Lessa

It was a pleasure watching him. The ease with which he took to the stage, and settled into the literal and figurative rhythm, fascinated her. As far as she knew, Jomei and Lysette had never performed together, yet they complimented each other perfectly. Outsiders might assume that they'd been playing together for years. Lessa, who didn't have a musical bone in her body, marveled at the simple fact that two strangers could produce such magic. Lysette's words wove through the notes strummed on Jomei's guitar, filling the large space with light and life. And for the moment, Lessa was content to simply bask in it. She set her margarita down, then leaned on the railing, her elbows propped on the cool bar. From her perch on the second floor, she had a birds-eye view of the show. She saw everything: the cheers, the excitement, the couples moved to dancing by their music. The way Lysette's hips moved when she hit a particularly high note, which elicited a little thrill The exact moment when Jomei's eyes swept over her, and the way it warmed every part of her more thoroughly than the tequila ever could.

She missed him. Not that she would ever let on, of course, as he was clearly enjoying his moment in the spotlight, and she was enjoying watching him. But the club was packed with couples, many embracing each other, or... doing... more than that... And she was struck with a sudden longing for him. For all their cat-and-mouse bravado, at the end of the night, all she wanted was his company. That was why she'd come, after all.

"Hey Oscar, when Jom's done, would you mind- oh." 

She turned to find herself alone on the platform.

When had he Houdinied himself away? Pursing her lips in concentration, Lessa turned back to the sea of bodies rolled out beneath her. He was easy to find, given his height, impeccable style, and shock of dark hair. The pretty blue-haired woman in his arms had her grinning. "Go get'em, Tiger," she muttered to herself, then laughed softly. Not that the Beast needed any help whatsoever getting date. That man had his pick of just about every woman - and man - there that evening. But she still liked watching her best friend have a good time.

She was still smiling when the lights went out, and it only grew when a familiar ginger materialized in front of her.

As his fingers traced her jaw, Lessa reached her own hand up to rest gently on his wrist. A point of contact. Proof that he was there, and from what she could see, they were alone. Even if they hadn't been - even if they'd been in the center of the crowded dance floor - the way he looked at her made her feel like the only other person in Aincrad. "You're mine," she echoed breathlessly, that sense of yearning intensifying despite her hand on his wrist. So when he leaned forward, she leaned, too. Into the kiss, into him, into that familiar feeling of safety he provided her. Into whatever new form their relationship had evolved into.

When Jomei pulled back, she could only blink owlishly at him while his words registered. "Yeah, of course," she finally managed, taking his offered hand and giving it a tight squeeze. "I don't mind that you were pulled away. I may have missed you a little-" Okay, maybe she would admit it to him after all. "-but it was so nice watching you play. You're so good at it, and more importantly, I can tell you enjoy it." Her smile grew a bit wicked, and she amended, "Almost as much as I enjoy having you back here with me."

[Stats to come.]

"Home sweet home," Lessa declared, her hands on her hips, her head tipped back to take in the towering building. The lighthouse's white and gray stones gleamed as it speared into a cloudless, robin's-egg blue sky. Beyond it, the midday sun held court over calm seas, which lapped lazily at the rocky cliff face. Even the wind played its part, the autumn-spiced breeze barely enough to rustle the leaves on the trees. A sweet, serene calm had settled over the Farm. The exception, of course, was Lessa's beating heart. It galloped beneath her hoodie with enough force that she unconsciously reached to rub at her chest. 

Sensing her unease, Riker bumped his shaggy body against her leg with enough force to stagger her sideways. "Okay, yeah, I'm nervous," she managed on a laugh, righting herself before reaching down to scratch behind the wolf's ears. "So sue me. This is a big move." Still scratching, she gazed up again. "A big, big move." He huffed out a breath, which she instantly recognized as exasperation on her familiar's part. By now, she knew all of his moods. 98% of them were different variations of annoyance. They'd spent a long time together, and she'd come to accept that Riker was forever trapped in his teenage phase. She loved him anyway.

"I am excited though," she assured him, demonstrating by taking the final steps to the front door. Beneath the shade of the tiny covered porch, the doorknob felt cool against her warm palm. She gave it only a fleeting thought as she turned it, pushed, and emerged inside her new home.

And was immediately met with a text notification.

Riker's annoyance was initially reflected in Lessa's eyes at the interruption, but it vanished as soon as she read the name. Warmth and pleasure took its place as she read his words, then shot back a response.

"Well, Rikey Bones," she began, dismissing the window and addressing Riker from her place in the doorway. "Looks like we have a hot date for dinner." The wolf, who couldn't even drum up the energy to look excited, had already launched himself onto the couch. 

"Hey!" she cried out, taking a couple jogging steps forward. "Dude! New house, new furniture. Maybe you could try staying off it for a while, so-" He leveled his amber eyes on her, and the fight simply drained like water through a sieve. "- Or not. Yeah, whatever. Do what you want." 

Now standing in the middle of her wide living room, Lessa turned a slow circle. Obviously, it wasn't her first time inside - she'd worked tirelessly to turn the run-down house and adjoining tower into her dream home. But this was the first time she'd crossed the threshold with no other house to return to. This was it - she'd made her move, and for better or for worse, she was finally-

Music, warm and familiar, suddenly drifted from the shelves bracketing the fireplace. When the unmistakable voice joined seconds later, Lessa could only stare in wonder at the large wooden radio.

Another day has gone
I'm still all alone
How could this be?
You're not here with me

"MJ," she said aloud, though her voice trembled slightly. "Nice." She inched forward, then flicked the switch, plunging them back into relative silence. She'd found the radio while cleaning out the house, but she'd assumed it was just a decorative piece. In truth, she hadn't come across many music players while inside SAO, and those she had were far more futuristic. This boxy contraption looked like something she might have seen in her grandparent's basement. It might have been new when they were born, and so she had no idea how to use it. She also had no idea what radio station on Floor 28 might be pumping out Michael Jackson's greatest hits.

"Cool cool cool," she muttered to herself, suddenly a little nervous to turn her back to the radio. "And totally not at all creepy."

Thread Summary

Word Count: 8,740

Jomei: (8740 / 5) * (11) = 19228 + 1000 (quest) = 20,228 EXP | 200 (page) + 1000 (quest) + 3034 (LW) = 4,234 col
Lessa: (8740 / 5) * (9) = 15732 + 1000 (quest) = 16,732 EXP | 200 (page) + 1000 (quest) + 2509 (LW) = 3,709 col

The woman stood in the shop’s doorway, her lips pursed in thought, her gaze glued to the message window hovering a few inches from her face. The man behind her cleared his throat once, twice, then barked out a gruff, “Excuse me,” before she finally realized he was there.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” Lessa stammered, scooting out of the store’s entrance and practically down the block before she slowed. A quick glance over her shoulder showed him huffing in annoyance as he stomped the opposite direction. She probably deserved that. Making a better door than a window, or whatever. That idiom never made a whole lot of sense to her anyway.

As if reading her thoughts, her wolf familiar groaned from his spot beneath the nearby bench. She’d left him parked there in the shade while she shopped, as he didn’t care much for shops. Riker didn’t care much for training, either. Or combat. Or her, for that matter. Was this what it was like to raise a teenager? “Oh stop,” she chided, dropping onto the bench and staring down at him through the wooden slats. “So I annoyed someone. That shouldn’t come as a shock - I annoy people all the time.” She shot him a smile, then added, “I annoy YOU all the time.” His hard exhale might have been a laugh, or an agreement. Or maybe both.

Lessa’s attention shifted back to the message she’d received. After another moment’s thought, she gave a small nod. Her mind was made up, for better or for worse. “Come on, you moose,” she told her companion, finding her own feet and taking a few steps toward the teleportation plaza. “Time for me to annoy you again.”

—

She reached the coordinates on Floor Five with only a couple of minutes to spare, but found only two other players waiting. Were more on their way, or was that it? Maybe her presence wouldn’t be such a hindrance after all. She slowed to a stop beside the other woman, and immediately recognized the stark difference between them. While the stranger wore the trademark starter gear of a low-level player, Lessa was fully decked out in her heavy Frontliner armor. I look like such tryhard, she found herself thinking. With a smile that wobbled on the edge of a grimace, she gave a tentative wave.

At the touch, the horizontal and vertical pieces of the cross split apart, clattering to the ground with a noise that seemed preternaturally loud. The hastily-made marker had, apparently, been clinging to life by a thread. A strong wind might have sent it it tumbling. But it wasn’t a strong wind that destroyed the one piece of him that remained - it was yet another clueless human. And that couldn’t go unpunished.

The darkness hovering over the grave coalesced into the form of a man. He stood a head taller than the players before him, but his posture, and the way that he glared down at them, made him appear even larger. His patched pants and thread-bare shirt spoke to a man who worked hard but had little to show for it. His boots, thick-soled and scuffed, stood atop the grave. A few feet below, in a shallow hole without a casket, lay his remains.

“Typical.” The word rumbled from deep within his chest, and hearing it elicited the same sensation as standing beside a speaker at a rock concert. Dark eyes shifted from Astra to Wulfrin, then back again, before a sneer twisted his weathered features. Cold rolled off of him in waves, dropping the temperature of the graveyard a full ten degrees. The sudden chill without the presence of any wind was eerie. In fact, the the leaves had ceased their rustling altogether. So had the birds stopped their chirping, and the squirrels their chittering. The only sound for miles was the ghost’s gravely baritone.

”I suppose you expect me to fix that, too?”

A flash of movement in the left cell heralded the ghost’s arrival. It was as if the air around the figure simply parted for her, dust particles and light bending around her silhouette as she drifted from the bench to the bars of her cage. Her form was far from solid - more like a slight distortion to reality, visible only if the viewer were to squint and tilt their head a bit. But the soft sobs that racked her were unmistakable, and very real. The sound of them, soft, shallow, and breathless, filled the small building. And with each second that passed, the source came into clearer focus.

The vague outline became a woman. A patched wool dress hung the entire length of her five-foot frame, and bare feet poked out beneath the hem. Tight copper ringlets framed a heart-shaped face and long, delicate neck, then spilled across thin shoulders. They shook beneath the weight of the woman’s cries.

Only when the ghost had fully materialized did she lift her head, salty tracks criss-crossing her flushed cheeks. Her red-rimmed golden eyes sought out the newcomer’s hazel ones. “You’re here,” she said suddenly, voice thick with emotion. “After so much time has passed. Have you come to deliver my sentence, or have you finally realized that I’m not guilty of the crimes you’ve accused me of?”

"Well that's a relief," Lessa replied, shaking her head for added effect. "I feel like we just had an entire conversation about how I'm not interested in your cock or your balls." She punctuated the comment with a smile, but it fell away as silence overtook her. She'd jumped at the opportunity to make a sexual comment - those jokes were really just low-hanging fruit at that point - but his confession carried weight that she couldn't simply laugh off. The topic deserved more respect than that, and so did he. In one day, he had shared with her more than he had in the years they'd known each other. And in the past few minutes, he'd offered her his throat. With the power to tear him apart, in more ways than one, she could do better than a dick joke.

"Look," she began finally, slowing to a stop in the doorway of a closed bakery. The pink and white striped awning, vibrant even in the evening's darkness, flapped as a cold breeze moved up the street. She felt it as she disconnected from him, the space where they'd touched now exposed to the chill, but it seemed important that she say her piece while not hanging from his arm. What she said next would be the truth, not simply platitudes from a friend. He had given her honesty, and she would respond in kind.

"I'm not going to stand here and tell you that I love everything you've done. I don't even agree with everything you've done." The cloud that passed over her face betrayed the memories playing out in her mind - fractals of dead players falling to mingle with the pristine white snow. A beast of a man, chest heaving as he gazed across his impromptu battlefield. How he hadn't even spared her a glance as she cried his name, seeming to exist in a different place altogether. Untouchable, in every sense of the word.

Lessa reached for him now, touching his elbow gently as she continued. "With that being said, I do trust that those actions came from a place of good intentions. That doesn't make you a hero, but it sure as hell doesn't make you a villain, either." Looking up at him, his face a mask of hard lines and dark shadows, she could see how he might find the mantle appealing. If you're not the good guy, you don't have to consider what anyone thinks of you. If you don't make any promises, you don't have anyone to let down. And damn it if he wouldn't look good in the trademark bad-boy black tailored suit. But try as she may, Lessa simply couldn't cast him in that role.

"Something weird happens when the world goes to shit and everyone starts playing by new rules. What is and isn't okay by legal definition doesn't always align with what is or isn't okay morally. I mean, Germany, 1941. Jews were being killed by the millions, and it was literally illegal to hide them. But who was being tried four years later in the Nuremberg trials? Not the farmers who stashed Jews in their basements, or smuggled them out of the country. It was the people doing what was 'right' by the law, but wrong in every other sense. You're doing the opposite. You're doing what's 'wrong', but for all the right reasons. And from where I'm standing, it's working so far."

Drawing in a deep breath, she let her rant hang in the night air for a moment. Then she finished with, "We don't have Nazis, but we have people who are using the game's 'laws' to do truly horrendous things. So we each have to do our part to stand against it, and protect the people who need protecting. I don't always agree with your methods, but I understand your motivations, and I'll support you through whatever means I feel comfortable with. Because that's what you do when the nothing else makes sense anymore."

The crowd at the bar was already three players deep by the the time Lessa arrived. The mass practically took on a life of its own, a monster that shifted and surged, changing form with each arrival and departure. And she was meant to find Jomei in that? The dim lighting and the masks certainly didn't help matters. He was tall, sure, but the same seemed to be true for everyone else in the Blackbook. Most of the women, Lessa included, benefited from the few extra inches provided by their high heels. The blonde clucked her tongue in thought, then loosed a quick shrug, and plunged into the throng. It was possible she might bump into him by accident, triggering that little zing that his touch always elicited. Or perhaps she'd catch a whiff of his earthy scent. Lessa drew in deeply through her nose, then spluttered loudly. What in the world was that smell? Axe Phoenix? Was she surrounded by middle school boys? And how the hell did someone recreate that distinct scent in Aincrad? 

She was still rubbing at her nose when she finally pushed her way to the bartop. A pretty woman with a wide smile and a shaker in each hand gave Lessa an expectant look, and Lessa pursed her lips in thought. "Do you have a blender?" she finally asked. The bartender opened her mouth to answer, but a hushed silence, followed quickly by a booming voice, cut her off. Lessa mouthed a quick, "One sec," cast the other woman an apologetic smile, then turned to face the stage. She had a difficult time seeing over the heads, but she'd recognize Oscar anywhere. Briefly, she considered climbing onto the bar to see him better. Might be a little too early in the evening for that.

His quick speech flowed seamlessly into Lysette's performance, which Lessa found herself unable to shift away from. The music was compelling, but the lyrics had her in an absolute chokehold. Nothing like a strong, sexy woman to crank up the heat. Just as Lessa was mentally rehearsing her plea for Oscar to introduce them, every light in the club died at once. Suddenly plunged into darkness, the bodies around her began jostling, their cries of pleasure and shock both seeming right at home in Oscar's den.

And then the bodies were gone.

Cool air rushed in to fill the space where they'd been, but it was what she found when the lights rose again that sent goosebumps climbing her bare arms. Oscar, unmasked and unmistakable. And a man who did wear a mask - black, and identical to her own. A man who wore green, smelled faintly of the woods, and looked at her the same way that she looked at him. As he peeled off his mask, she did the same, letting it dangle between her fingers as the men shared a greeting. By the time he turned to her, she'd already closed the distance between them.

"I don't care how it happened," she replied, though she smiled at the man's reference to their earlier conversation. "I'm just glad I caught you." Even as she spoke the words, she slipped her arm around his waist, slotting herself into place at his side. The hand that he kissed moved to whisper across his jaw, then gently tap at the bun atop his head. "And you look incredible," she countered, tilting her head as her gaze flitted from his eyes to his hair, then back again. "I love this look. It makes it easier to see those eyes of yours."

And before she could lose herself in them, surely dooming them both for the rest of the night, she tore her attention back to Oscar. "Sorry for the tardiness, but it does take a while to pick out and put on all these belts." She indicated with a slight swing of her hips, ruffling the fabric, and jingling the lines of delicate beads. "You've really outdone yourself here, Oscar. I'm really, really proud of you for putting this together. I know how hard you've worked, on the club, and on the event. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of it."

In a most dramatic fashion, Lessa rolled her blue eyes skyward. "The only thing that would make it better would be a frozen strawberry margar- Oh!"

Her shriek of joy heralded the arrival of a tuxedo-clad waiter, who offered her a salt-rimmed glass. She accepted it with many thanks, a prayer, and possibly a promise of her first born, then took a long drink. The sound that escaped her was as sinful as the mask she'd chosen. "I have missed these."

It didn't take much to decorate the Farm for Halloween. The other 364 days of the year, the ambient sound on her costal property was enough to send a shiver up a spin: the steady crashing of the waves on the rocks, the whisper of the wind through the dried cornstalks, the mournful cry of the foghorn. The old barn, with its shadowy hayloft and dusty sweat smell certainly didn't help matters. Set out a few jack-o-lanterns, and rig a stereo to play spooky music, and Lessa had the makings for an extra creepy stop on the the trick-or-treat trail.

The truth was, Lessa wasn't actually into the scary stuff - at least, not the manufactured kind. She hated jump-scares, didn't really see the appeal of gore, and detested that weird state of anxiety that Halloween always seemed to put her in. If she wanted horror, she could just reflect on her first year in Aincrad. Halloween certainly ranked near the bottom of her "favorite holidays" list. But the rest of Aincrad, and most importantly, her friends, didn't seem to share her dislike of all things dark.

Which was why she stood on her front porch, her hands on her hips, her fedora pulled low over her eyes. She could tough it out for one night, especially if she incorporated elements that she enjoyed. A bonfire crackled pleasantly between the barn and the house, its flames sending shadows dancing across the dark lighthouse tower. A table stood beside it, loaded down with s'mores supplies, candy, and a crockpot of caramel apple cider. 

Oh, and horses.

Half a dozen horses stood patiently along the fence, each tacked and ready for their riders. Anyone brave enough to swing up into the saddle could explore the moon-drenched forest-trails, race across the nearby Thessacoln Pastures, or simply be led around the pasture (no shame in that).

Was there too much for a simple trick-or-treating stop? Probably. But if Lessa expected people to walk all the way to the coast to visit her, the least she could do was give them a good time. Adjusting the coiled whip that hung from her belt, she sat down on her stoop.

She didn't want to slow down. Some small voice nagged that turning in the quest should be their top priority. Given their difficulty with the quest, and their luck so far, it couldn't be this easy. There was probably some hidden timer that would run out before they could get back to Percival, negating their progress, and requiring that they start over. And if that happened, Lessa figured she'd just negate her life by yeeting off the edge of Aincrad. So when Jomei tugged her to a standstill, she huffed out her frustration, and turned to voice her disapproval. Instead, she was enveloped by a strong arm, her face slotting perfectly against his neck as he drew her into him. The warmth of his skin, and the intimacy of the small act, shocked her into stillness. Then, like the last pile of snow beneath a strong spring sun, she felt herself give up the fight. She let herself melt into him.

"Yeah," she agreed distracted. "Fuck this quest, and the assholes who made it."

They walked back to the NPC in silence, and if Jomei noticed the glances she slanted him, he gave no indication. For all of the quiet between them, Lessa's mind was a cacophony of alarm bells. They'd quested together dozens of times, and simply hung out twice as often. She'd lost count of their hugs over the years. So why had his nearness sent energy jolting through her, as potent as grabbing onto an electric fence? What was different about today?

Had he changed?

Had she?

"Thank you for retrieving these," Percival said, once they'd handed over the Ushiame flowers. "I know it wasn't easy, but it was important. And with the flowers, we can start to rebuild our stock of salves. And increase security, of course. After this, things will definitely be different."

"Yeah," Lessa breathed, her gaze level on Jomei's face. "They will be."

Quest Complete

[Stats going in soon, I promise.]

Lessa stood outside the Wild Rose Forge, her hands on her hips, her face contorted in an expression that could only be described as confused annoyance. Annoyed confusion? Regardless, she was annoyed, and that confused her. Why did the mere sight of her shop spawn such negative emotions? Why had years passed without her even stepping across the threshold? The sunlight spilling through the windows illuminated the dust particles beyond the glass, filling the serene space with glitter. And it still did nothing to entice her inside.

“I hate you,” she told the inanimate object. Then her blonde eyebrows furrowed. “Why do I hate you?”

Something drifted into existence a foot from her face, and without conscious thought, Lessa plucked the paper from the air. “We’re not done here,” she informed the shop before shifting her attention to the paper. Her blue eyes danced across the words once, twice, and then a third time before she slipped the invitation into the wide pocket of her hoodie.

Her laughter filled the entire street.

—

The door opened, and Lessa passed from one darkness into another. A blast of cool air brushed her hair back from her face, and sent the soft fabric of her skirts whispering across her thighs. She closed her eyes and hummed appreciatively as the soft music and scent of mingled perfumes reached her. When she opened them again, she found soft red lighting, comfortable seating, and dozens of patrons already enjoying themselves. While The Blackbook was the perfect name for the establishment, it just as easily could have been called Oscar’s - it had his fingerprints all over it.

Her gaze tracked across the masked faces as she attempted to locate her friend, but a cleared throat from her right interrupted her search.

“Mask, miss?” 

She turned to find a man in a black suit. He offered her two masks, one white and one black. Sainted and sinful. Her head tilted as she studied the options for a moment, every bit Neo considering the red or the blue pill. “Which one should I go with?” she finally asked the stranger.

Without hesitation, he replied, “I suppose that’s up to you.”

Her grin unfurled across her face like delicate flower petals, but the devilish gleam in her eye was anything but fragile. “You’re exactly right,” she told him, accepting the black mask and deftly tying it beneath her heavy blonde waves. “It is up to me.” If ever there was a place to indulge in her sinful side, it was a nightclub called The Blackbook. Besides, the black matched her dress.

The long fabric in the back of her dress, a nod to the cape she favored, flared as she strode across the dance floor. The gold belts slung over her hips jingled faintly with each step, accenting the sharp clip of her stilettos on the polished floor. She had nearly reached the crowded bar when a familiar ping heralded the arrival of a new message.

“Come find me,” Lessa read aloud, the words surprisingly sensual as they passed her lips. Even as her heart skipped, her competitive spirit surged as she began to hunt for her ginger.

Raven Hollow
Mayor's Estate
Sunrise

Another day dawned, the sunrise spreading it's pink wings across the cloudless sky. The first mayor of Raven Hollow had chosen this property to build on partially because of the view. With windows on all four sides, the manor offered a front-row seat to the sunrise, the sunset, and every moment in between. He also selected it given its position on a hill, apart and above the rest of the town. The first mayor had enjoyed looking down on his constituents from atop his modern castle. The last mayor hadn’t cared about such things.

Now, the estate hulked over the town, impressive in its abandonment rather than its opulence. Wallpaper peeled in expensive waves, and gold that gleamed beneath a housemaid’s polish had dulled with each passing year. The three-story mansion featured sitting rooms, a library, a sprawling kitchen, numerous bedrooms and bathrooms, and even a two-story ballroom. Once a symbol of wealth and power, now it stood as a stark reminder of what was lost.

Raven Hollow
Cemetery
Sunset

The final rays of the dying sun fell across the headstones. Long ago, the light had gleamed off the well-polished, well-loved grave markers. Now, it simply cast long shadows, straight black lines crossing the hallowed ground like the bars of a prison cell. It was an apt comparison, considering the souls of the dead were trapped within the crumbling walls of the cemetery.

Though the earth had risen and fallen over the years, giving the headstones a tilted, melted appearance, it was evident that they were placed in rows. Someone had taken great care in lining up the monuments like silent soldiers, forever holding watch over the bodies of those whose names they held. 

Two graves stood apart from the others. The first, positioned nearest to the cemetery gate, was marked with only a crooked wooden cross.

The second, on the opposite edge of the cemetery, was marked with nothing but a pile of rocks.

A black haze hung above the former, a darkness untouched by the setting sun.

On 6/23/2020 at 1:53 PM, Lessa said:

House Name: Manderley
Location: Floor 22
Description: Quiet log cabin nestled between a sprawling lake and towering mountains.
Plot Size: Estate {Safe Zone} 
Rooms: 5/15 House & 1/3 Yard
Main House: Master Bedroom (Lessa) | Living Room (Lessa) | Bathroom (Lessa) | Attic - Storage (Lessa) | Basement (Lessa)
Yard: Mega Slime Farm (Lessa)
Total Cost: Free (25+ Donor)

---

I'm looking to upgrade my bedroom and my Slime Farm! Here is a link to the old submission and approval.
30,000 col sent to Banker!

I am refunding this house!

Estate Plot - 124k. Master Bedroom - 25k. Living Room - 10k. Bathroom - 10k. Attic - Storage - 10k. Basement - 10k. Mega Slime Farm - 25k. 214k. 75% = 160,500

I'm putting the credit toward a new house!

House Name: The Farm
Location: Floor 28
Description: A lighthouse situated on the coast of the western sea, just beyond the Thessacoln Pastures.
Plot Size: Estate {Safe Zone} 
Rooms: 9/15 House & 2/3 Yard
Total Cost: 148,500

House

Yard

"Um yeah, uh, okay," Lessa muttered dumbly, going entirely limp as Jomei climbed her like a tree. As someone who had just done some climbing of her own, she knew how uncomfortable it must have been for him. She knew he was doing this entirely out of necessity. She knew it was difficult to navigate while dangling in the air. She knew he didn't mean to wiggle so much as his body skated across the heavy armor she wore. She knew she hated her heavy armor. She knew she'd never, ever wear it again. In fact, she'd probably start going around naked, just in case she found herself in this situation again. But then what would he use as handholds while he-

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of air whooshing past her ears, and the sight of the ground rising to meet her. She and Jomei flailed there for a moment, elbows flying and feet kicking out to a soundtrack of mumbled apologies. When they finally drew apart, his cloak askew, her hair disheveled, they shared a small smile beneath the severed vines. The warmth in her cheeks was undoubtedly lingering embarrassment, but she would be lying if she said there wasn't pleasure there, too. His nearness, and the thrill it brought her, had confirmed something she had suspected for a while. The next question was what to do about it? 

"One left, yeah," she confirmed, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear as she returned his shrug. "Sounds easy enough. I mean, it's just one flower. It's not like we'd flat-out fail the quest once, only to come back and get our ass kicked by Cerberus' less impressive cousin. I mean, what is it supposed to be? A horse? A deer? A snowy owl? Like pick one, am I right?"

A loud snort boomed from the tree-line, followed closely by the thunder of hooves and the crashing of underbrush. "I screwed up!" Lessa shrieked, her eyes widening as she swung away from the oncoming threat. They came to rest on a single flower, glowing with an ethereal light on the edge of the grove. "We're doing this!" she cried out a second time, slipping her hand into Jomei's, and dragging her behind him. They ran hand-in-hand, far from the picture of beauty and grace as they stumbled over clumps of grass and their own feet. She nearly tugged him over as she stooped to pluck the Ushiame flower, but they miraculously kept their feet as they burst back onto the path. Her war-whoop drowned out the ping of the completed quest objective.

ID 254228 | LD 12 + 3 | CD 2  | MD 2

5/5 Flowers Found
54/60 Guardian Tolerance

THANK GOD.

Raven Hollow
Church
Midnight

Over a dozen community buildings made up the town of Raven Hollow. The livery stable, with its musty horse and hay scent. The boarding house and it’s five tiny rooms for rent. Doctor Henry’s office and the Fisher’s General Store. The jailhouse, the schoolhouse, and everything in between, all spread beneath the towering maple trees.

None stood as tall as the church, as if the structure itself required a closer connection to the heavens. The bell within the tower tolled, a haunting sound that silenced the forest’s natural night sounds. Once, twice, over and over, in spite of the fact the bell’s rope had gone missing decades before. Pews sat in precise lines, though dust appeared to be their only occupant. A handful of lit candles, evenly spaced around the perimeter of the wide room, illuminated a series of dark symbols painted on the walls. Once, an entire community had come together here. Now, all that remained was a lingering sense of unease.

Raven Hollow
Jail
Midnight

It was the perfect night. A sheet of stars blanketed the black sky, twinkling prettily, their light rivaling that of the thin, crescent moon. The breeze that meandered through the woods was cool, but not unpleasant as it rustled the trees’ crimson leaves. In the distance, a whip-poor-will trilled its familiar three-note melody. It was the sort of night that featured prominently in poetry and love songs. A night teetering on the edge of eternity, where anything was possible, and everything could change for the better.

And none of that mattered within the walls of the Raven Hollow jail. The small, windowless structure allowed its residents no peak at the outside world. Situated right at the town’s heart, it had tortured its prisoners with a nearness to normal life. The sounds of the tolling school bell. Voices raised in prayer from the church. The call of nocturnal song-bird, singing songs of a freedom that the jailhouse’s occupants might never taste again. Their world had been shrunk down to two 6x8 cells, a key ring on a hook, and a wooden table where their jailor occasionally sat. The heavy door that opened and closed with his arrival had allowed them their only breath of fresh air. Maybe it still did so.

Raven Hollow
Schoolhouse
Sunset

The schoolhouse stood silent among the trees, and the lack of sound was strangely unsettling. For so many years, the schoolhouse had been alive with laughter, voices raised in song, and the merry clang of the bell signaling the day's beginning and end. But there was no laughter, and no voices; the final rays of the dying sun shot straight through the gap where the bell once hung. Now the tower stood empty, as empty as the rest of the building's single room. Shattered glass turned the school's windows into the gaping maws of sharp-toothed monsters, and the way the front door hung from its hinges suggested there would be no protection from the impending night's chill.

That would be inaccurate, however. At the center of the room, nestled between two rows of scarred, wooden desks, sat a squat wood-burning stove. Heat rolled from the black cast-iron casing, and the flames inside the grate sent shadows dancing playfully across the walls. The light also illuminated the chalkboard, and the precise, elegant script written upon it.

Raven Hollow
Cemetery
Midnight

Once, Raven Hollow's cemetery had been beautiful. Perhaps it was strange to call a field of buried bodies beautiful, but no other adjective fit it quite so well. Each headstone gleamed, scrubbed until the carved letters seemed to shimmer as they reflected the sunlight. Wildflowers swayed between the rows, bees and butterflies alike flitting between the brightly colored blooms. Tall, healthy trees cast their shade, their leaves aflame with the colors of an eternal autumn. It was a resting place befitting the lives of lost loved ones, thanks entirely to Daniel Esther, the gravekeeper. He had loved the grounds, and the many souls buried within it. In fact, it was this love that had ultimately cost him his life.

And with his death, so too did the beauty of the cemetery die. Weeds choked the wildflowers, storms ravaged the trees, and time chipped away at the grave markers until the names upon them became nearly illegible. They jutted from the ground like a junkie's crooked, rotting teeth, dull and lifeless beneath the full moon. A heaviness blanketed the area, perhaps a bit too intense to be simply lingering grief from times long ago.

Welcome back to Raven Hollow.

The rumor mill tells of a haunted town, hidden deep in the forest of Floor 28*. Originally, it was shared as a sort of joke, discussed while planning pranks and secret get-aways. But the tale darkened with stories of players venturing to the town, and never returning. With Halloween approaching, there will no doubt be a steady stream of players going to celebrate the season in this festive location. Some go out of curiosity, true believers in the strange phenomenon that are said to have happened there. Others, who are more skeptical, plan to debunk these rumors. But the truth remains - Raven Hollow is an abandoned town that isn't all that abandoned - the ghosts of the  inhabitants linger. If you're lucky (or unlucky, depending on your perspective), you may encounter one.

*If you participated in the original event back in 2018, you may remember it was set on Floor 2. If you'd like your character to recall that initial run-in with the town, we'll just say that it vanished from that location and appeared again on Floor 28. OOC, it just makes more sense there.

What
Using the Storyteller feature, I will be playing the ghosts trapped inside Raven Hollow. Your characters can interact with them in a number of ways, such as attempting to cross them over, learning more about their lives, or even uncovering the secrets surrounding the doomed town. You could also just have them scream and run away - whatever feels right. Each story will be unique, though some ghosts may appear across multiple threads. These interactions are not pre-written, and will happen as a direct result of what you write. Of course, that comes with a certain amount of risk. Make the wrong move, and you might scare your ghost away, or worse, turn them against you.

How

1. Post in this thread, or contact me on Discord. Provide the following - players, location, and time. See below for details.
2. I will create a PP for us on Floor 28.
3. When the story has come to an end, you may continue to write without me, or close the thread for standard thread rewards.

Reminders

• This is not a staff-sanctioned event, so you will not receive Mon, or anything beyond the usual EXP and col.
• The ghosts come and go at their own leisure. While I can promise you at least three posts, the story may end abruptly, based on how the interactions go.
• Some of these interactions may venture into darker territory. More mature themes will be discussed first. Aside from that, there will be no OOC planning. 
• OOC, there are no mechanics used, meaning there is no real threat of death. However, if you're so inclined, you may still write that your character is fighting or taking damage.
• For my own sanity, and ease of keeping the stories straight, I'm going to make the following rules:
  • Only 1-2 characters per thread (not including myself). You may use 2 of your own characters if you wish.
  • Only 1 thread per writer at a time.
• I will do my absolute best to give you timely, high-quality replies. But if I'm not able to do so, please bear with me.
• I will make threads on a first-come-first-serve basis, and attempt to reply to all equally. However, if I post more often in one thread than another, please don't assume you've been forgotten or skipped - one character or story might just come easier to write at that moment. I promise, your post will come soon!

Application

Provide me with the following:

1. Which player(s) will be participating (remember, maximum of two!).
2. The time that your characters are entering Raven Hollow.
   • Sunrise
   • Midday
   • Sunset
   • Midnight
3. The location where you'd like to start your story.
   • Schoolhouse
   • Jail
   • General Store
   • Livery Stable
   • Boarding House
   • Church
   • Mayor's Estate
   • Doctor's Office
   • Cemetery
   • Private Home
   • Surrounding Forests
   • Dealer's Choice ❤︎

Sign-Up List

1. Scarlet Firefly & Bistro / Midnight / Cemetery
2. Morningstar / Sunset / Schoolhouse
3. Reytac / Sunset / Jail
4. Warren / Midnight / Church
5. Wulfrin & Astra / Sunset / Cemetery
6. Hirru & Jevi / Sunrise / Mayor’s Estate

20 hours ago, Nisahime said:

9/18/25 - Unevaluated

Stored Rolls:
253581, Rare T2 Dagger, (CD:8+1, LD: 9) + 253582, Rare T2 Dagger, (CD:10+1, LD: 18) = 253581, Perfect T2 Dagger
253584, Rare T2 Rapier, (CD:9+1, LD: 13) + 253585, Rare T2 Rapier, (CD:10+1, LD: 15) = 253584, Perfect T2 Rapier
253587, Perfect T2 Straight Sword, (CD:11+1, LD: 17)
253592, Perfect T2 Curved Sword, (CD:11+1, LD: 7)
253594, Perfect T2 Polearm, (CD:12+1, LD: 16)
253595, Perfect T2 Hammer, (CD:11+1, LD: 19)
253599, Perfect T2 Hammer, (CD:11+1, LD: 1)
253600, Rare T2 Whip, (CD:9+1, LD: 8) + 253601, Rare T2 Whip, (CD:9+1, LD: 19) = 253600, Perfect T2 Whip
253602, Rare T2 Claws, (CD:9+1, LD: 4) + 253603, Uncommon T2 Claws, (CD:4+1, LD: 12) + 253604, Uncommon T2 Claws, (CD:7+1, LD: 12) = 253602, Perfect T2 Claws
253605, Rare T2 Thrown Weaponry, (CD:8+1, LD: 20) + 253607, Rare T2 Thrown Weaponry, (CD:9+1, LD: 18) = 253605, Perfect T2 Thrown Weaponry
253608, Perfect T2 Projectile Weaponry, (CD:11+1, LD: 3)
253610, Perfect T2 Katana, (CD:12+1, LD: 13)

Eval'd for Fusion:
253586, Uncommon T2 Straight Sword, (CD:4+1, LD: 18)
253589, Rare T2 Curved Sword, (CD:10+1, LD: 8)
253593, Rare T2 Polearm, (CD:9+1, LD: 9)
253606, Uncommon T2 Thrown Weaponry, (CD:6+1, LD: 1)
253611, Uncommon T2 Martial Arts Weaponry, (CD:4+1, LD: 5)
253612, Uncommon T2 Martial Arts Weaponry, (CD:4+1, LD: 19)

Approved.

On 9/15/2025 at 2:42 PM, Nisahime said:

9/15/25 - Unevaluated

Stored Rolls:
253474, Uncommon T4 Heavy Armor, (CD:5+1, LD: 8) + 253476, Uncommon T4 Heavy Armor, (CD:7+1, LD: 15) + 253480, Uncommon T4 Heavy Armor, (CD:7+1, LD: 17) + 253368, Uncommon T4 Heavy Armor, (CD:6+1, LD: 2) = 253474, Perfect T4 Heavy Armor
253478, Rare T4 Heavy Armor, (CD:8+1, LD: 16) + 253479, Rare T4 Heavy Armor, (CD:8+1, LD: 5) = 253478, Perfect T4 Heavy Armor
253481, Rare T4 Shield, (CD:8+1, LD: 12) + 253486, Rare T4 Shield, (CD:10+1, LD: 3) = 253481, Perfect T4 Shield
253487, Perfect T4 Shield, (CD:12+1, LD: 9)
253490, Perfect T3 Shield, (CD:12+1, LD: 18)
253492, Perfect T3 Shield, (CD:12+1, LD: 2)
253493, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:6+1, LD: 19) + 253494, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:7+1, LD: 18) + 253495, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:5+1, LD: 6) + 253496, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:5+1, LD: 5) = 253493, Perfect T3 Heavy Armor
253498, Rare T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:8+1, LD: 7) + 253500, Rare T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:8+1, LD: 7) = 253498, Perfect T3 Heavy Armor

Eval'd for Fusion:
253488, Rare T3 Shield, (CD:10+1, LD: 19)
253499, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:6+1, LD: 6)
253501, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:5+1, LD: 2)

9/16/25 - Unevaluated

Stored Rolls:
253506, Rare T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:10+1, LD: 10) + 253507, Rare T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:9+1, LD: 5) = 253506, Perfect T3 Heavy Armor
253508, Rare T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:10+1, LD: 5) + 253497, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:7+1, LD: 7) + 253509, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:5+1, LD: 8) = 253508, Perfect T3 Heavy Armor
253519, Perfect T3 Dagger, (CD:12+1, LD: 7)
253521, Perfect T3 Rapier, (CD:12+1, LD: 9)
253523, Rare T3 Curved Sword, (CD:10+1, LD: 14) + 253525, Uncommon T3 Curved Sword, (CD:4+1, LD: 13) + 253526, Uncommon T3 Curved Sword, (CD:6+1, LD: 17) = 253523, Perfect T3 Curved Sword
253528, Perfect T3 Polearm, (CD:12+1, LD: 20)
253529, Rare T3 Hammer, (CD:8+1, LD: 8) + 253530, Rare T3 Hammer, (CD:8+1, LD: 4) = 253529, Perfect T3 Hammer
253531, Uncommon T3 Axe, (CD:6+1, LD: 16) + 253532, Uncommon T3 Axe, (CD:7+1, LD: 18) + 253534, Rare T3 Axe, (CD:9+1, LD: 20) = 253531, Perfect T3 Axe
253537, Perfect T3 Whip, (CD:12+1, LD: 20)

Eval'd for Fusion:
253512, Uncommon T3 Dagger, (CD:5+1, LD: 20)
253527, Uncommon T3 Curved Sword, (CD:7+1, LD: 13)
253533, Uncommon T3 Axe, (CD:4+1, LD: 8)
253535, Rare T3 Whip, (CD:8+1, LD: 6)

9/17/25 - Unevaluated

Stored Rolls:
253541, Perfect T3 Claws, (CD:12+1, LD: 16)
253542, Rare T3 Thrown Weaponry, (CD:10+1, LD: 7) + 253543, Rare T3 Thrown Weaponry, (CD:9+1, LD: 11) = 253542, Perfect T3 Thrown Weaponry
253544, Perfect T3 Projectile Weaponry, (CD:12+1, LD: 10)
253545, Perfect T3 Katana, (CD:12+1, LD: 4)
253546, Uncommon T3 Martial Arts Weapon, (CD:7+1, LD: 5) + 253548, Rare T3 Martial Arts Weapon, (CD:8+1, LD: 4) + 253549, Uncommon T3 Martial Arts Weapon, (CD:7+1, LD: 18) = 253546, Perfect T3 Martial Arts Weapon
253550, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:6+1, LD: 7) + 253554, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:6+1, LD: 3) + 253555, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:7+1, LD: 12) + 253556, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:4+1, LD: 14) = 253550, Perfect T3 Heavy Armor
253551, Rare T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:10+1, LD: 1) + 253553, Rare T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:10+1, LD: 4) = 253551, Perfect T3 Heavy Armor
253557, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:4+1, LD: 17) + 253558, Uncommon T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:7+1, LD: 4) + 253559, Rare T3 Heavy Armor, (CD:8+1, LD: 19) = 253557, Perfect T3 Heavy Armor
253560, Uncommon T2 Heavy Armor, (CD:6+1, LD: 15) + 253565, Rare T2 Heavy Armor, (CD:10+1, LD: 20) + 253566, Uncommon T2 Heavy Armor, (CD:4+1, LD: 13) = 253560, Perfect T2 Heavy Armor
253567, Uncommon T2 Heavy Armor, (CD:5+1, LD: 5) + 253568, Uncommon T2 Heavy Armor, (CD:4+1, LD: 2) + 253570, Rare T2 Heavy Armor, (CD:8+1, LD: 8) = 253567, Perfect T2 Heavy Armor

Eval'd for Fusion:
253540, Uncommon T3 Claws, (CD:7+1, LD: 7)
253571, Rare T2 Heavy Armor, (CD:9+1, LD: 3)

Approved.

On 9/11/2025 at 11:26 AM, Raidou said:

9/11/25 - Easier this way

180431, T1/Perfect/Light Armor {Setsuna} | Woodsman's Leather Guard | Mitigation 1, Recovery 2

Description: Functional leather armor designed to serve without embellishments. Full set of greaves, cuirass, bracers and one pauldron for the left shoulder. Thickened around vitals, this armor is meant to protect against blows while trying to keep restriction of movement low. This armor is basic without sacrificing performance, and has been reinforced to help the wearer recover stamina. Armor comes with a cloak.

198298, T1/Perfect/Trinket {Kasumi} + 1 Demonic Shard [Sent via Simmone] = 198298, Tierless/Demonic/Trinket {Kasumi} | Amulet of the Four Winds | Accuracy 2, Evasion 2

Description: An intricately woven amulet that is evocative of a tornado - four strands of differently colored metals swirl together in a spiral that leads up to an open ‘eye’, where a deep blue gem rests, set in the middle of the eye. The amulet is chill to the touch even after resting against skin, or in the sun for extended periods of time, and putting it on you feel a soft caress of wind against your skin. The amulet is enhanced to help the wearer both land and evade blows, almost as if following currents of wind around the body.

Approved.

Helpless, Lessa watched the vines snag Jomei, then drag him up beside her. His body bumped against hers like some horrifying human windchime, but instead of the sweet twinkle of wind through steel, the only sound she made was a guttural "oof." He hung quite a bit lower than she did, and realizing where her face ended up, she did her best to twist away from him. All her attempt earned her was a slow, lazy spin on the end of her green rope. "Listen," she began as she came around to face him, moving at a glacial pace, "I don't mean to be offensive or anything. But we look really, really stupid right now."

And they did. Jomei was draped in yards of green fabric that hung around him like some man-sized chrysalis. Likewise, Lessa's arms dangled like a pair of limp noodles - it was nothing short of a miracle that she managed to maintain her hold on her sword. 

Her sword!

It shouldn't take too much effort to swing herself up, slashing at the rope with the blade, and freeing her ankles from the vine's hold. Right? If she could fight bosses, scale floating towers, and demonstrate fantastical feats physical strength, she could absolutely do a single situp. Giving herself only a second to muster her courage and strength, she then did her best to hinge at the waist, her blade arching through the air... and coming nowhere close to the vine. "Yeah no," Lessa admitted on a hard exhale. "I guess the game system can't work miracles." She swayed there for a second longer, doing her best impression of a deer on a buck pole. Finally, she concluded with, "Remind me to look into Crossfit when we get out of here."

Craning her neck to avoid staring at Jomei's groin, a new, slightly better idea came to her. "You're lower than I am," Captain Obvious stated. "Do you mind if I-? Er, sorry. Hold on, I'll just-" Wrapping one arm around Jomei's leg, Lessa (carefully) tugged herself upright just enough to get her sword pressed to his vine. "I'm going to cut you down first. It's probably going to be a rough landing." With a hollered "sorry!", she slashed at his binding, and felt him slide out of her grasp.