Jevi

 "If shomeone as debashed as me can find love, you can too."

It was nice to hear it from someone else, a complete stranger at that. Propping an elbow on the bar beside her, she would rest the side of her jaw upon her upright first. Finishing the last of her drink, she looked to the other woman with a smile. 

"I've only truly loved one man.. Well, there was one before SAO but -" her smile was wiped away in an instant, a memory she did not want to recall or talk about. Ever again. " Well they had other intentions.. The guy I ran into here was sweet. A pain in the ass, kinda full of himself.. but he grew on me. Honestly, it was the happiest I had been in a long time." Her chest rose as she took in a deep breath, "Then one morning he was gone." She dismissed the obvious assumption that he could have died, "I checked the Monument. His name wasn't there. No messages, no notes. Nothing."

Head turned slightly to face towards the bar, though her chin still rested on her hand. "Then one day, he just showed up again. Apparently found some monks in the mountains who promised him that they'd help him find his best self." Her tongue pressed into the side of her cheek. "I was angry." emphasis on the 'angry' "..but I was happy, so I was willing to give him a second chance. Though.." her gaze dropped, "He only wanted to be friends at that point.. But promised he wouldn't go and do that again."

"..Bet you can guess what ended up happening." Her lips a snark smirk, she would sigh as it faded. "Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice.." 

Another drink found its way to the counter before her. Maybe the bartender heard her sob story, figured she could use it. 

"There was someone else in between but.. they weren't as good a fit for me as I thought. Maybe I was just desperate. I cared for her but I couldn't return the love she gave me.. I think she took that breakup harder than I'd realized.." her voice was small as she spoke into her drink. "Next time I saw her, she was a name carved into the monument." The conversations of others spoken over the smooth playing of a guitar weren't enough to fill the silence that Jevi left lingering. Until she finally forced a smile.

"I appreciate the kind words, but I'm at the point where maybe its just something not meant for me. And if that's the way things need to be, then so be it. After Grave went and.. abandoned our friendship again, I did my own soul searching. Just started living life for me and no one else." 

Unconsciously, she would push the mask up onto her forehead as if a pair of glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. "So this is how I find out I share too much when I drink. Psh.. go figure." The mask would slide back down into place. "You really don' think your man would show to a place like this? I mean.. he'd rather show up to a fuckin' beach than a dark party where he can hide his shit?" she'd point to the space over her head, where a defining crystal could normally be seen. "And pass up the chance to see you looking like a smoke show? Fuck. You should send him a message, give him a taste of what he's missin.. ya'know?"

"Fuck it."

Hirru mimicked her vulgar air of nonchalance, the corners of her lips fighting a smile as the rim of the glass pressed against her lips. Slowly at first, she would tilt the cup upwards to get a taste of.. whatever this was. Pausing for a moment to smack her lips, she looked into translucent, gold colored pool of, what she assumed was, some sort of wine. "Its sweet." she spoke her observation into the glass before taking another long drink. The liquid traveled down her throat, a familiar warmth left in its wake. That same heat in her stomach and chest accompanied by a buzz behind her eyes.. now that was different. Hirru must have noticed it too, there was something up with these drinks.. but intuition told her it was nothing malicious. 

It almost seemed like.. nah, couldn't be. It must have just been the events of the day taking a toll on her. She was just tired and imagining things... but

She couldn't be so certain with just one drink. Placing the glass down on the counter again, she looked over at her green haired companion who had done the same. Seemed like he was interested in a second round as well. Jevi chuckled softly, "Guess the drink was more worth it after all." Attention turned to her glass once more - to her surprise, it was full again. Eyes lingered on the glass, blinking slowly. "After all the shit we dealt with today.. I think this is the least concerning thing." 

There was no hesitation in drinking the second glass of wine. Downing half of the glass, she would look at its golden color again to try and match the taste. "Not grapes.. plum maybe?" She drank even more moments later. About a sip or two remained when she sat the glass down again, now absolutely certain of what she was expecting before. 

".. You feel it too, right?" 

She was drunk, or, at least, getting there. Especially with the speed she was chugging this plum wine. 

"Mmm." a throaty moan escaped her as she bent forward and arched her back to get in a good stretch. "Okay, maybe this quest knew exactly what we needed. Maybe its divine intervention or some shit."

The blurry visage of H.P's was barely visible through the thick fog. Like a shining beacon of hope, despite its exterior being anything but glimmering. Who would have thought that she would be so happy to see a run down, probably haunted bar. "Almost.. there.." she huffed as she put all her weight against pushing the wagon. The stretch of road leading up to the tavern seemed never ending, and she felt her feet sinking deeper into the sludge with each step. For a moment, she could have sworn that hands were reaching from the earth, grabbing at her ankles and trying to pull her under.. but at this point that had to have just been her mind playing tricks on her..

..Right?

Every time she would peer over her shoulder at their straw-filled pursuer, they appeared to lurk closer and closer. The few details on its torn, burlap face - drooping from the weight of the rain, yet still curved upwards into a wide smile. She could feel its presence every time she turned to face forward, to make sure they were still on track. By the time the old wagon bumped into the side of the bar, the scarecrow was right on top of them - scythe high in the air above their heads, ready to strike. 

But as Jevi turned to face this entity once more, they had vanished. 

No questioning it, probably for the better it was gone.

Jevi and Hirru carefully unloaded the cargo, carrying it down into a musty cellar beneath the tavern. They didn't think too much about placing it in 'the correct spots' or even making it look nice. At that point, they just wanted to be done with it all. 

"Thats that." Jevi would remark after closing the cellar door and brushing her hands clean. "Looks like all that's left is to.." She took a moment to peek at the quest objections, furrowing her brow at the simplicity of their current task. "Have that drink.. Whatever, I guess lets see what this is all about." shoulders rose and fell with a shrug before moving back into the interior where they had found the original note. In its place were two glasses, each filled with an indiscernible liquid.

"Should we be trusting that?" Jevi asked, pointing at the two cups obviously set out for the two of them. "I feel like drinking mystery booze from a bar that probably wouldn't pass a health inspection just screams red flags." Yet, there she was with the glass in her hands, gently swirling the liquid. It looked fine, smelled fine..

"Fuck it." 

ID 255071 | CD 6

"I'll get the rope up on the rig. You might have a better shot popping the lock with your weapon." 

Easier said than done.

Wrapping enough rope to feed through the pulley system around her shoulder, Jevi made the climb up the mast. The powerful wind threatened to toss Jevi back to the deck of the ship - or, worse, into the water - whipping her in each direction. It also didn't help that the ladder was slippery from the constant rain. As long as she kept slow and steady, she would be fine. Hooking an arm and leg around the rungs of the ladder, Jevi had a bit more maneuverability to feed the rope through the crane's systems. Intrusive thoughts told her to ride the rope down, but Hirru's warning about the durability of the ropes told her otherwise. In this instance, his voice was louder.

Quick teamwork, and the two had managed to bring the crane back to life, even if just for this brief moment. Successfully, they managed to lower the barrels back onto what was left of the pier. The crate, on the other hand, may have been a bit too heavy for the decaying vessel. Loud creaking, followed by a splintering crack, and the mast that housed the crane arm was toppling over. The two players had hardly any time to escape the deck of the ship before it crashed down, damaging even more of the already ruined boat. 

"Shit.. why is everything on this floor just out to get us?" she hung from the lower rope ladder for a moment before climbing down after Hirru.

Maybe Cardinal felt a bit bad for them.. maybe it was just another one of Floor 29's tricks. But the crate that neither could lift on their own, that they thought had careened into the earth after the mast fell, was now sitting neatly in their wagon with the other barrels. 

Don't think about it. Don't ask about it. Just go with it. 

"Since when have any of these drinks been worth it?" Jevi asked, reality setting in. 

"I can sit there and chug a bottle of, fucking Everlear or something and I'll walk out like it was just water."

Dragging the wagon back to the tavern was even more difficult than their initial departure. With the added weight, the wheels sunk deep down into the mire. It took all of the two's combined strength to keep it rolling, and if they stopped it took a whole lot of heaving to get it moving again. 

A figure stalking them through the mist caught Jevi's attention. A tall figure, appearing to wear tattered clothing and a cooked hat stood in the clearing. It took staring for a minute before she realized that the other entity was not alive, they were made of straw and tied to a post. "Just a scarecrow.." Jevi sighed, a bit of relief.

Then why did she still feel as if they were still being watching? 

Even as they passed the straw man, the burning of eyes staring into the back of her head spawned an anxiety that bubbled up within her. There was something lurking, watching them.

Jevi slowly turned to look over her shoulder, her weight still pressing into the wagon as they maneuvered it through the sludge. "Uhm.." Jevi stopped, frozen as she looked behind her. "I don't like that." 

The scarecrow stood still as before, slender stick legs now planted into the center of the road, right where they had moved the wagon through. In its hand - which was a mess of curled twigs and straw - a long rusted scythe. 

ID 254977 | LD 3

The swarm of spiders was never ending pouring from the bag like squirming black ink. Not even water seemed to slow their approach as they continued to scurry across Jevi's form. The tingling itch of thousands of tiny legs across every surface of her body, her only solution to tear the skin off of her bones. Nails dug into her collarbones as she shrieked out in pure horror, ready to rip and tear at her flesh until she couldn't feel anything anymore. 

A sudden, squeezing pressure and a warmth that startled her, but quelled her panicking. Looking down first at the arms that embraced her, she would turn her chin up to see Hirru. Wet eyes full of care as he pleaded, trying whatever he could to snap her out of her terror. Reaching out she would place a soft hand on his chest to assure him she was alright. After a couple of deep breaths, she spoke "Thank you.. fuck that was horrible.." her voice shaky as she steadied herself.

The spiders. Checking her surroundings, she saw no trace of any of the creatures. Not even the Col that had caught her attention in the first place. A finger rose to point at the sack, "Bag was filled with Col at first. Couldn't even imagine how loaded it was." Using Hirru as a crutch, she would push herself up to her feet, water dripping from her sopping wet clothes. "Next thing I know. Spiders. Just fucking everywhere." Fingers curled into the sides of her shirts as that image played over and over in her head. "I never had a problem with spiders before but.. I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks." she would say with a small chuckle, trying to find humor in her trauma. A hand lingered on the man's armored shoulder for a moment longer, "Thanks for pulling me out." 

"Did you end up finding the shipment?" asked as she wandered about the cargo hold once more. Most of the containers were either too decayed to be transported, or did not contain the booze they needed. Hirru had found pretty much everything, even moved most of it to the top deck by himself. A playful jab to the shoulder, she'd reprimand him for not letting her help. However, he did need her help.. the last one was a mammoth of a crate. 

"Who the fuck even packs a crate this big full of booze? Probably weighs a ton. How'd they even get it down here?"

Jevi paused for a moment, and then addressed an even bigger question.

"How we gonna get this stuff to the wagon? We climbed a ladder."

"Have you been...hurt before?"
Jevi's smile faded, the glass nearly slipping from her fingertips as Mari's tapped against hers. Though quick reflexes, she secured it again before it crashed against the bar below. At least the drink wasn't affecting that. Not yet at least. 

Jevi didn't want to talk about her past, especially not about Alex's past. Not yet. She had only just met this woman, more importantly, she wasn't ready to hear the stories of her tattered past on her own voice. Again, not yet. 

"Too many times to count." she managed to maintain her composure, trying to play it off as a nonchalant topic.

A second cheers, this time coming from Mari. Spreading good luck to Jevi, in hopes she would find what Mari found. The woman scoffed, placing the drink back on the bar in front of her with a soft thud. "Yeah, I don't know about that. I've always been a tough nut to crack. Sure it would be nice but.." her shoulders rose and fell with a shrug, "If my past relationships are any indication.. then romance isn't in the cards for someone like me." Now that hurt hearing out loud. She immediately rose her drink to her lips to douse the pain. She dismissed her comments with a wave of her hand. "Don't let me sit here and bitch about my past. I'm trying not to be the 'wallow in self-pity type' anymore."

After their little toast, removed her mask so Jevi could better tie it on for her. Striking blue eyes caught her attention first, someone could easily get lost in them. And the spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose, the same that covered her exposed shoulders and arms. She almost didn't realize the slow spiral of the orange crystal marker above Mari's head. It was in that moment that she recalled the two placed she had seen Mari's name; the second, more recently, she was one of the two she spotted at Oscar's previous event. The other must have been the husband she mentioned. The first, a long time before, but she remembered seeing the name etched into the monument of life while searching for Ruby's name.. though not as a victim. 

"Well, well." she spoke through the huff of a breathy laugh "Wasn't expecting that." 
The lights flickered off and on once more. Guess she wasn't expecting that either. 

Gaze fell from the crystal to the mask in her hands. Without other comments, she leaned forward, reaching around Mari to place the mask over her eyes once more. The name and the crystal faded once again, the animosity returning. She wondered in that moment if anyone else noticed, if anyone else cared. Did Mari even care? Tying a comfortable knot, one that would stop the mask from falling, but not be impossible to slip off later. "There you go. All better." 

The topic change seemed to pull Hirru out whatever funk he was in. In fact, he almost seemed more than glad to talk about how he acquired his profession, the NPCs and the wagons that came with it. Despite their predicament, Jevi could not help but smile at the man's apparent love for what he does.. and it sounded like he set off on a much more exciting adventure to get it all set up, rather than accepting some simple first floor quest. She tried to recall what she had to go through to earn the title of blacksmith as she slid open the lid to a slightly damaged barrel. Fruit, all different types, some native to Aincrad and not the real world - but all were in various states of decay. Writing maggots ate away at whatever remained of the rotten fruit, the smell nearly causing Jevi to lose her lunch. Quickly sealing the barrel once more, she held a fist to her mouth just hoping it would be enough to keep everything in place. What was she thinking about again?

"Guh..dontbarf" she groaned slightly before speaking, "So." she swallowed hard, "You had to find a -" she paused, realizing she still didn't know what type of creature Liz even was "-an animal that could turn invisible out in the desert? Talk about finding a needle in a haystack. Guess the merchant found you capable after helping them out, though I'm sure anyone would." Jevi would turn to peek over her shoulder as she backed away from the container of filth to look at Hirru after mentioning the 'Black Out event.' 

 _"Live!" ^"Aquan!" The body of a stranger who sacrificed his life for her. "Go! Run! Words faded as her breath cut off, darkness drowning her. A horrible death. 

She stood in silence, fright in her eyes as she relived the trauma for just a moment. Her shoulders would shudder before she was pulled back to reality by Hirru's shouting. 

"The fuck is - wha?" she turned the rest of her body around, splashing through the misplaced ocean to join her companion's side. Whatever it was that had spooked him was long gone, but whatever it was.. it must have been horrifying. "What did you see? You're not hurt are you?"  She sure did care a lot for his safety this trip. That wasn't usual. He seemed fine, better than fine as he stumbled upon half of the shipment they were looking for. 

Good, after Hirru got spooked, she wanted out of here as fast as possible. 

"Our last proper talk, huh?" When had they last had a formal meeting, and not just smiles shared across a room or quick words with one another. She struggled to recall, pacing to the farther end of the cargo hold where she planned to search. Had they ever even had the chance to actually talk? "Honestly, I-" she began, snaking a hand up behind her neck sheepishly. Though, she was interrupted as the corner of her boot kicked over a heavy sack. A very familiar and well known noise of coins jingling and clinking together caught her ears and her attention. Spilling onto the floor and into the water at her feet shone col - an entire bag of it. The most she had ever seen in just one place.

Now, Jevi was not a greedy person - but even those well off would not be able to hide excitement stumbling upon this haul. The sopping wet bag dripped as she pulled it up from the murky water, placing it atop a nearby crate. "Holy shit, look at all of this.." she would say in a quiet voice, though loud enough for Hirru to hear. 

Then it all happened within the literal blink of an eye. The slick shimmer of the golden coins had vanished. Emerging from the bag were hundreds if not thousands of spiders. Spindly legs that crawled up Jevi's arms, dark bodies that glided across her skin. Within just seconds, the arachnids were coating her shoulders, her chest, many stepping onto her face - their closeness making them appear far larger than she was comfortable with. 

"FUCK! HOLY SHIT!" she would shriek as she violently brushed away the spiders from her body. Heel catching on a rope behind her, she would tumble backwards into the water. "Get them off get them off get them off!" Voice cracking, nearly on the verge of sobbing. 

Though through Hirru's, she had merely shown interest in a sack of old potatoes. There was no col. There were no spiders. Yet there she was, screaming and flailing on the ground like some helpless child. 

ID 254558 | LD 18

"I'm.." A twinge in her thigh, the culprit a splintered piece of wood jabbed into her leg. It hadn't done much to cause her any detrimental damage, nothing her natural battle healing couldn't take care of instantly. At this point it was just a thorn in her side.. literally. Reaching back behind her leg, she would wrap her fingers around the shrapnel and rip it from her person. All that remained was a bright red slit that slowly closed over time. "Fine. I'm fine." 

Her attention turned back to Hirru, "You sure you're alright, what happened back there? You just kinda.. froze for a minute." Looked to the man with a furrowed brow, her head tilted slightly as she looked into his eyes. She never realized that she had a bit of a height advantage over Hirru.. perhaps she never found herself standing as close to him as she was now. Whether the man addressed the strange moment or not, he began scanning the ship. Making sure it was safe, finding a way inside, and catching the name of the vessel. 'The Alert' she scoffed at the name. Some sort of sick joke, most likely. 

"This place is a mess.." Jevi remarked as she looked around the top deck. A thin layer of water coated the planks, most likely seeping into the belly of the ship. Uncoiled ropes and supplies lay scattered about the space in an unorderly way, requiring them to cautiously watch their steps. "Safe to say what we're looking for is downstairs.. Would it kill them to make a fetch quest simple for once." The lower decks of the ship provided a bit of respite from the pounding rain, though the ankle deep mess they had to wade through didn't exactly make her feel any better. Empty sacks and moldy, waterlogged food floated on the surface, the spoiled aroma wafting about the interior made her stomach churn. 

She needed something to distract herself from this horrendously, nauseating experience. 

"So.. How'd you end up with Liz?" Small talk was really all she could do. "I mean, I don't see many people with a wagon as a traveling merchant. Most people have a spot in town, basement. Or an old monastery, in my case." 

Request accepted. Jevi took a seat.

Sliding into the stool beside Mari, she sat with one elbow propped on the bar and body facing towards the ginger. "Huh. Why's that? I mean, I don't see a reason why they wouldn't." Thankfully, the mask cast a shadow that obscured her eyes, or else the woman would have noticed Jevi giving her a once over. A very slow once over. "I mean, you look great." she reassured her with a tiny stammer, not that Mari needed any encouragement for her looks. 

"Mari" she repeated. As if trying to recall the melody of an old song. The name felt familiar on her tongue, but not enough to draw upon any suppressed memories. Maybe heard in passing, or perhaps she read the name somewhere. Raising tilting her chin upwards and raising the drink to her lips, the lights above the bar now hitting the speckles in her golden eyes. She eyed Mari over the edge of her glass before setting it down once more. 

"I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people here had significant others at home while they danced the night away with someone else.. Just to get their thrills for a night." Her stare catching the ever growing dance floor over her shoulder, "Plenty of them are gonna fuck. Not everyone's a loyal saint. But I guess its their way of feeling alive in a death game." Shoulders rose and fell with a shrug. 

Since when did she like to talk all philosophical? Eyes peered down at her half empty drink. 

"Gotta be nice, having someone to go home to" Jevi would offer a half smile, though it was genuine. "Not too many find that here." Sliding her glass into her other hand, she would raise it off of the table with the edge tilted towards her drinking partner. "Here's to you and your husband." Though.. she wasn't entirely sure if Mari was able to see her toast to their happy marriage, the mask she wore was practically sitting on the tip of her nose. "You might wanna fix that mask of yours. Looks like its about to fall off." Placing her drink down, she would lift both of her hands towards Mari, recognizing how maybe the alcohol might be affecting her. "I can help you out if you need." She offered to retie Mari's mask to better secure it to her head. 

Eyes peered up from the shipping manifest to look at Hirru, the speckles in her golden eyes glistening in the lantern's glow. She hummed curiously with tight lips, "Fair point." She wasn't even entirely sure how far of a trip it was to the docks. This entire floor was an island surrounded by dark ocean, they could be located anywhere. Rubbing her temple with a tiny groan, she would fold up the sheet of paper and shove it into her pockets. When they find the shipment - if they find it - better to know exactly what they need to grab.

She'd hate to have to make another trip out in this shit weather. 

"Liz?" Jevi would ask over her shoulder, turning to look at the doorway that Hirru exited through. A short moment later, she would follow to catch up - though her question of Liz's identity was left a mystery. A floating blanket? Was Liz invisible? Judging by the height of the sheet, she was definitely a larger creature.. but she wondered what type of draught animal could turn invisible. Were those.. scales? She waited until the beast was resting - at least, she assumed it was - before asking. "What kind of.. animal(?) is Liz, exactly?" She lingered with the invisible creature for a moment longer before taking a quick look around the side of the tavern for any set of wheels that could help them with moving crates and barrels. 

Hirru had more luck locating it than she did, but it was not going to be as easy a trip as if they were to use his wagon..
___ __ _

"At least its.. something" Jevi would grunt as she and Hirru fought to push the cart over a stone submerged in mud. Partially damaged from the collapsed shed, the wagon threatened to give out with every turn of its wheel. "Its a shitty something - but something." 

The pathways became much more traversable as they stepped from mud covered cobblestone to the warped, wooden planks that made up the docks. The pier was rather empty, just a lone shed and two boat docks that stretched out into the ocean, but no noticeable ships or vessels. "Its gotta be in here, right?" her question rhetorical, yet answered by her own investigation. Poking her head through the open doorway to the shed nothing remained but some furniture and old fishing gear. No barrels or crates in sight. "Damn it.." she'd curse under her breath as she returned back out into the rain "...wait, is that?" 

Ding.. Ding.. Ding 

It was faint, but the noise was still able to break through the sound of pattering rain. Some sort bell on the deck of the ship that made its way towards the shore. A signal warning the crew that they would be making landfall, perhaps? The large rectangular sails were a bit tattered, and pieces flailed and whipped with the wind, but it seemed to be on course with the dock. Eyes strained, she leaned forward and squinted, trying to get a better look. It was dark, and there were no lanterns to illuminate the top deck but.. she didn't see any crew manning the ship. Shouldn't they have pulled up the sails by now?

...

"Move. Go. Go! GoGoGo!" she started by slapping Hirru's arm, before outright grabbing his bicep and pulling him away from the dock house and off of the wooden surface. "Wait, the wagon!" Of course they turned back around and pulled that along with them. It was a risky move going back for it as the incoming ship tore through the planks of wood as if they were not even there. Splinters and shrapnel exploded out in every direction as the docks shattered upon impact. The dock house split into two; one end being crushed by the hull of the ship, the other toppling back into the tide. As the vessel made landfall, it tore up stone and earth, before finally creaking to a halt. 

"Holy shit.. That was fucking close.." Jevi huffed, righting herself and checking to make sure she and Hirru were alright. "You okay? You didn't get hurt did you?" 

"Do.. do you think we can still get inside?" she asked after confirming he was fine.

ID 254465 | LD 14 | The brigantine does not dock, and instead tears through the dock, before beaching itself.

A short glass, heavy with the scent of alcohol found her before any company did, but was she truly expecting someone to just fall into her lap? Just like the crab boil, the airship, every other gathering she stepped out of her comfort zone to attend.. hoping she could find someone to interact with. A friend, a potential lover.. hell, just someone to help keep her on her feet and not lock herself in her shop  in her home again for days on end until she decided to try again. Rinse and repeat.

The rum burned as it trickled down her throat. She continued to turn the glass upwards until the ice collided with her lips, and, just as soon as she had gotten her drink, her cup ran empty once more. 

Looks like she needed a new one, a change of scenery sounded nice too. She was getting tired of watching people trying to slow dance to an vivacious, dark-pop melody. Leaving her empty glass for a sever to retrieve, Jevi rounded the dance floor. Knees peeked from the slits in her pants with each, slow step. Still eyeing the couples who were currently engaged with one another, despite her disdain.. was it possibly jealously? Not that she would admit it out loud.

Slowing to a halt before reaching her destination, she caught a glimpse of a familiar mess of green hair (@Hirru). Though with the mask adorning his face - and player-chosen name inconveniently hidden from her gaze - she could not be certain if it was her friend. Besides, he held another woman in his arms at the moment (@Vanta), it would be rude for her to interrupt such an intimate moment. Hurried steps carried her the rest of the way to the bar. Less people watching, more drinking. That sounded like a good plan. 

The watering-hole seemed much less occupied, many allowing the liquid courage to carry them onto the dance floor, or into amatory conversation with another. One individual remained at the bar, not engaging with any others. Fiery orange from the top of her ginger head to her high heels. Jevi was no good at reading others, so she could not tell if the woman preferred to be alone, or if they were sitting in the same boat; out at sea with not a single fish biting. 

"Mind if I join you?" She asked, standing in a space close enough to the woman to engage in conversation, but far enough away so she would not have to retreat if she turned down her offer for company. "Another Dark and Stormy. Extra stormy." she would address the bartender over her shoulder. "Are you waiting for someone? Or is your date at the bottom of a bottle too?" she would ask with a small smirk. "I'm not too.. great at these things. But trying to get out there more, meet more people, ya'know?"

"Sorry." the woman apologized as she took a sip of her newly acquired drink and sat it down on the counter, before reaching a hand out in greeting. 

This was a masquerade.. she wanted to make new friends but.. should she stick with the theme? Keep the mystique? Maybe a little of both. A nickname? Her name was already short enough.. what was it that Adelyte called her?

"Name's V."

@Mari

 Typically, masquerade balls she had attended ( correction, the only masquerade she had attended ) had individuals wearing masks to conceal their identity. 

Having the entire ballroom shrouded in darkness was not what she expected. She had heard of silent discos. Blind balls sounded complicated. 

"How the fuck are we supposed to see?" the woman mumbled to herself as she stood just inside the doorway for a moment, the voice of an unseen woman's singing serving as the backtrack.

It only lasted for a couple of moment before the soft shades of magenta illuminated the room and its inhabitants once more. A trick of the lights to accompany the song of choice, no doubt, as Jevi listened to the upbeat lyrics flowing from the singer's tinted lips. The masks in question were laid out on a table beside her, a suited man behind the table turning from the paired couples to the brunette with a smile on his face. No words were shared between the two, but Jevi looked from the concierge to the table before snatching a black mask and slipping it over her face. The blue, sleeveless top she wore ended at her navel, allowing the tiniest hint of midriff to peek out as she moved. In contrast to her form fitting top, she sported a pair of draping, black harem pants with slits up the outside of either leg stretching from her calves to her hips. 

Under normal circumstances, she still a bit reserved. This wasn't even entirely her scene. 

But nobody knew who she was behind the mask, nor did anyone care. They were all here for the same reason. To release their inhibitions and indulge in their desires. 

And for once in her fucking life, Jevi felt she deserved that.

"A drink, ma'am?" a server approached her. 

"Dark and Stormy. A double, if you would." 

"Of course." the server responded with a bow of their head before making their way to the bar. 

A nightclub with a full staff. First a massive crab boil and now this. Were all the frontliners this loaded, or just Oscar?

Jevi would claim an unoccupied cocktail table just off to the side of the dance floor. Her golden eyes looked at each of the pairing through the openings of her mask, trying to find any sense of familiarity with the other party goers. 

Not a single one. Good. 

"Ah, shit. Thank God." she sounded as relieved as she looked, the tension releasing from her body as her shoulders relaxed. She must have still been deep in the forest when it happened, perhaps that was that bright light she saw? She passed it off as lightning, but the storm seemed a little bit more bearable after the flash. Leaning her back against a wall that once housed shelves of alcohol, she watched as Hirru moved further into the bar, nodding along as he shared information that she was already well aware of. After realization hit her, eyes opened a bit wider. The sword was delivered, someone found it and brought it to the finish line. They hadn't failed after all. 

A tight lipped smile and a half shrug, she confirmed Hirru's suspicions that she was a part of that support effort.

He hardly gave her a chance to reply and explain herself while she was being pelted with concern and worry. Pushing herself off of the wall, she took a step towards the bar with hands up, palms facing outwards. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Save you energy. I definitely look worse than I feel." she chuckled softly, looking down at her damaged, stained clothes. "Took a beating while I was out there but I'm all good now. I volunteered to help repair equipment, keep durability up. Then when the sword showed up, it was under-leveled girl way out of her league carrying it." 

Her voice caught in her throat and she slowly exhaled before continuing, taking a second to re-evaluate what she wanted to say. "She did good. Real good. The rest of them did too. Kept their cool even when shit got hairy, and it got real hairy. We.. lost the sword, but thankfully sounds like someone picked it up." 

Some water sounded great, a hard drink even better. Most of the bottles behind her were either broken or empty, and she wouldn't drink absinthe right now even if it meant life or death. Hirru's attention was drawn to the note, which brought Jevi's gaze back as well. "Dunno, was just about to read it before you barged in." Leaning into the counter, she would adjust the lantern to better illuminate the page. "Looks like some invoice.. or an order..." As if there weren't enough shocks today, a quest message popped up and nearly sent her back into the empty shelves behind her. 

"Huh.. looks like its some quest.. Pick up the shipment from the docks. Sounds like we'll be getting a drink after all.. just should have been more specific." 

Ripped denim and flannel, some fake fur on her forearms and shins. Slap some pointed wolf ears on top of her already brown hair - which she tousled to complete the look. That was all she needed to put together a quick, werewolf look to go out. Granted, she would have preferred to wear this to some sort of party, but the one one who came knocking was Adelyte. And to avoid sitting at home by herself this hallowed eve, she decided it was trick-or-treating or nothing. 

She'd get some candy out of it, at least. Couldn't be all that bad.

***

At the top of the spiral staircase was some sort of office or study. It was just as dark as the rest of the house, but at least the drawn curtains provided some light from the moon. 

"Oh no, look out V." Adelyte would tease, pulling the curtain open more to capture Jevi in the moon light. "Your turning into a werewolf! Ooooo~"

"Haha. Very funny." Jevi would smirk, crossing her arms. Alright, it was actually kinda funny. She took a step back to get a better look at the room now that there was more light, but she kicked something with her heel.

"Ahh don't eat me-" Adelyte continued, but stopped suddenly when she noticed what Jevi had bumped with her foot. Lying limp on the floor appeared to be a body. Her eyes widened and jovial smile disappeared in an instant. "W-what's that behind you?" a shaky finger would rise to point at the corpse. 

Jevi looked over her shoulder and down, the light of the moon only capturing the bottom half but easily identifiable as a body. A very dead body. Immediately, the woman shuddered and backed away, tumbling over the toppled chair nearby. Just in that same instant, the master of the house revealed themselves. A cackling pumpkin head with weapon drawn, pointing in their direction. 

Jevi shrieked. 

Adelyte was the one who noticed the note on the table near the body, and as she read the contents aloud, the room illuminated. "Trick or Treat. Happy Halloween?"

Leaning on the banister of the half balcony, Jomei looked down at a clearly embarrassed Jevi. "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen that reaction from you before."

"Jomei.." Jevi grumbled, "I'm going to kick your ass." 

Careful footsteps, the dry rotted floorboards creaking and threatening to snap under her boots as she proceeded further into the remains of the tavern. Golden eyes scanned the interior for anything out of the ordinary, specifically the figure she saw standing in the front door. There were no other signs of life, no movement, anything. Perhaps the exhaustion was settling in and her mind was just playing tricks on her. Illusions crafted that only her tired eyes could see. 

Jevi would rub her face with the heels of her hands, leaving streaks of dirt and grime on her cheeks. Abandoning her search, she stopped and stood in the center of the room, her shoulders dropping with a small sigh. Golden gaze scanned the interior once more, leaning slightly over the dust coated counter for anything of interest behind the bar. A single lantern, flickering, most likely burning off of whatever miniscule amount of oil remained in the tank. Now that was curious, maybe not what had initially drawn her within, but curious nonetheless. 

Rounding the bar, she walked along the tight space. What remained of liquor bottles and glass cups were left shattered on the ground, crunching beneath her boots. As she moved in closer to the lantern, she noticed a note. Its corner tucked neatly under an empty glass, it was pretty much begging to be read by whoever wandered into the abandoned tavern.

CRASH

The sudden noise drew her attention away from the note, not the sound of the storm raging outside, but something falling to the ground just a couple of feet away from her. An undisturbed door had fallen off of its rusty hinges and crashed to the ground in front of her, revealing the silhouette of someone - or something - standing before her. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she drew her right fist back. Knuckles and leather bracers ignited in a blue light, indicating that she readied a sword art to knock back whatever this thing was. As her punch flew forth, lightning illuminated the inside of the bar once more, and immediately she recognized the other figure. 

Knuckles stopping in the air just in front of his nose, the energy of the attack faded, "Hirru?" Jevi addressed the shielded man. 

"What are you doing here? I thought-"  she would turn and look out of a window, "Weren't you fighting the floor boss? What happened?"

 "Kyra!?" the woman called out. 

No answer.

"Mr.Hackman! Where you at?" the other shouted into the dark shortly after.

Again, no response. 

It had been only ten or fifteen minutes since the group had lost sight of each other, which meant they lost sight of the quest objective; a large, glowing sword. It should be rather easy to spot such an object in the dark forest, since there were no other sources of light to be seen for maybe miles. Only the occasional flash of lightning would guide their path, but even those became scarce within the past half an hour. 

"Maybe we should message them? Make sure they are alright?" The blue haired girl asked, placing a hand on Jevi's rain slick bicep. "Good idea." she would respond with a nod, leaning her back against the nearest tree and opening her menus.

Quote

To: Kyra, Hackman
CC: Adelyte

We lost sight of you two, are you alright? I'm with Adelyte, we're safe. For now.
Do one of you have the sword? 

Going back to town, we're gonna get killed if we hang out here any longer. 

Stay Safe,
Jevi

As the message sent off with an audible woosh, Jevi navigated over to her inventory and summoned a small crystal. She looked at it in the palm of her hands for a moment, before extending it out towards her companion.

"Alright, use this. Get yourself back to town, and get the hell off of this floor."

"Wait, what?" she barked back, "What about you? I'm not just going to leave you out here alone. We were in this together."

"We were delivering the sword together. And we couldn't even do that. You're under leveled, Adelyte, and I'm not trying to be a bitch about it. You should not have even been here to begin with. So just-"

"No no no, I'm not-" 

"Just take the fucking crystal and go home!"

It didn't take much more than that to convince her. 

Fighting back tears, Adelyte swiped the crystal from Jevi's hand and looked over the item specs to make sure she used it correctly. Jevi would sigh before speaking.

"I can get myself back to town, I can handle any of these monsters. I just don't know if I can do that and keep them off of you.. I'll sleep better tonight knowing you're safe. I'll shoot you a message when I'm back in town." 

Adelyte would sniffle, "Promise?"

"I promise. Now go." 

Adelyte didn't waste another moment, and her form vanished in a ball of white light. 

***

The toughest part of the journey back was finding a way around the chasm, since the bridge they originally crossed was now dangling over the void. Even the shadow creatures, that chased the their group enmasse had dwindled. Perhaps they were focused more on the weapon, or maybe this war against the dark was finally coming to an end. Either way, battered, filthy, and exhausted, Jevi finally found herself back within the slightly safer makeshift walls of Ilridge. The rain soaked mud squashed beneath each footfall as she slowly traversed the road leading towards the center of town. At this point, all she wanted to do was go home, take the longest bath, and sleep. She was done with the fighting, the rain, this floor. Just done.

That was, until a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. A ghost of her past, now standing in the doorway of some building. A curling finger beckoned her inside. Yet, as Jevi quickly turned in their direction.. there was nothing to be seen. Just whatever remained of an old bar, its windows smashed, furniture overturned.. yet somehow still in better condition that some of the other places in town. The small bell that still hung above the door run softly as the door slowly closed. Did she actually see someone and they were now inside? 

Everything within her told her to ignore it and to just go home.
Yet her curiosity is what drew her within.

"...hello?" Jevi called out as she stepped into the ruined tavern.

Just as she thought, empty. 

Jevi stared at the massive crab, what was left of it anyway. Taking far too much time, weighing the pros and cons of attempting to eat shellfish. If the NerveGear somehow managed to add her allergy into the game, she could probably just take a potion or antidote to get rid of the effect before feeling any of the symptoms. It was a huge 'if' though, so she felt it was safe to assume she would be fine. 

"What part do I even-" 

How does one eat crab?

It took her a bit of time - and some advice from a passerby that saw her struggling - but finally, Jevi managed to fill her plate with a sizeable amount of crab, some shrimp too. (Might as well check off all the boxes while she could). She found a nice lounge chair with small table beside it that offered the perfect view of the ocean. Setting her plate down and kicking her feet up, she took one of the pieces of shrimp between her fingers before popping it into her mouth. So far so good, so very very good. Another two shrimp down before she even considered the crab

Soft texture, buttery flavor.. she hated that her allergies kept her from such a delicacy. Compliments to the chef.. among others she'd keep to herself. A soft smirk played at her lips as her eyes trailed over to the man, peeking over the rims of her rose glasses. 

Maybe she should take trips to the beach more often. 

Thread Complete

Word Count: 7520

Jevi T.4 | 6016 EXP 
Adelyte T.1 | 1504 EXP 
Kyra T.1 | 1504 EXP 
Hackman T.1 | 1504 EXP 

& 1 mon to all participants.

"How're we doing back there?"

The smaller creature clung to Jevi, slimy tentacles slowly snaked around her arm and neck while fang-like protrusions dug into her shoulder. Another of the wolves scampered towards her legs, launching itself at her ankles to try and trip her up. "Oh you know" Jevi shouted up to the front of the group as she reached across her body, ripping the monster free from her shoulder and slamming it into the creature hot on her heels. "Doing great! Thought I'd set down a blanket, maybe have a picnic. You guys in?" She barely had the time to duck under a writing appendage, like a giant serpent, whipped over her head and smashed into a nearby tree. 

That was far from the truth, but sarcasm meant she was alive. 

Jevi looked to the hand at the end of her once shattered arm, opening and closing her fingers into a fist. Bending at the elbow, rolling the shoulder.. it all felt fully healed once more. If not for Kyra's potion that sped up her recovery, she would probably need to rest on it for a night - if not just a few hours. "Now we're talkin'" Jevi said to herself as the corner of her lips pulled into a smirk. No more handicap meant she could cut loose and really deal some damage. 

Planting her foot into the mud, she would quickly turn around to face whatever creature was breathing down her neck.  With that powerful pivot gathering momentum for her strike, her right fist erupted in blue, flame-like energy as she charged up a sword art. A crack like thunder boomed as her fist collided with her pursuer, knuckles nearly rupturing through the carapace on its back before it was sent rocketing back into the horde it ran ahead of. The larger beast crashed into multiple forms, definitely causing a ripple in the seemingly endless wave of enemies that chased them.. but it wasn't enough to stop them in their tracks. Just enough to allow them a couple of seconds to gain some extra distance. 

Hackman pointed out a long bridge that crossed over a ravine. He suggested cutting the rope once they were across, perhaps it would put an end to this chase and give them a moment to breathe. "I don't see many other options!" Jevi called up. Altering their course slightly, they set their sights on the bridge. The living wall of darkness drew ever closer with gangly arms and appendages reaching out for them, the haunting sounds of snarling and whispers drowning out any other sounds. 

Even though it was the only sound idea of how to break free from this pursuit, it was becoming worse of a suggestion the further they approached. The bridge was old, the weathered planks appeared slick and waterlogged from the constant battering of rain. The passageway across the deep ravine creaked and groaned as it battled against the lingering storm, and for a moment Jevi considered having the group circle around again in hopes of finding some extra help. No, this was the only option. There was no turning back. 

Just the first step onto the wood and she thought it was going to buckle under her weight. "One of you may have to do the honors!" Jevi shouted to both Kyra and Hackman, who each had a blade at the ready. "Not sure if blunt force is gonna split any ro-" SNAP

Beneath her foot, the wood had splintered, and she was no longer traveling across the bridge. She was falling down. Down into the dark ravine below. If she somehow managed to survive the fall, whatever demons lurked down there would make quick work of her... So she preferred not to meet them. Scrambling for whatever she could grab, Jevi reached out for the next plank, but the sudden pressure caused it to meet the same fate as the first. 

Was this the end of her story? 

[662]

Cook a boss? Don't monsters disappear after they're defeated, how could Oscar even-

The pot shattered, in the way she would have expected, and a massive crab dropped atop the rest of the boil.

"Holy shit that's a big crab" Jevi nearly choked on her drink as the crustacean hit the earth. It looked like a typical crab, boiled the same way a crab would, the shell an inviting, bright red housing soft meat inside ready to be slathered in butter.

Too bad she was allergic.

In the real world she was at least, so it probably didn't carry over to the digital world.. right? What was the worst that could happen? She was asking herself a lot of questions today rather than just living life. So she was just going to take that chance and live. 

Before she could go dig in, a familiar face stepped up to her, an unexpected excitement in his voice to see her. Jevi returned the small smile, placing her drink down on a nearby table as she took a few steps to close the distance between herself and Oscar. "It's good to se-EEK" before she realized it, she was hoisted into the air, his arms wrapped around her waist. 

Did she just squeal? Did that really just come out of her? 

She didn't know whether she was going to blush or punch him, but as her feet finally found the sand again, she avoided both. "Can't complain. It really has been a long time. After the last time I tried your food, I knew I couldn't miss this." Jevi fought ever urge to look down at his chest, open shirt with pecs on display for all to see. "So I appreciate the invite." she added, "But let me not keep you. Looks like you've got a ton of greeting to do. Make sure to take some time for yourself to eat, got it? I'll be around when you want to chat." 

She watched as he walked past her, fluttering off like the social butterfly he was. Once he was out of earshot, she exhaled a heavy breath through parted lips.

Food, that was what she needed. Yes, of course. Food. Nothing else. Reaching down to grab her drink so she could quench her thirst, she would find herself swiping at air. The drink was gone.. Oscar hadn't taken it. It didn't spill into the sand. "What the hell, who took my.." she asked herself, looking around for a moment before surrendering the search. 

"Guess I'll just.. grab another one." 

Oscar, huh? Now that was a name she hadn't heard in a long, long time. A blind date, set up by some randomly generated dating game that popped up around Valentine's Day. It seemed like a good idea at the time, an attempt to pull her from that rut she had dug herself into.. obsessing over the first guy who had treated her right.

Funny how that worked, how he went from obsessing over her to-

But that was the past. That was Alex, the sad, lonely girl who was looking for an escape from the real world. Jevi had put her past persona to rest long ago. 

And the old her wouldn't be caught dead walking the beach wearing a bikini with confidence.. or at least a good poker face that made her seem more confident.

The giant, simmering pot with looming airship had already drawn quite a crowd. The thing looked like it belonged on Floor 26, when did they start showing up on other floors. She felt herself staring at the underside of the ship for too long as she approached the gathering, finally dropping her gaze before she would need to break her back to keep her eyes on it. 

Out of everyone at the feast she knew a total of.. zero people. Even the man himself, Oscar, was nowhere the be seen. Did he just set this thing up and not stick around to party? She looked from player to player, hoping she would at the very least recognize someone that she had met in passing.. during an event, bumped shoulders at a bar, anything. Lowering her rose tinted glasses to the tip of her nose, she would squint her eyes to get a better look. Morningstar, she picked out from the crowd, but he seemed busy with a group already. Aside from a few conversations and a tennis match at his own beach house - she was sensing a theme - she didn't have much to connect with him about. 

Her pace slowed as she clocked the two orange indicators above the heads of a couple sitting beneath a large umbrella. That was definitely something she didn't see often, and she's preferred to keep it that way. However, the casual demeanor of the two (at least one of them seemed relaxed) and nonchalant air about anyone near them eased her tensions. She didn't know Oscar well.. but from the last they had spoken, he didn't seem like the type to invite anyone to a party who would be an issue.. at least the fatal type of an issue. 

Set up like a large, walk in freezer, Jevi stepped into the wagon turned ice box to grab a beverage. A glass bottle with a light amber liquid, somehow with a handful of ice cubes already floating within. Some alchemist tricks no doubt. A sweet tea brew blended with peaches paired with gin. It was the first thing that caught her eye and it sounded tasty enough that she wouldn't regret cracking it open. 

Suppose she could just sit, enjoy her drink, soak up some sun, and enjoy the savory smells of the cooking foods while she waited for someone familiar to show up. Or for someone unfamiliar to approach her.

<<Assist System Engaged: Assisting Warren>>
Level: 22
Paragon: 0
Tier: 3
True Tier: 4

Final EXP reward: +90% Final EXP reward

John Hackman, he introduced himself. Interesting choice for a username, especially if it was his real world name.. but who was she to judge. As he took a moment to introduce himself formally, and greet each of their squad with a handshake, Jevi took a moment to look down at John's outstretched hand. With an expression on her face that plainly said Really? she would take hand awkwardly in her left, the right hand still hanging nearly lifeless at her side. 

"Might not be the worst idea." Jevi chimed in, shifting her attention to the clearly shaken Adelyte. "Obviously you're pretty decent with that hammer." 

As the blue haired woman began to untie the weapon from her back, she would look to Kyra. "You sure you're good with carrying it? Seems like the light its giving off is drawing some unwanted attention.. and if you aren't confident with combat then-" 

Jevi's ears perked up, over the pattering rain and distant battles, she could have sworn she heard incomprehensible whispers. They would increase in volume, until they were a constant droning in her ears. She spun around, trying to locate the source of the sound, but it was not just one source - it was all around them. Shadows stirred between the trees, thin and flickering at the edges. Nearly impossible to track if not for piercing yellow orbs for eyes beaming like headlights from each entity. At first, it was just one. Then two. Then dozens. A swarm of writhing darkness, crawling from the underbrush and bleeding down tree trunks. 

"Team. Right. Lets get moving!" Jevi shouted at the group as the fell into step, following the path Hackman noted on his map. As the shades hit the ground and began chase, they gained form. A mix of animalistic and humanoid, twitching with each movement as if bones were still popping into place as they raced towards the group. The deeper into the woods, the thicker they came, a rising tide of living nightfall. Tumbling over each other, like a living wave made of the void itself.

Running wasn't a choice. It was instinct. Survival. And the shadows were gaining. 

Vaulting over a fallen log, Jevi would make use of a sword art to kick the fallen tree behind them in an attempt to slow their pursuers. But with how many had gathered, she was unsure if it had done any good or if they simply demolished the lumber in their path. Quadrupedal creatures broke from the swarm, like wolves on the hunt, and surrounded Jevi who had taken up the rear of the retreating party. "Don't slow down! Keep going!"  

They struck fast, like lightning, slipping between the trees. When the first of the wolf-like creatures lunged, she sidestepped out of the way, using its weight against it and guiding it into the ground with a swift pivot. Another came from the opposite side, and Jevi performed a spinning kick that was just enough to send it stumbling. Every one of her motions was sharp and focused. She moved around the wolves, not through them, dodging more thant striking, and using their momentum and her own speed to keep ahead. The thick wood was a blur of trees and movement, the sounds of pursuit growing closer. Louder.

She wasn't trying to win, she knew she could not handle this entire group on her own, she just needed to survive.. Or, at least, buy the others seconds to deliver the sword to its rightful place. 

[584]

A hefty sigh escaped her, carrying with it relief at the blue haired woman's safety. "Good. Keep an eye out next time. Its a goddamn shit show out there, and you don't want to be catching any strays. And I'm Jevi." she attempted to move her arm, whether to wave or add a gesture to her introduction. It did not matter, because her arm from the elbow down did not move. It looked more like a fish on the end of a hook, weakly flailing. The concerned newcomer, who introduced herself as Kyra wasn't entirely sure where the sword needed to be delivered either. Had only certain players received the quest? "Pretty sure we have to bring it.." Jevi began, raising her arm - her good one, this time- to point upwards, trying to find the towering labyrinth amongst the dark, stormy skyline. 

"That way."

Glad someone knew exactly where they needed to go. Even if it was a stranger who popped up out of nowhere. 

"Would it heal it up instantly? Can't say I've ever had my arm shattered before." she chuckled, shaking her head, "Wouldn't recommend it." Accepting the potion from Kyra, she would eye the contents with a swirl of the bottle. Worst case, it pops her health back up to max.. so there was really no harm in drinking it. "Thanks." she would remark with a quick smile before downing the contents. A warmth washed over her body, soothing any cuts and bruises that littered her body. She felt a now persistent thrum in her arm, but it seemed the bones itself would take time to recover. "Welp, props to the devs for keeping a small sense of realism, I guess. It'll be fine. Thank you." she politely nodded to Kyra as she thanked her again.

"So why didn't you bother fighting back, doesn't that sword have any special powers?" Jevi asked Adelyte as they quickly moved towards the forest.

"I don't think I can use a sword~ I use a hammer." 

"...So then why didn't you have your hammer out to defend yourself?"

"Because I had to carry the sword, duh!"

It was solid reasoning, but why did it make her blood boil. "..Fair.." Jevi barked.

"By the way" Jevi turned her gaze towards the dark haired dagger user, who guided the way towards the sword's destination. "Don't think we ever got your name." 

[398]

//Thread #1
//Thread #2
//The Final Stand

Various materials used to build up the barrier had fallen. Furniture, doors, parts of brick walls where the mortar had held strong all crashed to the ground as the overwhelming force of monsters broke through. The valiant players who put their lives on the line to keep these abominations back from flooding the beach where the Frontliners did battle had to regroup. They struggled to gain footing over their enemy, but fought with every once of strength they had. Each and every one of them had a job to do, and each of them had hope that they would see the end of this madness with a new floor to explore. 

She was starting to lose hope that she would even see tomorrow.

Shouts for assistance fell upon deaf ears, as battle raged on around her. Snarls and unearthly squelching sounds, players rallying their teammates and steel crashed into their foes. No one could hear Jevi calling for help from under the fallen debris. In theory, crouching behind the fortifications to repair weapons and armor on the fly was a sound idea... but none of them were expecting the demons of the void to double - no, triple in size in a matter of seconds. Something must have bolstered their resolve, a 'second, more difficult wave' to put it in suitable, gamer terms. Despite, Jevi was still unable to free herself on her own.. and that was a bigger issue to her than a possible third wave. 

Feeling in her left arm was starting to go numb, the limb crushed under the weight of the fallen barricade. Loose strands of soaked, brunette hair fell down her face "Come.. on.. fuuUCK" she growled through grinding teeth, as she fought with all of her might to free herself. It was just like doing a push up, she told herself. A one handed pushup, easy.

With, like, five hundred pounds on her back.. maybe more. She wasn't good at math.

Who was she kidding, it was pointless.. Her muscles went slack as her body crashed back to the soaked ground. If this was where she was going to die, then she was ready to accept that. 

Wait, what is that light?  

Heading up the road from the South, she saw a player holding what looked to be a sword.. but one giving off a bright, radiant light. She never heard of any weapons in the game with abilities like that. As the one carrying the blade came into view, they appeared almost unphased by the madness and destruction around them. Holding the long blade up like she was carrying the Olympic torch. Gold eyes went wide with realization, piecing it together. In that moment, Jevi recalled that weird 'Fatal Error' quest that they all had gotten. Wasn't there a sword that needed to be returned to the labyrinth? What are the odds that this girl was carrying that very weapon. 

Launching from the shadows, that same, oversized creature that lead the charge through their defenses leapt out at the sword barer. "Look out!" Jevi shouted, but it was too late. The girl carrying the sword didn't have enough time to react and counter the eldritch monster - but Jevi did. Fight or Flight kicking in, and she decided to fight, Jevi pushed herself free with her newfound energy. Bones snapped and her trapped shoulder popped.. but it was a necessary sacrifice to make in an attempt to save this girl's life. Shattered arm hanging at her side, the brunette charged at the monster. 

"The hell are you doing?!" Jevi confronted the girl after taking down the threat. "You didn't even look like you were ready for a fight, do you know where you are?!"

She took a step back, and took a breath. 

"Are you alright?"

wc.626

"A what?" Jevi asked, narrowing her eyes on the other player, "A fucking concert? Now?"

Jevi was crouched behind a barricade made up of mostly intact furniture from a toppled inn nearby, along with a frightened player who needed their spear fixed, and now this other guy inquiring about some pop group. Picking her eyes up from the weapon, she looked to the other player, shaking her head.

"I think we've got a few more important things going on right now.. but if we make it out of this alive, maybe I'll check them out. But right now-"

Securing the head of the spear back onto the shaft with a long piece of paracord, Jevi would hold the weapon down while pulling it tight with her teeth. Running her hand along the weapon, she would eye the info box that appeared before her with the weapons stats. It wasn't perfect, but it was durable enough for now until she could get another mobile forge set up. 

"-Staying alive is my priority. And keeping everyone else fighting for as long as I can."  Passing the spear back to the player, they would scramble over the barricade and face off against the incoming monsters once more. "K-Pop isn't exactly my type of music anyway.. but if its boosting morale, then good for them." 

Suddenly, before she could react, the barricade toppled. Some eldritch abomination, larger than the rest, had charged at their defenses, easily toppling it over as if it were toy blocks. Beds, wardrobes, and other loose materials crashed to the ground around and on top of Jevi, pinning her to the ground. "Shit!" she cursed as a broken bedframe pinned her to the ground, with a large dresser piled on top. She wrestled with the furniture, trying to lift it just enough so she could free herself.. but with one arm stuck, and her hand slick from rain and grime, she was unsuccessful.

"Some help over here would be appreciated!"

-> Repairing Equipment: ID 248231 | LD 12+7 = 19
Running Total: 106