Mari

Mari didn't expect Jomei to give his real name, but she didn't show it. She had to keep her resolve in check. She couldn't falter. The air was thick with the smell of singed cloth and flesh and it made her nauseous, she was used to such scents but did not like how they lingered in this constricted space. "Real name?" Mari asked. The question was supposed to be taboo, but she needed to know everything she could about him. Mari had no intention of letting him live. She wanted him scared. Wanted him to have a chance to repent. He still had a green cursor after all. She had to give him the benefit

"I..." Mari stared at Eulogy. IS this kid actually 18? He's acting like a bloody 12 year old. Mari began to question if it was a good idea to show him any of this...especially if he was calling acid fizzy liquids. "Acid." Mari corrected him. "It's acid." Lord help her, if she wasn't used to dealing with Chaser she'd have thrown this kid out on his ass already. Mari drew in a deep breath and held it, exhaling slowly. Excitement to teach someone beginning to wane. How could she show him if he could barely comprehend what acid was? "Maybe....this is a little too complicated to start with." Mari

Mari turned on her burner; set it to low and picked up a beaker, setting it up above the burner. "So what I use...is essentially the enchantments or enhancements professions hold. For instance..." She'd hold up a small gem. "This here? Paralyze. If I crush it up and mix it with a diluted mix of nitric and hydrochloric acid." Mari paused. Not sure if he'd care, or catch on. "The same mix they use to test if gold is real or not." Mari would drop the little gem into the beaker and swirl it around with a glass rod. Eulogy was being rather chatty now - but...Mari had to admit it was nice to show s

"Remind me to thank him if I ever meet this Raidou," Mari turned to glance at Azhoda, right.... who knows what would have happened to her if Raidou hadn't sent Mari off to investigate the area. "I'm sure you would have found your way out." Best not dwell on it, best give her words of encouragement instead of a grim possible truth. There was never any reason to dwell on what ifs, and situations that never happened. That was aforementioned Raidou's forte, not hers. "He's usually floating around, all over the place really. Raidou runs Firm Anima - probably the largest guild in Aincrad. So i

Mari patted the guy she was sitting on. "Unconk...unconsh...un..." She frowned, why was it so hard to talk properly. A shake of her head, an a deep breath. "Unconscious." Mari said with the fluidity of someone who hadn't just downed seven straight whisky drinks. "C-Came to thank you fer helpin' me get Lancashter here an...man...yanked my hair." Mari would rest the back of her head against the bar, closing her eyes. She was so sick of fighting. Mari figured Vincent did this to allow Mari to let off some steam, but this wasn't what she needed. "Hmmm?" She'd open her eyes again, feeling something

Mari leaned back in her chair, mulling over the title she had given herself, Arbiter of the Faceless Lord... Raidou didn't make much of a comment on it, if any. So Mari had to assume he was fine with it. She would lower her cup back down to the table. She didn't like the mention of the dangerous concoction, and in her desperation - how she had almost let Lancaster fall to its insidious design. She never...should have let it get that far. "Mmm..." It was the only verbal response Mari gave to Raidou on the matter, fingers tapping the rim of her near empty cup. The man shifted to Lancaster, and h

Mari turned to V, ready to introduce her - a third time - but she was leaving. What..wait what? A small panic set into the drunken woman as she stumbled forward, toward the dark skinned woman whom she only knew as V “Hey - hol’ on a shecon-shecond…” The concern the woman had for Mari did not go unnoticed, and Mari wasn’t entirely sure how to explain it - was she insane? Or just dealing with a traumatic experience? How does one articulate that they are afraid the person they love most in the world is a figment of their imagination? That people are pretending to be him? Her hand hung mid-ai

Mari glanced away....he had reacted about the way she thought he would, perhaps...a little better. There was a lot of trepidation there. When people thought of the LC they thought of the LC of the past; not how it was now. But, there was no way to really relay that to him. Mari couldn't really put on a bright smile and say 'oh they're not that bad! not anymore! They even have a rule about unnecessary killing!" Because Mari knew a lot of the people were bad. It wasn't a kind guild, nor was it filled with kind people. It was, and still is a guild that honestly would be better if it didn't exist

"Hmm?" Mari lifted her head with a yawn. Oh...that's right. Rey had messaged her asking if she'd be able to be at her store; luckily for him - she had been crafting not long prior. Mari sat up straight and arched her back, it cracked in several places. "Yeh. Hang on." Mari scratched at her arm. It still hurt, but it was healing well enough. She supposed that was to be expected...after yanno, being kidnapped. "Sup Rey." Mari would stand, looking at the note he slid over, most of it basic stuff. "You know..." She began, as she started to collect all the things he had asked for. "I don'

"I guess its a little nerdy." Mari said, placing emphasis on the word. "It is all science, chemical reactions and the like." Mari didn't say much else on the matter, as Celeste didn't seem all too interested. That was fine. Not everyone had the same interests as she. Instead Mari intently listened. Gabrandr...a brief memory of a flame Eruda also seemed to have, it was the same colour. Mari assumed it a parlour trick. Did the other woman also have something to do with that? "Flames of the father?" Mari tilted her head. "Didn't really peg you as someone who was a frontliner...or into religi

Mari was still close to Jevi, thighs still touching. As expected, she hadn’t received a response from Lancaster, he was probably resting. “Switch partners….” Mari slurred as she rested a head on Jevi’s shoulder. “I am enjoying yours though….I’m not really one for dancing.” A hand lifting up to fix V's hair. Mari rarely admitted to enjoying someones company, it was probably the alcohol. Mari felt the presence of another join them and her smile faded, barely glancing at the man. She didn’t really feel like being hit on by strangers. “Don’t you just hate unwanted guests…” Mari began in an an

"Is this deeper than just a simple kidnapping attempt?" "I'm...not sure." Came Mari's reply as she pulled out a map from her inventory, she checked the tag. Wrong person, then another, nope...not that one. Third time was the charm. "The man is definitely not working alone. But, this was a sloppy attempt - one of opportunity. Clearly." Mari glanced toward the town, frowning. "One that never should have happened, if only someone stepped in." A slight to the people holed up in the safe zone. Mari wouldn't fault those who didn't want to fight, but there had been players there - ones capable o

For Now.... He says. Mari couldn't help but offer a small amused smile at that, so he was self aware at least. The blunt honesty was far more welcomed than whatever false platitudes he was spouting earlier. She liked it, it made him more human, and by proxy...far more bearable. The two had made their way to the staircase between floors. It was a long descent, but at least they were heading down. A far side better than going up. Finally arriving at the 10th floor Mari stretched, there was such a feeling of familiarity with the 10th floor...this was in all but name, her home for years. A qu

"If I had scrubbed him...." "Nothing would have changed, Rai. Except the fact that you would have robbed him of a chance of truly, and I mean truly working toward a change." She watched as he picked up his broken pair of glasses, this set - to no fault of her own. Mayhaps, they would stop breaking if he had a pair for her smaller head, anything he would wear simply slid off her own. She listened to him talk about the Elven bread and Mari was glad she didn't outright take a large chunk from it. It was to get your attention Mari snorted, "Well. It worked. I do admit, parts of me q

Mari would sit opposite him at the small table, the chair - old and worn creaking with her weight. "Perhaps...." Came Mari's response as she took another long drink from her steaming cup of coffee, a clean and stark white against a murky and fetid backdrop a she placed it on the table. Hands still cupping it. Tired eyes staring down into the liquid before they rose to met Raidou's gaze. "But, truth be told...I wasn't sure what to expect but..." She'd lift her shoulders in a small shrug as she fished around in her pocket, pulling out the broken pair of glasses and sliding them over to him. "Sti

Mari groaned, still in bed next to Lancaster when the message came through. She lifted her hand to open the message - seeing who it was from caused her to practically jump out of bed. Jostling her lover awake. "Come back to bed Mi Amore....outside can wait." He'd reach out to her, hands finding their way round her hips as he pulled her close. Oh how Mari wished she could. All the two had done in the past few days was eat bathe and rest...in some cases 'rest' and truth be told...she didn't want that to end. "I can't. It's business." Mari leaned down and kissed Lancaster on his forehead. H

It didn't take long for Khione to message Mari back, not surprising. She seemed to hang around the lower floors, and for someone sporting a green crystal... it was much easier to get around. Most everyone from the Severed Song was dead. All barring one familiar name that caused Mari to still. Her chest to sink. Why? Why was she punished for trying to be a good person? I took pleasure in his death all the same." A line that once would have unnerved her, but instead of concern for a so called 'fellow man' she simply smiled, tilting her head so it'd lean on his shoulder. "Then perhaps.

He had a way of comforting her matched by no other. Not like Baldurs guidance, Raidou's subtle and consistent praises, nor her brother. Not like Oscar, a sweet succor in the dead of night. This felt like something else entirely. And Mari..as selfish as she was...refused to let that go. The two standing now, Mari refused to let Lancaster hide his hands away. Shaken, in desperation and exhaustion Mari's own trembling one yanked his out of a jacket pocket and she entwined her own betwixt his fingers. Lancaster still seemed rattled...and Mari inwardly cursed herself. Knowing her next words could o

V told Mari of her own issues with romance, and Mari could relate a little. Pain in the ass....Full of himself.... Things said to negatively describe an ex, Mari couldn't help but realize described her own husband - but Mari would use the terms affectionately. "I Think...." Mari began. She wasn't good with this sort of thing, with comforting others. "As long as y-you live fer yourshelf..." A hand reached out to gently rub the top of V's head. She's not a damn cat Mari.. Mari drew her hand away and instead let it land on V's shoulder, offering a small squeeze. "It ain't you. Namesh go on

"Yeh...." Mari said quietly, allowing herself the rare chance to close her eyes. Feeling safe enough with the man to be able to do so. She'd let her head rest against the bark of the tree. "I loved it...it felt like one of the few things I could control... so when I got my first profession...it was only natural I picked performer. But...as you said...it began to feel more like a job." Mari lifted her head, opening her eyes to watch Jomei as he carefully turned her violin around in his hands. She felt a swell of pride when he lingered on the ornate L burned into the back of it. "I alread

Mari waved off Azhoda's thanks with a nonchalant hand. "Is fine." Mari slowly lead the woman out of Tartarus, she couldn't help but notice a few abnormalities, holes in walls where there shouldn't be - entire sections of the place seemingly missing, as though someone had blasted through it. If Mari didn't know any better, she'd say someone was renovating the area. If it were any particular group...Mari would have to guess it were the Laughing Coffin. This could also be some of the abnormalities Raidou was talking about. Mari cast a worried glance over her shoulder at the meek woman behind her.

sing: Custom Ambition Tool | Bunsen Burner | Obtained here -extended workshop active Rank 9 - Master Alchemist | Enchancements 2928/5119--> 3009/5119 CRAFTING: 15/10/2025 Perfect Tierless dessert 252733 | Cheesecake Brownie | Ambition III Perfect T4 Potion 251770-2 | 'Work Juice' | Crafters Respite Roll: ID# CD: LD: Quality Count Experience Ambition Mod 1 255043 CD: 1

Crafting 15/10/2025 Post Link 255026, Uncommon TTierless -, (CD:7, LD: 12) + 255026-1, Uncommon TTierless -, (CD:7, LD: 12) + 255027, Uncommon TTierless -, (CD:6, LD: 11) + 255027-1, Uncommon TTierless -, (CD:6, LD: 11) = Perfect Tierless Potion 255037 | Crafters Respite 255028, Rare TTierless -, (CD:8, LD: 18) + 255028-1, Rare TTierless -, (CD:8, LD: 18) = Perfect Tierless Potion 255038 | Crafters Respite 255028-2, Rare TTierless -, (CD:8, LD: 18) + 255031, Rare TTierless -, (CD:10, LD: 11) = Perfect Tierless Potion 255039 | Crafters Respite 255029, Perfect TTierle

Using: Custom Ambition Tool | Bunsen Burner | Obtained here -extended workshop active Rank 9 - Master Alchemist | Enchancements 2840/5119--> 2928/5119 CRAFTING: 15/10/2025 Perfect Tierless dessert 252733 | Cheesecake Brownie | Ambition III Roll: ID# CD: LD: Quality Count Experience Ambition Mod 1 255026 CD: 7 LD: 12 Uncommon

Using: Custom Ambition Tool | Chefs Knife | 251570 Rank 7 - High Mentor Cook: | Enchancements 732/1279 --> 776/1279 Rank 9 Alchemist - 10 Crafts Available! RESPITE CRAFTING: 14/10/2025 Perfect Tierless dessert 252735 | Cheesecake Brownie | Ambition III Perfect T4 Potion 251770-1 | 'Work Juice' | Crafters Respite Roll: ID# CD: LD: Quality Count Experience Ambition Mod 1 254942 CD: