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“What?” She was confused. Hadn’t it only been a day? “Of course I’m alive I-” Her eyes widened, oh. She forgot to message him back. He must have come looking. “Oh…oh Freyd…I’m sorry I didn’t message you back yesterday!” She began, to explain. “I got so distracted.” She carefully pushed herself to her feet, albeit she was a little wobbly. It was clear he was still concerned for her. Mari offered him a sheepish grin. Reaching out to run a reassuring hand up and down his upper arm. “Really, I’m okay.” She paused. “I mean…This floor is messing with my head a little - but - it does that

It took him exhaling to even realizing he'd been holding his breath, shoulders bleeding away tension at what he might have had to do. By the time Mari's hand touched the blade and pushed it away, he was already satisfied. Not entirely foolproof as a test, but the best he could improvise on the fly - as was too often the case. Relief was palpable in his voice. "Mari. Thank goodness." Sword returned to its sheath with a suitable snikt, he helped her find her footing, with a steadying hand on her hip. "I'm sorry. I had to know it was you. I'm just glad you're alive!" Leaning left and

"Hadn't found the time," he said. "But yeah--what Wulfrin said. A not-so-fun little tidbit. We've confirmed that shamblers are people, but we can't say for certain that the others are." He wanted to add that he was working on it, but truthfully, he thought it was a bust. His makeshift laboratory was in ruins, his captive shambler had been rewritten into a knight, and he was so, so tired. Quick. 3 seconds before attack. Close eyes. Quick. Barely more than a blink and it was his go. He darted for the Spectral Knight, collapsing on it alongside his team, and sliced through it preci

She was surprised by her own answer, the words sounding closer to the truth than Aoi had originally intended. She’d left out the portion of her answer that declared the desperate need for someone, something that she could feel close to – and yet she had a feeling that the gypsy woman was able to see that thought within her features. Seconds passed as silence reigned, before the gypsy woman suddenly leaned to the side and produced a small pouch. She held it out for Aoi to take, speaking as she did so. ’I have this bag of treats, which has proven to be useful in calling and taming the various cr

The woman waved towards a seat across from her, and Aoi moved towards it with the same tension in her body that had appeared the moment her presence had been pointed out. She was poised, as much to run as she was to fight, should the moment of its necessity arrive. Whether the woman before her noticed it or not, Aoi couldn’t tell, but the gypsy woman continued speaking and acting as though everything was normal and fine. ’I can help you. With finding a companion, that is. But first…you must convince me that you deserve one. Why is it that you need a companion? What is their purpose in your lif

Mari blinked. That voice. She recognized that voice. Mari went to address him but paused, distracted by a strange giggle- “w-What the?” Mari went to glance under the table but the sudden shift of blade closer to her heart made Mari still. Her eyes shifted back up to the man she thought was Freyd. “- That should answer your question, Mari-I'm-Mari." It was Freyd. Relief flooded her system. “Freyd…” She breathed, but…then why was he looking at her like that. Steeled eyes staring accusatorial down at her. “W-what did I…” There was a pang of pain in her chest. She thought they were frien

Half the day had passed before Aoi had located the gypsy woman’s encampment. A single trailer, sitting beside a low-burning fire and a collection of seats, became visible as she approached the area with a caution that was born of having traversed the fields of the floor many times over. Aoi had long since learnt not to trust anything out of the norm, and this area was of no exception – newly arriving creatures, obstacles or other items within the game could more oft than not be a danger to the player coming upon them, even if they were expected to magically appear where nothing had been times

It was nice…having finally been able to talk to Baldur and Macradon again…even running into Freyd on the 29th floor - and realizing that you can get drunk. Very drunk in Aincrad. God…where was that ability years ago? Ever since Mari’s return - things had been going…smoothly. Almost too smoothly, Mari kept expecting something to go awry. Someone to decry her - attack her. Or for her to slip up into old habits and push everyone away. But thus far…nothing of the sort had happened. Mari felt calm. Albeit a little lonely..but calm - and satisfied with where she was currently. That kind of serenity.

"Good question. Still working that one out, but then aren't we all?" Something skittered beneath the table, offering a high pitched giggle you might have expected from a cocaine addict after his fix, but also disturbingly child like. Something slurped, then thumped with hollow popping sound, like the bounce of a rubber ball inside a sealed container. Her sentinel paid it no mind. Her voice sounded sluggish, similar to how she'd been before they reached his home. Had she been on some sort of drinking binge since? A distinct possibility, but here were no signs. "You had a drink t

Feeding Your Enemy Familiars. They had become the newest discovery and requirement for any and all players. Aoi had heard talk of their existence within the communication and information lines she maintained, their presence within the game nothing short of a necessity for any player looking to expand upon their own growth and development. Anyone who desired faster skill development, or easier grinding, or even just a less lonely time in Aincrad had taken to finding and accepting the companionship of a familiar within their homes and parties. Aoi hadn’t put off finding one, but rather been

He looked upon his enemy and the quest objective made sense. 1/5 Spectral Knights defeated. “So this is what it’s referring to,” he mumbled, wiping his face clean with a beat up sleeve. The knight dashed quickly and their weapons clashed. It was powerful. The health bars that formed above its head were comparable to a field boss’ and every swing it made hit like a train. Morningstar was fast, and could block them with little trouble, but even still, they hurt. He dropped low beneath a wide arc, choosing to dodge rather than take the brunt of the attack. He kited backwards, towar

It would have taken precognition to react to an attack so quick. Morningstar lurched, eyes drawn to the slab of metal poking through his chest. A sword? Here? Shamblers didn’t use weapons. So who…? It disappeared, and the pressure in his back lessened. He dropped to his knees. Bee screamed out. An axe materialized in her grip, but through a succession of harsh coughs, Morningstar dissuaded her from fighting. “Teleporter--” he managed before he was shoved face-first into the mud. Shit. Bee. Crystal. Quick. He shifted his head left, and through the muddy mess on his face, he scrol

Mari groaned, her head hurt. Her joints hurt. Her arm especially hurt. Fucking doctor…where was she? It took a moment for her eyes to focus - wherever she was, it was much darker than the practically blinding room she had been in. There was that familiar buzz hitting the back of her head. Ah She was on the 10th floor again. Why? A familiar scent hit her nose - the fresh smell of sulfur. It smelt like that very chemical that the doctor had doused her with. Why was it so strong now? Did he douse her again so she’d be safe? Odd. Mari still couldn’t get a read on him. He had taken her

A tendril hooked itself around Bee’s leg, pulling it out from under her and slamming her to the ground. A muffled gasp escaped her winded lungs as she splashed in the mud. Morningstar reacted quickly, cutting through the shambler’s appendage with no hesitation. He had no time for remorse. Bee’s life was on the line. He lifted her up, wiping splatters of mud off her scratched face and pushing her on ahead. “We’re almost there. Eyes on the teleporter.” She was compelled to listen. Her eyes locked on to the archway up ahead, tracing the line of players desperate to get off the floor and

Three. Two. One. Bee shoved open the front door. Ilridge had become a hellscape. Mobs flooded the street; shamblers, deep ones, mi-go and the like, all fighting for their claim over the lands. Players stretched out along every street and alley, pushing back against the hordes. It was day one all over again. They pushed past players, through mobs. Morningstar shielded Bee the whole way, keeping her in eyesight at all times, never letting her stray too far. “Keep moving!” he shouted, his sword ripping through a deep one. Creatures clawed at them, kept at bay by his full rotation of swo

"You don't smell that bad. But you could definitely use one. We both could." Mari glanced around, a small frown came upon her lips. "Raidou said he messaged Baldur too..." Her words were filled with concern. They were on his estate after all. If he was away from here...was he pushing himself somewhere? Fighting? Baldur...was someone Mari had really, truly wanted to message. She wanted him of all people to know what was happening, he was a fellow Pillar in Jacobs ladder - and Mari knew all too well the crushing pain one felt when a group - a guild - forms and then you're left as the lone

Sam is on stage now, in the position that Candi put her in. She could feel something drip down the side of her face, is this was stage fright felt like. She knows the song, hell she wrote the lyrics and music notes down for bass. This was the worst time to be in shock. "Holy hell," saying as her chest was pounding, the lights blared in her eyes, yet there was nothing out there. "Uh, re-due please, I know the content I swear." Same gets down on her knees for a moment and starts digging through her inventory. A folder was taken out, she starts to dig through the sheets. Hearing the music go off

"Ok first... Breathe, your getting ahead of yourself." All the squirming and the babbling, the fidgeting gave her away. Candi takes the bass, and props it against her right leg. Firmly she grabs both of Sam's shoulders, turning her around toward the wall opposing where she was standing. "You couldn't be any more obvious. Let it out." Giving the girl the opportunity to vent all that pent up excitement before she blew some fuse. After the feral yell echoes through the room, not directly into her well kept makeup CC would flip her back around. "Better?" grabbing the instruments head and slinging

Thread Closing: @Simmone rceived 1 Guild Token as treasurer of Firm Anima (3 members) 3 non-combat support actions for F1-F29 ] Fatal Error - Act 1 Freyd receives: 19,886 EXP (Word Count [5524/5*18]) 2,982 col (0 page [0] + 15% P5 Reward [2982]) 1 Guild Token 1 Mon Elora receives: 5,524 EXP (Word Count [5524/5*5]) 828 col (0 page [0] + 15% P5 Reward [828]) 1 Guild Token 1 Mon Katoka receives: 7,733 EXP (Word Count [5524/5*7]) 1,160 col (0 page [0] + 15% P5 Reward [1160]) 1 Guild Token 1 Mon

A smile as Sam had beat her down the cavern, the woman sliding down the tube like a ramp and vaulting up to the flat of her feet as her heel would catch on a protrusion. The two heavy slaps cause water to splash, and she'd hold the lantern up and stare at the fair old gemstone jammed into the divot on the wall. It glowed in a opalescent sheen, much like a pearl in its white opacity. "Yep, That's it all right..." As Sam would start to ask another question about the walls, Nisahime's finger fires up ready to pump out the 'um-actually' but is cut off as Freyd immediately answered it. The girl's f

Once again lobbed into a mixed media janga tower of cuteness, the furry, slimy, and rocky familiars slowly got back onto their paws, tentacles, and pebbles - respectively. A series of disgruntled noises morphed into pleased acknowledgements of the enemy's defeat. Pale blue fog oozed from beneath the former chimney's bricks as they swore to have heard the faintest, "NOOOOoOoOoooo..." caress their digital eardrums, auditory canals, whatever -- All that mattered was that the stupid knight was squished and that they were still perfectly voluptuous. Magically, the storm clouds offered their co

The sound of his katana striking one of the glass knights mirrored the sound of the message chime. Through the driving rain and the dim light, he had to keep his focused on the barely visible monster. How many of these things were there? Regardless, they couldn't let them escape the 29th floor, and they seemed hell bent on it... After the creature was destroyed, the soaking wet gaijin brushed some rain water off of his wet clavicles and shook some water from his long, flowing dark hair that was now plastered to his wet, blue haori, clinging to him shivering form. Then he saw the message n

The finished product sat before her, the words emblazoned into the tablet as soon as she’d figured out the meaning behind the ciphering. Her eyes passed over it numerous times, taking in the translation as she tried to comprehend what she was reading. Some portions of it were logical, and Aoi was quick to pick up on the fact that she would be facing numerous dangers going forward – a fact that suddenly made Cervais’s illusive hint about the longevity and continuation of the quest more reasonable to her mind almost instantly – but she found herself entirely lost with some of the references.

Four days. Four long days without a word, a note, a sarcastic comment or even explosive misadventure gone wild. Just... silence. Tracking Mari herself using any form of direct approach was impossible. She'd been on the run from too many people for far too long to make it that easy, which was mildly amusing considering how much of a walking calamity the woman could be. Gear worn or equipped by players was often extended the same protection, for obvious reasons. But the Whisper had other means at his disposal. Sitting in his workshop on the grounds of Witherwind's Rest, Freyd gazed be

Determination and brutal force had given her the advantage she’d needed. Where her advancement had been slow to start – a true struggle to understand the concepts of the puzzle, and what needed to be done to translate it into something understandable – her continued workflow had taken a massive turn as she saw patterns once invisible to her eye appear before her. It was as if something opened in her mind, and suddenly she was able to not only notice, but also relate the patterns to one another and find the connections between ciphering and translation, providing herself with an understanding o