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The Hoya of Minos.

Cordelia heaved a long and heavy sigh.

She never thought that she would actually be doing this quest purely for the pendent, much less getting it for someone else. 

She placed a hand on her cheek as she felt herself heating up again. Was she ever going to get out of this lovestruck schoolgirl phase? Possibly. 

She looked over the quest again. Just kill one of the two mobs, and that's it? She scoffed. That was more simple than what she was really used to, but then again, the recommended level for this quest is literally less than half of her own level at the moment.

She debated on messaging Oscar again and then immediately went against it. As much as she wanted to see him, she didn't want to seem like. . . the clingy girlfriend. No, no, that's the exact opposite of what she wanted. 

Gross.

@Lessa @NIGHT

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She'd been spending a lot of time on the third floor lately. It was odd, considering Lessa wasn't especially partial to the endless plains and homely villages. But her last few adventures had been quite memorable, and she'd had excellent company. As such, when she'd decided to do some grinding, Delilah had seemed the perfect destination. 

It hadn't taken long for Lessa to be drawn toward the Forest of Wavering Mist. The unknown fascinated her, and considering her higher level, she had nothing to fear. That was radically different from the first time she'd ventured into the dark, when her life had truly been at risk. "Come a long way since then, huh?" The woman reached down to scratch her wolf familiar behind the ear. He gave a contented sigh, plodding along at her heels. "You weren't even around back then. Kind of hard to believe."

Before she was even aware of what she was doing, Lessa had drifted off her original path, and found herself standing before the stone tomb of King Minos.

Spoiler

Level: 41 | HP: 820 | Energy: 82 | Base DMG: 11 | Base MIT: 72 | Acc: 4 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 | Bleed: 1
2HSS [5] | Heavy Armor [3] | Protector Familiar [3] | Survival | Howl | Precision
Scarecrow’s Twin [+2 DMG/+1 BLD] | Rose Gauntlets [+2 Thorns/+1 HM] | Rosebud Charm [+3 ACC]

Housing
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down).
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests.
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.

 

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NIGHT was retracing her steps. First, there was the wasp queen. The next, if her memory was right, would be the two minotaurs that guarded the tomb on Floor 3. She didn't even manage a hit in with that fight, did she? The woman cursed under her breath, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she wandered down the dirt path.

And maybe she wouldn't this day either. Colours she wouldn't have expected to see in the forest caught her eye -- blonde and white shimmers, hair illuminated by what sunlight fell through the canopies. She clicked her tongue for a moment, recognizing Cordelia's name, but then her eyes settled over to Lessa, noting her wolf familiar by her side. Huh. Maybe she'd be the more cordial figure here.

As NIGHT took her first few steps forward, she called out to them with a tilt of her head. "Hey, sup. What're you two up to today?"

She'd hoped it wasn't to slay the beasts she was after.

@Cordelia

Edited by NIGHT
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Cordelia hummed, tapping her foot against the ground as she gave NIGHT a small sideways glance and smile. As for the other chick, she had no idea where she had even shown up from. 

"I'm just here to slay a giant half man half bull thing for some lousy pendent," she remarked, pursing her lips. 

"Talking about that. . ." she murmured, turning her gaze back to the high trees. ". . . Pacco should be back any time now. I sent him looking for the tomb since I was too lazy to," she sniffed, watching as a few black feathers fall to the ground before the indescribable sound of her familiar's caw absolutely blessed her ears. "Ah, there he is!" She exclaimed after a few seconds of recovering from the trauma that had just been inflicted on her poor eardrums. 

"Oh, right," she turned to the blonde stranger with a wide smile. "The name is Cordelia, pleasure to meet you. . . or not?" She hummed, tilting her head at her before she pointed at the direction from where her familiar had come from.

"Alright, my feathered child! Let us go slay a giant man baby!"

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"Nice to meet you, Cordelia," came Lessa's response. Something nagged at the back of her mind, a distant memory that rang at the sound of the woman's name. But Lessa simply could not place it, so she offered a hand for a shake. "I'm Lessa." She nodded her blonde head toward her wolf companion, and answered, "This is Riker." Next, the player turned her attention to Night, and offered the same hand, the same smile. "It's nice to meet you, as well."

With introductions made, the woman rolled her shoulders. "I've actually already done this quest," she confessed. "But I'd be up for doing it again, if you guys need a hand. I figure it's free experience, and I wouldn't mind picking up another pendant. I actually have someone to give it to this time!"

As the realization of what she'd just said set in, embarrassment tinged her already flushed cheeks. Rather than dwelling on the issue, she began to walk the direction that Cordelia pointed out.

@Cordelia@NIGHT

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"I'm just here to slay a giant half man half bull thing for some lousy pendant."

Damn it. NIGHT felt her mood drop, expression exasperated by the reveal. With a sigh, she resigned herself to her fate. At least there'd be another day to vent her frustrations, she'd guessed. At least Cordelia seemed to be in a good mood today. The sharpness she remembered the girl for showed itself, as she revealed her familiar had gone out to scout ahead, looking for danger. A nod from the woman as Pacco returned to his owner. Things felt as they should be today.

And not to discount the new face, either. Lessa was eloquent in her introductions, and NIGHT couldn't help but be taken by her appearance for a moment, before sliding the thought aside with a nod back to her words. She'd registered her wolf familiar as Riker. "That's a cool name," she'd spout, before shaking the blonde's hand, returning a grin. "Nice to meet you, indeed."

It seemed like today's adventure would be peaceful after all. That's all she'd needed from her journey out of town.

"... I wouldn't mind picking up another pendant. I actually have someone to give it to this time!"

Nevermind.

NIGHT shut her gaping jaw at the news, eyes wide as she looked towards the back of the two, the party walked already trudging on ahead of herself. She hummed, a confused gargled noise to herself, following them from behind. Perhaps she should clarify her intentions here first, removing herself from a possible conflict before it would even begin.

Raising a hand, she called out to the other two women. "I-If it helps, I'm not really here for the amulet! Just.. just here to slay things! I-I promise!"

@Cordelia

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"Lessa, huh. . ?" She murmured, smiling to herself as she nodded her head. "Yep, it certainly is a pleasure to meet you, too, Lessa!" 

She'd definitely talk to her later about, cough, a certain someone.

"Oh. . ." She trailed off, a small red hue dusting her cheeks as she scratched her knuckles embarrassingly. "I was planning to give someone mine, too," she mumbled, laughing softly to herself.

She looked over to NIGHT and raised a brow. "Oh, really?" She asked, her eyes brightening as she gave her a wide smile. "That's great then!" She beamed, bowing her body slightly as a show of thanks. "This really means a lot to me. . . and to the person I'm giving the pendent to, I guess," she mumbled the last part, scratching at her cheek.

She followed after the blonde and sighed in relief. Thank God. She really didn't want to fight over this pendent thing or whatever.

"So about this Minotaur thing," she began, sniffing, "I doubt that it's really going to last one hit from any of us," she said, chuckling to herself as she scratched the back of her head. "I guess we'll have a lot of time after this quest."

 

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Lessa's blue eyes lit with appreciation as NIGHT complimented the name. "Well thanks," she stated on a short laugh. "I like it too. It's nerdy, I guess, but we're a bunch of people trapped in a video game. If there's any community that won't judge a Star Trek reference, it's this one."

Perhaps it was odd how casually she spoke of their predicament. Truthfully, she would have hesitated to speak so plainly at the beginning of their journey. But time had changed her, and the truth of their imprisonment felt less taboo. It was all part of her effort to make Aincrad a little more bearable. Laughing to keep from crying, or however that saying goes.

"Slaying is a great excuse to be here," she assured the other woman. "It's a great way to get experience, and it's oddly satisfying sometimes. Those days when you just feel like killing something? Well, now you can." 

When Cordelia spoke, Lessa swung her gaze around. "Someone's pretty lucky that you'd go to such lengths for a gift." She offered a wink, and added, "I hope they know that!"

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Star Trek, huh? She'd heard of the franchise, but never was too big into it. Sci-Fi wasn't her thing. NIGHT looked at Riker anyway, watching the beast tread by its owner. Whoever this Riker was, they'd have to be a pretty cool person to fit the name. That's what she thought, anyway.

NIGHT nodded further, when the two women ahead acknowledged her -- uh, bloodlust. Cordelia was right when she'd said it wouldn't stand a chance against them; hell, the beasts could go down in one multi-targeted blow from any one of their party. She hummed, slinging her arms back behind her head, at least thankful that Lessa gave the time of her day to relate to her sentiment. She wasn't alone on that nagging front to slay something, then.

"I think you're both pretty lucky," the woman commented, following up on the blonde's words. "Means you guys both got people you cherish that much. Significant others?" She raised a brow, the question intended to be a throwaway observation.

NIGHT then turned to Cordelia, upon noticing how quickly they'd complete it. "'s that an invitation for something? I'd assumed you always had somewhere else to be, considering how quickly you take your leave."

@Cordelia

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“Well he got one for me so the last I could do was get one from him,” she mumbled with a flushed face, “and wanting to slay something is sort of relatable I guess?” Cordelia said with a quizzical expression before laughing it off.

”Yeah. . .” She muttered, poking her two index fingers together with a small smile. “Significant other.”

 She gave a side glance to Lessa and chuckled softly. She had a pretty good guess on who she was planning to give the pendent to.

Cordelia raised an eyebrow as she looked at NIGHT. “I suppose it could be. . . I’m trying to slow down a bit I’m still going to try to catch up with a few people,” she stated, turning her attention back forward. “I don’t think I’d want to give Oscar the pendent on any random day, either,” she sniffed. “But if you two don’t have any plans after this. . . we could hang out and talk or something?”

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  • 3 weeks later...

Lessa's cheeks warmed at NIGHT's query. "Ah, no, actually." Right? He wasn't really her boyfriend. At least, they hadn't officially adopted the title yet. "We're not actually dating." Shyly, she added, "Yet. But he's really special to me."

A few seconds later, what Cordelia had said actually dawn on her. "Wait, Oscar?" she repeated, a smile ghosting about her lips. "Crazy tall, blonde, Boston accent?" She gestured with one hand as she tried to summon more descriptors. Then she remembered the obvious. "Two-headed familiar?" Lessa shook her head in wonder, her blonde braids slipping over her shoulder. "Small world," she mused aloud. "That guy carried me through a quest not too long ago." Then humor filled her blue eyes, and she cast Cordelia a quick wink. "I'm not proud of that fact though, so maybe don't go reminding him of it?"

As for Cordelia's other request, Lessa nodded. "I don't have anything else on the agenda," she explained, "so I'd be up for hanging out."

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To say NIGHT hadn't expected the flustered reactions from the party would be a lie -- she chuckled slightly, relishing the signs of their tender affection for the ones they loved. What she hadn't planned for, though, was a name drop from Cordelia. Oscar, like her store's neighbour? She'd chalked it up to another player with the same name, but as Lessa continued describing the man, her description matched up pretty well with the chef she was barely familiar with. Or maybe her memory was failing her.

"If it's the cook we're thinking of," the adventurer spoke up, eyes cast to the canopies, "Then I guess I know of him too. Small world indeed -- my shop's right next door to his."

"And it doesn't matter what their labels are," she hummed, thinking back to Lessa's words. "As long as you two mean something to each other, I bet that's enough. And I'm sure they'll appreciate the gift." NIGHT also extended a hand, gesturing with a wave at the suggestion to hang out. "Sure. I'm free. Lunch sounds alright?"

@Cordelia

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Cordelia blinked before laughing out loud. Somehow the description that Lessa had given her was a perfect depiction of him. "Yeah, that's the one," she said with a small smile as she rubbed the back of her neck. "He's carried me through a few quests as well," she sighed. "I think it's just natural for him to do that, huh."

"Oh, really?" She asked, her ears perking as she switched her attention to NIGHT. "Well, I've never really been to your shop before so that's expected I suppose, but that's pretty cool! I'll be sure to pay you a visit next time I go to his shop, too," She beamed, nodding her head excitedly.

"Alright!" She cheered, clapping her hands together. "Lunch it is!"

Cordelia's ears perked when the sound of hooves clashing against the ground rung through the air. She sighed. Well, at least it won't be hard  to kill this thing. She unsheathed her katana for a brief second, darting in after the minotaur. A single slash should be able to do the trick.

And that's what she did.

Maybe it was because she was lazy, or tired, or both, but she just. . . kinda of bull[doo-doo]-ed her way through it? Man, she just kinda of wanted this quest to be over with.

ID: 134477
BD: 3+3=6, Success

HOYA OF MINOS IS D E D

 

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  • 1 month later...

Lessa blinked owlishly at Cordelia as pixels fell around her like floor four's snow. Hadn't there been a minotaur there a moment before? And the woman had simply done away with it it in a single attack? Where was the build-up, the drama, the atmosphere? The game provided none of those things this time. How odd.

The blonde emitted a low whistle, shaking her head appreciatively. "You know," she began, "that was a hell of a lot harder when I first took it. You make this look easy. It's honestly pretty impressive."

At the mention of food, Lessa's hand instinctively went to her bare stomach. She was always up for food, but it was probably not necessary that she share that detail with the other two woman. She hardly knew them. But perhaps a little social time with players of her own gender might do her some good. Really, she didn't have any girlfriends that she could think of, and -

Hold up, you're getting ahead of yourself.

"Sure, lunch sounds good. Would it be weird if we went to Oscar's?"

@NIGHT

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One second ago, the beast had appeared. Then, in one fell swoop, it fell.

Oh well, NIGHT wondered, staring blankly at the fading particles as she scratched her head. So much for the mighty minotaur. Alas, the party barely knew him.

"All that's left is the pendant," the player found herself saying, as though trying to remind herself of the team's objectives. It was so easy to let her thoughts slip when she wasn't paying attention, and for that moment, it was true. Her thoughts immediately shot to the idea of food almost on reflex, having seen her adversary fallen, and it took willpower just to turn her focus back to reality.

"Sure, lunch sounds good. Would it be weird if we went to Oscar's?"

And she'd nearly lost her grip on her missive once again. Hotdogs weren't spectacular, but NIGHT would rather go with than without some at this point. She hummed in agreement. "I'll take us there. I don't think he'll mind, since he'd be paying customers by then."

Her gaze then went over to Cordelia, and she gestured with a hand towards the temple entrance. "After you, of course."

| Floor 1

In a flash, the pendant was retrieved, and the trio found themselves escorted back in the Town of Beginnings once more. Down an alleyway, weaving through tight buildings, the returning adventurer pointed out Oscar's storefront from a distance away. It was so identifiable, by now.

"Oh, and that there's my shop." NIGHT pointed out. "Just in case y'need anything." It was a mention in passing to her, nothing more, but she couldn't help but feel proud of it as they crossed her store's entrance. Then, an immediate transition of aesthetics, and the woman leaned into the door of Oscar's diner, letting herself in. It was surprising as ever, at how immaculate and tidy the man kept his restaurant. NIGHT nodded, impressed, before shuffling over to his display, wondering what best to pick out for herself.

The player glanced over her shoulder, a hand to her chin. "Hey, uh, what're you guys getting?"

@Cordelia

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Cordelia flashed Lessa a sheepish smile. "Oh, I'm sure you could take it on if you were my level. . . I just think I'm too overleveled for this quest."

"Oscars'?" She murmured, scratching her chin. Now that she thought about it, she rarely ever ate at Oscar's just to eat. Was that sad? Well, she supposed that it would be pointless since she literally lives with him. "No, it wouldn't be weird at all. I'm sure he'll be happy to see us," she exclaimed after a few quick seconds of thought. 

[FLOOR 1]

"Oh, right. I've been there a couple of times," Cordelia commented, looking over to NIGHT's shop before following after her and into the diner. She sniffed. It had been a while since she had been here to purely eat. Damn, she was pretty sure she had only ever been here to eat once. Hell, she couldn't even remember if she was remembering right. 

Cordelia hummed, barely catching the last words of NIGHT's question before she put the pieces together. She strolled over to the display next to NIGHT and blinked.

"I don't know," she mumbled, laughing to herself before she shrugged her shoulders. "I'll probably get something simple like fries and a milkshake or something. I never really ate big lunches, anyway."

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It was Lessa's second time in Oscar's Hot Dog Stand, but she still took a moment to appreciate the aesthetic. It had a throwback element she found really endearing, and the man kept the place squeaky clean. If this fact wasn't evident in the immaculate appearance, the sign that hung on the wall was indicator enough. While Lessa didn't plan on eating off the floor, she figured that, yeah, she probably could. This was a far cry from her dusty shop, which had sat dormant for months on end. Embarrassment ghosted across her flushed face, but she shoved it away. No use letting such negative emotions cloud a potentially really nice time.

I never really ate big lunches, anyway.

Tch. Lessa bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to keep from making any noise. I wish I didn't eat big lunches. And big breakfasts, and dinners. And snacks. Well, she could always just eat a small lunch so not to scare her new acquaintances away. When her turn arrived, she plugged in a large fry and a vanilla milkshake. Then she shuffled over to the nearest booth, plopped down, and scooched against the wall. "So do you guys do a lot of quests?" she asked both NIGHT and Cordelia when they joined her.

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The words astounded her. NIGHT had to pause to wonder if Cordelia's suggestion had betrayed reality, for a moment. "Fries?"

A hand at her neck, the player looked over at the menu once again, scanning through the rows of different hot dogs. It wasn't long before her gaze rested on a corner of the board she hadn't paid much attention to before. "Fries," she finally echoed, eyes widened. Her hand snaked over to the bell at the counter, dinging it with an eerily exorbitant amount of enthusiasm. And-- and was that steak listed right under it? Steak? "Steak--"

Her display was only quelled with the acceptance of her order. Sheepishly, the woman took a seat next to Lessa, clearing her throat and trying not to make eye contact. "Q-quests," NIGHT repeated, hoping the topic rolled in her mouth would distract her from the beef she could already imagine digging into. Steak. "Actually-- I should be getting to quite a number of those soon..."

She leaned back, trying to recollect her thoughts. "I mean, I say that, but I'm mostly focused on taking out field bosses at the moment. A couple of info brokers to be beck-and-call to. But on the down time, well... Let's just say I'm up for anything that keeps me out the house." One quick scan over her new acquaintances, before she added, "Like today, I guess. Going over to the temple was my idea."

NIGHT's gaze went over to Cordelia, expecting the girl to follow up with her own response.

@Cordelia

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Cordelia gave NIGHT a small smile. She probably was more enthusiastic with food than Oscar was, and he owned the place. "Eat to your heart's content, NIGHT," she chuckled, ordering for herself as soon as she was done. 

Sliding into the seat in front of the two, Cordelia leaned back with a sigh of relief. A small break like this was nice. She felt like she was having a bit too many of those lately, though.

"Oh, yeah. I definitely do a lot," Cordelia blurted out, nodding her head. "Usually, I'm only out doing quests. . . which probably isn't such a good thing now that I say it out loud," she murmured to herself before cursing under her breath. "I think I'm too focused on levelling up and getting to the frontlines," she said with a sheepish expression before plopping a fry in her mouth. "I've been thinking of other things to do lately though, so I guess that's good?" She shrugged. 

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"I'm, uh, basically the opposite." Lessa's sheepish smile mirrored Cordelia's, but instead of a fry, she shoved a straw in her mouth. After slurping her milkshake, the blonde set the tall glass aside. "I'm not focused enough. Honestly, I've never been crazy motivated, even when I was actually on the Frontlines." She blew out a heavy breath, sending her bangs flying, before she grabbed for her milkshake again. "You guys have probably done more quests than I have, honestly. But I'm trying to get back into it. I really need to, if I want to get stronger." And keep up with Bahr. The secret thought warmed her cheeks, and she glanced away until they cooled down.

The afternoon progressed in very much the same way, with the three women swapping stories over steak fries and milkshakes. And when Lessa finally left Oscar's shop, emerging into the falling night, she had two new names on her friends list.

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