Nari-Lanreth

She could feel the shake in the other, and for the briefest of heartbeats, she wondered if she’d pushed her luck too far. If the other would retreat. Leave her alone, on the pier. Leave her alone, with her shame. But the heartbeat continued, and still, the touch was there. Their lips connected, the shaking continued. The hand, intertwined in her hair, slowly moved inwards. A touch upon her jawline, a connection that sent shivers down Nari’s spine, causing her to quiver vocally, ever so slightly. Just as quickly as it had began, it was over. NIGHT having pulled back, creating only the

Her gaze was pulled from the fading figure as Astreya began talking again, her expression taking on a troubled look. Putting her feelings aside for the moment, she turned back to the duo she had completed the quest with, before throwing on a large smile. “It’s…nothing. Just a little…communication thing.” Her eyes dart towards Koga as she speaks, before returning to lock onto Astreya. “The fight was great, wasn’t it? Really managed to pull ourselves together to bring it down quickly…” A few seconds of silence, and Nari felt her old awkwardness returning. A call from a time ago, and so

Nari exhaled softly as the touch of the lips on the back of her head caused a warmth to spread through her. She felt herself drawn into the embrace further, giving way to the words, barely registering anything beyond the voice and the arms that surrounded her. The breath on the back of her head drove her to an edge she didn’t even know she was close to reaching, and she felt her heart thumping quickly, her mind questioning if NIGHT could feel it through their embrace. ‘Nothing wrong in taking time off.’ She hadn’t, had she? Her focus had been on pushing. Pushing to become the best smith,

She shifted again on her seat, her discomfort at the entire situation becoming obvious through the tension in her body. Her arms had locked themselves in her lap, fingers clenched white against one another as she tried to calm herself. Her eyes had locked onto the visage of the woman guiding the boat, not breaking from her face in an attempt to block out the rocking of the vessel, and the obscuring clouds rolling in. “I do hope you’re not afraid of a little bit of cloudy weather.” The jest was not welcoming to Nari, and she felt her face scrunch slightly as she scowled at the woman. She b

Letting her hand fall, she’ll turn to look at the younger boy, eyeing him closely as he mumbled his final words. She remembered when she had muttered words so similar to those, a time when she would’ve chosen to give up her own life for another. She was also aware that nothing she said would change the fact, the attitude. “Hopefully, it won’t come to that, then. Because I can assure you, that choice is not nearly as simply as you may expect it to be.” She focused her gaze upon the younger boy for some time, just enough to make her point well known. As Morningstar moved through to the exit

The boat pushed off into the centre of the water, swaying slightly as the smaller waves rocked it. Nari kept herself to the centre of the seat, not entirely comfortable with her current position. Trying to distract herself, she glanced at the woman guiding the boat. The first time she had completed this quest, the guide had been a half man, half goat creature – full of sarcasm and enthusiasm towards acting coldly towards Nari. This woman seemed far more…regal in her stance, shoulders and head held high, as if she were trying to pronounce her status to the world. Nari’s gaze lingered for s

She turned to find a slightly tanned woman, dark hair complimenting a sky blue dress. The eyes, dark blue in colour, seemed to shimmer with an almost fluid like appearance. It reminded Nari of a pool of water, somehow seeming to wave like the surface of a pond. “I…believe so, yes. I received a message calling me to visit Olympus.” She wasn’t entirely sure who had requested her presence – the message itself had been sent from Poseidon, but that didn’t mean much when it came to NPC based messaging systems. The woman smiled at Nari, before turning and making her way towards what appeare

“The setting sun…? I think I saw it more in the real world, than I do here. Especially living on floor twenty-seven. But…” Her words halted as she considered the question in depth, wondering if she’d ever really taken the time here to do so. “I think here, in this game, I'm too focused on doing things. Either fighting, or grinding, or smithing…or whatever needs to be done to escape. In fact…” She stopped to consider her next words carefully, knowing that many people would find them counter to the general beliefs that most held. She didn’t want to start an argument, but she also knew that

“Beautiful…” Her words were soft, as if spoken from a distance. Her eyes glazed as she seemed to stare at the sun on the horizon beyond NIGHT’s frame. Slowly, as if rising with the sun, a smile creeped across Nari’s face. One of true happiness, no devilish intent, but rather the pure bliss of the moment. She pulled NIGHT along to the edge of the dock, pushing the girl up against a railing before snuggling in front of her, pushing herself between NIGHT and the railing, and pulling the girl’s arms around herself. Leaning her head back against the girl, she closed her eyes, feeling the warmt

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ruler” Nari returned the greeting with a smile, before turning towards the exterior of the large settlement. “Direct damage. Always good to have around. My focus is more on taking hits, and returning that damage – with a side of setting up opponents for my party members. Tech specialist, in essence. Stunning, debuffing, that sort of thing.” As she walked she considered their destination. It had been a while since she’d last encountered the Monkey King. During that time she had…she forced away the darker thoughts, placing the smile on her face again. “So,

The door opened, only a crack, but enough that Nari could see the glare thrown her way in response to her greeting. The words that slipped through the opening were as kind and welcoming as the eyes that stared at her, an unwelcoming greeting that had Nari withdrawn for a moment, unable to speak as she tried to collect herself. “I…wanted to come by and – well Jomei and I are going to hit up Nemo’s garden…and…did you want to come? I mean, if you’re busy…” A deep inhale, followed by a soft exhale as she tried to calm herself. Her approach was going far less optimal than she’d hoped – than sh

Nari came to a sudden halt, hands latching onto NIGHT and pulling her around to face Nar before moving their way up to the girl's shoulders. She stared NIGHT directly in the eyes, waiting until the girl was obviously focused on her. “I don't want you to leave.” There was no humor, no smile. Her expression and tone spoke of the seriousness behind her words. The silence allowed to stretch for a moment, to let the words sink in and be registered. “If I had my way, there wouldn't be two houses...But that's something for another day.” Nari was surprised at the strength behind her words, t

Nari let her steps carry her for a few heartbeats, as she tried to figure out the best way to respond. She knew that NIGHT was concerned about Onóra’s reactions, and somehow that conflicted with how they needed to behave. It left Nari wondering, and caused her response to be more delayed than she would have liked it to be. “Mmm…Onóra’s not going to be upset if we’re not there for dinner, if that’s what you’re worried about. So long as I give her a heads up, that is. She was just inviting us to be polite, but she does enjoy the estate to herself during the day.” Three steps, a brief pause

Nari’s bouncing came to a halt for a moment, her head tilting as she considered the change in plans. It wasn’t disappointment she felt – simply…reconsideration. Her face, having dropped the smile as she took in the words, forced the happiness back into her expression. “Good idea. Besides, any time spent with you is luxury enough.” She bounced twice again, trying to show that she was content with the change, even if it meant no room service – this time. “But if they have room service, we are definitely coming back one night. Got that?” With another bounce she took off again towards th

Nari shook her head, smiling at the other player as they mentioned the lack of col. “I’m not worried about col, really. And as for being able to withstand the Monkey King…yes, I could. I actually managed to defeat him a while ago, so I’m familiar with the quest – if you want help with it.” Bringing up her menu she donned the heavy armour and shield, before summoning the spear to her hand once more. A sigh escaped her lips as the comfort of the gear settled into place – somehow feeling almost natural to Nari, as if a second skin. Smiling again at the other player, she cocked her head,

Nari hummed at the words, happy to hear that she hadn’t upset the girl – although still not entirely sure why the reaction had occurred. Her only consideration was that she had pushed too far, and silently she reminded herself that she needed to be a little bit more appropriate. Content with the return of the touch, she leaned back into NIGHT, resting her head on the side of the girl’s shoulder as she followed her lead. She was just beginning to fall completely into step when she registered the very first words that had been spoken. “We’re going now?” Her head shot up and she missed

The disconnect slammed into Nari as the girl rushed ahead, the tension in her body obvious, and the confusion in Nari overwhelming. She followed silently, her mind racing in an attempt to figure out what she had done, what she had said. A few times, her mouth opened to say something, to try and correct whatever she had done – but she had no idea, she was lost at sea. The gesture and the corresponding words made Nari jump, pulling her from her deep thoughts. She glanced towards the location, nodding without seeing it. “Vacational…maybe we should go one day?” The words were a mumbling

Nari glanced down as the girl stumbled through an entire sentence as though it was a single word. The flush in the face only made Nari smile wider, her entire plan a complete success – and although she didn’t want to push it too far, she just couldn’t resist. “You are adorable when you get flustered. I just love it...” She almost missed the next question as the girl guided her away from the water, as if trying to avoid the idea entirely. It took her a few steps to respond, as she considered the movement, and the commentary itself. “Comfortable? Well, that depends on who’s with me…wait oth

That gait…the way they walked…it was all familiar to Nari as she peered after the slowly disappearing form. She took a few steps towards the individual, a smile breaking across her face as she raised a hand in greeting, waving it wildly and almost smacking herself in the face with the shield. “Hey! NIGHT!” The smile slowly drew back as the figure continued walking, and her gaze turned to Astreya and Koga, a slight look of confusion in her eyes. “Where’s she going…?” She let her hand drop slightly as she tried to figure out the disconnect that the girl was showing. She had thought the

“I…need to plan on your replacement.” She was talking to a spear. Something that long ago, likely would’ve labelled her as insane. Or at least mentally questionable. Now though, now it was common place. So long as the spear didn’t speak back to her, that is. So far, it hadn’t, but she kept an eye out for it just in case. “That means…I need to start collecting more materials. Which…well, that means Nemo.” She brought up her menu, knowing that she wasn’t going to be going back to the garden alone. Her days of solitude were, hopefully, behind her. At least for the moment. She scrolled throug

Shop Post: Heart's Bane Transaction Date: 2022.03.21 Cost of Transaction: 1 material Crafter's Profession: Blacksmith Crafter's Rank: 7 Item Name: Heart's Bane Item Tier: T2 Item Type: Dagger Item Rarity: Perfect Item Enhancements: Bleed [2Slots], Paralyse [1 Slot] Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID206675 Item Description: A steel dagger stained a rich purple. The blade is lined with d

“Hey Cleo!” Nari gave a smile and wave to the girl as she entered, before glancing down at the requested designs. She cast her eyes over the order form, nodding to herself. “Yeah, definitely! I’ll give you a ping once it’s done, alright?” Heading back into the forge once Cleo had left, she pulled out the hammer – glancing at the fox who no longer provided any assistance with her craft. It had been a while since she’d put any effort into her business, something that she realised was a fault of her own…and someone else. A smile, and then she began her work, letting the hammer ring its sound

The words were comforting, even if they were nothing more than empty promises. Nari knew that none of them had any plans on dying, but in the moment – it was enough. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calmness, taking comfort in the knowledge that they were safe for now at the very least. “You distinctly remember, hmph. I never said I wanted to be shown off. I just said…oh nevermind. If you don’t want to go swimming…” She paused at the next commentary from the girl, thinking about her inventory full of clothing. “I uh…have a few things I could change into if need be…” The de

A flash as the other leapt through the air, landing and remaining motionless. A flash as the serpent erupted into shards. Nari remained still, her eyes on the spot that the serpent had been just moments before. Her fury, her anger subsiding. All at once she dropped the spear, rushing forwards and grabbing NIGHT in an embrace. She pulled the girl in tight, likely causing some discomfort with her grip. “I swear if you die, I’ll kill you. Do not scare me like that.” She gave one further pull towards herself, her head buried on the girl’s shoulder for a moment, before she released

She truly was a beauty to watch on the battle field, and Nari felt her gaze drawn to NIGHT as the girl rushed forward, once again slashing her blade across the sea serpent and leaving a wide gash behind as a reminder of her time there. She missed, entirely, as the serpent pulled back in retaliation. Slamming itself into NIGHT it sent the girl flying, leaving her tumbling across the sands. “NIGHT! NO!” The scream was out Nari’s lips before she even realised herself that she was moving, sprinting in between the serpent and NIGHT, raising her shield and slamming her spear into place atop