Them

Gladened as Krysta confirmed that she was okay, Cleo observed the closing moments of the fight. After the boar's grating squeal, she felt relief over the encounter's end and, after a brief survey of their surroundings, removed herself from cover. No more threats were in sight, but she couldn't trust observations alone, and as the last boar seemed to appear out of nowhere, the Player kept her wits about her, staying on high alert. In response to Krysta's wish to leave at the earliest convenience, she agreed. "Yeah, let's get out of here as soon as we can. I'm practically boar food out here." A smile hid hints of genuine concern. "Good job, by the way. Don't worry; I won't tell anybody you got knocked onto your butt by a floor one boar." Cleo's smile grew as she laughed briefly, though seriousness returned soon after.

Combat behind the pair, the search for materials commenced once more. "You get anything useful for the quest, at least?"

@Krysta

After hearing Nari's apology, Cleo stood still, chin tucked into her chest and her eyes closed. Was it worth holding a grudge over something so small? In the end, she knew the other Player's criticism to be wholly warranted, given Cleo had performed about as poorly as one could during combat. She knew that it was silly to hold hate for something so small. Releasing a sigh, she responded, eyes opening. "Yes." Realizing that Nari was offering a handshake, she reached across to complete the gesture. "I forgive you. Sometimes I take criticism too personally, but I fully deserve it in this situation. Let's face it, that was a 1-star performance from me." Finding the will to smile, she relaxed, feeling the tension ease just a little bit.

Seeing Nari's menu pop up, she watched the purple-haired woman bring out a little music box and, when offered the trinket, took it into her grasp. The item seemed to bring a degree of luck, at least according to its stats. "Worth a shot, right?" The box in hand, Cleo bent down and, after getting her bearings with the device, began to gently twirl the handle of the music box. A familiar-sounding instrumental played aloud and echoed throughout the halls of the ruins, reverberating and amplifying the volume just a little box. However, after a dozen seconds of playing, the familiar hadn't appeared. Cleo sighed in defeat, arms falling limp, and stood back up. "Damn it. There are some other parts of the temple that we can try if you're up to it?"

Before they started to head back, whether to explore the ruins further if Nari felt up to it or to retreat if their time had run out, Cleo walked over to the wooden coffer to inspect it. It was her second encounter with a chest—where the first netted a few rare items courtesy of her pink-haired friend, Rebekah—and she felt cautiously optimistic in her approach, anticipation in her eyes.

Inspecting it up close, she stood still, confused. "Hm. Hey, Nari? I don't think this chest has a..."

Click

"Lid?"

Cleo felt a vibration in her foot and, looking down, noticed a pressure plate on the floor after it was already too late. Suddenly, the ruins began to rumble as a fracture formed in the ground, draining the sand to reveal solid rock floors below. The crack grew into a crevice, breaking the ground like ice on the surface of a lake, extending past Cleo and Nari across to the opposite end of the crumbling temple. Rocks toppled from high above and crashed through the floor, and the crevice began to consume all in its path. The chest, parts of the walls, and, inevitably, the unfortunate souls who found themselves in its wake, everything toppled into the darkness below.

"Nari!" was the last thing that Cleo screamed before a rock from the ceiling struck her in the head, stunning the Player as she fell.

---

When the Players wake, they find themselves trapped in a secluded room, illuminated by torches perched upon pillars encircling the area. In the center, a stone pylon surrounded by crystals stood idly, with strange incantations carved into its surface. To the far end of the room sat a rock, and the peculiar health bar floating above it...

Breath drew from her lungs when the boar flipped Krysta up into the air before crashing into the grassy floor. Cleo could do nothing but watch as the beast, and the other Player went in for another attack. She saw that neither of the combatants landed a significant blow against the other in keeping track of the blonde's health bar, but the tension had only risen since the fight's inception. 

"Krysta! You okay?" she shouted across, half-wanting to spring up from behind the log and take the boar by surprise. The other Player's words echoed in her mind, however. This creature, it is balanced against me. She'd seen how much damage the boar had taken, while she could barely deal a tenth of that. If the beast's strength rivaled Krysta's, how many attacks could she take herself? Perhaps none. For that reason, she held back, glued to the log, and waited.

@Krysta

Cleo's face lit up with shock as Nari took to roasting her mid-fight. The skeletons' fates were sealed by the shieldbearer's spear, exploding into shards and leaving naught but a dim glow, and their existence ceased to be. However, before the chamber could grow quiet, the purple-haired player posed another question to the blue-haired one, and Cleo's smile faded. Cleo's immediate reaction compressed into her thoughts; you know that it doesn't, you made it! She noted the change in the woman's demeanor since before they'd engaged in combat. Something seemed to change. A coldness or darkness set in. She recalled fighting the scorpions earlier and realized that it was the same then. "Okay! Sorry, I wasn't trying to miss them on purpose. I'll add that to my repertoire of shit to remember when we get back." Giving Nari the benefit of the doubt and chalking the attitude up to the thrill of the fight, she reigned the sarcasm in her reply but couldn't hide the dissonance latent in her tone.

With a quick check to make sure no more piles of bones scattered the area, she set her eyes back on the path they'd initially been taking. Ahead, a small wooden box sat perched upon a sandstone pillar. It seemed suspicious to even the most untrained of eyes, and she glanced toward Nari with a hint of discontent before looking back to the coffer. "You wanna open it? Seeing as I might miss the chest lid and all, too."

ID: 205160 | LD: 8 + 3 = 11 | No famliar!

The fact that the recoil damage existed as an ability blew Cleo's mind. Another thing to learn? I should start writing this stuff down.

With the plan set in stone, she nodded firmly and took position a few strides back and to the side. It was simple; she'd wait until the skeletons were close enough to Nari to attack and then run in speedily while they're in mid-swing, finishing them off before they knew what's what.

That would have been the plan if one of the skeletons hadn't killed itself after bashing the shieldbearer's armor and diminishing the remainder of its health, while the other followed suit, taken to within an inch of its life.

She stood still, somewhat gobsmacked at the poor showing from the mobs, somewhat gawking at how strong Nari seemed to be. Cleo twirled the dagger around as she prepared to step in if necessary, though it appeared that the fight had fast approached its end, and she hung back for a moment longer.

She heard Nari's intentions to weaken the first foe so that Cleo could finish it off. "I can try!" She stood, readying to strike again despite her critically awful attack from before.

With the skeletons bundled together, Cleo seized her moment. She approached speedily to deliver another swing, barely missing the first yet connecting with the second, draining its health into the red zone. Thrown from its attack, the mob tumbled and fumbled the attack. "Missed. Look out!" The first skeleton drew its weapon backward and swung at Nari, doing itself more harm than good as its health dipped into the orange zone from the recoil while the shieldbearer's health bar barely moved. She took no damage? thought Cleo as she pulled back from the undead duo and circled to Nari's side. Keeping steady eyes on the enemies, she quickly looked to the other Player, confusion written across her face. "Did you damage the skeleton without hitting it?"

"Chest. Huh." Curious about the contents, Cleo stood a bit behind as the other Player opened it up, wondering what could be inside that would threaten them.

It opened with a click, and she leaned forward despite the warning to get a good look at the contents. "A weapon and some potions? Nice!" Whether or not the loot was good, she hadn't a clue, but the other Player seemed to be satisfied with it.

"Agreed, let's get going." Nodding as Rebekah mentioned they should head back, she closed the chest's lid and made way for the path. With that, they set off for the Town of Beginnings.

A few minutes later, they came up to the front of Zackariah's shop, and Cleo approached first, holding the door open for Rebekah to step inside. "After you. This next bit shouldn't take anywhere near as long, it's just one potion, and then you're done. Good luck!"

@Rebekah

Cleo listened as Rebekah explained the premise behind floor twenty-five, the giant maze, and the overall dull execution of the floor. She nodded, unimpressed. "Alright, agreed, that floor sounds like a nightmare. Just a maze with no scenic features sounds depressing as hell. Plus, imagine getting lost in there without a teleportation crystal? Yikes." The thought was somewhat disturbing, and she quickly tried to distract herself with something else.

Thankfully, Rebekah located the last of the materials, to which Cleo stood up with an arm raised victoriously. "Way to go! Let's get that potion crafted."

Then, quite unceremoniously, she tried to take a shortcut through a bush and caught a foot on something, tripping into the path ahead. Groaning, she picked herself up onto her knees and glanced backward, trying to find what had blocked her way and caused her to trip. A little metal chest, obscured by the leaves of the bush, sat within it. "What the hell is that?"

ID: 205023 | LD: 19+3=22 (Treasure Chest Found!)

@Rebekah

With a plethora of suggestions to consider, each as enticing as others, Cleo sat on her thoughts for a moment before answering Rebekah's question. "Something new, not like this floor. Four is a strong contender. I live near mountains in the real world, so skiing was frequent for my family and me. Snowy weather's a bit blah, though. Had way too much of that in Norway." She sat down on a nearby fence to take a little break from gathering. "I think floor twenty-four might be more my jam. It would be nice to sit in the sun and think about nothing, what better place to do that than the beach?" Throwing a grin toward the other Player, she continued. "I think I'll try those two. A giant volcano does sound kind of cool, though, so maybe I'll visit floor nine if I'm feeling a little risky."

An odd thought struck Cleo and she posed a question to Rebekah, curious. "This is gonna sound strange. What's the 'weirdest' floor out there? As in, one that sets itself apart from others or has a really unique gimmick, or something else. This floor has to be the most basic one, I assume, so it would be nice to contrast that with something a little funky."

@Rebekah

"Go get 'em!" she cheered encouragingly. From past experiences, she found that the river was always a great place to come and look for materials. That said, it was likely her experiences were hyperbole and that there was an equal chance of finding something no matter where one looked.

Looking around herself for any materials, she decided to look around the same area she'd searched in the past. There stood a dry, withered tree stump, bereaved of its tree long ago. Alongside it lay a tree trunk, hollowed out by termites long ago, large enough for a Player to crawl inside. In doing so, a small, glittery snail shell converted into a material, and she crawled out from the hollowed-out tree and stood herself up, dusting off the dust from her bottoms.

Upon seeing that Rebekah had scored another material for the quest, Cleo's belief of the area being a prime spot for gathering solidified. In thinking of ways to pass the time, she turned to Rebekah, curious about the woman's experience with the higher floors. "So, what's it like on the floors higher up? I've never really been anywhere outside of the safe zones, besides around the Town of Beginnings, and never any higher than floor six. Got any favorites I should check out later on?"

ID: 205011 | LD: 14+3=17 (Success!)

+1 Material (3)

@Rebekah

The boar dodged away from Krysta's attack, Krysta deflected an assault from the boar, and Cleo watched from the sidelines, whelmed with anticipation. It was the first time she'd bore witness to a high-level player in combat, and against an enemy scaled to their level no less, so she'd take the time to study the other Player's movements. The fight seemed one-sided, with the boar not having landed a single attack and its health almost entirely depleted. Still, for Cleo, it was an excellent opportunity to start to fill the most glaringly obvious gap in her Sword Art Online knowledge; combat.

Her eyes broke from the fight for a moment on the off-chance that a material lurked nearby, perhaps around the hollowed-out tree which she separated herself from the action unfolding nearby, but alas, she'd no such luck.

Rather than risk distracting the Player in the midst of a fight, she stayed put, still as a rock, watching.

ID: 205010 | LD: 8 + 3 = 11

@Krysta

"I trust you," replied Cleo, absorbing Nari's plan as she stood behind the other Player, grip tightening around her dagger. The clanging of bones as the skeletons arose from their centuries-long slumber led the hairs on her arms and neck to stand on end, thinking the sound more than unpleasant.

When the shieldbearer stunned the assailants, Cleo heeded the time to strike. She ran at them without fear of retaliation and lashed out with a sweeping attack, the dagger's point tracing an arc in the air, which missed both targets. Tripping on the first skeleton's boney foot, Cleo stumbled arms-first toward the ground with a grunt and tensed, just barely saving herself from a painful fall. With another grunt, both out of discontent and embarrassment, she turned, watching the undead monsters start to recover their motor functions. Squarely focused on the purple-haired woman, they paid no attention to her, and she struggled back onto her feet.

Cleo mobilized a few steps behind Nari as the two pressed onward, dagger at the ready.

Then, when the other Player inquired about the creature, realization filled Cleo's eyes. "Oh. It's this sort of cat, with beige, long fur, beautiful blue eyes, and its ears look like little wisps of smoke. Its tail is always on fire. Flametail." The Player recalled seeing the creature clear as day in all its majesty and smiled slightly, looking to Nari. "Sorry, I should have described what we were looking for earlier. The cat will stick out like a sore thumb around here." To that, her eyes began to sweep the area around them.

Trekking onward, the condition of the walls improved, and the hieroglyphs grew legible, though to what they eluded was knowledge lost to time. The suggestion of a corridor formed around them and, in the distance, a wooden coffer sat raised upon an intricately chiseled sandstone pillar. Partially buried bones lined the walls up along the corridor with curved scimitar blades poking through the sand beside them, a sign that the two players mightn't have been the first to grace the ruins.

Another crack creaked closer this time. Cleo slowed, squinting, and whispered. "There it is again. No sign of the familiar, though. See anything?"

Off to the side and a little way ahead, almost imperceptible, a bone twitched.

An extra couple of terms trickled into her mind-dictionary, evasion and mitigation, concepts she'd known of but hadn't been able to put names to the ideas. The recommendations stuck with Cleo the most out of what Nari told her. Teamwork, a concept foreign to her of yet, seemed to play a key part in the higher levels, as she'd now heard from multiple players, but it wasn't something that worried her too much as of then. She nodded, uncertain herself about how much she was genuinely taking in, though feeling that most of it were beginning to stick.

From the pause, followed by Nari's distant expression, she understood that a painful story might hide behind the reason for wanting to protect other players. "That's the best reason you could have." Perhaps she lost somebody? was the first thing that floated into Cleo's mind, but she wouldn't dwell on it any further. 

Instead, with Nari's offer to help devise a proper strategy for Cleo moving forward, the blue-haired woman's eyes lit up, any dejection from earlier masked by hope for the future. "You would do that? First, you write off the dagger, and now, this. Gonna to be in more debt to you than world Governments are to each other, you know?" A grin began to grow, and she nodded. "I'll bug you some time. Coffee's on me. If you drink it, obviously." 

In the distance, a crack emanated from the ruins. "Hm?" Perhaps it was nothing, the wind blowing rocks around and into the walls. Perhaps, it was something else. Cleo stood herself up with a look of caution, maybe a touch dramatically, but the atmosphere was conducive to vigilance. "Wonder if we should move further into the ruins. We're barely scratching the surface, as it is. Maybe that was the Flametail?"

The exposition of information brought Cleo back into a headspace she hadn't been in since childhood. As a child would struggle to absorb the frightening twelves times table, she would try to take in as much info as possible from Nari, her wires likely crossing on a couple of points. Three key things were: damage, support, tank. These could mix, intermingle, to play on the strengths of one and dampen the pitfalls of the other. If there were any more critical points, these became lost on her, though she could refine her understanding later on if need be. "That's a lot to take in. But I'm starting to get it now, a little bit, I think. I guess that makes my plan of 'not planning' a woeful strategy, then." She pulled a weak smile and answered through the dejection, nodding reassuringly for her own benefit. "'DPS', is it? Has been working out well for me so far, so I do want to stick to that, but I'll look to put a bit more focus on 'tank.' As for crafting, I'm a tailor, but I haven't gotten started on that yet. But, that's a bridge to cross another day."

The place was eerie and empty, but the walls nearby provided adequate cover from the winds and a rare spot of shade to rest. Needing a breather, Cleo slumped against a wall in ruins and slid to the floor with a clang, the tip of her dagger striking the sandstone. She felt around for the waterskin hooked to her bottoms and, just before taking a swig, posed a question to the other Player. "How come you chose tank, by the way?" As she drank, water soothed the dryness in the back of her throat.

The stranger's health bar fell to one, and Cleo's last sword art rendered the duel won. In a panic, she recalled her dagger and leaned down, catching the person as they fell. "Hey, you okay?"

Though afflicted with a wound that would have killed under usual circumstances, they nodded weakly, smiling to signal nothing was amiss. "Very well done. Thank you for sparing me. It seems I'll need to be stronger yet if I'm to best you." Cleo held them as they moved to stand and let go once the stranger was on their feet. As they drank from a strange little potion that sat in their belt, the stranger appeared revitalized in a matter of seconds, and the wound disappeared. "I'll leave you be. May our paths cross some other day again." Bowing, they made way for the opening where they'd led the Player into the clearing and disappeared into the brush.

All that Cleo could do was stand there, unsure what to make of the experience. Was that it?

A quest completed window appeared before her, listing the <<Concentration>> skill as a reward.

I guess so.

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 24/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 95/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1 | Stun Protection 4/4

ID: 204705 | BD: 10 (Critical hit!) | TECH-A vs The Gemini
| Them hits!
| (13 + 2) * 12 - 5 = 175 DMG!

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 13/36 (-11) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 0(1*)/270 (-175) | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1 | Stun Protection 3/4

If she were to win this fight, she would have to try one of two things; outsmart her enemy or roll the dice and see which one of them came out on top. Having taken a hit, Cleo was already a step behind in the fight, so rolling the dice became a risky strategy. The only option was to think outside the box.

As she and they circled one another, genius finally struck the Player.

She launched into another attack. Cleo came to a forceful stop a short way from the target and, planting a foot into a puddle, showered them with a veil of water. The figure recoiled and, with enough time to pull off a perfect execution, the stunning sword art struck the assailant square in the stomach, mimicking the attack on herself not long ago. The stun halted any possible relation, shocking the figure's muscles in place and, as Cleo retreated her dagger from the target, she pulled a smile, readying one final attack.

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 34/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

ID: 204704 | BD: 10 (Critical hit!) | TECH-A vs The Gemini
| Them hits!
| (13 + 2) * 12 - 5 = 175 DMG!
| The Gemini is stunned!

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 23/36 (-11) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 95/270 (-175) | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1 | Stun Protection 4/4

Cleo strafed left, and the figure followed. She strafed right, and it shuffled right, too. A quirk about the figure struck Cleo as curious. If she switched the hand holding her dagger, so would they. She recalled the previous attack where they'd tried to attack each other and missed comically, and a realization dawned—it was mocking her fighting style. Not in the sense that it was making fun of her, but in that every movement she would typically make, they would copy. They had studied her movements long enough to learn how she fights, to mimic the moves she would typically make.

However, this could ultimately lead to its undoing, and Cleo knew it. She wasn't a good fighter. She knew herself to be a terrible one, a fact which she'd use to her advantage.

As she leaned in for another attack meant to stun, their daggers missed each other by mere inches, though the recovery was nowhere near as dire, and they were quick to square off against one another once more.

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 35/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

ID: 204703 | BD: 3+1=4 (Miss!) | MD: 3+1=4 (Miss!)
| Them misses!
| The Gemini misses!

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 33/36 (-2) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

Whoever this was, they intended to play dirty. Fair fight, my ass.

Cleo decided against waiting to be struck so freely again and, blade held similarly to the stranger, targeted her enemy with a sword art intended to stun. She ran forward, as did they, and the two made swings at each other that would miss by an arm's length each, before both stumbling to the ground in opposite directions. Fearing the stranger would seize the opportunity to strike, she scrambled to recover her weapon and back onto her, only to turn and realize they'd made the same error. "Oops."

"Mhm."

Silently, the air grew tense, and any other sounds that came from the forest were blocked out as she listened to the figure's footsteps.

The two stood, squaring off, circling one another amidst a bed of flowers. Cleo kept her wits about her, knowing that if the foe had one trick up their sleeve, they would likely have another to show off.

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

ID: 204701 | BD: 1 (Critical miss!) | MD: 1 (Critical miss!)
| Them misses!
| The Gemini misses!

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 34/36 (-2) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

Equipment in check, Cleo was feeling ready to square off against the stranger.

"I think I'm ready. Wait!" Before she had even a second to react, the stranger plunged their dagger deep into Cleo's stomach, their <<Disguise>> skill proving a helpful distraction. She was frozen in panic, half from the shock of being stabbed somewhere where it felt so real and half out of the sudden start to the fight. She watched desperately and helplessly as her health bar trickled down to nearly half after taking one hit.

As they yanked the dagger from the Player's stomach, the cloaked figure retreated across the arena to the opposite side, blade held at the ready.

"I thought that this was gonna be a fair fight!" screamed the blue-haired woman to the assailant, whose lips were tightened and concentrating on the skirmish.

"It is. Perhaps you shouldn't have your back turned during a duel?"

Them | HP: 180/180 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

ID: 204701 | MD: 10+1=11 (Hit!)

| The Gemini hits!
| 72 - 5 = 67 DMG

Them | HP: 113/180 (-67) | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

Wordlessly, the hooded figure led Cleo on a winding path through the jungles of the fourth-floor, passing valleys and rivers and a jungle temple—something she might come back to at a later time. Trees began to blend as the seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into an hour, until, finally, they would come out to an opening in the forest, an area of respite. Flowers adorned the open ground, and the dense brush receded into the tree-line, creating the perfect location for a duel, which she knew was inevitable.

Their back turned, the stranger appeared to be tending to their equipment, which Cleo had taken to mean that she could do the same. Though she was a measly level nine, there were still some goodies in her possession. Key was her dagger, Obsidian Stylet, made by a smith on the twenty-seventh floor, which boasted an impressive boost to her damage. Besides that, a small musical box brought luck wherever she went. Its usefulness would be muted in this scenario, however.

Them | HP: 180/180 | EN: 36/36 (Three posts out of combat) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1

Profession, combat, healing, searching. Terms all blurred into one as Nari delivered crucial information about which skills a familiar could have, and Cleo had the idea that some research would have to be done, sooner or later. Oy vey, so many options.

Then, crucially, the purple-haired woman asked Cleo what her plans were for herself. The question caught her tongue, and though the Player pondered for a moment, she already knew she'd no proper answer to give. "My focus?" Eyes searching around the ruins, she thought for another precious moment before giving up. "I don't... know. I have no idea what I want to do. I don't even know half of what I don't know." She sighed in exasperation and, realizing how the little outburst may have come across, sighed again, weakly. "Sorry. Sometimes, I feel like I have no idea about anything. Games have always been weird for me. Living inside of one hasn't come easy, at all." Managing to put her thoughts straight, if only for a second, she answered. "I think my focus is fighting. Is that even a focus, just 'fighting'?"

Seeing that the Player was more on-board than before, the figure lowered their arms and breathed calmly, prepping to explain. "It's a simple measure of strength. I watch a lot of people, follow them on their journeys, to see how far they've come since the beginning. I promise, one duel is all I ask for, and I'll be forever out of your hair."

Weird. That was the only thing that sprung to Cleo's mind. Never mind all of the stuff about being 'watched,' but this person's purpose—an NPC, she swiftly realized—was gathering information on the players as they progressed through the game. When all was said and done, what did they intend to do with that data? Rather than ponder the question any longer, she sighed, tried to think of any reasons against saying yes, and then ultimately gave in. "Alright. One duel."

The quest window appeared before her, and she accepted.

Them | HP: 180/180| EN: 18/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1

"It's simple. I wish to duel you." The figure was unmoving beneath its cloak and hood, though Cleo could see the outline of their lips shuffling in the dark.

The challenge was not to Cleo's liking, and without a second of thought, she shook her head, denying the request. "Nuh-uh, not doing that. I've heard stories about duels, about people getting tricked into a fight to the death. I don't know who you are, not letting that happen." Though she wouldn't let it show, she grew uneasy from the conversation, her feet shifting uncomfortably.

As if to calm Cleo's nerves, the figure raised its hands non-threateningly. "Let me re-iterate. It would be a non-lethal duel. Upon one of us reaching one hit point, the duel will end, and both players will have their health returned to full. There's no risk of death. I can assure you that."

She still didn't entirely enjoy the proposal, but it sounded better than it had initially. "I see. Maybe... but why do you want to have a duel in the first place?"

Them | HP: 180/180| EN: 17/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1

"I hope to find out soon enough, too." To bond with a creature, with anything, would be a godsend to her mental health, and Cleo found comfort in Nari's reinforcement that she'd find the same thing she shared with Yuki. 

They breached what could be considered the entrance to the ruins, a half-collapsed archway that led further into the dilapidated structure. Then, when the purple-haired woman posed a question which Cleo hadn't yet considered nor indeed heard of before, she looked over to the other Player quizzically. "I wasn't aware of that all, no. Hadn't thought about anything like that, actually, besides the emotional support side of things." For a second, she racked her brain for any ideas on what a familiar even could do. "Assuming there are restrictions on what abilities they can have? I would feel terrible for having mine involved in combat, but I haven't yet seen one in a fight, so they might be more durable than they look. Hm. I wouldn't know... do you have any recommendations?" 

ID: 204698 | LD: 8 + 3 = 11 (No dice!)

| Familiar search requirement lowered from 15 to 12.