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’…almost there!’ The voice seemed to echo backwards from the elderly man, most of the words lost to the wind that whipped and snapped around them, the sand still buffeting their forms as they pressed onwards. Aoi could see the casual glance backwards that the man made, as if checking to see if she was still there. Aoi gave a long, exaggerated nod in response, unwilling to attempt to raise her voice over the storm in response. It seemed to be enough, and once more he returned to his shambling walk that took them across the desert sands and towards their still unknown to her destination. I

Nothing bothered them for the next few hours as they continued along the path that the elderly man had been taking. Aoi found herself lost in thought once more, considering the various events she’d experienced while within the world of Aincrad. She couldn’t say that all of the events had been positive, but as she stared at the form of the elderly man she followed alongside, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about which she would change, which she would never experience if she could choose to avoid them. Futile, but what’s the point? If I didn’t experience them, would I be the person

Is this what awaits all of us if we live long enough? Aoi didn’t like considering the possibility, and forced her eyes away and into the distance, looking for anything that could distract her from the reality of her situation. Sands whipped around her, dancing and playing on the air as though trying to escape their own destiny. Trapped upon a simple breeze, brought along without a choice. Is that all life is? She didn’t want to think or consider the possibilities, and found herself glancing about the blinding sand in an attempt to distract herself. A shift of movement caught her attention

Consider your elders. She’d rolled her eyes – internally of course – at the thought, knowing that it was inappropriate to talk down about the elderly in such a way. Not that Aoi cared in the moment, the sand biting into her causing any desire to be traditionally courteous disappearing with the discomfort she was feeling. Still, she’d chosen to heed the words even if just slightly. There was no need to become overtly rude and repugnant towards a man who just wanted some minor assistance from her. Sighing, allowing a breath of dirt into her mouth that made her wince and cough reactively, Ao

Whether or not it could be considered a foolish choice, Aoi didn’t care to consider. She’d taken the quest, and she knew that if she retreated now it would simply be sacrificed and a waste of time. Time that she would have to place back into the quest later on, once she was at a point where she would need whatever rewards it provided. Determined, and a small measure of stubborn, she choice to continue on the path she’d already taken. I’m already here, I might as well. Otherwise this was all just a waste of time. She avoided thinking about any consequences, figuring she’d deal with those once t

I hope he’s not lost and we’re not simply wandering through the desert in the middle of a storm until we both die. She didn’t like the thought, and found herself pushing it aside before it could truly take root in her mind. She doubted that the NPC was lost – it was uncommon for them, especially on escort missions, not to have a pre-determined path that they unknowingly took. Although Aincrad had shown itself to be different and unique in some ways, Aoi knew it was still a game. It still followed the same general rules and expectations of any game, though it carried a number of exciting – and

’Oh my, what’s that?’ The figure seemed to stare off into the distance, visible only through the fact that Aoi could see the direction he was generally facing in the form of his body. His entire face had been covered by some sort of scarf, protecting him from the dust and environment around him. Her eyes shifted in the direction he’d been staring at, and she felt a measure of sudden fear rise in her at the sight of the approaching storm. ’That’s rather unfortunate, but I think we can make it still!’ The storm had reached them almost an hour later, buffeting the pair in harsh winds with a

Aoi sighed, something in her mind giving way to the acceptance that she knew she was going to take regardless. Even if the man somehow is infectious, there’s enough potions and healing balms in this world to save me from whatever it is he might have. Her decision made, albeit reluctantly, she affirmed the man’s request. They’d left the bazaar behind shortly after Aoi had consented to the escort request, the mission notification appearing as she’d nodded. Once everything had aligned, she’d followed the elderly man at a snail’s pace from the bazaar to the main gates, passing through after

’I understand your request, though I have the odd feeling that there is more to your story, old man.’ The question was spoke as a statement, and for a few seconds Aoi wondered if the NPC would pick up on the subtle fact that she was simply trying to get a better picture of what was happening before she decided what to do. ’Of course, of course. I wouldn’t simply provide you with my entire fortune and wealth, now would I? The items within the chest are of a personal nature. Invaluable to me, but certainly not something that would…well, you’ll just have to come and see, won’t you?’ The fin

’I am terribly sorry to bother you…but I was hoping to illicit your assistance with a task.’ Another fit of coughing, and Aoi found herself looking for any reason to depart from the location immediately. She spotted a nearby NPC staring at them, a look of concern on its face as it seemed to take in the old man – or was it a look of judgement about Aoi’s own reaction? She couldn’t quite say, but the pause she made because of it seemed to cause the old man to believe she was still listening to his story of woe. ’I have a…treasure chest, of sorts. I buried it deep within the desert, at the base o

Leaving behind the vendor, Aoi continued wandering through the market, trying to find anything that even slightly resembled the threads she needed. Though, with every passed storefront she became more and more certain that her prized piece would remain beyond her reach, and that she would have to accept using subpar materials for the time being. She was certain that the client would understand – they’d been more than compliant with her other adjustments that were required due to materials simply not being available, but Aoi hated the idea of failing in this one regard. ’Excuse me, I’m so

The Traveler The bazaar was quite. The early hours of the morning seemed to have that effect on a number of places, and Aoi had learnt to attend the various shopping areas she needed before any of the other players – or even major NPCs – awoke with the morning’s passing. It had meant Aoi lost the ability to sleep in, but compared to the busy streets and loud noises of each shopping, and in turn seller, trying to find what they were looking for, Aoi felt that it was a necessary sacrifice. This morning had been one where she’d headed to the fifth floor with the intent of finding some

He arrived early, a bit stir-crazy and eager to talk about the boss sighting. Not far from him, the Nemean Lion prowled. He sent his coordinates to Jomei, Acanthus, and Arabelle--the three who responded positively to his unanticipated message--and waited for them to follow up. With so much on his mind, sitting still was tricky for Star, and so he engaged the lion on his own. Among the lioness' that littered the plains, a single male counterpart roamed. It was a giant in comparison to the rest--muscular, scarred, broad-shouldered. Its sun-bleached mane dragged in the wind like tall gr

Jomei receives: Rune of Cain | [No ID] | Deals 50 Thorns DMG to anything that deals a critical hit against the user. Lasts for one thread. Ignores passive abilities that would otherwise negate this effect.

Jomei the emerald duelist Tired, bloodshot eyes must have stared at the message for over an hour at this point. The Floor Boss had been found, though not where expected. This time, there was no room to keep the guardian of the next floor at bay. Instead, it wandered off of the coast of the floor, waiting to be found. Waiting to be challenged. What was more peculiar was the message they had received, or, more so, who it was from. Hackman, a name that was completely unfamiliar to Jomei, apparently located the boss without much

A bed… Something so simple, and yet - it was something the woman had been denied not for days, but for years even before prison - she had denied herself such a comfort. She had denied herself soft pillows and a heavy blanket - a warm nights sleep. When was the last time she had one of those? Mari couldn’t remember. Even lying there awake - as the morning rays burned her eyes beneath closed eyelids, Mari had to wonder if this was real. She stretched and felt the blanket shift with her. Linen. She smelt clean linen. Mari almost didn’t want to open her eyes, she didn’t want this mo

arabelle took one glance at the message and sent it straight to her spam folder. the next morning, morningstar invites her to hunt and talk, a prospect she would have found infinitely attractive were she not sleep-deprived and in the middle of reassembling dozens of her wounded pets. still, arabelle considers it over a cup of coffee, her chair turned toward the artificial sun, and sends back a prompt response. ARABELLE: Ok! she returns to the infirmary and supervises a trio of skeletons in medic jackets reattaching another's leg. the patient stands, wobbly at firs

PH ---- Crafting: ID#: 246646 | CD: 10 | LD: 7 Results: T1 Uncommon Snack

PH ---- Crafting: ID#: 246645 | CD: 3 | LD: 15 Failure

PH ---- Crafting: ID#: 246644 | CD: 7 | LD: 16 Salvage

PH ---- ID#: 246643 | LD: 14+4=18 Success! Materials Gathered: 5/5 Complete!

PH ---- ID#: 246642 | LD: 14+4=18 Success! Materials Gathered: 4/5

PH ---- ID#: 246641 | LD: 11+4=15 Success! Materials Gathered: 3/5

PH ---- ID#: 246640 | LD: 11+4=15 Success! Materials Gathered: 2/5 Note: Forgot to label the post for gathering.

PH ---- ID#: 246639 | LD: 9+4= 13 Fail Materials Gathered: 1/5