Dustin

Dustin's eyes fell to the floor, as Hestia simply accepted the request of Aru. That's alright, he probably knows her better. The brown hared boy would give a weak smile and place his hand behind his head. "No that's okay... I wouldn't want to get in the way." His words still seemed to be filled with life despite his recent rejection and the less recent events. Defeated, the young boy would walk away. It was time to fight anyways, that always cheers him up.

Dustin charged through the cave system, hoping to find the right spot so he can take on a powerful monster. Darkness surrounds him and can only hear the echoes of his footsteps, except for a faint rumbling in the distance. That's gotta be a monster. He would turn on his heel and run headlong towards the great ruckus in the distance. As he closed in he heard a roar, this only emboldened the boy as he picked up speed and pushed onward.

Rounding a corner, he could see faint movements and the shadow of a large figure in the distance, it was time. The light of his sword art would point him out like a laser beam, following an unusual path to it's target. A great leap would carry Dustin up as his hand drew back.

A motion sharp as the best knife in Aincrad would lead to a very loud impact as Dustin falls back to the floor, slamming into the rocks beneath him and letting out a cry vaguely akin to a dying whale. "HELL YEAH!" He would shout, his words echoing through the chamber. The monster hardly moved in response to Dustin's attack, at least from what he could see, except for that it had an idle sway in it's legs for a moment, and it's head was shaking.

Almost as if Ugzeke was trying to get a fly out of his hair.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Action Taken: Using All Might (-17 EN)

Roll ID: 188187

BD: 10 (Major Crit +2)

22 + 2 = 24 * 17 = 408 - 160 = 248 DMG (Stun & Delay)

2860 - 248 = 2612 HP

[H:1] Pinball: 760/760 HP | 99/114 EN | 25 DMG | 5 ACC | 6 EVA | Holy/Fallen I | 30 BH  
  Cooldowns: Meteor Break (0/2)  

[H:2] Dustin: 620/620 HP | 63/80 EN | 78 MIT | 22 DMG | 1 EVA | 2 ACC | 31 BH (All Might Cooldown 0/3)

[H:0] Hikoru: statspread here (if they join) 

[H:0] Hestia: statspread here (if they join) 

UGZEKE: 2,612/3,100 HP | 300 DMG | 160 MIT | 2 ACC | -1 EVA  [STUN, DELAY]
  Skills:
<<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
<<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
<<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
<<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
<<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.
<<Tier Lock>>: For the duration of the fight, all of the participants’ stats that scale with Tier are calculated as though they’re Tier 4. [DMG/MIT/BLEED enhancements etc.]
This skill only locks downward. Those at Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 will still have T1, T2, or T3 stats, respectively.

Time is money, and lately Dustin felt like he was running out on both. His engine of a brain was low on steam and lately it’d been on autopilot. He hadn’t noticed all the changes around him, or that he was becoming stronger in the slightest, he was just kind of there, like he always was. Numerous quests and battles had numbed him to this feeling, so he didn’t really mind, he was never a big help anyways.

He wanted to feel better, and the only way to do that was to fight something dangerous. A monster he had never heard of was apparently gaining a lot of power and had been promoted by the CEO of shit we call Cardinal to field boss. He was sure he’d die if he went solo, but he had no one to call, after clearing his friends list he refused to meet anyone new. Save for a few names that hold deeper meaning, Dustin’s only option was to start buying potions and hope to any kind of God he wants to believe in that no lucky shots catch his neck.

On the 23rd floor there was a town, one everyone knew anyways so it doesn’t really need an introduction, Kalanaes. The town of people not willing to live in direct sunlight. Dustin made his way through the buildings at a rate that can only be described as speed walking, when out of the corner of his eye he spots her.

Hestia...

He stares in disbelief as he wondered where she had been all this time. She had helped him through so much, but disappeared when he needed her most. It’s not her fault, I can’t expect help everytime I’m in trouble anyways... although it could hurt to ask. Taking a deep breath, Dustin steels his resolve and begins towards Hestia. Not speaking to anyone really makes you worry about the first words you’ll say. ”Hey! How’ve I been... I mean how’ve you been?” It didn’t help he had killed two people not that long ago, and of course she’s one of the people Dustin respects the most in this world.

Good thing he elected to ignore the past.

——————————————————————

Stats:

@Hestia @Pinball @Aru

• Character Name: Dustin
• Character Description: A kid rolling with the punches and paying the price for not changing.
• Character Journal: Link

• Character Name: Lucas
• Character Description: The cinnamon roll who just wants friends
• Character Journal: Link

• Character Name: Monarch
• Character Description: A lazy player who just wants to go home
• Character Journal: Link

• Character Name: Lugh
• Character Description: An overprotective brother
• Character Journal: Link

Current Level: 31
Current SP: 99
Link to SP Tracking: [link]
Item Upgrades:

The woman would just let him speak, and speak he did. She waited patiently for her turn to retort and if Dustin were more kind a person, he would've taken a breath and let her do just that. But childish and a bit too talkative were the best ways to describe this bubbly murderer. Even still, he did finish his speech, and she would ask a very blatant question then pause for a moment. Her question made the boy think, as if he couldn't remember the time he rushed in through the smoke and saved Oscar. As for Arabelle, he could remember it like it was yesterday, walking into Stryder's house and meeting his whole guild for the first time since Eatos died. Before Dustin could think of a witty response, NIGHT would once again start spitting out words confusing the boy probably as much as his had confused her.

"Now hold on, I never said I stayed at 'home.'" He would put air quotes on the word home. "In fact, I said I stopped at home on the way here and then said I sleep on the fourth floor. My home is just that way, right outside of these woods." Pointing just left of the way they came, although he didn't even check to see if he was right. "As for whether or not I'm a shut in or an adventurer, I'd like to think I'm an adventurer. But lately due to personal reasons, I've been sleeping in the snow on the fourth floor. My own personal hell." His own personal hell, heh, if that wasn't understatement of the year. The last sentence carried a tone much like when he was pleading for the kill, very...

Empty...

Quickly though he would circle back to his response as if he hadn't just lost his entire tone half a second ago. "I never said I do those things, I said we need to. I've been letting this game get to me as of late too, so I can understand the allure of rushing to the end. However most people have something to go back to, those of us who don't have learned it's nice to take a breather." There's a dramatic pause as the boy takes a moment to think about what else he needs to address. "And by god is it nice. Even in my own personal hell as I called it I've learned things, taken in the beauty of this world even if it was hard to see. This was someone's dream, this was my dream. A world where the only rule is to survive. The only connections you have are the ones you make. Not dictated by money or greed, not polluted with corruption or oppression. In its own way, it is a utopia. It has it's flaws, and most people are scared of dying, but it's no different out there."

"Oh, and I helped Oscar with the Byakko on floor six a while ago. And as for Arabelle..." The young man would blush as he tried to find the words to describe how he knew Belle that didn't make him sound like a total jackass. "We... uh... were in the same guild." It wasn't a lie but this stranger didn't need to know the whole truth. Still though, Dustin couldn't hardly make eye contact with the poacher he's hoping could be called a friend.

"Huh?" She would proceed to question him, and he flashed a mischievous smile. "Well you see, it's about the adventure." A young boy was very easily seen in the actions of this practically grown man. Being seventeen and trapped in a death game was bound to crack a few nuts, and Dustin was definitely more eccentric in the game than real life. What was once the meek shell of a boy has become a shining example of how to creep people out by being too energetic. Although, in the last few weeks he had done nothing but avoid them and the ones he did speak to didn't know who he was. His cloak helped with concealment, and other than that he was pretty secluded in the field of the fourth floor. "When you went on trips, did you sleep for the whole ride or stay awake and play games with the others? When you go for a walk in the park do you run to the other side, even if your best friends are over there?" He clearly had a few screws loose. 

"While the ending is important, the best part of the book is the substance, the journey the main character takes that makes him change over time, right? We're all going through changes like that, at different rates, at different times, but we are. Everyone's just so busy giving up or rushing to the finish line they can't stop to smell the roses. They don't fight that field boss they thought would be fun, they don't talk to the pretty girl across the room, they don't realize how many beautiful things are jam packed into this game because everyone just wants out." His hand pulls up a rice ball and stuffs half of it in his mouth. "Thaf why hand out fnackf... That's why I hand out snacks to everyone."

"The little things are often better than big goal." Dustin's eyes would float down to his menu, pulling it out to block NIGHT from his view, showing the almost empty friends list, aside from a select few Dustin just couldn't bring himself to delete. "And who better to enjoy it with than strangers?"

[In case it's important, Dustin's friend list]

She reacted the same way everyone did when they heard he wanted to fight the bosses, asking if he had a death wish. It made him happy for a moment, truly happy. Thoughts of Hestia, Eatos and several others came flooding back to the boy, all people he missed dearly. "Sorry, but you sounded like all of my friends when you said that." He would look down to his hands and fiddle with another rock, one he clearly pulled from his inventory. "Honestly though, I don't want to be dead, I rather enjoy life if you'd believe it." His hands would come down to his sides as if he had no idea what to do with them. "I just don't see the harm in it, ya know? I ain't scared of it." Only one who'd care is mom, and even then I doubt her grief would be shared evenly between Kadin and I. "And after I killed that guy, I doubt my friends would disagree."

A pained swallow was audible in that little clearing of theirs, as Dustin realized what he had just said. He didn't want to draw anymore attention to it so if it passed it would pass, if it didn't he would explain himself. She then explained how Dustin's theory was wrong and he thought about it very visibly, if you looked closely you could probably see the cogs turning in his mind. "There it is, the odds you took the shortest path are very high, in fact if I had taken the shortest path too, I'd be inclined to believe you, but I didn't. I was looking for someone to fight this dragon with, so I took my sweet time." A huge toothy grin planted itself firmly on his cheeks. "I believe the technical term for a situation like this is Checkmate." A powerful pose punctuated with a thumbs up and his foolish smile would just add impact to the situation.

After she returned his gift Dustin looked at her in confusion, he had no idea what he had said wrong. "Why return it?" Then her next statement confuses him even more. "I know there's other ways to keep a promise I'm not an idiot. This is my way... oh yeah and his." He shook the box of macarons. "Anyways, it would've given me an excuse to stop by a bakery and pick up his favorite. These are just what I had in my storage at home."

Her friend request came along with a sentence that seemed to dig at Dustin's soul, but still he would smile through it. "I'm not desperate, I just hate fighting by myself." He'd say like a kid thinking about how he might get coal for christmas. The rock he had been holding would find it's way back to being fiddled with between his hands although Dustin's body language was much less outgoing now. 

"Nah, I don't leave floor four that often anymore. Don't eat a lot either, just some bread and water I've kept for weeks. As much as I hate that floor I- I gotta stay there." He'd remark, clicking the accept button on the friend request.

"It doesn't make sense to own the kill afterwards if I didn't one-shot it."

This line upset Dustin more than it should, but not necessarily in a bad way. After all, he knew most people didn't have dads who encouraged them to fight, took them hunting with a sword and raised them to be a proud man who lived with honor and dignity, and even if they did, most of them didn't lose their dad at the perfect age to make them want to honor said living without knowing the downsides to such a life. "Owning the kill isn't about winning in one hit. If you do, so be it, but the best stories come from a great battle in which the winner barely surpassed the loser." Dustin's words probably didn't make sense, and while Kadin was more for the honor side of his father's teachings, Dustin went all in on the glory. "Think of it like this... A game is boring if there's no risk, because the reward is practically given to you. Now, a game where you stake your life might be a bit much for most, but our frontliners stepped up to the challenge because there's nothing better than winning against insurmountable odds." Dustin looked longingly at the sky, or more accurately the next floor, "I'd kill to be in a boss raid, but my old guild leader told me I'd have to get a lot stronger, and an old friend told me I'd need to think before I act."

A bright smile would cross the boy's face once more, this one much more genuine. "I ain't too good at the second one yet." He'd chuckle lightheartedly, before addressing her second point. "That's basically just math. I took several different paths crossing through the brush and even stopping at my house along the way, the odds of you coming from directly behind me are very low, and yet you did. But that's not it. You didn't take long enough for it to be an accident that we showed up here together." He would nod in a prideful manner as if he had solved the biggest mystery in human history.

"And as for the owing you, I said I would so I do. It's that simple. And besides, bad company is still company is it not?" He wasn't always such an honorable guy, but since he joined SAO, he has been trying to become a better person. One his brother could've been proud of. "As for the snack, those are basically a promise that I will honor my trade. They were just gonna waste by the monument of life anyways, so it's no biggie." He'd shrug, picking up a rock and chucking it at the opened egg where the dragon had stayed. When it hit, he would act like he was bowing for a crowd and mimic screaming quietly to himself.

Dustin's eyes narrowed as the woman quickly gave up on her kill. His smile had all but disappeared, replaced with a thorough look of suspicion. "Hmm... Now you don't want it? You had no issue following me here to steal it, and not only do you deny my offer of cake, which is rude on its own, but you also give up the honor of killing a dragon?" The kid didn't like this at all, and when it came to his decision making, he could be quite immature. The hatchling was trying to move away from the pair, which Dustin noticed, but had no intention of acting on. If it wanted to get away, he would let it for now, it would only make things more fun, seeing how little she truly cared about the hunt. "There has to be a reason you don't want it." And thus, like a child, Dustin was having fun again.

That's not to say he wasn't thinking of his own personal hell, but it was definitely further from his mind than usual. His weak half hearted smile had turned into a much more playful expression, but in a way that he still seemed mostly sane, even if that wasn't the best description of the boy. "You know what? Now I don't want-" His train of thought was interrupted by a tail cutting through the air like a bullet, aimed towards the woman Dustin was conversing with. Before it could land it's attack however, Dustin had turned around and sent his fist through the being, who was now a cloud of shapeless shards much like its protectors the woman had so rudely stolen from the blue clad hero of this story.

"Whether you want cake or not isn't the point, the offer was supposed to be a trade. Take this. And don't forget, I owe you a cake." He would smile genuinely at the woman, tossing her the small box of macarons he had bought that morning. While he hated what she had done, he was grateful. Company was company and honestly that and a decent fight was all he could ask for. Guess I gotta stop at a bakery again.

Gonna give him his favorite this time.

Not long after Dustin had come to a complete stop, a shadow blocked the sun as death rained down in his everlasting anger. Or, apparently, HER anger. The woman seemed vaguely familiar but it wasn't someone Dustin had met before of that he was sure. Still though, she was poaching his kill and that couldn't be allowed. His eyes would dart between the enemies while he realized what she had done. She wasn't just poaching his kill, she was taking all of the glory out of it too. You just had to beg for help didn't you? He was so engrossed in the damage she had wrought he hadn't noticed his mouth hanging open like an infatuated school boy.

Quickly shaking off the surprise, Dustin closed his mouth drew back his hand and launched himself towards the enemy who had just broken free from its shell. As he watched, his whole arm began to glow a very vibrant red, his killing intent had manifest into a powerful attack, ready to be sent forth into the jaws of this kind monster.

Its lack of movement stalled something in the boy, and his hand stayed back. In this creatures eyes he saw his sin, played back in perfect detail, he even remembered the face he had managed to lose over the last few weeks. He couldn't move, except to land and glare at the lizard. "This is my kill..." His words almost devoid of life, his face holding no expression. His mind was practically shattered, having been put through hell all over again. The kid wasn't quite sure he could beat her, but honestly he didn't care. "I found it, it's mine." His eyes didn't leave the dragon's, but his words were very clearly pointed towards the interloper.

His charged attack would slowly fade, and Dustin would turn his back to the enemy, even if it opened him up for an attack from what he knew about the monster he could at least survive one hit. A bright smile would cross the boy's face and his eyes would shut. "I'll even buy you a great big cake." The life he was once so full of came spilling out for a moment, but the smile he had put one was obviously masking immense pain.

The loneliness had come and gone in the short time it took the boy to traverse the speckled path. He had come to a conclusion, one so unbearably stupid that even he felt it was a bit much to hold onto. Perhaps it would be better if I forgot, it's not like remembering is doing me any good. Besides, while it's my sin to pay, it doesn't have to be torture. As much as he wanted to be hated for what he did, he was still human. This green cursor he kept was a gift, it was his ticket to the good life, so long as no one knew he killed Greil, he would be okay. At this precise moment only three people knew anyways, and only two know why.

Whatever the situation was, Dustin would put it out of his mind. Even the heaviest problems could be pushed away with ease, as long as you had the right tools. His right hand would begin to glow a dull green, and his eyes would focus straight forward. As he took the next few steps his breathing would change, as if he was psyching himself up for an upcoming battle, and BOOM! His hand would slide across his cheek as the dull tingling he recognized as pain coursed through his body, his mind was sharpened in an instant, and his goal was clear.

Murder a baby dragon.

His steps would create little dust clouds as he picked up his pace to a full blown sprint. A trail of shallow footprints would deepen suddenly because now the Blue clad warrior was on his way to death, the question became who was he bringing this time?

A hatchling, it's scales shining like a beautiful gemstone his mother used to wear on her neck, would lock eyes with the teenager from across a small clearing. Words would escape its lips but their meanings falling short of Dustin, lost somewhere between the morbid maw of a majestic beast and the ears of a depressed child. Still though, the words had no weight even before they were unrecognizable, Dustin's mind was made up. This quest was as good as finished.

Even if the two guards who showed up tried to stop him, Dustin would murder this baby dragon.

-----------

Dustin: 600/600 HP | 60/60 EN | 15 DMG | 12 MIT | 2 ACC | 4 EVA | BH: 6

@NIGHT: ?

-----------

Dragon Cultist 1: 50/50 HP | 25 MIT | 35 DMG | 14 THRN

Dragon Cultist 2: 50/50 HP | 25 MIT | 35 DMG | 14 THRN

Ghidorah: 215/215 HP | 40 MIT | 70 DMG | 1 ACC | 1 EVA | 14 THRN

A flash of fond memories wash over the boy's mind and heart as he reminisced of the time they cleaned the pool together, Dustin hadn't wanted her help so he never told her about it. She found out anyway and came to help even though Dustin fully deserved the punishment. He really cared for her, and honestly it was because of her deep understanding of so many people. "You know I didn't want you to go out of your way to help me... I would often get punishments like that because of all the fights I was in, so they were almost second nature." He would say, staring at his hands in hers. Soon, she dropped his hands and hit him in the chest with a light punch.

His right hand would push hers to the side as his left hand moved up and his fingers placed themselves behind her head, he would pull her head first into a hug. "I will always appreciate you, even if I say I don't." His eyes were closed, so he couldn't quite see her face, but if she could see his all she would see was a pink cheeked smile showing a true level of content. "You can always swoop in and save me, though here I think I'd do the saving if that punch is all you've got." His light chuckle would cut through the insult to make it a joke.

"But I'll never forget all the times you were there for me."

@Ryoko

Dustin watched the ground as the woman he cares about goes on about his brother. He smiled as she brought up the time Kadin had to save Ryoko from that woman from Belgium. “Didn’t he take her on a date? Talk her out of hating you?” Dustin looked at the cookie in his hand, undisturbed and beautiful, yet fleeting. “I remember it was all set up by him and Oshin, completely rigged. Guess who had to work at the mock restaurant.” Dustin would let go of Ryoko’s hand and chuckle a bit. “I wasn’t a great cook but I guess Kadin really liked my Spaghetti because he wouldn’t let me make anything else.” A few tears rolled down his nose and fell to the grass below.

The boy would stand up and finally take a bite out of his cookie. “I can’t say I disagree with the first half, but the bad times have to happen. If you don’t learn from history it’s destined to repeat itself.” Dustin looks to Ryoko. “I’m not saying I want them to happen, but they’re a necessary evil.”

Ryoko would say something, calling Dustin’s name but quickly changing her mind. The boy hated to pry, but he was curious. “What was that?” He would ask turning up in that classic way he always did. Back when they were in school, Ryoko would always sneak up on Dustin, before calling to him at which point he would always look at her with a weak smile, but slowly over the years he started giving her brighter smiles. This was the brightest she would’ve ever seen.

@Ryoko

Dustin smiled as she took his hand and she started bringing up memories of school with her. "Yeah, you smoked him in that race, and Miss Aris said not to race him but if I remember correctly I still had to fight him." Dustin would pull his hair up on his right side revealing a scar above his ear, "Tackled him through a first floor window." He shot her a soft smile. "It meant a lot to me that you were willing to run a race to protect my honor but after that they thought I was easy pickings. Him and his two douchey friends tried to fight me so I took him through a window and beat him into the dirt. His two buddies got me though, but after that they never messed with me again." He would look down at her hand in his. "I don't think I ever told you about that fight. I had to replace the window, Kadin paid for it though so my mom made me help put it in." Dustin would look at Ryoko, right in her eyes, his face turning a bright pink. "It was the most fun I ever had getting my ass beat."

If she was still holding his hand, he would sit on the edge of the wall with his legs dangling off. "You think he would hate me? You know, for what I did?" Dustin would swallow some of the pain and keep going. "You remember how he was, forgive the enemy and make a friend. I couldn't though, I wasn't strong enough." The voices in his mind started coming back, screaming and pleading. The sound of them exploding in the snow, and Dustin's fist slamming into the ground beneath that soft white blanket over and over again. "I couldn't just let Kadin go. I still dream about that day, both of them now... when I'm able to sleep."

His last two cookies escape his pockets as he hands one towards Ryoko. "I haven't had one of these in a long time now, will you have one with me?"

@Ryoko

A sharp, sudden tingling. That’s what they felt instead of pain. Dustin had forgotten, but the stinging of a punch to the gut was one of his favorite feelings. Another one being the feeling he got around Ryoko. His eyes shut for a moment, before suddenly his head was jerked down into a hug. He felt so helplessly vulnerable at that point, but in a good way. She was talking but the boy was focused on her heart beat. Her words got to him though, behind the rhythmic reminder of who this was. The rise and fall of the heart almost made him feel relaxed, until he realized where he was.

Right as her eyes meet his, he recognizes a look of embarrassment on her. A look he had worn enough around Arabelle to know what it meant. “Damnit Ryo.” He would say as he reached down and wrapped his arms around her stomach before hoisting her up. They were incredibly close to the ledge, but to keep her just distracted enough he would spin around as he stepped away. “Hard to be upset when I know you’ll always be there for me.” His words being strained as he sets her down, still wrapped in a hug.

“You know I’ve always liked you, right?” Probably an awkward thing to tell her in that situation, but it made sense to him. “Everyone always gave me shit around school, and I was always on edge. Fights were a regular thing so I had to be ready. But you made me feel different, I’d always calm down the moment I saw you, like the flip of a switch.” Finally he would release her, and of she backed away he would lean down close as Enna used to get with the boy when he was teasing Dustin. “You made me feel safe even when no one else did.”

@Ryoko

The bright haired monk had made her way to the rendezvous point rather quickly, faster than Dustin had expected. She would approach him and the boy would notice she was covered very little. “You know... the disguise doesn’t work too well when someone you’ve known forever can see through it right away.” He would smile, the look of happiness obviously fake as he pulled down his hood to reveal redness under his eyes. He was obviously crying recently, and a lot. He hardly slept and ate even less, anymore he was just waiting to die. “I killed someone... not just anyone... the person who killed Kadin. I’m not saying he deserved it. I definitely don’t want you to take my side, I just want you to know.” He would say as he walked over yo the edge of the wall and stared down to the ground.

Part of him still wanted to jump.

But that would be weak. He can’t just take the easy way out now, he put himself in this situation he would have to tough it out. “Sometimes I wonder if Kadin would still be around if I was never born. Maybe Greil wouldn’t have targeted him if he wasn’t with me. Maybe I could’ve saved him if I had just let go, killed them all right there...” A tear falls down, tracing the front face of the wall, “Maybe if I was dead my friends could move on, maybe they could forget about ever having known me or been around me. I could be nothing but a faint idea of something that may or may not have been, when they wake up from this nightmare I could be a shapeless blob like every other person in their dreams.” Dustin would look up at Ryoko and give another weak smile.

”I’d be content if I was forgotten.”

@Ryoko

Dustin had spent yet another day in his garden. The hot sun beat down on his white tank top covered in dirt, the sweat dripped down his forehead into his eyes as he pulled the weeds from the ground and watched them dissolve into shapeless shards. His bucket for weeds he carried out of habit was empty, his mind however, was anything but. Everything over the past few months played back in painful slow motion. The hunt, the kill, and the aftermath in a beautiful symphony of pain and sorrow dancing. Intertwined like father time and mother nature on their honeymoon, the two negative emotions swayed with despair as he kept tugging at the plants. The most painful thoughts lingered on an old flame of his. She would hate me for what I did. I do owe her an explanation though. He pulled up his menu, scrolling to the friends list and selecting her name. He would stare through that window at the ground beneath it, watching the plants sway in the breeze. His thoughts couldn't pick a direction to blow so like the grass it wiggled and tossed without actually creating a cohesive sentence.

If anyone would forgive me, it would be her. Which is why I shouldn't explain myself... I don't want her to know, I don't want her to side with me. But I don't want her to hate me. He would begin to type his message, the words appearing faster and faster as he got into the swing of things. These messages all sounded the same but always had different meanings, so he would often struggle with conveying the right tone. After the message was typed it sat dormant for a few minutes while Dustin built up the courage to press that arrow. He would read the words, delete them and then type the same message again and again, until finally he just took a deep breath and pressed send. He wouldn't wait for a reply, but would instead close the window to continue working.

The sun had gone down not long before Dustin materialized on the first floor. He would open his inventory to check the time, but soon close it once more. His blue sweatshirt and khaki pants were covered by a long plain brown cloak, his hair was still a mess from working in the sun, but was hidden under a hood. He had a sword tucked into an opening in the back to make sure the disguise stuck, but would avoid main streets anyways. The town of beginnings had enough back allies to keep him concealed until he got to the wall. It was never easy getting to the top but today he struggled less than yesterday, and tomorrow he'll struggle less than today. The clock was getting close to the time he had stated in the message, but no one had appeared yet, so Dustin waited.

However, not very patiently.

Message:

@Ryoko

Dustin wasn’t going to lie to himself, some company might be nice. Only issue being he was about 95% sure everyone he knew hated him or disappeared. It was hard but he’d put himself in this hellish loneliness when his brother’s killer was stricken down by a kid with a bad attitude and an itch in his trigger finger. “Son of a-“ he would say quietly to himself as he ripped through the thicker brush. “Where an I going to find someone new to help me?” His words seemed almost pointed despite not being aimed at anyone in particular. He was already half-way to the quest marker and had no reason to turn around. Well, unless you count him needing company and he could probably use a few potions.

But he struggled onwards, however, he was walking much slower now. Almost meandering, he would look around to see if he could find someone to talk to. The empty woods were almost ominous, but with the light shining through to the dirt path, the young boy couldn’t help but mutter the word he thought best fit this scene. The wonderful trees placed in parallel lines, leaning over a dirt path speckled with rays of sunshine dancing as clouds covered them up.

”Beautiful.”

He would mutter that simple word, before continuing to lumber through the forest.

This man had the gall to poke Dustin in the chest, so either he had the numbers to back it up or maybe he was just an idiot. Well, Dustin didn’t exactly look to be all that strong given his attire, demeanor and mannerisms, but he definitely had the numbers to back up most of the threats he could sling. “Hey, I happen to love this town, reminds me of Pa’s hometown.” He would smile. “It ain’t everyday you get to be reminded of your home when the technology we have is so much more advanced than the world we’re in.” The young boy would smile.

As far as the man’s next comment, Dustin couldn’t just bite his tongue and wait for him to shut up. “Listen kid, ain’t no reason to talk like that to someone you just met. It’s a damn fine way of getting yourself hurt.” He would state, because Dustin knew how much of a gamble it was meeting strangers to do quests with. After Pick and Asakku, the first person Dustin met was Hestia, arguably one of the strongest tanks in the game.

”If you want, my old guild took me on a quest through here a while back, I can tell you how to get there, but from the looks of you, you might want to get some gear before doing it. I could help if you need it.” He would offer, putting his gear on and waiting for a response.

@Felis

Dustin didn’t mind the second floor, it was quiet and calm, and he could walk around without his gear on. In his blue sweatshirt and khaki cargo pants, he would walk through town aimlessly, looking for somewhere to grab a snack and maybe sit for a while. I can’t believe it’s been that long... he would place himself in the nearest chair. How did the time go so fast? He placed his hands on the table as the waiter approached, tall and dark.

This dark figure with a cane tucked sweetly behind his back almost reminiscent of Dustin’s old friend, Pick.

It wasn’t long before Dustin realized this player had no intention of taking his order, and the young boy would simply look up at the tower before him and simply say, “I’ll have the veggie soup.” He would nod as he stood up and pushed his chair in.

”Kidding. So, what do you want to know?”
 

@Felis

Dustin was finally getting comfortable again, and he hated it. The silence used to be deafening, all he ever heard was the clash of defeat, the player's horror as he disappeared. Now Dustin heard nothing, not even the ringing of steel. "I can't forget the pain I've caused." His eyes would close and he would try his best to picture the player he killed in the snow that day.

Nothing.

He wanted so badly to remember the face, but he couldn't. All he saw was the print in the snow, the lack of a person made it ominous in its own right. No tracks to or from what obviously was a death spot. Had he not been sleeping in the snow of the fourth floor he might have forgotten the nip of Jack Frost at his nose. Today was different though. He noticed that the monument room was almost dead silent, and for the first time in months Dustin heard nothing. That room used to be filled with pain and hatred, from Dustin and everyone else who had a friend on that wall. I can't just forget about what I did, it's my sin. My burden. My cross to bear. If I forget, then I'm no better than that man.

Even if he needed to bear hell, that didn't mean he had to focus on it all day and night. Today he was going to finally take down that dragon quest he had followed with Arabelle. "I used to love this quest, made me feel like a real warrior." He would say as he pushed through the field before walking past a very familiar house. Over grown and practically falling apart, Dustin could almost see himself running around tending to the slime farm and growing a garden around back. Now it was full of weeds and death, empty where the most beautiful Hydrangeas used to grow.

Dustin would turn and quickly walk past, making his way out even further into the wilderness in search of that monster he was hunting. He needed to think, and his mind was quietest during a fight.

Dustin nods, opening his mouth to confirm her suspicions but noticing an ape rearing up to howl for backup. His legs kick into overdrive as does his body, bobbing and weaving, slipping a few punches and placing his right hand in the center of the ape’s forehead knocking it on its ass. “Yeah, I was there, and of course I had fun. I got to see the ocean.” Dustin rarely got to see the ocean in real life, but he did remember it being about that beautiful.

He hadn’t spoken to her before today, but he wished he had spoken to her at the party. “I saw you there, I was too scared to introduce myself though. I mean, you’re Zandra, the badass of the frontlines.” Dustin had only heard stories of the frontlines but always wanted to see them, even if some of the harsher stories were true. “I still feel a bit nervous talking to you, but I’ll tough it out I guess.”

As he landed, he would jump back. ”So Zandra, what are you doing way down here on floor six?” He would ask, standing at her back facing the monkeys.

Dustin had heard about a fish on one of the higher floors and decided to check it out. Maybe there would be cool loot, and maybe Dustin wouldn't have to fish it up because the idiot never got the fishing skill and it was biting him in the ass. It had been so long since the boy had been up this far he'd started to forget what it looked like. The town reminded him of an old fishing village his dad had brought him to a couple of times, and the murky waters reminded him of what his father made him do on that trip. Miss you pops, but I still think making me muck through a swamp because the fish had stolen your pole was pretty messed up. Dustin began walking towards the quest giver, before realizing that there was no way in hell a fish boss was gonna be so readily available up here, and he would probably need a pal to get this done.

So he opened his almost empty friends list.

That name, was that the man Dustin helped all that time ago? The images in his mind were blurry, but a tiger, fire and a good friend were the feelings the child felt in that moment. "Guess it wouldn't hurt to send him a message. Find out if he at least has the skill."

"Lets get rid of some more of these. I hope you can fight.’’

If Dustin was good at anything it was fighting. He'd spent so much time with his dad training and so much more time after that he was in tip top shape. This game, however, had him rely on the system all too much and he would often find himself fighting said system over control of himself. "Zandra, didn't you run that beach party a while back? The one with the fake weapons and the fighting the crabs or whatever it was?" If this was her, Dustin had a bone to pick. Where had she gotten those monsters from and how did she get them there? I believe the swimsuit competition was rigged as well.

In any case, Dustin had to worry about himself as he had a good number of enemies before him. He would dash in, dodging the initial attack and planting a firm punch on the monkey's jaw pushing it's yellow health bar down to nothing. He'd smile as the others pushed their massive fists through the air at the boy, just narrowly missing. Dustin almost laughed at the slow beasts until one swung his hand back like a breast stroke into the boy's side throwing him back by the girl he had made his stand with.

"I'll see you in hell, ape."