Amira

Scarlet smiled sadly as the girl had a little tantrum and said that the woman she had lost would have known that she would have died for her. "Of course. Thats why she left without you, because she didn't want you to die." It was an uplifting and very sad story, or so she thought, until she heard the girl calling out her username. Well, it seemed like she had dissapeared, purged her friend list, and left no note to her old friends. It must have been incredibly important that she had gone and dissapeared. She didnt want to know her past, so she didnt want to hang around this girl anymore. Too many spoilers. "Hey. She's dead, and you'll have to live with that. But you dont have to go through it alone. Go find your friends and spend time with them until you come to terms with it." She said, really, really wanting to leave. She was stuck being hugged though....

Scarlet felt bad, having to break the news to the young girl. She stepped forwards and hugged the young woman before starting to speak. "I'm sorry, but all the evidence points to her dying, and this Zelrius guy too. When someone dies they dissapear from your friendlist. The only thing that doesnt make sense is that she dropped you off at a friends place before dissapearing. That suggests that she knew that she was going to die. Maybe she was being targeted by Pkers. That would make sense. So she probably went out into the wilds to face them when you werent around in order to protect you." She explained, gently rubbing the girls back as she hugged her. 

Scarlet stared at the girl. It wasnt actually all that often that people dissapeared from this place. People didnt dissapear, they exploded into pixels and usually were spotted before they died, or some sort of clue was left behind. She paused thinking. She really wanted to help this girl out, but she felt as though she already knew what had happened. She sighed. "I'll help you figure out what happened. I need to ask you some questions first, before we can come to any sort of solution. First off, is she still on your friends list? I also need to know what she looked like and whether or not she ever went out hunting solo. And lastly, had anything traumatic happened to her recently?" Scarlet questioned. She wasnt sure that the girl could take the truth, but she was going to give it to her, as best as she could.

Scarlet blushed a bit as Crimsa patted her on the head, unsure of whether or not this was one of the womans gestures of understanding or her being looked down on. "Thats fine. I dont have anywhere i'm staying anyway." She explained, glancing at the potions and crystals as they walked. Low quality, poor enhancements, that one was a ripoff for the price. She couldnt help these thoughts from springing up as she glanced over the potions and crystals that Crimsa was inspecting. "Im not a big fan of the desert, but thats all right as well." She paused as Crimsa asked her if shed like help trying to remember who she was. She had already made a decision herself, and she was going to stick by it. "I dont know who I was or what happened, but i think it happened for a reason. I'm not going to go searching for the answers. If they come to me ill take them, but until then I'll just go with the flow."

Scarlet was a bit upset that she had angered Crimsa with her self demeaning comments. She supposed that that was how it sounded, as though she was fishing for compliments. From whatshe could gather she had caved and ended her life though. She wasnt brave enough to actually do it though, so she had only destroyed her past instead of her future. She smiled a little bit as the woman offered to talk with her and comfort her if she really needed it. That was really nice. She stood up as Crimsa did, walking next to her as she motioned and they walked. Apparently she had some errands to do. "I just dont have much to say. I dont have experiences to share or advice to give. As such i have no questions or concerns." She replied, a bit of the arrogance from before making its way into her speech.

Scarlet frowned thinking back. "I woke up this morning in an inn, only remembering the premise of this game. Then I went out and bought some clothes and met you." She explained, wondering what was wrong. Obviously she had left out the note and the instructions, but she if she mentioned those it would mean she would have to give her real username and show that gear she had had. And she wasnt supposed to do either of those. "I'm not anything special. Maybe I was an amnesiac or something."

Scarlet frowned as the girl very obviously started to tear up. Something seemed to be very wrong, and if she couldnt figure out what it was, she was at least going to do her best to help. She was nothing if not caring. She reached out a hand to the young woman. "I'm sure i've been through some pretty bad things too, and i know that sitting and moping is only going to make you feel worse." She paused, remembering what the note had said that she had left herself. "Stare long enough into the abyss, and the abyss will stare back into you. Don’t dwell on the terrible things longer than necessary. Just keep moving forward." She said after a moment of thought.

Scarlet rounded a corner, heading for a shortcut that she couldnt remember having ever taken before, but somehow knew the way. She almost ran into the young woman sitting there, in the middle of the alleyway. That was quite strange, and Scarlet couldnt help but wonder if the girl was all right. One thing was for sure, the girl was a knockout. Literally the cutest person Scarlet had seen since she had woken up without her memories. One thing was for sure, this woman was her type. She got down on a knee, setting down the groceries that she had collected, a brown paper bag of vegetables and other food, looking the girl over. "Are you all right? Do you need anything?" She asked in a worried voice Something felt wrong, and she couldnt help unknowingly echoing the same words she had before she had lost her memory, to Erin all that time ago. "Everything's going to be all right."

Scarlet was both happy and upset by what she had just done. It didn’t feel right, but at the same time it was kind of nice to be able to get what she wanted just by positioning her body in the right way. She wasn’t sure that she would ever be able to bring herself to do the “nasty” with someone to get what she wanted, but she could probably handle a simple kiss on the cheek or even a hug. Crimsa’s words were logical though, despite the morality behind them seeming flawed to her. As she glanced down, she noticed the whip, lying on the table. She hadnt noticed it before, but it was obvious now that it had been a warning of some kind that she had completely missed earlier. She was certain that Crimsa would have enjoyed administering that punishment. "You know just as much about me as I do Crimsa." She replied. "I'm a low level with no memories and no purpose." She explained, sitting back in the chair slightly dejectedly. She had checked her level, and it was only forty. So many years of being in this game and she had only made it to forty. That was relatively close to one, so she must have been pretty slack before.

Scarlet glanced around the first floor. The whole place seemed so familiar but strange at the same time. She wandered around, going from shop to shop. Her mistress Crimsa had sent her out on some errands, and she didnt want to disappoint. She had been getting more and more into her role as a servant lately, but she was certain that it was just a phase that would pass. Until she got over the stress of the loss of her memories, it was nice to be able to rely on someone else to tell her what to do. She was unsure. Maybe after she got over it she would stay on as the woman's servant. It wasnt like she was a particularly high level, or so she believed. Forty wasnt all that much higher from one, so nothing too special. She stood in the center of the city, glancing around at the stalls for the right items.

Scarlet was not the sort for seduction, she was as modest as they came and didnt even like talking about anything vaguely sexual. "I-i would think the most useful tool would be a sword." She stuttered, not even vaguely prepared for what the woman wanted her to do. "I-I mean, I-i really dont think thats necessary." However, it seemed like Crimsa wasnt going to relent in her request. Scarlet stood up tentatively and made her way over to a man sitting alone at one of the other tables. She slowly leaned over,showing off her assets as she leaned on the table. "Excuse me Mister, but im afraid I forgot to bring any money today. Do you have a few col I can borrow?" She asked, looking down and blushing a little. The mans eyes were on anything but her face, and he stuttered himself, pulling out four hundred col and passing it over to her. She smiled. "Thank you so much." She said before walking off as sensually as she could to sit in front of Crimsa again. She deposited the col in her inventory, staring at the balance in front of her. She was pretty sure that forty five thousand col was a lot. She decided to keep that a secret and closed her HUD, looking over at the other woman.

Scarlet frowned, not really having anything to say to the woman. She was just trying to figure out what to do. It sounded like she would be given some pretty lame, boring jobs. She didnt feel like that was the sort of thing that she had done before. Still, she supposed that if she was going to try this job out she needed to do it right. "Yes ma'am." She replied, gracefully sitting down, her hand automatically moving to adjust the rapier at her side so that she could sit properly. Before realizing that she had nothing at her side. That was strange, she must have had that rapier for a long time, so long that habits like that had stuck around. She ignored her mistress as she attempted to seduce the waiter. "I learned that im supposed to pull your chair out for you, and that seduction wont always work. I'm M- Scarlet." She stated.

Scarlet frowned inwardly as the woman almost immediately started to treat her like a servant. That had pretty much been what she had asked for though, she supposed. She decided that she would go along with it and see where it led. She followed the woman through the streets, staying beside her, but also slightly behind her at the same time. Scarlet was unsure, but knew that she somehow understood how a servant should act. As they approached the seats, Scarlet stood to the side respectfully, waiting for the woman to sit down first. And even after she sat down, Scarlet would likely wait for Crimsa to tell her to be seated. She understood the proper etiquette for a servant, even though the actions themselves felt alien to her, as though she'd never done them before.

Scarlet frowned at the woman as she got up close and started to say some very weird things. But that did bring up some good questions in her mind. Out of those two options, what was her purpose? She had to rely on her feelings, and at the mention of the word command she felt herself tense up slightly. She didnt know why but she didnt like that. Maybe she just didnt like being in command, or she was rubbish at it. However, her arrogance meant that she probably wouldnt be great at serving. Or would she? She was just so confused... She did know that she should make a decision and figure out from there what sort of person she was. She supposed since she didnt like command she might as well try to serve. After all, maybe if she just let someone else tell her what to do she would feel less stressed and not have to worry about her memories or figuring things out. The other woman seemed to be a fan of the dramatic, so Manta followed her lead and got down on one knee, giving the hand a gentle kiss. "To serve I suppose."

Scarlet stared at the woman for a moment as she approached, wondering if she was someone that she knew. As the woman started to speak it became apparent that it wasnt anyone that she knew. Scarlet looked the woman over, taking note of her long red hair. Hmph. Scarlet's hair was much cuter and stylish than this woman. Plus, she didnt look to be a very high level. Scarlet could take her one handed, like she had Oik-. As she thought it the name almost immediately dissipated. What had it started with again? An A? That wasnt right. She made a confused expression momentarily before recovering. She could tell from her way of thinking that she had been incredibly arrogant before... She was unsure if she had reigned it in before or just gone around acting better than everyone. Maybe that arrogance was why she had had to change? All of these thoughts happened in the space of a second or two, so it only took a few moments for the emotions to flash on her face before she refocused her attention. "I wouldnt know. I dont have much of a purpose..." She replied, being truthful and doing her best not to be arrogant.

Manta glanced around the inn room sadly. It had only been a month or so ago that she had opened a shop with Erin. That was the one thing that she regretted. She didn’t want to leave Erin all alone here in SAO, but at least she could trust Ariel to take care of her. The things that had happened just weren’t right. It was like something out of a nightmare, and Manta felt certain of the sort of person that she would become if she continued on like this. Sousuke had disappeared, Zel and Dom had been murdered in front of her, Zelrius being murdered by no one other than one of her old guild members, someone who had earned her trust with a duel. She was more than upset, she was distraught. She knew that the future her wouldn’t understand, but she also knew that the future her would understand the importance of what she wrote in this message. She finished scrawling and sat down slowly in the new inn room she had rented on the first floor. She unequipped her non-vanity equipment and stowed it away in her inventory, glancing through it sadly, her eyes alighting on the ring she had ordered back when she and Erin had gotten together. It represented her feelings for Erin, and her loyalty. She tapped it, equipping it. She wasn’t ever going to take it off, and maybe someday Erin would recognize the ring, and through it, her. She sat down gingerly on the bed and pulled out a few potions.

Strange things happened all the time. But never to her. Or did they? She glanced around the room, but saw nothing familiar. It was strange, waking up in a bed that wasn’t your own, not even being able to remember your own name. She was surprisingly calm though, as though she was used to stressful situations and strange happenings. She stood up and rolled out of the bed, walking over to the bedside table on the other side where she could see a note. She slowly picked it up and turned it over, reading the messy scrawls. Whoever had written it had been in some sort of hurry, and likely distressed as well.

              Dear Me,

Im sure that I’m probably confused, well you, not me. Things have happened that make me feel as though it is necessary for me to remove my memories. I don’t know if you’ll ever regain them, but that’s not the point. We’ve seen horrible things, and the path that we were set on wasn’t going anywhere good. So I halted it. I suppose that there are a few things that you need to do now that you’ve woken up, plus a few instructions for you. You need to trust me completely. First off, don’t share your username with anyone. That means no official parties or friending. Make up an alias of some kind. Secondly, go out and get some new clothing and equipment. The gear that you have at the moment is easily recognizable, and for our own sake I would keep it in the far corners of your inventory. Except for the ring. It isn’t all that recognizable, but it is incredibly important. Always wear it if possible. That’s really it I suppose… One last thing, a few philosophies of mine. Stare long enough into the abyss, and the abyss will stare back into you. Don’t dwell on the terrible things longer than necessary. Just keep moving forward. Also, always be prepared to forgive, and to give as many chances as you can. Everyone deserves chance to learn from their mistakes. Now, go out there and have some adventures!

Manta

She stared at the note. Had she really written that? It seemed so cheesy and kind of dumb in her opinion. She supposed that was what happened when you looked at your own writing with a new pair of eyes. It didn’t take her long to leave the inn she was in and grab some new clothing. Gear was another matter entirely. She couldn’t use any of the items that she had anymore, which meant that she would need to go order some. And come up with some sort of alias as well. She had plenty of materials to spare, but not a ton of imagination. Either that or she was terrible at making up names. Monty? That was a dumb name, just by the fact that it was a boys name. It seemed so familiar though. It was quite similar to Manta though, her username, so maybe that was it. Maybe something about her red hair? She had had it as long as she could remember, and it certainly seemed to be one of her defining traits. Hmm. She really liked Scarlet… Yep, that was a good one, very original too. Not. But it was all she could up with in such a short period of time. She glanced around the first floor, standing near the exit. She needed some new gear, and a guide. She could remember the basics, that this was SAO, a virtual game, and that they were stuck her and had to defeat all of the floor bosses. Not much else though. She was even having trouble remembering how to activate sword arts.

Manta wasn't sure how to react. Things had been going well in her life lately, and now hey had all taken a turn for the worse. Much worse. She had been dating him, and she felt as though she had grown to love him. She had thought of Oink as a friend, especially after their fight back when he was part of the guild.. Now he had killed one of her best friends in the world. Maybe she should just stop getting close to people. It seemed to be a running theme in her life, or at least SAO. Sousuke had gone missing, Erin had become distant, and now Zelrius was dead. Things were majorly messed up. She was so distraught over Zel's death that she barely even noticed that Dom was gone too. She barely even considered the fact that she could be a target too, as a newly appointed commandant. Despite all this, and how much she wanted to chase after Oink, she was a logical person. Zel was dead now, and there was no way to change that. But her other friends were still alive. Ebony, Tristan, Mac. At the very least Ebony and Mac looked to be staying. She couldn't abandon them and leave them to die. She would grieve and plot revenge later. They had a boss to fight.

Manta walked up the the area where the boss fight would be taking place, looking over her gear and equipment. She looked over her stats and equipment as she waited for others to arrive, wondering if this boss fight would turn out like the last one, with her almost dying multiple times. She sincerely hoped it wouldn't.

Toxic Venom, Perfect Tier 2 Alcoholic Food, Perfect Tier 2 Damage Crystal, Tier 2 Rare Mit Potion

Manta slowly sat up as Zelrius started to speak, still gripping his hand. As he asked if she had packed anything from Dom she remembered what he had said last night. It seemed like he was going to keep that promise, something that she hadn't expected. "No, I didn't." She replied. "But I always have some bread and the like with me." She mentioned. Now that the moment had been disturbed, she felt as though they should get moving. She just wasn't very good at sitting around during the daytime when she could be doing something else. She just wasn't very good at relaxing anyway.

Manta found it strange how on their first date she had said that she felt neutral about Zelrius, and now they were sitting and cuddling just a little while later. She supposed that they had bonded through their duties as frontliners, the constant stress and work involved. They had been sitting there for a few minutes now, and this was generally the point where Manta would stand up and say that they had to get going. She was just usually in a rush to get done with things. She really didn't want to end this moment though, so she found herself continuing to lean on Zelrius and hold his hand.

Manta smiled as Zelrius came through the portal onto the fifteenth floor, almost immediately coming over to her and sitting down next to her, petting her fox ears. She wouldn't have faulted him if he hadn't recognized her, but it seemed like he had easily. She leaned into his petting, enjoying the feeling. She figured that they should enjoy this moment while they could. They spent plenty of time working and helping out other players, plus fighting the bosses and preparing. Moments like these didn't come all the time. She sighed happily and reached over to grasp his free hand, holding it gently.

Manta waited near the teleporter on the fifteenth floor, patiently sitting around and waiting for Zelrius to show up. She was a bit scared to see him today, after having finally taken that kitsune potion the other night, and changing up her style with her new kimono and mask that she was now using as a hair ornament of sorts. She looked so radically different that she wouldn't actually be surprised if he didn't recognize her at first. She only hoped that he would like the change... He had certainly seemed to enjoy the cat potion, although it wasn't really her thing. If all went well on that front, today they would be hunting through the forest for a subdungeon, and hopefully level up again. Manta really needed the skill points, especially after having wasted thirteen skill points n heavy armor, a skill that she didn't really even want.

2 hours ago, Takneil said:

Looking at it from a Staff member's point of view the potion would then be OP, granted I do agree with you. The Reward VS Risk factor is one sided. The potion's effect was never meant to be a solid ability, I left it open for staff to alter. It's better to set it at a minimum reward than a optimistic reward so it can only get better rather than worse. What I hope for is a full respec of a skill, especially since the potion cannot be obtained any other way after the first time other than marriage.

Looking at it from a staff members point of view, why bother grading a quest no one's ever going to do? And if there's something I've learned in my life, its always best to start high, whether bartering or submitting something. Say what you want it to be. At the moment I wouldn't touch this quest with a 200 mile long pole. Way too much risk, way too little reward. I'm a very high level player, and this thing would almost one shot kill me, except that I don't have the benefit of being able to one shot it back.

Edit: With the edits I might touch this now. >_>

I don't like the way the respec works. If theres going to be a respect it should be a full respect, or at the very least give back the SP from all ranks of a skill. Especially if the boss is going to be so strong. This boss is like floor boss level strong. The reward at this point in time isn't worth the risk.

Manta followed Zelrius through the Guild Hall and into the meeting area, holding onto his hand. She sat down across from him and accepted the silverware that he offered her. She didn't feel as though she was different form anyone else, but the way that Zelrius was speaking, saying 'someone like you', made her feel special. She smiled and looked down a little, slightly embarrassed by how well he was treating her. She cut a small piece of the spiced steak off and placed it in her mouth, almost immediately amazed by the depth of flavor. It really was nothing like the food she had been eating on a regular basis. She finished chewing and swallowed before speaking. "This is really good." She said, surprised. She hadn't thought that food in a virtual game could taste like this.