Mari

“Well…” Mari said with the most heaviest of ever sighs, as she reached out to grab the empty hook that hung and swung from her fishing rod. “That’s what I get for not putting bait on it…” She said, even though she didn’t need to say a thing, it was as though she just had to say something to fill some sort of empty space. Anyway, Mari wrapped some bait around the hook and threw it out. After a few minutes the floater bobbed, dipped below the lakes surface. Mari could already tell what it was just by the weight of it, a material. It wouldn’t be much but it’d be something. She slowly reeled it in

Mari found herself drawn to this floor more and more often. If her workshop wasn't hidden away close to her house she may very well have moved her home here. There was also the matter of her pyromaniac beau. Having a house surrounded by snow is one thing; but having a house surrounded by very burnable trees? Might be a bit harder to contain their more passionate romps. Mari hadn't really had any particular place in mind - she simply just wanted to do something away from everything and everyone. Mari wasn't ever made to be a social person. Yet things constantly pushed her to be. Her batter

"Mari..." It was rare to see him in such a way. But in that moment Baldur looked exhausted. Maybe it was the way his shoulders slightly sagged, maybe it was the circles she had never noticed touching the corners of his weary eyes. Or that his smile never quite met his eyes in those moments. Had this always been the case and she not noticed? "You know the silly adage about pouring from an empty cup. But this guild, our friends, even Macradon." Baldur had a lot to say, so Mari kept quiet, listening. She picked her Geta up off the ground, dusting them off before placing t

"Shame you've had your fill of hot dogs, I was rather hoping we could fuck up every room in the house," Well. That was certainly a shift in topic. An attempt to lighten the mood? Or was he serious. Her eyes drifted up and down his body briefly, she never thought she'd find herself in such a position. To have someone so handsome shower her with attention? Right. Mari matched him, She positioned herself as she leaned over the table just so. Arms either side of her chest. Hair spilling over her shoulder. "Oscar." She began, almost in a chastising tone. "Don't make offers you can't fulfil

Lancaster messaged him? That seemed unlikely. The olive branch seemed less unlikely, the two didn't see eye to eye on core matters. Not only that but how did Lancaster even get the information to message Freyd in the first place? Things weren't quite adding up and she was being left out of the loop. It was frustrating. "I see..." Mari said quietly as she cut off another piece of the chicken, if not to just have something to do. She wished she could enjoy the meal as much as she used to but there was a deep feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach. "Something happened." Mari said. In ot

“Fishing huh?” Mari gave him a warm smile, shifting her gaze out the kitchen window to overlook the lake. “I’d…like that a lot.” His lingering gaze toward the basement did not go unnoticed. "If you really want to look. Go ahead, but I assure you it's literally a table in the middle of the room. I've yet to push it up against the wall, and a box of old notes from my shop. So I can try to keep track of things on a floor that doesn't...." She rolled her wrist. "Yanno, literally sap the mental strength from you." She pointed toward the basement as she knelt by the oven. "Go ahead. " An o

In here we can last forever without food, but the effects are... unpleasant." "Two months." Mari said quietly, shaking off her other sandal. It clattered against the first. She wanted to bring her knees up to her chest to hold herself tightly, but she couldn't. Not whilst wearing her Yukata. So she just sat there, her hands cold, fingers intertwining in each other. "Two months...without food." Mari repeated. It was the longest she had gone. Again, her own doing. Raidou gave her weekly rations but there was a particularly dark time where she was hoping she would have to eat and the game wo

"When we made this guild, we made four pillars for a reason. We all knew that people would step back for a time, so I expected this. Not everyone at once, mind you, but it was there because we knew that there is an ebb and flow to these things. We have good leaders now, and we will rebuild. We've already begun." "It's good that the guild's built back up. That new leaders were found." Mari closed her eyes. "In truth..." She started quietly. "I'm relieved. I don't think I could be a leader right now. I struggled back then. I kept having so much pressure thrown on me." It was hard to admit t

"Of course." As Baldur shifted to face toward her Mari sighed. A soft exhale as she slung herself back against the polished wood. Using her arms folded beneath her head as a makeshift pillow. He probably had so many questions... Maybe he'd even ask them in due time, but right now - he was giving her the floor...allowing herself to collect her thoughts. Mari didn't know where to start...maybe the beginning? That seemed about right. "Shield. Beat. Oikawa." Mari started. "They went missing." Mari paused. "You know what Oikawa did?" Mari would shift her gaze to the sunlight, filtered thr

HOME The last word sent with a sense of urgency and desperation. Where once stood a shabby cottage barely fit for one, now stood a larger home - made primarily out of various cut stone and mortar. Two stories loomed over a frozen lake. Nestled in the forests of the 4th floor. Hidden by a steep and looming mountainside the house would be near impossible to find if you were not specifically looking for it. And yet, here, in the middle of nowhere - in a freezing tundra - was home. A cherished home of brick and mortar glowing amid seas of white. Glass windows frosted to pro

."It's Ume-zing" Mari snorted at his pun. "Yer still a dork. It's nice to see that hasn't changed." Mari picked up her own small glass as he offered a warm hearted cheers before she emptied it, then in a fashion that was similar to Baldur - she refilled her own glass again. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, and made time for some girls day out. Connection is important to us in here." "Yeh..." Mari said softly. "Sometimes. I suppose it is." Mari had lost so many of her connections. Lost faith in so many people. Why was it that all those closest to her just up and left? It was hard

It was nice...there was no discussions of frontlines, no dwelling about tiny prison cells that had no sun. In that peaceful moment there was no such thing as a war effort. Of mobs and death. No monument of life. Just three friends enjoying each others company. Taking solace in the fact that after so many years they had finally been reunited. A quiet reprieve..in what would now forever be known as the strawberry yolo onsen. -End- Mari | [Word Count: 4499/10 = 449.9] * [True Tier: 9] * [Group Factor: 1] = 4049 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 607 col Macradon | [Word Count: 4499/10

"You have always been so hard on yourself, it's good to hear that you've made some connections that are truly yours rather than just your pasts'" Hoo boy, that hit the nail on the head more than he knew. Mari offered Baldur a cheeky grin. "Yeh. You could say something like that." She wouldn't go into further detail. Not now. "I was though...I think it drove me a little mad. Did...Shield ever tell you that conversation he and I had?" Mari paused, then continued - not waiting for her friend to respond. "How I didn't want to be here anymore." Words that were heavy, but spoken in a light tone

'FWEEET' A very loud discordant A-Flat pierced her ears, sharp and unapologetic as Baldur faltered. Mari couldn't help but laugh at the harsh sound. His surprise. "Oh! Good to see you Mari." Baldur stood up from where he sat and gave her a friendly bow of welcome. He was always so earnest and formal that way. The woman tilted her head ever so slightly to the side, a small soft and warm smile upon her lips. This. This was why things were hard. When she began to doubt, when she was questioning her position in the guild. Where she stood with him...with the front-lines, in a simple gestu

It had been almost a month since she was released from prison. In that time she had told herself she’d meet up with Baldur and have a long discussion numerous times. And yet each and every time she had been distracted. Getting drunk with Arcanthus and Katoka…that dark shinsengumi from the laughing coffin… Mari snorted in amusement. Somehow…both he an Baldur were similar. Two sides of the same coin. It was a shame really…they’d never meet, and if they did it would likely not end well. The dark shinsengumi’s words echoed in Mari’s mind. Tell those you love to stop seeking salva

Freyd stumbled slightly and Mari held him up with a jutted out elbow. She threw a gaze over her shoulder back at him. His goofy grin was all it took to calm her slight nerves over this expedition. It was funny...she really did see him as family now. Mari snorted, taking advantage of his slurred stupor to acknowledge that fact. Though she was sure he was already well aware, she had stated as much to him. But so casually? So informally? In a situation that wasn't terse, no. They hadn't really had many of those lately, so maybe it'd be nice to have one now. "Careful, bro. Not sure I have the upp

Hellstorm potion. Mari made a mental note to get more of them in the future, especially since she'd need it against something like Redemption. Any help she could get, any boost she could obtain - it would be a dauntingly impossible task but one she wanted to at least attempt in full earnest. "Yeh." Mari said in simple agreement with the man - "Every lil' bit counts." Her polearm came to rest on her shoulder as she watched a few snap dragons skitter around. "I've always known that one point can make all the difference." A sentence with more weight than the conversation warranted. One point

"Morningstar," It was good to have a name to the face who helped her earlier. He shifted his gaze over toward Nemo, talking fondly of the NPC. Ah he was one of those people. The kind of bleeding heart folk who treated NPCs no different to people. Mari was pretty sure she felt like that...at the very beginning but something changed long ago. He explained to Mari how the NPC would react, essentially don't fuck with the guys garden. Mari didn't really like NPCs - but it wasn't like she actively sought them out and ripped them apart or anything. And she wouldn't just go stomping around in o

Mari picked up the plain cup of tea. blowing on it she drank. It wasn't anything fancy. Just plain black tea with a splash of milk and sweetened with a touch of sugar. It's simplicity comforted the woman. Yuki would go on to talk about her relationship with Cro, how they weren't always together - but always found a home within each other. It was sweet. It was nice. Mari didn't think she'd ever have something like that - but at least others did. Mari set the cup down and began to trace its rim with her index finger. "Nothin' wrong with that Yuki." Mari said as she watched the steam dance around

PURCHASING Teleport Crystal | [800col] X3 Use a post action to activate a teleport crystal. Teleports the player to the town or designated teleportation area they specify. Dimensional Backpack | [5,000col] Adds +1 to Battle Ready inventory. This item does not take up a Battle Ready inventory slot. A player may only have one Dimensional Backpack at any time. Spyglass (x3) | [800col] Use to reduce the number of posts required to search for a dungeon, familiar or field bosses by 5 posts. Effect lasts for one thread Custom

Mari burst through his door again, with a very old looking sack. with very old looking items in them. They were practically rusted. "So..." She tilted her head to the side. "I was...cleaning out my inventory to prepare for....things. And I found all these. They're old. Ancient even. Can you just-" She paused. Realizing she was being rude. "Sorry. Can you please identify this old piece of armour? The rest you can scrap." Mari offered him a small smile. "For helping me last time, keep half the change, if there are no unique enchancements scrap it, sell it, I don't care. Do what you lik

Ariel....that's a name Mari had almost forgotten. Someone who was adamant Mari was a terrible person. Believing the rumours and lies that Zelrius had sprinked throughout Aincrad. It was a post for any who would choose to accept. Mari wasn't sure why she had bothered to accept. She had lost interest in questing, in fighting mobs recently. She just wanted to do what she wanted. Meander around. Enjoy the little things. A hot shower, a warm meal. A bed with someone beside you. Yet here she was, now rounding a hill to see familiar faces. Ariel, Freyd, Arcanthus. At least this would be bearable

"Don't ever be sorry for trying to help. That is rare these days, keep that with you.” Eruda said gently Mari couldn’t help but have her lips quirk into a genuine smile at the girls words. “I always try.” Eruda was just like Raidou in so many ways. Mari could see how the woman had easily wormed her way into his heart. Despite his absolute oblivious obstinacy. She had this quiet and unassuming presence that most would brush off, but she spoke with such passion and determination. Mari watched as Eruda stood, dusting the light snow from her form. She went into more detail about their

The warm, earthy scent of baked dough immediately filled the newly founded home, mingling with the faint sweetness of vanilla and a crackling fire as Mari pulled a dish out the oven. “Freyd! Oh- shit hang on..” Mari glanced around, quickly placing the freshly baked ciabatta loaf on the stovetop. She ripped off her oven mitts and turned to face him. She gave him a genuine and soft smile that reached her eyes, despite the tiredness they held. “I’m really happy you’re here!” Mari shifted to the kitchen table and picked up a small hot mug. She quickly walked over to him, almost tripping

There was supposed to be a quest here; and Mari recognized the name of the person offering. They'd done some things together before - He appraised things for her. Not exactly a friend, but a familiar name and face. The woman walked long the beach, her feet making a 'thwak' 'thwak' sound as the soles of her sandals slapped against the sand. Mari had her weapon casually hanging over one shoulder, propped up by one hand. In the other, was a half melted purple colored ice cream. Taro, if anyone asked. If Mari was going to be here, she may as well enjoy it. She wore a large brimmed sunhat, and