Mari

post action: Talk to Giovanna and get the <<Cursed Compass>> A new update - Cardinal must be desperate, or perhaps it was the players that were and out of that desperation the systems and AIs that represented their digital prison in turn gave each player the option to take on all the professions, all the gathering, in its entirety. Mari wasn't crazy enough to take on everything. Who in their right mind would be? That kind of person must have very little free time, or perhaps they were just that kind of dedicated gamer - the ones who did all the quests, and all the achievements

Weren't these battles supposed to be electrically charged? With that certain energy of desperation in the air as everyone clung to the hopes of escape? The mantra, one more floor...one more boss...Why was that feeling missing here? Without warning Mari was hit with a sense of vertigo, she had to steady herself as darkness encroached on her vision. It was as though everything became dull, and dark - shadowed nothingness. It reminded Mari of the void, and oh how intimately familiar with that had she been lately - so this? This seemed like a paltry party trick on comparison. "Pathetic..."

. "Maybe one day you can add either of us to your list of people you trust." "Maybeh...." Mari muttered as Katoka pulled Mari along and helped her into the carriage. Mari trusted very few people. She could count them on one hand - even then, most of those people she couldn't trust with much. Freyd...Raidou - okay. Two. Two people fit that category. At least it was better than none. “I should have suspected. Freyd always has a way out, doesn’t he?” Mari laughed, "hahah....yeh..." She spoke warmly, recalling the memory. "Yeh...he does...that'sh jush how he ish.. I worry fer

♪ ♫ ♬ Mari saw that look on Freyds face. The tightening of his jaw. The way his cerulean eyes bore into her as if to say ‘this is not over’ a look that screamed silently at her. It felt like something deep within her chest snapped at the sheer weight of that look. Memories of her Gemini telling her that Freyd was sick of her bullshit. Was Akir right? Was this it? It wasn’t just anger behind his eyes. It was disappointment, frustration, curiosity. Questioning. Was she worth it? And was she? It tore at her more than any blade could. It hurt. It hurt Mari’s heart to see someone

Mari forgot how easily Yuki could be shaken. The woman still seemed to struggle to gain whatever resolve or belief she had in herself. In the past Mari would have continued to bring Yuki up, offer her positive platitudes. But not right now. Mari was tired. She wasn't going to bend over backwards to please everyone anymore. Still, Mari listened with sympathy as she drained her cup of the remnants of tea. "Experiencing near death for the first time is always a daunting experience that stays with you." Mari hadn't really spoken from experience, each time she had been close to death in the past sh

Mari taped her finger on the table, thinking of all the different people within Aincrad - their experiences and their relationships. Her own (Or lack thereof) included. "Over half the people in here are emotionally stunted hikikomori's - I wouldn't worry about what they think." She said simply. Choosing simple candor over any placating words of comfort. Yuki was a tough girl, she'd be able to handle it. Mari hadn't eaten much of the meal before her, not because she didn't enjoy it but because she had a large breakfast. Something that was an odd thing for the woman. She wasn't used to this much

The look on Freyd's face said it all. He was unimpressed, a seething fire smouldered behind those calm blue eyes. His was was stoic almost pleasant to others. But Freyd's jaw clenched and Mari could tell he was doing his best to be amicable. Mari shifted subtly, leaning her weight back into Lancaster as she placed a hand upon his chest. Mari could feel his erractic heart, thumping as though it would burst. - "He's trying." Mari said. As if to prove a point Mari reached into Lancasters pack and pulled a single cigarette free. She twirled it between thumb and forefinger. With a casual flick she

With the two safely inside Mari stowed her weapon. Another glance out the window to check if anyone was there. If he was followed, if he was being chased. "Fuck it." Mari hadn't expected it. Lancaster ripped off his rings, one by one. As he did Mari glanced down at the one he had given her. She fiddled with it. Unlike him, she had no need to take it off. It comforted her. It saved her during a time where she wasn't sure she'd be able to drag herself back. The act was brash, in typical Lancaster fashion. But it spoke volumes to the woman. Mari reached out and squeezed his hand. It fe

“Shit, girl. You lie to yourself far better than I ever could! Always have. Always will.” Mari wasn’t lying though. She did have that control. In the past she’d have ignored Freyd’s wishes. In the past she’d have mass produced them and sold them to the highest bidder. She had changed. And she DID have control. “You’re wrong…” Mari breathed ,her words barely a whisper. “You’re so wrong..” Was she saying that to herself? Or her gemini? The woman groaned - her head was heavy, thoughts muddled. She thought she had this, they had planned for this - so why was everything unraveling so? A

The moment was broken, and not by the pudgy bird-thing. Lancaster was here. Mari’s head shot to her window, brows furrowed in deep riddled concern. Something wasn’t right. Mari turned back to Freyd. “I won’t let him attack you.” Mari said firmly. She desperately wanted to run outside the moment she heard Lancaster cry out. There was something completely off kilter and desperate in his tone. Raw. It twisted her gut with concern. Her head fell as her gaze landed on the floor. “He’s in trouble.” When Freyd had invited Lancaster over, Mari had a feeling he wouldn’t just waltz into Mari’s home

Her Gemini screamed in a burning rage; trying to slash at Mari but missed her by a hairs breadth as Mari crumbled to the floor coughing. Mari had to keep moving. Her entire body screamed at her for rest but she couldn’t. If she failed here there was no telling what the embodiment of all the bile and venom she had built up over the years would do. It’d target those closest to her. Freyd. Lancaster. Raidou. No. Mari tried to push herself back to her feet, a shaking hand nursing the stump on her arm. Just stand..just stand.. The Gemini’s form shifted - matching the plague outfit Mari woul

Mari nodded, feeling weary. "Yeh but....I still have things I want to talk about." She persisted, as though she didn't want this moment between them to end, a world all of their own tucked away in the depths of some unknown dungeon, a chance to truly speak to each other and just let everything be known. She protested against her own bodies weariness. "Like..." Mari rubbed her eyes, getting distracted as the bird ruffled its feathers, causing a flurry of down and damper to shower her. Mari sneezed. "I feel like you've earned yours too yanno." His happiness. That is. Now Mari had a moment she di

"Simple, you don't need them here. They are a proxy created solely to remind you that you still breathe. Something tangible like a tether to reality." Th “Ah.” That made sense. Raidou continued to explain it as Mari let the necklace go, it fell back against his chest and out of sight. Mari shifted, finding a place to lie her back down on the table. It was similar to Freyd using the void to step around. He had some sort of tether too didn’t he? As convenient as these tools were, there was an unspoken insidious side to them. Getting trapped in between everything would be…dire. With no need

“Ah, um, my hand just slipped on the door. Also, it was getting a little hot in the carriage. Just a lot of heat. That’s my bad.” Mari waved Arcanthus off, “Dun worry…dun worry.” She didn’t want to make the brunette uncomfortable. Mari pointed at the bottle of snake whiskey. “Can I?” She was beginning to sober up a little too much for her liking. Arcanthus nodded and passed it to her. Mari threw her head back and drank. Bitter it wasn’t like most whiskeys she enjoyed. This one was oaky, maybe a little too much peat for her liking. “Erhhh…soso.” Mari slurred as she passed the bottle back.

"What's the matter, Mari? Evelyn got your tongue?" “Funny..” Mari coughed. “You keep bringing her up, as if that’s your only weapon against me.” Her daughter had been used against her so many times in the past, that the name coming from her Gemini was just reciprocated with a dull numbing pain of longing. Nothing else. No anger, no overwhelming guilt. Was that…a good thing? Mari wasn’t sure but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. A foot lifted. Mari rolled onto her back only to have the foot come down hard on her sternum. Mari felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, she coughed.

A flash of steel, oozing with black miasma that hissed as it dripped from her weapon and hit the ground. Acrid blight and noxious venom. As it all too easily found its target, and out from the shadows stepped a figure adorned in flickering orange - almost as though she was an ember threatening to ignite. Mari didn't bother going back into the shadows, the rest of them peeled off her as they sunk bank into the ground in languid drips. Mari stood where she had struck the ripper, head tilted to the side as she watched it squirm beneath the weight of blight, and its own body - paralyzed. Unab

Mari waited for the thermos to refill itself before grabbing it to drink, her throat felt dry - and her limbs still felt heavy after the constantly loaded conversation the two seemed to be delving into. Mari swished the slightly bitter tea in her mouth before swallowing. "I know." She said when Raidou said he'd be put in greater danger. "It's partially why I don't plan on talking about him. I'm not ashamed of him. I don't care who knows me, who judges me." She felt like she was repeating herself but it was statement that remained true, that she was adamant about. "But I do care about him. Simp

“This is delicious, Mari. Thank you for inviting me here, and for this wonderful meal. It means a lot to me.” "Eheh! Thank you." Mari picked up her plate, the still half eaten food on it then his empty one. "It's actually one of my favourite things to make, its a big comfort meal for me. I wanted to share that with you. Ahh... I did have some Ciabatta but I guess I forgot to serve it up, if you're still hungry let me know. I'll cut some up. K?" Despite the rough conversation Mari seemed to have relaxed a little more. The hard parts were over. He was still here, and that meant enough for

“People? You mean players, not NPCs.” "Naturally." Mari said in a matter-of-factly tone. "I wouldn't have hesitated to attack them front of if they were NPCs. Why bother disarming NPCs? Why go through all that extra effort to preserve their life when they wake up the next day when they fall? People don't do that Freyd." Mari sighed as she pushed her half eaten meal away, not hungry anymore. "That's the problem. People don't..come back" She knew her and Freyd hadn't agreed on the matter. Mari used to not have such a disdain for NPCs...but after all she had been through, all she had lost -

Mari watched as he would transcribe information, almost meticulously so...she used to do something similar. When did she stop doing that? Mari shut her eyes. Right...probably around the time she watched Alkor die. She spiraled bad after that. Then, she simply didn't have the time to sit and record information, too busy being hunted and vilified. Justly so, but - Mari lifted her head from his shoulder and started to go through her inventory, wondering if she still had it. "You're not wrong, only someone with zero sense would dive every morning into an extremely dangerous hole in the ground

Rank 7 - High Mentor Alchemist: 827 EXP Before crafts can i remember how to craft healign crystals lets find out ID:248076: CD: 5 LD:2 Salvage +2 EXP -2 Materials ID:248077: CD: 9 LD:13 Rare item +5 EXP -2 materials ID:248078 CD: 2 LD: 3 FAIL +1 EXP -2 materials ID:248079 CD:9 LD: 9 Rare item + 5 Exp -2 materials ID:248080 CD:5 LD: 7 Fail +1 EXP -2 materials ID:248081 CD:11 LD:19 Rare Item +5 EXP -2 materials ID:248082 CD:9 LD:5 Rare Item +5 EXP -2 materials ID:2480843 CD: 10 LD:10

Mari sat there in the grass for a moment. Breathing in and out with shaky breaths, that was really hard. Mari knew she had anger issues but she thought she had most of them under control. The moment he even tried to threaten Lancaster though she just saw red - it took every ounce of willpower not to at least hurt the men who dare had the fucking audacity to think of touching… What. Was. Hers. As Mari sent off the message she stood and headed back to what was supposed to be her little reprieve. She picked up the rod and threw it in for one more cast off - almost immediately the telltale

“If you do…I wont hesitate. If you have any affiliation to the one who-” “Oh, Oh…what was your name again? Atticus?”” Mari asked, clearly pissed. The tone caused the man to take several steps back. Mari had to remind herself to not allow anyone to know that she and Lancaster had a connection. That wasn’t safe for him. She gave zero shits about her own reputation. It was already in the mud. “Won’t hesitate to what? Go on. Say it with your chest.” Another step toward him, and he- another step back. Mari dropped her fishing rod. Silent rumbling fury roiling beneath dangerously cal

“Whose askin?” Too many damn people knew her name lately. She was in jail for two years and had hoped she had mostly failed into obscurity, yet somehow it felt every other person knew her in some way or another. Mari tugged on the fishing rod and grabbed the dangling material crystal from the end of it. “I…thought you were dead.” He said quietly. Reserved. “No. Very much alive. So are you, and your friends. You pick fights like that with the wrong person though and you won’t be.” Mari sighed as she turned to face him. She had half a mind to burn that man bun right off his head.

Mari cast out her line in an attempt to not look so ‘dangerous’ Meanwhile Ben was trying to haul Andrew up and over his shoulder. “Y-You didn’t…kill him did you?” “If I did you’d not be carrying him.” Mari said flatly in response. “Get him out of here, I need to talk to her.” Atticus said, and Ben gave the tall blonde a small nod. And not so quietly, not so gracefully started to haul Andrew off. When the two were far enough away Mari breathed a sigh of relief. The main instigator was knocked out cold. Served him right. This is exactly what she was talking about with Freyd. These