Katoka

Despite it taking longer than usual to get to their destination, Katoka was enjoying the trip over all. Regardless of the shady bar they were currently sitting it, and the dirty glasses that she took a moment to wipe off just before drinking from it. She had friends. She had Freyd, and Elora, and Ciela. This felt different though. A toast before downing the drink, she slammed the glass back onto the table and laughed. A rich belly laugh that made her feel more happy than she had in a while.

As she listened to the two speak, she had forgotten that the game translated things for everyone. It had made sense of course, how else could everyone here speak Japanese? Or in this case, whatever language they spoke. Kat rested her chin on one hand as she poked and prodded the empty glass in front of her. She was thankful that whatever has stained the cup hadn't affected the taste of the drink she had, but now she felt herself wanting more. "Another?" she asked Acanthus, sticking out her lower lip in a pout.

" And you... Vennen min."

Katoka arched a brow, unsure as to why Cardinal hadn't translated that bit. "As you wish, Vennem min." she replied. Taking another drink, she wished that she could feel the alcohol now. Maybe then she could have the liquid courage to be a bit more forward. For now she simply stood and walked over to the bar, letting her hand trace a line along Mari's back as she passed. Her attention was pulled by a ledger on the counter, something about an order that was placed and needed picking up. A quest prompt flickered open in front of her and she grinned. "I suppose this is what we were looking for?"

***

With a quick tap on the display and a few party invitations sent later, the three were now riding in a wagon that was being pulled by nothing at all. Kat had been creeped out by the whole interaction and was pressed up against the two other women attempting to remain calm. It wasn't working. A chill ran down her spine as they rolled into the harbor, the cart bumping about as they rolled over a stone in the path. The sudden jostling caused Kat to grasp onto Mari's arm, holding it tightly. She closed her eyes tight for a moment before opening them to see a large ship sailing into the docks.

A bolt of lighting strikes the upper deck with a teeth shattering boom, making the samurai bury her face into her companion's arm. "A-A-Acanthus is that supposed to happen?!"

----

ID#: 247653 LD: 14

Katoka arched a brow at Acanthus as she seemed to talk someone that wasn't here. Looking around she hadn't noticed another person show up, which made her think that maybe the booze was starting to get to her more than she realized. Her thoughts were quickly scrambled at the nickname Kitty Kat. It had been something cute that she had been called in the past, but it had been a while. She attempted to cover her face to hid her once again reddened cheeks as she turned in a different direction.

"I have a feeling that I'll be herding the two of you like a sheep dog during this quest, but I wouldn't mind being able to join you properly for a drink afterwards. I think it'll be worth it." she reached down to grab onto Mari to pull her back up. Mari was only a little taller than Kat so it wasn't too awkward to get her back up. "Can you walk or do you need help?" she voice sounding concerned as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She brushed a bit of dirt off of the woman's leg, checking to see if she had hurt herself.

Turning to Acanthus she attempted to asses how drunk the knight was as well. "Do you need help walking as well? How screwed are we going to be doing this quest?"

***

The trip to the muddy disgusting place that was the 29th floor had gone much as expected. Lots of giggling, even more wandering off, and an abundance of tangents.

She had done it though. Katoka had managed to drag the two women together long enough for them to use teleport crystals since trying to get them both up several flights of stairs was out of the question. If this was how Mari had to travel all the time she felt a bit bad for her, she made a mental note to ask her when she was more sober why she hadn't tried to complete the quest to get rid of her marker.

She sighed at the sight when she took in the sight of the stating town, having been here far too many times and almost all of them were unpleasant. This time however, she at least had good company. "Well ladies, shall we hit the bar?"

Mari's mention of her clavicle made her cheeks turn pink yet again. Her hand reached up and traced her collarbone with a single finger. She hadn't paid much attention to that area of her chest, though she wasn't opposed to someone else doing so. She found herself wanting to get more attention from Mari. Katoka's eyes flicked to the woman, wanting to make sure she watched as she traced from her clavicle to her cleavage, "You do?" she didn't want to take advantage of someone while they were drunk, but she wasn't going to let the opportunity pass to at least flirt.

She laughed at the two women. As they both drank they seemed to loosen up, Acanthus more than Mari. It was entertaining to say the least. Kat listened though, sipping at her drink as Mari opened up, even just a little, about her status. She had killed someone. "The fact that you didn't want to do it and seem to regret that action speaks a lot. You turned yourself in, you served your time." she took another sip of her drink and grimaced, the last remnants of booze always tasted the worst. "If you continue to beat yourself up about it, you're making your mind a prison too."

The blonde looked around frantically, realizing she had been talking out loud. "Oh, god, um. I'm sorry, I'm spouting off advice like I know what I'm talking about." in a panic she held out her cup to accept more alcohol in order to do something else. At the mention of doing the quest to get drunk Katoka jumped at the opportunity.

"Yeah! It's no fun if you two are the only ones that can get drunk!" she jumped up and chugged her cup before setting it down. "Alright, where are we headed?"

When watching old kaiju movies, Katoka remembered always thinking the people that stood still and watched the monsters rise out of the ocean were idiots. They would be frozen, either in fear or confusion at whatever was happening that it was always too late for them to run away to safety. Now, after watching the massive knight clad in black armor do much of the same, Kat could honestly say she knew how they felt. There was no boss room, no entering a place to have a door shut behind you. They all stood on the beach and watched as this thing breeched the ocean's surface to face them.

"Holy hell."

A jolt of energy shot down Katoka's back as Mina's buff surged through her, knocking her out of her stupor. The samurai shook her head and set about doing what she did best, rushing in. Shooting off to the left, she surged forward as dark electricity snapped it's tendrils out from her body. The light from her sword art reflected off Belregor's armor as she leapt up and struck him with a lighting fast motion. The sound of metal striking metal gonged into the night, the echo bouncing off a building somewhere.

As Kat fell back to the beach and landed with a graceful thud. She rejoined her party with a look of confusion. "That should have done more." she cocked her head to the side. "I think he's a bit resistant to Fallen damage!"

She felt a pang of anger rise, but she pushed it back down. Now was not the time to get upset over resistances, this was a game after all.

----

Post Action: [x15] Charge + ST-I (12 EN +2 ST Shift) 14 + 8 (Charge) - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 19 EN
Free Action: None

ID#: 247486 | BD: 7+7-1-3=10 Hit! | 43*15=645-200 MIT = 445 DMG vs Belregor, Guardian of the Sword

[H:0] Zajcica | HP: 1008/1008 | EN: 102/102 | DMG: 26 30 [Press] | MIT:319 | ACC:3 | F-SPIRIT | EVA:2 | FL.AURA: 16 | FR.AURA: 16 | FR.THORNS: 8/16 | THORNS:112 | BH:55 | LD:5 | PROB:48 | WELL-RESTED: 3/3 | SQUEAKY CLEAN: 1/1
[H:0] Freyd | HP: 1674/1674 | EN: 168/168 | DMG: 24 28 [Press] | MIT: 255 | ACC: 8 | F-SPIRIT | EVA: 4 | BH: 83 | VAMP-D: 83 | PROB: 36 | PARRY | DOTE: 3/3 | BLOODCLOT | ANTIFREEZE | PARA-IMM | THORNS 40 | HLY: 16 | FRZ: 64 | ENV-O: 32/4 | TXC-V: 32/3 | HELLSTORM | STINGER | LD: 9 | CD: 1 | WELL-RESTED: 3/3 | SQUEAKY CLEAN: 1/1 | MULTIPURPOSE: 1/1 
[H:0] Tricolor Mina | HP: 974/974 | EN: 108/118 | DMG: 14 | MIT:108 | ACC:7 | AA | PHASE | EVA:2 | THORNS: 40 | FRZ-IM | PARA-IM | MENDING: 2 | REC: 8 | HLY: 16 | LD: 8 | PTA [0/3]
[H:0] Oscar | HP: 980/980 | EN: 130/130 | DMG: 30 34 [Press] | MIT:127 | ACC:5 | PHASE | EVA:3 | BH:54 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5 | DOTE: 3/3 | WELL-RESTED: 3/3 | SQUEAKY CLEAN: 1/1
[H:0] Ariel | HP: 1053/1053 | EN: 132/132 | DMG: 29 33 [Press]|  MIT:0 | ACC:6 | AA  | PHASE | EVA:3 | BH:58 | HB: 46 | REC: 8 | RISK: 8 | FLN: 16 | LD:8 | TXC-V: 32 | DOTE: 3/3 | WELL-RESTED: 3/3 | SQUEAKY CLEAN: 1/1 | MULTIPURPOSE: 1/1 
[H:1] Katoka | HP: 941/941 | EN: 99/118 (118-19) | DMG: 28 32 [Press] | MIT:38 | LD:3 | ACC:7 | EVA:3 | THORNS:40 | BH:52 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | WELL-RESTED: 3/3 | SQUEAKY CLEAN: 1/1

PH

----

Post Action: [x15] ST-I (12 EN +2 ST Shift) 14 - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 11 EN
Free Action: None

ID#: 247096 | BD: 3+7=10 Hit! | 15*30=450-80 MIT = 370 DMG vs Midnight Ripper!

Katoka | HP: 840/840 | EN: 118/118 | DMG: 30 | MIT:38 | ACC:7 | EVA:3 | BH:46 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16
Wulfrin | HP: 880/880 | EN: 119/132 | DMG: 26 | MIT:63 | ACC:8 (incl AA) | AA  | PHASE | EVA:2 | PARA-IM | REC: 8 | HLY: 16 | LD:5
Freyd | HP: 1501/1501 | EN: 166/166 | DMG: 24 | MIT: 212 | ACC:8 (incl AA)  | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:4 | BH:74 | VAMP-D: 83 | VAMP-O: 165 | PARA-V (BD 2+) | LD:4 | PROB: 36
KnightessCiela | HP: 777/777 | EN: 72/86 | DMG: 8 | MIT:261 | ACC:5 | AA  | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:2 | FL.AURA: 8 | FR.AURA: 8 | FL.THORNS: 8/16 | FR.THORNS: 8/16 | THORNS:140 | BH:26 | HB: 17 | LD:2

[1,2,0,3] Midnight Ripper | HP: 2866/3600(3236-370) | MIT: 100 80 | DMG: 400 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 5 (0) | REND 28 (0/2) | P-STUNNED (0/1)

Abilities:

• Dark Harvest | Whenever the Midnight Ripper makes a successful attack, he applies [Blight 2] (-40 Mitigation, 64 unmitigated damage over 2 turns) and two stacks of [Shatter] (-40 Mitigation) to his victims. For every point of damage dealt by [Blight 2] the Midnight Ripper recovers an equal amount of HP. Purify/Antidote will remove/block the [Blight] but not the [Shatter].
• Sinister Grin | Whenever the Midnight Ripper rolls a CD: 10+ on an attack, as a free action after his attack he inflicts [Paralyze] on one victim using his LD the below table to determine the target:
  • LD: 1-5 (Player 1)
  • LD: 6-10 (Player 2)
  • LD: 11-15 (Player 3)
  • LD: 16-20 (Player 4)
    • These values are determined by the order at which players joined the thread the Midnight Ripper is spawned in. In the event of less than 4 players being present, when the LD would land where there is no player, this ability fails to function. If the players present exceed 4 (I.E. 5), they are ignored.
• Letting | On a BD 9, Midnight Ripper applies [Bleed 4] to his victim (96 unmitigated damage over 2 turns) 
• CHAIN THEM UP! | On a BD 10, Midnight Ripper strikes all available targets and applying [Rend 2] (56 unmitigated damage over 2 turns) in addition to standard damage. Wearing Bloodclot makes the target immune to this effect.
• 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.

A swing and a miss.

Kat smiled and took another sip of her drink. "A quest to be able to get drunk huh? Sounds like I need to get on that."

Hearing that Mari had been in prison cause the samurai to arch a brow. Baldur was never one to keep bad company, so anyone that he was friends with or had been in the same guild with was sure to be on the up and up. Instead she gave the woman a sly smirk, "I'm sure you had your reasons. I'm not one to judge someone I just met after all."

Katoka found her eyes wander a bit, looking over Mari in her blue kimono. A bead of sweat rolled down her neck and past the freckles on her chest, Kat looked away quickly and downed the rest of her drink. She had never known anyone with freckles before. Her face flushed and she wished she had the excuse of being drunk to cover it up. "I came out of the bag a long time ago, and the closet." she teased Acanthus. The accepted another drink from her and grimaced after a sip. "Yeah, this one is awful."

As the three women drank and two of them got more drunk, the blonde laughed and talked with them both. It felt nice, taking time to enjoy other people's company. It was something she had needed after everything that had happened. She smiled softly into her cup, trying to hid the wave of sadness that washed over her. "I guess after Sam I was scared to spend time with people." she muttered to herself, unaware that she had spoken aloud.

The time had finally come for them all to put their lives on the line to push to the next floor.

Katoka was happy to oblige this time. Floor 29 had been nothing but hell for all of them and it was time to leave it in the dust, or mud in this case. The samurai stepped up to Freyd and gave him a friendly elbow to the ribs. She looked out over the gathering groups and felt her anxiety fade. "It really does get easier to prepare yourself each time doesn't it?" she looked up at the man she called brother.

She knew there were a lot of reoccurring faces when it came to floor raids. There always seemed to be a face or two that she hadn't quite spoken with or noticed before. She made a mental note to remedy this at some point in the future. Her eyes fell on a player with orange hair, and a cursor to match, that made her heart skip a beat for a reason other than nerves this time. She say Mari had made her decision to join the frontlines. She wanted to walk over, have a conversation, exchange a few words, maybe slight touch of the arm or tuck her hair behind her ear as she looked at her playfully.

No. This was not the time for that. Kat shook her head and cleared her throat. "So, we have a pretty good gang here huh?"

----

Katoka Consumes:

Gungir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Smokin' Hot Honey Bun Tray | ACC 2 | EVA 2 | Feast (2/6) - 1 portion

Crafted Consumables:

ACC II (Gungir)
EVA II (Gungir)
Titan's Strength | Damage 3 | 245353
Well-Done Steak | Protein 2 | 191000-1
Blueberry Chai Granola Bar | Probiotics 3 | 230722

Non Standard Consumables:

Lemon Berry Palmiers | LD 3 | 186762
Field Rations
Immolation Potion | Tier 4

Katoka | HP: 941/941 | EN: 118/118 | DMG: 28 | MIT:38 | LD:3 | ACC:7 | EVA:3 | THORNS:40 | BH:52 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PROB:0

Purchasing:

Field Rations | [1,000col]
Immolation Potion | Tier 4 | [1,200col]

Total: 2,200 col

A smile pulled at the corners of Katoka's mouth as everyone arrived one by one. She reached out and traded grips with Wulfrin, the man that had changed so much in such a short amount of time. Even since the fight with Callisto he had become someone that anyone in Aincrad could rely on. Freyd had complimented them both, giving the samurai a swelling sense of pride in her chest. Of everyone that was here he had changed the most of course, having brushed so close to death. She pouted as he mussed her hair, making sure to dig her elbow into his ribs despite the armor. She still smiled, she wouldn't let many people touch her head like that, Freyd had earned that. Ciela arrived fashionably late, but in Katoka's eyes it was right on time. She hugged the women, apologizing for not seeing her more often. She would have to make time to have her over for tea sometime soon.

"Yeah, this'll do." she said proudly, looking over the lot of them. "I mean with Freyd alone we could have taken care of this guy, but with this team I think we'll wipe the floor quickly."

Kat turned to Freyd, "You want to lead the way? I think you had a run in with this guy before most folks did."

It was nice exchanging pleasantries with the other women. The thanked Mari for the invitation to drink and sipped at the tea, it was pleasantly sweet yet light. She cupped her cheek and let out a delighted sigh, while she normally enjoyed tea on her back porch overlooking her yard, this was also just as nice.

"I hadn't planned on making my way to Baldur's estate today, I just happened to have been passing through." she accepted the cup of sake from Acanthus and gave her a slight bow in thanks, "It's a shame we can't actually get drunk from this stuff. It's still nice they managed to get the flavor right." she downed the drink and let out an elated sound that in the wrong context could have been taken very wrong.

Katoka smirked at Mari as she complemented both her and Acanthus. She as right, the knight had a beauty about her that was simple yet elegant. She caught sight of the orange haired woman reaching out and hesitating, the action startling Acanthus. We all have our traumas it seems, some of us scared to make connections and others terrified to receive them. The samurai accepted another drink and sipped it this time, smiling as she watched the bottle get downed in an instant.

"So tell me," Kat turned to Mari, "What brings you out here? Not every day you run into someone so striking off the beaten path like this." it was her turn to attempt to flirt. She had kept her blush hidden earlier, but this time her cheeks went slightly pink.

Normally spending time on the 28th floor would activate Katoka's pumpkin spice neuron. Sadly after her encounter in the woods with crystal infested wolves ruined the perfectly good vibes of the entire place. Now she stood in Glyndebourne, watching the various NPCs as they paraded about as if there wasn't the impending threat of infected monsters or weird mirror knights. "Honestly, when doesn't this damn game impose some sort of world altering event that could kill us all?" The samurai took a sip of the coffee she had bought (she was still going to enjoy her pumpkin spice) while she sat on a bench waiting for her friends.

She had sent out a message before coming that she needed a hand dealing with the meat man. After all, Raidou had scolded her for not having the items she needed to do big damage despite being the Captain of the Assault Squad. Now was the time to get her hands on this freaks meat hook so that she wouldn't have to come back here again. A shiver went down her spin thinking about what she had heard from Freyd when he fought this guy.

"One and done. Then I don't have to worry about him anymore."

----

Katoka Consumes:

Titan's Strength | Damage 3 | 245350
Well-Done Steak | Protein 2 | 191000
Gungir Shard 239050 | Sharkcuterie Board | T1 Demonic Feast (6/6) | ACC II | EVA II | ID: 239171

Event

Using 20 sp to purchase:

► Biting
Cost: 20 SP
Passive
Effect: Player gains +2 Base Damage 

Katoka | HP: 840/840 | EN: 118/118 | DMG: 30 | MIT:38 | ACC:7 | EVA:3 | BH:46 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Parry
Mod(s)/Addon(s)/Shift(s) Being Dropped: Vengeful Riposte
SP Incurred Towards Limit: 10/50
SP Refunded: 16 [6 from mod]
Cost: 10,000 Col

"Beautiful." was all Kat could say as she stepped into the shop. She had never been in a performers shop, at least not outside of her own guild. Her eyes wandered from instrument to instrument. Her foot pulling her here and there as her eyes sparkled. The music playing form each crystal was so delightful that it made her want to stand there all day and listen. A smile pulled at her lips and she felt warm and safe. This was a lovely place to be.

She eventually came back to her senses and stepped up to place an order. She filled out a form and submitted it without trying to distract Acanthus despite her wanting to say hello. Instead she stepped towards the doorway and called to her, "Your music is beautiful, thank you for all your hard work." She waved and slipped out the door.

----

Ordering:

And just like that the knight was down.

It took six of them. Six!

Screams shook Katoka from her stupor. She looked out into the distance and cursed under her breath. There were more of them, all in various states of combat. Some grabbing other hostile and passive mobs to infect them with their reflective terminator goop, and others engaged in combat with other players. "Shit. They just keep coming don't they?." Her gaze swept back over the ragtag group that had held the defenses of the teleport gate.

"I'm taking off. I'm sure there are other groups that need help, and I don't even want to think what will happen if one of these things gets a hold of a player." her face was set, determination radiating from ever fiber of her being. "We need to hold the line. We can't let them get to other floors."

She knew she didn't have to say it, but she felt it needed to be cemented just to be sure. If they were going to protect the people on the floors below then they all needed to do their part to eradicate these knights. "Please be careful, and fuck these guys up."

And with that she was gone, racing down a nearby alleyway to find the next enemy.

Taking her time to explore the floor this time, Kat had finally began to see the appeal of the area. The last time she had been here was just to hut the stupid rhino for its horn. Now she could stop by the beach and watch the waves roll in and out. She could taste test the various foods in each town, though she had really grown to like the grilled meat on a stick and ended up getting one on more than one occasion now. The samurai had decided to take some time off, hoping that she could rest before she returned to the frontlines. Unfortunately she had felt to restless to lay around her home all day and instead took the opportunity to explore a place she rarely visited. Currently she was following a path that wound through a particularly shady bunch of trees, her eyes settling on a pair of what looked to be players conversing under one of them.

As she grew closer she recognized one to be Acanthus, the auburn haired knight that she had seen once or twice now. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Maybe she would stop a moment to say hi to her. Her eyes flicked to the other woman and she nearly froze on the spot. With cursor as orange as her hair the woman appeared to be unarmed, however Katoka knew better than to assume anyone in Aincrad was truly unequipped for a fight. Reflexively she felt her left hand rest on the hilt of her katana as she continued her approach.

The two seemed to be having a friendly enough conversation, neither one looked to be in distress or ready to fight. This calmed Kat's nerves ever so slightly. What caught her off guard was how pretty the orange haired woman was, and in all honesty Acanthus was nothing to stick your nose up at either. Her heart began to race for a whole different reason now as Katoka came within speaking distance of the other two women. "H-Hey there Acanthus, fancy meeting you here." she spoke, nearly biting her tongue. Get a grip, you don't have to get flustered talking to two pretty ladies. she thought to herself.

Turning to the other woman she smiled, "Hi, I'm Katoka, nice to meet you! I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

----

This was it, the final push. Each of them had hit the knight back to back to back, its HP dropping continuously into the red. If they could just keep up the assault they could put this thing down. Katoka glanced back at Elora to make sure she was still behind her. The elf had done as she had said, following the samurai closely, however now she needed her to stay put. She inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly. "Elora. Stay here. I'll be back in a flash."

Kat shifted her stance, sliding one foot forward and the other back. Black tendrils of electricity reached out from her blade, hissing with hunger. She was gone, now standing in front of the knight as the horrid sound of metal colliding with glass echoed though the canyon. Returning her blade to its sheath she leapt back to Elora's side as lighting stuck the knight with a crash. The monster shattered into a million fractal shards leaving a smoking crater in the ground where it once stood.

"Well, I suppose that's another one down." she turned to the ragtag gathering of players, "Anyone need an escort back to the gate?"

----

Mob Loot:

Loot Spectral Knight | ID #245123a | LD: 4+0+1=5 | CD: 7
+2 materials (+2 CD odd)
20,350 col (HP[3700]*5 - incl. +2 LD even +10% [Col Deposit & Treasury])

A warmth filled her heart as Borris and the strange tentacle creature joined her in pushing. Hanami felt the stone structure begin to move as the familiars all pressed themself against it. The dragon grunted as she pushed with all her might, the sound of stone beginning to grind against stone, bits of mortar breaking away and falling like sand to the ground below. Opening an eye she could see the knight pace its way back and forth, approaching their position just as the chimney finally gave way. A horrid crumbling and crunching sound could be heard as the structure tipped slowly over and directly onto the unsuspecting reflective mob. There was a resounding boom as stone fell on stone and buried the monster completely.

The ragtag group of little fellas would have seen all of this, had they not list their footing after the chimney had given way. Now Hanami strained to hold the other two in the air above the wreckage they had caused. Borris had wrapped himself around her like a spiraling belt, only to be held on to by Reliq as he screamed like a madman while dangling. The little dragon was sinking slowly, her body not able to sustain the weight of two others. She attempted to bring them back onto the roof, but instead ended up crash landing into the exposed side of the building. Once again the three lay in a pile on top of one another.

----

Support Action: Crunching the Knight with who knows how many stones.

Had she not known Freyd was one of the strongest players in Aincrad, the samurai would have been concerned watching her friend get smashed into a nearby rock wall. It was almost comical seeing the hole shaped like him once the dust cleared. Taking a moment Katoka ushered what players she could that were escaping, pointing them in the direction of the teleport gate and telling them to watch out for one another. She turned and flashed the Whisper a grin as his gaze fell on the rag tag crew that had arrived to help. She felt a surge of pride seeing Elora there, as well as Morningstar. She nodded to Lessa, acknowledging her despite the both of them having met only once before. She winked at Acanthus, hoping they would get time to speak since they had only met in passing previously. Yeah, this group would do just fine.

Kat's eyes fell once again upon Elora, seeing her trembling but still standing with her weapon in hand. A twinge of regret pulsed in her heart, remembering how they had fought tooth and nail during the storm of shadows only for her friend to be ripped from her hands. She still regret not being able to pull her from the murky waters that day. Katoka walked up to the elven woman and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze until she looked back into her eyes. With a deep breath she smiled, warmly and putting as much love as she could into it. "Elora." she spoke, her tone firm but soft. "You've got this. I'm not going anywhere this time." With that she let go of her shoulder and softly cupped her cheek before stepping in front of the green haired woman.

Thunder rumbled overhead, the clouds above the knight swirling and growing darker. "Just stick with me, I won't let it hurt you." Normally she would have disappeared in a flash, but she knew Elora couldn't keep up at that speed. Instead she took off in a run, her blade glowing with the light of her charged sword art. When she struck the knight the resounding clang made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She wasn't fond of the sound of metal on glass apparently.

----

Post Action: [x15] ST-I (12 EN +2 ST Shift) 14 - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 11 EN
Free Action: None

ID#: 244813 | BD: 5+8=13 HIT! | 32*15=480-40 MIT = 440 DMG vs Spectral Knight!

Freyd | HP: 1320/1320 | EN: 155/164 | DMG: 28 | MIT: 212 | ACC: 8 (incl AA)  | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA: 4 | BH:73 | VAMP-D: 73 | VAMP-O: 145 | PARA-V | LD:5 | GRAPPLING (0/5)
Elora | HP: 760/760 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 28 | MIT:78 | ACC:8 | AA | EVA:3 | BH:38 | REC: 4 | FLN: 8 | BLI: 32/-20 | STC: 40 | LD:2
Acanthus | HP: 900/900 | EN: 122/122 | DMG: 27 | MIT:160 | ACC:7 | AA  | FL.AURA: 16 | THORNS:72 | BH:50 | HB: 40 | LD:6
Katoka | HP: 840/840 | EN: 107/118 (118-11) | DMG: 32 | MIT:38 | ACC:8 | EVA:3 | BH:46 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16
Morningstar | HP: 880/880 | EN: 110/124 | DMG: 32 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 8 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PARA-V
Lessa | HP: 980/980 | EN: 121/130 | DMG: 18 | MIT: 127 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | BH: 29 | HB: 39 | MEND: 20% | REC: 8 | HLY: 8

[3,0,0,1,0,0] Spectral Knight | HP: 2528/3700 (2968-440) | DMG: 300 | MIT:100 40 | SHATTER 3 (0/3) | ACC:5 | EVA:3 (0) | FRB [40/2] | BLD [48/2] | BLGT [32/2] | BRN [56/2] | F-STUNNED

Katoka was really beginning to hate this floor. She attetmped to wipe the mud and grim from herself that she had accumiliated from the last fight with the spectral knight her group had run in to. It had taken six of them to dispatch the thing and they were all winded from the encounter. Having heard a commotion further past the encampment by the teleport gate, the samurai disengaged from her party and set to locate the next creature that needed dispatching.

Her path led her to a chasm that would have sent shivers down her spine had she not already had her hackles up. The black stone and moist ground made for a vile battle ground, one that was sure to grow more revolting as the fighting continued. Kat's eyes fell upon a few familiar faces, two of which she knew better than any other. She felt something inside her awaken. Seeing Freyd and Elora in harms way sent a heat through her that warmed her cold bones. Anger seethed from her core. Deep down she knew that Freyd would protect his partner, but they were Katoka's family. Anything that threatened those she cared about did not deserve to live.

She slowed to a walk. Electricity snapped and crackled around her, her eyes resembling that of a predator stalking its prey. "Today." she spoke aloud to announce her presence to not only her companions, but to any of the walking fun house mirrors in ear shot, "Was supposed to be a nice relaxing day off." She stopped once she reached the three players, drawing her sword and shifting her body into a fighting stance. "But no. You stupid terminator wannabes had to ruin my day, didn't you?"

----

Katoka consumes:

Gungir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Smokin' Hot Honey Bun Tray | ACC 2 | EVA 2 | Feast (5/6) + ACC filled
Titan's Strength | Damage 3 | 204820
Well-Done Steak | Potein 2 | 190633

Katoka | HP: 840/840 | EN: 118/118 | DMG: 28 | MIT:38 | ACC:8 | EVA:3 | BH:46 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16

Whatever white granules that the friend of Freyd had spilled all over the ground seemed to cause the reflective thing from moving very much. In fact, the thing seemed to be very confused. It attempted to march its way in one direction before stopping at a line of the substance, then turning to go another direction. Hanami tilted her head in confusion, trying to compute the information at hand. She felt droplets of rain begin to fall, large droplets splattering against the back of her head and onto the ground below. One large drop fell onto a bit of the powder, seemingly dissolving it before her eyes. She felt her stomach drop as the pieces began to connect in her mind. If the mess that was made got washed away, the mirror man would get free. That would not be good.

Hanami began to chip in a panic, looking once again for something that could help them. Now would have been a great time for their humans to get here. The dragon's eyes settled on the half ruined chimney of the building they were perched next to. It seemed to barely be attached to the structure from what she could see. With the right amount of force, it would most likely come toppling down. If they were lucky it might even land on top of the knight! She let out several more chirps in excitement, calling to her friends as she clambered up onto the roof and over to the stone column. She motioned for them to follow and began to push the chimney with all her strength.

The impact of landing on the many tentacled creature that smelled of Katoka's other friend was much softer than the building she had previously smashed in to. Borris managed to land on top of her with the clickity-clack of many pebbles, which Hanami quickly wrapped herself around to keep them from getting lost again. Once the three companions realized they had survived unscathed, they climbed off of one another before looking back towards the lumbering knight.

Watching the mob, it seemed to be pulled towards a group of seagulls that had perched on a nearby building. It reached out and grabbed a bird before it could escape, covering it in reflective material much like itself before the now mirror bird began to morph and take shape into a near clone of the knight. Realization dawned on Hanami that it would not be good to let these things to continue to spread. The white dragon floated once more into the air, in the hopes of finding something else to hinder their new found foe.

To their left there was a stack of many wooden barrels secured with aged rope, it wouldn't take much to send them cascading into the alley way. Hanami chirped at her companions, attempting to draw their attention to the seemingly plot placed items. She mimed cutting the rope and pointed with her tail at the reflective mirror monster, then motioned smashing her clawed fist into her other open claw. Looking from Borris to the odd mass of tentacles and eyes she nodded, hoping they understood the message.

With the lumbering knight advancing on their position it was refreshing to know that Katoka had the help she did. If it had just been her, or even one other, she was certain that they wouldn't have been able to keep the creature at bay. Hearing that this thing had once been an NPC from this floor made the samurai's blood run cold. It was a good thing that the things on this floor had been mainly hostile mobs, otherwise she would have felt worse hearing this. Her mind trailed to the other creatures that inhabited this area, the birds and fish of the sea, but she quickly shook her head, trying to get her mind back on the fight at hand.

Kat was already irritated as it was, this was supposed to be her day off from the frontlines. She was going to catch up on the book she was reading and enjoy the nice weather at home. Now she was splattered with mud and god knows what else by the end of this. The blonde drew her blade and let dark electricity crackle from the weapon. In a flash she was in front of the knight, striking it with her sword art before the sound of thunder rumbled overhead. The Cerulean Storm was not in the mood to be toyed with. "Let's shatter this thing and hold the damn line!"

----

Post Action: [x15] ST-I (12 EN +2 ST Shift) 14 - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 11 EN
Free Action: None

ID#: 244146 | BD: 6+7= 13 HIT! | 46*15=690-80= 610 DMG vs Spectral Knight!

Wulfrin | HP: 966/966 | EN: 103/116 | DMG: 26 30 (+4) | MIT:75 | ACC:7 | AA  | EVA:2 | PARA-IM | BH:32 | FLN: 8 | FRB: 40 | TXC-V: 32 | FRZ: 64 | LD:8 | PROSP:3 | DOTE: 3/3 | PROB:36
Hirru | HP: 1160/1160 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 187 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2 | BH: 58 | HLY BLS: 46 | MENDING: 2 | REC: 8 | LD: 5 | THRNS: 76 | PARA | PROB: 36 | DOTE: 3/3 | {CD: PtA 0/3}
Zajcica | HP: 1012/1012 | EN: 100/100 | DMG: 24 28 (+4) | MIT:301 | ACC:4 | F-SPIRIT | EVA:2 | FL.AURA: 16 | FR.AURA: 16 | FR.THORNS: 8/16 | THORNS:112 | BH:56 | LD:4 | DOTE: 3/3 | PROB:36
Katoka | HP: 966/966 | EN: 118/118 | DMG: 26 30 (+4) | MIT:78 | ACC:7 | EVA:3 | BH:46 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 |
Ariel | HP: 920/920 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 29 33 (+4) | MIT:0 | ACC:5 | AA | PHASE | EVA:3 | BH:51 | HB: 40 | REC: 3 | RISK: 8 | FLN: 16 | LD:5
Oscar | HP: 1056/1056 | EN: 128/128 | DMG: 27 31 (+4) | MIT:187 | ACC:5 | AA  | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:3 | BH:58 | VAMP-O: 174 | REC: 4 | LD:5 | DOTE: 3/3 | PROB: 36

<<Spectral Knight>> | HP: 2290/3700 (2900-610) | DMG: 300 | MIT:80 (-20) | ACC:5 | EVA:3 | FRB [40/2] | BLD [48/2] | BLGT [32/2] | BRN [56/2] | REND 28 (0/2) | STUNNED

Another head cocking moment. As Hanami followed the rolling stones that made up the little golem she was familiar with, the dragon came across a strange creature that emanated an aura of... nuttiness. All tentacles and suction cups the thing was holding on to a piece of Borris as it seemed to be floating in the air towards a reflective ghost like being. She felt her own tug towards the thing, as if it's purpose was to pull her in and make her apart of it. She shook her head, that wouldn't be nice at all. If she was a part of the mirror thing then she wouldn't be able to nap in the sun. Looking back towards the mass of tentacles that was holding a piece of her friend she noticed a pair of eyes that seemed troubled.

The time to help was now! Hanami rushed forward, using her front legs to hold on to the pebbles to keep them from escaping. With her tail she swept out, knocking a few boards leaning against a nearby wall free to fall on top of the hulking mirrored knight. In her mind the boards fell on their enemy, pinning in to the ground and allowing them to escape. Instead they plinked off of the side of mob and fell to the ground uselessly. The dragon blinked a few times before looking to her struggling companion, if she could speak she would have apologized. Instead to crooned sadly as they pulled with all their strength.

Various sounds of scuffling, banging, and twanging awoke Hanami from her unintended slumber. It took a moment after her eyes focused for her to realize where she was. After being knocked away from her player she had somehow flown through a building and out of a window, ricocheting off of a nearby building and landing in a pile of what seemed to be rags and scraps of clothing. The dragon shook her head and looked around to attempt to assess her surroundings. She was in an alley between two buildings that were in various stages of disrepair. The one just across from her must have been where she had come from since there was a shattered window with glass leading to where she currently rested. With a quick stretch she rose and lifted off the ground ever so slightly, testing to see is she was injured in any way. With a few well placed wiggles and loops she determined that she only had a few scrapes and bruises.

Just when Hanami had decided to rise above the buildings before her to get a better view, she noticed a few pebbled rolling of their own accord down the alley way. She cocked her head to the side, perplexed at the sight. Her train of thought completely derailed, she inched closer to the small stones to follow them closely. After a few feet she gained the courage to inch close enough to sniff them. A familiar scent excited her, making her chirp in response. The green haired woman that her player liked to spend time with. Surly if she found her then she would find Katoka! Letting out a purr the dragon snaked through the air, following the small stones that she was now positive belonged to the little rock man called Borris.

She felt herself flinch again. This time it was from the mention of her engagement, not from Night yelling. She was right, it wasn't fair that it had happened to her. It was also not fair that the wound, however healed it might have been, was still raw. Katoka closed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out slowly. She turned back around to face the dark haired woman, "I don't know what I was looking for to be quite honest." she shook her head and looked passed Night, into the grey clouds in the distance. "I just... Didn't want to leave it at that. It would have made working together in the future awkward if you were pissed at me all the time."

Kat shrugged, "So you don't have to forgive me if you don't want to. I just wanted to be clear that I was trying to be an asshole. It's a bad habit of mine, the flirting, and I don't think about the effect it can have on others. But I know now. I'll keep it in check when we're around one another."

A sad smile pulled at the corners of the samurai's mouth, "And the engagement was, just not meant to be. But I appreciate it."