Miaki

"Here we go again..." Miaki mouthed to himself as Nikki placed a hand on the heavy stone doors. This was the first time he knew nothing would be on the other side of the door. It didn't matter. Whatever was inside wasn't going to be there for long.

Miaki's physical demeanor had shifted into combat mode. His eyebrows furrowed close together as he cut out everything around him. To him the world now appeared void of details. All that was clear and in full detail was himself, Nikki, Zelrius, the door, and what was beyond it. The rest of his surroundings were silhouettes of players and objects. He didn't know any of them and they were not important to him at the moment. He wouldn't have admitted it aloud but to him they were simply absorbing some of the damage output that Nikki wasn't soaking. Adequate meat shields for himself and his team. It was cold. But it was appropriate since they're lack of speed in clearing the game without help was so abysmal. They would have to prove themselves to gain his respect.

The heavy stone doors swung open from Nikki's forceful shove. The room was dimly lit and held an eerie silence. Miaki held the top of his sheath with his offhand and readied his stance. Nikki began to move forward followed by Zelrius. The lights came up indicating the spawning of the boss and its minions. Darkly clad knights that reminded him of ones he saw once in a rather cruel and unforgiving game his father used to play. Miaki wasn't gonna allow that to happen here.

Miaki waited til the enemy mobs were almost on top of Nikki before he made his first move. Once he started his momentum there was nothing that would stop him. he took a few strides forward, picking up the pace with each step. By the fifth or sixth step he was into a full out sprint. Rushing forward towards the enemy ready to make the first strike. The <<Endless Knights>> surrounded Nikki just as she intended. But a clean flaming arc swept right through their ranks that came to a surprise to Nikki. It also took a second for the mod AI to register the attack too because the next moment later three of them erupted into flames and burnt to a crisp. Zelrius changed the plan and went right after the boss, hitting only what was in his way. Two enemies remained up and on Nikki's position. That was what he would target now. He was closing the gap between him and the mobs fast. Almost in attack range.

OOC: Im relearning this whole system and didn't mention Im using a sword skill. Sue me.

OOC: Sword skill Amatsu no Homura activated, 2 Energy loss from Miss
ID: 34291 BD4 = Miss

«Forsaken Crusader»

«HP»: 152/330 (BURN BABY BURN; 2BD/t 2 Turns)

«Mitigation»: 40

Endless Knight: -DEAD- (15 Mitigation) Energy 26/33

Endless Knight: -DEAD- (15 Mitigation) Energy 26/33

Endless Knight: -DEAD- (15 Mitigation) Energy 26/33 (2 dmg Burn, 2/2 Turns)

Endless Knight: 61/165 (15 Mitigation) Energy 26/33 (2 dmg Burn, 2/2 Turns)

Endless Knight: 70/165 (15 Mitigation) Energy 26/33

«Endless Spirit of the Warrior»: Whenever an «Endless Knights» is defeated they are resurrected 4 posts after their death.

Nikki Styx 80/80

Zelrius 140/140 Energy: 13/35 {HATE: 1}

Miaki 137/137 Energy: 31/33

Miaki listened to his wife lay the hard facts down for him. She was a tank and tanks took the damage. It was their job. But when for first time Miaki saw the bruses on Nikki's body their dinner date the night after the 8th floor boss fight it made him sick to his stomach. He was horrified by what they did to her and held her gently with care. He was protective. As her husband it was part of his life oath to her. To protect her til either they were free of this virtual world or death claimed them. And if they made it out of Aincrad then his mission for Nikki would continue til that life ended.

But here in Aincrad it was more Nikki protecting him. He was the sword but she was the shield. Their battle together against the boss proved it. She took blow after blow from the posionous plant guardian and never complained. Never waivered. Even when she was losing faith in herself from not being able to block it all, Miaki never doubted her. His faith in her twice was proven. The first was in the boss room. When the guardian bore down with the greatest might, the very room trembled from the power of the landed blow. Dust had been kicked up and no one could see what had happened. When the dust settled Miaki stared in breathtaking awe as Nikki stood firm, unmoved. The unstoppable force that had been the guardian struck the immovable object. And that immovable object was Nikki <<the River>> Styx. The very woman who accepted his proposal of marriage that night and now was his loftly wedded wife. "I trust you Abigale." He said in this private moment.

As far as he was concerned, Nikki, his wife, was the commanding officer. If she said swing. He swung. If she said duck, he'd kiss the floor hard. If she said run, he'd sprint like an olympian and trust she was saying it for a reason. Trust. That is what they had. Complete and unbreakable trust. Although his eyes would be glued to his wife's HP bar, there was no helping that, he would do whatever she needed from him. Nikki would do her best to draw the attention of the mobs so that he and Zelrius could attack them without concern. Miaki would kill as many as he could to lessen the load off of Nikki. She told him that. "You know it!" He said with a clunch of his fist. No way he would forgive a souless mob for striking his <<Blue Beauty>>.

Nikki leaned in and gave Miaki a quick kiss. He closed his eyes for the brief second of intamacy they shared. As she pulled away Miaki watched her lick her lips seductively. This time it was she that got the jump on him before the boss fight. Now he was ready! They would step into that boss room and show the world what they were made of as a team. "Wow! I'd better not play with my food so we can get onto the dessert." He smiled with a wink. Miaki followed Nikki out to the crowd and over to Zelrius. "Can I get one of those DPS boosts?" He asks his brother in arms. Miaki took the item and tapped it with a finger that revealed a small window of opetions. He selected <<consume>> and the item vanished and brought up a buffed icon in the corner of his field of vision. He then followed his wife over to the door and took a deep breath while muttering aloud for only his wife and anyone close enough to hear. "Hold on to yer butts."

Miaki reached into his pocket and took out a blue ribbon that belonged to Nikki. This was her token to him her chosen knight. Although she was the knight to be accurate, the meaning of the token held. He carried it everywhere with the ribbon tied securely somewhere on his person. Never left anywhere without it. And during fights he wore it around his fighting hand. He wrapped the slightly faded blue cloth to his wrist and tightened the knot with his teeth. "I promised you this would be with me in every fight."

A heavy tension filled the air around the players involved in the boss fight taking place today. For most this feeling was the concern, fear, and uneasiness that came with the calm before the storm. Miaki and Nikki had felt it since the night before. But for them it was different. For them the tension acted as an injector fuel. An exciting thrill that was burning within them. It was the love for battlefield. Only twice before had this couple been seen battling side by side, back to back in a coordinated group fight or by the public in general for that matter. Still. Even to anyone who paid attention, their reputation still proceeded them. When word got out that Nikki and Miaki's names were on the boss battle roster it had caused a ripple of players to mummers in some of the areas. Players who still knew the rumors of the <<River Styx>> known better as the <<Strongest Tank in Aincrad>> and the <<Silver Swordsman>> were tempted to join the fight just to catch a glimpse of the duo in action. Both times they were seen in combat their skill, finesse, unwavering resolve, and tactical expertise was without question.

Miaki wore his trademark attire that was straight out of film noir. A trenchcoat and fedora with his blade sheathed underneath the open coat. It was Nikki's idea that if they going back into action then they needed to dress the part. She had said the last part with a wink as she produced Miaki's old fedora out of seemingly nowhere and fitted it to her husbands head; sealing the deal with a kiss on the lips. Since that moment of preparation between them, Miaki had transformed. The pure determination to achieve victory had come over him once again. Some who had seen Miaki since the last boss fight thought he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. That the battlefield was too much for him. In truth, both he and his wife had missed it and they both knew it.

They were almost at the gathering for the boss fight when Nikki abruptly pulled Miaki to the side before they could be seen by the combatants. She held her husband's arms and seemed to be nervous. This was the first time since the day started that he was able to look his wife in the eyes. Miaki had a flashback to their first boss fight together on the eighth floor. At that time they were only starting to get to know each other over the span of a few weeks. They hadn't admitted their feelings for each other but the connection was there. They had exchanged words with each other about how they would operate during the battle and what was to be expected. But as Nikki was about to step away, Miaki grabbed her hand and pulled her into a kiss. Their first kiss. He would never forget that kiss. It was in that kiss he swore to himself he would follow this woman into the valley of the shadow of death. Blindly if need be.

"You okay?" He asked in a hushed voice of concern. Miaki knew Nikki was holding something back from him but he never pressed the matter. Even though they were both excited to run onto the battlefield, they were not stupid. They knew a boss fight was a life or death situation and needed to be taken seriously. While he was practicing sword skills and techniques, he never noticed his wife practicing with her spear and shield. He noticed her drawing on scraps of parchment running numbers and comparing weapons and skills from the pool of information she had spent alot of time and resources into building for herself. Miaki was learning by playing the game but it was Nikki that was learning the game so she could play it better than anyone else.

Miaki grabbed the underside of Nikki's forearms. "Listen Abby, if yer worried about me in there I'll be fine. I've got the best person watching out for me. You." He looked his wife from the top down and took in her appearance. Combat ready as always. Except for the spear. He was still puzzled about. "Unless yer finally gonna share yer secret with me now about what you've been up to."

Level - 33
HP - 137
ENE - 33
DPS - 9 +2 (from DPS pot) = 11
Acc - 4
Evasion - 2
Mit - 2
Paralyze - 1

Athletics
Precision
Sprint & Acrobatics
Battle Healing - 3
1H Curved Sword - 1
Katana - 5
Martial Arts - 1
Survival
Meditation - 1
Disguise

Silver Fang (Katana) +2 DMG, +1 Paralysis
Swordsman's Coat (Cloth) +1 Evasion, +2 Acc
Gauntlets of Myrmidon (Armor) +2 Mit, +1 Acc 

Teleport Crystal x1
Healing Potion x10

Miaki hardly had the time to finish his well wishes to Zelrius before his wife hooked his arm and stole him away. Miaki smiled sheepishly as Nikki led him around the party. He felt completely exposed out in the open. Around so many people again, the poignant sound of voices over each other was a bit too much for him. He felt out of place; like a fish out of water. Before going of with his lovely wife, Miaki had been one of the most central figures in the world. He knew most, if not all, of the players who stayed close to the highest floor cleared and fought in the big fights. But too much of that world and the politics that came with it stretched him too thin. That, along with other shared reasons, cause him and Nikki to go off and know each other better without the rest of the world getting in the way. It was working too. Their relationship and recently forged life together as one began. Miaki developed a degree of social anxiety as side effect. Becoming so comfortable with the simple life with the most important person in his life, all he wanted was to spend time with her. They even came out to help in one battle but returned to their home and life together. They still had their own struggles that could only be solved by retreating away and cutting themselves off from everything and everyone.

Miaki awkwardly followed Nikki's guiding him around. Staying close to her as if his life depended on it. His wife seemed to sense the uneasiness in him as she spoke in her soothing voice. He locked in on that and took a deep breath, exhaling and calming his nerves. "Right beside you." He said, although it was more like she was beside him. "Alot of new faces I see." Miaki commented as Nikki pointed some of the unfamiliar ones out. "This is good if we plan to move forward we'll need everyone willing and able." He said, thinking like a tactician again. The thought of battling once again beside his lifelong partner was enough to help him forget the amount of people around him and cool his nerves.

They both got themselves something to drink and, at Miaki's request, stayed along the edge of the gathering for the moment. He didn't want to throw himself back into the social world quite yet. Maybe take it slow and ease in with time. Miaki looked to Nikki beside him and admired her appearance. "Im glad yer okay Hun. Life has been rough for us both lately and together we face it just like everything else." He thought about somethings for a moment. "You know, this is nice. Just what I needed... What we both needed." He added. A nice party to cause a change of pace for them. "Something almost tells me you used this as an excuse to get me out here." He gave a playful look and winked. "You seriously didn't think I would hide under the fur covers while you came out here today did you?"

Miaki returned to the cabin from a run with Nikki nowhere to be found. He hadn't seen her during his daily run and they had no reason to go into the town for anything today. No note was left out for him either about where his wife went. Nikki often went out to paint or relax but her gear for that was still stored in the cabin. Another oddity. Miaki checked his inbox that was overloaded with unread messages and noticed one of the most recent additions. It was a party invitation. The birthday party of Zelrius to be precise. "Did she?... No way." Miaki argued with himself over the idea. He hadn't seen Zelrius in quite some time and it was the only remaining logical place for Nikki to be. If Nikki had left for this party he was reading about then this was quite a surprise to him due to the fact they both had dropped off the radar as far as the world was concerned. They had issues to deal with and were still struggling with them in a way. But through each others strength they continued on with life. To have it where Nikki felt like going out meant that she was ready to try and move forward. It was a little uncomfortable himself he realized. But if she could do it then so would he. Closing the window, Miaki changed into a set of blue trousers and a green top. A simple style that wouldn't draw much attention towards him. Looking at his surroundings, Miaki took a deep breath and moved out.

Once on site, the man came upon a site he didn't expect to see. No one he seemed to recognize. He really had been gone a long time. But he figured he would find Zelrius and Nikki near the center. Miaki navigated the crowd, careful not to collide with anyone, and searched for his brother in arms. Miaki's eyes caught the sight of the long blue hair he knew and loved, today it was put up in a pretty bun. The woman who is solely responsible for his life not falling apart. Miaki slipped up behind her, hoping she didn't see him yet, and whispered in her ear. "You should've told me you felt like going out for a change. If I had know you wanted to come out here I would've come with you." He kissed her cheek and said, "I'm glad you are feeling better."

Miaki saw Zelrius who was turning their way and not a surprise to Miaki, Zelrius was just as flashy as ever. The sight brought a smile to his face and reminded him of the good old days. He strode forward and waved. "Zelrius! You crazy son of a gun! Happy birthday to you!" Miaki held out his arms in a hug and embraced the man. "Good to see you doing so well right now. Sorry about dropping in here without telling you. Wasn't sure how to do that. Been out of it for a while I've lost my touch." He laughed. "But you. You look great! How's it been?"

Miaki is joining the fight alongside Nikki!

The cupid boss was nearly killed. Just a matter of time before it took it's last breath. His wife had the full attention of the boss still and was standing there proud as ever in her tanking abilities. This only made Miaki more proud of her a person and as a player. She goaded the boss on throwing insults and degrading the pitiful excuse for a Cherub. She shrieked and shouted, using her hate ability to draw the attention of mobs and bosses alike. It was in her nature to face off against these opponents and test her strength compared to them. And she was a legend for it. Miaki threw a half joked comment after one of Nikki's shrieks, "Remind me to bring ear plugs to the next fight. I forgot how loud your shouts were." He cracked at her while striking the boss from behind. The boss seemed unphased by her mockery but then again the Cherub was doing that to everyone else the entire battle even with all the damage it was taking. Whoever scripted this guy needed to recheck their list of insults and comebacks which was leaving much to be desired. Miaki made a few swipes at the Cherub from behind Leaving distinguishable gashes where his blade met with his foe. "Someone shut this loud mouth up already!" He commanded someone while dealing his blows. "Nikki! Hold his attention a little longer!"

Group 1:
Zelrius 81/81
Miaki 71/71
Nikki 44/44 Has Boss Agro.
Kosan 37/37
Shanok 34/34

((OOC: ID: 11639, BD 7 (+1 = 8), HIT! 8 DMG! 24 total dmg dealt))

Cupid 6/175

((OOC: Nikki Styx is unavailable due to medical reasons and will not be able to post for the remainder of this battle.))

Miaki began to peel back the wrapper from his own sub and take in the satisfying aroma of ingredients put into it. It was a perfect blend that you couldn't find in any NPC run establishment on any of the floors. No, no. This was the work of a master of the culinary arts. That's right! This sub was created by the <<Sub God>>, Miaki Murakami (and his loving wife Nikki Styx)! "She had some help." He said as he took the first bite. The explosion of flavor in his mouth made him began to cause his taste buds to water. "Oh yeah, made it just right." He said taking another bite. "In all honesty Nikki is still.... developing her skills in cooking. She actually warned me when we first got engaged that she can't cook or do anything like that really." Miaki shrugged. "Not that I mind. I like doing it and I didn't marry her looking for some chef."

Miaki looked at his wife's beautiful smile and gave into the infectious effect it had on him. His expression slowly changed from the serious mood to a small smile. He was so glad that she wasn't gonna argue like most would. She understood him and he understood her. The point was for them to take that understanding and make them both feel comfortable with the decision. He listened to her talk about the dangers and saw she was giving him a chance to comment. "Yer right. That isn't like us. We want a taste of the action. And I know the dangers but together we can handle anything thrown at us." It wasn't like either of them were lightweights in the least. He had little fear for Nikki's life in battle as she demonstrated time and time again her strength in battle. Other people kept voicing their concerns for her safety, talking about her as if she were made of glass, but Miaki would just ignore them. If Nikki felt she could do it then Miaki had the fullest confidence in her. She could stand against seemingly unbalanced odds and would prove the superior beyond measure. Anyone who thought otherwise was a fool. "Again you are right. What gamer in their right mind would stand by while others beat the game for them?" This last point the answer to them was obvious. But he still didn't want to get fully engaged with the people. He simply wanted to fight and nothing more."I do have some conditions. First, I want us to stay out of the politics as much as possible. And second, we stay out here when we are not fight on the frontlines. Treat it like a job. Go out to fight in the morning or whenever and return home home at the end." The conditions felt fair enough to him and perfectly reasonable. He still wanted to have some grasp of the life he had right now and was hopeful that his wife agreed.

Miaki laughed at the thought of meeting the level designer in this world. "Help?" He said with a hearty laugh. "Hell, I'll let you take the first swing at him!" They continued joking back and forth for a while about how they would beat the ever loving tar out of the guy and make him regret the day he was born. Eventually they decided to set up camp within a small formation of rocks. A small haven it looked like with a small entrance that almost perfectly concealed their location. They had both set up tents and Shanok questioned the need for a campfire. "Yeah, its definitely not necessary. Maybe just keep a torch close if you have to get up in the dark." Miaki looked at the tent he had just made and at the opening. "I'll take the first watch I suppose. Im not quite tired yet. Im actually more hungry than anything." He opened up his inventory and retrieved a sizable sub he had made that morning. He got a second one out and tossed it to Shanok. "Here catch! We made a little extra."

Taking a walk was something the two of them did together all the time. Each time they would try and find a new path every time or make their own. They wore different outdoor gear that made them less recognized if they went into town together. Just two ordinary people taking a walk together. The snow crunched with each step they made, conveniently filling the would be awkward silence between the them. Miaki lowered his head but a little in reverence to the word of two deaths in the raid. In truth, people died every day in this game it stood to believe. After all there were thousands of players in Aincrad and the chances of slipping up were favorable. "Two huh?" He said in a low voice making a pause. In reality it wasn't a bad loss but it was still a loss. "That's really sad. But you do understand that death does happen right Hun? I can recall several more died in the first boss raid. And how many since then? There's the monument in the <<Black Iron Castle>> that shows the names of every player here along with the dead." He spoke of the <<Monument of Life>>, a large stone tablet that listed the names of all 10,000 players in SAO. Upon death, the name of the player is crossed out and information of the time and date along with the cause of death are listed with the name. Miaki only saw the tablet once on day one. At the time it was understood that the room was actually a respawn point for resurrection. Only a few hours later and it turned out that was a falsehood. "I don't mean to be heartless but death is unavoidable. It happens every day both here and in the other world. More so there. Even in a fairy tale death exists. You can't save every life. Most of the time it is beyond our control." Looking down at the thick snow he noticed he had been making a few wide steps and was distancing himself from Nikki. He quickly adjusted his pace and moved closer to his wife again. "You just can't let yourself feel responsible for every life. You have to accept that people die in war." He knew he probably sounded like an uncaring man but it was the truth. A look in any textbook or history book would prove it. People die when they are killed.

And I'll be doing this with "The River" Styx.

Marching out into the wasteland trying to navigate the obstacles made it clear that this would be a long journey. He kept patting his brow with a handkerchief wondering if it was doing any good. Miaki was used to the fridged outskirts of the fourth floor and the barren waste that too many fools overlooked by the idea of a winter wonderland. They wouldn't last long if they faced the real cold. The sub-zero conditions with bone chilling winds. The thought of the floor brought a mild cooling to his body. He listened to Shanok for a moment then recalled the man's forge.

"Oh right, you have a forge on that floor as well so the cold his a bit more welcoming for you too." Miaki commented. He took a deep breath and cracked his neck. "Indeed we do have quite a lot of free time. You mean to tell me we can't rant about how much we hate this floor the entire time? Here I was coming up with some rather colorful words of what to say about this floor and the designer who came up with the quest for it. Geez if I had the guy right here now I'd beat his a--."

Floor Nine was liberated. And about bloody time too. Miaki and Nikki were away long enough for multiple floors to be cleared and no. They practically made it no where at all and might as well still be where they started before taking leave. This only fueled Miaki's frustration for being summoned back in the first place to offer his steel to the conflict. He need to take charge momentarily to bring some sense of order to things. Zelrius, proving himself once again, found the boss for the tenth floor and wanted to make his report. Miaki called a meeting at the old meeting room high up in the trees of the eigth floor. He was there now staring out the large bay widnow that gave a magnificant view of the rest of the floor. His wife brought the only sense of peace to the atmosphere for him. His being pulled back was rather relucant but he was here and so it was time to take action. He wore a black turtleneck which was his comfortable attire in his humble cabin on the fourth floor. Staring out the window with his hands behind his back he sighed. "I swear to God you'd guys better have not lost your edge while our being gone." He turned around and rubbed his temples. "Nikki and I left for very good reason and I still dont like the idea of being called back like I was." While he knew that the one who called him out of the unknown wasn't even in the room, Miaki wanted to make his point clear. He wasn't happy to have his blissful life interrupted and even more so when he found out that the only progress made was rather lacking at best. He had fought the very boss they had too but a glitch in the game occured and by that point Miaki was ready to leave the fools he had to deal with and their incompetence.

Miaki received a request from Shanok to venture out and help him with a quest on the ninth floor. He heard that their would be a strong need for traveling and of course some form of combat no doubt. The young man showed the quest information with his wife Nikki and she set forth to help make the proper preperations. Namely attempt to make for him a few meals to take on the journey. However, her attempts were rather... combustible and required his immediate assistance at one point much to his darling wife's protest. Together they compiled a nice arrangement of small meals to take on his travels. Seeing everything in order they said their farewells and Miaki left for town to take the teleport gate to the the ninth floor. Soon as he got their he remembered the heat of the floor and was starting to regret his choice. He would have to take care of that on his way to the meet up point with Shanok.

Miaki opened his GUI and used the map display to navigate the streets while simultaniously cycling thorugh his inventory to find something more suitable for the volcanic wasteland. Alas, nothing was found but a conivently placed tailor fixed things up for him. Instead of the black turtleneck and slacks he wore soot stained pants with a tan button down vest.

Making his change of clothes, Miaki quickly found his man and gave him a subtle wave. "I hate this floor already." He said in greeting.

As always, Miaki could count on Nikki for watching his back and keeping his opponent off his back. The Immoveable Object had the boss's attention and would be dead more than likely before she'd have to activate her skill again. "Boss is agro'd! Don't waste this opportunity! Let's kill this thing before it even stands a chance." The other players active in the fight lashed out at the 'god of love'. Some of them actually were doing a decent job. Still something was lacking. Atleast he knew what his team was capable of and they proved to have not lost their edge. Actually they were better than before. The boss made its pipe shots with it's bow but as long as the attacks were away from the DPS fighters and if his wife didn't raise alarm then it wasn't his problem. "Moving in for a hit! Keep him off me Nikki." He yelled to the others as he took a side step and flanked Cupid. He leapt forward and made a longways slash at his target and sliced it along the back. "Not so tough now are you?" He mocked as he landed. He glanced at his team's health bar and saw wife hadn't taken any damage. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Okay guys, more than halfway through his health. Make him taste your steel!"

Group 1:
Zelrius 81/81
Miaki 71/71
Nikki 44/44 Has Boss Agro.
Kosan 37/37
Shanok 34/34

((OOC: ID: 9418, BD 6 (+1 = 7), HIT! 9 DMG! 18 total dmg dealt))

Cupid 75/175 (2 BD/t 2 Turns)

Miaki glanced at the people walking past them on the dirt covered streets. "Yeah, she is gonna probably be here shortly but Im guessing she might be late. Maybe held up by something or busy with something else." Miaki looked back across the table at Aria and smiled. "She'll be around soon I'm sure. She is gonna flip when she sees you. It's been forever since she saw you last too." He glanced at the Aria's hat on the table then back up at her. "I can understand the getting away from people. It did me alot of good. It was peaceful and relaxing. Didn't focus on leveling. Just focused on living."

Miaki held up his left hand and looked at the wedding band on it. "You might say that. Finally made it official between me and Nikki." He put his hand back on the table and took the occasional glance at the people walking by. "But we left the front lines for quite some time. There were many reasons. A big one being the people and bureaucracy. Had someone told me that this would happen I would've thought they were crazy. I went to the front to fight and found myself waiting while people putzed around playing tiddlywinks til they said they were ready." He let out a frustrated sigh. "Ehh but Im gonna keep from getting worked up." He said with a pause. "Been keeping ourselves busy making a life on the fourth floor hidden out in the cold where we could keep to ourselves."

A day or so had gone by since Nikki and Miaki had made a visit to floor one where they found themselves roped into returning to the front lines. Nikki was as adamant about the idea as her reputation of being unmovable suggested. Miaki however didn't want anything to do with it. He had numerous reasons for his decision and was ready to make them heard. But the last thing he wanted was this topic to come between them and hurting their relationship. It wasn't worth it and he wouldn't allow for it to be the reason for upsetting them. He would go with her whether he liked the idea or not because he loved her. He would not let her do this duty alone. But she still had to convince him. Since then their days returned to a sense of normalcy they were so accustomed to. Miaki was sitting on the loveseat writing while Nikki was making another attempt at cooking. This time it was eggs. Boiled, fried, or scrambled, he wouldn't know til he saw the end result. He had turned the loveseat enough to keep an eye on her to make sure if something went wrong he could intervene. He would look over periodically but Nikki started to give him a hard time every time she noticed. He kept to just peeking while making it look like he was writing. The document on his screen read...

 

Days upon days had gone by for the lone Wildkin as he pursued the being which was the source of his hatred and the reason for his vengeful quest. The Red-Haired Teifling. The murderer of his parents and destroyer of his home and livelihood. Miaki moved quickly through the darkening night following the instincts of a hunter and tracker. A break in the brush, print in soil, anything that changed the forest or landscape was a sign that he was still hot on the trail. He had hardly slept or ate since beginning his hunt and was beginning to tax on him. The shortness of his breath and the aching in his calves were a constant reminder that his body needed to stop.

Trying to keep a steady pace but staggering more and more often he felt his chest tightening. He couldn't recall the last time he stopped to take a break. But he had a hard time stopping himself. Almost as if he was afraid that if he stopped he would never be able to get back up. He had even been questioning himself about whether or not he was even following the right trail anymore. His thoughts came to a sudden halt when he tripped over an unnoticed root that stuck up in the middle of the path. Miaki inhaled sharply in surprise as he tumbled and landed on his face. Feeling disoriented and coming to a sudden halt the blonde Wildkin breathed deeply with half his face printed with the dry earth. The world came to a halt for him and his other senses expanded. He could hear something stand out amongst the sounds of the night life. A subtle sound of popping and crackling. It was the sound of a campfire which brought the realization of someone else being nearby. Maybe it was the Teifling he was hunting Miaki thought. Unmoving, Miaki listened for any sound of something moving. Hearing nothing he slowly got to a kneeling position. At this time a gentle breeze blew through the forest and brought the scent of burnt wood to his senses.

Reaching behind his back, Miaki gripped his mother's bow and brought it in front of him. Drawing an arrow from his quiver he closed his eyes and calmed himself, willing his heart to slowdown. Miaki began walking towards where the campfire was; taking each step slowly and deliberately. He wouldn't act rashly and rush the camp. He would put an arrow into the Tiefling's leg or pin it to whatever tree it made the poor decision of laying against. He wouldn't kill it outright. He wanted the monster to look him in the eyes before he ended it's miserable existence. Drawing the string of his bow, he rounded the camp using the shadows and saw not the Red-Haired Teifling, but instead a woman with smokey grey colored skin, a Drow to be precise. She was sleeping against the roots of a tree.

Miaki eased the tension on his bow and returned the arrow to his quiver. He stood there staring at the young Drow. She seemed so peaceful that it made him stop. It was almost relaxing for him. He glanced down at the fire and saw a cast iron pot with soup still inside it. The hunger hit him hard and he realized it had been a day since he last ate. Glancing quickly between the Drow and the pot he was in a tug of war and unsure what he should do. He gave in and crept towards the pot and knelt in front it.

This was part of what Miaki had been doing in their time of isolation and respite. Inspired by his wife and muse and at her insistence he took up the hobby for their personal enjoyment. Writing became a nice distraction for them and right now it was almost therapeutic with the idea of returning to society in mind and close at hand. He read over the segment he had just finished, looking for errors, making sure it came out the way he wanted it to. He liked what he had and would show it off to his love once he had a little more for her to look at. A satisfying feeling a sense of accomplishment filled him as he closed the display and looked at Nikki from the loveseat. He loved to watch her go about the most simple things she did. Nikki would tease him about the daydream look he often made when she caught him watching and would always blush telling him to stop saying he was making a fool of himself. If love made him look foolish at times he didn't care. Living with her he discovered a whole new side of the woman he fell so madly in love with.

Sitting there a thought came over him and the more he thought it through the more he liked the idea. Yes, this was just the thing they needed. "Honey? Wanna take a walk? I could really use it and wanna talk things over about the other day." He made the request in a calm tone and wanted his tone to show he wasn't gonna let it get become a heated debate. He stood up and walked over to her and came up behind her and hugged her from behind. "I'll make it worth yer while. I'll hear you out and we can get it all out on the table so to speak." He ended his request with a soft kiss on the cheek and looked down at what he was hoping was an omelet.

Miaki turned around to see who had grabbed his hat and saw someone whom he hadn't seen in a long time. "Aria! Fancy seeing you around here." He said. Reaching down he picked up his fedora and brushed a new layer of dust off of it before resting it on the table but keeping a hold of it this time. "Ya know? Some people happen to call this style." He looked at the hat and expressed a look of contemplating. "Though I admit that I may not wear it that much more. Been gone awhile and feel that the new me needs a new look. Still thinking it over though." He said with the spin of his fedora before resting it back on the table. "It's been a long time Aria. How've you been lately?" He asked, looking forward to catching up on things with an old friend.

Miaki sat down at an outdoor cafe in the city of <<Urbus>> on the second floor of Aincrad. The sandstone buildings around him brought a thin layer of dust to nearly every surface in the town but it was a change of scenery for him. He sat there waiting for his wife to join him for a meal outside. He avoided the first floor because of the crowds of players, floor four for a similar reason and that he knew it too well, and none of the other floors really jumped out at him for good locations to visit for a place to try out.

He actually decided to wear his old trench coat and fedora something that he hadn't worn in a long time. He just felt in the mood to wear it. Even though he felt himself a different person to the one that wore the iconic coat all the time he still was fond of it. He took off the fedora and sat it on the wooden table he sat at and watched the road with players walking to and fro.

Miaki ran behind Zelrius and saw the diaper-wearing infantile with a bow in hand . As he ran with his team he made the comment, "Cupid..... Of course it's Cupid. Why am I not surprised. Alright let's do this! Battle routine! Set! Execute!" The Silver Swordsman yelled the last bit as he made a burst of speed forward to strike. Zelrius drew first blood and made a deep gash into the "god of love's" chest. "NOW!" The man gritted his teeth as he broke formation and leapt at the boss. "Take this twinkle toes!" He slashed a solid deep gash into the boss and felt satisfaction that he hadn't lost his touch yet. "Alright love! All you! Hit 'em hard and fast!" He called out to his wife.

Group 1:
Zelrius 81/81
Miaki 71/71
Nikki 44/44
Kosan 37/37
Shanok 34/34

((OOC: ID: 8249, BD 9, 9 DMG TOTAL DEALT))

Cupid 156/175 (2 BD/t 2 Turns)

Miaki gave Nikki a knowing smile and wrapped his arm around her waist when he realized that it was them that Zelrius was talking about. He then turned his gave off the path and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about there buddy." In truth, it wasn't their intension for the Vanguard to lose a member and to eventually fall apart. It was a topic they brought up the night they became engaged. To avoid neopotism by Nikki staying with the Vanguard where she was doing alot of good and Miaki staying with the Vanguard where things were going well. Shortly after they were engaged they changed their minds and just went off the radar.

When they arrived at their destination Miaki observed their surroundings and recognized the place immediately. He would never speak of the things out loud and only gave his love a look as if they had a great secret to share. "I sure hope there isn't a hole in the ground but maybe there is something here."

Miaki looked down at his smiling wife looking back at him. "I look forward to having some fun then." He continued to massage her shoulders not just because it was a kind gesture but it alway relaxed him as much as helped her. Something about the intimate moment it provided between them and the rythmatic motions he made with his hands on her neck and shoulders. Zelrius stood up and drew his blade drawing all eyes of the room to him. Miaki realized that the proposition his comrade made wasnt a bad idea. In fact, the more he thought the more he liked it. He sidestepped away from NIkki but kept a lingering hand on her shoulder. "Well Zelrius, you have my vote! I'm ready to follow you into battle. You lead and Im in." It was one of the first things he said in public with his return but it seemed appropriate.

Miaki awoke to finding the cabin empty. Nikki had apparently left early to attend a meet up for a monthly boss event. Reading the note over that was left out on the counter he sighed with a little smile. She really was excited to getting back out there into combat. While still reluctant, he would walk through the fires of Hell itself for her. He ate the chicken sandwich that was left out for him the night before and checked his gear. He thought about wearing his old garbs for the battle ahead but it didn't feel like it was him anymore. He had changed since then and become a new person. Looking at his gear he made a few alterations to make it known to those from days of past times that he wasn't the old person he once was. He would still be the <<Silver Swordsman>> but not the same still. Equipping his coat, weapon, and gear the man took a look in the mirror and threw over his coat a green cloak with no stats. "Right, let's get going."

Miaki left the cabin and made his way to town to catch up with his wife. The walk gave him time to maul over a few thoughts without interruption. When he made it to the town port, he walked through and made it to floor two. By checking his map Miaki was able to set a waypoint on Nikki's location and find the inn quickly. Choosing an inn was rather cliche' but it was fitting enough for Miaki not to think of anything else about it. When he got to the inn and opened the door, he didn't give anyone much attention or try to draw attention to himself. He didn't want to get as big in the world as before. It would be too much and too fast. Fortunately the number of fresh faces told him that wouldn't happen very quickly. He spotted the bluenette beauty he loved so much and crossed the room to her. "Thanks for waiting on me hun." He said, clearly joking as he walked up beside her and gave her a kiss on her temple. "Good morning Nikki. Ready for some fun?" Miaki stood behind Nikki seated and began to massage her neck and shoulders, easing the felt tension in the nerves.

Items:

14X Health Potions. (+5 health Regeneration)

2x Antidote Potions (Cure Negative Status Effect)

2x Field Rations (+2 Health Permanent for fight)

2x Teleport Crystals

Equipped:

Weapon: Silver Fang +2 damage , +1 paralysis
Swordsman's Coat -1 on Enemy Battle Dice & +2 on Battle Dice
Guantlents of Mymridon +2 Mit and +1 Acc

(Inventory is shared with Nikki Styx)