Nari-Lanreth

’Perhaps…you’re both right, I think. I mean, it’s nice to be free and capable of making your own decisions, but if the world leaves nothing for you to survive in…’ Onora seemed to pause in thought again, her brow furrowing as Nari collected the items from the small chest she’d managed to drag from the waters. It was only once she’d returned the line to the water’s depths that Onora spoke again, continuing her train of thought as though linking it together. ’We’ve seen the end of civilisation, learnt about them…do you not think that they would have preferred, in many cases, to be given a small

’Perhaps…perhaps you’re right, somewhat. It would be a shame to be locked away for eternity, unable to explore and find and discover…’ Nari suddenly glanced at Onora with concern, wondering if she had somehow broken Nemo’s foundation of existence. She’d meant nothing more than to present a counter argument, but the man seemed to be lost deeper and deeper in thought as the seconds ticked away, and she wondered if she had somehow created some game altering moment right then and there. ’Still, though. Sometimes being given a place to live and survive is more important than being free – think of h

’That’s true, that’s true…still, a prized collection they would have made as a pair, no?’ Nemo grinned as Onora sighed, clearly misreading her reaction to the comment. Nari knew that the blonde was exasperated by the inability to see the creatures as free beings, capable of making their own way in life – Nemo, on the other hand, seeing their value within his garden; safe, certainly, but contained and incapable of expanding or exploring. Or doing anything that a free animal, being or creature would be capable of doing. ’Perhaps, but isn’t it nice to consider allowing some things to be free

She wasn’t entirely sure that she did know how it went, and yet Nari found herself understanding at the same time, somehow. An odd case wherein she knew she didn’t necessarily need to experience it, to understand it – the suggestion behind the words telling her everything she needed to know, without telling her anything at all. Social constructs and behaviours are weird. She shook her head to herself, knowing that thought was the exact same one she’d had years ago – long before she’d even considered joining the virtual world, let alone becoming a member of Aincrad. ’Sure, sure. But at lea

Time seemed to both stall, and flash before Nari’s eyes as she listened to Nemo explaining the various journeys’ he’d partaken to find the creatures, mythical and majestic as he described them, across the world of Aincrad. At points she found herself laughing, giggling and crying as he explained humorous events that occurred, and in alternation she oft found herself reduced to depressive moments as something went wrong – usually the death of a rare and special being that he had search long for, across various areas of Aincrad. ’…I’d almost had it, truly, but then the dragon appeared befor

Nemo and Onora chatted for a while about the distant paddock – a piece that Nari hadn’t even noticed until Onora had pointed it out, containing a collection of horse like creatures within that seemed content to be locked away. Likely for their own safety, with the numerous predators that roamed the fields in search of their next meal. Something about the horse creatures caught Nari’s eye, the shifting black and white similar to a zebra – and yet the horns upon their heads signified them as some sort of fantastical creature. ’You always have such amazing creatures and beings here, Nemo. Wh

’Thanks, Nemo. The invite is always appreciated.’ Nari tossed a grin that was meant to be pleasant towards the man, responding after a few seconds of awkward silence. She hadn’t been entirely sure, at first, why she had even bothered responding. Sure, she was trying to keep the non-player character from being sad – but the man likely didn’t feel sadness towards their silence, so much as a lull in the conversation – a point that it simply fell into a docile state, as many had explained and theorised. For Nari, however, it felt wrong to simple ignore the man and his comment; especially when he s

’Sorry.’ Onora glanced towards Nari, recognising the stare and the meaning behind it. She flushed slightly, as if embarrassed by the slip up she had made, or the reaction she’d received – or perhaps both. Nari shook her head, wanting to say it didn’t really matter, that there was no reason to be sorry. The words, however, didn’t come out. She knew that it wouldn’t entirely be truthful. Even this long into the game, or perhaps because of how long it had been, the simple comment seemed to strike deep; as if giving up on the possibility of escape was becoming more and more of a reality for far to

’It really is.’ Nari pulled in the line again, sighing to herself as she saw the glint of empty hook in the air above the water. She tossed the line back into the water, determined to at least make the most of the time. She knew coming here that she wasn’t going to be experience an abundance of success – one never did, when starting out anything in Aincrad; a fact that Cardinal seemed to ensure. Still, she’d been hoping her success rates would be at least slightly better than they had been thus far – though, Onora would say that just meant they’ll pick up if she kept at it. ’One could alm

Nari could easily empathise with the frustration that Onora was feeling, as she pulled in another empty line. She barely remembered the difficulties she’d had when she first started out as a forager, though she didn’t remember them being this trying. Could simply be that it was so long ago you’ve forgotten, though. Hindsight really does make everything seem…different than it was. And now that you’re great at foraging…at least somewhat… She sighed as she remember the lack of any materials she’d found on the way in – as if a foreshadowing to how her day of fishing was about to commence. ’At

Success wasn’t coming easy as Nari drew the line back in once more. Another empty haul greeted her, the hook glittering softly against the sunlight coming down from above. She glanced upwards, considering how naturally she considered the light in the sky sunlight, now. She could barely remember a time where she hadn’t considered it a sun – though it was clearly nothing star like in reality, beyond simply being a provision of light that allowed one to see their surroundings. Still, in her mind she’d accepted it as sunlight – as had most other players that Nari had come across, when commenting o

’Well, this is going well.’ Nari had finally managed to snaggle a smaller sized fish, the scaled thing flopping onto the ground beside her before she managed to carve into it with the small knife she’d brought along – another piece of the fishing gear she’d acquired with her new skillset. She was careful to cut away the pieces that were most important, watching as the excess and waste disappeared into nothingness. ’How’s the piece coming along, Onora?’ The blonde gave a soft sigh, waving her hand over it as if to declare some sort of broader response, before simply shaking her head and re

’Which one?’ Onora glanced up, looking across the field in the general direction that Nemo had been eyeing. It took her a few seconds, eyes casually scanning the area, before she seemed to spot whatever it was Nemo had seen. ’Ah, yeah…that one with the slightly shifting pattern? I do like the look of it.’ Nemo seemed to beam at the thought of someone else being eccentric about the creatures he kept, the sudden commentary launching him into an explanation of the thing’s arrival, conception or whatever else had brought it into existence. Nari listened for only a few moments, before tuning t

A measure of silence fell over the trio as they relaxed, Nemo content to mention small commentary once in a while as they simply sat; Nari’s line the one minor movement and sound against the pulling needle in Onora’s hand, and the winds that swept across the plains. Nari was careful to keep an eye on the roaming creatures that made up the population of the garden – wolves covered in moss, alien like creations that roamed oddly against the realistic world’s grasses, and small drakes that floated above the stalks of plants. None came close enough to be a concern, though Nari was sure that wouldn

The line bobbed slightly, and Nari felt herself react instantly – the rod pulled back as she reeled in the line, hoping for something interesting as her first catch. She was, however, disappointed as the item slipped up onto the bank – a single leaf of some sort of sea plant that was anything but appealing. ’Well, it smells…fishy.’ Onora wrinkled her nose as Nari threw the item back into the water, ridding them of the smell and its presence. She reseated herself, choosing to ignore the comment and instead return to her attempts. She was only just starting out, so it was natural that her f

Nari waited for Onora to make her way into the garden before glancing around wholly. The area was, as it almost always was, beautiful in a way that no other floors within the world of Aincrad had yet to manage. She couldn’t help but wonder at it all – the flowing fields, the trees and forests that seemed to range into the wilds beyond, and the various lakes, rivers and ponds that could be seen throughout. ’It’s…amazing, as it always is, Nemo.’ Nari flashed a grin at the man-drake, seeing him revel in the compliment and her true breathlessness at it all. She had little doubt that the man-d

Nari was used to locating the form of Nemo – the man tended to stand out against most civilised areas, the straw hat and goofy lopsided smile anything but normality among a population fighting to stay alive in most cases. More so out of place in a town that was anything but alive. She’d found the non-player character at the very edge of the town, just beyond the gates leading beyond and outwards, his stance, colourful disposition, and general personality make him stand out against everything around him. ’Hey, Nemo. How’ve you been holding up?’ She gave a small wave, the shield and spear

’I would be excited to host you!’ They carried on in silence for a time after the commentary, speaking only randomly and sporadically as they crossed to the edge of the floor. Nemo commented on various things they saw, Nari and Onora providing brief, albeit polite commentary in return. The two women allowed Nemo the chance to engage and be excited, but never pressed him into any sort of frenzy of socialness; instead, simply letting him express himself as he saw fit in the moment. At some point Onora had linked arms with Nari, and although the knightess would’ve preferred to have her weapo

’Oh! It’s good to see you again as well, it’s been far, far too long! You don’t have to stay away, or be polite you know – the garden is always open to you for visiting!’ Nari sensed a deeper, almost desperate for attention tone beneath the words and kind smile. She’d learnt during a previous encounter just how lonely Nemo often got, and though she’d maintained a resentment towards the non-player character for some time, she’d thawed enough to feel a measure of pity towards his loneliness. A feeling that she herself had gone through, and wished upon no one else – even a computer generated bein

’We’ve been a bit busy, as of late. It’s held us up from visiting as much.’ Nari side eyed the man-drake, a smile on her face and yet a coldness to her tone that was anything but cheery. She quickly added to her statement after a sharp elbow to the ribs from Onora, taking the queue to attempt to be a bit more pleasant. ’We’ve missed you and the garden, though. It was high time we came back and spent some time together, there.’ The words were anything but entirely truthful, and yet there was no lie in what she said. Nari had chosen her words carefully. Although many of the non-player chara

They’d left the town quickly, Nemo excited for the company, and Nari clearly in a rush to enter the garden and begin the trails of locating anything of value. Not that she was entirely waiting just for the garden to come into view – her hands and eyes plucking at any flowers and fruits that they passed along the way, following the road that wound deeper into the flowing fields beyond the Town of Beginning. ’It’s been some time since you visited, I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to return!’ Nemo beamed as he spoke, as if seeing an old friend for the first time in decades. Th

Nature's Treasure: Little Eden ’What was they said about overdoing things?’ Nari didn’t look over at Onora as she continued walking through the town’s streets, looking for any sign of the man-drake that would lead them to the garden. She’d heard earlier in the day that the form of Nemo had been seen roaming the first floor once more, as if taunting players to come find him – a task that Nari had been more than inclined to accept. Onora had been dragged along in the excuse of having a day away from the shop – the blonde had been attending to it with a fervor that screams oncoming burnout –

The glitter of multiple colours breached the water a single second before Nari pulled the line fully from the depths of the lake. She felt the excitement growing in her as she confirmed the collection of the fish – a rainbow trout, from the depths of the lake that contained glittering scales of multiple colours. Collecting her other assortments of fish, she turned towards the house that she had left behind mere hours ago, prepared to return to Anthony and confirm that she had completed the task at hand. Her steps were long and fast as Mio followed her through the forest; the small kitsu

Another draw backwards and another dark scaled fish at her feet. Nari glanced at the pile collecting beside her, wondering if there would be anything specific she would need to do in order to find her special fish. She didn’t think there would be, but who was she to doubt the actions of the game? ’Hey, Mio, think salmon steaks would be good for dinner? Or…cod…or whatever these things are? Fish steaks, I guess.’ She glanced down at the kitsune, seeing the single eye staring back at her with an expression that was less than enthused at having been woken up just to give an opinion on cooking

The line sudden snapped heavily in her hand, and Nari was shaken back to reality as she realised she’d drifted off in thought. She reeled in the bait and line, saddened to find nothing attached to the end of it, before releasing it back into the water. Alright, this is taking a long, long time. I feel like I’ve been here for hours already. In reality, she knew she’d barely been there an hour – but something about the relaxed activity, and the calmness of everything around her left her feeling as though it had been far longer. Sighing to herself, she confirmed the idea that she was going to be