Ghostie

Ghost was drawn from her thoughts, hearing Koga as he walked toward the rock wall and began to climb it. Gathering her bearings, she started walking up toward the wall and did the same. It was a bit awkward at first, finding her footing, but once she’d gotten into a rhythm, she made her way up the wall fairly quickly, almost catching up to Koga before they had reached the top.

After reaching the top, Ghost stood up, and instantly felt the bottoms of her swimwear start to become uncomfortable. Blushing, she fixed it as quickly as she could, before Koga had the notion to turn around. Once she had, she quickly turned her attention to the target at hand; the Boulder. Examining its statistics, Ghost’s eyes widened. 75 HP?? Feeling a bit discouraged at first, she then looked at her own stats.

Hmmmm… Nine?? Where did I get nine damage from?? …Three from the bandages,Three from the Liquor of light.. and a physical training buff plus-two? When did I get that?! Shaking her head and shrugging it off, she looked over at Koga and nodded in confirmation, before dashing at the Boulder, aiming to attack head on.

—————

Feeling the impact of her first hit against the solid stone, she felt an immense pressure pulsate like a gust of wind from the impact, a loud thud resounding from the stone as she hit it, her eyes widened, and despite not smiling it was clear that she was happy with the damage that she had done. For once since coming here, she felt like she could actually defend herself. She looked back at Koga, curious if he had noticed her improvement.

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“Not quite,” the master smoke out, lightly cracking his eye to look down at the two. Sighing, he jumped down from his perch And landed next to the Boulder by the center of the pool, glancing over at Koga and Ghost. “You both have performed as expected! Pupil Koga, you’ve clearly grown since the last time I have witnessed your training. Both in body, and in mind! Although as a mentor I only give you a path, I still find pride in watching how far you have come. As for Dandelion… You show promise. More than you give yourself credit for, even. But, the winds of the past might whisk the will of your future down a different path… if you are not careful.” Ghost looked over at him in understanding; the past haunts her in every choice that she may make. But in the end, she needs to be willing to change that, to better herself for the people around her… and for Sana. YunXiang then brought up his hands, performing a simple long line of signs that Ghost could understand. Her eyes widened for a moment, but then they relaxed once more, and she nodded in response.

YunXiang nodded back, a kind smile on his face, before he gestured to the rock he stood next to. “Dandelion, Pupil Koga… this is your final task. One that Koga knows all to well, although he may find it much easier now. Using only your hands, you must destroy this Boulder, through the power of not only your fists, but also your spirit. This Boulder signifies the obstacles of your future, the walls and shackles that keep you from moving onward. Through your body, and your soul, you must break these bonds.”

”Only then, will you truly be ready, Dandelion, to walk toward the light of the future of which you long for, and face the past of which clouds your way. Once you are done, you both may join me for tea, if you’d like.” With that, the master bowed lightly, and made his way through the water and out the cave, whistling to himself in a calming tone. Ghost took another deep breath, and stood next to Koga, preparing herself for the final task.

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After several moments, melting into the comfort she was being given which she had never really had before from anyone outside of her parents… Ghost gently pulled away, looking down at the water. Koga’s voice was therapeutic, more so now than usual. It helped her rebalance her mind, and she slowly looked over at her shoulder, the left of her chest where the small tattoo was. In the bikini, it was fully visible; a fox, holding a rose in its mouth, its tail curling into a circle around it.

Hearing Koga’s question, she looked up at him, and thought for a moment before nodding. Her face had returned to its soft calm expression, but her cheeks were lightly tinted. She was embarrassed to explain what was now on her mind, especially given the situation and their position. Bringing her hands up to sign, she responded.

Your hands.. They’re soft, she explained, thinking about the feeling of his fingers brushing her messed hair from her face. Her face blank, she inwardly smiled; this man was a lot sweeter than it seemed he gave himself credit for…. She knew he was good people.

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Her vision was blurred, her ears ringing, her heart racing. Everything seemed like it was slowing down… Or maybe her mind was just speeding up. Her blood seemed to boil under her skin as she did her best to make the voice fade away on her own, like a petrifying screech of chalk against a board to her brain, words from the past that made her entire body curl into itself in fear, anger, pain, and more…

“Ghost, calm down, breathe… Breathe… It’s just us..”

She heard Koga’s voice faintly, and her vision slowly came back to her. The sounds and voice slowly reverted, from the chirping of birds back to splashing of water, the energy stopping for now. She… was in the cave with Koga, she remembered now… She looked up at him, her mouth a thin unmoving line, and her eyes wide, brows furrowed from stressed frustration and frantic anxiety. She felt his hands on her shoulders, her heart slowing back down, her hands slowly relaxing from her sides. Taking deep breaths, in and out, her face slowly relaxed, and she seemed to be calm once again, despite obviously still emotionally shaken.

After a moment, Ghost reached her shaking hands out to Koga weakly, leaning in for a hug. She didn’t know what else to do; until her mind was fully back, this was the best that she could do…

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208550, LD 7
208551, LD 10
208552, LD 3

Ghost watched as Koga had went in, and awkwardly followed as he did. Despite having dealt with Martial arts training in real life, she’d never been taught anything accurately on actual meditation or how to perform it. All the same, she understood the general concept of the practice, and assumed that she could replicate the process simply enough and hopefully get the desired result. Taking a deep breath, she slowly got up and onto the slab, feeling the sharp pressure of water from the falls pelting her shoulders, almost like a deep massage.

Sitting down under the falls as Koga did, she relaxed as best as she could, and tried to tune everything out. As she closed her eyes, and focused for several minutes, she noticed internally that the sound of the waterfall distorted into her mind and became the sound of cheap chirps of a thousand birds, the coldness of the slab beneath her becoming moss, the misting water on her shoulders becoming a conduit of energy pulling into her being. 

The energy was unstable… but why? She tried to dig deeper, listening and feeling for anything that would give her a hint… As she did, the noises all grew stronger.

and sharper.

and louder.

(“…..Ghost, RUN!!!”)

As those words echoed in her head, Ghost’s eyes shot open, and she jumped out from underneath the waterfall, launching herself into the water in pure panic. The girl seemed almost feral for a moment, on the verge of hyperventilation as she held herself and rested her back against the base of the slab.

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Ghost nodded in agreement, finding the sounds of the rushing water soothing above all else. Ghost’s smile relaxed back into its semi blank look, but her posture softened greatly, still holding onto Koga’s arm absently once more. A few seconds more, and they stood at the opening of a large cavernous pool of crystal clear water, illuminated by glowing blue tint from the bottom of the pool and gems from the roof of the cave. In the center of the pool, a single humongous Boulder rested atop a floating slab similar to if it were a shrine, and behind it, a glistening waterfall, of which produced a thin mist that reflected the light of the glowing blue gems like fleeting stars. The water splashed down onto two other slabs directly under it, creating the solid and satisfying smack that echoed through the cave. Ghost looked around in awe, finding the cave beautiful, captivating and yet also mysterious.

“I’m relieved that you have begun to accept my genius, Pupil Koga!” the master’s voice could be heard. Ghost curiously looked around, but didn’t see him anywhere. “Up here, Dandelion.” As she and Koga would look up, they’d notice YunXiang in a meditative pose on a rock, at the top of the waterfall. He was now tubeless and in a typical white fundoshi, his legs crossed and his hands in a position that signified the gathering of chi to his core. Despite his obviously old age, YunXiang’s arms, torso and legs were all jacked and warworn, having various scars along his limbs, back and chest.

”Dandelion, Pupil Koga, this shall be your second trial,” the master spoke out to them, his eyes closed and his smile returning. “You shall walk out, into the water, and to the platforms beneath this waterfall. You shall rest underneath the waterfall, and reflect. You shall reflect upon yourself; your actions up until now, your determinations, your future aspirations, the fueling fire within your soul that defines who you are!”

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Ghost looked up at Koga as he stuttered his reply, surprised and slightly embarrassed by the compliment. Needless to say, she was still not used to comments on her appearance, but she bowed in thanks nonetheless. Then, she glanced at Koga’s new attire. His physique was evenly toned, appearing more athletic than even his usual appearance let on. Smooth and clean complexion, his hair disheveled from changing most likely. The same piercing tired crimson eyes, albeit shifting and avoiding direct eye contact, which Ghost did mark as odd. All in all, to Ghost he looked like a heart throb from one of those advertisements, with the actor on a beach. She didn’t react to this thought though, deliberately mentally preparing her brain for this the moment she went into the stall. But, judging by his reaction, she could sense that maybe something was off. Perhaps… he felt awkward too, in his swimwear?

"C'mon, don't wanna keep the old guy waiting," she heard him say, turning away from her and walking out the door, to which Ghost quickly followed in thought. Maybe he needed encouragement? She decided that was possibly the case, and took a deep breath, battling off her anxiety as best as she could before tugging on his arm, like she did back at Ming Garden. In a moment of hesitantly letting her guard fully drop, she gave him a warm smile, completely different from her usually motionless face, and signed to him as they entered the cave.

Yours looks good on you too, Koga kun.

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Ghost froze a bit as Koga had taken a hand to her hair, the sensation coming out of nowhere and causing her to jump a bit, but quickly readapted. It… felt nice. Looking over at Koga, who was examining his swimming trunks, she nodded with his response about the waterfall. Based on how Master YunXiang had acted up to now, a waterfall would be a pleasant space for meditation.

Watching as Koga walked into one of the changing stalls, she looked toward her own stall and then down at her bikini. Since it’s a game, the size should automatically adjust just like other clothing here… right? Shrugging it off, she slipped into the stall, quickly slipping out of her current clothes and into the swimsuit…

…Nope, it feels tight.. but it fits well enough? Stepping out of the stall, Ghost did her best to adjust the two piece, her other clothing put back into her inventory. The bottom was well fit, accentuating her petite curves but not too much. The top, however, seemed a little too well fitting, latching to her chest as if it were a second skin. She didn’t pay it no mind though, at least not in the way that she probably should. The bikini was a light blue, with lavender trim. Looking at herself, she was honestly satisfied with its look. She might favorite this cosmetic for future events, if any.

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Opening the back door, YunXiang looked back at Koga and Ghost, his face cheerful yet serious at the same time. “You and Dandelion now will meditate, pupil Koga! How Dandelion reacted just now, not only showed her will, but also her temperament. Both of which are extremely useful weapons of the spirit; granted, that is only if those weapons can be controlled. There are some outfits better suited for this next task by the door, along with a room for privacy while changing into them if you do desire! When you both are ready, follow behind the dojo, and meet me at the end of the cave.”

The master turned, and walked calmly out the door, headed into a dark cavern. Ghost stared blankly at where YunXiang once stood, before turning to Koga thoughtfully and signing. So, has everything he has done so far been lessons? I don’t feel as if I have learned anything. She gave a small smile as her hands dropped, her head tilting to the side curiously. Despite Master YunXiang not being what she expected, she still felt like she was enjoying herself. Perhaps it was due to Koga’s company, and maybe the fact that the past few weeks where she had been around him and Nari and NIGHT have been actually eventful. It felt like she was actually accomplishing something.

Nodding, Ghost turned and walked toward the rear door of the dojo, to see what exactly the master had meant by ‘outfits’, only to be met by a two piece bikini set and a pair of swimming trunks, hanging right by the door as YunXiang said. She stared surprised with curiousity, and tapped on the bikini to make the item menu appear, reading the subtext.

Swimming Attire
Outfit Cosmetic (Vanity)
[Can be equipped without any interference to weapon/armor/item buffs]

…Staring at the two piece, frankly, Ghost couldn’t even recall the last time she’d even wore one.

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Ghost found her free hand tapping her side to Nari’s melody, finding the tune quite relaxing despite not knowing the language. She was drawn to Koga’s reply again, and she gave him a puzzled look as he said what he did. I think you’re good people, she loosely signed again, but then quickly tucked her hand away, hoping she didn’t seem too forward. After a long while of silent walking, she was then distracted by Nari’s question. “Have you two been here before? The garden itself is beautiful, if you’re into that sort of thing. Flowers, trees, fountains, lights. Really romantic spot.”

Ghost took a look, her eyes widening on the sight ahead of them. Various bursts of faint colors from the flowers and fireflies wistfully lit up the area ahead from their distance, and her imagination had begun to visualize just how amazing it will look up close…. Wait… romantic? She looked between Nari, and NIGHT, and then to Koga, not sure what was implied but choosing not to address it.

She instead shook her head in response to coming there before. Obviously, in her case, she’d never been on this floor before. But the more that she saw, the more that she considered possibly coming back again once she had reached a decent level. It did have a beautiful atmosphere, and the company… wasn’t bad either.

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As the cup flew across the room at YunXiang, the master’s grin grew wider as if he wanted nothing more than the porcelain cup to hit him, albeit that intention led off with the mischief in his eyes that told something else. And that something else appeared quite suddenly, as the cup was suddenly halted mid air, a familiar small hand grasping onto it.

Ghost balanced there, on one set of her tiptoes, one hand threw back to keep herself oriented and the other latched onto the cup, which, from the force that Koga threw it with, had almost sent her with the cup. She had appeared as quietly as ever, her face still blank but her eyes unnaturally fierce. After a few moments, YunXiang closed his eyes with a small smile in place of his grin, and relaxed his wild persona. “Took you long enough, Dandelion. I had worried the winds of the storm had blown you away,” he commented, his hands sliding into his sleeves. “Now, you are ready for meditation.”

With that, the master nodded in approval, and walked toward the back door of the dojo, prompting for them to follow. Meanwhile, Ghost walked over to the teapot, her ferocity dissipated, and she poured herself another cup before walking over to Koga, her innocent unreadable expression glancing up at him. She took a sip from the cup, and then offered some to him to help him calm down.

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“Tsk tsk tsk, that’s an oopsie poopsie if I ever did hear it,” the master responded, grabbing the other cup and purposefully backwards falling off the beam, flipping and landing on his feet while sipping the tea. “That was IMPROPER tea throwing etiquette, pupil Koga! You must have a sense of dramatic drive behind your throw, to mortally wound your target’s feelings!! Like so…. NNNNNYEAUGHGH!!!” YunXiang then threw the cup with an unbelievably fast and exaggerated force, the cup flying across the room and smashing into bits , the fragments vanishing into thin air.

Ghost, still glancing between her now empty hand and Koga in disbelief, she nervously quietly kneeled down and picked up the second to last cup. Standing back up, she glanced between Koga and Master YunXiang from the side and slowly brought the cup up to her lips. But before she could take a sip, the master then grabbed her cup yet again and handed it to Koga. “Here, try again Pupil Koga! I will stand across the room, and your duty will be to hit me dead in the face!” YunXiang then skipped across the dojo, laughing manically before getting into position. Ghost stood there, her hand still held to her lips despite being empty. Motionless. Defeated. Blank.

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At this moment, Ghost heard what Koga and the master said, and her face reddens from embarrassment at realizing her situation. Hopping back up, she went into a small fuming rage, grabbing one of the cups of tea and throwing it full force at the master’s face. However, the master was already predicting this, and caught the cup mere inches from his face, the tea still in the cup. Dodging Koga’s merciless attacks, he took a sip and chuckled to himself. “My my, so feisty! Allow me to explain!!” YunXiang hopped away from Koga, landing on one of the rafter beams above Ghost and Koga’s heads.

“Touching your elbows! Touching your toes! Simple methods of tracking your proportion and flexibility!! Very important things to keep in mind if, in the art of martial combat! Jumping in place, connecting the bridge between the other tasks and having no other purpose! However, you did it anyways, showing that you do well at following simple instructions when under pressure! From what I can tell, Dandelion, you’ve passed with flying colors in flexibility and determination! However, you failed in situational awareness, as you blindly followed instructions that otherwise would have made anyone else overly embarrassed from the start, just because I told you to!”

Ghost had already grabbed another cup and was getting ready to throw it as well, but hearing YunXiang’s explanation, she slowly relaxed and gave his analysis some thought. Still quite embarrassed, she sighs quietly and takes a sip of the tea, hoping not to draw attention to the blush on her cheeks.

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The master took his time, sitting down comfortably by the table inside. Strangely enough, there were already three cups sitting out, a large pot of tea steaming and ready for pour. “It’s been a while since I’ve had company!” The man said, chuckling as he poured the tea. Ghost took a deep breath, and went to sit down, but suddenly the master stopped her. “Ohp, nonononono! Not yet, Dandelion! First you must do a task,” he said while pouring. “First of your tasks, you must touch your elbows together!”

Ghost stood there confounded, not understanding the purpose, but naturally bowed in understanding and then attempted to do so. She placed her hands behind her neck, and touched her elbows together, her chest being pressed and pushed together as a result. “Gooooooood, excellent form! Next, release your arms, and jump in place for thirty seconds!” Not bothering internally questioning it, Ghost proceeded to do so, causing certain things to bounce slightly that wasn’t usually doing so.

”Hmmmmm… yes, well proportioned! Now, for your last task, I will need you to face directly away from pupil Koga! He will be the judge for this one,” YunXiang stated innocently as he finished pouring the tea. “For this task, facing away from Koga, you will spread your legs away from each other, with as much space as you can give! Then, reach down with one hand and touch your opposite foot! Alternate this task for twenty seconds, Dandy!” Ghost shrugged her shoulders, thinking it should be easy enough, and she got into position and proceeded to do as requested, most likely giving Koga quite the unintentional sight.

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CD Roll 1
ID: 208544
Result: 10

CD Roll 2
ID: 208545
Result: 7

+2 Damage inc. to <<Boulder>>

Ghost stared down at the crystals given to her by NIGHT, listening carefully as they came up with a plan. It was strange, actually being a part of a casual group conversation. She liked how earnest and genuine they all were; all the same, she still felt out of place in many ways. Putting the crystals away, she kept an absent minded hold on Koga’s arm, completely oblivious to how it might look. At the moment, although she wouldn’t admit it, Koga’s arm was sort of her mental lifeline at the moment.

When Koga began talking again, he first gestured to Nari. Ghost took in her appearance; the heavier armor, the method of walking, the general aura Nari seemed to give off. She seemed confident, and relaxed. Then again, someone capable of getting to maximum level certainly wouldn’t lack confidence and knowledge in their abilities. Plus, a tank plays a crucial role as the main defense, having high survivability. Then Koga gestured to NIGHT, and Ghost repeated her process. She’s a DPS.. What kind? The pale haired girl considered the various options, remembering what Koga had mentioned about damage over time, direct damage and more, back at the Silver Eagle. Maybe a DoT..? It would cover the field, if that was the case. 

Afterward, Ghost listened to Koga’s comment, and she brought a hand up to loosely sign. You are good people, she responded, her subtitles fluttering away as quickly as they came. She also wanted to get strong, as fast as possible. She knew it would be a challenge, but she needed to be capable of helping others. If Koga and the others need assistance later, then she would want to find some method to be of use to them, and to herself.

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…Ghost had so many questions. They were going ghost hunting?!? She didn’t think that there was even such a thing as ghosts in Aincrad. As for NIGHT’s comments and humor at Ghost’s name, if it weren’t for her blank default expression from social distinction then she’d probably be stifling a silent laugh at that moment. A very small upward curve of her lips was, however, barely noticeable.

Listening to Nari’s comments, Ghost’s minimal smile faded, realizing even more so than before just how much danger she might’ve just put herself in. Tapping her fingers together, she tried not to focus on anything too specific as she weighed the pros and the cons. The pros include possibly gaining experience, learning more about the combat system from watching others, and most importantly meeting new people. The cons were dying, slowing them down, and most importantly.. meeting new people. 

Then, she heard Koga speak up, and she noticed he was more serious than before. She seemed confused about what he had said. Again?? Some things were starting to click in her head, and she chose not to dwell too much on it. It was his personal life, after all.. She stepped over to Koga, grabbing a hold of his arm gently and sticking close to him as he said (taking it more literally than necessary), Bringing up her other hand into a salute to him to show that she’d follow his lead.

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Master YunXiang, noticing the two approach, sets his chopsticks aside as he stood gracefully, albeit creepily, his eyes never faltering from their watchful gaze. “Ahhhhh, Pupil Koga,” he said keenly with a twinkle in his eye, his mouth curving with just a slight smile. “Judging by your cleared complexion, you must’ve mastered the way of rubbing alcohol since last I saw you! How refreshing! And who is this that you’ve brought with you, I wonder??”

The master gained a cheerful disposition, and began to make his way toward the two with a small skip in his step. Stopping in front of Ghost with a gleeful smile, he looked down at her small stature. “What’s your name!” Ghost at that moment couldn’t decide whether to be confused or petrified, but shakily brought her hands up to sign to him. My name is Ghost, Master. “Ahhhh, a hand speaker!!” the Master replied crudely with a hearty laugh and a wild grin. “Well, you’ve certainly come a long way, both of you! In honor of your hair, ‘Ghost’, I hereby dub you as…. Dandelion! And I have no doubt in my mind, Dandy, of why you’re here! Come, have some tea with me, and then I’ll decide how and IF I shall train you!” 

With that, YunXiang made his way back to the door, snapping his fingers and the door opening on command. Ghost looked toward Koga, her face for once lit up with fear, confusion, excitement, surprise and more. However, after catching her bearings, ‘Dandelion’ nodded and made her way into the dojo. 

 

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While Koga was deep in his thoughts, Ghost was also in her own. The quest, Breaking the Unbreakable… this wasn’t the first time she stood at the bottom of this mountain. Remembering back, she wondered if doing this now was also her way of letting go. Moving on. But she knew it wouldn’t change her thoughts, not really; This was the last quest that she remembered Sana talking about wanting to do… She never did get to it.

Being drawn out of her thoughts, they had walked a long arduous way to the dojo. And at the door, they saw him: Master YunXiang. His robes, although long, seemed to not have a speck of dust or taint. His hair was long, pinned into a bun, with a beard that matched the same length. His eyes were focused on a specific part of the door. A fly, which buzzed around his head, almost impossible to track by naked eye; it lands on the door, and he readies his chopsticks, slowly - almost painfully so - inches his way toward the fly.

Ghost stood in awe for a moment, watching as the master performed the scene she’d seen countless times in one of her favorite movies as a child. The scene of the master, catching the fly with none other than chopsticks. An incredible deal of patience, discipline, speed and accur—

SMACK!

Ghost’s eyes widened in realization, and slight horror of how badly she misread the master’s goal, as she watched him pull the fly swatter away from the now demolished fly. Sliding the swatter back into his sleeve, master YunXiang seemed pleased, and then looked toward Ghost and Koga with a wild look in his eyes.

At this moment, Ghost realized an important thing about Master YunXiang: He wasn’t necessarily a master of Discipline, as much as he was a master of the Unpredictable.

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Ghost, as she had stood there like a deer in headlights, she felt the sudden pressure of being run into by NIGHT from behind, quickly catching herself as quick as she could and then turning around, bowing repeatedly in apology to her. She quickly stepped out of the way as Nari and Koga came up to check on NIGHT, standing there in a fairly awkward fashion. Her anxiety had started raising through the roof from the situation, especially from Nari’s ‘Love or Terrified‘ comment.

As Koga introduced her to the others, Ghost bowed again to each of them before analyzing them. Based on how Nari had reacted when NIGHT had ran into Ghost, she could assume that either they were very close friends, or… maybe more? The slight embarrassed expression on Nari’s face after the fact made her believe the latter more likely.. But she also didn’t know them at all yet.

Hearing what Koga had asked of her, she jumped back to attention and scrambled her hands together, activating her STS and beginning to sign. I didn’t get your message until I had already activated the teleporter! I’m sorry. I didn’t think about how high the level of this area would be! I was wanting to meet up, like I said in my message. I felt bad about leaving you at your shop without explanation, so I wanted to push past my nervousness and make up for it! But I can see you’re busy, and I’ve clearly made a mistake… It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nari, NIGHT! she ended as she looked toward the two, her face as blank and expressionless as ever but her eyes still vaguely showing a hint of awkwardness and panic.

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Ghost let out a breath of relief, glad that she didn’t somehow mess up. Especially with this being one of their first real quests together, she wanted to make sure that she didn’t do anything overly stupid, even going through the quest summary and looking at other player written information in the handbook to make sure that she had any general knowledge she needed. She didn’t, however, think about evasion. For which she virtually had no points into.

She went to sign and explain that, but decided against it. Plus, from what she could tell, Koga was very capable as a sided Tank role, so like he’d said, she should be fine! Right? Looking down at her bandages, she gave a small smile. They briefly reminded her of her martial arts classes with her father in the real world, and the countless hours she’d spent with various training dummies. Maybe, once they finally escaped all of this, she could train with him again? And Koga could come too! That is, if he would be interested in meeting in the real world.

Getting shaken from her internal monologue, she noticed Koga point up the mountain side, to a red Hōgyō themed roofing. Feeling excited, she then heard him mention the Master. Interesting how? she asked him curiously.

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Noticing Koga’s visual evaluation of what she was wearing, Ghost looked down for a moment and thought about her look. Starting to overthink, she wondered if this was an appropriate attire for what they were about to do. Was she underdressed??

A small bit of panic crept up and onto her features, but was quickly interrupted by Koga’s cough and gesture to the path he knew about around the corner. Nodding, she checked her new gear to make sure that she had the appropriate stats and… buffs? before working to catch up with Koga.

Several moments passed of silence between the two, before the man had made a comment complimenting her outfit. Looking at him in surprise, then back down at her outfit again, she thought even harder about the situation. Did she misread? Or… did he like it for other reasons?? Ghost fought back the flush on her cheeks, reverting back to her stoic but friendly appearance before signing to him.

Thank you! I was starting to worry that it wasn’t appropriate wear for the quest; It’s not an armor type, just clothes and etcetera. I thought maybe it would be more comfortable than my other outfit. I… like yours too! she added, feeling slightly stupid for saying it since it was practically his normal attire but altered, but she meant it and that’s what matters!

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Ghost was pumping herself up, her face actually showing a small cheerful bubbly smile for once. She wasn’t going to let her anxiety get in the way this time; Even if it took everything she had, she was gonna make progress and be… A normal human being??

Thinking back on it, most people probably wouldn’t be nearly as excited about this sort of thing, but at the same time she was doing her best to take the initiative. As she stepped up and onto the teleporter platform, she selected her destination, but she heard her messages notify her, and she opened Koga’s message. Her eyes opened wide, going to cancel the activation, but the bright blue light engulfed her before she had a chance.

Koga and Nari could hear the sounds of the teleporter kicking up again, Ghost standing on the platform awkwardly with a blank face but wide panicked eyes. Glancing over at Koga, she hit the send button on her reply.

/To Koga:
Umm Too late
-Ghost/

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After a short wait, Ghost watched as Koga walked up to her, and she quickly stood up and dusted herself off, giving Koga a small wave. She remained expressionless, but she couldn’t help as her eyes started to trail along Koga’s features. His usual attire was casually worn, unbuttoned and giving a sense of relaxed tone to his look. He seemed clearly exhausted, which is probably what led to his more softened wardrobe and stance. She immediately noticed that he didn’t have his katana on hand today, but she refused to question it in her mind. Her first thoughts, however, was how comparable Koga currently was to that of a romantic manga character, specifically the leading male role.

She shook her mind free of those thoughts quickly before they started to show on her face, as Koga handed her the bandages and ‘liquor’, giving Koga a confused look but putting the bandages on and drinking the liquor regardless. Apart from what Koga had given her, Ghost was wearing a very simple basic uniform: A tight fitted black low cut tanktop and similarly fitting black pants, some black arm sleeves, and a pair of black boots tied tight in a military fashion. Her top being different from usual, it showed what seemed to be a small tattoo under the front of the left strap of her shirt, noticeable but not enough to make out what it is. Plus, there was now a very small and noticeable light scarring around the base of the left crook of her neck that looked like it had been healed for a very long time, presumably from something in her real world life. Where the sun had been beating down on Ghost, small beads of sweat were seen on her neck and arms, her silver hair more flowing than usual.

Getting prepped, Ghost then turned to Koga and activated her STS to talk with him. Okay, so how should we proceed? I’m assuming that climbing this mountain is probably going to take a bit of time; Do you know a good path up? 

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Ghost Equips: Bandages

Ghost Uses: Liquor Of Light : +3 Damage

 

 

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Ghost stared up at the tallest mountain on Floor Two, the top fading into the clouds. The rocks were steep and narrow, the wind already lightly biting into her skin. Frowning lightly, she opened her menu to look at the specifications of the quest, to make sure that she had gotten everything right.

To begin the quest: Breaking the Unbreakable, you must first start the climb up the tallest mountain on the second floor of Aincrad. The rocks are unstable in areas! Be wary, and watch your step. Granted that you don’t fall to your death and respawn at [REDACTED], you will eventually find yourself at the peak of the mountain, Master YunXiang’s Dojo! To continue the quest, you must interact with Master YunXiang and begin your training. May luck be in your favor, Player!

…Well that seems both simple enough and nerve wracking. Looking back at the mountain, Ghost sighed and sat down at the foot of the cliff side, Lightly slapping her hands against her face in thought. She remembered Koga saying that this quest would be very difficult, but she was hoping that he was exaggerating up until now. Shrugging, she opened the message interface and replied to him.

|TO KOGA:
I am currently at the foot of the mountain on Floor 2! Are you currently on your way? If so, I’ll wait for you.
-GHOST|
 

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Ghost’s heart stopped pounding as she walked far enough away from the situation, her breaths settling back down and her brow just barely curling from frustration. She itched the side of her neck, leaning against one of the shops through town. Why did she do that?? She was already at his place; she could’ve just had a conversation, or seen if he was busy?

Sighing, Ghost gave in and opened up her player menu, navigating to the friends page and looking at Koga’s pinged location, floor twenty seven. Biting the inside of her lip, she decided to send a message.

| To Koga:
Hey, I’m sorry for running away!! I just caught myself off guard, I wasn’t expecting you to walk out when you did. I’m fixing to head to the floor you’re on; I’d like to get some advice to you in person about armor and maybe help on leveling.
-Ghost |

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