Arabelle

a strike from behind -- weaker than morningstar’s but still packing a hefty punch -- and the nemean lion whirls around furiously and its paw comes within inches of colliding with the fluttering white of its attacker.

here is where she’s supposed to take the hit.

…just kidding. she’s picky. getting tossed around like a ragdoll is never a good look.

arabelle tears damocles out of the lion’s hide with a sunny smile. she switches her grip and bats its head back, and it recoils when it makes contact with the spear point at the reverse end of her scythe. “i’ve fought this mob a couple of times before but i’ve never checked if i got the drop. does it matter if we rip its pelt a little…?” her red eyes briefly flick sideways to meet morningstar's amber, as if in the moment, the fight had completely outweighed arabelle's interest in acknowledging her celebrity crush. "oh, and hello! it's not just you and me today, is it?"

-> POST ACTION: ST-I (Charge) vs Nemean Lion.

arabelle took one glance at the message and sent it straight to her spam folder.

the next morning, morningstar invites her to hunt and talk, a prospect she would have found infinitely attractive were she not sleep-deprived and in the middle of reassembling dozens of her wounded pets. still, arabelle considers it over a cup of coffee, her chair turned toward the artificial sun, and sends back a prompt response. 

ARABELLE: Ok!

she returns to the infirmary and supervises a trio of skeletons in medic jackets reattaching another's leg. the patient stands, wobbly at first, and arabelle fixes its farmer's hat back onto its head. she watches it hop around in renewed delight and run back to the fields, then she leaves herself after ensuring that repairs would continue to run smoothly without her. she arrives at floor 17 an hour before their designated meeting, dressed in her usual loose and flowing white and refreshed from a short nap.

settling into an alcove visible from athenaia's gates, arabelle warms her hands with another cup of coffee.

it's your favorite magical girl! ♡

Spoiler LEVEL 51 (BASE 34; PARAGON 17): HP: 740/740 | EN 107/107 | DMG: 26 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 1 | HLY: 12 (7-10) | MAD: 9 (8-10) | RSK: 6 | VD: 10% | HB: 4% | LD: 1 | WELL-RESTED: 3/3 | SQUEAKY CLEAN: 1/1 | MULTIPURPOSE: 1/1 skills Spoiler | skills mod count: 2/5 SCYTHE (AXE) | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +7 DMG [ADDON: Ferocity] +2 DMG [ADDON: Precision] +1 ACC [ADDON: Stamina] Reduce EN of all attacks by 2. [SHIFT: AOE Specialist] +4 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; AoE-I, AoE-II. CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +20 MIT [MOD: Athletics] +1 DMG [ADDON: Nimble] +1 EVA, +1 LD COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 [BASE: Proficiency] +12 DMG -> +9 DMG BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] Restore 5% HP per turn. [MOD: Emergency Recovery] | Passive (10 EN) | Once per thread, when HP falls below 25%, recover 10% of maximum HP. ENERGIST [BASE: Proficiency] +20 EN -> +15 EN CHARGE [BASE: Proficiency] [PA, 8 EN, 3 CD] +3 DMG, -1 ACC (no auto) on a single attack. SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +4 LD; +4 SD | [pt] specializations AOE Specialist swapped to ST Specialist. Battle Healing and Searching refunded. (6 + 58 = 64) Destructive 2. (64 - 60 = 4) | expenditure Spoiler Total SP: 185 | Spent: 179 | Unspent: 6 SKILL: Axe (30) ADDON: Stamina (4) ADDON: Precision (2) ADDON: Ferocity (4) SHIFT: AOE Specialist (10) SKILL: Cloth Armor (30) MOD: Athletics (4) ADDON: Nimble (6) SKILL: Combat Mastery (13) SKILL: Battle Healing (30) MOD: Emergency Recovery (6) SKILL: Energist (8) SKILL: Searching (22) SKILL: Charge (10)   equipment Spoiler damocles HOLY II, MADNESS II TIER 4 DEMONIC SCYTHE (AXE) | [state]: fused CELUI QUI S'ÉLÈVE ON L'ABAISSERA. this weapon takes the form of a black scythe, far larger than its wielder. its structure is noticeably warped, the defect most evident in the unusual curve of its rod and the sharp spear-like points that tip both ends of the handle, an unsteady grip, and a difficult weapon in the hands of all but its wielder's. when channeling sword arts, weapon and master are engulfed in a black flame. when spun once in the master's hand, the weapon folds itself into a key, small enough to be tucked in one's pocket, and can be resummoned forth in the same manner.  saint-germain RISKY II, VAMPIRIC (DEFENSIVE) II TIER 4 DEMONIC CLOTH ARMOR | [state]: fused a silk wrist cuff upon which a corsage of pure white roses is pinned. fleeting words ACCURACY II, HOLY BLESSING II TIERLESS DEMONIC TRINKET | [state]: fused a weightless spread of large white feathers cast in plaster and set upon a lapel pin. inventory Spoiler | dimensional backpack (3) Teleport Crystal | [>>] -- -- -- -- -- -- sword arts Spoiler st [x15] ST-I (12 EN) [x18] ST-II (15 EN) | Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn. [x23] ST-B (20 EN) | Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll. aoe [x11] AOE-I (9 + [2 * targets] EN) [x14] AOE-II (12 + [2 * targets] EN) | Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed all intended targets the previous turn. tech [x12] TECH-A (11 EN) | STUN [x12] TECH-B (10 EN) | DELAY | [Delay] is a debuff that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn. buffs Spoiler | standard LIQUOR OF LIGHT | >> | +3 DMG BREAKFAST FRY -filled- | >> | +3 DMG, -60 MIT CREME BRULEE | >> | +2 ACC | paragon LAUREL WREATH | Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread. | house WELL-RESTED | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. SQUEAKY CLEAN | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). MULTIPURPOSE | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. FILLING | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. ITEM STASH | +1 Battle Ready Inventory slot. RELAXED | Increases out of combat HP regen by 20 HP and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. COL STASH | +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests. DECOR: DIWALI DIYA | Upon thread closing, obtain an additional +3 * loot minimum mob HP Col for every 5 authored posts.

text.

-> POST ACTION: ST-I vs Pallid Mask.

text.

-> POST ACTION: Missed.

text.

-> POST ACTION: ST-I vs Pallid Mask.

text.

-> POST ACTION: ST-B vs Pallid Mask.

text.

-> POST ACTION: ST-I (Charge) vs Pallid Mask.

text.

-> 246038: LD 7 + 9 = 16 + 28 = 44/30.

text.

-> 246037: LD 19 + 9 = 28/30.

* * *

margaret considers the novelty of adventuring lost to her. it is never worth it, all the hours of aimless walking, all the vain hope that there is anything at all for one to find in the direction they had undertaken. standard quests are like needles in haystacks in the vastness of the floors they are contained in, and cardinal's processing power can only go so far. it knows to play favorites. companions can double the odds, if not soothe one's boredom and frustration, only... margaret had the misfortune of being paired with jomei.

as if she could have stood to fawn over a cheap parody.

she deliberately loses him.

she takes a sudden right from the road they had been following, toward another that curves upwards. the storm rages harder as she crests up the hill, bowing trees, tearing hanging wood, metal, and stone from deteriorating structures. she raises an arm over her head, the wind tossing her cloak, and the dark skies above howl their fury at her approach.

in cardinal's words, she is right where she needs to be.

margaret dares another step. a flash of lightning illuminates what she cannot see through the fog. her boot sinks gentle into a grave crumbled inward and its stone epitaph rebukes her for the quiet soul resting beneath:

Pray for the soul of
DEMOISELLE JEANNE D'Ys
who died in her youth for love of a stranger
A.D. 1998 - A.D. 2024

-> OBTAINED [GRAVEYARD CLEANING SUPPLIES].

it's your favorite magical girl! ♡

Spoiler LEVEL 51 (BASE 34; PARAGON 17): HP: 851/851 | EN 92/92 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 92 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 1 | HLY: 16 (8-10) | MAD: 12 (8-10) | RSK: 8 | VD: 10% | LD: 9 | WELL-RESTED: 3/3 | SQUEAKY CLEAN: 1/1 | MULTIPURPOSE: 1/1 skills Spoiler  | skills mod count: 2/5 SCYTHE (AXE) | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +7 DMG [ADDON: Ferocity] +2 DMG [ADDON: Precision] +1 ACC [ADDON: Stamina] Reduce EN of all attacks by 2. [SHIFT: AOE Specialist] +4 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; AoE-I, AoE-II. CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +20 MIT [MOD: Athletics] +1 DMG [ADDON: Nimble] +1 EVA, +1 LD COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 [BASE: Proficiency] +12 DMG BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] Restore 5% HP per turn. [MOD: Emergency Recovery] | Passive (10 EN) | Once per thread, when HP falls below 25%, recover 10% of maximum HP. ENERGIST [BASE: Proficiency] +20 EN CHARGE [BASE: Proficiency] [PA, 8 EN, 3 CD] +3 DMG, -1 ACC (no auto) on a single attack. SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +4 LD; +4 SD | [pt] specializations AOE Specialist swapped to ST Specialist. Battle Healing and Energist refunded. (6 + 44 = 50) Searching upgraded to Rank 5. (50 - 8 = 42) Destructive 1. (42 - 30 = 12) Resolute 1. (12 - 10 = 2) | expenditure Spoiler Total SP: 185 | Spent: 179 | Unspent: 6 SKILL: Axe (30) ADDON: Stamina (4) ADDON: Precision (2) ADDON: Ferocity (4) SHIFT: AOE Specialist (10) SKILL: Cloth Armor (30) MOD: Athletics (4) ADDON: Nimble (6) SKILL: Combat Mastery (13) SKILL: Battle Healing (30) MOD: Emergency Recovery (6) SKILL: Energist (8) SKILL: Searching (22) SKILL: Charge (10)   equipment Spoiler damocles HOLY II, MADNESS II TIER 4 DEMONIC SCYTHE (AXE) | [state]: fused CELUI QUI S'ÉLÈVE ON L'ABAISSERA. this weapon takes the form of a black scythe, far larger than its wielder. its structure is noticeably warped, the defect most evident in the unusual curve of its rod and the sharp spear-like points that tip both ends of the handle, an unsteady grip, and a difficult weapon in the hands of all but its wielder's. when channeling sword arts, weapon and master are engulfed in a black flame. when spun once in the master's hand, the weapon folds itself into a key, small enough to be tucked in one's pocket, and can be resummoned forth in the same manner.  saint-germain RISKY II, VAMPIRIC (DEFENSIVE) II TIER 4 DEMONIC CLOTH ARMOR | [state]: fused a silk wrist cuff upon which a corsage of pure white roses is pinned. insignia of retribution ACCURACY III TIER 1 PERFECT JEWELRY | [state]: crafted “may this savage song reach the hearts of those who have wronged you.” a black phoenix carrying an egg made of rhinestone. grants the wearer accuracy when equipped. inventory Spoiler | dimensional backpack (3) Teleport Crystal | [>>] (5) cookie | +16 EN | [>>] -- -- -- -- -- sword arts Spoiler st [x15] ST-I (12 EN) [x18] ST-II (15 EN) | Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn. [x23] ST-B (20 EN) | Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll. aoe [x11] AOE-I (9 + [2 * targets] EN) [x14] AOE-II (12 + [2 * targets] EN) | Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed all intended targets the previous turn. tech [x12] TECH-A (11 EN) | STUN [x12] TECH-B (10 EN) | DELAY | [Delay] is a debuff that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn. buffs Spoiler | standard BEEF STEW | >> | +15% OH LIQUOR OF LIGHT | >> | +3 DMG BINGSU | >> | +60 MIT CREME BRULEE -FILLED- | >> | +3 ACC GELATO | >> | +3 LD | paragon LAUREL WREATH | Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread. | house WELL-RESTED | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. SQUEAKY CLEAN | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). MULTIPURPOSE | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. FILLING | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. ITEM STASH | +1 Battle Ready Inventory slot. RELAXED | Increases out of combat HP regen by 20 HP and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. COL STASH | +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests. DECOR: DIWALI DIYA | Upon thread closing, obtain an additional +3 * loot minimum mob HP Col for every 5 authored posts.

so they hide in a lighted corner where the shamblers cannot disturb and they wait for her wound to close. margaret hadn’t yet put away her weapons.

outside, it’s raining.

“you mind if i see that?"

she tilts her head upwards and sees her partner looking curiously at the corkscrew opener. “not at all. catch.” she lightly tosses it over and hugs the other two weapons possessively close to her chest. they are both quiet for a moment, jomei examining the item, margaret staring past jomei, watching rainwater drip down eaves. he tosses the corkscrew back to her.

there’s a direction to be dug up in the midst of all of this mess. h.p.’s tavern. she doesn’t recognize the reference.

“we haven’t passed anything like that,” she recalls, turning the wine opener upside-down. she absently presses her thumb to the pointed end of the screw until a drop of blood wells and slides down the spiral. “yet. well, if by any chance it’s not in pieces like the rest of this place, lessa asked us all out for drinks earlier! we should have a party and brighten this place up a little. maybe with that behind us it’ll be easier coming and going.”

jomei doesn’t hear her. he jolts, which also sets margaret on alert, the corkscrew slipping past her fingers. her boot sends it rolling down the street and into a canal as she stands and moves closer to him. they watch, and wait, and nothing happens. the dark is undisturbed. she turns to him with the beginnings of a laugh, frontliners jumping at their own shadows like nervous cats, she almost teases, but jomei is looking around wildly as if he cannot see her.

he runs.

she lets him.

purchasing 5 liquor of light for 15 mats.

damocles
HOLY II, MADNESS II

[AWAITING APPROVAL] | TIER 4 DEMONIC SCYTHE (AXE) | [state]: fused
CELUI QUI S'ÉLÈVE ON L'ABAISSERA.

this weapon takes the form of a black scythe, far larger than its wielder. its structure is noticeably warped, the defect most evident in the unusual curve of its rod and the sharp spear-like points that tip both ends of the handle, an unsteady grip, and a difficult weapon in the hands of all but its wielder's. when channeling sword arts, weapon and master are engulfed in a black flame. when spun once in the master's hand, the weapon folds itself into a key, small enough to be tucked in one's pocket, and can be resummoned forth in the same manner. 

i cast restoration on your shard and scale.

[received.]
[sending 1 demonic shard, 1 gleaming scale.]

gib. :<

Paragon Level 10 - (1) Gleaming Scale, (1) Demonic Shard, +1 LD to Looting*

so when i boo'ed morningstar with +74 stealth in that thread i also very sneakily slipped this order form into his pocket and now he finds himself strangely compelled to appraise it out of his unid pile. (this is a joke, staff. please don't kill me for godmodding.)

damocles :: t4 demonic scythe (axe) :: holy 2 / w/e enhancements you got 
CELUI QUI S'ÉLÈVE ON L'ABAISSERA.
this weapon takes the form of a black scythe, far larger than its wielder. its structure is noticeably warped, the defect most evident in the unusual curve of its rod and the sharp spear-like points that tip both ends of the handle, an unsteady grip, and a difficult weapon in the hands of all but its wielder's. when channeling sword arts, weapon and master are engulfed in a black flame. when spun once in the master's hand, the weapon folds itself into a key, small enough to be tucked in one's pocket, and can be resummoned forth in the same manner. 

happy young men have perished at her shores.

(not her fault! she swears, her pets are normally friendly!)

and too many deaths draws unwanted eyes, see. foolhardy adventurers eager to triumph over disaster or evil.

(and on the days where the guilt doesn’t eat her back, she doesn’t really see herself as a disaster or an evil. believe her, she’s trying to save everyone the effort.)

so when trouble comes stumbling into town the play is peaceful misdirection. morningstar, as nostalgic as his face is, is capital ‘s’ on the trouble scale all by himself and capital ‘s++’ accounting for the attention he can draw unto himself. she spots him emerge from some other part of town as she has just taken a seat, invisible, at a broken picnic table with a half-braided rope of straw on her lap. she puts it away and she thinks of how perverse it feels to watch him where he cannot look back at her when she has done the same for years since she saw her first stephen star movie at the theaters.

she’s never seen any of his horror films though. preachers say those were gateways to possession. 

how would he look scared? 

she kind of wants to know.

she makes no sound as she follows. she keeps herself seven steps away from him, cautious unnecessary distance, where something feels wrong, eyes are at your back and you are being followed, but with every point of her build reinvested into stealth, cardinal would pull out all the stops to keep her concealed even if he looks directly back at her. she circles him, kicks up the dust at her foot as an open taunt, and moves in as close as she dares.

up on her tiptoes, her lips beside his ear.

“boo.”

-> ENTERING STEALTH: 245615: LD 7 + 74 = 81.

it's your favorite magical girl! ♡

Spoiler LEVEL 51 (BASE 34; PARAGON 17): HP: 740/740 | EN: 92/92 | DMG: 1 | STEALTH: 74 Investing a total of 185 SP into 37 slots of Shadow-Walking.

a souvenir shop owner parked at the sixteenth's plaza tells her with a gentle shake of their head that a rowdy group of players dressed in party attire had teleported back that day and made an entire fiasco, grabbing every person they could find and hysterically recounting the event they had lived through, as if they themselves could hardly believe it had happened now that they were back on safe ground. a clerk at a local guild claims that none of them are foolish enough to punch above their level, but if she is hiring, perhaps she would consider that group of mercenaries who has already seen floor 29 with their own eyes? they seem to have recovered. at the same time, a local resident is dismayed that a noise complaint that had resolved itself one day has suddenly returned.

margaret narrows it all down to a single meaningful face.

it's two hours past noon, and she sits herself at their outside table uninvited. a man, lightly armored with a pair of sunglasses perched atop his head, looks at her past his menu, thick brows dipping into the beginnings of a confused frown.

"water, please," she tells the waiter, "and i will pay for everything he orders. hello," she turns to the man once the waiter had made their swift exit.

his expression instantly turns into a scowl. he recognized the voice, not the face unshrouded and in the light of day. his elbows pull back from the table, sitting straight so that he can look down at from his greater height. "ah, you. come to recount those casualties?"

"did you know any of them?" he doesn't. "i came first to ask a favor but before that... i have to say i am sorry! i am so, deeply sorry for what i said back on floor 29...!" margaret shifts in her chair, her knees knock together beneath the table, and her shoulders pull inward, the pose of a bashful penitent. she is above gestures but when she is falling back into pure and simple sincerity, the habit does manage to sneak in with the rest of the package. "i, and the frontlines, had just come from the boss fight expecting reprieve, but we found ourselves immediately faced with the pressure to get every non-frontliner out of the floor before anything disastrous could happen. and it did. regardless of it all, i should not have spoken so harshly." i really would have just left you to die.

"didn't even know what you were talking about, you mean. just because we aren't fighting with your frontlines doesn't make us all weak. so that was uncool--"

imposter's play, imposter's problem. "yes! i'm sorry! it was very 'uncool!'"

the man's scowl strains, suddenly unsure where to point his ire without quarreling publicly with a woman who does nothing but agree. another word from him and margaret will just pour more water on the fire. speaking of, the waiter's back. "fine. guess you've learned your lesson," he says, deflated. "leave after your favor."

margaret smiles. 

"what i need is..." and if her new comrades start questioning her, she'll say, it's the strange dreams, it's the ivory-handled dagger sibyl shouldn't have that they keep telling her to wound them with, let me pour you a drink. claret red, it's the corkscrew opener that ends up on her bedside no matter how far she throws it the next day, and how everything is following her like a lovesick ghost, across floors, across the weeks since floor 29 opened. token insanity, friends. how could their lessers possibly handle it? "...everything you and your friends took out of your inventories on floor 29. i have reason to believe that such items have been influenced by the floor's malevolent energy and thusly now pose a risk to their owners.

"may i give you an example?"

it's an hour past midnight, and she enters her shop on floor 10. the mercenary man had not been the first or the last, and not all of them had said yes. margaret moves her curios out of the way and empties sack after sack of surrendered items and starts sifting through the piles. weapons and armor and accessories, useless. she sells them on the spot after glancing through their names and descriptions at least once. she compensated everyone, of course, plus extra for any possible sentiment attached. it would be a while before she makes up for the crater she blew into her personal finances.

there is only one item she is searching for and she isn't sure if it exists. she refuses to tell anyone of its possibility or that there had even been a problem. 

this one is hers alone.

she finds the square glass buried in jewelry. heart in her throat, margaret picks it up and studies the playback menu. the reel consists of hours of footage, and in its final minutes, the preview darkens to a near black. she sets the cursor, points it at a blank wall, and presses 'play.'

--of course it was fei who found it. before sword art online was turned into a death trap, a beta tester had encountered a glitch so disastrous that three of their five senses were shut out of their player body and they struggled to log out. the tester sat in a state akin to sleep paralysis until the nervegear's battery drained. in a patch following, recalibration options were quickly added into sword art online's system. half of its functionality would vanish with the loss of the log out button, but fei had rigged it then: a bright holographic window, split into five circles held at the fingertips, communicated information through pulses--

--in the blurry feed, the camera tilted to a dizzying angle, the frontliners scatter from the plaza and she stays. bodies pass. she moves too early, a gust flaring the side of her cloak upwards, and at that moment, she glances down at her hidden left hand--

--at the flashing, white--

the feed is interrupted, the crystal topples off the counter, as margaret's fist slams into the wall.

margaret sleeps.

she wakes up, and the bar is empty. she slips behind the counter. in her eyes, everything is tinted yellow. not the soft yellow-brown of old pictures, but searing and sick, like if sunlight looked radioactive, and there are cracks in the image, neon colors surrounding the black like a bruise. she picks up the ivory-handled blade. the door swings open and she sees herself pause stunned at the threshold, her red eyes dark and bottomless and the only thing in the world that does not have a drop of yellow. sit down, she doesn't say. she turns the blade downwards and sinks it deep into the wood.

screams pour out of the cracks. she sits of her own accord.

"will you pour me a drink?"

she wakes up, and the fire in her lantern is dead. with trembling fingers, margaret relights it and fixes her hair and clothes.

the lost sheep have a phrase: drink yourself to oblivion, drink all your worries away. the men of her family would have a glass or two, everyone careful not to overindulge, but the bottle would be moved politely out of her reach when she asked for it. margaret tried anyway, alone at her floor one residence with fei two years later, and after a sip, she poured the rest of her drink into fei's cup and told her she didn't understand. she hadn't faltered. it didn't count because sword art online does not simulate inebriation.

now she's parched like a pseudo-alcoholic, and in pseudo-reality, she's unfolding her umbrella and making her way over to h.p.'s tavern in the middle of the night. she's carelessly leaving a trail, one dead shambler after another, and when she enters the tavern, margaret is not surprised that it's exactly as she saw in her dreams. she finds the note tucked beneath the lantern like it had been waiting for her.

| xxxxxxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxxx
| 00. have you drunk intoxicating liquor to the point that you lost control of your senses?

margaret's hand stills, her resolve waning.

it's your favorite magical girl! ♡

Spoiler LEVEL 43 (BASE 34; PARAGON 9): HP: 680/680 | EN: 106/106 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 1 | FLN: 8 (6-8) | BLI: 32 (9-10); -20 MIT | BLD: 48 (9-10) | RSK: 8 | BH: 5% | VD: 10% | HB: 4% | LD: 5 | WELL-RESTED: 3/3 | SQUEAKY CLEAN: 1/1 | MULTIPURPOSE: 1/1 skills Spoiler | skills mod count: 2/5 SCYTHE (AXE) | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +7 DMG [ADDON: Ferocity] +2 DMG [ADDON: Precision] +1 ACC [ADDON: Stamina] Reduce EN of all attacks by 2. [SHIFT: AOE Specialist] +4 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; AoE-I, AoE-II. CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +20 MIT [MOD: Athletics] +1 DMG [ADDON: Nimble] +1 EVA, +1 LD COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 [BASE: Proficiency] +12 DMG BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] Restore 5% HP per turn. [MOD: Emergency Recovery] | Passive (10 EN) | Once per thread, when HP falls below 25%, recover 10% of maximum HP. ENERGIST [BASE: Proficiency] +20 EN SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +4 LD; +4 SD | expenditure Spoiler Total SP: 170 | Spent: 169 | Unspent: 1 SKILL: Axe (30) ADDON: Stamina (4) ADDON: Precision (2) ADDON: Ferocity (4) SHIFT: AOE Specialist (10) SKILL: Cloth Armor (30) MOD: Athletics (4) ADDON: Nimble (6) SKILL: Combat Mastery (13) SKILL: Battle Healing (30) MOD: Emergency Recovery (6) SKILL: Energist (8) SKILL: Searching (22)  equipment Spoiler amaterasu CURSED, FALLEN, BLIGHT, BLEED TIER 4 DEMONIC AXE | [state]: fused description_not_found. saint-germain RISKY II, VAMPIRIC (DEFENSIVE) II TIER 4 DEMONIC CLOTH ARMOR | [state]: fused a silk wrist cuff upon which a corsage of pure white roses is pinned. fleeting words ACCURACY II, HOLY BLESSING II TIERLESS DEMONIC TRINKET | [state]: fused a weightless spread of large white feathers cast in plaster and set upon a lapel pin. inventory Spoiler | dimensional backpack (4) Teleport Crystal | [>>] (5) cookie | +16 EN | [>>] (3) Congealing Ale | ANTIDOTE III | [>>] 23613, 236140, 236141 (5) Rumbling Rum Party Favor | 10% INSTANT MASS HEAL | [>>] 234141, 234142, 234143, 234144, 234145 (5) Rumbling Rum Party Favor | 10% INSTANT MASS HEAL | [>>] 234105-2, 234105-3, 234108, 234112-1, 234112-2 sword arts Spoiler st [x12] ST-I (10 EN) [x15] ST-II (13 EN) | Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn. [x20] ST-B (18 EN) | Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll. aoe [x15] AOE-I (11 + [2 * targets] EN) [x18] AOE-II (14 + [2 * targets] EN) | Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed all intended targets the previous turn. tech [x12] TECH-A (11 EN) | STUN [x12] TECH-B (10 EN) | DELAY | [Delay] is a debuff that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn. buffs Spoiler -- | paragon LAUREL WREATH | Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread. | house WELL-RESTED | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. SQUEAKY CLEAN | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). MULTIPURPOSE | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. FILLING | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. ITEM STASH | +1 Battle Ready Inventory slot. RELAXED | Increases out of combat HP regen by 20 HP and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. COL STASH | +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests. DECOR: DIWALI DIYA | Upon thread closing, obtain an additional +3 * loot minimum mob HP Col for every 5 authored posts. HARD WORKING | +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day. ADVANCED TRAINING | +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

they lost arabelle.

y'ha-nthlei's curse blinded jomei's eyes -- and he was with her last, so who could really say? fortunately, the frontlines' newest troublemaker is just as careless with her contact and location. morningstar's tracking reveals arabelle sitting idle outside an abandoned church on top of a hill.

she walks sightless, tracing a hand along a broken wall, the sound of the raging sea somewhere past the structures to her left.

"any of you still awake?"

in the sanctum, there is an open wound where a dozen monarchs once perched. it bled earlier; the nearest to the ones she lost in the attack dropped dead from grief and the butterfly corpses trailed in her wake. the heavy raindrops nailed the paper-thin wings to the muddied ground and soon they were trampled underfoot, like the spilled guts of the cockroaches.

their kin have stopped crying, but the sorrow and guilt are still there, clouding their senses. wordlessly, she nudges the flock again and tiny ripples spread through the sea of butterflies in answer.

"i am your keeper. their loss was through no one's fault but my own," she tells them.

the water reaches up to her ankles. she's approaching the far side of the hill, taking the longer route to the peak. the butterflies tell her, BEHIND US, and the backline in the plaza falls apart. the frenzied mob spills outwards as the last of their leaders are killed. fourteen floors below, standing in the rain outside of fermata's headquarters, saber slams an audio switch on a communicator and starts whispering as quietly as he can, monument watchers just reported player deaths in ilridge; this isn't your standard solo operation, hotshot, we need you to drop a trace now, or--

the sharp painful clarity of her vision returns and their leg snaps.

where is that strange and terrible song coming from? mocking death is gliding his bow through a violin's strings as blood spills into the floodwaters and the shambler shoves the player to the ground. they catch themself, barely, on the unbroken leg, spikes piercing the bone beneath the knee on the other. the sword in their hand flashes white and the shambler is stunned standing, health bar cleaved in half.

its mouth opens, as if to scream. three more insects emerge from the darkness. their limbs are overgrown. nails sharp and long. the shamblers corner them against a wall and their mouths stretch into wide smiles as the player's crystal turns into a common stone and they realize there is no escape. 

"saber," the prey breathes. "saber, do you hear me? from ilridge's teleport gate, behind the crushed building--"

the insects maul their own until they are satisfied.

on a balcony across the street, a door softly clicks shut.

(look at you. an afterthought.

he'd paused by a broken window, when your frontlines scattered, and you were looking back. your hair was mussed from the crash. and you -- you loved your long hair. you wore it in a particular way: the bangs straight and parted above the left brow; and as you did with everything you loved, you wore it down in a particular way: your worried fingers, twisting the strands until they were rough and knotted from the friction, fussing over the mess when you noticed. and sometimes, in the early days, you wouldn't mind how you looked when you fell asleep on lars's shoulder as the two talked about things you didn't understand.

you'd wake up and someone had fixed it for you. you'd never thought to ask lars. similarly, sibyl had found old habits too unimportant to recount.)

-> POST ACTION: Using Teleport Crystal.
^{i spawned some mobs that i wasn't able to kill in my previous post so this is used to quit the encounter.}

it's your favorite magical girl! ♡

Spoiler LEVEL 43 (BASE 34; PARAGON 9): HP: 680/680 | EN: 106/106 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 1 | FLN: 8 (6-8) | BLI: 32 (9-10); -20 MIT | BLD: 48 (9-10) | RSK: 8 | BH: 5% | VD: 10% | HB: 4% | LD: 5 | WELL-RESTED: 3/3 | SQUEAKY CLEAN: 1/1 | MULTIPURPOSE: 1/1 skills Spoiler | skills mod count: 2/5 SCYTHE (AXE) | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +7 DMG [ADDON: Ferocity] +2 DMG [ADDON: Precision] +1 ACC [ADDON: Stamina] Reduce EN of all attacks by 2. [SHIFT: AOE Specialist] +4 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; AoE-I, AoE-II. CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +20 MIT [MOD: Athletics] +1 DMG [ADDON: Nimble] +1 EVA, +1 LD COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 [BASE: Proficiency] +12 DMG BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] Restore 5% HP per turn. [MOD: Emergency Recovery] | Passive (10 EN) | Once per thread, when HP falls below 25%, recover 10% of maximum HP. ENERGIST [BASE: Proficiency] +20 EN SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +4 LD; +4 SD | expenditure Spoiler Total SP: 170 | Spent: 169 | Unspent: 1 SKILL: Axe (30) ADDON: Stamina (4) ADDON: Precision (2) ADDON: Ferocity (4) SHIFT: AOE Specialist (10) SKILL: Cloth Armor (30) MOD: Athletics (4) ADDON: Nimble (6) SKILL: Combat Mastery (13) SKILL: Battle Healing (30) MOD: Emergency Recovery (6) SKILL: Energist (8) SKILL: Searching (22)  equipment Spoiler amaterasu CURSED, FALLEN, BLIGHT, BLEED TIER 4 DEMONIC AXE | [state]: fused description_not_found. saint-germain RISKY II, VAMPIRIC (DEFENSIVE) II TIER 4 DEMONIC CLOTH ARMOR | [state]: fused a silk wrist cuff upon which a corsage of pure white roses is pinned. fleeting words ACCURACY II, HOLY BLESSING II TIERLESS DEMONIC TRINKET | [state]: fused a weightless spread of large white feathers cast in plaster and set upon a lapel pin. inventory Spoiler | dimensional backpack (4) Teleport Crystal | [>>] (5) cookie | +16 EN | [>>] (3) Congealing Ale | ANTIDOTE III | [>>] 23613, 236140, 236141 (5) Rumbling Rum Party Favor | 10% INSTANT MASS HEAL | [>>] 234141, 234142, 234143, 234144, 234145 (5) Rumbling Rum Party Favor | 10% INSTANT MASS HEAL | [>>] 234105-2, 234105-3, 234108, 234112-1, 234112-2 sword arts Spoiler st [x12] ST-I (10 EN) [x15] ST-II (13 EN) | Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn. [x20] ST-B (18 EN) | Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll. aoe [x15] AOE-I (11 + [2 * targets] EN) [x18] AOE-II (14 + [2 * targets] EN) | Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed all intended targets the previous turn. tech [x12] TECH-A (11 EN) | STUN [x12] TECH-B (10 EN) | DELAY | [Delay] is a debuff that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn. buffs Spoiler -- | paragon LAUREL WREATH | Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread. | house WELL-RESTED | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. SQUEAKY CLEAN | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). MULTIPURPOSE | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. FILLING | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. ITEM STASH | +1 Battle Ready Inventory slot. RELAXED | Increases out of combat HP regen by 20 HP and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. COL STASH | +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests. DECOR: DIWALI DIYA | Upon thread closing, obtain an additional +3 * loot minimum mob HP Col for every 5 authored posts. HARD WORKING | +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day. ADVANCED TRAINING | +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

weather-beaten walls. weeping winds and a dead non-person at the doorstep, dissolving center-first like a collapsing sinkhole. the scouting party gathers today around a rough-hewn conference table, dozens of maps, reports, loose-leafed journals, and salvaged local literature pooled around the immediate circle of light cast by an oil lamp. talk runs slow, but though corroborating every stray and supposed piece of floor 29's whole takes time, one who had already surveyed the lands themself really only need their own head to figure out what they are missing. the problem is giving it physical form and thereafter dealing with the implications. some answers only presage more questions. and the urgency of the task is dampened by the wait.

but they wouldn't be frontliners -- heroes or paragons or saints or sharp and glamorous whatevers of aincrad -- if they balked at this step, would they?

the door creaks open and the last to arrive steps over the corpse.

"j'en ai marre...! this rain!" arabelle fumes. tiny streams of rainwater course down her umbrella and drip onto the floor; she hastily sets it down at the entrance before she can make a bigger mess than she already has and undoes the clasp of her heavy cloak. also drenched after an unfortunate strong wind turned the rain near sidewards. curses. despite her complaints, however, the reaper's expression is bright as a daffodil once her hood falls away. she joins the rest at the table and folds her hands behind her back. "'morning, everyone. i see that we're all early."

it isn't difficult to cut in. she is one of them now, or at least she has a foot in the door, and there is little chance they would have left her behind over what wasn't even a delay. for a moment, she skims the available material. she doesn't offer any of her own, but like the three gathered with her, arabelle herself is a known face around floor 29. napping at the base camp, chatting up passing adventurers, leaving and entering the square. always decidedly alone. always searching. she has the same conclusion, and against her own objective, she is eager to cut through the drivel and get straight to the killing.

"the labyrinth isn't in this island."

she picks a map and slides it closer to her edge of the table, pinning it to the wood with the tip of her nail.

"it's in the sea." the pitch black beyond the mainland's shores. "do any of you have a clue which direction it is in?"

participants: arabelle, morningstar, wulfrin, hirru.

"there are far better pleasures in life than losing oneself in that foul drink, dear, how about i teach you some of those some other time?"

(received. 1x1. nothing has changed but a process has occurred.)

EN 2

-> gathering: 243397: ld 13: fail.

EN 1

-> gathering: 243229: ld 18: +1 material.

2, 21-24

1, 17-20