PP-F2: 3 days later... (PM for invite)

[Esther 0]

It had been 3 days since the disappearance of Esther. Of Phoebe Harmon. 3 days since her friend list had been cleared and she had sent her last fevered messages to friends - warding them away from her, and 3 days since the existence of Esther - as Phoebe Harmon. Now, she was entirely and irrevocably the property of Addel. A member of an underground Alchemist guild known as the Black Adder.

Addel wasn't planning on taking Esther out all too much. There was the risk of running into her former friends, and them reacting negatively. There was the concern of running into Lycan, or Arc - a little too soon for his plan to be fully set into motion. Still, Addel was a fickle man, and he enjoyed showing off his 'work' The two casually strolled through the town on the second floor. Addel in his usual, casual attire. Black dress pants, black shirt and a black hoodie. His blonde hair a toussled mess - one hand shoved in his pocket. The other pulled on the thick chain linked to Esther. "Come now pet, I want you to feed me by the lake." He tugged the chain, aggressively harder causing Esther to stumble forward. Esther didn't mind. She looked up at him with her dulled gaze and smiled. Reaching out to brush his hair away from his face. "Of course, Master."

Addel pushed her forward, purely so he could watch her backside whilst she walked. "Heh." Her attire was loose, he hadn't changed her out of the wispy white material that wrapped around her waist, criss-crossing over her back to tightly cover her erogenous areas. Her collar was a thick, golden number- inscribed with the Black Adder insignia. Esther even wore the insignia on her arm. Permanently scared by a tattoo - until Allison - their artisan would deem fit to remove it. "My you are a treat pet."

"Eh?" Esther turned to glance at Addel from over her shoulder. "I don't get it...." She shrugged, shifting her attention forward again as they left the town. "But- you're smiling. So I guess it doesn't matter."

The two left the town, and Addel once again took the lead, not before giving her a good hard slap across the rump as he passed her lithe form. They neared a lake, and Addel signalled for Esther to sit. So she did, folding her legs up underneath her. "Good pet." Addel rubbed Esthers head, and Esther melted into the warmth of his hand. "Now, let's enjoy some fruit shall we?" He asked, positioning himself so his head rested in her lap. Esther lifted her hand, opening up her HUD -"Eh?"

"What is it?"

"I have more messages."

Addel wrinkled his nose. "Don't look at them. Delete them." Esther nodded, and without checking any of them, she did just as he asked. She then pulled out a small bowl of grapes and strawberries from her inventory, and - as though they were intimate lovers - She began carefully peeling the grapes, popping them gently into his mouth. 

Addel chewed slowly, "Ahh~ I love being me."

[Ashrah 0]

Elsewhere...

It didn't make sense. Esther was generally so quick to respond when someone sent her a message, even if they weren't close. Gods knew Arc and the woman were hardly even friends, but she jumped to help when he had asked for it. He could only imagine how Lycan felt when the woman had outright stopped responding to him, too. 

Lycan. Now there's a sad tale, hey. The morose anti-romance that blossomed between his two strange compatriots had been more than just a whirlwind. It was a bloody hurricane. Arc still struggled with the finer details of what caused Lycan to lose his composure the way he did. Perhaps that would be explained when the man met up with him here, in the Inn of Urbus.

Tobias was getting impatient. He needs to show soon. We don't know what's going on. Has she been killed? This doesn't make sense. I need answers. It was a sense of duty that drove him more than anything. The protection of Aincrad's unwitting denizens came paramount in his eyes. "Where is he," the mercenary bristled.

[Esther 0]

The enthralled woman peeled another grape, and placed it in Addel's mouth. He chewed, swallowed and signalled to her that he was done for now. Closing his eyes with a sigh. 

"I like this..." Esther whispered softly, gently brushing Addel's hair out of his face. "You look so peaceful. You have such a glorious malicious grin Master...but I think, what I like most - is when your facial features soften, when you sleep." Esther was completely under the influence of the Black Adder potion. To her, Addel was the only person who mattered- the only person she needed to be around and converse with. Everyone else was beneath him, herself included. Still, even with all the physical and psychological abuse, even after being fed a toxic concoction of potion after potion - Esther managed to retain her kindness, her innocent words, her loving touches. Things, that, if she continued down this trapped, dangerous path - would no doubt fade away into the void of her subconsciousness.

These things, did not go past Addel unnoticed. "Mmm? Is that so." He reached out, and tugged hard on her chain, forcing Esther to lean further over him. Her lilac hair spilled over her shoulders, creating a silken curtain that hid their faces from the rest of the world. "Since when did I give you permission to have such thoughts?" Addel was, for the lack of a better word - shocked, and concerned at her admission. He hadn't heard such kind words spoken to him in a very long time. Of course, Esther was his toy. She idolised him, she was entirely devoted to him. Just, the tone of her voice unnerved him. Perhaps it was time for another dose of the Black Adder Toxin.

Esther blinked. "If Master wishes for me to not voice them, then I won't."

Addel stared at her eyes, looking for any sign of free will, any sign of sarcasm or defiance. He saw none, her blank, glassy, half lidded eyes stared back at him. Waiting for his response. "It's fine." He roughly pushed her away, as he sat up, out of her lap. "I think it's almost time for your medicine." He muttered dryly. He had to nip the behaviour in the bud, so it wouldn't be an issue in the future. Dekkar warned Addel about multiple doses. But Addel wasn't one to care for warnings. It wouldn't affect him negatively, only her. He didn't care about her. Addel shifted so he sat on top of the large boulder they were leaning against. He firmly placed his feet on the floor, and motioned for Esther to kneel between his legs. "Here."

Esther crawled between his legs, looking up at Addel with dazed, doe like eyes. "You're nothing - you know that?" Addel roughly grabbed her chin, tilting her head up, he leaned in. "You're a stain, and when I am done with you - I'll have you wander off the edge of Aincrad, perhaps I'll have you do it nude, like the wanton b**tch you are, and all the while - what will you say?" Addel asked, uncorking the vial of black, heinous liquid. Forcing it down her throat. Esther choked, coughed but obediently swallowed. She seemed to sway slightly, her eyes slowly opening and closing. "What do you say?"

"Whatever you wish, Master." Esther responded with a groggy voice.

Addel seemed pleased with the answer, he bought his foot down lightly on her head, forcing her to bow to him. "Get to the floor where you belong, you enjoy this don't you pet? Feeling my foot pressed against your trash head?" Addel was overcompensating now, Normally he wouldn't bother with such crass actions - but he wanted to literally stomp out whatever remained of her previous personality. Esther replied, her voice low. "The fact that masters foot graces the trash that is myself makes me very happy Master." Addel shifted his foot off her head. Crossing his arms he leaned back to see if any other player was watching. Seeing no one in the immediate area he continued.

"Good. Now lick the dirt off my boot. It's dirty."

[Lycan 0]

Each night, the gut wrenching horror of watching his body act without consent festered in Lycan's mind. As an alchemist, he knew of certain recipes, but nothing so vile as whateve Allison slipped him. The mere thought of it both enraged and chilled the teen to the bone. After days of not hearing from the girl and paranoid of another attack from Addel's goons, everything felt numb.

The message from Arc brought an iota of reality and sanity to Lycan's current state - a message to meet him at the Inn on floor two, The Lumberer's Inn. The youth hesitated to answer the call. What if Allison showed his face? What if more of Addel's contact were about? What if they knew Arc's affiliation with himself?

Behind the locked doors of his apothecary shop, slumped in the corner beside the hearth, Lycan's hands clenched into fists. He looked toward the morning light pouring through the windows with weary eyes and hallowed features. Where light danced through colored glass in an explosion of vibrant color, he saw grey.

"I have to," he reminded himself.

If not just to warn Arc, to let him know the truth - someone had to. Lycan pressed his gauntleted hands into the creaking oaken floor and struggled to stand. With a grip perched on the cast iron hearth for leverage, he rose. He mustered the strength to open the several locks on the door before emerging from his wooden cave to the streets of Urbus.

Morning light washed over his pale skin and unkempt platinum hair. To the passersby, he may as well have been a spectre or ghoul. The teen locked his abode and made way to the Inn to meet Arc.

He stood outside for a brief moment, eyeing the Inn with a faint snarl on his lips. His body already tingled with terrible memories. He winced and pushed through the doors. Morning hours kept the Lumberer's Inn busy with patrons. Finding Arc took some time among the sea of heads. When he did, Lycan made way and perched a seat opposite of him, quietly.

"Hey..."

What does one say to a colleague after an even like this? Better yet, he left the questions to Arc. He indoubtedly had many.

[Ashrah 0]

"How's it going, man?" Arc pulled up a chair for Lycan as the man greeted him. There would be plenty of time for the grueling talks and emotions later, and it seemed like his battle buddy wasn't in the heartiest of moods. "Care for a drink? You look like death." Arc put in a quick order for another shot of rum, which was promptly delivered. The mercenary slid it to where Lycan would be seated.

If anyone in the inn recognized Lycan, it was not obvious. If anything, one or two patrons recognized Arc from a drinking contest several days prior, in which he'd put one of the biggest, baddest bastards under the table. They seemed to smile and nod, but gave no other obvious signals to either player. It was the time of day where people generally kept to themselves, ate, and went to get some sleep.

Essentially, it was the perfect time for Lycan to lie low, if he so desired.

Arc took his own drink in hand and took a leisurely sip. There was no reason to rush this, although he was certain the other man would be plagued by emotions and most likely not grasp that Arc fully comprehended the current situation. The more that they panicked or gave themselves over to the heated, passionate thoughts behind their eyes, the cloudier that the lens through which they could perceive everything would become.

It was important that cooler heads be allowed to prevail. "It's not the best rum," he remarked quietly, enough that the bartender wouldn't hear. "But you have to go up to Taft or one of the higher floors to get anything with any strength behind it. Sorry for that."

[Esther 0]

Once Esther had finished, with both shoes Addel stood. Inspecting her work. "Good, your mouth must  be filthy now. Of course, it always is." Addel tugged at the chain and Esther obediently followed. Having just consumed more of the Black Adder toxin she seemed more subdued than usual. Addel took note of this. Wondering if he should give her constant, smaller doses throughout the day, instead of one big dose every 24 hours. As he headed to the lake with her, he held a conversation with Dekkar - the one who created the 'Black Adder Toxin' 

Addel put forth his suggestion, Dekkar admitted that it may work, but once again - it could have lasting, adverse effects on the girl.That Addel should let time tick over, and see what she was like off the potion before continuing. Addel, wasn't going to take that risk. Not now. Maybe later. 

The two got to the lake. The very lake that everyone had played in, laughed, and enjoyed each others company. The last place Esther was able to truly be herself and enjoy those around her. Ah, the Irony.  Addel kicked Esther till she collapsed onto all fours. He kneeled down and grasped a handful of her hair in his. Without warning he unceremoniously shoved her face into the water, and held it there before allowing her to come up for air. His eyes lazily watched her heaving face, dull, listless eyes rolling into the back of her head. "Mm I think you're still dirty."

"P-please...more Master."

Addel's grin twisted into a malicious smirk. Good. This was good. None of that sweet, happy crap she was spewing earlier. Nothing but obedience. Addel dunked her face into the water again, holding it under just long enough for the warning of 'drowning' to appear, before letting her go, allowing her to come back up for a few gulps of precious air. Addel did this another 2-3 times, before he grew bored with it. He stood, dusting off his hands.

"Lets bring some drinks back to the guild hall to celebrate your utter dominance, shall we?"

[Lycan 0]

Lycan looked at the shot of amber alcohol as Arc slid it to him. He eyes it for some time, thoughts of poison spinning in his mind. The teen looked up to scan the room for familiar faces, a read head in particular. Fortunately, he didn't recognize a soul aside from Arc. Again, his eyes landed in the smokey beverage in front of him. Lycan felt his stomach turn.

"I'm good," he commented before pushing the shot back at Arc. "More fun for you right?"

He tried to smile and offer a chuckle, but both fell flat and hollow. Instead, he placed his head in his hands and rubbed at tired cheeks. He looked up to Arc with utter defeat.

"How is she?" he asked.

Off all the questions, he opted for that one. Though, to be fair, Arc shouldn't 'be asked first. Lycan took a dee breath.

"Before you ask, it wasn't me. I mean... It was, but... fu--..."

Lycan buried his face in folded arms upon the table.

"Poison... Something that trapped me in myself... I had to watch... The things I said..." His voice came out muffled.

"I..." He paused, struggling with the words. "I almost killed her, man. I almost killed someone."

 

[Esther 0]

Luckily for Lycan - Addel did not see him, nor Arc as he wandered into the Tavern. He was too busy parading around his 'prize' Esther was still being helplessly dragged across the floor with her arms bound together, the use of her legs - banned. Addel was cruel, but he didn't think himself a monster. He wasn't going to drag a lifeless body around by their neck. Even he had his limits. Mostly. The scene sparked a few murmurs from patrons, "Isn't that symbol from that guild?"   "I ain't touching that - ignore them." the mention of the snakelike symbol on Esther's arm, how could someone treat a player like that - others tried to rationalise it. "Maybe it's a Kink?"  "Is it an NPC event?"  Addel simply grinned, closing his eyes and basking in the stilled atmosphere he created. He stepped away from the bar, instead he headed toward the fireplace. 

Addel threw himself into the chair, pulling the chain up to him - he undid Esther's binds. "You can use your legs now, but have you learned not to walk beside, or in front of me now, Pet?"  Esther nodded, "Yes Master." Addel smirked, she looked dirty, the side of her face, was dirtied, her white silken attire was roughed up, and parts of it had torn. Leaving little to the imagination. His eyes wandered over her curves. Her chest, her thighs, even her calves. He could see why Lycan, and that red headed man were so enthralled with her. She had some very nice assets, it was a shame she hid them in her usual attire. Course, that wouldn't be an issue anymore. 

Addel ordered two glasses of whiskey. He casually sipped out of one, the other he poured onto the floor beside him. "I need a footstool, puppet. Be a good little thing and help your Master out - and don't forget to lap that up. Every. Last. Drop. This is a gift, and you wouldn't want to make me angry now would you?" Esther got into position, placing her knees and palms flat against the floor, and Addel bought his feet up onto her back.

Esther watched with listless eyes as the amber liquid was poured in front of her. She didn't like whiskey, at least - she thought she didn't like it. Her nose wrinkled, but Addel wanted it. Her Master wanted it. As the heels of Addels feet were jammed into her back Esther murmured. She lowered her head down, and, just as he commanded, started to lick the whiskey from the floor. This was right. This was her place, those thoughts constantly ran through Esther's head, thoughts of Addel, thoughts of his chains binding her, of his commands, and how much comfort she gained from following each and every one - and how much pain she felt, how her head throbbed if she were to deny any request. A blush formed on Esther's cheeks as she lapped up the last of the spill.

"Good. More."

Addel poured more onto the floor, and she continued.

[Ashrah 0]

Arc felt the drink swallow in his mouth at the admission. All of the admissions. He couldn't be mad at Lycan for something like that, but he damn well could be furious with someone. Whoever was behind the ordeal, they had gone a step too far. He could see turning people against their friends as a tactic, but in a game where the world was already an enemy, why did anyone need to turn on other players? The only real excuse was that they had the desire to do so, and that made them subhuman. In the eyes of a man consumed by rage, that was no different than putting down a dog.

He had to keep that thought buried, deep. It would rip him apart to tear its way out and seize command, no different from the poison Lycan had just told him about. He had experienced it many times over, and without the NerveGear to simulate the effects. It would be no different, but there was no antidote for Tobias' venom. There was only release- for him and for the person on the receiving end. He needed to carefully direct that blade if ever it decided to unsheathe itself within this world. He prayed that it never would.

But here he was, ready to wield it. "I don't need to ask," he said. "I knew something was foul the moment she said that you went off that way. I knew there had to be a reason. You're a level headed person. You don't just lose yourself in things that way. We've fought together. I've seen you under pressure. You'd never turn on an ally for its own sake, Lycan. That's why all of this tastes like piss to me."

He ignored the question about how Esther was. It wasn't about her so much right now- they would get to that point when the time came. The conversation had been destined for that direction since before either man agreed to meet. For now, Arc wanted all of the answers. Not just some of them. "You know who did it, then," he pressed, not caring so much that Lycan had almost killed someone as much as he cared who put him up to it. They needed to find the dog. They needed to put it down. "If you know who did it, we're that much closer to putting an end to it."

Arc's hand knocked over his drink and it spilled across the counter. He did not seem to notice. "Get it together, Lycan," he said in a stern, calm voice that betrayed deep, hot rage. "We're not here to sulk about what happened. I get it. This kind of thing is possible, so inevitably the sick minds stuck in this world will figure out how to bring it to life. It's not our job to be victims of it. It's our job to figure out how to fight back. Get your head in the game."

As he spoke, the crowd seemed to murmur discontentedly about some new additions to the scenery. Arc hadn't seen who it was yet, but...

[Lycan 0]

Hearing Arc's words comforted the boy. Knowing that one person didn't bare arms against him was more than enough to breathe life back into his hallowed eyes. Lycan lifted his head, nodding as Arc's passion boiled to the surface. With a wide sweep of his hand, the mercenary cast aside the shot glass of whiskey. Amber liquid spilled across the oaken table, but Lycan kept his gaze affixed on Arc.

Lycan inhaled deeply.

"You're right," he replied. "I can't let it control me anymore than it already has."

The teen clenched his fists, knuckles turning white. He recalled Allison's long, red hair, his narrow eyes behind thin glasses, and the unmistakable lisp of his serpentine voice.

"Allison," Lycan blurted. "Red hair, long. Glasses. Effeminate but sharp features. Slight lisp. He was the one that poisoned me."

Lycan paused, the memory of it all still hazy thanks to the mind altering affects. An image came to mind. A snake with a balancing scale... and a sword.

"There... there was a tattoo. Black. It had a snake, wrapped around a sword? There was a scale in it too. The merchant type, not the reptile kind."

Lycan struggled to visualize it with closed eyes. He winced, and with a deep sigh, shook his head. Yet, when he open his eyes, it was before him, clean as day.

"Like that," the swordsman pointed. Then, his stomach churned with intense and indescribable ferocity. His eyes dilated and hand shook.

The woman, a familiar face, with lilac hair strode behind Arc. The tattoo real as stone on her arm as she was pulled by the neck by a haunting apparition.

"Addel..." The words formed on Lycan's lips but his halted breath failed to give it sound.

He only watched in shock as the two walked over to the very place Lycan lashed out on Esther. He sat, forcing the girl to the ground as a ottoman. Legs propped on her back, he poured liquor on the soiled hardwood floor. Then, as though an animal, she lapped it up with an apparent zeal and desire.

Lycan's breath quickened. His body quaking as the pieces of the puzzle snapped together. The teen's vision blurred, muscles tensed, and the pit of his stomach became a complete void. Doubt, regret, hate, guilt, and horror slammed into his core with a paralyzing force.

"A-adell.." Lycan repeated with clenched teeth. A seething hatred began to boil and burn. Like a furnace rekindled, color washed over Lycan's pale skin and a renewed energy grew within. He shot a fierce, blazing gaze toward arc, chest heaving. He needn't say a word, for it was plain in the fire of his amber eyes.

'I'm going to kill him.'

[Esther 0]

Esther lapped it up,every last drop, almost panting as she did so. Arm's shaking from the increased pressure of Addel's feet. She did just as he asked. She licked up every last drop, and - as she finished she heard the low drawl of his voice. Thick, like wine. "Good Girl."  Those words....Those words that he muttered sent warm, comforting waves through her body, bursting forth from the pit of her stomach, and Esther yearned to hear them again and again. She'd do anything to hear them, to please him. 

"Reward time, pet. Get on my lap."

Esther's eyes lit up when he said those words. His lap? She lifted her head up to look at him. Dull eyes brimming with excitement. Masters Lap He normally only ever let her sit there when crafting, to have such an honor...such a gift...Esther scrambled up and placed herself into his lap. "M-Master...." She breathed, as Addel wrapped one arm firmly around her waist, placing the palm of his hand taught under her buttocks. The other opened up his HUD, Addel turned to glance to the side, and it was then - he noticed a very angry looking Lycan. Addel didn't show that he had noticed the silver haired player. This was soon. A little sooner than he expected, still it would work. Slight change of plans.  Addel quickly sweeped further down his inventory list. "I have a gift for you, pet. From Mari. Remember Mari?"

Esther tilted her head, her brows furrowing. Mari. Yes, she did remember her, but couldn't exactly recall any of the emotions tied to teh woman. "Yes. She had my collar before you, but I enjoy yours far more master."

Addel nodded, pulling a vial out from his inventory. "Right, quite eager to please me - aren't you. Well, your former mistress is quite adept at making potions. She's perfected one that removes the pain limiters placed by the Cardinal system, we've tried - but haven't had much success. It's such a shame she continues to refuse our requests to join, despite her relationship with our leader. Ah, but I digress. Open."  Addel pressed the tip of the vial hard against Esthers lips, and she opened her mouth, just as he requested. Addel jammed the contents of the vial into her mouth, and tossed it over his shoulder - aiming for Lycan. Hoping that perhaps he would catch sight of the vial, and its effects before it disintegrated. "Goood, good girl" Addel drolled, grabbing the chain just before it met her collar. Forcing her head close to his. Esther murmured in turn, her cheeks red, remnants of the potion trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Addel grinned, giggling maniacally as he pressed his tongue against the underside of her jaw, drawing it up to take up the trickle of saliva and potion, and cover her eye in a rough, aggressive licking motion. "Mmm, my pet, I can taste your devotion. You're oozing with it." The remnants of Mari's potion caused a tickle on his tongue. It seemed to be a powerful potion indeed.

Addel glanced to the fire, and his eyes alighted with a brazen, cruel, sadistic, and brilliant idea. A way to test the effectiveness of Mari's potion, and the obedience of his toy. Addel pushed Esther off him, and headed over to the fire. Near it, lay a poker. "New request pet.  I need to test what I just fed you..." Addel picked up the poker and placed it into the fire. "If you're loyal to me, if you love me - you won't make a sound. If you utter a word, whine, or even whimper. I will have you blindfolded and gagged and dragged out of here by your hair. Understood?"

Esther lifted herself up off the seat, and adjusted her attire so she was not falling out of it. "Of course Master." She smiled, sweetly, innocently, a smile that rivalled the 'old' Esthers grin. "I just want to make you happy." As she approached him, she dropped to her knees. "I will do whatever you ask."

"So you say...but I wonder..." Addel muttered, pulling out the poker to inspect it, its tip glowed a bright orange.  "Just how far your loyalty really lies." Without further warning, Addel took a step back, and using a horizontal swinging motion, he swung it into Esther's upper arm - the one without the Black Adder mark. Upon contact her skin made a sizzling sound, and Esther recoiled. Screaming with pain as she fell to the floor, tears in her eyes.

"What. A disappointment...." Addel muttered, looking down at her.

[Ashrah 0]

"Hmmm?"

Arc watched the man build slowly from displeasure to rage. He knew the look of choler better than anyone. The subtle motions, how the body burned and the breath became labored. It was as though he were running a marathon while standing in place. Lycan was not remotely in control of himself, and Arc knew it. Left to his devices, he might jump up from his seat and lunge straight for... what was it that had triggered this response?

He had heard mention of a brand, and assumed instantly that it had been seen and triggered something within Lycan's subconscious. When he turned, he saw the depraved scene unfolding and his lips thinned into a flat line. His fingers clutched the other man by the arm, but only just. There was a powerful surge of something from within Arc, something that evoked a similar reaction to the other man's own. But he had a firmer grasp on how to control his rage. He had stocked so much effort into containing his eruptions that it was second nature by now.

"Calm," Arc said, more for his own benefit than for Lycan's. "We need to gauge this situation before running in head first. If he baits us with her like this, odds are he has some sort of plan on the other end of the line. We need to observe, look for an opening, and we need to exploit it. We have to go about this-"

He watched the man force something down her throat, and his own eyes became slits. If Lycan's rage was a wildfire, Arc's was a volcano. He felt his body trembling at that precipice, waiting for the earth to loose its dominance and allow for fire to spew forth. Tobias took another breath and shook his head. "The nerve," he muttered, "to do something so sick in such a..."

The mercenary took stock of the other man immediately. There was a familiarity to his face that was undeniable. "You."

As Addel forced the girl to humiliate herself, Arc pushed Lycan back and took his own steps forward. "I warned you," he said. There was no pretense of threat. That time was gone. He intended only to drag the man kicking and screaming to an untimely end. There were boars in the field that would rip him to shreds so that Arc wouldn't need to do it himself. All he needed was for an Alchemist to hand him a potion that paralyzed its victim, and that would end the game for this rat instantly.

He called Esther a disappointment. Arc's hand moved before the rest of his body could register that he'd thrown a punch. It rocketed toward the man's throat.

[Lycan 0]

Arc told him to calm, but Lycan's ears only heard the muffled notes of a voice. The world seemed shut off to him and the senses dull with the hue of red framing his vision. Esther, the timid girl with dreams of happiness and compassion crawled all over the snake that is Addel. As he spoke to her, his eyes met the teen's. A blaze of fury only an ocean could quell manifested deep in his bones. Heat scorched his skin and his deep exhales through clenched teeth may as well have been steam.

Something inside the boy snapped when Arc bolted from the table. To him, it felt like a valve had been cracked open on a boiler. His body began to move in Arc's wake like a shadow given life. His expression flattened, almost mechanically. When Arc's fist shot out, Lycan broke from his path and clamored to Esther's side.

"I'm sorry," he sputtered too fast to really understand. His mind knew he needed to apologize.

His hands opened a UI, flicked through tabs faster than Cardinal could keep up, and a small glass vial in the shape of a rose flashed into his hand. He wasted no time for reaction and grabbed her by the hair to tilt her head back. He bit the cork, removed it, and poured the thick, red fluid in her mouth. Vial empty, he clutched her mouth and pinched her nose.

"Swallow," he commanded as he quickly darted his attention to Arc and Addel, hoping his swift approach merited him enough time. 

[Esther 0]

Addel fell back, not expecting the slap from Arc. His cheek tingled. Addel threw his head back in laughter. "Yes...yes! I felt that!" He shouted with estatic glee, "Oh Mari is a genius, she's found it. She's removed the pain limiters. Hit me again, I want to feel that rush." Arc obliged.

The ornate bottle pressed against her lips with haste and urgency. Esther denied Lycan's desperation. Her thin arms attempted to push him away, her left arm buckled under the searing pain she was in. "M-Master, Help!" Her words were Lycan's chance, as she called out to Addel the thick liquid poured down her throat. Esther swallowed, and her eyes lilted, staring blankly with half lidded eyes The pain faded. She went limp in his body. In one instant, bursting with life and vigor, and the next, as still as though death had taken her. 

"Esther....Esther wake up, I'm sorry...Oh god I'm sorry.." Lycan shook her limp body, his voice breaking over inherent sobs. Still, Esther did not respond. Her limbs lightly dangling to and fro, as though she truly was nothing more than a puppet without Addel's influence. The player known as 'Esther' and the bright, wonderful woman known as Phoebe. Gone. Her skin, cold as ice, the warmth quickly draining from her form, her pale skin taking on the debilitating color of death. "No...No...this was meant to help..." 

"Ha! You f**king idiot." Addel turned to Lycan, shoving Arc to the side. "I should have told you sooner, the entirety of her belongs to me now." He sneered. Addel tugged hard on the chain, and bringing hand over other- bought Esther's limp form out of Lycan's lap. She slid lifelessly away from his shaking hands, unresponsive and unmoving. Her chest didn't rise and fall with soft breaths, her eyes didn't flutter, she didn't smile. The twisted blonde man kneeled down, casually bringing up his HUD, pulling out another dose of 'Black Adder Toxin'   "You'll just kill her, course - " He paused, grin widening. Addel licked his teeth, gaining a sick satisfaction from watching the silver haired teen before him tremble and break. "You would have, wouldn't you? If Allison didn't intervene. My I am glad she is in our care now." Addel pulled her up by the length of her hair and pressed his face against her skin, breathing deeply. "Mmm, still smells like lilac though. The tip of his tongue rolled down her cheek. "Tastes almost as sweet as she sme-" 

Addel was yanked back, hard, not only by Arc - but by two other patrons who having seen others challenge Addel gained the courage to join the fray. One patron stood between Addel and Esther, the other held back his arms along with Arc. "The F**k! I'll have you all killed!" Addel screeched. The toxin fell from his hands, and rolled over the floor toward Lycan. Clinking against his knee.

"Lye..."

Her voice was small, weak, but it was hers. It wasn't marred by airy tones, or thickly coated with the toxins she had been forced. Esther called his name, voice filled with overwhelming hurt and emotion. "Run. Forget me." Her emerald eyes, brimming with tears stared back at him, begging for him to leave, begging him to find safety. Already, the effects of the Black Adder toxin were returning. Inky blots of black began to swirl in her irises, as though someone was dropping the very essence of darkness into the colors of her eyes. "I'm...sorry.."

Edited September 30, 2016 by Esther

[Ashrah 0]

"I'll cut your throat out, you sick fu-" Arc began to speak in a cold, almost utterly rational voice before someone grabbed him by the mouth and whispered in his ear. His eyes traveled toward the offender, as if to say 'out of my way.' The eyes his met with shook slowly from side to side.

"Don't fall into that trap, guy," the man told him. "People like that, they want you angry. They want you to stop thinking and make mistakes. Do you want to play his game?" Arc knew the fellow was right, but that didn't stop him from seeing red. His gaze moved back to Addel and burned with malice he could not quite have conjured of his own volition. He still had fingers over his mouth, but the muffled curse words and promises of slow, agonizing death were almost too clear to visualize.

He almost never cursed, or when he did, he never did so in public or in mixed company. His father was vehement- you never do that sort of thing in front of a lady. In that moment where his anger was unleashed, he forgot every pretense of decorum and wanted so badly to put his weapon into the other man. He wanted to watch the health meter of his intended victim watch to zero, to witness his avatar scattered to all seven winds, and imagine the satisfaction of Addel in the real world as he suffered from the horrific brain death Kayaba had promised them.

Arc knew all of these things were wrong, yet with all his mind he wanted them. His soul cried out in anguish as he recognized that the darkness was winning, but he could not fight back. There was nothing in this world worth killing over- he thought. He had thought that. But this? This was certainly emeritus. Surely that man, the one who robbed Esther of the light of life, of the vigor that gave her the will to be kind, loving, and to give of herself to all those who sought aid was deserving of death?

That question made him waver in silence.

His rage continued to burn, but it burned colder with each moment that passed. He watched Esther as she struggled, and part of him ached to put the man to death as the other was torn away and shredded by the pain of knowing he had let the monster run free once more. God, what would she say if she saw me like this? I need to reign it in. I need to get it together. Come on, Tobias.

[Lycan 0]

She left his arms cold and heavy like a corpse. His weary eyes shivered in disbelief and the rage that stormed around his mind quelled into silence.

"I should have told you sooner, the entirety of her belongs to me now."

His words hit Lycan like the finishing blow to a wounded animal. A tension that filled his chest snapped and Lycan's hands clutched at his heart. His thoughts shifted from anger, sadness, shock, and guilt in rapid succession. The roar of conflict grew around him, but the world felt more silent than ever to the teen.

"I did this..." he whimpered in a soft tone, hands shaking and mind tearing itself asunder.

"You'll just kill her, course...  You would have, wouldn't you? If Allison didn't intervene. My I am glad she is in our care now."

Addel, Allison, the poison... They all collected in a violent clash of memory. Esther's smile burnt into a flame of his rage, the feeling of her crying face under his boots painful of ever. His righteous actions to protect her now turning sour in the reality of this horrible world. All of Esther's talk of Aincrad's beauty became constricted and consumed by a vile darkness. The feeling of her lips on his became a stinging fire of regret mixed with the uncomfortable sorrow of nostalgia.

Lycan's hands quaked as they pressed against his lips.

"Tastes almost as sweet as she sme-"

The teen's breathing quickened and eyes lost focus in their forward stare. A brief interruption of the world tapped against his knee and he listed his gaze toward the black vial. From there, they drifted to the source of the madness gripping him. Her neck dangled from the chain clutched in Addel's hand and lifeless eyes stared back at him.

"I... She's dead..." he sputtered under the roar of other players joining the fray and Addel's screams of threat.

 " Run. Forget me. "

Lycan's eyes shot wide, chest feeling as if it were splitting in two. His hand reached out, wanting to grasp anything, something. Her life was there. She was there.

" I'm...sorry.. "

BROKEN.

Emotions shattered from his body in the form of tears. The storm gave in to the void and his head dropped low as his body forgot the will to function. Still...

"I will fix this..." his lips formed into a whisper, mind locked on only one scene from his recent past. No matter his aggression, no matter her affliction, Esther always wanted to help. She always wanted to fix everything.

A chill, same as the coldest nights or drip of death, crawled up Lycan's spine. It nested into the back of his skull and burned from behind his eyes. His hands, now steady, dried the last tears he would let fall at someone else's expense. He exhaled what felt like a haze of fog in winter and wrapped his fingers around the black vile. Vibrant, fierce, and far more threatening amber eyes pinned through Addel's pupils with a message. The violence and revenge that cooked in Lycan's mind could not be put to words, but his expression alone conveyed the entirety of his desire.

"Arc," Lycan began, voice stern and strong. "Let's go."

Lycan rose from his feet, pocketing Addel's toxin. For a fleeting moment, he let his gaze fall on Esther's broken and tortured soul.

"I will fix this," he mouthed, seeing the Esther he remembered instead of the one she had become.

"We're leaving." Lycan barked to Arc in a fashion the mercenary would recall. It was the same tone he used when they both fought the boar who was beyond their abilities at the time. Wasting no time, Lycan made for the door at full sprint, his face flat as slate and cold as ice.

[Esther 0]

Esther watched, as Lycan broke down, her heart ached and she whispered the words again, "I'm sorry.." She hiccuped, tears stinging her slowly clouding eyes as she watched him turn and walk away. She wanted him to stay, she wanted him to tell her she'll be alright - but that was impossible now. She knew that she belonged to Addel, and any lingering feelings she had for Lycan, friend or otherwise - would slowly fade away, drowning in a thick, black, toxic void. "please don't leave me..."

Her mind began to cloud once again. She blinked, what was I...doing? She pushed herself up and rubbed her eyes, as though she were waking from sleep. "Master...?" She said, groggy. She turned up to look at Addel, her eyes widening at the scene before her. Her heart wrenched, her head pounded. "What...the...HECK?" Soft features twisted into tarnished rage as she pushed herself to her feet. Pulling Arc and the other player away from Addel, she shot Arc an angry look. "I don't know who you are, but you have NO right to start a fight here." She spat before turning her head toward Addel. 

The two players that held onto him were flabergasted, they loosened their grip and Addel wrenched free - heading toward Esther. He quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Pulling her close. "Master..." Esther's fingers softly graced his cheek, "Are you hurt?"

"No." Addel replied, using his free hand to smooth down his clothes. "They will be soon." His eyes shifted from her to Arc. "You don't know who he is?" He inquired, his eyes ablaze with a sick curiosity. Wondering if this was an affect of overdosing on the Black Adder Toxin. Esther shook her head. "No. Should I?" Addel lifted her chin to stare into her dazed eyes. "No pet, that was the perfect response. Come. I think it's time we upped your dosage."

Edited October 5, 2016 by Esther

[Ashrah 0]

"You're going to die," Arc promised Addel, his eyes jade fire. The other man released him with an admonishing look. It was a well-known fact that you didn't threaten people with death in SAO, even if they seemed to deserve it. "I'm going to bring you to your knees over and over, and I'm going to make you beg to be forgiven, and once you do, I'm going to watch your data fragment and scatter as you're deleted from existence. In this world, and the world beyond this one."

His voice was calm, rational, and utterly terrifying. While Lycan's rage was a monster in itself, Arc's was another brand of ferocious. The woman he had come to defend now grabbed on him and began to pull him away, but Arc gripped her tightly by the arm and flung her to the side. "You stay out of this," he snarled as she went barrelling into the bar. "You're lucky that you can't die right here, right now," the mercenary pointed toward Addel with a hauntingly stoic expression. "I gave you a warning, and you did this. You stripped someone bare of their humanity. You have no right to live, anymore."

Arc glared at Esther and spat on the ground before her. Whether or not the woman remembered him, if she came to the aid of this monster, she was a liability. He turned on his heel and followed as Lycan shouted the instruction to withdraw. They needed a plan.

As Addel and Esther shared their intimate moment, Arc watched with a calculating gaze. His movements were far slower than those of his ally. He was not hurt in the same way, and only one emotion mattered right now.

But...

As he walked out the door, Arc bit his lip. He didn't want to kill anyone. He didn't want to see the look on everyone's face when they saw his cursor change color, and he didn't want the heartbreak that came from people losing faith in him. Arc needed a better option. He needed to take command of that anger and channel it in another way. If he could terrify the wicked player into never coming near Esther again, he would- but he knew that would never work.

No... he needed to find a way to save Esther that did not involve his taking a life. There had to be a better way.

If you can save someone, that's more important than killing the bad guy.

Be a man that people can rely on.

Don't let this monster control your life.

You are more than your anger, Tobias.

Red.