[PP - F10] Up On Floor Ten, Kill the Banshee Again

[Lessa 1]

<<Wail of the Banshee>>

Lessa hardly remembered the first time she had visited Bahr. Having just seen her own metaphorical ghost, she'd been too overwhelmed to pay attention to the path; the built-in tracker had guided her like a lighthouse in a storm. And, of course, Bahr had been her lighthouse then, too, leading her back from the edge of hysterics. 

Now? Well, it was safe to say that Lessa knew the way by heart. Though the pair preferred to pass the time at Manderley, they'd met up at the Bahron's Keep on numerous occasions. Plus, she'd committed the way to memory. It was something she tended to do whenever the Crimson Marauder was involved.

To the untrained eye, the trail wasn't especially obvious - if you've seen one glowing mushroom, you've seen them all. But Lessa had found small indicators along the way: the two-tiered waterfall, the sharp curve in the path, the crystal formation that looked a bit like two fingers making a peace sign. Each told her that she was one step closer to Bahr's impressive estate.

Today, her agenda was limited to a single task - kill a banshee. Granted, she hadn't actually told her best friend that they'd be doing so. Instead, she was going to simply show up and offer her services. The morning after he'd stayed over, he'd commented that it was the best sleep he'd had in weeks thanks to the banshee's wail. So, like the thoughtful girlfriend she was, she was going to find the thing inconveniencing her boyfriend... and murder it.

Two long strides carried her up to his front door, and with a rapid trio of knocks, she announced her arrival.

Spoiler

Level 48 - HP: 990 EN: 96
* Fishing skill has been added.

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.

Inventory
- Teleport Crystal
- Rose Gauntlets
- Violet Ribbon (Light Armor): +3 LD

[Bahr 0]

Spoiler

STATS
LEVEL - 60
HP - 1230
EN - 120
DMG - 19
MIT - 79
ACC - 3
EVA - 4
FALLEN - 12
HOLY - 6
HOLY BLESSING - 24
BATTLE HEALING - 62
PHASE

HOME BUFFS
» WELL RESTED
     ➥ -1 EN FOR THE FIRST THREE TURNS OF COMBAT
» RELAXED
     ➥ +15 TO OUT OF COMBAT HP REGENERATION
     ➥ FULL ENERGY REGENERATION AFTER TWO POSTS OUT OF COMBAT
» SQUEAKY CLEAN
     ➥ REDUCE INCOMING DOT DAMAGE BY 25% FOR FIRST INCOMING DOT INFLICTED IN THREAD
» FILLING
     ➥ INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS OF A SINGLE CONSUMED FOOD ITEM IN A THREAD BY +1 T1 SLOT
» ITEM STASH
     ➥ +1 BATTLE-READY INVENTORY SLOT
» DELICIOUS
     ➥ COMBINE 3 IDENTICAL FOOD ITEMS INTO A FEAST ONCE PER THREAD
» SKYLIGHT EXTENDED MOD LIMIT
     ➥ EXTENDED MOD LIMIT EXPERTISE INCREASE BY 1
» ANGLER
     ➥ +1 MATERIAL GAINED WHILE FISHING
» MULTIPURPOSE
     ➥ GAIN +1 TO LD, STEALTH RATING, STEALTH DETECTION, OR PROSPERITY TO ONE POST IN A THREAD
     ➥ CAN BE APPLIED AFTER THE ROLL
» DECOR: <<SPOOKY AMENITY>>
     ➥ REDUCE INCOMING DOT DAMAGE BY 5% FOR FIRST INCOMING DOT INFLICTED IN THREAD

SKILLS

NON-COMBAT SKILLS
» EXTENDED MOD LIMIT R1 >>> R2 WITH SKYLIGHT BUFF
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ ALLOWS FOR THE USE ONE 1 >>> 2 ADDITIONAL MODS
» FISHING

COMBAT SKILLS
» PARRY
     ➥ POST ACTION
     ➥ REDUCE FINAL DAMAGE OF NEXT ATTACK AGAINST YOU BY 50% (ROUNDED DOWN) AND NEGATES STUN/PARALYSIS EFFECT OF THAT ATTACK
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 2 TURNS
» BATTLE HEALING R5
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ WHILE IN COMBAT, USER HEALS FOR 5% (62 HP) OF THEIR MAX HP EACH TURN

EXTRA SKILLS
» DISGUISE
     ➥ FREE ACTION
     ➥ +1 EVA UNTIL START OF YOUR NEXT TURN
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
» MEDITATION
     ➥ POST ACTION
     ➥ RECOVER AN ADDITIONAL 15 ENERGY - GETTING HIT BY AN ATTACK BEFORE YOUR NEXT TURN REDUCES ADDITIONAL ENERGY RECOVERY TO 9
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS

WEAPON SKILLS
» TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD R5
     ➥ +7 DMG WHEN TWO-HANDED WEAPON IS EQUIPPED

ARMOR SKILLS
» LIGHT ARMOR R5
     ➥ +25 MIT

MODS
» LIGHT ARMOR MOD: ATHLETICS
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +1 DMG WHEN WEARING LIGHT ARMOR
     ➥ +30 HP WHEN WEARING LIGHT ARMOR
» LIGHT ARMOR MOD: SPRINT & ACROBATICS
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +1 EVA WHEN WEARING LIGHT ARMOR
» PARRY MOD: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE
     ➥ POST ACTION: COMBINE WITH PARRY
     ➥ SUCCESSFUL PARRY STUNS OPPONENT
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
» WEAPON MOD: PRECISION
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +1 ACC
» WEAPON MOD: TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD FEROCITY
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +1 DMG WHEN USING 2HSS SWORD ARTS
» WEAPON MOD: TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD FINESSE R3
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ REDUCES THE EN COST OF TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD SWORD ARTS BY 3

EQUIPMENT

WEAPON
» [EQUIPPED] "DAWN'S DEMISE" - TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD (T3 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ FALLEN 2
          ➥ +12 TO BASE DAMAGE ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 6-8
     ➥ HOLY
          ➥ +6 TO BASE DAMAGE ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 9 OR HIGHER
     ➥ PHASE
          ➥ IGNORES 50% OF MIT ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 9 OR HIGHER

ARMOR
» [EQUIPPED] "BLOODSTAINED COAT" - LIGHT ARMOR (T3 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ +54 MIT
     ➥ +1 EVA
     ➥ HOLY BLESSING
          ➥ AFTER TAKING DAMAGE, USER HEALS 24 HP AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FOLLOWING TURN

TRINKET
» [EQUIPPED] "EAGLE'S EYE" - TRINKET (T1 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ +2 EVA
     ➥ +2 ACC

FAMILIAR
» [EQUIPPED] SWINE BAJESUS R3
     ➥ +9 DMG

Why did I choose here?

The occasional wail of a far off banshee pervaded house, interrupting his thoughts by seizing them by the throat and pinning them against the walls of his skull. 

I just had to be a cave dweller. "I'll isolate myself," I said. "It'll be fine. Nobody likes me anyways."

Another screech.

Couldn't have isolated yourself on, I don't know, Floor Thirteen? It would have been just as spooky. With no respawning shrieking ghoul, either.

Another scream, though this time a strange tapping accompanied it. Like a woodpecker unleashing three swift pecks against an oak. But there were no woodpeckers here - were there?

Great, Bahr thought. Now i'm going mad. Imagining woodpeckers. This is how it all ends.

Another wail. Then three knocks delivered a second time.

Oh, it's the door, he concluded. Despite knowing this, he couldn't will his body to move. It wasn't until the third succession of knocks that he finally managed to heave himself from the bed and put a shirt on.

He answered the door looking like an absolute mess. Disheveled hair, loose fitting T-shirt, red plaid boxers, and a single ill-fitting sock. Where was the other sock, you may ask? He hadn't a clue, so why should you?

"Oh, hey," he practically yawned as he rubbed his eyes, finally realizing who it was. "What's up?" He'd asked the question sleepily, with his eyes closed, leaning against the door frame. It was unlikely he'd even heard himself say it. "How are you holding up, carrying all the extra things?"

[Lessa 1]

A grin rode her lips while she waited, a cheerful greeting dancing on the tip of her tongue. But when the door opened, she was rendered speechless. Lessa was, for lack of a better word, completely gobsmacked.

"I, uh, oh." She'd practically covered all of the vowel sounds before she snapped her mouth shut. Tousled hair, baggy shirt, a single sock... boxers. Lessa had time to think of course his boxers are red, before she realized just where she was staring. Her eyes shot to his face faster than a bullet from an M134 Minigun.

She cycled through emotions just as quickly, too, from shock, to embarrassment, before finally settling somewhere between concern and amusement. Concerned amusement. Concusement.

"Carrying all the extra things?" she echoed. "Like... pants?" Because that was one thing she carried that he didn't, her blue jeans peaking out from the top of brown knee-high boots. If she didn't know any better, she'd conclude the man before her was drunk off his ass. Or high off his ass. Or just something off that really nice ass of his. 

She breezed past him and into the house. Then, as a cool hand pressed to his forehead, she asked, "Do you feel okay? Are you sick? Or are you-"

Lessa's entire body jolted as the banshee's wail filled Bahr's foyer. She jerked her hand away as if his head were a hot stove, then pressed it to her hammering heart instead. "Geeze," she managed after a second. "This is what you were talking about." Understanding came into her blue eyes as she turned them on him, and this time when she reached for him, she framed his face. "You must be exhausted."

[Bahr 0]

What was the expression she was wearing? Concern or amusement? Bahr couldn't tell. Some bizarre, unnameable mixture of the two. A concoction of emotions that he, in his half asleep state, would never understand. Her hands against his cheeks sure felt good, though. 

"Wait a second..."

Pants. Did she say pants?

It did feel pretty drafty in there.

Oh god.

Suddenly, he understood her expression.

"No, no. I- uhh... Hang on."

Chimes rang idly as the menu populated, and within seconds Bahr was wearing clothing. Christmas clothing. In May.

"Yeah, sorry. All good now," he declared, seemingly unaware that his apparel, despite being red, wasn't his typical apparel. Were it not for the lack of a froopy hat and beard, he'd be the spitting image of Saint Nick himself. "Anyways, yeah. It spawns once every few days. I swear I owe at least a few of my levels to the damned thing," he spat, lazily gesturing in a random direction. "I think I told you about it once, or something." He was mumbling at this point, and he knew it. 

"Wanna help me kill it?"

[Lessa 1]

The suit was a surprise. Is it a onesie? It looked soft, and a brush of her hand against his arm proved her suspicion correct. Nice.

As she searched his exhausted face, she decided to leave the matter of his attire alone. There were more important battles to be fought, including the one against the damned banshee. Besides, he looked pretty cute.

"You know," she began, brightening a bit, "that's actually the reason I'm here. I remembered you talking about the nuisance months ago, and then you mentioned you haven't been sleeping well. I put two and two together, and decided there was a banshee that needed killing."

The scuttle of tiny hooves on wood drew her attention to the floor, where Swine Bajesus stared up at her with beady little eyes. In much the way many react to a newborn baby, Lessa went mushy at the sight of the petite porker. She didn't even notice she was cooing as she scooped him up, and this time, plopped him on her own shoulder. Bahr was far too tired to tote around a familiar, right? Yeah, totally. That's how she'd rationalize holding onto the cuteness that was Swine Bajesus.

Hooking an arm through Bahr's she tugged him gently toward the door. "Let's slaughter something, then celebrate with a nap, okay?"

[Bahr 0]

When had they left the house? He couldn't remember. One moment, he was struggling to navigate his menu and get some pants on. The next, he was being tugged through the winding trails of the tenth floor by his arm by his blonde chauffeur. She appeared to have some form of hoofed demon residing on her shoulder, taunting him. But that couldn't be right, could it? Well, it could. This was Aincrad, after all. But then, why wasn't it attacking either of them? It only jeered with beady, familiar eyes. Bahr couldn't make any sense of it.

He vaguely remembered talk about slaughtering something. What on Earth could that mean?

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!

Oh, right. That.

"I think I remember the way," he mumbled, though he didn't. If he'd any sense at all, he would remember that the location of the jail changed sporadically with each Banshee spawn. There seemed to be a few recurring locations, but there would be no way of knowing which one they should be paying attention to, or if it may have spawned in a completely separate area altogether.

"Or... wait..." What part of the caves were they even in? Nothing looked familiar. "Where the hell are we?"
 

Spoiler

Searching for Banshee Lair.
ID: 145985
LD: 12
Failed to find Banshee Lair.

 

[Lessa 1]

When the banshee wailed again, Lessa squeezed Bahr's arm so tightly she nearly unseated Swine Bajesus. Riker, who had joined the pack once they'd exited Bahr's house, gave a sharp bark of surprise. Only the man in the jolly red suit remained unfazed. Perhaps he was used to it, having heard it all the time. Perhaps he was too focused on their path to notice. Or, most likely, perhaps he was just so drop-dead exhausted that he couldn't function properly.

Maybe we should wait until we've had some sleep to attempt this, Lessa thought to herself. Then, maybe we're already so lost that I can't get back to Bahron's Keep anyway. Just groovy.

"I have no idea where we are," she informed her zombie boyfriend. "I kind of hoped you'd know, since you've done this before." Realizing she toed the bitchy line, she added, "But that's fine. We'll keep looking. We'll find it."

Probably.

Hopefully.

Spoiler

Searching for Banshee Lair.
ID: 145994
LD: 2
Failed to find Banshee Lair.

[Bahr 0]

"I dunno. I'm pretty sure I've never seen any horses around here."

Wait. She'd asked about horses, right?

Of course she had. It was Alyssa, after all.

"But if you're so sure, I'll believe you. You'd be better at finding it than me."

And while she searched for horses, he'd keep an eye out for that damn Banshee's lair. It had been awhile since he last heard its screech, making it difficult to track down. Though, even if it did screech, it would be difficult to ascertain its location based on the sound alone. Noise simply bounced around too much within the cavernous terrain of the tenth floor.

Maybe he could help Lessa look for the horses in the meantime, then. Keep an eye out for both. Be versatile. That's the least he could do, if he wanted to be a good boyfriend.

"Wait a second. No, I'm positive I've never seen horses down here. This is basically hell. Horses don't go to hell."
 

Spoiler

Searching for Banshee Lair.
ID: 145999
LD: 5
Failed to find Banshee Lair.

 

[Lessa 1]

Two warring thoughts invaded Lessa's mind, crashing like opposing waves in a stormy sea.

The first was 'oh bless his heart. Of course all horses go to heaven. What a sweet thing to say, especially at a time like this, and when he doesn't even like horses.'

The second? 'We are so royally f*cked.'

He'd tackled the banshee before, right, and alone? That suggested their foe wasn't as ferocious as some others that skulked around Aincrad. Perhaps she could solo it, and babysit Bahr at the same time.

Or maybe he'd surprise her. He had a silly way of doing that, and combat seemed to flow through his veins with the same ease and freedom as his blood. It was entirely possible he'd be a capable, albeit slaphappy, fighting companion. Of course, they'd have to find the blasted place first.

Bathed in the light of the radioactive mushrooms, Lessa paused at a fork in the road. "Alright," she said on a heavy sigh. "Left or right. You choose."

Spoiler

Searching for Banshee Lair.
ID: 146017
LD: 12
Failed to find Banshee Lair.

 

[Bahr 0]

Oh. She was asking him to pick. His head slowly craned both directions, before he settled on one.

Right.

"Left."

Given his state of mind, there was no way his first instinct would have been correct. It was only logical to go with the opposite of whatever his gut was telling him. Take that, stupid sleepy brain. He'd defeated sleep deprivation through obstinate willpower.

Or, at least, he thought he had until the path they'd settled on led them directly to a dead end. "Oh," he grumbled. "Sleepy brain was right."

"Heheh, 'right.' That was my first guess."

Perhaps he should clarify.

"Yeah, let's head back and go the other way."

Now he didn't know what to believe. Trust his gut, or fight against it? He'd been rambling about horses a moment ago. Why had he done that? Because his gut had informed him that that was what Lessa was talking about.

Both his gut and his brain were stupid right now.

We are so royally f*cked.
 

Spoiler

Searching for Banshee Lair.
ID: 146018
LD: 7
Failed to find Banshee Lair.

 

[Lessa 1]

Wait. Right, or left? Which way was it that he wanted? The nonsense that flowed past his lips was as bubbly as water over rapids, and were it not for their situation, she might have found the goofy laugh kind of cute.

Okay, yeah, even given their situation, she found it kind of cute. So sue me.

But she eased Swine Bajesus off her shoulder, and gently rest the pig on Riker's back. She was rewarded with excited noises from each, demonstrating they had no qualms with the arrangement. Both arms now free of familiars, Lessa drew her arm from Bahr's and slipped it around his torso. The nearness made her feel like she had more control over him, and in the moment, that was of the utmost importance.

"So," she began conversationally as they made what was likely another wrong turn. "Is this how you act when you're drunk, too?"

Spoiler

Searching for Banshee Lair.
ID: 146024 
LD: 10
Failed to find Banshee Lair.

 

[Bahr 0]

"I plead the fifth," Bahr responded dramatically, flailing his free hand flippantly through the air as the one closer to his love snaked around her waist. "Just be patient," he instructed. "You'll know one day, once we're out of here."

As they doubled back and chose the path in the fork they'd neglected before, they found themselves face to face with yet another dead end. Nothing more than a stone wall. Laughter bubbled up from Bahr's chest and out of his mouth, echoing through the cave. Almost as though in response, the Banshee screeched. Bahr only laughed louder.

"Yeahuh, uh," he stuttered. "Yeah. Not this way. We'll have to go back the way we came."

Without waiting for a response, Bahr turned on his heel and began walking back the other way. It was around this time that he realized that something was amiss.

"Wait a second. What happened to the little demon that was sitting on your shoulder?"
 

Spoiler

Searching for Banshee Lair.
ID: 146025
LD: 2
Failed to find Banshee Lair.

 

[Lessa 1]

"Demon?" Lessa pursed her lips disapprovingly, then bent down toward where Swine Bajesus rode atop his noble steed. "He didn't mean it, cutie pie," she assured the familiar. When she straightened, she drilled a finger into Bahr's side. "Be nice. He's a little angel, and sleep deprived or not, you'll be nice to him."

When Lessa glanced up again, the hulking form of a rundown building loomed above them. She sucked in a startled breath, then blinked owlishly at the construct. "Huh, well," she muttered. Then she shrugged. "I don't know how, but we're here. I guess."

Still attached to her companion, Lessa eased toward the first entrance they came to. She fully anticipated the resistance of a catching lock, but instead, the door swung open with an oddly inviting creak. "Okay," she breathed, "time to get serious."

Gently, she propped Bahr up against the doorframe, then eased away from him. With the twinkle of bells and a swirling barrage of color, she equipped her battle gear. Her exhausted boyfriend could get away with his christmas suit, but one of them had to be the adult here.

Spoiler

Searching for Banshee Lair.
ID: 146040
LD: 18
Finally found the mothertrucker.

 

[Bahr 0]

"Time to get serious."

Wait a second. Are we there?

Bahr's eyes shifted idly about, just in time to catch Lessa changing into her combat gear. "Must be," he concluded aloud before summoning Dawn's Demise. In a ribbon of light, it appeared in his palm, where it sat just as comfortably as ever. "This is my favorite part."

He turned the corner and stepped inside, watching for signs of movement in his peripheries. The mobs here liked to lurk right at the edge of your vision, taunting you by appearing, disappearing, then reappearing again. He'd done the song and dance countless times before. He wasn't interested in playing the game.

"There it is," he mused as he dashed forth, cloaking Dawn's Demise in its signature crimson glow. Accompanying the turbulent energy were additional forces, light and darkness alike, opposing forces vying for control over the man who commanded them. They'd not have the time to assert their influence.

In an explosion equal parts crimson, obsidian, and gold, three mobs fell - Banshee included. Unfortunately, he'd neglected to take the final two mobs down with them. "Aw [censored]," he muttered, locked in place from the post-Sword Art recovery frames. "Missed 'em."

Spoiler

Encounter: Banshee
HP: 250
DMG: 200
EVA: 2
Full Phase: Banshee ignores armor mitigation on natural rolls of 9 or 10.
Banshee's Screech: On a natural roll of 10 she will add a scream to her attack that will paralyze all players present for 1 turn.

Encounter: Undead Guardian Zombie 1
HP: 40
DMG: 120
MIT: 15

Encounter: Undead Guardian Zombie 2
HP: 40
DMG: 120
MIT: 15

Encounter: Undead Guardian Zombie 3
HP: 40
DMG: 120
MIT: 15

Encounter: Undead Guardian Zombie 4
HP: 40
DMG: 120
MIT: 15

Spoiler

[ H: 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 ] Bahr: HP: 1230/1230 | EN: 120-14=106/120 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HOLY: 6 | PHASE | HB: 24 | BH: 62
[ H: 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 ] Lessa: HP: 990/990 | EN: 96/96 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 89 | ACC: 4 | THNS: 36 | BLD: 24 | HM: 2

Bahr used [x12 AoE] Calamity Disaster, -9 EN

Banshee: HP: 250-372=0/250 | DMG: 200 | EVA: 2 | FULL PHASE | ID: 146043 | BD: 7 | FALLEN ACTIVATED | 31x12=372 DMG | Banshee defeated
Undead Guardian Zombie 1: HP: 40/40 | DMG: 120 | MIT: 15 | ID: 146044 | BD: 2, Miss | MD: x
Undead Guardian Zombie 2: HP: 40-304=0/40 | DMG: 120 | MIT: 15 | ID: 146045 | BD: 9 | HOLY ACTIVATED | PHASE ACTIVATED | 26x12=312-8=304 DMG | Undead Guardian Zombie 2 defeated
Undead Guardian Zombie 3: HP: 40-357=0/40 | DMG: 120 | MIT: 15 | ID: 146046 | BD: 8 | FALLEN ACTIVATED | 31x12=372-15=357 DMG | Undead Guardian Zombie 3 defeated
Undead Guardian Zombie 4: HP: 40/40 | DMG: 120 | MIT: 15 | ID: x | BD: x | MD: x
-14 ENERGY ("WELL RESTED" HOUSE BUFF REDUCES EN COST BY 1)

 

[Lessa 1]

Yup, she thought wearily as Bahr excitedly ripped holes in the newly-appeared enemies. The boy loves combat. How could she have possibly doubted his ability? In fact, he wiped out three of their five foes, and still had energy left to complain about the misses. 

"Stand back," she commanded. Riker, with the tiny pig still perched on his back, dutifully scooted until his massive tail met the opposite wall.

Much to her surprise, even Bahr was willing to cooperate. Despite the fighting prowess he'd just demonstrated, his words were a tad slurred as he shot back a quick "yes ma'am," and executed an exceptionally dramatic salute. He trotted backwards, and might have made it to Riker's side, were it not for the collection of wooden pails scattered directly behind him. 

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on perspective), she missed the spectacle that was Bahr falling. Granted, she'd seen it before, and recognized the pained sounds that he made. With impressive speed and practiced precision, Lessa let Sickle devour the remaining two zombie guardians. As they rained down in data-form, she whipped back around to face Bahr. "You okay?"

Spoiler

[ H: 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 ] Bahr: HP: 1230/1230 | EN: 106/120 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HOLY: 6 | PHASE | HB: 24 | BH: 62
[ H: 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 ] Lessa: HP: 990/990 | EN: 81/96 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 89 | ACC: 4 | THNS: 36 | BLD: 24 | HM: 2

Lessa used [x12 AoE] Calamity Disaster, -15 EN

Banshee: HP: 0/250 
Undead Guardian Zombie 1: HP: 40-201=0/40 | DMG: 120 | MIT: 15 | ID: 146047 | BD: 10 16+2=18*12=216-15=201
Undead Guardian Zombie 2: HP: 0/40 
Undead Guardian Zombie 3: HP: 0/40
Undead Guardian Zombie 4: HP: 40-189=0/40 | DMG: 120 | MIT: 15 | ID: 146048 | BD: 9 16+1=17*12=204-15=189

 

[Bahr 0]

One might struggle to see it from behold the pile of wooden pails and twisted legs, but Bahr did in fact answer Lessa's inquiry in the positive in the form of a thumbs up at the end of an extended hand. Moments later, he stirred, groaning in protest as his legs slowly pushed the floor away from his torso. It was better to be standing. Much longer in that position and he'd have been a goner. Out like a light for at least the next ten hours.

He stretched, then slouched, then clicked his tongue. It was more a force of habit than anything, but the click immediately spurred Swine Bajesus into action, who somehow scaled its owner from the leg, all the way up the torso, and onto his shoulder. 

"You hear that?" Bahr mused as he cupped a hand around his ear. "Exactly." His hand fell. "Nothing. You hear nothing. The evil has been defeated."

[Lessa 1]

He's fine, Lessa thought, a relieved smile blossoming as Bahr's thumbs-up poked out from the rubble. Of course he was - if tripping over debris started killing people faster than floor bosses, they were all doomed. But she still felt better when the man had climbed to his feet, stretched magnificently, then called for his familiar. Perhaps the scuffle had woken Bahr up a bit, as he seemed to recognize the "little demon." Or, at least, he was willing to tolerate him.

With a small laugh, the woman slung her heavy sword across her back, then drifted over to the pair. Standing on tiptoes, she first planted a kiss on Bajesus' head, then Bahr's cheek. "You did good," she informed them both, before rolling back on her heels and hooking her thumbs in her myriad of criss-crossed belts. "So what now, fearless leader? Do you think you can find your way home for a nap?"

[Bahr 0]

"Yes, I can-" He stopped, looked around, then shook his head. "Ah, no. I actually have no idea where we are. And I feel hung over. Somehow." Maybe he'd hit his head too hard.

But he beamed at his companion, anyways. "Guess we're in for a little more adventuring." His expression contorted slightly, into one of tired mischief. "And I'll have you know, we're up to no good. Who knows what trouble we'll end up in on the way home?" He leaned in a bit closer. "We might get lost out here forever. What a shame that'd be, huh?"

And without another word, he wrapped his arm around her waist, same as it had been when they arrived, and began to leave her out of the lair. "If you don't want us to drift together for all eternity, you better lead the way back. I'd never be able to get back home from here all on my own. I was practically asleep through half the trek here, after all."

Teasing aside, he was half serious. Nothing looked outright familiar. 

"I'm counting on you, Ace."

[Lessa 1]

Humming with pleasure at the use of her nickname, Lessa gave Bahr's midsection a quick squeeze. "Getting stuck here forever wouldn't be so bad," she mused, mock thoughtfulness in her tone. "I mean, the company isn't terrible, and we're right here when the banshee respawns." She slanted him an upward glance, smirking a bit, before adding, "We could do the whole floor a favor by constantly ridding the place of the menace. We'd be heroes." 

As they emerged into the cavern once more, leaving behind the stink of decay of the jail, Lessa drew in a long breath. Despite the outrageous circumstances, the couple hours they'd spent together had been... nice. Normal, even, though that was a ridiculous notion. Was fighting a banshee and her zombie friends with a wolf, a teeny swine, and a goofy swordsman was her new definition of 'the norm?'

What a strange world, Lessa marveled, enjoying the feel of Bahr's fuzzy PJs on her cheek when she leaned into him. "We'll find our way home, one way or another."

[Bahr 0]

What was that he heard in her voice? Contentment. Rare in this place, and in these times. Had she actually enjoyed babysitting Bahr in literal Hell while assaulted by all manner of strange ghouls and odors? As odd as it was, it actually wasn't. Odd, that is. In comparison to their usual outings, this was light. It was nice to be engaged in an activity that wasn't life or death, or dealing with deep philosophical or moral quandaries. It was... normal. 

Or as normal as things could possible be in Aincrad. 

He pulled her closer as they sauntered aimlessly through the tenth floor's many corridors. He honestly wasn't such which direction home was - but he was confident that they'd see something familiar so long as they walked long enough. And he didn't mind taking a slightly longer stroll than usual. So long as she was with him, they were safe, and it would be enjoyable.

THREAD COMPLETE

THREAD NET GAINS
Bahr:
2 SP
Bottled Banshee Scream

Lessa:
4 SP
400 col
Bottled Banshee Scream