Acanthus

“Looking for better gear, hm?” Acanthus glanced at his equipment. It didn’t seem bad, just… maybe outdated? “Well, Nymoria is right. I believe the Cave of Wonders operates as an effective way to gain plenty of money. Eden also offers plenty as well, Nymoria and I have done that quest already. There are also plenty of zones off the beaten path that offer col and items. I’ve found quite a few, and have a comfortable amount of money for new gear and equipment.” Out of the corner of her eye, Acanthus caught Nymoria signing to her. Her face reddened further. She tried waving her off silently.

[Initiative. 241258: LD 1] Any person can tell you that a good song and a good story have the same form. But it takes a performer to tell you why. Scene one: exposition. The explanation; the stakes, neatly written out in a way that the audience is meant to understand. The swordswoman and her partner walked into the Cathedral, hand in hand. It would have bothered Acanthus; she hadn’t much cared for physical contact at all. She took a glance into the stranger’s eyes. He was mathematically attractive; she could make the dance convincing. The stakes? There were none. Who cared who d

She could hear the rhythm of the fight rising. Feet shuffling in the sand. Metal scraping against metal. It was a driving beat, one that made her happy to move from bandit to bandit. Move, dispatch, move, dispatch. The next group: move, dispatch, move, dispatch. The rhythm of the fight would have won out even if she hadn’t been fighting it. But times like this let her cut loose. Besides, none of it was real. The beat changed when the bandit king boss materialized. "Hmmmm if you like to kill so much you must not be afraid to die!" Oh no, I’m terrified, Acanthus thought lazily, slicing

The frantic swordswoman was so relieved by the turnaround she forgot her usual formalities. "Ren, you're a genius!" She leaned over the counter to hug him (assuming he didn't leap back to avoid the sudden lunge), and swiped the improved armor. "Anything you need after this, you name it. After all the work I've rushed through your shop, I don't think I'm even close to paying you back. Quests, items, hell, even some shards or scales, just say the word... Oh, *shit*." She interrupted herself, checking the system clock. "I'm late. I'm never late. Deep breaths, Acanthus. Remember the routine.

The door to the Knight Shift nearly flew off the hinges as Acanthus frantically burst into the shop. She appeared half-dressed: In one hand, she held her familiar thistle armor, in the other, a strange and heavy fur coat. Her tunic had been hastily thrown on, and a few fastens were still loose. "Hi hello thank you for responding at such a last minute." Her words, clearly enunciated, lacked the punctuation that provided her usual poise. Rather than apologizing for her behavior, she threw both the items onto the counter and immediately began to scroll through her inventory to drop the reque

Receiving Heavy Coat. And immediately running off to Knight Shift. Fusion request for @Rencesvals: Heavy Coat | Light Armor | 236444d | Antifreeze | Evasion | Recovery A coat made of heavy animal hide. What it lacks in mitigation, it makes up in cold resistance and flexibility. Resilient Thistle | Light Armor | 234598 | Mitigation | Regen | Fireproof | Vamp-D This simple breastplate features delicate engravings and patterns of the eponymous wildflower, accentuated by soft hues of green and violet. It bestows the thistle’s qualities upon the wearer. When worn, the user hears wh

Her ears burned as Nymoria laughed. This is exactly why she wanted to wait a little longer before trying it out. She wasn’t a natural with the hand signs, and her attempts just made her look like a conspicuous idiot in front of a stranger and a friend. “Wait, did you say you were wanting to run Arabian Nights?” Acanthus returned her attention to the stranger. Nymoria finished the rest of her thought. “Would you like to search for the man with us?” Acanthus nodded in agreement. “Ali is the person we are looking for. The info broker’s guide says that he’s usually at a tavern here in Fortale

With a hammer that was somehow soft and firm, the pile of moss pummeled Acanthus into the ground. She was half-expecting the game to throw up some comical birds to fly around her concussed head. And she felt… weaker? Her health bar was still full, but she had the vague sense that she probably shouldn’t get hit too much more. Probably just her imagination, but it was good practice for a real fight. Pulling her ankles up out of the earth, she focused on the pile of moss again. “Hammer against hammer time,” she said, before whirling the weapon over her head. She aimed for some of the firmer

A clear whistle shattered her concentration. Minako stepped down from the stands, quickly dusting off and checking over the players. Acanthus looked down at herself, covered in dirt, shoulders sagging, chest heaving. Then she looked back up at Minako. “...Thank you,” she said simply. Acanthus allowed herself to be fussed over before promptly moving back to her corner. “Hey.” Jomei was calling out to her. Acanthus twitched, ready for a much-deserved scolding. Acanthus couldn’t bring herself to look him in his eyes. “That is more than I deserve. I’ve said things that were pe

Confident in her unshakeable stun, she relaxed for a fraction of a second. It was her fifth mistake. Or maybe sixth? She’d failed so many times that she lost count. Acanthus panicked as Jomei vanished from her vision. Shit! His cleanse was on cooldown. He’s cheating, unless— Jomei stooped to swipe his rapier from the ground, putting him in a prime position to strike from below. She still hadn’t learned there was no time for “unless.” She was too tired to block and too tired to dodge. Angling perfectly underneath her breastplate, he drove the weapon straight into her gut, her pain indicato

Jomei took a step back, frozen by request of the Cardinal. His fingers twitched at his side, reaching for something. “You should know by now you can’t wiggle your way out of a stun. Once Cardinal says you’re stunned, you’re stunned.” She paced slowly, preparing to take advantage of the stun. No evasion, no movement—now was the time to turn the tide. Acanthus raised botan high, ready to secure her lead. Botan replied with a flicker and a fading hum. I’ll run my body into the ground. But my sword doesn’t seem to be on the same page. Scowling, she squared up her form. If the sword art wouldn’t he

Jomei was hitting hard as ever. She defended against the initial part of Jomei's combo, but his follow-up went low, cutting her ankles. She cried out as the pain indicators rattled her skull. I need a little more time. The edges of her vision blurred, and she stumbled backwards, swinging wildly. If I can swallow my pride, maybe Jomei would be willing to take another breather if I suggested it. Then we can finish the fight gracefully, no matter who wins. A dry, raking laugh chilled her bones. Every pore of her skin prickled. IN A REAL FIGHT, SHE CANNOT REST. SHE KILLS OR SHE DIES.

Exhausted, she could only watch as Jomei broke her defenses yet again. Sweat and dirt stung her eyes, working against her attempts to keep a bead on the duelist. With a shaking hand, she hastily tossed her hair back. I don't think I've ever fought this long before. Even Callisto. As chaotic as that was, it couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes. Her energy bar rested squarely on the bottom line. But her exhaustion ran deeper than that. She'd been out of energy before. Whenever that happened, Cardinal slowed her down, giving her the sense of mild sleepiness. Right now, she felt like

Acanthus blocked out the sounds of combat. The frontlines were not in danger. Nothing else mattered. Nothing except finding the next floor. She approached a broken house carefully. Shingles fell through a hole in the roof, sounding an alarm that made her hairs stand on end. botan gripped tightly, she peeked into the house, concealing herself as best as possible. Nothing. Acanthus breathed a sigh of relief, dialing her guard back slightly as she crept through the house. It was unlikely she would find clues for the labyrinth, but neither had she given up on the mystery of the town and why t

She really should have spent more time concerned about what she’d said. But with a boot aimed for her face, she had other things to worry about. She felt his shin catch the top of her head as she ducked underneath his kick. Without waiting for him to regain his footing, she brought botan up, sweeping across his entire body. He was gone before the strike began. Acanthus couldn’t decide whether to grin or grimace. She’d kept a solid lead for most of the fight, a solid lead that was slipping strike by strike to whatever fire now stoked her opponent. His smirk had been burned away, replaced b

“Sorry. Let’s continue.” Three words shook her to her core. Each word was rife with emotion, each syllable was a shocked apology. The blood drained from her face as she relived every demure, unwarranted apology she had ever offered. Telling her dad she didn’t mean it when she broke contact. Telling her teachers she would do better next time. Telling her family that she was sorry she had taken time for herself after she learned about mom. In that whirlwind of apologies, a single idea dominated them all: “Sorry I was myself. It won’t happen again.” “Jomei…” It was too late. You can’t un-pic

She had prepared for “up, left, up, down.” She had not prepared for the flying corkscrew that sailed past her defenses. Botan raced to block, but a sharp elbow snapped her head to the side, leaving her wide open. Vicious Mockery left its mark, its owner skidding to a halt behind her. Acanthus dropped to one knee, desperately fighting the stun. It was no good; Forgotten King’s Authority hadn’t refreshed yet, and she had no items to cleanse the stun. Stupid girl. She swallowed hot angry tears as Jomei chided her. “Be a good girl and stay put.” It’s all fun and games to you, isn’t it, J

"Nymoria, watch—" She'd noticed too late. Nymoria tumbled to the ground, slightly dazed from the impact. The man she had bumped into seemed unperturbed. Acanthus prepared to scold him, but before she could, he interjected with an apology. I'm being too hasty. He's already offering her a hand up. Wait, now he's offering her a drink? Are they flirting? Acanthus prepared to excuse herself when Nymoria responded. "Thank you. You are not my type." Acanthus exhaled. It seemed she had been blessed with not being relegated to third wheel. "Thank you for the offer," Acanthus responded. "I'm

Jomei leapt back into the fray effortlessly, blade humming with power as it resumed the task of probing her defenses. She would rather die than admit it, but she had desperately needed more of a break than he had offered. She felt the Sword Arts fizzle as she tried to summon them: first a stunning art, then another shatter—even the lowly single-target art refused to come when called. Energized, Jomei brought his rapier up, glowing and poised to strike. That glow—it’s a stunning art, I think. Unless the lights vary from weapon to weapon— Another voice inside her head. —!You don’t have

Acanthus bowed back. Nymoria's gentle politeness always managed to put her at ease. Everything was looking good so far. If she were part of the party, then they would likely finish everything in record time. Maybe they could even clear one or two more of the quest chain in a single sitting? From what Acanthus recalled, the early quests were fairly simple to clear. Wildfire seemed scattered as ever, winding through the requirements of the first quest. A map hit the table, and a plan began to form. Wildfire, yet again, offered up consumables to the others. Acanthus smiled faintly as she pul

The new adventurer seemed earnest. It made it easy to trust them. "I appreciate your honesty," Acanthus started warmly. "Let's address your concerns in order. First, don't worry too much about social niceties. As far as loot goes, most parties will traditionally split col and items evenly, although a few veterans will hand off their items to up and coming players. Second, your level and skills won't be a problem. I'm sure Nymoria and I can handle the bandits. I've done this quest once. I'm actually here to—" she paused, trying to find the diplomatic response. "—I'm… blowing off steam, I think

“A chance to have some fun with friends, comrades." Acanthus shook her head. "Friends, yes. But we’re not equals. We're not equals until I can prove it." She hefted botan into position, keenly aware of the weight her sore muscles added to the task. "For what it's worth, I appreciate your thoughts. I don't mean to disparage them, even if I think you are wrong. Highminded rhetoric is ideal for spurring people to action, but it doesn't save lives." "Now, on your feet, soldier. And no more delays—we fight until it's over." Behind a stony face, her thoughts raced. Why can't I just tell hi

"You know what? Fair. Cease fire." Confusion froze her sword arm. Her shield stayed in position, shaking faintly. Acanthus approached until she was just outside of striking range, skirting the resting man like a curious animal. He was planning something, surely. "I—don't want—your pity," she said between breaths. "If I'm out of steam, then—" "Kill me" were the words that caught in her throat. "—then you win. It's all part of the fight. Everything is." She gave a dry laugh. "I mean, I paid someone to find out what kind of build you were using! And now you're comfortable letting m

Undaunted, Jomei rushed in, ready to keep her moving backwards. But she’d had enough. “It’s nothing—hah,” she grunted, keeping him away with her shield. “Nothing about desire. It’s about keeping up with you. It’s about not being the weakest—link.” She punctuated her last two words with swings. Jomei parried, and she countered by bringing her shield in towards his gut. Bracing his arm, he caught the shield, moving back with it and creating distance. Not good, not good! close the distance. Too late—the rapier was honing in on her. She caught the first three jabs with her shield, but th