Lessa

A soft "oh" escaped Lessa as Baldur tugged her in for an unexpected hug. Why had the gesture surprised her so much? Baldur had been one of the first in Aincrad to embrace her, so it shouldn't startle her now. Still, given the years that had rolled out between them, she found herself endlessly wondering where she stood with him. Based on the hug, nothing had changed. Why did she feel the need to overanalyze where he was concerned? Why did her brain insist on sabotaging something so genuine and simple as their friendship?

So the woman simply wrapped her arms around him and returned the hug. See? Simple.

Only once they had drawn apart again did she hit him with the lopsided grin. "Familiar and old does do a very nice job of describing you, though," she teased, despite Baldur's warning. "You know, if you decide to write an autobiography after we get out of here, you might consider it for a title."

At his comment, she tilted her head slightly, the expression going a bit sheepish. "Well," she began slowly, "the truth is that I didn't really need you, or need anything, for that matter. I just..." her voice trailed, and she rolled her hand in the air as if to catch the words amid the snowflakes. "Well, I guess I just wanted to let myself fall back into the past for a little while. There's so much happening right now, with the upcoming floor boss battle, and all of the changes in my life." Her hands plunged back into her pockets, and her gloved fingers toyed with the seam while she thought on it. "I'm happy with where things are at, definitely. So it's not that I want to go back to the past, I just want to..." she blew out a breath, and decided on, "remember it, I guess. I don't want to forget it. I like to remind myself of how far I've come."

In spite of herself, Lessa gave a quick laugh. "I'm just sentimental, I guess. Though I will admit, life was a little simpler when I just hid in the mountains and didn't interact with anyone."

Lips drawn in a paper-thin line, Lessa carefully reeled her hook back in. "I normally try not to complain about this stuff too much," she began absently, easing her rig back over the edge of the rickety boat. "The quests, I mean. We're stuck here, and we can actually die, so there's already enough to be upset about. Why gripe about other stuff?" Even as she spoke the words, the blonde scowled at the damp line now draped across her lap. "But I'm going to complain about this one. This is ridiculous. They give us a boat that will probably kill us before some mob ever does. And speaking of the mob, how are we meant to fight something we can't even catch first?"

Annoyance flashed in those lake-blue eyes as she carelessly flicked the apparatus back into the water, shattering the mirror-like surface. "It wouldn't surprise me if this thing has a hidden time limit or something. 'Better catch the fish before the boat fills with water and you sink,' or something like that. Well I hope it hurries, because-"

One moment, Lessa was sitting on the bench in the slowly-sinking rowboat. The next, she was gone, yanked sharply by the fishing line, and sent sailing into the water. 

Attempts to fish up «Mōretsuna». [188076] CD: 8 +2 (fishing skill) = 8. > 9 Success!

"No, I don't want to stand up either," Lessa agreed, wincing as water splashed over the rowboat's edge. "I really don't think we're supposed to be sitting this low in the water." Slowly, delicately, she leaned to the side. The caution with which she studied the water was akin to a woman looking over a ledge into a canyon. "Sinking may actually be a real concern." She grit her teeth as the boat shifted beneath her when she settled back onto the bench. "I really hate this."

Drawn as tight as a taut bowstring, Lessa eased the second fishing pole up off the wet floor. Muscles tight, she did her best to cast without making any unnecessary movements. The result was a sort of awkward spasm, and the hook splashed down only a foot away. "That was awful," she observed. Then, with a quick sigh, she added, "I actually have the fishing skill, though you wouldn't know it from this whole situation. I just can't really do anything without feeling like I'll flip us over."

Frowning, she stared at her bobber. It rose and fell with the ripples their rickety boat continued to  make, but showed no indication of being yanked downward. "I'm going to assume this one is a dud."

Attempts to fish up «Mōretsuna». [188073] CD: 6 +2 (fishing skill) = 8. < 9 Fail.

"That was a bust," Lessa declared a short time later. While they had succeeded in slaying the two wolves, they had been unable to locate a single material afterward. Perhaps she was just too impatient, or maybe the area was already picked over. But after a while, the roar of the river had lost it's hold on Lessa. Besides, she was covered in sweat, and nearly smelled as bad as Riker did. Nearly.

With a nod of her head, the Guardian gestured back toward the teleportation plaza. "Let's head back," she told her familiar. "I'll take a shower, and maybe find somewhere to hose you down. Then we could go grab some dinner, and-"

Lessa fell silent as her eyes met and held those of a snow-white stag. It gazed silently back at her, big blue eyes far more captivating than even the river had been. Where did it come from? Lessa thought distantly. Suddenly, she wondered how anyone could possibly kill something so magnificent, even for a delicious meal.

Then it was gone.

After a pause, Lessa blew out a breath, and slowly shook her head. "Wild," she whispered, before heading back home again.

[188043] LD: 9 Failed to find mat.

Thread Summary

Kityuisa receives:
400 EXP

Lessa receives:
400 EXP
4400 Col
6 Mats
1 Rare Armor/Shield
1 Rare Consumable
1 Rare Weapon

After another few minutes of fruitless (or rather, matless) searching, Lessa heaved a sigh. "Nope," she announced, "I'm still as terrible as ever. And it looks like you're just as bad at it as I am." If he had heard her, which she was quite certain he had, Riker did not show it. Instead, he flopped over onto his side. Then, with a groan, he rolled over onto his back and rolled with the careless abandon of a golden retriever puppy.

"Are you serious?" she found herself asking again, though this time more amused than frustrated. Of course, that amusement quickly faded when she noticed the pile of dark leaves beneath her wolf familiar. In his frenzied rolling, he had flattened them to the ground. "What in the world are you rolling in?" Lessa grimaced, then waved her hand as if to chase away the smell. "I swear, I'll make you sleep outside tonight." When he paused to gaze mournfully at her, still balanced on his back, she shook her head. "I'm serious."

[188042] LD: 10. Failed to find mat.

As Lessa and her not so trusty sidekick picked their way along the river, the water continued to rush past with a thundering roar. "It's something, huh?" the woman asked her companion, pausing to study it for a moment. Even as she reached up to drag the back of her hand across her sweaty brow, she appreciated the raw power of the natural wonder. The trip to the hot, sticky jungle may have made her sweat, and required her to go out in the heat she so hated. But time beside the river made it worth it.

Likely less enthused with and enchanted by the rapids, Riker continued to sniff around at the base of nearby tree trunks. "I hope you're having more luck than I am," she told him, regretfully tearing her gaze from the river to focus again on the hunt. "I swear, I'm the worst at gathering materials. I can never see them buried in the dirt, or hidden by the grass."

[188040] LD: 9. Failed to find mat.

The moment her enemy's health dropped to zero, and it exploded into shimmering pixels, Riker came trotting out of a cluster of nearby trees. "Are you serious?" the woman asked, exasperation evident on her face and in her tone. "I was just fighting. You know, that thing you were supposed to help me out with? Where were you anyway?"

Her wolf familiar only stared at her, a single, bushy eyebrow lifted. Lessa might have sworn that Riker was questioning her annoyance. If he could speak, he might have said something along the lines of did you really expect me to fight my own kind? To which Lessa would have responded with yes. Of course, considering her familiar was incapable of human speech, the point was likely moot.

"Alright, fine," the swordswoman muttered, pausing to glance at the loot she had acquired. "You can make it up to me by helping me look for mats. I could use a few more in the shop."

[188039] LD: 7 Failed to find mat.

Alright big boy, she thought, glaring at the wolf as it prepared for another assault. Let's end this quickly, so I can get a move on. Lessa took a deep breath, readying herself for what she hoped would be the final strike, and was startled to find the action a little more difficult than before. A quick glance at her health bar revealed it was still green, with little more than a sliver shaved off. But a different number drew her attention. Shit, the woman swore silently, though there was no one around to hear if she had done so out loud. I haven't been paying enough attention to my energy. She supposed that was the price one paid when entering a battle in a party and finishing it alone. 

"Definitely have to make this the last one."

For their final meeting, both the wolf and Lessa managed to deal damage. However, when the former burst into data, it became apparent that Lessa was the victor.

"One more," Lessa muttered to herself, shifting the rose blade from one hand to the other. After so many years of using Hell Rose, and so many battles, she hardly noticed the hefty weapons weight. Instead, it simply felt like an extension of her own hand.

If the wolf even noticed the fall of it's companion, it gave no indication. Instead, the final beast trotted a couple steps closer, then halted, studying her with it's beady eyes. It stood, hackles raised, tail bushy and extended directly behind it. "Final standoff, huh?" the swordswoman mused. "You and me. Your buddy is dead, mine... ran off somewhere." She poured energy into the weapon, watching it glow brighter with each passing second. "That's fine with me."

They clashed once more, but this time, her opponent failed to land a return blow. The force from her two handed straight sword sent the wolf reeling, and it bounded back a few steps to recover before trying again.

"Right?" Lessa agreed, eyes wide with an odd mix of amusement and horror as she watched the two wolves get acquainted. "I thought I was being pretty unoriginal when I tamed a wolf. I assumed they were a really popular choice, and that everyone would have them. Little did I know, I'd only meet a couple more in all the years I've been here." She paused a moment, then loosed a quick shrug. "Though I suppose when your familiar can be a little demon, or a two-headed dragon, or a ghost thing, a plain-old wolf isn't as appealing." As if offended, Riker turned his enormous amber eyes her direction, and she gave a quick laugh. "I still find you super appealing though, don't worry."

At Koga's question, she nodded. "Yeah, we'd love to have you. I'd especially enjoy the company. Unlike Riker, I'm not really the lone-wolf sort. At least, not recently. After a long time living the hermit life, it feels good to get out and meet new people." Sheepishly, she added, "Which doesn't really explain why I was wandering an abandoned ruin, but I'm glad to have found you nonetheless."

"Yup," Lessa agreed, her voice bereft of any enthusiasm. "There it is."

The boat, if it could even be called that anymore, listed slightly to the right. An inch of standing water already graced the bottom, and she shuddered to think of exactly where it had entered from. Likely not a recent rainfall, so unless someone was sneaking around dumping water into boats, this one had a leak. Of course it had a leak. 

"Full disclosure," the woman began, reaching back to rub at the base of her neck, "I cheated on my boater's safety test. It was a requirement for gym class, but the test was online at home, so what was I supposed to do?" She winced as she studied their vessel once more. Did it only have one oar? "So I looked up all the answers. It's not like I was going to be operating a boat anytime soon anyway." The dock's ancient wood groaned in protest as she hesitantly shifted her weight onto it. "All this to say, I will be no help if this goes south."

She chanced a forced smile, but it did little to improve the situation. So Lessa carefully picked her way toward the boat, then eased into it as delicately as possible. Water sloshed on both sides, and she might have sworn more accumulated around her boots. Even Riker, who daintily stepped in behind her, seemed more apprehensive than usual. Finally, she turned to face her companion. "Alright, Kobold, whenever you're ready. I guess we'll just paddle canoe-style with this one oar."

"You know Alkor?" She heard herself saying the words before she realized what was happening. Why had that fact surprised her so much? It wasn't as if Alkor didn't interact with other people. She just... had never met anyone else who knew him. Aincrad was getting smaller and smaller every day, it seemed.

So she schooled her expression into something more nonchalant, then slid her plate closer after the bartender dropped it off. "Questing and fishing, huh?" she asked casually, gently tearing the crust off of her grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She folded it into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed before commenting, "I guess it sounds like you guys have spent a lot of time together. That's-" What was it, exactly? Nice? Surprising? Fun? "-good. I'm glad he's getting out there and spending time with people."

Lessa shifted to the next side of the sandwich, absently tearing at the crust as she thought on her words. Then, carefully, she asked, "Did he seem okay to you? I mean, as okay as someone can be in this place. Things have been sort of weird between us, though I think we're slowly working on it. I guess, well, I just wanted to make sure he was doing okay."

Thread Summary

Lessa and Hik both receive:
600 EXP and 200 Col

Lessa receives:
Demonic Sword Gram [DMG|DMG|HM|HM] T2 Demonic 2HSS

His entrance was a dramatic one, even if he had not intended it that way. Something about Baldur simply commanded attention, and so simply showing up meant "making an entrance." In this instance, his blue and white haori seemed to simply materialize among the ever-shifting curtain of snow. Today, Mother Nature herself had contributed to his flashy arrival. Or, more appropriately, whoever had coded the weather on the fourth floor, had. Aincrad was tricky that way.

When his greeting reached her, the blonde broke into a grin. "Ohayo yourself," she responded, expression and words warm enough to melt the mounds of snow. Immediately, she noticed the way his glacier-blue eyes scanned the ground at her feet. Only after a quick laugh did she correct him. "Riker's actually not here today. He's back at Manderley. I told him we were going to the fourth floor, and he tried to climb under my couch." The blonde planted her hands on her hips, then shook her head slowly from side to side. "I’m sure he'll be disappointed that he missed you, and whatever snack I'd be willing to bet you brought him."

"Fishing, huh?" With a quick jerk of her head, she motioned toward the frozen lake. "I hope your spot isn't quite so frozen, unless ice fishing is more your speed these days." As soon as the words left her mouth, a sudden curiosity overcame her. "Come to think of it, can you ice fish? I honestly can't believe I've been here this long and never asked myself that."

She was rambling, and she knew it. Funny, how time with one of her oldest friends could bring out the more social side of her. Baldur had not exactly torn down the walls Lessa had built during her hermit years, but he had a fascinating way of simply phasing right through them. Her own personal Danny Phantom.

So rather than feeling embarrassed by the outpouring of words, she simply shifted to nudge him with her elbow. "Thank you for coming when I messaged you. I know we had that quest a while back, but it's still really, really nice to see you. I was hoping maybe we could just talk a bit, if that's okay." Finally pausing, she looked out over the spot they had visited together so many times. "Not really sure what possessed me to come back out here, but I figured it was only right that you be here, too."

When no other Players claimed the final hit, Lessa lifted a gauntlet-clad hand. “I guess I volunteer as tribute,” she stated, then paused to roll her shoulders beneath her heavy armor. The battle was proving far more straight-forward than she had anticipated, and their little party was doing a fantastic job whittling away at the boss’ health. Lessa never could have imagined that they would have him down to nothing in only a couple of attacks each. Would their luck hold, or was this TOO easy, and a signal that things would only get harder?

Hefting Scarecrow’s Sickle up to eye level again, the blonde poured energy into the blade. Only when it burned as hot as the ore in her forge did she explode forward, slashing wildly. In a heartbeat, Hrym’s health plunged into the negative. Now it was his turn to explode, showering Lessa with bits of shimmering data. “Got ‘im,” she exclaimed, grinning.

At the mention of his lost unique skill, Lessa shook her head. "Geeze," she muttered softly, "I am so sorry. I know how rare those are, and how important they are to the people they have them. From what I've seen, they really become a part of your identity. Losing it must feel like..." She waved a hand through the air, as if to pluck the missing words from the falling snowflakes. "... losing a part of yourself, I guess. That must have been really difficult."

She leaned back a bit, crossing her ankles, and studying her snow-dusted snowboots. "Retirement sounds nice though," she commented. "Especially after all that you've been through. If working with the information brokers makes you happy, I definitely think you should do it. And a cafe sounds amazing, too." Holding up her cup of hot chocolate, the blonde nodded to it. "I'm not much a coffee drinker, and normally go for the hot chocolate and the sweet drinks. But I'd still like to visit your place, once it's up and running. And I'd definitely like to chase some of those rumors you find. That's an aspect of life in Aincrad I haven't thought too much about, but it sounds like a nice break from the fighting."

There was a finality in Hikoru's words, and her own had inadvertently reflected it. Their conversation was beginning to draw to a natural close. "This has been nice," Lessa admitted finally. "Seeing Gram again, I mean, but also just talking with you. You've given me a lot to think about. Thank you for that."

"Gatekeeper of Fire," Lessa read aloud, studying the new quest prompt. The popup had populated in front of her face without warning, nearly startling a squeak out of her. She had never even heard of the quest, let alone received a request to take it. I guess this is what I get for avoiding the ninth floor like the plague. The ninth floor had volcanoes. Volcanoes were hot. Lessa hated hot.

She had half a mind to simply reject the proposal and run back to the teleportation gate. The shop she had visited had been a bust, so what other reason did she have to remain on the hellish floor? But something about the unknown quest intrigued her. Besides, what else did she have planned today? Bahr and Baldur, her go-to quest partners, had likely already taken this one (it seemed that they had taken them all). Maybe someone else from Tarot? Of course. If there was anyone who hadn't already completed Gatekeeper of Fire, it was the guy who had lost a few years to the void.

Pausing, Lessa composed a quick message to Alkor, sharing the quest details with him, and inviting him to join her.

Not strong enough to do a floor raid, at that level? Lessa opened her mouth to protest, then paused while Chase continued. Oh, that makes sense. "I've only fought in one floor raid," she admitted after a moment. The woman studied her empty cocktail glass for a beat, then continued. "I won't lie to you, it was horrifying. In the beginning, things were actually going better than I'd expected. Then the boss acted unpredictably, and I watched it 'eat' my best friend." With the word eat, she motioned with two fingers. "Air quotes because it was actually a weird teleportation glitch, and he ended up living through it. But god, if that's not the definition of chaotic, I don't know what is. Total loss of control."

After another few seconds, she concluded, "So I can understand why you might not want to join the Frontliners. I haven't been back since. But I've started considering it, personally. After all this time, I'm starting to think that maybe lack of control is a small price to pay for getting out of here, y'know?"

A couple of raised voices from down the bar caused a natural pause in their conversation. Only when the men had quieted, their short-lived argument satisfied, did Lessa speak again. "I understand, though. The being lonely, and the looking for distractions. I only have a couple of friends, too." Her voice grew softer as she said, "Even then, some days are harder than others."

Lessa nodded along slowly, listening to Hikoru speak as the snow fell silently around them. When he'd finished, she said, "Vale sounds like a pretty spectacular woman." Then, a little softer, she added, "I'm really sorry that you lost her." Letting her gaze drop to her gloved hands, and the steaming cup of hot chocolate clutched there, the blonde gave a small sigh. "I know how hard it is to have people simply disappear on you. You start to wonder if it was you, and something that you did. But it so rarely is, when you really look at it. At least, from my own experience." After a pause, Lessa looked back to Hikoru with a soft smile. "Honestly, I think it's her loss. You seem like a pretty spectacular guy, too. I hope you find someone to fill the void she left behind."

With that out of the way, she looked back to Gram. "I've heard similar stories, about demons in blades. My Scarecrow Sickle is actually supposed to have a similar quirk, though I haven't experienced it myself yet. I also never noticed it when I used Gram, but like I said, I didn't have it for very long." 

Finally, she asked, "Why won't you be able to keep your promise?"

Thread Summary

Calculated via Word Count
Jomei: 4050/50 = 81*(3*3)= 729 EXP
Document for Word Density Check

Calculated via Standard Thread Rewards
Lessa: 200*3 = 600 EXP

Jomei - 729 EXP & 200 Col
Lessa - 600 EXP & 200 Col

Current Level: 65
Current SP: 318
Link to SP Tracking: [link]
Item Upgrades:

Notes:
- You may need to click over to the "threads" tab in my spreadsheet to see my SP tracking.
- Hell Rose was made a million years ago, before IDs and rolling. This link will show you were it was last approved by staff. If you need more information, please let me know.
- Likewise, Scarecrow's Sickle was an event reward. This link will show you when it came into creation. It was won by Zelrius, who shared it with Ssendom via shared inventory, who gave it to Macradon, who gave it to Bahr, who gave it to me. The original slot of bleed was rerolled to phase here. Again, let me know if you need more here.
- Finally, my third sword was acquired in this post.

Everyone also receives: 60,000 Col
As a reminder, the rewards were:
7 SP + 1 SP per 3 posts or 5,000 EXP + 600 EXP per 3 posts
(This has all been accounted for in the above table.)

All rewards may be claimed from this point forward.
Col will be sent out shortly.
EXP will be sent out shortly (after you've been converted, to avoid confusion).
Note: This includes rewards for boss team, at the standard 1 SP per 3 posts. They are exempt from col unless the participated as a Player.

@Shield@Raidou@Haine@Baldur@NIGHT@Kiluia Seiko@Ariel - The Crowned Lion@Calrex@Zandra@Itzal@Freyd@Macradon@ChaseR@Mari@Hidden@Jomei@Zajcica@Morgenstern@Bahr@Crozeph@Arabelle@Axios Deminence

"Seventy seven?" Lessa nearly choked on the words, and had to fight to regain her composure. "That's, uh, impressive," she finally managed, pausing to shove her blonde hair back from her increasingly reddening face. "I haven't met too many people who are that high up there, so you should feel pretty good about where you're at." Dragging the short glass to her lips, she downed the last of the cocktail, and nearly choked again on an ice cube. As quietly and politely as possible, she chomped it into manageable pieces, then swallowed. "Kind of makes me feel bad," she admitted once she'd replaced the empty cup. "I've watched people go shooting by me in terms of level. I know that isn't the only thing that's important, but it's something I still think about, y'know?" Shifting on her barstool, she considered the other things her new acquaintance had said. "And nearly done with the quests? That's crazy. I've, uh, only done a few myself. They've just never really been to high on my to-do list, with everything else going on."

Somewhat distracted now, she flagged the bartender with a wave of her hand and a quick smile. "Grilled peanut butter and jelly please," she ordered, then caught herself. "Er, make that two. Thanks so much."

On 4/2/2021 at 3:23 AM, NIGHT said:

Current Level: 87
Current SP: 526
Link to SP Tracking: [link]
Item Upgrades: 

2.6 | PRE-CONVERSION	3.0 | UPGRADED
ITEM #1 Jack's Executioner  | TIER 3 DEMONIC 2HSS | BURN | BLIGHT II | BLEED  | Obtained during the Halloween Event, Oct 2019. | >>  | Re-identification rolls: #152158, #152160, #152161, #152162  | Halloween Sticker used. Reroll Ticket (2) used.  | A black greatsword with a rusty texture. The rain guard appears to be larger and has more spikes along its side than necessary. Along its bevels at the center are streaks of orange, befitting of Halloween.	Jack's Executioner  | TIER 4 DEMONIC 2HSS | BLIGHT | BLEED | FROSTBITE | STATIC  | A black greatsword with a rusty texture. It poses a large rain guard with spikes running along its sides. Along its bevels at the center are streaks of orange, befitting of Halloween.
ITEM #2 Tsukuyomi's Odachi (Alpha)  | TIER 3 PERFECT 2HSS | FALLEN | ACCURACY II  | Item ID: #163222a  | Identification rolls: #165152, #165153, #165154  | This odachi came in a dark wooden case alongside its replica, only scarcely bordered by a sheet of glass above it. A dark steel blade laced with red and white etchings, the sword is slightly curved around its length, with a marking of a crescent moon near near its guard. It's incredibly ornate, making it difficult to wield with practicality.	Tsukuyomi's Odachi (Alpha)  | TIER 4 PERFECT 2HSS | FALLEN | ACCURACY II   | This odachi came in a dark wooden case alongside its replica, only scarcely bordered by a sheet of glass above it. A dark steel blade laced with red and white etchings, the sword is slightly curved around its length, with a marking of a crescent moon near near its guard. It's incredibly ornate, making it difficult to wield with practicality.
ITEM #3 Tsukuyomi's Odachi (Beta)  | TIER 3 PERFECT 2HSS | FALLEN | ACCURACY II  | Item ID: #162424  | Identification rolls: #165134, #165135, #165136  | This odachi came in a dark wooden case alongside its replica, only scarcely bordered by a sheet of glass above it. A dark steel blade laced with red and white etchings, the sword is slightly curved around its length, with a marking of a crescent moon near near its guard. It's incredibly ornate, making it difficult to wield with practicality.	Tsukuyomi's Odachi (Beta)  | TIER 4 PERFECT 2HSS | FALLEN | ACCURACY II   | This odachi came in a dark wooden case alongside its replica, only scarcely bordered by a sheet of glass above it. A dark steel blade laced with red and white etchings, the sword is slightly curved around its length, with a marking of a crescent moon near near its guard. It's incredibly ornate, making it difficult to wield with practicality.

Notes:

Submitting the following item for re-evaluation:

Reminiscing The Lord  | TIER 1 PERFECT HEAVY ARMOR | MITIGATION II | PARALYTIC VENOM  | Acquisition ID: #128443  | Obtained during the Halloween Event, Oct 2019. | >>  | [item has no description.]

Reminiscing The Lord  | TIER 1 PERFECT SHIELD | MITIGATION II | PARALYTIC VENOM  | A dark tower shield crafted out of steel. Orange and cyan accents decorate this piece around its frame, and a skull at the bulwark's center occassionally flashes with light, striking fear into the heart of its opponents.

 

NIGHT | Approved.

• Total EXP: 654250
• Total SP: 210
• Current Level: 31
• Paragon Level: 57
• Unlocked Paragon Rewards:
  • Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 10% of EXP earned in that thread.
  • Lv. 10 | +3% EXP Gain.
  • Lv. 25 | Gleaming Scale (3), Equipment Change Ticket (1), Free SP Reset (1)
  • Lv. 50 | Custom Sword Art/Skill Creation.
• Notes: None

Considering Lessa's strong people skills, it was exceedingly rare that she found herself at a complete loss for words. This was one of those moments. Unable to do anything but gape, her wide-eyed gaze shifted from the sword, to Hikoru, then back again. "Demonic Gram," she finally managed, each word an awed whisper. "How did - where did - but - why?" Finally, her eyes came to rest on the other player's face. "I had that sword, a long time ago. Dom gave it to me, at the Azure Brigade holiday party." The woman leaned back a bit, expression going dreamy as she went back to that time. "I honestly haven't though about those days in ages," she finally admitted.

Reaching back, she raked her fingers through her long blonde hair, then heaved a sigh. "Anyway, I used the sword for a while, and then it just disappeared from my inventory. It was the first demonic anything I had ever owned, so I just assumed it had some magical properties or something." She paused to loose a quick, humorless laugh, then shook her head slowly. "I have no idea what happened, but it got to you. And now it's found it's way back to me."

While her fingers itched to reach out and take the weapon, or at the very least touch it, she refrained. Instead, she tilted her head as she studied the man through the lightly falling snow. "Would you mind telling me about Vale, and what she did with the sword? I'm really curious about its history."