Mari

“Listen…” Mari began. “I…this has been…” She paused trying to find the right word. Fun? It had been, but not so much the jovial haha way, the intriguing way.. “An experience but I need to leave this floor before-” Leave? Are you insane? Isn’t this what you wanted? An opportunity to do things? Don’t you miss this? Mari drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She did…She missed researching. Learning. Adapting. But not like this. Not at the cost of her sanity. First she’d need to go back to her home - then, let Freyd know she was okay. Then sleep. What if you never see

Mari didn’t expect an answer, not outright at least. The man whom she thought was mute was simply was one of few words. Rather, the only word she had ever heard him say was Atan - one she had no idea the meaning behind. One of Mari’s professors in college had been Russian, one of her colleges, a real Casanova that one - but beyond that - she had never really studied the language. Never had a need to. Still. He answered her - and in a way she could tell his intention. Mari took another step closer to him, one that echoed in the cavern around them - it being the loudest sound shared betwee

Clap Clap Clap The muted sattico sound of accolades snapped Mari out of her rambling stupor. He was…clapping? Mari stared at him - brows furrowed in confusion. Why was he clapping? Still.. The action caused a sense of pride well within Mari’s chest. At least someone understood. There was a certain…je ne sais quoi when it came to discovering things - learning things. And there were few here who really understood. Instead of thanking him, Mari gave the plague doctor a curious nod of acknowledgement. He wasn’t being volatile… he hadn’t shown her any cause for alarm excep

Between the second and third day…. Mari had not slept. She was tired - near the point of exhaustion, and it was evident on her facial features. Dark circles lined erratic eyes as they kept glancing to and fro. Every now and again her head would lull forward and her eyes would close just that little bit slower - and if Mari hadn’t been using her polearm as a makeshift cane - she would have most definitely fallen over. Every now and again Mari would mutter something to herself, then get annoyed- and retaliate with a fuck you or a shut up. It was clear she had seen bett

Mari expected more questions, why she chose to admit herself - what Raidou had to do with it all. What the prison was like. But none came. Instead, the two sat by the lakeside - close enough that their arms almost touched. “I think….” Mari said quietly - her eyes watching as a bird dipped down into the water to catch a fish then fly back up to its nest. “What’s worse than the guilt - is…hmm…how do I word this…” She tilted her head - it was something she had talked to Beat about before, how he had never felt bad for his actions - because those people deserved it. Mari saw many similarities bet

Mari gives the following to Freyd Bunny Stamp - Increase the Rarity of a single item by one stage, up to Demonic, selecting a normal Enhancement in the process (Limit 1) 3 x Reroll Ticket - Reidentify a single slot on a single piece of gear at a merchant.

“You remember,” Mari nodded, swirling the amber liquid in her glass. Thinking it were like liquid gold. It kinda reminder her of Oikawa’s eyes. “Of course. The moment someone shares a name like that…its important. Personal. I’d try my best…to never forget a moment like that.” Mari paused to take two large gulps. She could definitely feel the buzz now. Her eyes felt heavy. “Memories…are so precious…even the painful ones.” Mari paid Freyd little attention as he shifted - that is - until he reached his hand out to her. “Huh?” Oh. He was going to take her to his home - Mari must h

Dawn of the third day…. Mari hadn’t slept. She was exhausted- but she wanted to come here a day early. She didn’t need the extra time. What she did need was to come early. Scout the area. Ensure there were no traps. With her spear out, dragging across the ground behind her Mari surveyed the area. Every so often poking a rock- an extra loamy patch of dirt. But nothing. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Right… Okay… Now, the cavern itself. Mari stepped into the cavern, cautious eyes scanning the area. Still nothing. The water - deadly quiet. Mushrooms, moss..nothing out of the ordin

Mari’s trek to the Stygian river was short - she knew where she was going, she knew the places to tread to avoid confrontation. This entire floor - before she bought a house, was her home, her playground. So now she stood at the riverside. Where just days before she had met the enigmatic man. Her hand outstretched, ready to just drop the vial in and be done with it. Her heart was beating hard and fast against her chest. But isn’t that a waste? Mari hesitated. It…would be a waste… think of the things she could do. What if you were able to apply it to mobs? Create a potent poison

Why? Why this? Why make it so obvious? Mari mentally kicked herself for being so blind. The man had given her the answer on a silver platter. But she is just too stubborn - too close minded to see it. She held the tiny square vial tightly in her hand. As though it was the most important thing in the world to her - every so often Mari would pause in her trek to glance down at the vial. Raising it to her eye, she’d tilt it to and fro. Entranced. Just…why? Of all the things in the world - why choose something so dangerous? Was it…because he truly wanted to use something like this? Or wa

“Just gotta get rid of it easy right?” Mari muttered to herself - she could feel herself struggling. The effects of the floor were more prominent than she remembered. A part of Mari felt it would be best if she had left for a day - and come back later - to save herself the mental anguish. Lest she lose herself on this floor. But she only had the one teleport crystal… and walking around from floor to floor was a pain. And there was something about that doctor…now Mari knew what was in the palm of her hand - she just had to know….why She had to send one final message; To: Freyd F

“Told you?” Mari asked. “Oscar…We don’t know each other that well.” And it was true, their run-ins with each other were few and far between. “I know Cordellia, I see her as like…a little sister- but you - I hadn’t even told Macradon where I was.” A small snort as she shook her head. “Ya can’t message people when you’re in there but-” Her words weren't meant to hurt him, she just wanted to make it clear that no one...no one had known where she was bar one. It was lonely...she was lonely This conversation…it didn’t quite suit them just standing there - by the monument. “Here.” Mari said wit

Mari paced back and forth in her small tent. It was so obvious now. She didnt need the fucking centrifuge. She didn’t need the makeshift magnifying glass. She just needed to use her brain. Heck the man colour coded the fucking thing. A lilac colour? Almost pink in its hue? It was so damn obvious. Mari just never came to that conclusion because why would she??? Why would anyone make something like this?? Was it a joke? “No that doesn’t make sense…it could be that, or it could be the Mahburg virus…either way its the Filoviridae family- those fucking… strings just…what would have happen

The handsome man seemed almost amused at her ignorance - but his amber gaze shifted up to her crystal and there was concern etched on his features. Almost as soon as Mari had sent off her message - the man held a finger up to her. Wait… It could have been a coincidence - an unlikely one - but a coincidence all the same. It wasn’t until he replied to her that Mari realized that this was Oscar. THIS WAS OSCAR? She reeled, taking a step back. How embarrassing. She had just been meaning to reach out to him and he had been standing here this whole time. “I…uh…” She felt her cheeks heat -

Mari lifted her head and gratefully accepted one of the frosted tumbler glasses. “Whiskey…” Mari breathed. “Is much more preferable than that fruity mess.” She added with a thankful tone. The woman all too readily accepted his offer. Unlike Freyd though, Mari didn’t have the same desire to cherish the taste, nor the scent. She emptied her glass in its entirety. The burning sensation that tickled her throat, that heavy warmth in the pit of her stomach. The buzz that made her head that little bit heavier. So you can get drunk here now Mari thought to herself. She had planned to test it - b

Mari caught the worried look Macradon flashed her. To his credit, he managed to keep still throughout everything - the man struggled to do so, even at the best of times. Always fiddling with things, always distracted - it reminded her of a golden retriever. His exuberant energy is what made him so endearing. It grounded Mari. helped her to not take things so seriously all the time. “A better me, huh?” Mari asked - repeating his words as she shifted her gaze to the sky. Stars danced above them, twinkling to and fro. “I’m not entirely sure about that - but…I’m a me I’m okay with. And that’s

It was the most…jankiest setup imaginable. Mari had layered the 4 lenses over each other - separated with a small rolled up bit of paper to give around half an inch between each piece of glass. She had taped the frames back together - and was wearing them. She must have looked quite the sight - like some sort of cartoon madman. “No its fine…” Mari mumbled to herself as she began to wind the string around the lazy susan. “No one will see me like this so its fine.” Round and round the twine went. Then - with a quick series of pulls she had started up her makeshift centrifuge again. “Fr

The night was restless, nightmares ebbed in her consciousness - the weight of the floors effects becoming harder to deal with. Mari groaned as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. Voices teetered at the recesses of her mind - but she had a job to do. Mari full well knew the effects of the oppressive malaise of the floor - and she knew her limits. 3 to 4 days. She would be fine for that length of time. She had to be. She had to be. Tired eyes glanced over at the table, then lit up with new found resolve as they landed on that strange vial. So many secrets, so many temptations. Mari licked her li

A feeling of pride welled up inside her- and Mari just had to message someone. How many people within Aincrad could say they built an actual centrifuge?? Not many, she chanced. There were few people she knew that would appreciate something like this. Mari didn’t have the name of the plague doctor - so she messaged the next best person. That was all the context she’d give the man. If he was curious - he’d ask. Now…Mari peered curiously into the vial - the liquids would soon filter back into each other but for now. It was like a lava lamp. “How pretty…” She said to herself,

It took the better half of the day to procure the equipment for it - it would have been much quicker if she didn’t have her orange crystal but…Mari didn’t think she’d have the time to go beat redemption then try to figure out just what was in the vial. ….Which she was still tempted to drink. No. No Mari. That was bad. Real bad. She couldn’t do that. Instead. Mari began to work on her makeshift centrifuge. It wasn’t too hard really - She had a lazy susan which she had bolted to one of the corners of the table. On top of that, a large wooden plank - with small dowels to hold things in plac

DAY 1 The encounter had been an odd one; one that Mari still struggled to understand, at times the plague doctor seemed volatile - but in each of his actions, he had done no harm to her. The closest thing to harm would be his threat. A blade to her throat- but Mari didn’t take that to heart. They were both Pkers, it was a natural response. He never actually acted on it. After that, he had even helped her. Dousing her in some form of acrid mob repellent. That repellent…If Mari were to get in his good graces she’d have to see about acquiring it for herself. It was simply too useful. S

“Mari.” Came her quiet response as she watched him work. “I’m Mari.” She’d probably never know his name - with him being mute and all, but she’d be remiss if she didn’t at least tell him her own name. Cautious eyes watched the man to see if the admission sparked any sort of reaction. But there was none. Of course - she was only guessing the doctor was a man - partly due to his tall stature, but everything else about him was an enigma. Mari had planned to leave him to his own devices, but - they had already passed the void - and there was no sign of her former companion. She found a s

There was a strong silence between the two. Mari pressed skin against his blade - just enough so the smallest trickle of red crystalline data fell. She wasn’t afraid. Confused. But not afraid. The weight of the floor bore down on her though, bringing the sins of her past to the forefront of her mind. The tantalizing array of concoctions, the confusion. Mari forced her eyes closed and had to remind herself to breathe. Slowly. Else it’d swallow her up. Once she opened her eyes again she noticed movement - vials strung along his torso. And her curiosity peaked again. Just what was he doing?

The strange contraption spluttered - and with a small puff of acrid smoke which caused Mari to cough several times it had managed to fold itself up into something that one could easily carry. The curiosity grew. There was no way to hide it. Mari was entranced by the device. The doctor - ever silent he quietly worked. It was clear she had many questions. How did it work? Was he going to separate all of that down? “Like a centrifuge…?” She mused to herself. He didn’t answer her. The man packed his things and made to walk away. Their conversation finished there. Mari was going to let him be

The other player didn’t talk. Mari felt the hairs on the back of her neck stick up- fear? Odd. She hadn’t feared anything in a long time. Not death. Not Prison. Not the blade of another plunged deep into her heart. One hand wrapped tightly around her spear - lest the other player attempt to push her into the river. She wasn’t going to be that easy of a mark. Mari pulled her hand back away from the Stygian River, and silently watched him work. Was he another alchemist? Her eyes shifted to the strange almost steampunk like device as it chugged and turned. Spitting out a small vial fil