[F01 | PP] Tutelage Among the Skies | <<Training Your Friend>>

[Morrigan 0]

Training Your Friend

A soft breeze whipped around Morrígan. Gentle against her skin, it pulled at fabric and memory alike as she stared into the distance skies, watching as Phantom soared along the warmer winds high above; her form still large even from the distance that divided them. Morrígan had chosen today to follow up on the final aspects of training her familiar and companion; a quest that she had noticed upon completion of her companionship with the raven. She’d seen the value in it immediately – providing Phantom with the singular skill that would take them from simple friend, to partner in adventure.

They’d meandered through their morning routine, taking time to enjoy the simplicity that came after the events of the previous day. She’d located and purchased a shop, deciding that the spook atmosphere of the tenth would keep away competitors, while offering something unique to her wares and advertisements. Still exhausted from the wandering of the previous day, though, she’d been slow to leave the inn that they had been staying at – a final stay, if Morrígan had her way. Phantom had been accommodating to a degree, remaining perched and silent aside from ruffled feathers, while Morrígan had prepared for the day and eventually dragged herself from the comfort of the inn.

’Not too far, Phantom. Wouldn’t want to lose you to a gust of wind suddenly brewing.’ She spoke normally, but knew that the raven could hear her even from this distance. Whether it was simply sharp hearing, or some connection between the two, Morrígan wasn’t sure – but Phantom always seemed aware of whatever Morrígan said aloud, regardless of the distance. She also wasn’t sure if there was a limit to the ability; she’d never let the raven stray too far away, worried that something might happen if she lost sight of her one and only friend.

Another gust of wind swept across the plains, causing the tall grasses to shift and shake with a noise that was both spine-chilling, and easy on the ears all at the same time. Morrígan stared out over the area, taking in the various players and beasts that roamed the plains of the first floor. The Town of Beginnings – visible still in the distance – sat on the horizon as a beacon of safety and security; a reminder that not everything in this world was horrendous and deadly.

’We need to figure out what to do here, though…’ Morrígan had run through the various skills available upon completion of the training. She knew that she needed to focus on one of them, and although they each carried a measure of interest to her, she wasn’t entirely sure yet how Phantom could best contribute to their partnership. ’It would be nice to have someone hunt down treasures for me. That would be really useful towards the up and coming business. Alternatively, a combat assistant could also be really helpful…or even someone to help around the shop itself. That would be good…’

She flicked through the menu once more, looking over the various descriptions of each skill. She bit her lip slightly, a sign that she was still uncertain and incapable of making a decision yet. Above her, the raven soared – keeping an eye on the player, even as it circled round and round in an obvious sign of enjoyment and freedom.

 

Statblock

Hide contents Notes [Theme] Morrígan | Lv. 9 | P. 0 | HP [180/180] | EN [36/36] | ACC [3] | DMG [11] | EVA [0] | MIT [6] | Thorns [18] | Paralyse Tier 1 | Tier 1 Equipment Halberd [Polearm | Tier 1] Enhancement: Accuracy [2 Slot] Enhancement: Damage [1 Slot] Breastplate [Light Armour| Tier 1] Enhancement: Mitigation [1 Slot]  Raven Shield [Shield | Tier 1] Enhancement: Paralyse [1 Slot] Enhancement: Thorns [2 Slots] Dark Cloak [Vanity | Tier 0] Enhancement: Nil [0 Slots] Battle-Ready Inventory Starter Healer Potions {5} [Potion | Tierless | Heals 50 HP] Spyglass {2} [Search Post Dungeon/Familiar/Field Boss reduced by 5] Zackariah's Special Draught [Potion | Tierless | HP Recovery I] Big Bertha Braciole (5) [Snack | Tier 1 | Rare Vitality Consumable] Skills   Hide contents Utility Skills N/A Combat Skills Polearm [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: +7 DMG] Stamina [Rank 5 Weapon Add-on. Active: Passive. Effect: Reduces EN of all attacks by 2.] Precision [Rank 5 Weapon Add-on. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 ACC.] Ferocity [Rank 5 Weapon Add-on. Active: Passive. Effect: +2 Damage when using the weapon of your choice.] Armour Skills N/A Active Extra Skills N/A Inactive Extra Skills  N/A Combat Mastery N/A Familiar Skills N/A Estate Buffs N/A Sword Arts   Hide contents [x12] ST-I (12 10 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x15] ST-II (15 13 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and missed the previous turn. [x20] ST-B (20 18 EN) | A devastating single-target sword art. Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AOE attack, use only the first roll. [x11] AOE-I (11 9 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x14] AOE-II (14 12 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A powerful sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed all intended targets the previous turn. [x12] TECH-A (13 11 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. [x12] TECH-B (12 10 EN) | DELAY | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Delay] on the enemy. [Delay] is a debuff that reduces the enemy's ACC by 1 for one turn. Housing Buffs   Hide contents TBD [Home] TBD [TBD.]

Edited January 10 by Morrigan

[Acanthus 0]

“Kumaki! Slow down. You know when you get worked up, you have a hard time—”

A bear cub dashed through the tall grass, eager to continue the inadvertent game of chase she had started. Building up speed, she relied on the open plains to give her a wide bearing. But Kumaki had not mastered the art of slowing down gracefully. So when a few sparse trees in front of her began to grow at an alarming rate, it was too late for the bear cub. She collided with a trunk with the force of a boulder tossed from a mangonel.

Acanthus caught up and checked on her familiar. Kumaki lay upside down, its rear propped up comically against the tree. “Brbrf,” came the familiar’s confused cry. “Honestly,” Acanthus knelt down to scoop the poor thing up. “You know you get too excited, and you always end up running into something. Even here. These may be the only things in the area, and you somehow found them.”

Except those trees weren’t the only thing in the area. Another girl appeared to be enjoying the previously quiet plains. Acanthus walked over to apologize. “I hope we didn’t disturb you. Kumaki gets a little excited when I haven’t taken her out in a day or two. I’m just grateful she didn’t run into you. The last time she got away from me, she nearly knocked over an old man with a crate of tea. She’s…” Acanthus glanced down at her familiar. The bear cub had a pleased, vacant stare. Her tongue drooped out of her mouth as she panted excitedly, looking at the stranger. “She’s trying her best.” I guess I am too.

“So what brings you out to the plains? Are you working on a profession? Or maybe looking for a familiar? I don’t think the quest-giver is on floor one today. I recall hearing she was up in the mountains near Urbus. But I could be wrong.”
 

Acanthus | Lvl 65 (34/31) | HP: 840/840 | EN: 98/98 | DMG: 23 | MIT:54 | ACC:5 | AA  | EVA:2 | BH:28 | VAMP-D: 46 | REC: 8 | LD:5

 

Spoiler

Equipment and Consumables

Spoiler

All enhancements reflected in the stat block unless otherwise specified.

Equipment
Weapon. botan. AA | ACC 3
Armor. Enduring Thistle VAMP-D | MIT | REC | FIREPROOF
Trinket. Evasive Charm | EVA 3 2 (Light Armor q.q) | REC

Consumables
[None Taken.]

Abilities (Skills, Shifts, Masteries, Add-ons, and Mods)

Spoiler

Combat Mastery and Shift
Combat Mastery: Damage R3
TECH Shift

Skills

• Battle Healing R3
• Light Armor R5
  • Addon: Precision
  • Addon: Resolve
  • Mod: Meticulous (1/5)
• Searching R4 + 1 (Skylight: Searching)
  • Mod: Night Vision (2/5)
  • Mod: Tracking (3/5)
• Straight Sword R5
  • Addon: Ferocity
  • Addon: Stamina

Extra Skills

• Disguise
• Survival
• Photosynthesize
• Parry
  • Mod: Justified Riposte (4/5)

Inactive Extra Skills

• Hiding R5
• Assault Mode
• Forgotten King's Authority

Addons

• Ferocity
• Precision
• Resolve
• Stamina

Mods

• Justified Riposte
• Meticulous
• Night Vision
• Tracking

Battle Ready Inventory (7 Slots)
Dimensional Backpack + Item Stash

Spoiler

1. [Empty]
2. [Empty]
3. [Empty]
4. [Empty]
5. [Empty]
6. [Empty]
7. [Empty]

Housing

Spoiler

House Name: Villa of Coruscating Flowers (The Villa)
Location: Floor 24 - Paradise Islands
Description: See above
Plot Size: Estate - PK Accessible
Rooms: Listed below. All rooms are assigned to Acanthus.

• Master Bedroom
  • Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat.
• Greenhouse
  • Green Thumb | +2 Gathering EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to gathering attempts.
• Extended Workshop: Recording Studio (25,000 col)
  • Hard Working | +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day.
• Mega Slime Farm
  • Advanced Training | +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.
• Living Room:
  • Relaxed | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
• Attic (Bedroom)
  • Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill (Searching). 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.
• Basement:
  • Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.
• Storage Closet: (10,000 col)
  • Item Stash | +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
• Master Bathroom: (25,000 col)
  • Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)

Crafting and Gathering

Spoiler

Crafting Profession:
 - Performer[2638exp] R5
Gathering Profession:
 - Forager[779exp] R5  

 

 

[Morrigan 0]

The blundering form of a ball of fur sped into sight, it’s movement entirely focused on propelling itself forward as it attempted to escape whatever came behind it. Morrígan heard the call of another person only seconds after the creature had appeared; the voice carried a measure of concern in it as it called for the giant lumbering ball to halt – a change that it seemed reluctant to accept. Morrígan found herself rooted in place as it barrelled past her and slammed directly into a tree. 

Astounded by everything that had just occurred, she found herself oddly belated in acknowledging the other player’s questions – everything so out of the ordinary that her mind seemed to reject it at first. Shaking her head slightly to clear the confusion that had swayed over her. 

’We were enjoying the fields a bit, actually.’ A small shadow fell across them as Phantom came to rest upon Morrígan’s right shoulder, the raven shaking itself slightly in a glimmer of black tinged with blues and purples. ’We were actually considering focusing on the training of a skill. Excuse me, I’ve forgotten myself.’
Curtsying suddenly in a form that could almost be called eloquent, Morrígan gave a flash of a welcoming smile, before going on to introduce herself and her companion. ’My name is Morrígan, and this is Phantom. She’s a regal among ravens, if her appearance and demeanor are anything to attain by. It’s a pleasure to meet yourself and your own companion.’

Standing straight once more, Morrígan decided to forgo at least one measure of her more formal behaviour. ’What brings yourself and your companion to this wonderful area of the world? You had mentioned something about…getting them out for a run? Do they require consistent periods of open area for their own health and wellbeing?’

Morrígan shifted on the spot as she took another look at the bundle of fur and mass, realising for the first time what the thing was. Her voice held back nothing in judgement as she gasped, looking at the other player with a measure of surprise, and shock. ’Is that a bear? How do you keep that thing around? Isn’t it dangerous?’

Edited January 2 by Morrigan

[Acanthus 0]

A large black bird alighted on the girl’s shoulder, and stared at Acanthus with a curious sense of intelligence.

’My name is Morrígan, and this is Phantom. She’s a regal among ravens, if her appearance and demeanor are anything to attain by. It’s a pleasure to meet yourself and your own companion.’

Acanthus looked down at Kumaki. She was currently chewing one of Acanthus’ boots. “It’s a pleasure to meet you and Phantom as well. She seems like a wonderful companion, and very intelligent. Kumaki is… herself.”

She nodded along to Morrigan’s questions. “I don’t know if it’s an actual mechanic. Maybe it’s just imagined, but it seems like the number of knocked over shelves in my shop increases dramatically the longer Kumaki goes without some activity. Besides,” Acanthus looked lovingly at the cub as it waddled off, momentarily distracted. “She really seems to enjoy it more than anything. How could I say no?”

The girl adjusted her stance, as if realizing something suddenly.  ’Is that a bear?'

“It is, although technically she’s still a cub. And I doubt she’ll grow any bigger. I think the game doesn’t allow players a familiar that are too large, though I’m not sure why. As for danger…” Kumaki was currently trying to pick up a fallen limb twice her size. It was going poorly. “I think she may be more of a danger to herself than others. Although people in close proximity might be careful—she’s accident prone, as you’ve seen.”

Acanthus whistled for the cub, who sauntered back on her own time. “If you’re doing some training, do you mind if I joined you? I’ve actually put her through the paces already, but I think she needs a bit of a refresher. It might benefit her to watch a familiar at work with a little more, ah, intelligence.”

[Morrigan 0]

Morrígan blinked twice, slowly, as she took in the conversation. The knightess before her was talkative, if nothing else. There was certainly an edge of apprehension to her behaviour and demeanor, and yet Morrígan could sense something else beneath it; a strength, if one was embellishing the imagery.

’I wouldn’t say…Kumaki, was it? I wouldn’t say Kumaki is any less intelligent. Perhaps more inquisitive and exuberant, but intellect is required to response to a command and summon. As measure of it, at least.’ Morrígan turned to stare at the cub, seated beside the other player in a manner that seemed to scream impatience. She could see a mixture of desire to listen and adhere, as well as a desire to romp and explore; a clear juvenile attentive that was focused entirely on the other player. Morrígan realised that she hadn’t received the other player’s name, although she wasn’t sure if that was accidental, or if there was reason behind it. Shaking it off, she instead gave a slight nod in response to the question, turning to look at the open plains around the pair of them. ’We would be delighted to work together with yourself and Kumaki.’

Her response was crisp, neither insulting nor overly excited, exactly as she had been raised to respond. Perhaps it lacked warmth and welcoming, but it also placed a professional tone and a weight of authority to her voice – or so she had been taught. Her eyes raised towards the sky, Morrígan took a few seconds to collect her thoughts and try and decide how best to train Phantom. She’d yet to decide, entirely, what skill she wanted the raven to learn – although she’d narrowed it down between a few of them.

’What do you say, Phantom?’ She whispered softly, hoping the other player wouldn’t hear the indecisive tone of her words. She raven shifted slightly, ruffling its wings before tapping with its left foot – a sign that they had decided upon just before leaving the inn. Smiling, Morrígan lifted her left hand and opened her menu. Three small pieces appeared, the items glittering slightly as the false sunlight caught them. Metal buttons, taken from her shop in preparation should they have decided upon this route, clattered softly in Morrígan’s hand. She’d marked each of them with a corresponding symbol – one X, one O, one T – in order to tell them apart.

’Ready?’ Phantom gave a single cry, and Morrígan pulled back her arm and tossed the pieces in three separate directions, as hard as she could. Almost immediately, the raven took flight, and Morrígan watched as it took to the skies, circling as it attempted to spy the landing places of the buttons. Turning to look at the other player, she gave a soft bow of her head in respect, before attempting to explain her idea. ’We decided that Phantom would focus on the skill of locating things that could be useful. The best way I could determine to teach such a skill was a scavenger hunt, which is why the tossed buttons. If she can locate all of them…then perhaps she’ll gain the required skill to hunt down useful items and materials in this world. It’s nothing overly extravagant, but I’m not entirely familiar with training animals. It was the best I could come up with at the time.’

-

ID239698 | CD: 6 | <<Training Familiar>> | Result: Failure [-2 to CD requirement]

Edited January 3 by Morrigan

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus waved apologetically. “I really don’t mean to disparage my familiar. She has a lot of wonderful qualities. She is certainly inquisitive and exuberant, but she seems to know when to be calm and collected. I’ve had more than one late night crafting performance crystals, but she never gets mad that I take too long. She just comes into the studio and waits patiently for me to wrap up. Just having her in the room is soothing.”

Kumaki had returned to the oversized limb, grappling with it like a dog with a fresh bone. Acanthus smiled at her tenacity. “So please don’t get the wrong idea. I understand she’s not as precocious as other familiars, but I wouldn’t trade her for any familiar in Aincrad. I just think I would do best to lean into something other than having her hunt. I’m just not sure what she’d be good at.”

A warm, fuzzy sensation nuzzled her hand. Kumaki had returned, having lost interest in the stick. Acanthus bent down to scratch behind her ears, humming happily. “Brbbeff.” Kumaki returned a growl that vaguely resembled Acanthus’ tune, and she laughed. “She likes doing that. Sometimes I wonder if Cardinal intended her to be a parrot.”

’We would be delighted to work together with yourself and Kumaki.’ Morrígan’s clipped response caused Acanthus some hesitation. It was more business-like than she was used to. She had the distance impression that she was talking to her boss at the water cooler. Not that I have any room to judge for perceived stilted conversation. You’re likely just overthinking things. She seems the type to refuse unwanted company, rather than tolerate it.

“That sounds wonderful. I’m Acanthus, by the way. I apologize; given our rather sudden meeting, I think I forgot to introduce myself.”

Acanthus watched as the raven soared through the skies. It was a sight to behold. Tearing her vision from Phantom, she looked back at Morrígan. “Is there anything I can do to help out? It makes more sense to focus on Phantom’s training first. I could help scatter buttons, or hide objects.”
 

* * *

Post Action: Train Kumaki
239724 | CD 10 | Success! (1/3)

Edited January 4 by Acanthus

[Morrigan 0]

Morrígan was about to deny the woman’s offer for assistance, but stopped herself short. Her hand had risen slightly, the palm extended outwards in a movement that was very obviously meant to wave away the other’s offer, in kind with her own verbal denial; but it dropped again as the expression on Morrígan’s face softened slightly. She shifted on the spot, letting her more formal stance relax ever so slightly – still proper, still maintaining the decorum that one of her status had been taught to hold; and yet somehow less uptight in appearance than it had been before.

’I’m not familiar with individuals willingly offering to assist me.’ She smiled, her look slightly distant from the conversation as she remembered all the individuals who had thrown themselves to her feet to offer help, in return for small favours and various trades. ’That is to say, I am unfamiliar with individuals offering assistance without a request or favour in return. I apologise for my hesitation, Acanthus. It is a pleasure to meet you, and I would be delighted to work together to train our companions – although yours looks like she is already off to a good start.’

Morrígan waved a hand towards Kumaki in a motion meant to draw attention to the bear cub seated beside its friend, waiting patiently for the first directive to be given. Morrígan’s left hand rose to rub her right shoulder softly as she thought over everything Acanthus had stated, considering how best they could go about the task.

’You mentioned that you didn’t want Kumaki near combat, are you considering providing the training towards a profession familiar, or a hunting one? If you own a shop, those are both useful…from what I’ve been able to read.’ Her right foot shifted, digging into the dirt a bit – an old tell of her embarrassment that she had never truly overcome. Her eyes never left Acanthus’ face, however, and her smile remained strong as she continued speaking. ’I think Kumaki would be good at retrieving items…and it would keep them out of combat. Safe, so to speak, while also providing valuable items towards your continued growth and betterment. It may also help to burn some of the energy…’

[Acanthus 0]

Morrigan’s hand briefly flashed upwards before returning down. Acanthus recognized the telltale signs of kind refusal. She’d offered that same upwards hands to who knows how many people in her life.

“No requests or favors. If anything, you’re doing me a favor by letting me watch.” Acanthus rooted through her satchel and pulled out some small crystalline fragments. They glowed and whistled faintly in the wind. “I just remembered I have a few of these shards from performance crystals I failed to salvage. They aren’t really good for anything, but maybe Phantom could use them to hunt? They aren’t very big, but they make a faint sound when handled. Then again, you seem to know what you’re doing. I understand if you have a system already in place.” She offered the small blue pebbles to Morrigan nonetheless.

“I actually already tried to get Kumaki to learn how to hunt,” Acanthus explained. “I trained her with Ciela on the first floor by having Kumaki play with the children in the Orphanage. And technically, she learned the skill. But… Hm, I suppose it’s easier to show than explain. Kumaki, HUNT.” A brief glow surrounded the bear as the imperative took over, and Kumaki disappeared gleefully into the brush before returning with a mouthful of lumpy, gray rocks. “She has a very odd perspective on what she considers valuable. I’ve tried everything I can think of, but she just loves rocks.”

Acanthus took one of the rocks from Kumaki and tossed it as far as she could. The bear sprinted off for it. “I would like to keep her out of combat. Having her help around the shop seems nice, but I’m not really sure what that would even look like. She’s always very gentle and careful around the performance crystals, but how is she supposed to help me write songs? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Post Action: Train Kumaki
240018 | CD 11 | Failure. Threshold Reduced. (CD 7 -> 5) (1/3)

Edited January 9 by Acanthus

[Morrigan 0]

Morrígan eyed the crystals offered by the other player, considering them before accepting their weight into her hand. She could already think of a few ways to use the gemstones, should things not go in her favour. Still, she wanted to give Phantom the chance of returning with the buttons she’d originally tossed out, before adding more to the situation.

’Thank you, for these. I actually have some ideas for them already – I’ve noticed that Phantom has an eye for things that glitter and glow, and these fit the descriptor perfectly.’ She paused and listened as Acanthus explained her own previous training with Kumaki, smiling slightly as the bear was sent off to find and retrieve something of value only to return with a collection of rocks and pebbles that were anything but; although Morrígan figured that Acanthus was right, and that the bear cub found them appealing for some reason. ’She certainly is trying…’

As Acanthus mentioned being unaware of how to train the bear cub towards assisting with the creation of the performance crystals, Morrígan felt another thought appear in her mind – although she admitted this one was, if anything, a bit ludicrous in design. Hesitantly, clearly concerned about the reaction she would get, she mentioned the idea to the other player. ’You mentioned they’re recording crystals, right? So you record songs on them, with…singing and instrumentals? Would it be implausible to have Kumaki work on the actual…you know, song? She has a voice, and paws…I doubt she could operate a string, or brass, or woodwind instrument, but perhaps something percussion based or her own vocals could be used…it’s probably a silly idea, but it just came to mind when you mentioned it.’

-

ID240014 | CD: 9 | <<Training Familiar>> | Result: Success! [1/3]

Edited January 9 by Morrigan

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus watched as Phantom rose and dove with the wind, expertly sailing through her domain to search for the buttons and various objects Morrígan scattered through the field. Watching the raven fly was a soothing experience. Kumaki was also a joy to watch, but in a different way. Something about the bear cub’s unreserved exuberance filled an emotional void she was uncomfortable filling herself. Her familiar was a sort of vicarious outlet for the feelings she didn’t know how to express.

Something about Morrígan’s suggestion sparked a buried memory, and she snorted with laughter; an ugly, but fully unreserved expression. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at the idea. Would you believe me if I said I’d already thought of it? But not here. When I was very young, I had a teddy bear from which I was inseparable. One of my favorite things to do with her was to put on ‘concerts.’ My father had some old Junko Ohashi records that I would sing along with—quite poorly, I should say. And I’d toss Kumaki in the back to ‘play’ all the instruments in the band. I’m not sure how she was able to play keyboard, saxophone, and percussion all at once, but that’s the mind of a child for you. Anything is possible.”

Watching Phantom at work, Acanthus shook off the sudden memory. “I don’t know what came over me. I really am here to help you and Phantom, and not to simply ramble about myself. I’m usually much better about not making everything about me.” Acanthus knelt down to pet Kumaki once more, who was collecting grass in her fur through a series of carefree rolls. “I’m really not usually this talkative. I apologize if you were hoping for quiet company.”

“BrrbbgBFBd.” Kumaki rumbled noisily in content disagreement with Acanthus’ statement. “Hush, you silly bear. Leave the poor girl alone.” Standing up to brush the grass off her clothes, she returned her attention to her quiet companion. “So how did you end up meeting Phantom?” Realizing that she was adding more conversation to the space she intended to leave quiet, she added, “I can also go ahead and begin to hide some of the crystal fragments if you’d prefer. That should give you a bit of peace and quiet to focus on training your friend.”
 

[Morrigan 0]

Morrígan smiled as Acanthus shared her memory, almost capable of seeing the scene of the girl and bear putting on their own concert. Truthfully, she couldn’t hear the music – she was unfamiliar with the mentioned artist, though she assumed that it was someone who was dear to Acanthus’ memory, having been remembered this long – but it didn’t make the imagery in her mind any less enjoyable to see. Her thoughts were pulled back into the moment, however, as Acanthus began apologising for how much she’d been discussing herself.

’Do not feel the need to be apologetic. I rarely get to see the true side of others. This has been an enjoyable interaction.’ Morrígan spoke quickly, her words losing the professional tone they usually had as she rushed to assure the other player. Pausing to collect herself, she carried on in her normal, controlled tone. The smile on her face, however, retained the wholesome, welcoming appearance it had taken on when imagining Acanthus and her teddy bear. ’I’ve never really had the opportunity to simply listen to others tell me about themselves. Their true selves. Usually those who attempt to…entertain me, or who vow to get closer, are only showing those sides of them they think I’d approve of, the side that they believe will get them closer. It’s refreshing to have someone who doesn’t feel the need to hide themselves away; to be open and honest.’

Phantom had returned to the sky, the bird circling around in wide circuits as it tried to spot another of the hidden buttons. Morrígan watched her companion move for a time, before making up her mind and turning back to Acanthus, the other’s obvious discomfort with their own openness becoming more and more obvious.

’You need not fret about over speaking. If anything, I welcome the idea of hearing you continue the stories you have to share. Both of you.’ She looked pointedly at Kumaki for a few seconds, before turning her gaze back towards Acanthus. She’d been told, time and again, that her gaze was one that made some others wither beneath it – intended or not. ‘Resting destruction face’, one had labelled it. Morrígan had never truly learnt to soften it, and as she gazed at Acanthus she couldn’t help but wonder if her serious nature was detrimental to their continued discussions. ’Perhaps we can hide the gemstones together? I would truly relish and appreciate hearing more of the stories between yourself and Kumaki.’

She looked up at Phantom again, thinking back on the time when she’d first met her. She wasn’t exactly sure how to explain it to the other player, and decided upon the simple, factual side of it all. ’If you’re interested, I can tell you about how Phantom and I met. Although I warn you…it is rather dull, and lackluster of adventure and action.’

[Acanthus 0]

“The true side?...” Acanthus mulled over the words as they began to hide the gemstones. She wouldn’t have said it like that. The ebullience wasn’t really *her*, she thought. It felt like a face, one of many, that she had worn a long time ago. Now, it collected dust on some tall shelf in the back of her mind, buried underneath adulthood and responsibility. It *had* been her true self once, but she was no longer a child. She hadn’t been since

Never mind that.

“I would like to hear more about meeting Phantom. Everyone I’ve met has such different stories about meeting their familiars. Some people take much longer to find theirs, and many familiars seem to have a stubborn streak that makes them hard to train. I heard a story about a player who took two weeks to track down their familiar. Though I suspect there is some embellishment on that. My own story was rather fast and dull, apart from the fact I met her right at the beginning of a torrential downpour. But even then, we made it back before the worst of the rain hit. So even if you consider your story lackluster, I’d enjoy hearing it."

[Morrigan 0]

Morrígan eyed the other player as she seemed to question her own self, but she knew enough to keep quiet about the topic unless they brought it up. Instead, as if to deflect the conversation way from themselves, they pressed to the topic of Phantom, and Morrígan found herself having to think back on the occasion slightly before she could answer.

’Phantom and I met on floor twenty-three, after I had spent some time wandering the surface level. I…wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking for, originally, if I’m entirely candid. I’d hunted down the gypsy woman who starts the quest – a task in and of itself, I might add – before I set out into the blighted and desolate woodlands that remain as a testament to whatever came before.’ She paused, wondering how much detail one should put into their story, before deciding that embellishment wasn’t necessary. ’A murder of ravens…or, what I assume was ravens, had been following me the entire time I traversed the surface. It must have been hours, I believe, before I had come across a large body of water – stagnant pond, I’d hazard a guess at – where I ended up settling in, hoping to find something that would make a good companion. I watched as squirrel, mouse and smaller birds passed by, before attempting to coax a porcupine of all things into friendship.’

She threw a sudden smile at Acanthus, a sheepish look on her face hidden behind a façade of stoicism; visible only in her eyes if one looked hard enough. Her voice had only carried an odd lilt to it towards the end, but as she continued speaking it seemed to regain its normalcy. ’Phantom actually approached me, coming from the sky and landing on a nearby branch. There was…something about her eyes that screamed intellect, and a connection that I couldn’t quite understand. I shared some of the cracker treats with her…and she’s been with me ever since.’

She ended the story, glancing over at Acanthus. ’As I said, it’s a rather dry tale, I’m sure that your own meeting with Kumaki was far more exciting. But…it brought us together, and I don’t think I’d change anything about it.’

[Acanthus 0]

Kumaki slumped over, curious eyes locked onto Morrígan as she told her tale. As she continued to speak, and talk about the animals she had attempted to befriend, Acanthus had the distinct sensation that someone else started to talk through Morrígan, if only for a moment. Maybe it was something in her eyes, or demeanor, but Acanthus barely had time to register it before the sense disappeared back into her well-mannered dialogue. Perhaps Acanthus wasn’t the only one offering inadvertent glimpses of her thoughts.

Drawn into Morrígan’s tale of squirrels and even porcupines, Acanthus listened intently. She nodded when Morrígan talked about finding the quest-giver. “I admit, I was not terribly eager to hunt down the NPC myself. I ended up paying for the information and then staking out one of her common camping grounds on the first floor. It seemed simpler than a full-fledged chase across the open floors.”

Quote

As I said, it’s a rather dry tale, I’m sure that your own meeting with Kumaki was far more exciting. But…it brought us together, and I don’t think I’d change anything about it.’

Acanthus shook her head firmly. “I completely understand. I wouldn’t change a thing about finding Kumaki either. Not every experience in the death game has to be life or death. We’re allowed to enjoy the simple things as well.” Taking a moment to enjoy the stillness and quiet of the floor, she looked to the sky. “Why don’t we check in with Phantom and see how she’s doing? I’m sure she’s found at least some of the buttons by now.”
 

[Morrigan 0]

Morrígan had stopped what she had been doing, her gaze staring oddly at Acanthus as she processed the words. She was sure she wasn’t staring for long, but the seconds that past seemed to feel like forever as her mind worked to process the words that she had said, before she found herself speaking once more.

’That’s very true, Acanthus. Most of us seem to believe – false pretense, or otherwise persuaded – that everything in here should be an adventure; as if our entire lives are now conjoined with the concept of racing to our eventual deaths. No joy to be found, salved only through the continued destruction and brutality that awaits our eventual finality.’ She shifted on the spot, considering the thought for a moment, before continuing from where she had left off. ’Not many take time to truly enjoy the small moments of this world; the beauty it holds, the chances it offers…we’ve all lost so much, that we have become numb to the few things we’ve gained from it.’

She found the idea very inciteful, knowing well that she herself had been complicit in the act of forgoing happiness in the small moments in order to chase the freedom that was promised at this game’s completion. A promise that they had little evidence to show was truthful. She couldn’t help but smile at the fact that someone else had pointed out something so obvious. Blindness runs deep when one refuses to observe. Glancing up into the sky, she figured that Acanthus was right, they should check on Phantom.

’Thank you. For reminding me of the joy that can be found, and for spending time with us today. I appreciate it.’ She didn’t look down from the sky as she spoke, unable to lock eyes with the other woman as she said words she hadn’t thought plausible to come from her own mouth. There was no professionalism to them, although her tone barely changed. Somehow, though, she knew that they felt – and likely sounded – more heartfelt, even if they retained a formality about them. ’And…I think the idea of Kumaki helping with the creation of your songs is a unique one. One which may be more interesting to people, and customers, than you may think. People…look for the small joys in life, isn’t that right?’

-

ID240093 | CD: 7 | <<Training Familiar>> | Result: Success! [2/3]

Edited January 10 by Morrigan

[Acanthus 0]

“I don’t know how she would help me make music, unless that music involved finding a bunch of rocks.” Acanthus talked with a completely straight face. “And I don’t think that rocks help the process along very much. Maybe if I could teach her to fetch blank recording crystals, or fresh pen and paper?” Although she didn’t want to say it out loud, the thought of Kumaki directly assisting in writing the songs sounded ridiculous—that was the sort of idea that would appeal to a five-year old, not a grown woman. You couldn’t teach a bear to perform on an instrument, or sing along. She wasn’t putting on “concerts” anymore. She was creating performance crystals through a system guided by ones and zeros. Even now, the game didn’t require her to have a knack for composing or creating. It did most of the work by itself. Handing off even more of the work to… a bear cub? That would make the entire thing a farce.

But that was a lot to dump on a kind stranger. So instead, she settled for a quick and light response. “Perhaps Kumaki could help out with the songs. I haven’t tried to train her that way so far. I think I may just try and actually get her to hunt successfully. According to my definition of success, and not Kumaki’s.”
 

* * *

Post Action: Training Kumaki
240096 | CD 2 | Failure. Threshold Reduced. (CD 5 -> 3) (1/3)

Edited January 10 by Acanthus

[Morrigan 0]

Morrígan considered arguing further, but stopped herself short as she remembered it wasn’t her decision to make in the end. Nodding slightly, she turned to look at Acanthus fully, her hands clasped before her and a slight bowing to her upper body as she gave her apology. ’Forgive me, it’s not my place. I simply didn’t wish to see another give up on their dreams and aspirations. You know Kumaki best, and your own situation more thoroughly than I, and of course you know what is most beneficial to your continued development and growth. That is what you must focus on, but never forget the dreams that brought you here.’

She left the words hanging, before turning to glance at Phantom as the bird descended. Two buttons were dropped from Phantom’s mouth into Morrígan’s palm, and she found herself smiling at the raven’s success. Calmly, she held up the last gemstone that they had been hiding, showing the item to Phantom before explaining. ’Acanthus has been kind enough to share these with us. The goal here is to locate them all, and bring them all back – see if we can get enough to create a single shard from the collection you obtain. Got it?’

Phantom gave off a single squawk before lifting into the air once more, pulling her form upwards as the eyes and head began their search for the items that they’d been working to hide. Morrígan watched for a single moment, before turning back to Acanthus. Her face still carried a hint of a smile, although it was slowly fading to a more serious expression.

’All I request is that you don’t sell your companion short. The world isn’t so filled with beings and friends that we can choose disdain and discontent.’ She seemed to pause for a second, before adding to her thoughts quickly. ’Which is not to suggest that you would act in such a way to Kumaki. I simply mean to infer…that you should believe in her abilities, and it may help you connect in a way that you haven’t quite yet.’

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus choked down an exasperated sigh. “I really do love Kumaki. I do. And I know how much she’s capable of. But she just cannot—”

Quote

“You cannot.”

The memory stopped Acanthus as though it had been a brick lobbed directly at her head. Tides of emotions crawled up to her mind and recessed just as quickly, leaving scattered memories in their wake. Acanthus started to panic. For all the times she had resented her father’s lack of faith, she was no better. The cycle of pragmatic disbelief continued through her, just another reason she didn’t deserve a familiar—

Soft fur wound between her fingers. Kumaki had returned to her side, staring intently. “Bbrbf.” Her mouth contained a single smooth stone. Acanthus held her hand out, and Kumaki readily dropped the slobbery rock into Acanthus’ waiting palm. She panted happily.

“Little bear, I’m sorry.” Kumaki seemed unperturbed by the thoughts flooding her master’s mind. She waited patiently for Acanthus to throw the rock, or offer some other direction. Acanthus simply continued to stroke her familiar’s fur. She was afraid to say anything to her new companion for fear of her voice giving out. She bought herself some time petting Kumaki.

“You’re right, Morrígan. I’m discounting my own familiar’s capabilities before we’ve even started. There are plenty of ways she could help me—even ways I do not understand yet. And in a virtual world with dragons and floating islands, I’m sure a musical bear is not such a preposterous concept. Whatever she wants to do, I’ll help her do it.” Kumaki tripped over nothing, rolling onto her back with a casual clumsiness. “Although we may start with the less-breakable instruments first. As a precaution.” Helping the bear back onto her feet, she turned to Morrígan once again. “...Thank you. I… have a hard time listening to others. But I needed to hear all of this.” Acanthus pulled a few more shards from her pocket. “I’m going to hide these. I’ll be back.”
 

[Morrigan 0]

Morrígan wanted to assure the player, to confirm that they had done nothing wrong – but their entire posture and expression told her that saying anything would be detrimental at best. Instead, she gave a simple nod as the form of Acanthus found a reason to retreat, and disappeared into the distance. Morrígan watched as she moved away, her eyes remaining on the other player as she felt her thoughts dancing around her head, trying to piece together everything that she’d just seen.

She’s bottling up those insecurities, rather than facing them head on. It’s not cowardice; not truly. But…there’s certainly something there. Morrígan knew there was very little she could do to help; she was no psychiatrist, although she knew that forcing people to face things they weren’t ready to didn’t help the situation. The best she could do, was continue to support, and provide ideals and concepts for the other, and model her own path for Acanthus to see.

Aware that she would get nowhere until Acanthus was ready to face her own concerns, Morrígan turned her eyes to the sky, watching as Phantom circled once more before dipping slightly, as if noticing something in the tall grasses. Morrígan’s eyes scanned the area, knowing that they hadn’t placed anything in that vicinity, and wondering what Phantom had seen. Whatever it was, however, seemed to have been deemed unimportant as she returned to a higher altitude, adjusting herself to circle closer to where Acanthus was moving through the fields.

’Come on Phantom, you can do it…’ She whispered to herself, watching as the raven continued to move through the sky. Morrígan couldn’t help but think over what Acanthus had said – not that it brought her any closer to understanding the other’s situation, nor any sort of resolution; her mind simply felt the need to think over the words she had said, and how best to face the player once she returned from her menial task.

[Acanthus 0]

“Alright, I’m back.” Acanthus had fully recovered from her unbecoming display during the time it took to hide a few of the fragments. She tossed a few extra into the tall grass, and promised Kumaki some treats if she were to find them. And if she didn’t… then Acanthus would start looking for bear-cub-sized saxophones in her shop.

She thought about offering some kind of apology to the woman, but that could be making a bigger deal out of something Morrígan already forgot—or worse, it would invite further conversation. She decided to steer clear of the issue entirely. “I took the liberty of hiding a few more fragments, as well as some larger shards,” she explained. “The larger shards are still useless in combat, but they contain more audio than the simple fragments. Almost like little soundbites. I may try and have Kumaki hunt for those, but if Phantom finds a few of them first, it’s not a problem—I had quite a few to hide from my early crafting attempts.”

Wary of the silence inviting more questions, Acanthus opted for something simpler. “Have you by chance opened up a shop in Aincrad? I haven’t met you before, so I thought I’d ask. I try to keep up to date on the players offering wares, because I’d prefer my col go to real people over NPCs whenever possible.”