Acanthus

This time, it was Landon’s turn to applaud. There was a single tear in his eye. I don’t think that’s for show, either. I really think he liked it. Still applauding, Landon bellowed, “what a natural! You still think you were meant for a stuffy old pharmacy?” “I think… I think this is a good choice. One of many, but a good choice nonetheless.” Landon rolled his eyes. “From someone as reserved as you, that’s a resounding yes.” “Yes. I think it is.” Acanthus tried to hide a smile, but Landon caught it. “Look at you, rockergirl! You’re busting down those little obstacles in your life, one

When the viol’s string popped off the pegs for the third time, Acanthus wondered whether it was too late to become an alchemist instead. Landon remained optimistic. “Aw, rockergirl! That was so close! Keep your wrists firm and flexible as you wind the strings into the scroll!” Wristwork, flexibility. This was nothing like the video games she saw her brother play. Crafting in those games was always a matter of selecting ingredients and punching a button. Here, Acanthus felt like she was learning a whole new trade. And all for the lowest-level crafts. Grandmaster recipes probably inclu

Acanthus considered what kind of instrument she wanted to craft. Performing was already a big step for her, so she wanted to keep the instruments her comfort zone. “I think I remember a little bit of violin from my childhood. Could we do one of those?” Landon cocked his head. “No violins here, rockergirl. But I’ve got something similar.” He produced an uncannily similar instument. Acanthus thought it looked like a violin that had been stung by bees too many times. “This is a viol. It’s still got four strings and you still bow it. Some of the fingerings are the same, but it’s a b

“You’re awfully quiet this time around. Did everything go well?” Could I check the player registry? But there’s a few ways to spell Lily. Maybe there’s an i on the end? Or two l’s? Deleon may be a better starting point. “Hey, rockergirl! You ok?” Acanthus snapped out of her thoughts and back into Landon’s studio. “Sorry, Landon. Everything went well. I just had a weird encounter out there. Speaking of, do NPCs… I mean, do villagers ever go out to the fields, or is it just adventurers?” Landon furrowed his brow. “Not everyone, no. Some shopkeepers will go out and gather on t

The conversation died out as the two girls worked some more. Acanthus heard the sound of the other girl standing up and dusting off her hands. Acanthus, set on a particularly gnarled branch, remained engrossed in her work. She had just successfully clipped the crimson stalkweed, and busied herself putting it away. “Thanks for keeping me company, Acanthus.” “Don’t mention it, um…?” “Lily.” “Lily. Anytime you need something, just message me.” “Ok. I’ll be sure to send you a letter.” Amused, Acanthus replied, “I appreciate your commitment to roleplaying, but wouldn’t

“I need a little more col to support my brother. We’ve had a rough last few weeks, and some of these weeds can fetch a good price at Evangeline’s or Zackariah’s.” “I was actually thinking about taking these to Evangeline myself. Either him or Landon.” “Landon is quite the character, isn’t he?” “You can say that again,” Acanthus chuckled. “I stumbled into his shop by accident, and here I am, thinking about changing professions. All because I didn’t read my quest log properly.” “He’s a good man. He likes to perform at all the local taverns, free of charge. A lot of the owners

THREAD SUMMARY Acanthus EXP: 300 (Quest) + ((5,800/10) * 1 * 1) = 880 * 2 (recruitment event) = 1,760 EXP Col: 400 (1 page * 400) = 400 col Items Gained Demonic Shard (2) materials <<Profession: Forager>> Unlocked.

“Actually, I do have a question. If you have a moment.” Edict returned to his chair. “Of course.” Acanthis shared her experience in the woods with him. She kept many of the sordid details to herself, but shared her encounter with the strange voice, and the awful things it said. At the end of her story, she asked a simple question. “Did that happen to you?” Edict paled. “I… Not exactly. I took that same quest, but I never heard a voice telling me I was worthless.” Acanthus sighed. Then Edict continued. “But… that was not a comfortable quest for me either. I found my shard pr

“That’s really interesting! There seems to be a lot about the game no one has really figured out yet. I haven’t met a lot of people on the frontlines with similar reservations about the food, but I haven’t pried either. I’d be curious if any of them experienced the same problem. But you said it’s gone now, right?” Acanthus nodded, her mouth full of cantaloupe (or whatever they called it here). “Maybe it only affects people at lower levels. Ah—again, I don’t mean to—” Acanthis cut him off. “No offense. You didn’t say anything wrong back there. I took it a little personally because I’ve spe

Relieved, he pulled up a chair. It groaned under the weight of his armor. Peeking at her desserts, he said “I don’t blame you for the fruit skewers. I had a revelation the first time I had one too. But I had the benefit of nobody bothering me mid-bite.” Acanthus was already busy with the skewer again. The sauce was amazing. It had a delicate sweetness, but the sparkling was not just a visual element. She felt the sauce popping and fizzing gently, adding a light and intriguing texture to the fruit. Edict regarded her voraciousness with a hint of awe. “I have to say, I don’t think I’ve

Acanthus took a bite of the parfait and was pleasantly surprised. The strawberries—rougeberries, rather—had a pleasant flavor. Not as good as real strawberries, they tasted like the artificial flavoring in overly sweet candies. Distinct from strawberries, but close enough to enjoy the flavor all the same. Finished with her parfait, she leaned in to bite the skewer, before stopping mid-bite. Hold on, she thought. That tasted good. Her realization was different from her previous observation about the flavor of the rougeberries. Rather, this was the first time she’d eaten something—anyt

She thought about those two towns. From what she’d heard, the former was nothing more than ten buildings and a quest. And Town of Beginnings was over a kilometer in diameter. Charting it out would be a massive undertaking. “I’m not giving up on my quest. I just don’t think I have to do it all in one day, you know?” She sat at a table outside The Sweet Tooth, soaking up a warm sunbeam. In front of her sat a rougeberry parfait and a fruit skewer. Tomathon nodded sagely. “It’s certainly best to pace yourself. Everything in moderation.” He looked down at the two desserts. “Including

Maid in Heaven was, as it implied, a place that prided itself on excellent service. But Acanthus could see from the outside that she was not the usual clientele. Not that there was anything bad about the cafe. Everybody was all smiles, maids and men alike. And the large bouncer in the front told her that problem customers did not stay for long. But it was not the kind of cafe she particularly enjoyed. For Acanthus, it was all about the desserts themselves. She didn’t place much emphasis on service and presentation. As long as no one spit in her food, she would overlook it for a decent des

The other two cafes in Tolbana were promising, but they didn’t appeal to her the way The Sweet Tooth did. Down a shady alley, Acanthus found the second cafe. Cobblestone Curiosity was the name, and it delivered handily on the name. Acanthus walked inside to see some of the strangest desserts and drinks she had ever laid eyes on. A parfait that included strips of boar meat, three oranges in the shape of a snowman, the top one hollowed out and filled with whipped cream. A pudding that shifted colors as the light caught it from different angles. “We have new stuff to try every week,” th

Acanthus peeled her face from the glass and turned to the man. He struck an imposing figure; broad shoulders and massive hands, and even taller than Acanthus. But his round face showed nothing but joy. Acanthus pictured him as Aincrad’s most imposing teddy bear. “We have plenty of seating inside. I see you’re eyeing the fruit skewers; they are a popular choice.” The man was right; her gaze had lingered on the strange fruit skewers. “They appear delicious. What is the red sauce?” The man beamed. “Well, I can’t give away all our secrets, but it’s a special mixture featuring r

In the end, Acanthus tracked down three cafes in Tolbana. There could have been more, but the map was difficult to use, and often hid information unbeknownst to the user. First and largest, The Sweet Tooth sat just off the main square. She had eyed it on numerous occasions over the last week. It had a bright and cheery exterior, with a beautiful cobblestone patio and tall windows that gave a good view into the cozy seating inside. Acanthus had never walked by The Sweet Tooth and seen it empty. It seemed to operate all hours of the day. Glancing through the window, she saw a counter stuffe

“Little treat time” had narrowed itself down to one choice in SAO. No drinking was allowed, and the bookstores all held only public domain works, and Acanthus had read all the good ones already. But there were plenty of cafes. The problem was, she had never been to any of them here. Were all of them good? Did they have the same selection? There’s only one way to find out. Acanthus made a solemn resolution that she would meticulously chart each and every one of the cafes here on the first floor. It was a foraging quest of her own devisement. She started with Tolbana. The collection o

Acanthus wanted to learn more about whatever had confronted her in the grove. It seemed too intense for a beginner quest, and it knew her real-world name—something she had not confided in anyone. I suppose there’s the possibility that the game knows and can pull that data. I reserved the game with a credit card, and that wasn’t under the name Acanthus. Even still… there were a few things about the event that she couldn’t reconcile, or put into words just yet. She needed to know more. But Acanthus made an executive decision to hold off. The monster is past, the quest is complete. I de

Acanthus was barely in camp before the compass was back in Giovanna’s hands. She looked over Acanthus with an air of approval. “So you found the demonic shard! You continue to impress me.” Exhausted, Acanthus merely nodded her head. “Next time you hunt for a shard, you will have to earn it the hard way—with your own skill.” Acanthus laughed dryly. “If that’s the easiest way to get a shard, maybe I am better off fishing.” Giovanna’s eyebrow raised in curiosity. “What did you encounter?” Acanthus shrugged helplessly. “I don’t think I can explain it, and I don’t have the energ

[Content warning: this post contains descriptions and references to self-harm. I’ve kept it at what I feel is PG-13, but may still be triggering content. Please exercise care.] Acanthus believed she had found the heart of the woods. It terrified her beyond words. The leaves above were so thick that she could not see any sunlight. She felt as though she had been traveling for days. The trees were gnarled and twisted over themselves in bewildering shapes. In the faint light, they cast almost imperceptible shadows of men contorted in agony. And the air. The deeper she traveled, the

DENIAL, LITTLE GIRL. YOU STILL DENY. Breathe, Acanthus. Focus on collecting. She reached down and plucked a small flower from the riverbed. A poppy, the color of blood. NONE OF THIS IS REAL, REMEMBER? A mocking facsimile of her voice hurled her own words back at her. The compulsions stopped after the first week. But the denial did not. Her situation was comical. Trapped in a game that could kill you? It was a marketing stunt. Some kind of technical issue they were explaining with some in-game reason. She’d even heard rumors that the game didn’t actually kill anyone, it

Acanthus lost sense of time. The darkness of the woods left a feeling of perpetual dusk weighing on her. She grew tired from the monotony of the woods. Every time she reached down for plants, or up for branches, or even looked at materials, they vanished as she touched them. MAYBE YOU'RE JUST NOT USING YOUR WRISTS, HARU. IT'S ALL IN THE WRISTS, REMEMBER? An icy chill rooted Acanthus to the spot. The memories came back to her. The moonlight streams into a bare room, and Haru sits on the hard wooden floor. Her hand moves automatically: press, down, left, left, down, press. The but

Scared as she was, Acanthus did not run this time. She made her way down the river bank, deeper into the forest. A SECOND APPROACH DOES NOT SALVAGE THE FIRST, LITTLE GIRL. YOU HAVE ALREADY FAILED. Acanthus set her jaw. “There’s still a quest in my log. If you’re not going to help me or kill me, then shut up.” The voice laughed again. BOLD. ALL THE SWEETER WHEN YOU BREAK. Acanthus shivered. She wondered how anyone else had completed this quest. SIMPLE. THEY WERE BRAVER THAN YOU. “How… How do you know what I’m thinking?” The voice did not respond, but Acanthus

Acanthus stood up and tested herself. Despite the fall, her health bar remained full. Her left leg had been sprained a little, but she could still put weight on it. With some trepidation, Acanthus checked the dark compass. It was dormant. “Some help you are.” She mumbled, drying a few tears. “Might as well make the most of wherever I am.” The riverbed appeared to have dried out a long time ago. Acanthus checked for materials but found nothing. In one direction, the river wound deeper into the woods. The air seemed fresher in the other direction. Acanthus began to walk toward the

Acanthus had nearly exhausted herself running, but had nothing to show for it. If anything, the woods had grown thicker. The air was even hotter and almost too heavy to breathe. Acanthus thought her lungs might burst, but she knew—she knew deep down, that the moment she stopped running, she would die. She hit a gnarled root and tumbled down a steep embankment. Pain indicators sounded alarms as she hit branches, rocks, and nettles on her way down. Patches of gatherable items vanished in digital puffs as she crashed through them and into a dry river bed. She landed on her back and cried out