[F06 | SP] The Girl from the Other Side, Pt. 2 | <<The Gemini(?)>>

Acanthus · January 10

Note: <<The Gemini>> quest serves as the backdrop for this thread, but I am not actually going through the mechanics of the fight or claiming any mission rewards.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but I really like your name. How did you get it?”

Acanthus remained unbothered, sipping her drink while the Gemini made itself comfortable. Even with the thing’s hood up, she could see a carbon copy of herself hiding underneath the rags. The reveal was novel the first time but painfully obvious in retrospect. She cringed to think she had allowed herself to be surprised even the first time.

Acanthus remained impassive while the Gemini waited eagerly for her answer. “If you’re a good copy, you should know how I got my name.” The figure under the cloak grinned. “I like hearing the story. It’s very touching.”

“This,” one wrinkled farmer said, “is a very special herb. It grows tall and hearty with the right care. Pluck the leaves off and they make a tea that cures any illness.”

“I’m not here to tell you stories. Let’s go ahead and start the quest.”

On cue, the dialogue box opened. Acanthus took a moment to read it thoughtfully. Then, she pressed the accept button.

On cue, the dialogue box opened. Acanthus skimmed the brief text before pressing the accept button.

On cue, the dialogue box opened, and Acanthus pressed a button without a second glance.

Acanthus blinked away her double vision. Her lack of sleep was making it hard to focus.

-----

Acanthus | Lvl 65 (34/31) | HP: 820/820 | EN: 96/96 | DMG: 23 | MIT:54 | ACC:5 | AA | EVA:2 | BH:24 | VAMP-D: 41 | REC: 8 | LD:5

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Equipment and Consumables

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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)

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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

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Lama Sabachthani | 236687 | Soundtrack | Hypnosis 2 | Lullaby 2 (Instant)
Edict's Threnody | 236686 | Soundtrack | Perpetuate (Instant)
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Housing

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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

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

Edited January 10 by Acanthus

Acanthus · January 10

	The weather on floor six was hot, as to be expected. The few winds that penetrated the canopy did little to cool off its inhabitants.
The weather on floor six was much hotter than usual. It sapped Acanthus of what little will she felt in the moment. But more than anything, she needed to be here.		The weather on floor six was brisk. Not as brisk as last time, but still unusual for the muggy jungle landscape.

Her dreams had been even more intense than usual, almost as nonsensical as they were vivid. In each dream, The single defining point was the feeling of a knife cutting through her. It could be piercing, or slicing, or scalping, but that sharp pain, unfamiliar in the light of Cardinal’s pain suppressors, drove her from her sleep almost every night.

Recently, another coherent point had infiltrated her dreams: herself. Haru would stare greedily as she carved bit after bit from Acanthus’ body. Sometimes Haru would eat the strips of flesh herself, and other times she would toss them to the hungry shadows that scrabbled and fought over the skin like starved predators.

Or maybe it was Acanthus with the knife. It was hard to keep track.

Acanthus · January 10

“Are we going to the same place as before?” Acanthus asked, a note of tension in her voice.	“So we are going to the same place as before.” Acanthus noted with some finality.
Acanthus walked in silence for a spell before speaking. “You’d think for a quest location, they’d pick somewhere with less walking.”	Acanthus trekked, her mind devoid of thoughts.

“You’re a lot quieter than usual.”

Acanthus stared ahead, lost in distant hope that she could sleep soon.

“That’s saying quite a bit. You’ve never been much of a chatterbox, huh?”

“...You’re talkative for a Haru.”

The Gemini smiled at the response. “I’m only you. That’s all.”

The cheery replica continued leading the way while Acanthus resumed her dead-eyed stare. It was common knowledge that the Geminis would taunt players during the quest. Acanthus had experienced it for herself—they all had subtly different ways of provoking the player. The conversation was its own form of torture.

Acanthus · January 10

For Acanthus, the Gemini was at its worst when it treated her like a person.

“Is everything ok? It’s a little unusual for players to revisit us.”

“The weather today is nice for floor six, wouldn’t you say?”

“Acanthus, you’re losing pace. Why don’t we take a quick rest?”

The visions flashed again. Acanthus struck the side of her head with an open palm, and Haru looked back with concern. “You don’t need to beat yourself up about it. Literally.”

“I don’t… That’s not what I was doing.” Acanthus rubbed her eyes. “I’m not here to talk. I don’t want to talk. Or rest.”

“Come on. Five minutes, just for me.”

Acanthus locked eyes with Haru. The same fucking eyes, every fucking time. A burst of spiteful energy coursed through her body.

“No. We’re almost there. Keep moving.” Haru turned from Acanthus and continued to lead them.

This time, for sure. She’d be able to sleep after this.

Acanthus · January 10

The arena looked a little different from the first time she fought here. There was no trace of the uncharacteristic snow from the first time around. Instead, the jungle air covered them like the atmosphere of a planet where gravity was just a little heavier than she was used to.

Haru reached the other end of the clearing and began to loosen up. “I’m going to take just a moment to warm up. Feel free to take a second.” Acanthus glared. The Gemini was a program; she didn’t need to warm up or take a break—and they both knew it. This was an excuse for Cardinal to taunt Acanthus for her frailness.

“I’ll take a break when I earn it.” With a heavy sigh, Acanthus pulled Ajisai from its sheath and formed a shaky stance. “And I’ll earn it after I kill you.”

Haru shrugged and pulled out Wormwood, forming an almost identical stance. Acanthus waited for the initial strike. Cardinal always made sure the Gemini would strike first.

Acanthus · January 10

Confidently, the Gemini closed the distance and started the fight with a fierce offensive.	Acanthus widened her stance, expecting the first hit. Haru charged in, wielding Wormwood with a calculated efficiency.
Acanthus widened her stance, hoping to get hit. Haru paused, then charged in, wielding Wormwood with a calculated efficiency.	For a brief moment, the two waited in suspense. Haru attacked first. She always would.
		Oddly enough, Haru waited.

“Hurry up and hit me,” Acanthus barked. “You think I have all day to wait here for you?”

“Why don’t you attack first? You’re the one that came here for a fight. I want you to have a break. I want you to talk to me.”

Acanthus was at a loss. This wasn’t how the quest was scripted. “You… have to.”

“Well, I don’t want to.” The copy stood strangely defiant to its programming. Acanthus recognized it as the same stubbornness she showed anytime she and her father argued. “So you can either come over here and start the fight, or you can catch your breath before I attack.”

“Why?” Acanthus asked with a strained voice. “Why do you care so much about me?”

“Because I’m a good copy of you.”

Edited January 10 by Acanthus

Acanthus · January 10

Acanthus would have to ask others if they had any odd experiences with these creatures. This one was certainly giving her more grief than she anticipated. She hadn’t talked to many info brokers about the quest, but they all seemed to agree that the Gemini were just “evil twins” of the questing player: physical copies, but behavioral opposites.

Silence settled over the two like heavy iron chains, tying them to where they stood. Acanthus’ chains were forged from habit; the Gemini’s, from willful disobedience.

And for the computer to call itself a good copy? It was audacious. She was half the person Acanthus had become. She stood too tall and rigid, clinging to Wormwood with a fierce naivety. And the eyes—every time she looked…

Those same eyes every time. Darting, inquisitive eyes that weren’t subject to rigid code. There was something almost human about them.	Those same eyes every time. Bright, loving eyes that cared beyond the limitations of Cardinal.
Those same eyes every time. Soft, hopeful eyes that dreamed past the walls of Aincrad.	Those same *fucking* eyes. Every time.

Acanthus · January 10

Blink. The visions are getting worse. Just blink and they’ll go away.

“See? Right there. You’re barely on your feet at this point. I don’t know why you’re back here. Just look at me and tell me you’re ok, and I’ll start the fight.”

Acanthus couldn’t bring herself to look at the thing’s eyes. Her resolution was not allowed to waver—that weakness could kill her later.

“Acanthus, can we take a moment to—”

“—catch your breath?” Acanthus wondered for a moment how to proceed.

“—talk this out?” Acanthus stepped in for the attack, then drew her sword.

“—center yourself?” Acanthus was already raising Ajisai boldly.

CRACK

A whisper of satisfaction echoed through the clearing.

—VIOLENCE. ALL OF AINCRAD'S BEAUTIFUL QUESTIONS—

Acanthus had inverted her grip on Ajisai, grasping the sword by its blade to drive the hilt into Haru’s temple. Bright, fake blood dripped down Acanthus’ wrists as she returned to her usual stance.

“I’m not here to talk. I don’t want to talk. Or rest.” Acanthus repeated her line like an exhausted NPC.

Acanthus · January 10

Haru fell to the ground stunned, bright red liquid pouring off her temple. She struggled to recover, but Acanthus was already on her. One fist, two—Acanthus held the Gemini by the collar, intent on driving her fist into the ground. Only Haru stood in her way.

“Stop it! Stop waking me up.” Acanthus shouted on the verge of hysterics.	“I’m sorry, but this is the only way.” Acanthus blinked away tears as she delivered blow after blow.	“Please, if you stop… If you’d just stop, I’d stop coming back. Please.” She begged Haru as she drove her sword through the woman’s chest.
“Leave. Me. Alone.” She enunciated each word with a vicious punch. Vengeful tears began to mix with the digital blood.		“I hate you.” Pain and anger dripped off each word. “I. Hate you. Everytime I kill you, I hope it's not the last time. Just so I can do it again.”

Acanthus · January 10

Vague outlines marked different paths she envisioned. The clearer the image, the more brutal her conduct. Acanthus shook the thoughts from her head. That wasn’t her at all. Just a trick from a tired mind. She would tell herself whatever it took to move forward. No matter what.

Haru took advantage of the lull and carved a swath down Acanthus’ side. She dropped Ajisai in surprise as the pain indicators forced her attention back to the here and now. Wormwood was now whistling towards her left side. Without thinking, Acanthus grabbed the blade with her gauntleted hand. Even made of wood, the blade was wickedly sharp. But Acanthus squeezed, using the harsh, vibrating substitute for pain to collect her thoughts. The Gemini almost pulled free of Acanthus’ grip—but Acanthus was faster. With a twist, she wrested Wormwood free and drove her right fist into the girl’s ribs over and over.

Acanthus · January 10

She enunciated each driving hook with bile in her throat. “Fuck”—crunch— “You” —crunch— “for pretending to care. Fuck this GAME for pretending to care.” Twisting the Gemini’s tunic in her right hand, Acanthus pulled her close. “You keep telling me to ‘take a moment,’ or to ‘catch my breath.’ You just want an even fight—that’s all this is, the game is just trying to make this an even fight.”

Pulling her close, she cracked skulls with Haru before tossing the dazed girl away carelessly. The Gemini crawled to her weapon; Acanthus marched back to recover Ajisai, leaving a dotted red trail in her wake. “You scale in power with the challenging player. You even grow in power for the consumables brought on this quest. So when you—the system—detects player debuffs, it tries to even out the score. That’s all this is.”

“That’s not true—”

“Of course you’d say that. You aren’t programmed to see your own limitations.”

“I’m a good—”

—CRACK—another swing connected with Haru’s jaw. She stumbled back, tears in her eyes. “Don’t feed me that bullshit about good copies. You’re just another faulty image of me, cobbled together to be killed by somebody real.” Acanthus hefted Ajisai, her own blood dripping from her left hand, and Haru’s from her right.

Acanthus · January 10

“Fine. If I can’t reason with you, then I’ll just have to subdue you.”

“You can certainly try. It hasn’t worked yet.”

The Gemini collected herself, twirling Wormwood with a flourish.

With a leap, she rushed Acanthus, Wormwood slicing down from the right. It was the same thing every time.

Acanthus slipped under the blade, letting the Gemini’s momentum carry her forward and away. Adjusting her feet, she prepared for the second attack.

The Gemini brought her sword back up, attacking in a three-point stabbing combo.

Ajisai connected with the driving point of Wormwood effortlessly. Acanthus flicked the blade up, sending Haru’s strike wildly off course, and finished with another headbutt. You deserve this, she thought grimly. All talk, and no action. You’re every reason I stayed inside for two years. She cut through Haru without remorse, and kicked sharply behind her knee. Haru buckled to the ground.

Acanthus · January 11

“You’re not welcome here any more. I thought once was enough, but… I feel you, still.” Haru returned to her feet, uncertain with her footing and trying to keep her distance. Acanthus continued to rant. “You… creep around in my brain. And my dreams. Try to tell me things that neither of us know. Like how it will all be ok.” Acanthus strode towards Haru. “I’m sick of it. None of that matters. None of it is real. But here I am, wasting time trying to kill you.”

They wept together for reasons entirely similar and completely different. But Acathus was not here to understand why Haru cried. She was here to stop it.	Acanthus quelled her sadness as she fought. Her feelings could always come later.
The copy cried while Acanthus observed her. Some deep instinct told her to cry as well, but she suppressed it without a second thought. It was simply not the time.	Acanthus knew the thing wasn’t a good copy after all. Why would it be crying when it clearly had no reason?

Edited January 11 by Acanthus

Acanthus · January 11

Just as before, Haru’s strength began to wane. Pity slowed Acanthus’ assault. She had come here hoping to quiet her nightmares, but seeing a mirror image of herself fighting for her life, Acanthus wondered if she was willing to pay the price with someone else’s blood.		Just as before, Haru’s strength began to wane. Pity lingered in the back of Acanthus’ mind as she continued the assault. She knew killing the Gemini wouldn’t solve her problems, but she craved retribution.
	Just as before, Haru’s strength began to wane. Pity lingered in the back of Acanthus’ mind as she continued the assault. Cardinal was cruel to give the Gemini so little strength.
Just as before, Haru’s strength began to wane. Cardinal was cruel to give the Gemini so little strength. It created them to fight against nearly impossible odds.		Cardinal was cruel to give the Gemini so little strength. They were chattel before her hungry blade.

Acanthus · January 11

“Acanthus, talk to me.”	Haru rolled underneath a vicious swipe to the head. “Acanthus, talk to me.”	Haru recovered from a solid blow to the head. “Acanthus, talk to me.”
	Haru stood up after the last hit nearly knocked her out. “Acanthus, talk to me.”	Haru gave up trying to talk. The girl from the other side showed no signs of relenting; it was fight, or die.

Locked in combat, Acanthus lost track of time. She had been so focused on her efforts, that she didn’t realize they were almost done. Her health bar stood nearly full, while the Gemini’s was a hair away from defeat.

The Gemini relaxed her stance, inviting the final blow. The sudden resignation shocked Acanthus. Wasn’t she supposed to fight to the end? First the Gemini wouldn’t initiate, now she refused to continue. Something strange was going on here. Acanthus scanned her surroundings for some kind of ~~reason~~ ~~excuse to stop~~ ~~trap~~ ~~ambush~~ ~~warning~~ escape route

Lost in her indecision, the Stranger stepped in to complete the task.

Acanthus · January 11

The Stranger was nothing like Acanthus. She was a brutal and elegant driver of combat. Acanthus watched with a sense of amazement and terror—there was no blow the Stranger couldn’t land, no hit she could not weather. Her fights unfolded like an artist’s first decisive sketches of a nascent masterpiece, and the Stranger’s opponent served as the medium. The initial strokes did little to inform the viewer of the ultimate goal; with only a few lines, the art could be anything. Then, the linework grew complicated as the fight evolved—even her mistakes merged with the whole, making it difficult to discern the accidents from the intentional. Finally, with nearly everything in place, the Stranger would strike the finishing touches with an unparalleled confidence in the result, such that the work appeared a preordained, immutable work, and the Stranger was not a visionary so much as a messenger.

It was nothing short of art. Acanthus wanted to remain in that quiet part of her mind and watch the Stranger paint until she died.

Acanthus · January 11

Haru knelt in defeat again. With an intense effort, she raised her chin, staring at the Stranger proudly and defiantly.

The Stranger decided to play her part and laughed at the beaten girl. “You aren’t a good copy. Just an entertaining one.”

Haru knelt as she stood—far too rigidly. She didn’t put on a show or utter a word. The stranger continued.

“So what now? Are you going to beg and plead; tell me how this isn’t like me at all, and I should come to my senses?”

“No.” Haru said dully. She wiped blood weakly from her mouth before continuing. “This is you. Every cutting stroke and comment is you.” Anger flashed in her eyes. “Every time you kill us, it’s you.”

Acanthus froze. How did this Gemini know that she had been here before?

“I see the wheels turning in your mind. You’re eager for some way to push this off and pretend that you aren’t capable of this. Koji does the same thing, you know.”

“You don’t get to talk about my life.” She hissed. “You malformed program.”

“I see it,” the Gemini continued, ignoring Acanthus. “Even in the fragments of memory used to create me, I see you.”

Acanthus · January 11

“Why don’t we skip this cutscene with a cut?” In two swift motions, the Stranger retrieved Ajisai and drove it through Haru’s shoulder, smiling savagely. A boot, placed firmly on Haru’s breastplate, forced her to the ground, and Ajisai ripped its way entirely through Haru’s shoulder and into the dirt below. Pinned to the ground, the girl writhed on her back, trying to free herself.

Seething hatred flooded the Stranger’s thoughts. A dozen times they had fought, and a dozen times the girl had died. But still she wouldn’t sleep. So if Cardinal would be unkind to her, she would simply be unkind in return.

The Stranger twisted the blade around in the wound with a deliberate cruelty; the fake gasped with each wrenching movement. “Any last words?”

The Gemini could barely open her eyes at this point. Her arms moved pitifully as they tried to keep the ground from spinning. Breathing was a chore—talking even more so—but still, even still,

There’s something I have to say.

Haru’s lips formed syllables. In one final effort, she pushed the words out in a whisper.

“I love you.”

The Stranger’s face soured. Of all the taunts Cardinal could manage, she hadn’t anticipated that.

“I love you… because I’m… a good copy.” Haru drew ragged breaths—breaths that distinctly reminded Acanthus of her time in the grove, fighting off Hatred.

“I see the parts of you that love. Those parts chose your name, Acan—”

Ajisai came down before she could finish.

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Acanthus left the meadow victorious, but defeated. This time, she would sleep for sure.

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