Baldur

I don't know what's with people and that river.

It had been the second time in as many weeks that Baldur had visited the 10th floor and specifically this river. The last time he had come in search of his old friend, Crozeph, and ironically now he came in search of Ariel. Crow had rebuffed him at the time, agreeing to join Baldur's dojo, but not his guild, though ultimately Mari and Oikawa were able to convince him to join. Regardless, he was glad that Ariel had reached out to him. He wanted his friends to be able to do that, and Ariel, Oikawa, Crowzeph... they were as old as friends could be had here. They were perhaps 5th level when they had met only a few floors lower. Back when the 8th floor was considered part of the frontlines. They had braved the frontier together, to push their limits and see what they were made of.

The gaijin samurai missed those days.They seemed so much more simple. No one had an orange crystal. Tyger was by his side. They just had so much hope and energy when it came to getting out.

Now, Baldur was embroiled in frontline politics. It had broken his spirit before, and fractured the guild and friendships he had been trying to foster and cost him one of his closest friends at the time. What happened to her?

Shaking his head, he wandered out of Yomi and towards the river where Ariel would be waiting, and where he had encountered Crozeph before.

"Konbanwa." He said to Ariel as he made his way up to her hill overlooking the river. "I got your message."

Once he was up to where she was, he gave her a slight, friendly bow of equals.

"I just wanted to say too. You've never given me a reason to doubt you. I don't know what you've got going on with other people, but as long as you show me honor, then I shall do the same. We six forged a bond of trust that day that I like to think would never be broken."

Whatever it was that Ariel wanted to discuss, Baldur wanted that out in the open first. He trusted that she would never act in a way that would shame Baldur's trust and friendship in her, or wound his honor, and as long as that was the case, his trust with her would be implicit.

Baldur arrived at the volcanic island city of Oceanis. He couldn't remember the last time he had been here. It felt like a lifetime since he had quested on the floor. Someone could have told him that Kayaba redesigned the entire floor since the last time he was here, and Baldur would have believed him. Instead, it felt a little more like home, now that he was used to his own island floor. I bet Calrex would build his home here.

It wasn't long before he spotted Mari over by the water. She wasn't particularly pale, not that Baldur had any room to speak when it came to paleness, but it certainly helped to pick the two of them out among the well tanned NPC island dwellers. The fire of her hair was like a becon calling to Rohan for aid.

"I have to say, I might start coming to this floor more often."

He gave her a pleasant smile as he walked up, his boots which would normally be awkward in sand in the real world, blessedly held air tight by the nature of computer graphics and boolean operations.

"So I guess you didn't get enough fishing in your system from before, now we need to go and find a bigger fish?"

Baldur watched in disgusted horror as the peep fell on top of Shield and engulfed him in its "sugary" putrescence. The samurai leapt forward to help his friend, taking the Muramasa, Baldur slashed at the peep, trying to carve out a shield sized hole in the fluffy mess so that Shield could escape.

"Run to the light Shield!" Baldur said as the glow of his sword arts shone with each strike, "To the light!"

Rather than clean cuts, each successive strike seemed to go slower and slower as more and more clung to the blade.

"This is terrible. I really want something to clean my blade with..."

Once the Shield sized space had been carved with his sword, Baldur began to pull at the globs, trying to remove them from his katana.

"I hate these things in the real world... almost as bad as clowns. Why do we have to fight these things here? What's next? Oompa loompas?"

ID#154938 BD: 3+7=hit
San Ge: 26 (Base) x15 = 390 RAW - 150 MIT = 240 DMG Dealt

[H:2] Seul     - HP: 1150/1150 | EN: 35/106   | MIT: 126  | DMG: 18 | EVA: -1 |   ACC: 2 | BH: 57 | V (D): 115 | HB: 24 | Conc: 3/3
[H:3] Baldur - HP: 1510/1510 | EN: 85/136 | MIT: 79    | DMG: 26 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 2 | BH: 75 | Conc (0/3) | Parry (0/2) | QChange (2/3) [Muramasa Equipped]
[H:2]  Beat    - HP: 1225/1225 | EN: 81/120   | MIT: 3      | DMG 23  | Absolute ACC: 7 | EVA: 0 | BH: 24 | Conc (0/3) | QChange (0/3)
[H:7]  Shield - HP: 1710/1850 | EN: 171/176 | MIT: 226 | DMG: 2    |  EVA: -1 | BH:92 | HB: 48 | THN: 99 | ENV: 18/4 

The Giant Peep - HP: 893/2000 | DMG: 30 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 150 | Chubby Bunny [1/3 turns]
Players roll CD. They may use up to that many peeps to gain one of the following: 1-3 [Phase] 4-6 [Burn BD8+] 7-9 [Holy next crit] 10-12 [Fallen 2 next hit]

@Beat

"It's the only constant thing, even in this world." Baldur said. The platitude had always seemed flat and trite to him as a kid, but the older Baldur got, the more the wisdom of its simple pith resonated with him. A bit of a shadow passed over his mood as well, as he looked at Lessa looking out over all the tundra around them, as if it was never ending. It was an apt landscape to mimic the feeling of the world trapped in Aincrad. It was a tundra to the lives of almost everyone in here. There were, perhaps, only two people in all of Aincrad that didn't find this death game unbearable. The man who created it, and the man who thrived in it. In a single moment, Baldur felt the whole of the world's suffering settle about them like the blanket of fresh snow. For a moment, the gaijin samurai wondered if the tears, or the snowflakes were more numerous. It may be impossible to know.

He also realized what they had been doing. They were filling in the cracks, and the holes, and the gaps in their relationship with stories of what had been. The old memories they kept returning to. What Lessa had been to Baldur, and what Baldur had been to Lessa. He could not put a noun to what they were. Friend seemed to mundane to capture the closeness and fierceness of their relationship, but they were also never anything more. Baldur loved Lessa, and he seemed surprised no one had ever noticed, but then, the two people in such situations always seemed to be the two oblivious to it. Baldur himself had never quite understood his feelings for the girl. She had known him in his ups and downs, and perhaps it was just a failure of language that there didn't exist a term for the kind of relationship they had. Spanish had several words for love. Greeks supposedly had more. Whatever the word, Baldur would lay down his life for her, even if that was the last thing she would want. So Baldur would also live for her as well. He would fight as hard as he could, but he would fight with survival in mind. Not just his, but everyone else's as well. Though perhaps he weighted Lessa's desire to get out of here and return to her family more than he did others. It was not a short list of people that Baldur would give his life to defend or protect, and his honor was on that list too. It had been the central point of his final conversation with Opal all those months ago. But the first name on that list was Lessa.

But even as she shone, the light of it dimmed slightly when he realized how much they had fallen apart. Their good stories were always in the past.The half remembered memories of a summer spent together teaching children and away from the fighting of the frontlines. Christmases missed, and comfort found in the company of one another. How many times had they visited that exact shop, and gotten hot chocolate? He could remember, the two of them coming together after they had both just gotten their wolf familiars.

It was wall paper over cracks.

"A lot has changed."

Where they had ended up now was a mile off from anything he ever would have expected. Some part of him realized he had always followed after her like some kind of puppy. He had chased her golden mane without even realizing what he had done. He remembered the time he had given her his name. He had meant for it to be a gift, but to her it was a burden. She didn't want to remember another name of another friend who might die. It wasn't an honor he was giving her to carry his memory to the next world, it was a reminder that they might die and she might never see him again for another hot chocolate.

"You know, I don't think you ever told me your name." Baldur turned back to her, his eyes a deep blue like the ocean in a storm. "And yet I distinctly remember telling you mine. This seems very unfair." Baldur suddenly held his hand to his head in a very dramatic pose, "But I know you so well that I can divine your name with 100% accuracy." He closed his eyes like he was divining her name from the spirits of the aether.

"You are... Jennifer." Baldur opened one eye, too eager for the suspense to end and to see her reaction. He had chosen Jennifer, simply because it seemed like the most common name of all of his female friends. He knew more Jenn, Jen, Jenny, Jennifers, than any other name.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me I'm right. I know it can be a bit shocking to see true magic at work. Especially since the setting guide that came with the SAO manual said there's no magic left in the world, but I have a special kind of magic that has a limitless fuel source.... sass."

He gave her a playful grin.

"Come along Jennifer. I would like to feel my toes again."

The blue in his eyes softened as he looked to her. For a moment, he held out his hand to her, but only a heart beat later it turned into a beckoning gesture as he moved to take the slope back up the mountain from which they had come down.

Baldur smiled at the sight of Mari running up to him in her Yukata. She had been the most reliable of the Pillars thus far, and for that he felt a pang of regret that so much had been foisted on her. Shortly after Mari ran up, Cordelia was not far behind either.

@Mari @Cordelia

"You both look beautiful... I... I didn't expect everyone to come dressed up, but I have to admit I'm honored." The gaijin gave a slight blush, not because of how beautiful the two women looked, but because of display of respect that coming dressed up like this showed to him.

"If the two of you could help welcome everyone and guide them all to the meeting room, that would be appreciated."

As soon as he spoke up, Ariel came walking up with the child in tow once again. Ariel greeted him with an old, affectionate title she had given him in the past. Ronin-dono. He smiled at her warmly at the title. He wasn't a ronin any longer. He had a guild, and a guild master. It was the purpose that he had sought. His smile faltered when she addressed Mari as a geisha. He wasn't sure what Ariel was trying to imply, but he was certain she was trying to imply something. Finally, Ariel asked Baldur for a moment of his time.

Mari was beginning to excuse everyone and try to corral them to the meeting room, but Baldur gave Ariel a slight nod.

@Ariel - The Crowned Lion seemed to decide that she didn't want to wait until later, and revealed to Baldur the sword she had received from the Shadow. None of them had talked about the drops they had gotten, but Baldur was surprised by this one. The dark smoke boiled off of the blade once Ariel unsheathed it and let Baldur examine it, but he was a hair faster than her and clicked the saya shut over the blade. It felt wrong much like the Muramasa did, and he didn't want to make a scene of it. 

I'm sure you're familiar with noroi ken (cursed swords) since you wield a Muramasa yourself, Baldur. This is what our shadow 'friend'... left in my inventory after we fled... or should I say.. 'cleared' the labyrinth. I have no use for this and even if I plan on taking the Katana skill in the future, it would be a waste to have it laying somewhere; unused. I wonder if like a true cursed sword, would it would draw someone to wield it. Initially I thought about having Karasu-kun safekeep it for me but he's still not high enough level to use it so... Until I get my grandmastery in the katana, I want you to have it as Crow's sensei, use it if you like and pass it on to him when you feel he's ready. It'll be a long time until I can invest in the katana skill." She then extended the sword towards him and smiled softly as she asked: "What do you say?""

She had been planning to give the sword to Crow? He didn't realize they were so close. This was a powerful gift. The samurai's eyes raised, and he thought back to the conversation he had had with Teayre, when she had given him the other cursed blade, the Muramasa. It had been too much of an influence on her, she believed. The sword gave on an addicting surge power, and she felt it had its own lust for blood. Since she had given up the sword, she had settled, calmed, and sought redemption for everything she had done. She had broken down before Baldur, having believed he was the only one who could use the sword without corruption. I wonder if that's still true?

He did always feel an itch to draw the Muramasa instead of his Warden's Fury every time he drew the blade.

The gaijin samurai reached out and took hold of the sword with Ariel.

"Thank you. I will make sure that it is put to good use."

Then @Shield was beside him, the man placing a reasuring shoulder on Baldur.

 "Looks like we'll have to have the big ribbon cutting after the maiden voyage, so to speak." He gave the samurai a wry smile. "That is unless you'd like your present now instead."

Baldur looked surprised that the man had gotten him a gift, gotten the guild a gift? He wasn't sure.

"Thanks, but I think we should still have one, even if it is a little late. We've all worked hard for this, and I'd love to have a chance to celebrate it under better circumstances." He gave the mighty tank a warm smile, and then Shield went off to talk with Mari and Jon. The samurai was glad to see Shield approach Jon. The two of them had suffered from some poor communication. Baldur knew that the Pillar of Jacob's Ladder wanted to mend the bridge with Jon.

Then @tricolor_mina came up and asked Baldur for a moment of his time, but before he could answer, Jon excused them. As they turned to go, Baldur caught the edge of Jon's sleeve. "Jon is right. If it's good news, I'd love the chance to celebrate." Baldur had no idea what news they were sharing, but the gaijin had yet to meet Mina. He had only seen the finger prints she had left on his heart. He very much wanted to meet her and get to know her. "perhaps after the meeting, I'm sure we could all use something to raise our spirits."

The flood gates of people seemed to open, just as @Crozeph showed up and washed his face in the pond. The antics of his old friend brought a smile to his face, but he didn't have much of a chance to respond to him before Mari got his attention on the task at hand. She was better at this than she realized. Baldur was just going to greet everyone here, but the small wooden bridge and walkways were beginning to fill up.

Baldur opened his mouth to say something to Crow, when another frosting colored woman appeared and grabbed the man from behind. @Zajcica was another bright color in the riot of colors that was the nature surrounding his home, and another in the growing sea of Kimono and Yukata. It took Baldur a moment to realize the others working their way in also wore clothing appropriate to his own.

Are they doing this because of me and my house? It was unprecedented. He had been to so many boss meetings now, some pleasant, some tense. Some at the edge of swords, and some short and sweet. And now everyone was coming dressed up in clothing themed with Baldur and his home. To the samurai, it was a gesture of good will and respect that left him speechless for a moment when the woman spoke with Shield in a familiar tone.

If she was so close with Crow, he would need to meet with her. Instead, he offered her a warm smile as conversation and the mill of people pulled Crow and her away from him.

His eyes flickered around the growing crowd, he noticed @Pinball was there, and somehow the orange crystal above his head was a surprised. Did I know that? The samurai wondered. He remembered Pinball stabbing Hidden with his spear during the boss meeting, but that was justified in Baldur's eyes. Hidden had attacked Hirru, though the former knight's actions were not justified. He would have to inquire about that. He remembered Pinball and Hestia being close, though Baldur and Hestia were no longer friends.

"Hi Baldur." He heard come from the Berserk healer. He smiled warmly at @Zandra and waved back. He knew Zandra was solidly on Hestia's side in the previous spat, and while he didn't know where he stood with Zandra, she would always have his respect and friendship. He hadn't been certain if she would show up to this meeting, but knowing that she was invested took away an uncertainty that he didn't know he had carried. They only cleared the labyrinth boss because Zandra was there. If they hadn't have had here, it would have been impossible.

More people trickled in, but he didn't notice them. Instead, he saw that familiar blond hair and he lost track of all other conversations. She looked beautiful, wearing a fancy yukata in a wonderful blue with floral print. He smile gave him a feeling of confidence he didn't know he was lacking. How long has it been since she was at one of these? Was I even there? He saw @Lessa smile, and he smiled back, meaning to wave at her, when he realized she was smiling at someone else. She slipped her arm into that of another man, and then something clicked inside of Baldur's mind. All the way back on the 4th floor, she had mentioned some changes in her life.

So this is where that smile came from.

He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, but then she began to draw them man over to Baldur, and he immediately put a big, warm smile on his face.

 "Hey Baldur," Lessa greeted warmly. "Thank you again for hosting the meeting today. It was really generous, and your home is absolutely incredible. Seriously, it's just beautiful."

With her right arm still nestled in @Bahr's, her left hand patted his forearm gently. "I wanted to introduce you to my boyfriend, Bahr. Bahr, this is Baldur, one of my oldest friends and first mentees." With a quick laugh, she concluded, "You might just say I taught him everything he knows."

Baldur's smile twisted into an amused, lopsided smirk. "Lesson number one was never wake her up from a nap under a tree." The oceanic blue eyes sparkled for a moment at the first memory.

Bahr extended a hand for a shake and Baldur took it. "Pleasure to meet you, Baldur, Beautiful estate you've got here. Love the Japanese inspiration." Bahr's eyes trailed around for a bit, then returned to Baldur's. "Also digging the island aesthetic. Got a project of my own that I'm working on that's similar. Any tips?"

"Start small, and build up. I waited 15 floors before finding just the right one, and then when I thought I was ready, I wasn't. But now that it's hear, in a place that gives me so much peace, it's irreplaceable."

Baldur's eyes and smiled turned to encompass both of them.

"It's definitely worth the hard work and patience, finding that special place that gives you peace."

It was then that @Macradon suddenly appeared, somehow still wet and with his kimono half put on. The azure samurai looked surprised for a moment, not expecting the scene before him, before he laughed.

 “Bal, I don’t know how you can wear these kinds of clothes, they get really drafty, I don’t think I can get used to this.” he said as he entered the gathering to see everyone who had shown up already, a good handful actually. Kinda flustered with his entrance, Macradon looked around and tried to adjust his clothing, but it still didn’t sit right “Oh hey folks, good to see you all.”

Baldur took a minute and helped Macradon adjust the kimono and tie the obi properly, then pulled the collar slightly to adjust it for him.

"There, hope that helps." He gave the silver haired warrior a warm smile, "Would you do Mari and I a favor and help get people into the meeting hall? That's the Guild Hall over that way." Baldur pointed to a large structure in the back with a large courtyard as well. "There are tables and chairs set up--"

The weeaboo lord couldn't tell what part of... that... he noticed first. Was it the smell that drew his eyes? Was it the anachronism that was the cart? For whatever reason, it completely derailed his train of thought.

He brought the taco wagon? Baldur's head spun for a moment, trying to figure out how @Oscargot the cart here without some kind of giant inflatable hot dog to fly up him here.

"Well, I suppose everyone can grab some food and head in. Mac, would you grab me a couple of carne tacos?"

Baldur scanned the crowd once more, trying to see who all was here. There were a few people hanging in the back, and he thought he saw the merchant @Raidou, whom Baldur had brokered a few deals with. He was glad to see the man here so he could receive the praise he was due.

This space was getting to critical mass, and with so many people, many of them orange, he wondered how long this blessed peace could hold. Hopefully, everyone would feel safe here in Baldur's home, and under his protection and the protection of the mutual respect he had with the other frontliners. As in meetings past, he doubted anyone would start anything. The lack of @Itzal showing up saddened Baldur. The boy had been a growing leader in the frontlines, and his absence was a loss.

"I have a meeting room set up in the guild hall this way. If you could follow Mari, Crow, or Cordelia, they can show you the way. We'll start shortly." Baldur so rarely raised his voice to speak, that it felt odd to try and shout above the low hum of conversations. "Feel free to pick up some tacos and head on in. We'll bring some tea or water by the meeting room as well."

I should have thought to plan this with him ahead of time, but we've never eaten at a meeting before.

This was a different type of meeting. This was a different type of boss. Hopefully this would be a different type of fight. Many of the faces here were new, or not old frontliners. Perhaps this meeting could be the first chance to bury some hatchets so they could move forward. They had been stalled out on floor 25 for too long.

Build a bigger table, not a taller fence, as the old saying goes. 

Baldur heard the sounds of conversation and moment from his rooms at the center of the estate and the Temple grounds. The only 2 story buildings were his personal collection of rooms at the main house, and the dojo. The rest of the buildings sprawled along the plot of land, woven into the nature of the almost floating island. Each section wrapped by the natural beauty, well tended gardens, or the lush fishing ponds filled with koi. The serenity of this place was more than he had ever expected. The life the guild bright to it took away from the peace and quiet, but brought a vibrance that he would never want to replace.

The smell of cooking food and the hiss of hot water for tea summoned him to the kitchen before his time working on the dojo or the rest of the house. He slid one of the shoji walls open and was surprised by what he saw. Ariel sat there with a girl he had never met or seen before. Cal was there, half dressed for a workout, and Shield watching over Snow cook for Limbs and Roc.

Baldur thought for a moment about just sliding the panel shut again, but the host in him would let him. He was I'll prepared for guests. But the gaijin samurai never let anyone see him unprepared.

"Ohayo, everyone " Baldur gave them all a broad, welcoming smile that touched his oceanic blue eyes.

"I wasn't expecting you Ariel. To what do I owe the pleasant surprise?"

His eyes flickered once to the girl, and once to Shield standing guard over the room, though he seemed at ease.

"Welcome to my home, and the guild hall of Jacob's Ladder."

He turned and smiled to Snow as he took a seat in the room.

"May I have some green tea as well, Snow-chan."

@Ariel - The Crowned Lion @Snow @Calrex 

Quote

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The cursor sat there flashing for several minutes, while Baldur sat on the edge of one of the walkways of his house, his feet dangling into the pond that surrounded many of the structures of his home, and the guild hall of Jacob's Ladder. He had never written one of these messages before. He had never led a meeting before. He had participated and enforced many, but never sent out the initial message. This wasn't just any floor boss either. This was floor 25, and they had had their collective butts handed to them. A labyrinth guardian had never been like that before, and its boss form would be even more challenging. The last fight, floor 24, had put the entire raid group on their back foot anyways. Would they even have the numbers to assault this boss? He wasn't sure. Floor 23 had cracked the frontline more than it ever had before. It was an exhausting stretch of floors. They needed to come together to win this. And the first piece of that would be this meeting, and this message he had to write.

"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears..." he mumbled to himself, swirling the water with his toes. This would also almost double as the coming out meeting for Jacob's Ladder. It hadn't been a secret yet, but it was also the first time in the spotlight. 

"What do you think, Gram?"

The white wolf was inside Baldur's living room in the shade, the large white shaggy wolf hated this floor. Gram much preferred the fourth. In response, the mighty hunter gave a piteous whimper and then thumped the floor with his tail a few times in response. It was as much help as Baldur expected, before gazing back out over the pond and towards one of the zen gardens that littered his property.

"It needs to bring people together, and give them hope. The message that they're going to get here is going to be dismal."

Quote

> My friends, front-liners, and comrades, the labyrinth boss has fallen...

The gaijin samurai sighed. It hasn't though. He deleted the last few words. The labyrinth boss for floor 25 has been cleared.

Technically it was correct, and that was the best kind of correct.

He had already let his guild know that the meeting would be held here, at his home and the guild hall. Mari, Oikawa, and Shield would be helping host the meeting officially, and Crozeph and Calrex living at Baldur's house would be on hand to help as well. Junior members of the Ladder who wouldn't be participating in the fight would be helping find Baldur's house and ferry people back and forth on the small boat.

"Saint Crispin's Day speeches will have to wait for the official meeting."

He typed away at the keys, finishing out a simple message. Summoning everyone he could think to invite to the meeting, and inviting them to bring their guilds, and anyone else who would participate. The meeting would be tomorrow.

"Now we just have to prepare." He withdrew his feet from the water and Gram looked up at him with a pleading look, and so Baldur left the wolf in the shade where he was happy.

"Here goes everything."

Baldur:

Baldur blushed at their compliments of his home. He was proud of it. Clearing out the land had been difficult, but worthwhile. He also didn't plan on covering the whole island, but when they moved the guild on top of it, and purchased the largest guild hall capable of being purchased, it meant that the entirety of the 'floating' island was theirs. The wilderness was still there, but most of it was taken up by Baldur's massive estate, and the guild hall of Jacob's Ladder. That the aesthetics tied together so closely to one another meant that it almost felt more like a settlement of its own, instead of a home and a guild hall.

As they walked towards the covered wooden bridge that led to the main building of Baldur's home, and then off to the dojo, Crow and Cord ran ahead. A smile crossed the gaijin samurai's face, until he heard the splash of Cord falling into Baldur's stocked koi fish pond. They were actually great for the fishing skill, though Baldur gave that up for the time being after the event.

"Cord!" Baldur called out in concern, until the girl popped her head back up above water and spit out a mouthful like she was an anime character.

"Sorry, the railing are a little low." But the water wasn't that deep right here. Even having fallen in, Cord could sit on the bottom of the pond right here and the water would only come up to her shoulders. It actually made it fairly refreshing on the warmer days. He enjoyed sitting on the edge of his rooms and soaking his feet in the water. The koi fish in the water came to investigate the newest fish, swirling around Empress-chan before swimming away from the disturbance.

"I take it you both would like to see the dojo." He was happy to see that Cord was excited to see it.

"It's just along this way." Baldur gestured for them to follow him along the outside of the main house. Unlike western homes, Baldur's place had all shoji panels, and you could see through the whole house to the gardens on the other side, but the hallways, as much as they were, all existed on the outside perimeter of the home. So they skirted the edge, with the home on one side and the interconnected fishing ponds on the other. Ahead, another bridge stretched out before them leading to a structure in the middle of the largest pond.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took certain liberties..."

As Baldur led them into the large dojo room, along one wall were a line of Nafuda. On the right hand side was a plate with Baldur's name. To the left was another which bore the name @Calrex. Beside Calrex's name plate was one for @Teayre and then @Morgenstern. Then @Cordelia and finally @Crozeph.  Finally, laying on the floor as if waiting to be put up, was another nafuda that still showed signs of recently being carved into the wood with the name @Shay.

"Welcome to Shugyosha-Dojo. It means "Student of the Way." Baldur was clearly glowing with pride. "Here, I shall teach my bushido, Katsujinken - the Life Giving Sword." He walked into the center of the room, where the tatami had been styled with the symbol that Baldur wore on his kimono, and on his sword. The crane.

"I won't just teach how to use the katana, but philosophy as well. The life giving sword is meant to save others, by clearing the front line and helping, but also through redemption and atonement. My way of the sword is there for the lost. Together, we will work to climb this tower, find meaning, self improvement, redemption, and finally freedom. Just as is the mission of Jacob's Ladder. To work together to climb the tower and free the dreamers."

He turned back to them, a smile on his face, and pride radiating from him. The pieces were coming together, but not quite there yet. He wasn't finished, but soon. Soon.

Thread Complete

2 complete pages +2 SP

COVID bonus +1 SP

Quest Reward 10,000 col & 5 SP

ID# 153710 LD:12

[T3 - Perfect Light Armor] Light Betrayal - Enhancements: 2 Evasion / 1 Recovery

Rewards by player

Baldur: Light Betrayal, 10k Col, 3 SP

Oscar: 10k Col, +8SP

Mari: 10k Col, +8SP

Cordelia: 10k Col, +10SP [Mega Slime Farm Used - Next use 7/16/2020]

What transpired next surprised Baldur, but not for the same reason that everyone else was surprised. When they finally lit all of the beacons and light flooded the room, Baldur had expected the Shadow's protection to be destroyed and that the shadow minions would be destroyed. His bet, had been that the shadow was going to be the floor boss fight, and at this fight was just to prime the scene.

Instead, the Shadow burned in the light that they shone upon him from every corner of the room. All was quiet for a moment, but it didn't seem right. Orgoth was released, however, and that was a sign that the fight was finally over. Orgoth would probably deliver some exposition and they would move on.

"Just kidding."

Then the world went black as the pillars of light exploded and shards flew at them from every corner of the room. They couldn't see the shadow anymore, but they could hear his mocking tone. More taunting and posturing followed. Baldur was unphased by the taunts, and more that there would be another phase to the fight. They were low on energy and some on health. This fight had worn on and on.

But then he felt, since he couldn't see, the shadows rushing at them, grasping at them, and then exploding at them.

In the corner of his vision, Baldur saw everyone's health bars plummet. This was bad.

But then Baldur's eyes locked onto him in the center of the room, and he saw the health bars.

He is the boss.

In spite of their low health bars, a bit of calm filled Baldur as the world snapped back into sense.

"Teleport out." Baldur called for retreat for the second time this fight. "He's the boss fight encounter. Teleport out, and we'll come back with everyone."

A flash of light as Macradon disappeared back to the Settlement of the Floor.

"Iron Fist!" Baldur called out as he held his teleport crystal aloft like a power ranger. A flash of blue light, and he was gone, instead finding himself bathed in blessed light and standing next to Macradon.

-1 teleport Crystal

Baldur cursed as they got so close, but not close enough just as the Shadow man poured fourth even more of his minions, trying to suffocate the light and gum up the machinery as they tried to make it work. Baldur pulled at the viscous shadows, but they wouldn't relent to his hands tearing at them. Then Mac came through, and his sword ignited the darkness, banishing a few more.

"We're almost there!" Baldur shouted to everyone as he felt another piece of the torch give, and the light continued to build. It was almost ready to ignite, but the shadows seemed to be suppressing the light that was trying to surge forth from within.

"Ariel, get the other one. I think we've got this!"

Hopefully Zandra and Jon would be able to take out the rest of the shadows, pulling them away from the torches and hopefully that would destroy the protective shield around the Shadow and let them progress.

Lighting Torch 4: ID#153234 LD: 5

Quote

[MFD-4] Baldur: HP 1540/1540  | EN 68/130 [-11, +1] | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 3/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23 
Hestia: HP: 1524/1970 | EN: 85/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux 2-1=1 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
[MFD-1]Ariel: HP: 1128/1630 [-502]  | EN 128/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (6-8) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
[MFD-8] Morgenstern: HP 1393/1680 | EN 66/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[MFD-6] Macradon HP 1802/1885 | EN 116/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery 
[MFD-4] Zandra: HP 2,020/2,020  | EN 25/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants

Quote

LIGHT#1 - [ACTIVE]
LIGHT#2 - [ACTIVE]
LIGHT#3 -  63/66+
LIGHT#4 -  67/66+

After Baldur's impalement, he saw the others rush forward, concerned for his well-being as he slammed into the ground. The blow was apparently brutal from an outsiders perspective, while for Baldur it had happened as was over before he knew what was going on. Their attacks rallied, though the gaijin's fears were finally realized now that he nor Oscar had a hate lead. The forgotten king impaled Cordelia with his spear, but did not activate whatever grandiose attack he had used on Baldur.

After Oscar smacked the King back with Zandra's old axe, Baldur saw his opening, and the tiny bit of health the mob had left.

A smirk appeared on his face. Holding <<Warden's Fury>> out in the premotion for <<San Ge>> Baldur's form blurred. For a moment, it seemed as if there were five of the gaijin samurai, each attacking the Forgotten Time King one after the other, but without time for Baldur to get from one position to the other. One by one the blows landed until Baldur's form finally stopped moving, with the king behind him. Slowly, Baldur counted his heartbeats, trying to get the timing just right.

This is the moment.

Baldur looked at this rest of his party, the King looming above him as the health bar slowly ticked down, and just when it looked like there might be one more hit left in the boss, Baldur whirled his katana around and sheathed it. Instead of the click of his katana being locked into the saya, the boss exploded behind him, raining gravity defying, luminous polygons through the air.

The whole effect was timed so well that the only thing that spoiled the effect was a Baldur's [censored] eating grin.

His eyes turned towards Cordelia, her HP was the lowest of them, but she was still barely scratched. Everyone here would be fine now that the fight was ended.

"So, anyone up for more Tacos?"

ID#151995 BD: 2+6=8 (hit)
San Ge: 22x15=330 RAW - 150 MIT = 180 DMG Dealt
ID#151996 LD: 16 (success) to time sheathing his katana with FTK exploding

[6] Oscar 1205/1205 HP | 30/104 EN | 22 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 151 MIT | VAMP-DEF | SAVVY | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 48 B6
[2] Baldur 1280/1395 HP | 75/132 EN | 22/25 DMG WF/MM | 6/5 WF/MM | 5 EVA | 124 MIT | ABSLT ACC | 56 BH | 0/2 STATUS IMN | 30 THRNS 
[4] Mari 1365/1365 HP  | Energy: 65/120 | DAM: 14 | EVA 5  | MIT 43+45=88 | ACC 6
[5] Cordelia 920/1175 HP | EN: 64/120 | 21 DMG | 45 MIT | 6 ACC | 4 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF]| 6 HLY | 2 [36] BRN -14

Forgotten Time King 0/3750 | 300 DMG | 3 ACC | 0 EVA | 150 MIT

As Baldur poled the small skiff towards the Torii gate, a blue color, just off from the water and the sky, began to spin within the structure. Unconcerned, Baldur pushed the group through, and a moment later, they came out of an identical torii, but much higher than they were before. They were now on one of the teardrop islands high above the rest of the floor. He continued to use the pole to push their way towards a dock. The small, wooden dock just out into what would otherwise have been a giant pond, but the way it died off the edge of the floating island they were on was more of an infinity pool edge feeling, though it stretched off to cover much of this area of the floor.

The skiff pulled up to the dock, and Baldur deftly jumped off the boat and onto the dock and helped to hold it in place and help people off.

Above them rose a steep hike up a hill, amidst trees with deep red and orange leaves, and stone lanterns lining the path up. The breeze that seems to regularly blow off the water cause a ripple through the trees, dropping petals from flowers and leaves down onto the ground as the branches whisper quietly. The sound, or lack of competing sounds, seems to speak that they are far from civilization now and surrounded by nature as if Baldur's home were some kind of refuge.

"Welcome to my new home." Baldur said with a smile as he gestured up the hill.

The architecture of the home seemed to be built with alongside nature, in balance with the life around them, rather than clearing it away. As Baldur lead the group up the hill towards the gate in the wall that surrounded his home proper, he turned back to face the group.

"Sorry but the house is still a bit of a work in progress. I was planning to let Crow stay here, but then we also decided to have the guild hall here as well. It's only just started construction though."

Baldur pushed the gates open, and revealed the house within. Instead of a large courtyard, there was another bridge, leading over another pond. In fact, the house seemed to be built on a number of smaller islands, connected by covered bridges. Each section of the house was almost an island on its own.

"That's the main, central house where the main rooms and my rooms are. Over there are Calrex-kun's rooms, and there, is where Crowzeph-san will stay. And that island over there in the large central pond, that's where the katsujinken dojo will be."

He turned to Yuurei, "Sorry, I know you don't know a lot of these people. Carlex is one of my good friends, and the first person I taught the katana too. Cordelia-chan here is another person I've helped a little, though she mostly was fine with how she fought when I met her. I decided to start up the Katsujinken Dojo to help people, both learn how to wield the katana, but also to learn how to navigate some of the challenges that Aincrad throws at you, mentally, and game mechanically."

He started to lead them across the first covered bridge to the main section of the house.

"Shield liked the idea of my dojo, and the philosophy of my swordmanship, so we decided to make the guild Jacob's Ladder. Our goal is to help supply the frontlines with both materials and consumables, but also with people who have been trained, and taught, how to contribute to the front, whether they want to fight there or not."

@Cordelia @Crozeph @Yuurei

They were close. So close. Just a little bit further.

And then the Shadow removed Hestia from the equation.

For a moment, Baldur had flashbacks to Hestia dying in the fight against the demon horde on floor 11. But her HP wasn't lowered, she just wasn't there. It ejected her from the field. Now there were only 5 of them.

"We need to get these torches lit now, before more shadows spawn!"

Baldur scrambled to get the fourth light lit, and he felt like he made good progress, the light inside was building up, hopefully ready to become something that would remove the shield that protected the Shaadow from their attacks. If they could get a little further, they could make up with the loss of Hestia. But Zandra was out of energy, and she was also their healer.

Tsk. This isn't good. I'll have to trade her my energy recovery items if this drags on.

Torch 4 Ignition: ID#151911 LD: 14

LIGHT#1 - [ACTIVE]
LIGHT#2 - [ACTIVE]
LIGHT#3 -  55/66+
LIGHT#4 -  62/66+

Seeing how little damage Seul did because of the high mitigation this monster has, Baldur decided to switch things up a little, since the stakes were lower. He switched his grip from the Warden's Fury, to the Muramasa as he charged the giant peep. Instead of the pure white and gold light of his previous katana, when the power of Muramasa was unleashed, it came spilling forth from the saya as a blood red, almost crimson color. The sword felt powerful in his hand, and it would only continue to grow as they moved through the tower. It had been too long since he had used the blade.

The arc of red rent the giant, cheerfully colored peep, and tore aware a comically large check of marshmellow, sticking to this sword as he pulled it fee.

"Ugh... I always hated peeps." Baldur tried flicking the blade as he would to remove blood, but it wouldn't come free.

"Disgusting."

ID#151574 BD:9 (crit)
Muramasa + Charge + San Ge: 26 (base)+5(charge)+1(Crit)=32x15=480 RAW - 150 MIT = 330 DMG Dealt

[H:1] Seul     - HP: 1150/1150 | EN: 47/106   | MIT: 126  | DMG: 18 | EVA: -1 |   ACC: 2 | BH: 57 | V (D): 115 | HB: 24 | Conc: 3/3
[H:2] Baldur - HP: 1510/1510 | EN: 96/136 | MIT: 79    | DMG: 23 | Absolute ACC: 8 | EVA: 2 | BH: 75 | Conc (0/3) | Parry (0/2) | QChange (3/3)
[H:0]  Beat    - HP: 1225/1225 | EN: 91/120   | MIT: 3      | DMG 23  | Absolute ACC: 7 | EVA: 0 | BH: 24 | Conc (0/3) | QChange (0/3)
[H:0]  Shield - HP: 1710/1850 | EN: 176/176 | MIT: 226 | DMG: 2    |  EVA: -1 | BH:92 | HB: 48 | THN: 99 | ENV: 18/4 

The Giant Peep - HP: 1586/2000 | DMG: 30 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 150 | Chubby Bunny [0/3 turns]
Players roll CD. They may use up to that many peeps to gain one of the following: 1-3 [Phase] 4-6 [Burn BD8+] 7-9 [Holy next crit] 10-12 [Fallen 2 next hit]

"Don't be fooled!" Baldur called out to his comrades, "We have at least as many as fingers and toes!"

It was an absurd comment, but Baldur didn't argue with the AI. Witty banter was something ingrained in his DNA, but it didn't feel fruitful or satisfying to argue with a coded construct. A real person? Of course. But the bosses served no purpose. Nothing came of it. It was only a distraction. In this case, however, it served to alter the motivation of his team, which was why he went with something that would hopefully break some of the tension.

The gaijin samurai dove into a puddle of shadows once again, his sword summoning bright, pure while light that banished the darkness as he moved and tore into the shadows. He couldn't kill any of them, but if Ariel or Jon followed behind him, they could. Reduce the numbers, and surge forward.

vs Shadow 57 ID#151570 BD: 10 (Crit) Amatsu 10 crit = 26x8 = 208 -75 = 133 DMG dealt
vs Shadow 58 ID#151571 BD: 9 (Crit) Amatsu 9 crit = 25x8 = 200 -75 = 125 DMG dealt
vs Shadow 59 ID#151572 BD: 2 +6 -1 (charge) -1 (Evasion) -2 (darkness) = 4 (miss)
vs Shadow 60 ID#151573 BD: 4  +6 -1 -1 -2 = 6 (hit) Amatsu = 24x8=192 -75 = 117 DMG dealt

[Marked for Death-4] Baldur: HP 1540/1540  | EN 67/130 [-11, +1] | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 3/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23 
[Marked for Death-4] @Hestia: HP: 1524/1970 | EN: 85/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux 2-1=1 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
@Ariel - The Crowned Lion: HP: 1630/1630  | EN 128/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (6-8) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
[Marked for Death-4] @Morgenstern: HP 1141/1680 | EN 76/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[Marked for Death-5] Macradon HP 1708/1885 | EN 130/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery 
[Marked for Death -4] @Zandra: HP 2,020/2,020  | EN 41/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants

Looking down, Baldur realized a young woman had bumped into him. He expected to be jostled a bit in the street, but when she looked up at him and mentioned Shield's name, she immediately was not just another face in the crowd. The wanna-be samurai's face softened as he looked down at the girl, giving her a friendly smile and opening his mouth to answer her when Crozeph appeared form the the crowd as well. 

He glanced up at his old friends, the steel absent from his eyes and instead replaced with a serene, oceanic color.

"Good to see you, my old friend." He glanced between the two, choosing his words.

"Yes, Shield-kun is one of the other Hashira of our guild, Jacob's Ladder, along with Mari-chan, and Oikawa-san." He was surprised Crow knew about it. Apparently, he had spoken to Mari already. That was a good sign, and maybe that's what she had meant during the meeting. Then, another ray of sunshine and energy popped up at his side.

"Ah, Cordelia-chan. I wasn't sure you were going to make it. Excellent." As Cordelia introduced herself, Baldur realized he did not have the young woman's name.

"Forgive me. I am Baldur, this is my good friend Crozeph." He didn't introduce Cord, since she had just done so, "If you'd like to come with us, I'm about to head up to my house, which is also where our guild will be. There's a chance Shield may be up there."

He gestured for the three of them to follow and he began to lead the way off the crowded bridge and towards the gates that lead from the town.

"My house is just outside the settlement. Don't worry, if you stay away from the water nothing will bite."

The edge of the settlement was actually the edge of the central island, dominated by the Colosseum.  Stretching from the central island was a bridge leading to another, smaller island. At the foot of the bridge was another small cluster of homes. He lead them over this bridge and out of the protection of the <<settlement>>.

"I didn't expect quite the crowd. My home isn't entirely ready, but I hope you all find it as beautiful and warm as I do."

Once across the long bridge and at the new, far smaller island, Baldur led them over to a small dock, with a small boat that could be driven by pole. He stepped out onto the boat and took up the pole.

"Alright, all aboard. Please keep your hands and arms inside the boat at all times. In the case of an emergency," Baldur's face split into a grin, "the exits are here, here, here, here, here, -everywhere-" He chuckled.

"it's not a far ride, don't worry."

He gestured over his shoulder towards a large Torii in the water, as if that answered everyone's questions.

@Yuurei @Crozeph @Cordelia

Baldur let out a smirk when Beat teased him about cleaning up his mess. It was good that they could joke like this. They were settling back into the old habits and rhythms they had only just started to build up from before. The gaijin samurai whipped his blade around, freeing it of toffee and chocolate, before sheathing the blade.

"Looks like I got some Bloodclot Throns armor. Not something that I need, but maybe useful for... uh... someone..."

The armor wasn't anything Baldur could possibly use, or adapt a build around. It was just too counter to his style and build.

"If anything, maybe it'll make a good item to stash in the guild vault once we get one.'

Then the Samurai noticed Shield had found another chest.

"I should have known you'd be able to find something like that in a place like this." He shook his head ruefully, "Has your luck with these changed yet, or are you still jinxed?"

ID#151402 LD: 10 -> Toffee Armor T3 [Bloodclot, Thorns 2]

When the spear of the Forgotten King took Baldur, the world went sideways.

He had a vague recollection of seeing the ceiling, then the floor, then lightning, then the ceiling again, and finally a boot stomping down on his chest as the wicked, undead looking menace stared down at him. Too real bile dripping down from its skeletal maw.

It all happened so fast, Baldur wasn't even hardly aware of what happened, other than the took a hit. As bad a hit as the king was capable of dealing to him.

Then Oscar was standing over Baldur as he coughed, trying to get air that wasn't there back into his lungs. Oscar's hand pulled him up and helped the Samurai get oriented once again with the fight. However, Baldur had been in this spot before. He fought this boss before. He had taken this exact hit before.

"Thanks man, I got this." A smile came back to his face, and his steel blue eyes locked back on to the boss. With a kick of his foot, Baldur lifted the blade up from the ground and caught, already in motion back towards the Forgotten Time King. Being hit was part of the job, and if he wasn't used to it, he wasn't very good at it. He had tried going the glass cannon route before, and he had ended up with single digit HP in a boss room. Baldur had forged himself out of sterner stuff this time.

The gold and white arc of light as he cut through the air with his sword art struck home, again and again, tearing the form of the skeleton apart.

Get back up and get moving. He repeated to himself, he had no time to dwell on hit points. Just that he had lost the hate lead, and needed to earn it back before Oscar lost it.

[5] Oscar 1205/1205 HP | 45/104 EN | 22 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 151 MIT | VAMP-DEF | SAVVY | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 48 BH
[1] Baldur 1224/1395 HP | 86/132 EN | 22/25 DMG WF/MM | 5/6 WF/MM | 5 EVA | 124 MIT | ABSLT ACC | 56 BH | 0/2 STATUS IMN | 30 THRNS 
[4] Mari 1365/1365 HP  | Energy: 76/120 | DAM: 14 | EVA 5  | MIT 43+45=88 | ACC 6
[4] Cordelia 1175/1175 HP | EN: 78/120 | 21 DMG | 45 MIT | 6 ACC | 4 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF]| 6 HLY | 2 [36] BRN

Forgotten Time King 538/3750 | 300 DMG | 3 ACC | 0 EVA | 150 MIT

Baldur smiled proudly as the team came together and Macradon stood back up to his feet, ready to move. The Knight of the Blood Oath grabbed his swords and dove back into the Shadows. His sword arcs were a beacon of light in the darkness that let Baldur find the others had moved on to the next torch and began to light. it.

"I've always got your back, Mac!" Baldur called out to the man after his thanks that everyone had come together with him. The gaijin samurai then rushed over to the final light. They were almost there.

"Alright, let's get this thing."

He searched the contraption and heard a large gear move, and several pieces fall into place. A soft light began to slowly grow brighter from deeper within.

"Almost there... almost there..." Baldur vocalized his excitement, his steel blue eyes flickering back and forth between the final lighthouse and the party's health bars and energy bars.

Action: lighting  #151325 LD: 12

[Marked for Death-1] Baldur: HP 1540/1540  | EN 77/130  | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 3/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23 
[Marked for Death-4] @Hestia: HP: 1970/1970  EN: 85/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux 2-1=1 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
Ariel HP: 1630/1630  | EN 128/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (6-8) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
[Marked for Death-4] Morgenstern HP 1141/1680 [-539] | EN 76/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[Marked for Death-4] Macradon HP 1614/1885 | EN 138/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery 
[Marked for Death -4] Zandra: HP 2,020/2,020  | EN 59/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants

LIGHT#1 - [ACTIVE]
LIGHT#2 - [ACTIVE]
LIGHT#3 -  55/66+
LIGHT#4 -  21/66+

It was like watching a stained glass window shatter before his eyes. Mari had gone into this conversation prepared for the worst, and her pieces were falling apart now. He hated this part. It seemed cavalier to say it hurt him as much as her, but he had an empathic heart, and seeing others in pain wounded him. He almost wished he could return her feelings just to spare her the pain, but he had tread that path before and it was only worse for them both in the long run. There needed to be a finality in their conversation so that she could move on with her feelings, though he was a little surprised that this rejection felt more like a breakup.

 "Thanks for hearing me out." Mari said to him. "And ...for what its worth, we'll all do everything we can. To ensure you, her, everyone else will make it out here alive."

"Now that's a promise I'm going to hold you to." He tried to give her another playful smile. They had done the hard part, but now they needed to find a way to move forward.

His words seem to be falling flat, when they tried to reach her over the blanket of silence that weighted everything down. He let out a resigned sigh. This wasn't an avenue he wanted to go down, but there was more foundation to lay here.

"I don't like to psychoanalyze, but you've been through a lot of trauma Mari-san. You've been abused emotionally, abandoned, scorned, chased out. You're looking for people to attach to. To feel apart of again. To feel welcome again." The edge of his lip curled up, struggling to find some median between cheerful and sad.

"That's not going to change. We're still going to get together for tea, and fishing, and questing, and more importantly, we're going to risk our lives together. These bonds will grow stronger over time, and we'll be closer in the future then we are now." Life and death does that. Unbidden, the image of Hestia dying in front of Baldur flashed into his eyes. Azide, falling from Rohk's talons to die in a whirlwind. People stepping off the edge of the floor, too numerous to count. Visit after visit to the Monument of Life, looking for new names, and pouring out sake for the ones he had found. So many people. So many names. But he swallowed the emotions and pushed forward.

"We're in this together, the four of us. Coparenting a guild, and sometimes probably the frontlines... lord knows we need it." Baldur said the last bit almost to himself.

"Running away is the easy way out." A long, blond braid flashed before his eyes. The specter of a long lost friend. "But rarely is the easy way the right way. Or the way we must go. So here's what I need from you."

Baldur sucked in a breath, rising to his full height and trying to sound as official as he could, addressing her as a guild leader and as a friend, and perhaps a bit as a mentor who had helped her take her first steps to get to where she was today.

"I need you to keep both your promises. Not just for me, because there's thousands of people out there like me, but who don't have the ability to fight. And I am going to keep both of those promises too. And because we're going to keep these promises together, we're going to become the best damned heroes and guild leaders this game has ever seen, hai?"

He gave her a broad, brave, honest smile.

"And we're going to get the hell out of here, and the four of us will have tea like this in the real world."

Baldur watched with a grin as Seul pulled out his AoE attack. He had forgotten that giant sword Seul was swinging around was the two-hand straight sword that Macradon also loved to wield, and how devastating it could be in an AoE situation. The damage quickly cut another several turns out of the fight. Beat and Baldur may be top tier single target DPS, but the power of an AoE wielder was on display here.

"Nice one Seul."

Beat rushed in, finishing off the both the Toffee Bunny and the Frosted Bunny as if he was trying to make sure everyone knew that the time away from The Front hadn't diminished any of his sharpness. The thought made Baldur smile as he turned his attention to the last two bunnies. His AoE wasn't quite as good as Seuls. Perhaps if he used the Muramasa on this attack, he could finish them off, but it wasn't worth the inaccuracy.

Following Seul's lead, Baldur unleashed his own AoE attack, finishing off the Red Hot Bunny, and almost finishing off the Dark Chocolate Bunny.

Tsk.

"Almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades." The gaijin samurai said by way of appology at having Beat need to clean up his left overs again.

ID#150544 BD: 3+8-1-2=8 (hit)
ID#150545 BD: 2+8-1-2=7 (hit)

Amatsu no Homura: 23+5=28x8=224 Raw
Red Hot Bunny: 224 raw - 50 MIT = 174 DMG Dealt
Dark Chocolate: 224 raw - 0 MIT = 224 DMG Dealt

[H:1/3/3/2] Seul     - HP: 1150/1150 | EN: 59/106   | MIT: 126  | DMG: 18 | EVA: -1 |   ACC: 2 | BH: 57 | V (D): 115 | HB: 24 | Conc: 3/3
[H:0/1/0/0] Baldur - HP: 1510/1510 | EN: 107/136 | MIT: 79    | DMG: 23 | Absolute ACC: 8 | EVA: 2 | BH: 75 | Conc (0/3) | Parry (0/2) | QChange (0/3)
[H:1/1/0/0]  Beat    - HP: 1225/1225 | EN: 91/120 | MIT: 3      | DMG 23+3  | Absolute ACC: 7 | EVA: 0 | BH: 24 | Conc (1/3) | QChange (0/3)
[H:4/4/4/4]  Shield - HP: 1575/1850 | EN: 148/176 | MIT: 226 | DMG: 2    |  EVA: -1 | BH:92 | HB: 48 | THN: 99 | ENV: 18/4 

Frosted Bunny                 HP: 0/650 | DMG: 250 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50
Toffee Bunny                   HP: 0/1000 | DMG: 150 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 125
Red-Hot Bunny                HP: 0/650 | DMG: 400 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50 <BD7+, 60 Unmitigatable Burn DMG to the target>
Dark Chocolate Bunny   HP: 65/650 | DMG: 400 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 0 | St. Rating: 13+ <Stealth every 2 turns. Stealth attacks are AoE>

A light. Chains sprouted from the ground to grab Macradon.

Kuso.

The chains were targettable? That was how they needed to free Mac then. Morg it seemed was one step ahead of him, calling out for himself and Ariel to attack the chians.

Good job. He felt proud of the young man and his calm during battle. Cool under fire.

"On it."

Mac struggled with his chains, forcing them to his will and allowing him to stand as the crimson bands tore at his model.

"I'm coming for you Mac!"

Baldur blurred across the battlefield. He would not let his friend suffer his chains alone. The burden was theirs to bear as party, and he would not let anyone fall while he was there.

As the special sword Macradon had given him struck the chains, <<Warden's Fury>> howled as steel met steel and the critical hit tore through the chains where Ariel had struck, tearing one arm of Macradon free. As the sword art released Baldur, he stood next to Macradon, taking his arm around his shoulders to help hold the fighter up against the chains pulling him down.

"I've got you. You're not in this alone. We're in this together, no matter what happens."

The gaijin samurai had done all he could. Hopefully between taking on aggro of a shadow and helping free Macradon from the chains, they could finish this fight.

ID#150294 BD: 9 (crit)
San Ge vs Chains: 24+1+5=30x15=450 DMG Dealt

[Marked for Death-1] Baldur: HP 1540/1540  | EN 76/130  | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 3/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23 
[Marked for Death-4] @Hestia: HP: 1959/1970  EN: 84/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux 2-1=1 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
Ariel HP: 1630/1630  | EN 127/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (6-8) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
[Marked for Death-4] Morgenstern HP 1680/1680 | EN 76/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[Marked for Death-4] Macradon HP 1520/1885 | EN 146/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery 
[Marked for Death -4] @Zandra: HP 2,020/2,020  | EN 74/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants

<<Bloodlust Shackle>> 55/1,000 HP | 0 MIT

LIGHT#1 - [ACTIVE]
LIGHT#2 - [ACTIVE]
LIGHT#3 -  43/66+
LIGHT#4 -  0/66+

Baldur had a hard time following along what Shion was saying. She seemed to take a direction and just shoot off in it, much as she had in the fight. She was certainly quick to action. She began working through a straight out of the box team building exercise all by herself, prompting him with the canned question, and then answering it herself. It was an almost bizarre show, but she did have a point.

"Yea, we always called those ice breakers any time corporate decided to mandate a team building exercise. I usually found them to be more awkward and off-putting for more people than they were helpful for, but knowing how you like to be interacted with, and interact with others is a good thing to know. A lot of personalities tests try to suss that out, and it helps both the test taker, and their team, figure out how to work with one another."

He propped himself up on his elbows, since she was standing and pacing now.

"It's a decent enough ice breaker, but I think most people here would just risk their lives right off the bat and go fight something, maybe hold hands and close a few demon portals." Baldur gave a smirk at the thought that it was easier to fight kobolds than talk about oneself.

"I subscribe to the idea that there is a personality type that is the ideal team player. They are humble, because if they're not, they won't adapt to the team and learn how to work together. They're hungry, in that they're driven to improve themselves, press on, and get better. And they're emotionally smart, meaning that they know how to interact with others, to fit in, and yet have enough self awareness that they can be in control of their emotions. These people need to work on a team after all."

Baldur let out a breath, blowing some of his bangs out of the way.

"Give me someone with those three traits, and I can make a good team."

"You shouldn't make a promise you can't keep."

They were the first words out of Baldur's mouth, though it seemed much of the weight had been released form his shoulders. His words were firm, but still carried that instructive warmth from the last time Baldur had tried to help Mari sort out her thoughts and feelings.

"If everyone has noticed, we can't really say it hasn't been influencing you." At this point, he offered her a small smile as a lifeline. He was probably coming at this from the wrong angle, but they would need to work together in the future for the sake of the guild, so he was perhaps harder on her than he would have been otherwise. Or at least, gone about this a different way.

"I'm flattered, I really am. And I look forward to getting to know the new, real Mari, but there's no way we could move forward if you hadn't said something. The only way to address our feelings is to let them out into the open and confront them."

In a way, Baldur was relieved that everything was out in the open now and could be addressed. The tension and build up was blowing things much further our of proportion than they need be.

"You're exactly right. We don't know each other. In fact, I think we know next to nothing about each other. That's not quite fair though, we did share a heart to heart, so you might begin to have some understanding into my character, but I'm far more than puns and philosophy." Baldur thought he'd try a joke, "Okay, maybe not much more."

He walked over the window, then half sat, and half leaned against the window sill. 

"I have someone. She moved to Japan for me. She's trapped in here too, and if there's any chance of her getting out alive, I'm going to take it. I'm the only one she has. The only hope she has, of getting out of here. So I'm sorry, I can't return your feelings that way."

Baldur finally looked away, for the first time since the conversation started.

"No one knows, because I don't talk about my personal life. Well, Oikawa, Crow, and Ariel know, because they've met her."

The gaijin's mind's eye flashed to Lessa and Opal, but he pushed that down as well. He wouldn't do that to her. To any of them. Nor to their memories. He took a deep breath, stifling the emotions for now. This wasn't the time or the place for old memories.

"I look forward to getting to know you better, and vice versa. I'm very much invested in your path; you'll find no more staunch an ally or cheerleader than I. Plus, I listen to the music you gave me often. I'm afraid though... I can't be the one to give you what you're looking for."

He stood back up, a warm smile on his face.

"For what it's worth. I'm glad you said something."