Nari-Lanreth

The first arrival, was of course the one she had expected the most. Accepting the physical compliments that were provided, followed by the vocal commentary, Nari smiled. She cast a hand around the area, as if to draw attention away from herself and towards it all. “It’s nothing really. Onóra gave a bit of assistance with the food – okay she gave all the assistance with the food. But the decorations were easy enough. Besides…it’s kind of a traditional thing for me, and it’s something I enjoy doing.” Her eyes diverted away as she blushed ever so slightly, before waving her hand again. “Anyw

Another ding. And another. And another. Her attention was torn away from any attempt to record her songs, the constant draw of the notifications interrupting her otherwise focused intent. Sighing to herself, she closed away the piano before opening the notifications, scanning each intently. ‘Galteans? Ladonians? Refugees? What is going on in Cardinal lately? First the flowers, now this…’ She shook her head to clear away the thoughts, before deciding that she wouldn’t have received so many messages from her mysterious sources if it weren’t important. Bringing up her menu, she pulled f

The shimmer of the teleporter rescinded from her vision as she materialised on the fourth floor. The chill drifting over her as she stepped off the pad, smiling in response to her return. Making her way down the steps, she turned towards home, her steps filled with excitement as she carefully carried the little bag in her hands – fighting hard to keep it safe from everything she passed. Bounding up the steps to the house, she threw open the front door, calling out as she entered. “Hey! I’m back! NIGHT? Where are you?” She moved through the house, searching each room for her companion. She

“Well, yes…” The words seemed apprehensive, as he eyed the piece that Nari had shoved onto him. “I suppose that's a fair trade. Truth be told, I don't quite remember how much we loaned him, anyway.” She felt herself roll her eyes, just barely holding back the words that had been on the tip of her tongue. She still wasn’t sure how someone who couldn’t maintain their loans was in charge of an entire town, but then again she wasn’t entirely sure of anything about the mayor beyond the fact he seemed…well, incapable. “Uh, alright, that's all, then. Thank you for your help. If you ever nee

The mayor wasn’t quite where she had expected to find him, but Nari recognised the man from when she had first encountered him. Any doubts she may have had were tossed aside as the man dashed after a player, chasing them down and requesting their help with finding money that they had leant out to someone within the town. Nari waited patiently as the player gathered the limited information the mayor was able to provide, before heading off on their way. She sent a silent prayer of support towards the player, hoping they faired better than Nari herself had when she first began the quest.

“Excellent! I’m glad I could help out!” His smile seemed genuine, and as he packaged it up, Nari sent the payment for the piece – adding in a tip that she felt spoke to her gratitude for his assistance with finding it. He handed her the item, glancing at the pop up that denoted her payment, his eyes quickly ranging across it to make sure it was accurate before returning to her face. He had just opened his mouth to thank her – like she herself had done so many times before – when he suddenly stopped mid motion, his expression turning to shock as the amount suddenly registered in his mind.

“Alright, none of these – I’m guessing this is something special, then?” The grin on his face said more than his words, and Nari felt her face blush slightly in response. She nodded quickly, biting her lip before speaking aloud. “I’m looking for a house cat, or kitten if possible. It’s for…someone who means a lot, and I think it would…well, I think they’d love it.” The man behind the counter smiled in response, heading back to his collection of options, before pulling out what appeared to be a smaller piece than the others. Carrying it back to the counter, he gingerly laid it out for Nari

“Ah…I think we have a few options…” Moving swiftly along the displays, the man – Nari could see now he was younger, likely in his young adult years, or late teenage years. He appeared to be a player, and Nari wondered if he was one of the few players whom had decided to remain behind on the first, when everyone had moved upwards. “I have some that may fit the bill, I think.” He laid out a collection of eleven options on the counter, letting Nari glance over each. Jaguars, panthers, large cats, everything she could possibly hope for. But not exactly what she was looking for. Her brow furro

Her eyes fell upon a shopfront that she’d never seen before – the needle and thread display signifying that it was likely a tailor of some sorts. What had caught her attention, however, were the numerous plush animals on display within the front window. Her eyes cast over the small things, the cuteness of them all catching her breath as she felt her excitement growing. Barely able to stop herself from bouncing on the spot, she rushed into the store, waving a greeting at the shop worker before moving to the side which contained a collection of further stuffed animals. Her eyes glazed over

She wandered through the town, trying to remember exactly where she had first encountered the mayor – so long ago, now that she thought back on it. It felt like years ago, now. She remembered the encounter well, it had been the first time she had met NIGHT, Koga and Bismuth. A sudden sadness hit her as she realised she hadn’t heard from the man in quite some time, slowly driven away as her mind turned to NIGHT. Their first encounter had been…less than desirable, perhaps. But it was what occurred afterwards that had always left a feeling of regret in Nari’s heart. Things had gone from bad,

“I’m…sure the mayor will be happy about that…” The sarcasm seemed lost on the man as he beamed at her, but said nothing more. Hesitant for just a moment, she stored away the item, before making her way back along the dock – stopping at the start of it to glance back for a moment. The NPC had returned to its original position, staring out over the waters, waiting for the next player to come activate the quest. She wondered if the artificial beings ever grew to hate their purpose, if they could even do so. Most seemed blissfully unaware of their limited purposes in this world, as if they we

She was just about to leave the docks when she remembered why she’d come in the first place. Turning back to face the fisherman – his enthusiasm still being broadcast to the air around him – she brought her concerns to light once more. “So, about the money you owe the mayor…” His grin barely faltered as she brought up the topic, and she watched as he pulled out what appeared to be a large, white hunk of bone. Dropping it into her hands, he stepped back – his smile still spreading across his face. “Big Bertha’s bill!” He seemed almost proud of the find, as if it somehow would repay th

The giant fish exploded into shards as Nari’s strike pierced the hide once more, forcing the boat to rock slightly against the water as the weight of it dispersed. From beside her, the walloping of the other broke the silence over the water, and Nari felt herself sigh. Pulling up her menu, she checked what she had gained from the giant fish, before storing her armour and weapon, feeling somewhat safer with the heavy equipment gone. “Did ya see that?! We got her!” Nari smiled at the enthusiasm, simply desiring to be back on solid land once more. Her NPC companion had already begun rowing b

It was almost too easy. Her first strike tore into the fish, forcing it to freeze in place as the stun effect coursed through it, followed by the ice spreading across its body and causing cracks in its outer hide. She pulled her spear back, glancing towards the NPC for a brief second before resetting herself. The boat rocked slightly beneath them, the large fish having bumped against it when its momentum had been stopped by Nari’s strike. “Almost…got this….” The words forced between tightly clenched teeth as she fought against the feeling within herself, the unease brought upon the realis

She was not pleased with the idea of fighting in a boat. A ship, she could consider – where there would be stable enough ground to safely stand and fight. But the small little row boat they were in provided none of that. In fact, if anything, she doubted she’d be able to properly stand in the small vessel. A quick glance around made her concerned to even attempt it, and so she resolved herself to fighting from a seated position – something she’d never attempted, and was sure that anyone who saw it would never let rest in her memories. “Fine. Let’s do this, then.” The words were filled wit

A shift of something in the water, the movement barely visible against the glimmer from the sunlight. It was enough to cause Nari to lean forwards though, her lips parting as she tried to get the NPC’s attention. “Hey…I think there’s something-“ Her words cut off as the large fish breached the surface, the spear-tipped nose nearly catching Nari as she shifted backwards in the boat to avoid being pierced. She felt herself call out, before she realised that the large fish had a health bar, and a name. Her eyes drifted over the name, recognising it from what the man in the boat with her had

The glint of the sun off the water hurt her eyes. She squinted against it, wishing she had a pair of her sunglasses. She made a mental note to pick up a pair, if she could find them within Aincrad somewhere. She was amazed she’d made it this far without a pair, something she normally wore anytime she was outside in the real world – and yet, here, she’d never found a cause for them until now. “I don’t see anything…” She growled the words as she looked at the NPC in frustration. The man seemed to ignore her, his own gaze still roaming across the water in search of…well, whatever. “Care to t

She knew she wasn’t released from the fear, but the way in which Pete continued speaking, and the control he showed with just his presence allowed Nari a measure of lesser fear. She could look around, still grabbing at the sides with every sudden jerk of movement, but her heart slowly calming as she spent more time within the boat itself. “Do you see her? She should be here soon…” She’d almost forgotten their purpose for being out here, and as the NPC brought it back to memory, Nari forced her eyes to scan the surface of the water – careful to watch for any sign of movement that would sig

The boat ride was about as comfortable as Nari was expecting. Which is to say, not in the least bit enjoyable. Focusing on her snack until it was gone, she was able to keep her attention away from the life giving, and taking, waters that surrounded them on all sides of the little boat. Once that was completed, however, she had no choice but to glance about and take in their current position – several dozens of metres away from the docks, and slowly distancing themselves. Essentially, a position that made Nari extremely uncomfortable. Her hands locked onto the sides of the boat, she questi

"Yer tellin' me Mayor Dorian's taken to sending players to do his dirty work? Seems wrong that he-" The man stopped mid sentence, his attention drawn by something in the water – something that Nari herself didn’t care to even search for. “There she is!” The sudden shoving of a fishing pole, line and gear into her arms shook Nari from her otherwise calm demeanor. Her mouth opening to complain, she was beaten back as the man spoke overtop of her. "You take that, 'n' I'll grab my harpoon. I can't believe Big Bertha's finally reared her beautiful head! You got any of those potion things? We'l

The docks were about what Nari had expected to find – small, filled with little boats, and smelling of the sea. Everything that Nari disliked, so to speak. At the end of the dock itself stood an older man, rod in hand and the look of someone awaiting their purpose in life. From a distance she could already tell that the man was her intended target, the white beard giving away the same resemblance as the two previously spoken to in the first and second portion of the quest – a clear indication of the ties meant to be. “Let’s just…get this over with, right Yuki?” The fox chittered an a

The Town of Beginnings. She remembered it being…somehow fuller, the last time she was here. Her eyes cast across the relatively empty courtyard, the few players and NPCs moving around the area relatively miniscule compared to the vast open space. Her steps led her down the stairs, her eyes drawn towards everything, taking in the area. The last time she had been here, she had felt a similar feeling – there’d still been some crowds, enough to make it still feel busy. But now…now it felt almost deserted. ‘A ghost town, of sorts.’ She couldn’t deny that it still showed some liveliness; not ev

Nodding to Koga, and a moment later to Cleo as they both stepped down off the teleporter, Nari stood up from the ledge she’d been leaning against – her face stoic as she glanced between the two of them, her eyes cast upwards at their faces. “Thanks for coming. I received this not too long ago –“ A flick of her hand and the message spun for both to read, the redacted name from the sender standing out against the rest of the message. She still hadn’t learnt anything about how that was possible, nor had her attempts to squeeze anything of use out of the personal contact led to anything. “I’v

She’d checked everything, making sure that the decorations weren’t overpowering, that the food was laid out – tables lining the entry hallway, the kitchen table and counters, and even the dining room table. The collection of varying foods – everything from what appeared to be typical Chinese/Japanese dishes, to the Gaelic dishes of her own family, and the numerous egg-based meals in honour of Ēostre. The hallway itself had been lined with the coloured candles – something she’d spent days looking for, the varying colours of the rainbow lighting the hallway in an odd manner. She’d hung the

The frost spread further across the thing as her spear once more punctured it, the frostbite hidden within activating at the contact and cracking away the health and scales of the creature. A quick glance told her that the thing was almost dead. Setting her feet, she decided to go on the offensive, rather than waiting for her damage over time and defensive skills to finish it off fully. Feet sliding on the sand as she tried to find purchase, she raced beneath the thing to its opposite side. The heads lashing out behind her, unable to connect with her exposed back – something Nari was than