Acanthus

She dispatched four more bandits with a detached efficiency, but Nymoria’s shock caused Acanthus some alarm. “I—they aren’t real,” she repeated simply. “Code or not. Darkness? Nymoria, it’s not—” Not important right now, she thought to herself. But the look in her friend’s eyes said otherwise. Straining to find a diplomatic answer, she responded. “I won’t do it again. And we can talk about it more when we make it back to town. But I’m going to prioritize our safety, even if that means exploring some options that make you uncomfortable.” She hoped Nymoria would ignore her dance around the simpl

Where was she even supposed to begin? Big feelings weren’t meant to be shared. They were meant to be quietly processed and stored, far away from other people. Her entire family had taken that to heart, and it left Acanthus struggling to express what had just happened in a way she felt comfortable. Her only experience with conflict was in her professional career, and that hardly qualified. Cheesy workplace posters chimed in, unbidden: Managing workplace conflict: deescalate and communicate! Acanthus fought an inappropriate laugh—those kinds of posters were for idiots stealing lunches or gossipi

The sand shifted listlessly in the stale winds of Floor Five. Strange bumps dotted the arena floor, but were they traps or harmless lumps of sand? Acanthus paid close attention to some nearby sand being blown around. A dark, round object flashed from underneath the bright sand before disappearing quickly. Less than lethal, I hope. It certainly didn’t look like it. And judging from the fights she saw earlier, the traps were nothing to ignore. Today’s fight would require a careful balance of caution and recklessness. One last glance around the stage gave her the confidence she needed to mak

Acanthus nodded at Ryo's suggestion. Luring them to a safe area would enlist the help of NPCs, many of which had high stats or would respawn quickly. It was a solid idea. But in the meantime, bandits formed ranks just outside the camp. Their short-term prospects were not looking so good. Nymoria cocked her head. Acanthus. Make them fear. Acanthus looked back quizzically. “Does that even work? These aren’t people. They’re just programs that run at us until they die.” The last bandit of the pack closed in on Acanthus, out for blood. She regarded him curiously. “Do you have a name?” The band

Acanthus stumbled into the arena late. She was woefully underprepared for this week. But when she’d read about the traps, she realized this week would be as much about luck as it was about preparation. Besides, preparation hadn’t gotten her very far in the first two weeks. Perhaps it’s time for a change in pace. And this week, that pace was “slow.” She took her time preparing her equipment and steeling her resolve. In her new armor, her pace plummeted literally as well. Marching into the area felt like swimming through water. The half-plate armor looked splendid—Wulfrin had done a stellar job

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Light Armor Rank 5 Mod(s)/Addon(s)/Shift(s) Being Dropped: Meticulous [Light Armor Rank 3], Resolve [Light Armor Rank 5]. TECH Shift SP Incurred Towards Limit: [None: Using Respec Ticket] SP Refunded: 50 SP Cost: None

"That was a good fight last week. I look forward to watching you make the bracket." ----- 1. Demonic Scale to upgrade Fractured Heart to Demonic (enhancement is irrelevant; we're about to override it). 2. Fusion Emerald Regret | T4 Shield | 236206d | Mitigation | Paralyze | Flame Aura A buckler, scorching to the touch. When struck, it sparks with green flames. Fractured Heart | T4 Shield | 235657a | Holy Blessing II | Flame Aura | Mitigation(or w/e) A shining kite shield resembling half a heart. Despite its sturdiness, the wearer feels every hit. Fuse into:

Watching Kiyabu fall, the swordswoman clenched her jaw, processing her options. I could try and pull him back into the fight, but that leaves me open. Falling back to entrench also just delays the inevitable. I could maybe take one down if things go my way, but Jomei’s strike didn't leave me any room for mistakes. Carefully keeping her face a mask, she allowed herself time to seethe for a single moment before returning to what mattered. It’s all a performance. And you’ll get to go home soon. Acanthus hoisted her sword and shield with a flourish. “There’s no fun in walking away warm. Not s

“Acanthus.” Electricity crawled through her nerves. Everything sounded louder, sharper. She heard the sand shifting as the Boss Bandit moved towards Morningstar. She felt the texture of botan in her hand, and the blood rushing through her body as she recovered from… whatever had just happened. Numbly, she waved her hand through her player marker, as if it would revert her status. She glanced at Teion, uncertain what to say. Sorry? Not enough. It was a mistake? Acanthus wasn’t sure she believed that herself. Something had swept her up in the flow of battle and deposited her in a haze

Acanthus raised a single eyebrow watching Wildfire light the caves with <<First Aid>>. “That’s a clever trick. I hadn’t considered other uses for that skill,” she admitted. It was the kind of thinking that would make them a valuable addition to the frontlines. “Do you find yourselves on this floor often?” “Unfortunately. There are a few quests here. I’ve been down here twice to fight Cerberus, once before to take on the bandit camp. There are a few other important quests here. I wish the game designers had chosen a more scenic floor for them.” A geyser of lava erupted in

Nymoria’s “voice” carried above the clamor. “Bandits. South. More.” A horde of cutthroats approached the camp, weapons drawn and eager for blood. Acanthus did her best to remain calm. The situation was unexpected, but they’d handled the first round well enough. The real problem would be how many. Any monster was a threat when they didn’t stop coming. And Ryo… She glanced over to see him holding his own. Acanthus shouldn’t be worried—she’d seen him fight. He was no pushover. But even still, paying the ransom had been her suggestion, and now things were flying off the rails because of it.

Things were not looking good. Putting antifreeze on her armor had just caused Wulfrin to hone in on Kiyabu. It had been a good move, and one Acanthus needed to put a stop to. “Sorry, Jomei, I’ve gotta split.” She flashed him a quick smile before kicking up a cloud of dirt to disengage. “But I’m sure we’ll cross blades again.” Wulfrin had just finished a punishing combo that left Kiyabu on his back foot. It looked like he was preparing for another one. She tried getting his attention. “Wulfrin! It’s been too long. Don’t suppose you can spare me a little time, can you? Kiyabu deserves a lit

Wildfire appeared embarrassed after mentioning something about their mom’s cooking? Acanthus thought the emotion seemed out of place, but knew better than to press. “If we’re geared up, then I think we are ready to go. You said we need to find a dragon’s nest, correct?” Acanthus opened her guide to peruse what information they had. “Hm. There’s not a lot of information on this quest chain. Seems like it’s not a popular one. That could make things difficult for us.” While in her inventory, Acanthus began swapping out a few of her items. “Looking at the stats for this part of the quest, it

Acanthus sensed it as well. She thumbed botan from its sheath, prepared for the worst. The bandit's leader loped towards Ryo, eyeing the two sacks of col hungrily. With a swipe faster than her eyes could register, he snatched the col and tested their weight. "Yea… Oh yea, that's good. The money's all there. Alright, pack it up boys, we're—" The leader's eyes bulged. A falchion burst from his chest, ripping through his armor with an ugly sound. The man behind him cackled as he tore the leader off the end of his blade. The first leader sputtered in confusion, then shattered. "That

“You either forget the past or accept it. I don’t think there’s another option.” She hoped he would not continue down this line of thinking. Even still, she could not practice what she preached. —“she felt a peculiar desire not to win—but to KILL.”— Without a word, Acanthus slipped into the dark alleys, intent on resuming her search of the town. Acanthus collected herself with a deliberate sip of tea. She replaced the mug gently before speaking. “I disagree. Combat is stressful. Prolonged exposure to war and death does not reveal the soul—it warps it. Take a look at veterans

Wildfire stopped, urging the pair to move on. Acanthus refused to budge. “I don’t care if we’re only just outside of town, I’m not letting you fall out of sight. Monsters may not spawn this close to Yogan Village, but it’s not impossible for them to be drawn here if a player leads them, whether on purpose or by accident.” Arms crossed, she kept watch patiently while Wildfire dug up the small shard of obsidian. A smile began to bubble up from her chest. I remember being excited about gathering as well. And he reminds me of Ren, the way he’s so excited about these little rocks and minerals

“Holy and phase?” Acanthus paused for a moment to think. “You’ll be hard-pressed to find that. I’ve only ever seen one of those in the game, and the swordswoman that wields it is unlikely to part with it. Your best bet is to find some good spots to hunt monsters, earn col and items, and make friends with an appraiser. Morningstar and Freyd may be able to help you there. I could introduce you.” And I am not very sneaky. Even though I sound silent. Acanthus found the joke hilarious, so she made sure to let Nymoria know with a small smile. “That was very funny.” Enough humor, back

Acanthus had already moved on so fast that she accidentally ignored Wulfrin’s attempts to ease the tension. Her shoulders sagged. It’s impressive to consider that I took an awkward moment and somehow made it worse. Before she could respond and defray her ever-increasing embarrassment, Freyd launched into a fantastic, near-unbelievable description of his time with Rencesvals. Acanthus listened, [description of her excitement]. Morningstar broke the spell when he nudged Acanthus. "What's a kessel run?" he whispered. "Is that like a fathom?" “Kestral Run? No, I think they fly.” Acanthus

Her eyes flicked over to Wulfrin. Unlike Jomei, she had seen him in combat. Her assessment had been clear: dangerous—avoid at all costs. The plan was to burst down the duelist. She had hoped his fighting style would be more suited to one-on-one combat, and weaken in the face of two opponents. If she and Kiyabu committed to squaring off in parallel one on ones, it would be over too quickly. Wulfrin was dangerous, but Jomei was no slouch either. She’d recalled the gritty feeling of the arena’s sand, digging into her knees as she struggled to orient herself, hoping that this wasn’t the end, prayi

“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