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’Which one?’ Onora glanced up, looking across the field in the general direction that Nemo had been eyeing. It took her a few seconds, eyes casually scanning the area, before she seemed to spot whatever it was Nemo had seen. ’Ah, yeah…that one with the slightly shifting pattern? I do like the look of it.’ Nemo seemed to beam at the thought of someone else being eccentric about the creatures he kept, the sudden commentary launching him into an explanation of the thing’s arrival, conception or whatever else had brought it into existence. Nari listened for only a few moments, before tuning t

A measure of silence fell over the trio as they relaxed, Nemo content to mention small commentary once in a while as they simply sat; Nari’s line the one minor movement and sound against the pulling needle in Onora’s hand, and the winds that swept across the plains. Nari was careful to keep an eye on the roaming creatures that made up the population of the garden – wolves covered in moss, alien like creations that roamed oddly against the realistic world’s grasses, and small drakes that floated above the stalks of plants. None came close enough to be a concern, though Nari was sure that wouldn

The image distorts as one of the frontliners cries out. A sword has burst through her chest. Her hands scrabble at the wound, clutching at the sword in a terrified and futile attempt to push it back out. The image shudders again as botan tears out of the her chest through her left side. She collapses with tears in his eyes. User Acanthus's marker pulses orange against the backdrop of red fractals, the only sign that the frontliner had ever existed. <<Counselor, we may have a problem. Simulation or not, we are in dangerous territory when the simulation pulls additional Users in.>

THE DATA MAY APPEAR NORMAL, BUT IT IS PRECIOUS ALL THE SAME. THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THIS SESSION'S DATA AS WELL. <<I see.>> Map data, invisible to the naked eye, spied four entities approaching User Acanthus's position. <<Users.>> The program confirmed. <<Perhaps they are here for User Acanthus?>> THERE IS NO PERHAPS. THAT IS THEIR PURPOSE. FRONTLINERS, TASKED WITH BRINGING HER BACK. OR BRINGING HER DOWN. <<That is interesting. Have we encountered these four before?>> WE HAVE NOT. NOT EVERY USER OF THE FRONTLINE

The User's fight played out silently before the two observers. Sparks danced around the two combatants as they wove a dance around the lake, leaving streaks of light burned into the image. <<It is beautiful.>>> The voice remained silent. The program had made an utterly inane statement that did not require a response. It was best to leave alone and avoid encouraging the thing. <<I mean to say the fight is stimulating to watch. Both Taneuma and User Acanthus are fierce and unafraid, which makes the fighting taut and consistent. The horse's lightning attacks pr

IMMACULATE. BUT CHECK HER ATTRIBUTES. WE MUST BE AWARE IF SHE ATTEMPTED ANY... STRANGENESS. <<You are referring to the "cheating" from the previous simulation?>> "CHEATING" IMPLIES THERE ARE ARTIFICIAL BOUNDARIES CONSTRUCTED AS "RULES." IT IS AN INACCURATE WORD. USER ACANTHUS'S ALTERATIONS ARE OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF CARDINAL'S USUAL BOUNDARIES. BUT CALLING CARDINAL'S ENVIRONMENTAL BOUNDS A "RULEBOOK" WOULD BE SIMILAR TO A USER CONSIDERING THE PHYSICS OF THE WORLD BEYOND AINCRAD AS A "RULEBOOK." IT IS A REDUCTIONIST VIEW. <<I understand.>> The program lied.

User Acanthus arrives at the edge of an abyss. In the dismal landscape, the lake appears closer to a bottomless pit than a placid lake. In a flash, clouds blanket the sky, and lightning strikes the center of the lake. The User's face remains stiff and unimpressed by the grandeur, and she equips her sword and shield without hesitation. <<Counselor, when you say "in more ways than one,” what does that mean?>> YOUR QUESTIONS ARE NO LONGER TOLERATED. WE HAVE REACHED THE DATA THAT IS BEST REVIEWED FRESH. YOU MAY ASK QUESTIONS AS THEY RELATE TO THE FIGHT. NOTHING ELSE. For

The tint of color washed out the User's journey, rendering it a bland pinpoint in a slow-moving landscape. <<Counselor…>> WE HAD HOPED YOU WOULD LEARN THE VALUE OF SILENCE. <<Silence cannot teach me, Counselor.>> ...FINE. THE INITIAL OBJECTIVES OF THE QUEST HAVE LITTLE TO SHOW. WE WILL REVIEW THE DATA LATER. WHAT DO YOU NEED? <<I am curious about what you just mentioned, actually. Would it not be simpler to begin the simulation at the point of contact with the quest boss? We already altered parameters in the previous quest to cut down on U

“It won’t happen.” Acanthus opened her map and dropped a few points as she talked. “Just be careful and stay close to Astra. He should be able to kill both the minotaurs. I’ll be here if anything goes wrong.” Acanthus moved towards Larbrook. He was even bigger than she remembered. “Larbrook also likes to jump in. Or at least he did when I did the quest last time. I think NPC behavior tends to change dramatically based on the Players they interact with.” She nodded in reply, and accepted Astra’s party invitation. “So the first thing to ask is whether the two of you want to see the

"I completely understand that," Ascension said softly, nodding as Cascade confessed that she hadn't yet found something she wanted to do. But then he felt something change. Glancing over at her, he noticed that her posture was stiff, her expression shifted as if a shadow had passed behind her golden eyes. The air between them was heavy, it was quiet, charged with an aura he couldn't put his finger on. Ascension's gaze faltered. He didn't dare meet her eyes, afraid that whatever pain lingered there might cut too deep. A single tear slid down her cheek, catching the light before falling on

A lost saint he'd call her. Alinta let one of her hands fall onto his shoulder, pushing him back ever so slightly in a weak attempt to control the situation that was quickly spiraling out of her control and causing her heart to beat hard against her chest in both fear and anticipation. Equal parts of wanting to push him away and to pull him close. A dizzying cacophony of emotions. Logic vs Lust. Fear vs Fortitude. Neither winning. Scar would turn his head and she caught the scent of wine from his whispered words. Low, alluring, cunning. "Maybe I do find you intolerable. Maybe as a saint

Posting Style Guide Howdy doody! These are my personal notes on how to format posts on SAO-RPG. These aren't requirements; they just reflect what I think is the "best" way to format posts: that is, quick to format, contains all the necessary information, and highlights important information for staff (because approvals are already hard enough). Preface: Some Helpful Shortcuts Shift + Enter: single line return. Alt + 0124: Large Line Divider (|). We use these a lot to separate things on a single line. (If you're feeling extra spicy) Alt + 0150: N dash (–). The N dash is technica

Ceres blinked. She hadn't expected the lights above to listen to her - she hadn't expected them to flicker out then back on. It was entrancing. The magenta haired woman would stand stationary amidst the dancing couples on the dance floor, oblivious to the fact that she may be in the way. Marching to the beat of her own drum, always. like fireflies....She thought to herself. That is...if fireflies were shades of green and red and blue and white. They flickered off, and everything went dark and quiet. This alarmed the woman. Ceres being afraid of the dark. But it lasted only a moment, and she on

Az placed her empty glass on the bar and sighed that this was not her place. But she could just sit here and watch people for a bit. The last time she danced was with Yuuki, and just as today, he also brought her here. Az thought of leaving and moving away from the party. As she moved, she spotted Yuuki on the dance floor and thought it would be the least she could do to tell him that she was leaving. But it appeared the purple-haired guy had other plans. "Finally came to dance," he said, grabbing her hands and not letting her go. It's not that she was bad at dancing; she just didn't like

"Huh?" She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned her head - seeing nothing the woman grumbled in frustration. As Alinta turned her facea again she felt a calloused finger press into the soft skin of her cheek. Alinta jumped in surprise, almost spilling her blue drink all over her white top. She would have, if she hadn't already drank half its contents. "Scar..." His name spoken with an Exasperated sigh as she watched the man shift to sit down. "Guess you didn't think I'd actually show up, huh?" Alinta crossed her arms, lightly glossed lips pressing into a pout as she gave a visible

fill Post Action: Attack Free Action: # (often not applicable; you’ll learn about free actions as you go My Attack: Roll ID | BD: 255896 | 10+ 0 accuracy - 0 enemy evasion Mob's Attack: 255897 | 6 + 0 Accuracy - 0 Player Evasion Luke's Stats: Level 1 | HP: 16/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 5 (1 base + 3 weapon skill + 1 weapon enhancement) | MIT: 0 | ACC: 0 | THORNS: 0 | LD: 0 Mob stats Boar HP: 7/12 | DMG: 4 | Mit: 0 | Eva: 0

The message blinked onto Jack's interface while he was half-distracted, cycling through his quest log with idle disinterest. Alinta -> Scar: Hey.. I foudn this quest and I was wondering if you could help me with it? He read through the series of messages, escort quest, «The Traveller», survival skill reward. Straightforward. A bit dull. Escort missions were the MMO equivalent of watching paint dry, but when he reached the last message, he caught himself smirking. Alinta -> Scar: I bought you a drink. Not that I assumed you'd come. He could almost hear her voice in tha

Luke was doing some construction work with some NCPs out on floor 1. Nothing fancy, just, you know, the usual. Luke fused yet another piece into place. There were far too many chunks to fully repair the ceiling but he did his best before he was done for the day. “You know what, I think I’ve gotten my fill of going through strange games for a lifetime.” It was a joke, as Luke had no idea what was happening but he’d seemed alright. It was only then that he started to feel an tingling in his fingertips. He’d accidentally hit a nail. “Ahh!” he shouted in surprise. His shout evolved into

The woman wasn't fond of this floor. She wore a loose fitted white shirt, and tight denim short-shorts. Rarely ever dressed quite appropriately for the occasion. Alinta preferred to look a certain way. That way was not like some cliche' game character. The woman may love to write about fantasy... but she did not enjoy living it. The woman sat cross legged beneath a large cloth canopy in the city of Fortaleza - the main settlement of the fifth floor. Every so often she'd shoot a glare at a passerby. She had been trying to slowly...slowly explore the other cities, the least she could do. Bu

Jack's grin widened as Alinta's words tumbled over themselves, a cascade of daring, teasing, and sudden vulnerability. He moved the chocolate-covered strawberry just a little bit closer, keeping the playful suspense for just a moment longer. "Ah, a lost saint," he mused, voice low and teasing, "marred in a pit of gluttony and sins..? I think you underestimate yourself." He also turned his head a little, looking at her under the «Sainted Mask», the edges of his mouth almost smiling with humor. "Though.. perhaps," he went on after a short pause, raising a brow, "a saint like you would find

Did I actually fucking do that.... Christ.... Alinta kept her gaze resolutely away from Scar for a few moments, chewing quietly, letting the heat she fell on her cheeks subside. Ever the person to constantly test boundaries only to falter at the slightest challenge. Bold... He'd call her with an amused tone, an exhale of mirth and excitement as he lapped up her challenge and returned with many of his own. "Re-Restraint..." Alinta began, she caught herself and with a deep breath she'd throw him a daring smile. Facade returned. "Restraint." She repeated with an airy smile, reaching out to

Jack's lips formed a small smile as she grabbed the strawberry right from his hand with her teeth. He had thought maybe she would be a bit hesitant, or at least decline in a polite manner, but not this. The fast action, the sudden closeness, the gentle touch of her breath on his skin, it was a detail that didn't escape him. He removed his hand slowly, intentionally, as if to emphasize her small victory he was letting the moment hang between them. After a while, he spoke teasingly, "Bold." His voice was warm enough to be smiling along with her, but he didn't lose his control. "That's certa

Scar.... A name befitting of a protagonist from one of her novels. A smile broadened as she watched him from over his glass, how nice to have someone with the same tastes in namesakes. "Scar..." Alinta repeated as she inched closer, peering into his features. "I see no physical scars..." Her eyes would search his face, but she saw nothing but a quiet calm teetering beneath ruby red eyes. A thought crossed her mind, her eyes betraying her as she glanced to his chest, then his arms. Perhaps his scars were hidden beneath his clothes? Alinta cleared her throat. Not wanting to ask such a risq

Bliss set down her empty glass. The faint warmth of the old fashioned still lingered in her chest. Then it all went black. Bliss could swear for just a split second that everything went quiet for just a moment. The laughter and chatter of the crowd seemed to be choked to a silence. The music cut out. For but a split second, there was nothing. No light, no sound, the only thing she could hear was the loud pounding of her heart. As she attempted to calm her anxieties, she felt an unnatural pull that felt all to familiar. Her stomach dropped, Aw fuck, not again. The air around her seemed to

The clock seemed to halt ticking when she moved to his vicinity with her very aura. Before everything else, the combination of vanilla, bergamot, and citrus reached him, very refined, very intentional, a fragrance that smelled comforting and, at the same time, was piercing enough to get the attention as if it were a whisper in the night. Jack saw her move with his eyes only, and she simply took one chocolate-covered strawberry from the tray extending the hand in a very natural way and without any rush. Her self-assuredness was what it was, and though words were not used, it was the power that