Nari-Lanreth

They'd all made it through, relatively unscathed. Nari had cast a concerned look over towards NIGHT as the girl found herself engulfed momentarily - before walking out of it all as if nothing had happened. The look on the younger girl's face was enough to convince Nari that there was no immediate need to worry. Instead, she turned her focus back towards their task at hand. They'd made it this far into the labyrinth, which meant that they were doing...well, maybe not great - but well enough. There was still a long ways to go, however, and as Nari turned around the following corner, she fo

The others had all departed almost as quickly as Nari had managed to pull them all together, eliciting a heavy sigh from the woman as she closed her eyes for a moment. She could feel the ship shift beneath her as it took to the skies, leaving behind the port that they had just been tethered to, and slowly gaining momentum into the skies above the city. She opened her eyes to find herself still beside the hand-railing, glancing down into the wide open space that seemed to hover between herself and the lands below. She wasn't one to have a fear of heights, yet something about being floating

Nari stared at the sky above them as NIGHT talked about how they had changed. How they were different from who they were - both of them - once before. Not that she had expected anything different in answer, the way that they acted around one another had noticeably changed. The jokes they made - or failed to make, even the way that they looked at one another. It was almost as if there was a tension in the air, an understanding that things had once been, but now weren't. She was so caught up in the entire thought of how everything had changed - not suddenly, but slowly, over time - that th

Nari waited for Jomei and Morningstar to enter the small craft, before taking a leap after them - giggling to herself as the ship rocked heavily, and the sailor cried out in alarm at the sudden shifting. "Well, so much for being able to take a swim...ah well, probably for the best. We wouldn't want to show up to fight entirely soaked and waterlogged, I guess. Sailor! Heave to! Or...whatever the command is for let's go..." She'd never been in anything bigger than a canoe in her life, and as the boat pushed off into the waters, Nari found herself gripping the seat beneath her, her fingers t

Her pose was broken only at NIGHT's commentary, her reminder of the other player who hadn't yet arrived. The absolute confidence that had been radiating moments ago seemed to fizzle and falter as her arms fell and she took on an almost sheepish look. She shot a glance at NIGHT - no hint of anger or being upset, in fact Nari's expression seemed almost timid, as if worried. "Yeah...you pronounced that right. And...well, I mean...oh, look. They're leaving." She turned away from NIGHT as Jomei and Lessa made their escape, Jevi seemingly following a step behind. Nari considered giving chase fo

The fight had ended far quicker than Nari had expected, considering how difficult the creatures were supposed to be here. She'd done her part, following direction of their leader. Her eyes had cast towards Hirru as the final creature dissipated into a collection of shards on the air, admiring how calm he remained given the danger they were facing. "Yeah, I'm good...no harm here. Barely scratched the surface of my energy burn." She had checked her own vitals quickly, glancing down the list at the rest of the party to confirm that no one had stood out as in danger or in need of immediate he

Time seemed to drift by as she waited for any response from her friend to arrive, wondering if Onóra would continue the conversation or be content knowing that she was safe and alive. Her question was answered a short time later - which felt like a near eternity for Nari, as she tried to maintain her patience - when she realised that no further messages would be coming. At least not for the time being, it seemed. Sighing with the realisation, she glanced over towards Mio, poking the kitsune with her finger before speaking her thoughts aloud. "So...looks like my one and only form of entertainme

Her face twitched, ever so slightly, as she considered her response. She had noticed NIGHT withholding a joke that was obviously borderline inappropriate, which made Nari hesitate in turn. Once, she would've said it without thought, without consideration. Now though...they were on a different level. They spoke to each other differently, as if unsure of how they should act and behave. Not to mention, you're an adult. Act like one. Sighing internally, she decided to do just that - exactly as NIGHT had done, and answer the question more forwardly. "Mmm...anything warm, would be nice. Warm an

By the time she had managed to drag the newcomer - Jevi, if she'd heard the name right - back to the main group, another had joined. Nari smiled as the blonde complimented those already there, focusing extra on Jomei - and seemingly tripping over their own words, while doing it. Head cocked slightly to her left, and right eyebrow raised in an almost sarcastic image, Nari stepped forward. She had let her grip on Jevi go, raising her left hand in what she assumed was a ladylike manner before giving a half twirl. "And what about me? Don't I look absolutely fabulous? I mean, I know that Jome

Nari had been here before, a shop that reminded her own her own smithery from...so long ago. She'd been impressed with the work that Vigilon had provided for her, enough so that she knew she would return again one day. She hadn't expected that day to come so soon, but with her changes in...well, everything, it was a necessary return. She'd paused just outside, smelling the forge long before she had entered the shop itself. "Hey, Vig! I've got another order, if you're up for it...should be easy enough. I hope." She placed her drawing on the table, letting the man look it over before noddin

Nari smiled softly as Jomei turned towards Hirru, watching as the ginger seemed to become flustered over the gifts being given out. For her own part, she felt touched that the green-covered individual would think so highly of her as to find her a piece that fit her styling perfectly. She nodded towards Hirru, before letting her words rolling out quietly. "Thank you Hirru...this is wonderful, and overly considerate of you. I will admit, you beat me to the punch on this, but...if we're doing the exchange now..." She opened up her menu, before pulling forth three items - items that she had m

"I do believe we met...at the tournament last year. I think?" Nari squinted at Lessa, trying to place the blonde, trying to remember exactly where they had met previously. She knew that she had run into Lessa more frequently as well, although it was more in passing than through actual combined work. "Aside from that, we've seen each other once or twice...but it's good to see you again Lessa." She flashed a wide grin at the blonde, before turning on Jomei. She hadn't expected him to be here, much less bring someone along with him. Or at least, it appeared her had brought someone with him.

Nari had been nodding along with what Jomei had stated, her smile slowly shifting to a frown, before he mentioned his ex. Almost immediately, her eyes focused on the ginger, a sly smile crossing his face. Nagging questions left her lips, almost immediately overturned as she realised that it was neither the time nor the place. "Your ex? As in...still living, ex? As in you got dumped? As in...we'll circle back to this post-sailor-found-situation." Before she could get anything further out, Jomei was leading the way towards the docks. Nari had to admit that she was once more impressed with h

Nari shifted in place as a dinging caught her attention, the message notification showing up only a split second after the alert had sounded. Curious as to who was trying to reach her, Nari quickly opened the message, glancing at the name before smiling to herself. The message itself was small and brief, but she could almost feel the tone of worry behind it as she read it over, the sender clearly concerned over the silence that had been spreading throughout the day. Nari read it twice, feeling the warmth touch her cheeks as she considered her friend's concerns. To: Nari-

Silence followed her final thoughts for a while, the two more than happy to simply sit and enjoy the warm of the sunshine for the time being. She let her thoughts drift away, her concerns with them, for the time being. There was no point in worrying about what couldn't be changed. No point in considering the impacts of that which was changing, which she had no control over. For now, all that she could do would be to enjoy every single second that she was still alive. Precious moments like this one, where she wasn't fighting for her life in the imminent moment of danger. Where she could simply.

The open field had grown quiet after the wasp had disappeared, shattered in thousands of shards that eventually simply dispersed on the winds. Nari gave one final glance at the open spot, before moving towards a nearby collection of rocks - each one half her height - before settling down against them. She could feel the heat against her back, the rocks heated by the midday sun having beat down on them for hours already. The sensation passed through her body, feeling so familiar to her in many ways. She knew it was all fake, knew it was nothing more than electrons being sent to her brain to res

The thought disturbed Nari down to her core. She didn't like giving any credit to Cardinal - much less acknowledging that it wasn't their enemy here, and that perhaps it had even done something more than simply coexisting with them. She didn't enjoy the thought that she could, logically, acknowledge that it had done nothing wrong - not to say that it had done anything right, either. In fact, if Nari was being honest, Cardinal had done nothing but act fairly, exactly as it had been programmed to do. She swung out with the scythe in anger, activating the sword art and slicing the wasp into

They're always there for us. To help us. To protect us. To comfort us. The thought rattled around in Nari's head as she dodged to the side of the wasp, avoiding another attempt to impale her with the stinger. She considered the idea, that the small creatures that they called companions were so helpful. As if in defiance and contrast of Cardinal's main programming, it's main purpose in this world. A purpose which, as Nari considered it, she may have been misunderstanding. She'd always considered the fact that Cardinal had been trying to kill them, trying to end the entire player base as quickly

Her distracted thoughts had cost her, the point of the wasp's stinger slamming into her shoulder and forcing her to spin away in order to avoid anything more major. The damage was minimal - a mere blip in her health bar that would slowly rise once more as if nothing had occurred. Still, it frustrated Nari that she had lost her focus for long enough to let the creature slip passed her defences. Complacency killed, in this world, and she couldn't afford to let it consume her at any point - even if the foe she was facing appeared to be nothing more than a mere pest. She needed to remain in the fi

The wasp froze in place the second that Nari's scythe had slashed across its body, the entire form hovering even as the wings upon its back came to a sudden halt. In any other place, the entire image would've been surreal and outright odd. In the world of Aincrad, however, Nari had become used to the odder pieces that occurred. Things that didn't quite make sense with the world beyond, and yet occurred regardless. Things that, like the NPCs and other creatures, were becoming more and more common to Nari each and every single day. As she stepped back away from the wasp, Nari considered t

It hadn't taken anywhere near as long as Nari had expected to find her target. In fact, the large wasp had almost seemed to be waiting out in the open, as if knowing that someone would come looking for it, sooner or later. The thing seemed to hover in the air, waiting for Nari to approach. She could have sworn that there was an almost taunting look to it - as if the expressionless creature was daring her to try and test herself against it. As if it thought itself invincible in some manner or form. Nari paused, not out of fear or concern - she had faced far greater dangers before, and would fac

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Fighting Spirit Mod(s)/Addon(s)/Shift(s) Being Dropped: N/A SP Refunded: 10 Cost: 10,000

Leaving the city behind, Nari had found refuge in the relative calm and quiet exterior of the world. The wind blowing across valleys, the narrow areas in some places only accenting the strength of it to a harsher degree. It was still preferable to the large crowds, something that Nari still preferred to avoid given the chance. Mio at yipped at her side, bringing her attention back to the present. She'd begun to drift off, ever so slightly - both mentally, and physically. Glancing down at the fox, she shook her head. The soft smile on her face spoke more than any words could, but still s

The thoughts drove her to finish the fight, not wanting to be alongside this creature any longer than she had to be. Nari pushed forward, driving her scythe into its side before wrenching it back out. She twirled around, letting her blade gain momentum as it went, before bringing it into a downward slice. She only noticed the creature's fallen form as the head bounced off the floor twice, before the entire thing exploded into shards before her - leaving herself and Mio standing in the quiet of the hallway, alone once more. She paused, breathing heavily as she waited for something, anythi