Miaki

Miaki made a fake expression as if he were completely clueless to what Nikki was talking about. "Oh right, that place." He opened his map display and double checked the place. "Its maybe 3 or 4 kilometers from here. Maybe not even that much. Should take just under an hour to get there now that I think about it." He began to walk in the needed direction and spoke over his shoulder. "We'd best get moving while it's still daylight. If neither of you are familiar with this floor then you don't know what comes out at night. And how difficult it can be to navigate if you haven't memorized the landscape too well." The path only had a thin layer of snow to mark it as a main path for players out into the wilderness. Eventually the path ahead would fade and they'd have to become pathfinders, atleast that is how it used to be before players took notice of the region in question. Now the path was worn out from being used often.

"Small expeditions are made by some players on older floors to find things that might have been missed the first time round when the floor was made open and being mapped out by those who were stronger and looking for the labyrinth. It's typically safer for them by this point because they know the recommended level to be and overshoot the requirement to make it less risky." He kept quiet for a bit as they moved along, keeping his eyes to their surroundings. He broke the silence with a question. "So how is the Brigade?" It was an awkward question with his pulling a fast one on them and disappearing with little to no warning to them at all.

Miaki stood outside of the inn defeated in his argument with Nikki about the front lines. There was much about it that he didn't like and enough reasons for him to hold his own in the debate. But his wife had some strong points and he knew that the fighting spirit in her wasn't going to die down. The holiday was coming to an end, as all good things do. Giving him a quick kiss was her show of appreciation. Not just for him agreeing, or being her husband, but for more. As she rushed to the inn's main door he shouted towards her with a cupped hand and a slight rising in his pitch. "We're still not done with this you hear? You still have to convince me!" Kicking a hard clump of snow at his feet in the general direction of the inn he lost track of the snow in the air and didn't see anything til a small spark of polygons marked the point of impact on the building. Miaki gave a loud and annoyed sigh as he stood outside waiting in his black turtleneck and slacks, noticing this only just now he thought about how much he had adapted to the cold. "Maybe we have been on this floor long enough..." He thought to himself.

Opening his menu and equipping a fur coat, he crossed his arms to keep himself warm now that he realized he was cold. Looking up at the dark sky as snow fell Miaki let out a loud huff and gave a glance at the door to the inn. It was still closed with his wife inside. They had quite the walk ahead of them back to their home away from everyone and he wasn't going to let her get off easy but he wouldn't let it get between them. Not by a long shot. His vow was to be with her in sickness and in health til death do they part. No way she was facing danger without him. The Strongest Tank in Aincrad known as "The River" had returned and the Silver Swordsman had as well. The Unstoppable Couple.

-Miaki out-

Nikki took Miaki's hand and whisked him to the privacy of outside. The door shut as they cleared it. Nikki had whispered to him that things needed to change. Miaki pulled Nikki closer as they walked beside each other with their linked hands he held himself along his waste. With his free hand he started rubbing his temple. He had an idea where this was about to go and he wasn't happy. "Abi, Honey, we've talk about this already. We both agreed that being on the front lines was too much. If this is about the death of someone then you need to let it go. You can't save everyone." This began the heated debate of returning from seclusion. It went on for sometime. Nikki insisted that it was their duty and for the people of Aincrad. Miaki fired back that they both agreed that leaving was for the best. Cutting all ties and dropping off the grid. Miaki was content for the first time in a long time. They debated but kept it civil. The very few times they argued it was always this way. No shouting contest, no throwing a fit, just plain in simple talking things through. When Nikki spoke her side, he began to feel that he was gonna lose this one.

Miaki the Silver Swordsman has joined the fight!

The sight of Shanok was another old sight. Both he and Zelrius were making pleasant greetings to Nikki which hinted to the team comp that they would have later with this battle up ahead. "Shanok, you seem to be looking well." He said as he held out a handshake to give when he and Nikki were done greeting one another. The idea of facing a decent enemy with these two would be a little nostalgic it had been a long time for them and he felt he owed it to them. "If you are joining us then we should be perfectly set. It's not wise to have a very large party. Having smaller grouping will do better here for us." What they needed was a tight knit group with the agreement to work as a team and taken down their enemies. But from past experiences that proved to me nearly impossible.  Hopefully what would transpire today would prove differently.

Miaki waved open his GUI and manipulated the controls for a moments time as he scanned his inventory. "Hun, did we leave the- oh never mind they're in here." He said to Nikki as he was checking what they had in the shared storage space. Making a few selections he closed the screen. The temperature was dropping and the skies were a dull grey. This was the kind of weather he preferred. Dark and grey. It relaxed his mind and put him in a good mood. Even if this hunt was a bust he would make the best of the experience.

Miaki looked at the ale and scrunched his face at it. He had no interest in it and raised a finger to the NPC brunette woman behind the bar, "Just a water." He said to her and waited for the NPC to bring him a glass of water. He picked up the glass and felt the cold perspiration from on his hand. As he brought the glass to his lips he felt the cooling liquid go down his throat and bring a relieving sensation to him. He let Nikki lead the conversation with Daeron and watched her with concern as she saw Zelrius in the room. The last time he could think of them seeing each other was the eighth floor boss fight. A damn difficult one it was too. Nikki had clocked Zelrius and the two were at each other's throats. That moment of sheer intensity left an odd atmosphere to the room as the players that day awkwardly left their separate ways. And that felt like ages ago. He heard Nikki asking about the progress of the floor clearing and stopped drinking his glass to catch a look at Daeron's expression in response to the question. While being a recluse from the rest of the world Miaki didn't keep track of the progress of the floors. What he heard about them was only what he may have overheard the few times he was in town and heard someone talk about it. He had wanted nothing to do with it for a while. He and Nikki had had enough. Looking down at the wedding band on his ring finger he shifted his eyes back at the two talking and then gave Zel a silent nod with his head in hello. He wasn't in the mood for talk. Atleast not yet. He wanted to gauge the air first and test things out.

Miaki turned his head back to look at his wife and raised his eyebrow in a 'we are?' look. He could tell she saw this look he was giving her and could almost read her mind through eye contact replying 'yes, we are.' He turned back to Zelrius and said. "It does sound interesting and it wouldn't hurt to get out there. We're in." He cracked his right fist while cocking his head to the left stretching it then did the same to the other side of his neck and cracked his other fist. Completing this motor function he crossed his arms and gave Zelrius a wondering look. "So what is this monster you've heard about. It must be something newly discovered if it hasn't circulated the information brokers yet." Miaki, when he first began to grow close to Nikki, learned of her contacts and her own skill in information gathering. Combined with his mapping and exploration skills they sat on a plethora of information collected together. To have something go unnoticed was unusal. But new things did appear often in Aincrad and what his old comrad may have heard of could be one of them.

Another bright light appeared with Miaki coming up behind Nikki, bumping into her in the process. "Sorry, I got distract by a-" He began while not looking where he was going as he came through the portal. "Oops sorry... Vendor." He said, finishing his thought and looking around her at Zelrius. "Well we just keep crossing paths with old friends lately don't we?" He said as he opened up his GUI and scrolled through the menus looking for his cloak. The cloak that produced around him was a winter fur cloak. The cloak ran all the way down to his calves and had a hood with it which he had down. His messy hair flowed in the winter gust that constantly ran throughout the floor in various speeds. The scarf he wore was as blue as the hair of the girl in front of him. He walked around Nikki to get a better view of Zelrius and walked closer. "What are you doing here Zel?" He said with a gloved fist looking to give a fist bump.

Miaki was sitting across from his lovely wife Nikki, writing away into a documented linked to his <<NerveGear>> hardware. The nerve gear came with an in-game function that allowed for note taking and since the retreating from society with his wife Miaki took time to use the function. A transparent display floated in front of him with a holograhpic keyboard which his hands hovered over. His hands danced over the keyboard as the text appeared on the screen. What he was of a fantasy story from another world and time. Writing was something he wasn't a fan of in his past life on the outside and retreating from the world with his love gave him a reason to try it, much to his wife's inspiration and amusement. The display read...

She spoke in the tongue of elves. Of course she would being a Drow herself. Miaki turned his head ever so slightly trying to not show any sign of surprise that he may have experienced from her waking from slumber. Instead he relaxed his body and knelled down in front of the fire. Grabbing the bowl that the Drow had used earlier, he began to fill it with the food from the pot on the fire. "You have my thanks friend." He said in their shared tongue. His voice was raspy and it was clear that he hadn't spoken in a few days or had anything to drink to ease his throat. He had been pushing himself for sometime and the signs were all there.

The food in the pot was still warm. He felt that much through the bowl. Bringing the bowl to his face and letting it fill his senses he spoke in a low, strained voice. "My name is Miaki." Looking at the Drow he noticed her holding up her shield which caused him to look at the bow in his other hand. "This is not for you." He said with an inhale thinking of his primary target as he laid the bow on the earthen soil and knelled. He sipped the bowl and tasted the contents. It was heavenly to his taste. A simple stew made out in the woods tasted like a gourmet meal to him. "This," He said looking at the bowl he was holding up. "was something I needed badly. And to that I owe you."

Noticing Nikki moving through the semi-transparent screen, he gave a small half smile and reread for grammar and accuracy. He slowed down and tracked Nikki's movements with his eyes as she moved around the space and came beside him. She showed him the message, whose alert he had ignored, and suggested that they should attend the meeting or gathering of players. Her idea struck him as a surprise but one he was up wasn't against. He loved the life he had and what had become of it. He was in a secluded space and able to live. Before he went off the grid he felt himself getting too big in world and so he and Nikki vanished from it.

"looks like we're invited" She said as she showed him a message from Daeron. Miaki read the message and then looked at her with a perplexed looked. He felt reluctant but willing to go with. He looked down at his black turtleneck long sleeve and slacks and went with it. It was something comfortable and fitting for his life on the fourth floor. He waved the display he had shut it. Aside from the turtleneck and slacks he had nothing else on his person. Shortly later, he and Nikki were walking through the designated meeting place holding hands as they walked in. He wasn't sure what to expect from this meeting but knew it would be interesting never the less. As they walked in, he felt the tension of Nikki's grip before she saw the reason for it. Zelrius. The last time he saw that man Nikki had beat the ever-loving crap out of him to the point where multiple players had to restrain the two. Daeron was in the room as well. He gave a silent two-finger salute to the two men in the room. It would appear they were early and he wasn't sure how the others would react to this sudden appearance.

Miaki was hunting through the mountains of the second floor for a small boss that could be triggered if a smith was close by. Problem was he didn't know he needed a smith until he was already out in the field. He was navigating his way back down the mountain when he felt the ground quake beneath his feet. His heart skipped a beat as he ran forward towards the sound of rocks shifting. He rushed down the path as quickly as he possibly could. All the time he was running harder and harder, almost too much. The path winded to the left and was fast approaching. If he didn't slow down he would likely fall off the face of the mountain. Skidding his feet and attempting to move himself away from the danger.

At the last second he managed to grab a branch to the left and pull himself around he corner. Stumbling from the turn he just made he came toe to toe with the very golem he was looking for. "You found him! Mind if I join?" He yelled from behind the two players, one of which he recognized as Yunah.

Battle result: No action

Miaki: 75/75

Yunah 17/17

Dameon 17/21

Golem 45/45

Miaki jolted and nearly fell from his seat on a cleared workbench. He had zoned out inbetween one of her crafts and was letting his mind wander about when Yunah's scream brought him back to reality. Looking over at Yunah she was mesmerized by the weapon in her hand. Walking over he leaned over her shoulder to read the display in front of her. "Woooooow that is amazing!"

"Not just the final boss." He said looking far off into the distance. "It could be anywhere." He drew his katana with a little flip and aimed it around as if he were scanning for something. He looked at the butt of his handle and frowned. "Im not getting anything either... This is most unusual." Miaki.... No. The "Doctor". Sheathed his sword and looked towards his faithful companion walking away. "Right then! Let's go!" He began to jog after her towards away from the farm.

Miaki's facial expression went grim rather quickly as he acted to be filled with embarrassment. "I uhhhhhh I forgot to turn off the H.A.D.S.... The Hostile Action Displacement System. When we left the TARDIS earlier and it displaced itself. It uhhhhhh relocated to a different floor." He fumbled through his pockets thinking if he had anything that could be some "sonic". Finding nothing at the moment except for a loosely pocketed teleport crystal he made a small shrug and looked to Hikari. "Im really not sure which one." He said with a weakly attempted laugh to mask the embarrassing scenario he made for himself.

Miaki cocked his head to the side and raised his chin looking at Hikari. "Hmmmm quite so." He said with the nod of his head. "You shall be my companion through space and time. Come now my faithful Hikari! We must find out where we have found ourselves." Popping the collar of his trench coat they ventured out seeking adventure.

"Right then! Allons-y!" He shouted with the thrust of his fist into the air. He turned around and leap onto the handrails and slid down the stairs! He hit the ground level hard and pulled the door open ready to explore the area in search of wonder and excitement. Inhaling seeping and smelling the air he sighed with exhilaration. "You know what that smell is Hikari? Adventure!"

Turning away from the stairs Miaki looked back at Hikari. "Well unless you want to stick around here for awhile." Leaning on the railing he looked over at Hikari. "If yer up for it we can get out there before a storm is generated or something." The weather outside seemed pretty good and it would be an absolute waste for them to not take advantage of this opportunity while it had presented itself. "It's yer call. What will it be?"

Miaki shook his head a little and looked at Shanok. "So the cat really is out of the bag huh? No sense in hiding it now. Yep. Things are going well between the two of us. Very well actually." He didn't bother mentioning the engagement as it felt like he just might be shoving his relationship with Nikki down every throat he passed. Plus they wanted to keep it from stirring up so much hub bub right now. They were walking back to the main settlement using the time they had to catch up on current events and on goings. It wasn't before long they were almost at the city. "So I was thinking about sending Clarence on a mission about the small maverick situation that's still present. But it will be rather extended. I'll need you for the boss fight since he will be away."

Miaki's eyes instinctively veered away from Hikari at the removal of her coat. Though he knew she was only replacing it with the cloak he gave her leaving him no reason to have to avert his eyes. "I uh I figured that was the case." He said trying to play off things. In either case she would be ready for going outside in the cold. "Well that should keep you warm on this floor." He closed up the chest which then vanished only to respawn somewhere in the area at a later time. "We can leave whenever yer ready I suppose." MIaki said while throwing his hands into his pockets.

Miaki knelt down to the wooden chest and looked over at Hikari who was waiting to see what was inside. He handed off the black cloak to her that he found. "Here. I found this for you. Should help you a little when we go outside." He said with a smile. The wool cloak in his hands was thick enough to keep anyone warm in anything short of an all out blizzard. Once it was out of his hands he grabbed the lid of the chest and opened it revealing the contents inside.

"Now this is a good find. I'll let you keep 4 of them Hikari. I'll find a use for one of them." He stood up and sent the items to Hikari's inventory. "Feel ready to canvas the surrounding area for more?"

Starting with the lower floor Miaki checked the different rooms in the quaint farmhouse. It seemed ready and actively used but there was no NPC around and it was certainly not player owned. The kitchen was moderately stocked with all sorts of grains, dairies, and meats that one would expect a farmhouse to have. Still, no sign of any residence. Looking around he found a door leading to a cellar which had some large burlap sacks stacked in the dry room. Upstairs however is where he found himself rather lucky. In one closet was a black cloak that might just be in Hikari's size. He grabbed the cloak and looked around for anything else that was lootable.

One ladder was kept off to the side and an access panel led to the attic above. Using the ladder he checked the cobweb infested space and found a brown chest that could be opened. "Jackpot!" He cried. "I think I've found something up here!" He shouted down to Hikari.

The sudden appearance of a white wolf surprised Miaki. He observed the beast with awe as it gave off a radiant heat warming the area around it. "This must be yer new friend. Very cool! What's it's name?" He asked looking at the stunning wolf from the side. The creature was colorful and vibrant in appearance. What looked like watercolor glyphs of some sort seemed to float or project from it's back. Could it be that those were the source of heat he was feeling? "I was thinking we would go hunting for some materials that might be hidden in the area, maybe fight some mobs too. Just a moment... I'm gonna see if I can find something for you inside here." His voice trailed off near the end as he entered the farmhouse.

Hikari met Miaki out in front of the farm just passing through the fields to reach it. Though why a floor that was representative of a winter wonderland had a farm that was useless during the winter season was beyond him. Perhaps it was simply just for looks, making the environment feel more real and give a traveler the feeling of traversing the countryside during the winter season. Looking at Hikari in her sleeveless coat she didn't appear to be the most prepared for this floor. "Whoa, yer gonna freeze up out here and get a status effect." He told her with a voice of concern. "Let's go inside here and get you warmed up before we do anything." He said lead her towards the farmhouse.

Sheathing his sword Miaki gave Hikari a quick 'see ya' and waved as she teleported out. Stretching his arms high over his head he looking over at Shanok and crossed his arms. "So that was easy. Guess the two of us are getting a lot stronger than we may have thought." He said that but really they were only as high as floor 9. They still had 91 Floors to cover before they were out and progress was still rather slow. "How're you holding up lately? All going well for you?" He asked having not really spoken with his comrade lately.

Miaki watched as the wasp attacked Shanok and the man simply just stood there. For a moment Miaki was wondering what he was thinking until the beast struck Shanok and exploded into bits. 'Oh right, reflect damage.' He told himself as he observed the post battle board present their Col, EXP, and rewards. "That was really." He told the Shanok and Hikari. "But it was still good fun. Nice job with that Hikari. You put up another strong fight. We'll have you ready for the front lines in no time."

The field boss was already nearly dead from a half dozen swings from each of their swords. "This is kids stuff! Don't let up!" Miaki dodged a rushed stinger attack and slid underneath the <>. The sound of its buzzing was enough to drill an annoying headache almost into his head. Closing his eyes for a second he gripped his head with his left hand before letting go and refocusing on the field boss. "Here we go!" He yelled while leaping high into the air to strike.

Battle result: Hit! 6 DMG!

He slashed the <> right down the middle and crippled it heavily. "Finish her off Hikari! Now!" He saw the health teetering on its end and was waiting for it to be snuffed out by her blade.

Party status:

Shanok: 26/27

Miaki: 73/73

Hikari: 17/17

Wasp Queen: 2/30