismatched smattering of Players. All that remained was the darkness of the foreboding jungle, the light patter of boots against the earth, and... Crack. "You guys hear that?" Oz piped up, stopping dead in his tracks to listen more closely. He peered into the thick vegetation, squinting in a vain attempt to discern something amid the multilayered flora and the palpable darkness it projected. He couldn't make out anything. "Shay, was that you?" Edited September 8 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Shay 0 Posted September 9 Author #7 Share Posted September 9 (edited) Shay would stalk the shadows, quietly walking just ahead of the group despite the fact they couldn’t see her. Who would expect her to be right where she was when she disappeared after all. Listening to their conversation was a bit on the annoying side but she at least had a heart. She’d brought them along because they were probably going to attempt the quest anyway and she needed to do it as well. There wasn’t going to be any death amongst this party. The forest seemed to quiet down very quickly suddenly. To Shay, that meant there was very little wildlife in the area and, given the quest they were doing, meant a predator was chasing everything out. The giant ape was around. Sewallus would move into a defense mode in front of the other two players. “That she-devil abandoned us! I will not leave you though, support me and we’ll take the creature down.” The Guard Captain would say as Oz called out to her. He raised his weapon in preparation for its arrival. And its arrival was unexpected. It had somehow snuck up on the group from the side. With an angrily loud screech, it raised its furry palm to smash the small group before Shay’s voice came from out of the blue as surprisingly as she did on the monkey’s back. “影から” Muramasa slid deep into the spine of the ape. It yelped in pain before shaking the woman off. The blade stuck in its back sizzled with a black aura, slowly corroding the enemy it was dug into. Shay would land carefully by the group, readying her second sword for the next attack. “Remember, don’t die.” [1]Shay | HP: 700/700 | EN: 61/84 | DMG: 13 | MIT:20 | ACC:5 | EVA:3 | BH:35 | BLD: 48 [0]Acanthus [0]Oz [0]Sewallus | HP: 400/400 | DMG: 75 (100 on crit) | MIT: 50 | EVA: -1 Monkey King | HP: 612/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 | BLEEDING 48: 2/2 ST-I vs Monkey King (13x15)/50 = 98 - 60 BLD applied to Monkey King Translation Note: 影から - ‘From Shadows’ Edited September 9 by Shay Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted September 9 #8 Share Posted September 9 (edited) Oz seemed to perk up. "You guys hear that?" He looked into the jungle beyond, trying to catch a glance at something in the distance. “I don’t see anything.” Sewallas stepped in front of Acanthus and Oz, yelling something about Shay being a “she-devil.” Acanthus tried to quiet him politely. “I’m afraid you’re going to attract some unwanted attention, Sewallas.” He turned and glared at her. “That’s *Captain* Sewallis to you, you ignorant—” “—Look out!” Acanthus tackled the captain as a massive simian hand appeared out of nowhere, crushing where they had stood just moments before. Despite its size, the Monkey King had snuck around to their side undetected. Clever boy. Acanthus rolled off of Sewallas and lept up ready to fight. The Monkey King had already retracted its hand. In fact, it seemed to be thrashing at something on its back. Landing spritely next to them, Shay readied her blade. “Remember, don’t die.” Acanthus nodded gratefully. “I won’t.” The Monkey King lumbered into view. That is much bigger than I anticipated. The boss was easily the size of her shop. She wondered how on Earth she would be able to even put a mark in the thing. And then she had a stupid idea. “Shay, remember—it’s your job to keep me from dying.” She shot Oz an apologetic look. “I didn't intend to cause offense, Oz.” Acanthus took off running at the Monkey King, still scratching at its back wounds. The closer she got, the more detail she saw on the bubbling black sores that was spreading across its back. I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of that blade. While the boss appeared distracted, she ran underneath, preparing a sword art while she did so. The Monkey King noticed the glow, but it was too late. It lifted a foot to try and stomp her, but that only made Acanthus’ idea easier. With a series of wild slashes, she hacked at the one leg left on the ground. Thrown by the sudden pain, the monkey howled and lost its balance. She dove out of the way as the monster fell over, stunned. “All yours, Oz!” Spoiler [1] Shay | HP: 700/700 | EN: 61/84 | DMG: 13 | MIT:20 | ACC:5 | EVA:3 | BH:35 | BLD: 48 [1] Acanthus | Lvl 24 | HP: 510/510 | EN: 50/66 | DMG: 14 | MIT:66 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BLD: 36 | PARA | LD:3 [0] Oz [0] Sewallus | HP: 400/400 | DMG: 75 (100 on crit) | MIT: 50 | EVA: -1 <<Monkey King>> | HP: 448/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 | BLEEDING 48: 2/2 Post Action: TECH-A -> Monkey King 230679 | BD 6 + 5 = 11. Hit! 14 * 16 = 224 - 60 = 164 damage. Stunned! Edited September 9 by Acanthus Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted September 10 #9 Share Posted September 10 (edited) “All yours, Oz!” But he was already up in the goofy gremlin's grill, inspecting its nasty visage with an inquisitive expression stretched across his face. Oh, how he loved it when his unlikely comrades deigned to stun one of these magnificent creatures. He placed a boot against the monster's lower lip and pushed. Try as he might, its maw would not budge. Seemed that, even in its dazed state, it had some semblance of control over its body. It had merely lost its capability for locomotion. "How boring," he mused with a blank expression, boot coming back to rest upon earth dampened by the ape's drool. "I usually like to get a glimpse of the inside. You guys would be surprised how detailed the models are. I get that it's part of the 'real dive' schtick, but honestly, you'd think those areas less-viewed might sport lower fidelity. Not the case in Aincrad." The fiend twisted, and Oz leapt back toward the rest of the group with an unflattering yelp. Fun time was over. The Monkey King slowly began to stir, its massive lumbering frame coming to life once more as Sewallus dashed ahead. "Come and get me, you gargantuan oaf! Feel the might of Captain Sewallus!" Oz cast a squeamish grimace toward his fairer-sexed companions. "This guy for real?" He wasn't, of course. He was an NPC. If the 'Captain' was going to posture, perhaps Oz could imbue some of his own confidence into the group. With a yawn, he called forth an azure cloud from his lungs, which quickly fucktupled in size and overcame the group. Perhaps they could find themselves empowered by his breath - or, at least, empowered to escape it. Spoiler [1] Shay | HP: 700/700 | EN: 61/84 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 20 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 35 | BLD: 48 [1] Acanthus | HP: 510/510 | EN: 50/66 | DMG: 14 | MIT: 66 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD: 36 | PARA | LD: 3 [0] Oz | HP: 290/290 | EN: 40/46 | DMG: 4 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 4 | LD: 9 | HB: 11 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 2 | ParaVen 2 [5] Sewallus | HP: 400/400 | DMG: 75 (100 on crit) | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: -1 Oz used Leadership Art: Rally, -6 EN. All party members receive +1 ACC until Oz's next turn. Changes reflected in stat block. Sewallus used Florenthian Howl. 5 Hate accrued against Sewallus. <<Monkey King>> | HP: 400/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 | BLEEDING 48: 1/2 Monkey King is STUNNED, no action taken. Edited September 11 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Shay 0 Posted September 11 Author #10 Share Posted September 11 (edited) “Shay, remember—it’s your job to keep me from dying.” The assassin removed her sword from the remaining saya and approach the monkey king but when she heard that come from Acanthus, her saya came out from it's usual spot to give a loud, hollow 'clonk!' against the other woman's head. "Do I look like your damn mother?!" A growl manifested, laced in her tone. "If you were to die here, you shouldn't have joined. Luckily, I am here to give you a boost." Yatsufusa glowed with a malevolence of purple and black before connecting with the eye of the monkey king who was incapable of dodging such a gruesome attack. It squealed in pain with what muscles it could muster under the stun. Meanwhile, Shay would step up on its head to it's back to retrieve the sister sword Murasame. A callous motion of her hand digging the blade out of the monkey kings back would leave a puss filled, black moldy mess on the wound. Shay would step down, sheathing both of her swords into their individual sayas. She would shoot all three of the others a look finishing on Sewallus. "Job done." The assassin will say simply, much to the chagrin of the captain of the guard. "The beast yet lives you banshee! You're insane-!" "I don't care. These two can finish it off easily with the help of Murasame's bleed." She would hang around the beast, just in case she happened to lose out on the rewards if she got too far away from it. [2] Shay | HP: 700/700 | EN: 61/84 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 20 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 35 | BLD: 48 [1] Acanthus | HP: 510/510 | EN: 50/66 | DMG: 14 | MIT: 66 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD: 36 | PARA | LD: 3 [0] Oz | HP: 290/290 | EN: 40/46 | DMG: 4 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 4 | LD: 9 | HB: 11 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 2 | ParaVen 2 [5] Sewallus | HP: 400/400 | DMG: 75 (100 on crit) | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: -1 <<Monkey King>> | HP: 72/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 | BLEEDING 48: 1/2 Shay uses Quick Change to switch to Yatsufusa BD: 2+6 = 8 Hit! 21 x18 DMG Edited September 11 by Shay Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted September 11 #11 Share Posted September 11 (edited) Clonk. A buzz sounded in her head as the saya bounced off of it. “Do I look like your damn mother?!” Acanthus studied Shay for a moment, thinking hard. “No. You’re about the same height, but there’s a few dissimilarities.” Shay stormed up to the Monkey King, adeptly swapping to a new sword. Another impressive blade. I wonder where she’ll put it— A horrifying noise filled the forest. Acanthus winced. Maybe it would be best to put the beast out of its misery now. Dodging the thrashing arms, and giving Shay a wide—very wide—berth, Acanthus moved around to the side of the fallen monkey, sword prepared. “I’m sorry,” she said simply, powering up the sword art. Envisioning the power coming from the very tip of her blade, she released at the very last moment of the charge. With a clean swipe, the sword art cut neatly through the base of the monkey’s neck. It stopped thrashing, then slowly fragmented into blue shards. “I believe that’s the quest. Thank you both for everything.” She offered them a quick bow. “That ended up resolving much quicker than I anticipated. If you would like to spend some more time together to kill some monsters, we could do that.” Sewallas began to bluster, but Acanthus cut him off politely. “But then again, we do have to drop him back off home. I’ll follow the group’s lead.” Spoiler +3 EN. [2] Shay | HP: 700/700 | EN: 61/84 | DMG: 13 | MIT:20 | ACC:5 | EVA:3 | BH:35 | BLD: 48 [2] Acanthus | Lvl 24 | HP: 510/510 | EN: 41/66 | DMG: 14 | MIT:66 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BLD: 36 | PARA | LD:3 [0] Oz [5] Sewallus | HP: 400/400 | DMG: 75 (100 on crit) | MIT: 50 | EVA: -1 <<Monkey King>> | HP: 0/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 | BLEEDING 48: 2/2 Post Action: ST-1 -> Monkey King 231115| BD 9 + 4 = 13. Hit! 15 * 12 = 180- 60 = 120 damage. Looting Monkey King ID: 231116 | LD: 1+5=6 | CD:9+0=9 | Col:3900, Mats:4, [231116a] T4 Rare Trinket Acanthus' Loot Total 3,900 col (4) materials T4 Rare Trinket | 231116a Edited September 11 by Acanthus Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted September 11 #12 Share Posted September 11 (edited) Oz watched as the women cleaved through the overgrown ape like hot knives through cottage cheese. Its health bar dwindled, then dwindled some more, until finally the last pixels of color had been exhausted. All at once, the creature's massive form combusted into a miasma of fractals, each cascading into its own dissipating oblivion. He whistled as the spectacle unfolded before him, the glow refracting off of his eyes and painting those gray hues with an azure tinge. Sewallus stammered in the wake of the explosion. Perhaps it was the fact that women were speaking, and he seemed to have an issue with that. Or, perhaps it was the fact that Oz had chosen his broad shoulders as his most recent perch. He regarded the pair of lovely fighters with a nod and a grin, retrieving a tea leaf cigarette from its aluminum canister and igniting it in a fluid motion. "Legs got tired," he explained. "What with the fighting and all." Which he had surely played a major role in. He took a drag, let loose a plume of noxious burnt tea and slapped the sexist's helmet. "Onward, noble steed!" Although the fool obviously objected, its programming began carrying it back in the direction of the village. Edited September 15 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Shay 0 Posted September 14 Author #13 Share Posted September 14 As much as Shay wanted to pound Acanthus's head for the act of comparing her to a woman old enough to have a child her age, she restrained herself. Her fits of anger would more-so push that incorrect statement. The raven-haired woman would huff angrily as she attempted to calm herself down. "If she is anything like me she would put you in your place for implying a woman my age could have a child of yours." She'll comment and turn to head back to the village where they'd began the quest. "Onward, noble steed!" Only to see man-on-man action happening the time of her scolding. Oz had begun piggybacking the poor Captain of the Guard, and if that's the way he swung more power to him. This does at least crack a chide smile from her though. Shay would sigh and shift to Acanthus as she walked a short distance behind the man, who somehow wasn't drunk, harassing NPCs like they were an amusement park mascot or something. She would clear her throat. "Forgive me for outbursts. I'm not good with words... or controlling my anger." Her words still felt cold, but relatively sincere in a rather dodgy fashion. Her tolerance shouldn't be mistaken for acceptance, however. It was clear that she was ready to get back to town to get her experience reward and leave this group. Shay could usually only handle social situations for about two full seconds before she started to get annoyed and any small inconvenience was going to flip her forgiving mood real quick like. Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted September 15 #14 Share Posted September 15 "If she is anything like me she would put you in your place for implying a woman my age could have a child of yours." Acanthus almost started the say that they were really nothing alike (aside from their height), but she realized that she was dangerously close to another thump on the head. She decided that the prudent course of action would be to simply shut her mouth. "Forgive me for outbursts. I'm not good with words... or controlling my anger." Acanthus waved her off politely. “There is no forgiveness necessary. Sometimes I say odd things. It doesn’t help being trapped in this game—it wears on us.” She looked ahead at Oz, still riding poor Sewallas back to town. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing. “Though some moments I do enjoy.” She thought back to Sewallas’ previous comments as she and Shay walked back in silence. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re a ‘she-devil.’ You let the two of us tag along, even though you certainly could have handled it by yourself. So… thank you.” She felt too embarrassed to wait for a response. Instead, she briskly walked up to where Oz and Sewallas were. "Legs got tired," he explained. "What with the fighting and all." Acanthus couldn’t help but grin. “I understand. It was a hard-earned victory we both played a pivotal part in. It had nothing to do with the very powerful woman behind us with the two terrifying swords.” She noticed a cigarette dangling from the man’s lips. Wait, are we allowed to smoke in here? I thought if alcohol wasn’t allowed, then surely… She eyed the aluminum canister hungrily, but said nothing. Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted September 15 #15 Share Posted September 15 It wasn't the he couldn't hear the duo talking amongst themselves behind him, it was simply that he couldn't be bothered to interrupt. They were having some sort of... mother-daughter moment? Which was weird, because they seemed to be of similar age. He had probably misheard, but frankly didn't desire a correction. It was just funnier this way. Not to mention, Sewallus was proving more difficult than he'd anticipated to navigate, and he needed to invest at least some measure of focus into not being bucked off the armored oaf. “I understand. It was a hard-earned victory we both played a pivotal part in. It had nothing to do with the very powerful woman behind us with the two terrifying swords.” "My thoughts exactly!" he beamed, eyes flickering over toward the friendlier of the two, who he hadn't noticed catch up. Though the miasma of wispy smoke formed columnal tendrils to obfuscate his vision, the hunger in the lass' eyes was unmistakable. She was fiending. His gray orbs switched back and forth between the aluminum cannister and her ravenous expression, before, finally, he opened the cannister and extended it her way in offering. With some matches included, of course. Link to post Share on other sites
Shay 0 Posted September 19 Author #16 Share Posted September 19 "...—it wears on us." The girl would say about their current situation, being stuck in Aincrad. Shay's red eyes would dart away from hers a little shamefully. If she was to speak her mind on that subject, she might just bring down the woman's mood a little too much. "Yeah, whatever..." She simply says before drifting back into silence. The walk back felt way longer than the walk here. Maybe it was because listening to the conversations between Acanthus and Oz kept her mind off everything but when she was talking it felt like every word was enough to prick her skin. Painful, that is. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re a ‘she-devil.’ You let the two of us tag along, even though you certainly could have handled it by yourself. So… thank you.” Acanthus would bring her back to reality just as she was nicely slipping away into her own thoughts. Shay would idly ponder that for a moment. "I've been called worse, and what does it matter. He's nothing but code to me. If you thought I was one, and called me thought, I wouldn't give a shit. You're a stranger who knows nothing about me. If people wanna dig into me, they're gonna have try harder than weak jabs like that." She avoids talking about allowing them to join. Admitting that she cared enough to protect them because the Monkey King might kill them without her would be as tragic the greatest shame she could possibly think of. Having another romantic relationship with another man? Nah, worse. Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted September 19 #17 Share Posted September 19 (edited) She eyed Oz suspiciously as he offered a cigarette. When it became clear it was not a prank, she snatched the cigarette from his fingers, lighting it quickly before tossing the spent match into the bushes. Taking a long drag of the cigarette, she was surprised by the green tea flavor. Mildly disappointed... But she took another quick pull. “I… don’t smoke,” she lied. “Usually. Only whenever we had to pull all-nighters at work. Which wasn’t that often,” she lied again. “I didn’t realize that Cardinal allowed smoking. Thank you,” she finished, finding her manners. Acanthus had made it through about half the cigarette when the forest made a loud sound, scaring a distant flock of birds. She instinctively snuffed out the last of her cigarette and tossed it in the bushes. Acanthus looked back with a sense of mild regret, realizing that she hadn’t kicked the habit—or the reaction to others catching her smoking. Memories of furtive work breaks resurfaced: carefully gauging the wind before every smoke, finding different low-traffic locations with good visibility, and carefully applying deodorizers and scents to surgically remove any trace of tobacco before returning. She spent almost as much time smoking as she did making sure nobody knew she smoked. At least with green tea, I won’t have to fight smelling like smoke. She glanced back to the case, but resisted the urge to ask for another. One was enough for the time being. Though she might have to ask Oz where he got them. Edited September 21 by Acanthus Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted September 19 #18 Share Posted September 19 Oz smirked as the dainty little thing plucked the cigarette from his clutches, but did not speak of it. He looked behind him and considered offering one to their other accompanying partygoer, but she seemed lost in her own head for the time being. More cold, shields-up brooding. Perhaps formulating the next batch of needlessly mean things to say to any and all who deigned to grace her with so much as a polite 'hello.' Probably best not to poke the beast, so to speak. “I… don’t smoke.” "Suuuure. And I haven't cut loose a silent fart against this asshole's armor," came Oz's unflattering retort, punctuated by a snort. Acanthus went on to explain that she usually only partook during all-nighters at her old job, but Oz knew what he'd seen. She had the craving. That didn't strike someone who only threw the dart here or there. “Thank you." "Don't mention it. I've got a good four million left. Call it an 'inheritance.'" Oz did not elaborate further. Link to post Share on other sites
Shay 0 Posted September 23 Author #19 Share Posted September 23 (edited) As Shay was opening up a bit to Acanthus, it seemed she was getting distracted with Oz’s tobacco. She simply sighed and shook it off. Sharing any of her personal life didn’t matter anyway. They were close to town at this point anyway, so they would soon say their goodbyes. Through the canopy of trees that covered most of the sky, she could see the small town of Florenthia in the distance. This much social interaction had already been way beyond the allotted limit she normally stuck to. ”Looks like we’re finally done.” Shay will say simply after seeing off the two NPCs who had given them the quest. Music, a soft piano, would begin to lull in centered on Shay. “Goodbye.” The last glimpse of her would be her seen turning towards the teleportation platform. The music would die out slowly as a result. Hiding | LD: 11+5 233204 Edited September 23 by Shay Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted September 23 #20 Share Posted September 23 (edited) Giving a quick nod to Oz, she turned around to check on Shay. But she had disappeared already—vanished without a trace. Acanthus scanned the area to see where she might have gone, but she had covered her tracks well. Acanthus searched in vain. That’s a shame, she thought glumly. I was really hoping to say goodbye. I guess that’s what I get for being distracted. With any luck, it wouldn’t be the last time she saw Shay. Returning to Oz, she gave him one final nod. “Thanks again for your help today.” She wasn’t sure how much help he had been, but she had learned those weren’t outside thoughts. Besides, he’d been good enough company, and he hadn’t made things more difficult. She remembered being a bother to the veterans when she was starting out. Oz, on the other hand, seemed like he could take care of himself. “I’m sure we will meet again. If not for a quest, then for a few drinks.” Without any further pleasantries, she headed out to the teleportation square. *** Post Action: Detecting Shay 233345 | LD 3 + 5. failure. Edited September 23 by Acanthus Link to post Share on other sites
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