[PP-F5] <<Butcher of the Sands>> Life or Death

[Mari 1]

Quest

 

"I. Hate. This. F**king. Floor."  Mari muttered in time with each step into the heavy sands among the fifth floor. Her scarf was pulled over her mouth, and she was thankful for the exposed skin which she normally was self conscious of. The last time she had been on this floor was with Macradon, and that was not a very fun time - sandstorms...tripping over friends...blindly fumbling around in the dark...sand in each nook and cranny, nope. Not fun.

Mari had just dealt with Life a few days ago; and decided she wasn't going to bother trying to trek home in that time. So spent overnight on the eighth floor. (She regretted that)  Now Mari was hot, bothered - and very, very frustrated. But right now? Now she was heading toward a quest. It had popped up for her during her trek toward the floor boss room.   'Fight or die' was the warning. 

Well -

That was literally Mari's entire life. If she died to a mere quest, Mari figured people would cheer at that. They'd probably have a party at the monument of life.

@Life


 

General
Level: 55 | HP: 1140  |Energy: 110

STATS
DAM: 11 | EVA 3  | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | 

SKILLS
Rank 5 Weapon (+5 DMG)
-Weapon Mod: Precision (+1 ACC)
Rank 5 Charge (+5 Damage -1 ACC)
Charge Mod BULL RUSH: Successful charge stuns target 1 turn
Rank 5 Light Armor (+25 MIT)
SURVIVAL

EQUIPPED
Name: Kusanagi | Item Type: Dagger | Tier 2
Enhancements: Bleed 2 | Damage 2
'Bleed Damage of 24 for 2 turns on a roll of 8-10'

Name: Beacon Necklace | Item Type: Pendant | Tier 2
Enhancements  +3 ACC 

Name: Infernal Shadow | Item Type: Light Armour | Tier 3
Enhancements:  +2 Eva | +1 Flame Aura
'Effect: Prevent (6 per slot * Tier) damage per slot from successful attacks against you. Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (5 per slot * Tier) unmitigated burn damage to the attacking enemy.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Mari

[Life 0]

Life had some interesting memories on this floor, he remembered doing the traveler and bloodstained sands, but there was one quest that he forgot to do, butcher of the sands. He didn't mind the heat so long as it was dry, the grains of sands which drifted through the air grazed gracefully off his lean porcelain skin. The harsh weather wasn't much of a bother for him with his survival skill now equipped, it was more of an annoyance with his ability to see then anything else. Life made his way toward the NPC handing out the quest information, it warned him that this boss was extremely dangerous and had a mind of its own, attacking whoever it wanted and it was to the death. Situations like that always put life in a weary state, as he knew just how ruthless some bosses could be. Hopefully this one wasn't going to be too difficult. 

Life began to to head towards the arena as the sun beat heavily on his pale skin I'm bound to get a tan at this point right? He mused to himself. His current gear wasn't really designed to deal with heavy sands and buffeting winds either, in this kind of weather the loose material battered around frequently and pulled his weight in random directions. As Life peaked to the top of a tall sand dune he was able to see over a majority of the landscape before him, barely noticing a sweaty redhead travelling not too far from him. She blended in quite nicely with the environment, while Life stuck out like a sore thumb. "Oh hey Mari. Is that you?!" Life slid down the sand dune, closing a larger amount of distance between them. "Fancy seeing you here." 

Stats
Level: 25 | HP: 500 | Energy: 50 | Damage: 14 | Eva: 2 | LM: 2 | ACC: +2 | 

Inventory: 8x Hp potions (+50 hp per use)

@Mari

Edited March 8, 2020 by Life

[Mari 1]

Mari wanted this to be over with sooner rather than later, lest she be stuck in another sandstorm - she'd hate it - she'd nope right out of there. Bundle up in a coat and sit in a ball till it passed because she was not dealing with that a second time within the span of a week. Right now, the winds were soft. Her blackened and charred scarf billowing behind here like smoke from an candle that refused to be extinguished. 

Oh hey Mari. Is that you?!

Mari shifted her gaze to the sound of an all too familiar voice. She had only seem him a few days ago - just a single floor above them. She wasn't sure how she felt about him. Seeing his carefree smile... In a way such a jovial smile changed him from the twisted person she remembered to someone she thought she once knew. Pure and innocent as the corners of his mouth twitched before beaming wider. 

 "Fancy seeing you here." 

 What got him so happy? She guessed...she should be relieved to see him doing well, but she struggled to be perfectly fine after all the sh*t he had pulled with her. "Are...you stalking me?" Mari asked incredulously - and it was a valid question. She had only seen him just a few days ago. "I'm following a quest, but the only clue I got is 'Fight or Die'  And the location. I'm assuming that its just that...I'll be thrown into some sort of battle - which I can't escape from." Mari shrugged her shoulders as she crossed her arms just under her chest. "So, no different than the daily. What are you doing here, stalker?"

It's too hot to be angry

@Life

[Life 0]

Life thought it definitely was quite the coincidence that they kept bumping into each other, as if some divine power kept trying to put them together. But it was much more likely that they were both in a search for power after being isolated for so long, and so both looking for the same quest. "You're on the way to the butcher of the sands arena are you not? No stalking here, just business as usual."  Life walked with larger steps to catch up to her and kept pace a not so irritating distance. "Since we're doing the same thing, how about we party up again? That wen't rather well the last time, we work well as a team." Life jested, knowing full well that Mari had done pretty much all the work on their last encounter. He didn't mean to be too light-hearted, he knew she still didn't trust him and was hurt by him. He was trying harder to be friendlier, nicer, someone she wanted to be around, someone that she needed. Not the person he used to be.  

Life felt that the heat was beginning to get a bit irritating for him, so he freed himself of the sleeves allowing the top of his kimono to rest at his waist. The fabric waved behind him like a flag at the mast, exposing his body to the sunlight. "I hate this heat." Life muttered to himself.

@Mari

[Mari 1]

Mari sighed as she opened up the option to send Life a party request; "It'll be quicker to work together..." She paused as her eyes flicked over to him. "That is, if you do any work - I'm not sure what team you thought you were on, you just watched. Do you like just watchin' or something?"  Not that Mari really cared what he did - but she failed to see how such a thing was 'teamwork' 

Teamwork was talking about how you'd tackle the enemy, it was working together and communicating. But if she were being honest, she didn't trust Life enough for any of that. Part of her expected him to turn around and shove a knife in her back the moment he got the chance to. He'd done it before - well. To his credit he came from the front.  The thing is...something about him right now, whilst it was pleasant...felt ...off.

"You don't have to put on some sort of front." Mari said as she breezed through her inventory. She knew what she wanted. Mari pulled out a damage potion and splashed it over her dagger- it was only a single point of damage gained - but that single base damage sometimes made all the difference.

-Used T1 Damage Potion | +1 Damage (ID#134121)  +1 to Base Damage

"I'd rather you be yourself than force yourself to be something around me. You know I've always valued truth over everything."  Mari shrugged. "Maybe that's why people think I'm such a hardass."  They continued walking, slowly, casually toward the quest marker.

"It...really is too hot..." Mari said in agreeance as she wiped the sweat off her brow, her survival skill helped but it didn't completely stop the heat.

@Life

[Life 0]

Life thought his positive output was refreshing and beneficial for the both of them, but she didn't seem to want any of it. Life sighed and closed his eyes before opening them back up to look at her. "Alright." Life dropped his smile and spoke bluntly, feeling slightly defeated, if she wanted someone light-hearted and easy going it couldn't be from him anyway. Life knew he only really had one objective and that was to beat this game. Of course he cared about Mari and did want to become better friends with her, but if it was going to get to that point it'd be better if he didn't pretend he was something he wasn't. Before he became a psychopath, and before he became the idiot that made the cave of love, this was who he was. Focused and disciplined. It wasn't like he was lying to her when he said he wanted to make things up to her, he wasn't being dishonest with his emotions either. He just always treated her differently then he did other people, good or bad, and he didn't know why. Life once stood as the strongest player in the most powerful guild in Aincrad at one point, he didn't get to that point by being a joke. "Things never used to be this complicated... Oh well. I let you deal with the <<Byakko>> last time because I wanted to see your strength, allow me go first this time around." Life would take the lead against the butcher of the sands and show her that he wasn't just goofing around. 

@Mari

[Mari 1]

"Don't....get me wrong..." Mari said carefully - noticing the crestfallen look he had given her, Mari didn't mean to make him feel bad. Sure, she didn't trust him and was wary because of the way he had treated her in the past, but it didn't mean she had wanted to see him in pain nor for him to be upset. "I don't mind you being happy, if that's what you're genuinely feeling - but I just...don't want people to have to tread on eggshells around me. I don't..." Her face furrowed. "I don't want people to pretend they're something they're not to placate me. That's not fair. On either of us." 

Mari turned her cerulean gaze to Life. "So...I guess I don't see that as complicated, really. Just be yourself and let things happen as they may."  She turned her eyes back away from him. Maybe he didn't like hearing those sort of things...Mari wasn't sure - she wasn't sure of the kind of person he was. Once, long ago, she thought she had. She had fought tooth and nail to protect him, her stubbornness was her downfall. "I get you probably don't like me saying those things though... I don't wanna sugar coat it. I hope you understand." Mari mumbled as she tugged on her hair. She guessed...this did feel a little complicated. How do you talk to someone who was convinced you were a monster, and who convinced you that you were one? How do you just make friendly banter with someone who stabbed you and licked your tears of your face?

Another glance toward Life, he didn't seem like that person from the past - what was his angle this time?

"Yeh..." Mari said quietly. "You're more than welcome to go first."

@Life

[Life 0]

Life heard what she was saying, that she didn't mind him being happy, but he knew that It tore her up inside. Though maybe he had been treating her with too much sensitivity which confused him because he didn't know how else to tell her that he was willing to change and make things up to her. If she wanted things to just go on normally as if nothing had happened then he could probably manage that, but he didn't think that was right either. She continued telling him to just be himself, when really that's all he was doing, right? Being more sensitive towards someones feelings is in consideration to that person, and that consideration was apart of his own desire, it wasn't fake, it was empathy. Ugh I'm getting too into my own head right. 

Life shook his head before she turned to him then walked ahead in front of her as she said he was more than welcome to take the lead. As he passed her he poked her forehead, noticing that she was also getting into her own head. "Don't think too much. If you want things to just play out then let life do it's thing. I already promised you i'd be honest, right?" 

They continued through the desert until they arrived upon a large Colosseum type structure. Without a doubt this was the arena they were looking for. Making their way in Life took notice of the spears which surrounded the center. This indeed was a fight or die pit. As they drew near the center a notification popped up on their screens; <<Fight or Die>>. Life accepted, and from down below the boss shifted the sands beneath their feet as it arose to the surface. 

Life said he'd take the initiative, and so he wasn't going to miss his opportunity to get in while the iron was hot. Life lowered his stance, keeping balanced against the unsteady sands that shifted below. <<Sando Satsu>> Was an angry looking crocodillian warrior brandishing a glaive. Not something I'm familiar with, better take this carefully. Life gripped onto the modest hilt of his new blade <<Lunar Eclipse - Fate>> and charged his sword art, the blade that usually shimmered a silver blue saturated with the signature neon of his sword art. The boss let out a thundering roar threatening the two players before it, but Life had already made his move, darting right beneath it and releasing his blade from its scabbard exploding the cobalt steel across the bosses chest, the sheer force causing it to immediately stagger, creating the perfect opening for Mari to charge in with an attack of her own. "All you Mari." Life smirked.

Party:
Life -
Hp: 500/500 Energy: 36/50(-14)
Mari -
Hp: ???? Energy: ????

Enemy:
Sando Satsu - {Attacks Life on LD 1-10 and Attacks Mari on LD 11-20}
HP: 216/350(154-20=134 Damage] **STUNNED**
[20 Mitigation, 100 Damage] 

Special Information: 

Spoiler

Sando Satsu ignores Block, Evasion, and Mitigation. But does not do bonus damage on a 9-10
-Cull of the Meek: On a natural roll of 10 he will spin with his weapon at maximum reach hitting everyone in the fight. He will gain 10 hp per person hit.
-Dominus: When he reaches 175 hp, he grows massive in size upping his damage to 150 and mitigation to 30 for the rest of the fight.

Life roll ID: 137328 BD: 7+2= 9 Success On SA <<Iai>> 14*11 = 154 Damage and stuns.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Life

[Mari 1]

Up went her hands, as they tried to shoo him away when he pressed a finger against her nose. She did not like that. "whoppa, whoa!" Mari said as she created some more poorly structured ninja moves with her wildly flailing hands. "No touch my nose!" She cried out after him - cheeks flushed. How dare! The nerve. Who just boops peoples noses like that!?  Mari increased her pace in a half step to catch up to him. She'd get him back for that...somehow.

He spurted out words, that were literally just rehashed from what she had Just Said. Mari grumbled, feeling a little frustrated - but she knew that was in part to the heat. Even Macradon would have struggled to brighten her sour mood in this weather. Not long after they happened across a run down Colosseum, within that - a strange arena with wooden spikes shoved into the sand. "So...these don't look like they'd be very fun to be impaled on, do they?" Mari asked as she carefully stepped over one. 

<Fight or Die>

Well, that was easy - Mari reached up and pressed accept. That's when the battle started. Out from seemingly nowhere, which is where many of these mobs came from - a giant angry reptilian warrior sprang - He swung a large Glaive to and fro - roaring loudly. To Life's credit, he sprang into action, the force of his attack staggered the beast.

"Right, right." Mari said with a small nod as she pulled out her dagger. First - she activated her charge skill; then, her <<Eternal Cyclone>> skill. She charged at the looming reptilian warrior and pivoted on her foot as she slashed through the reptilian creature. Even with her potion...even with the charge ability...she had failed to destroy it on her turn.  Despite its health going straight into the red - and her inflicting bleed damage...Mari felt her gut sink a little. It was always like this. She always managed to fail when it came to how much damage could be dealt.

Sandu Setsu gave an almighty roar and tried to attack, but because it was stunned - all he could do was shake violently. His entire body vibrating with rage as it began to grow and grow.

Mari somersaulted back to fall in line with Life. "Err....At least you've stunned it." She offered. It looked like they just pissed the damn thing off.

@Life

Party:
Life -
Hp: 500/500 Energy: 50/50

MARI
HP: 1140/1140  |Energy: 99/110  |  DAM: 11+1 | EVA 3  | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | 

ID:137331   BD:8  +4  -1  =11 SUCCESS 
BLEED 24 Damage 2/2 Turns
12+5=16   16 x 13 = 208 -20=188 

Enemy:
SUPER SIZED Sando Satsu - {Attacks Life on LD 1-10 and Attacks Mari on LD 11-20}
HP: 28/350  *Stunned*   *BLEED  -24  2/2 Turns*
[30 Mitigation, 150 Damage] 

Edited March 8, 2020 by Mari

[Life 0]

After successfully staggering the cold blooded boss Mari literally charged in made a flurry of attacks making good use of the opening. Life watched as the bosses health rapidly dropped to what appeared to be zero, yet the boss didn't die. No.. there's a sliver of health left. Mari was indeed powerful, an attack like that was on par with anything he could dish out. His eyes fluttered over Mari's figure as she flipped back towards him, then his eyes were quickly back on the beast. It was clear that this boss wasn't done, and he had something to say about it. The croc enlarged, the entirety of its skin flushing red, and it looked angry and out for revenge. Life shook his head, this boss wasn't even close to enough for this party. "No mercy." Life uttered to himself dashing back in. He alternated the angle of his Katana, activating his most powerful ability <<San Ge>> disregarding any possible repercussions. Life once again slipped under the bosses defenses, allowing his blade to pierce into its abdomen before ripping it out and following up with multiple slices, concluding by slashing his blade right trough its abdomen and finishing behind it. He sheathed his blade, allowing the beast to succumb the multitude of cuts along its body before it faded away into a stream of data. 

Life turned back to Mari while stretching out his arms and yawning. "I'll be honest, with a warning like fight or die I was really expecting a bit more of a challenge." Life watched his exp shoot up again, for a much easier fight than Kumatetsu he was still getting a substantial amount of experience. It seemed his steady grind was going well enough. Life looked over towards Mari, noticing an item pop up in front of her. "What you got there Mari." 

Party:
Life -
Hp: 500/500 Energy: 21/50(-15)
Mari -
Hp: 1140/1140 Energy: 99/110

Enemy:
[DOMINUS MODE] Sando Satsu - {Attacks Life on LD 1-10 and Attacks Mari on LD 11-20}
HP: -152/350 (210-30=180 Damage) {Bleed 24 Damage 2/2 Turns}
[30 Mitigation, 150 Damage] 

Special Information: 

Spoiler

Sando Satsu ignores Block, Evasion, and Mitigation. But does not do bonus damage on a 9-10
-Cull of the Meek: On a natural roll of 10 he will spin with his weapon at maximum reach hitting everyone in the fight. He will gain 10 hp per person hit.
-Dominus: When he reaches 175 hp, he grows massive in size upping his damage to 150 and mitigation to 30 for the rest of the fight.

Life roll ID: 137332 BD: 4+2=6 ; Hit success: San Ge sword art 15*14= 210 Damage 
Sando Satsu Roll ID: he ded no roll 

@Mari

Edited March 8, 2020 by Life

[Mari 1]

 The reptilian finally fell after Life had brutally attacked it - his demanour changed when he fought. He was focused, precise - lethal Mari always admired strong fighters. She didn't much like fighting and battling herself - but she always found it to be an experience to watch others. It was like a choreographed dance of destruction swaying along to unheard tunes of intensity and tension. He turned from the Reptilian as it fell, and burst into an array of data.

"Yeh..." Mari said as he paused in front of her. "I really thought it'd be...a little more challenging." She held out her hands to gesture the outline of a round ball, about the size of a basketball. "I've fought a small dragon that was more effort than that...granted that was in the middle of a sandstorm but still..."
 

"H-Huh.." She noticed the text pop up in front of her. "It's...oh, let me see... I can choose between A Cloak of the Sands with +2 Mitigation or +1 thorns...or a Weapon of the Sands which does +2 Damage or Two Bleed....gah...both these things are completely useless to me. What did you want?" Mari asked as she looked up at Life. She really had no need for them, and Mari wasn't really the type to just sell something for the sake of a quick chunk of Col. She found that entirely useless these days. It wasn't really easy to buy anything as a Pker after all.

@Life

[Life 0]

Life thought for a moment, looking at the two options. Both of them were rather lackluster, just like the boss. It didn't really matter if either of them took it, the items weren't good enough for players their level. "I'm not that interested in them to be honest, and my inventory is almost full with useless junk already. Maybe you should take it, give it to an inexperienced player or something." Life thought on that suggestion for a moment, finding the image of a player killer waggling free items to newbies rather amusing. Though he'd keep that thought to himself. Life walked out from the center of the arena, to the more shaded part of the Colosseum created by the shadows cast off of its pillars, he really wasn't enjoying the heat at all. "Say, that dragon, I haven't fought a mob like that before. Should I mark it down for my next quest? Not sure where to head to now that we're done here." Life began to relax a bit more, it seemed she was finally easing up around him after all. 

@Mari

[Mari 1]

So Life didn't want them either? Well. At least she tried to extend that olive branch.  Mari hit the armour one, thinking of Yuki or Quinn - both of those may be able to use it. "Oh well." Mari said with a shrug. "That's your loss, isn't it? You know if you've got so much junk you really should just sell it, no use being a hoarder."
 

Life made his way toward the outer ring of the Colosseum and Mari followed - she knew what he wanted to do - get into the shadows as quickly as possible, and that was the best idea to come out of the man in the past few years.
 
"Hmm....I suppose so but it's an anthology type thing." Mari said as she walked beside Life, her steps lighter than his in the sand. Despite the fact that it appeared she was larger than Life she walked with little purpose beyond escaping the heat of the floor. "So you'd have to fight a dragon on each floor. I think...Macradon said there were 9 in total..." Mari said thoughtfully as she tapped her lip. "Mmm...but I imagine there'd be more to it after that. Like, some big dragon at the end - or maybe we'd have to fight undead versions of the dragons. Thus far the quest line seems a little too easy."

As they hit the shadowed part of the colloseum Mari sighed in relief. She tugged on her outerwear and fanned herself. "I really, really hate this floor. I've been avoiding it so still have several quests to do here, but the moment they're all done...BAM!" Mari thwacked her hand on the wall behind her, causing a loud 'bang'  "No more fuckin' sand in every crevice." She muttered.

"I just wanna go back to the fourth floor and roll around in the snow before sitting in front of my fireplace."

Despite her earlier reservations, it seemed Mari was more open with Life. In part, it was due to the heat. She was simply too tired, and too hot and bothered to keep her guard up. The other part was because she really didn't want to keep being bitter. She'd keep her distance, and she doubted she'd ever trust him easily - but talking? Mari could do that.

@Life

[Life 0]

Life kept his eyes on Mari as she floundered around in the heat, for someone so drained she did seem a lot more animated than usual. Though he wondered about her dislike for the floor he didn't wonder about what crevices its sands had gotten between. Surely not every crevice. He affirmed to himself. "It seems our hate for this floor is mutual then. I had already completed the majority of the quests here so far, just one or two left I think. The one with the sand shark is especially bad for getting sand stuck between everything, just a warning." 

He took notice of her second mention of her fireplace since they met on floor six. It was nice that she had a place of her own now, it made him feel better considering she used to be so vulnerable as a player killer. It was almost a relief to know she had someplace safe to go to. "That sounds nice.. I'm glad you've got somewhere to relax these days. Probably beats sleeping in a log like a jungle hermit. I know it can get hard with all the restrictions. Your house is on floor four right? I particularly like that floor, I've done avalanche about fifteen times each with different players. Sometimes when I get bored I just sit around in the snow and make snowmen. Maybe one day we should do avalanche just for the hell of it." Life rested his back on one of the pillars, taking in a deep breath. This was nice. "Thanks for the tip on the dragon anthology thing. I'll look into it. If they're easy enough so far I can probably take a few newbies down with me, bolster the player bases level total, It'd be nice to have stronger players around to help with the front lines." 

@Mari

[Mari 1]

Yes, every crevice

Mari nodded with a sigh as she pressed her back against the cool stone of the shadowed wall. She allowed herself to slide down it till she was seated in the sand. "I still have three quests to go on here...at least according to the information that Hik's broker sent me..." She sighed. "I just...really don't do well in the heat, you think I'd be used to it, considering where I'm from." She didn't elaborate on it further. She'd told him in the past, and if he had forgotten that was his own damn fault.

Mari had already done the sand shark, a few times at that - so luckily she didn't have to deal with it again. She wondered...what would happen if Yuki or Shay asked her to accompany them on those quests? Should Mari deny it and say she simply hated the floor? Would it be fair to people who considered her some sort of teacher that they for some dumb ass reason looked up to? Mari didn't understand it, why people were looking to her for aid. She was the last person people should look to.

"I've had it less than a week, and spent maybe a night there in total." Mari admitted as Life bought the conversation to her house. "If it weren't for Baldur...." Her voice softened, taking on a nostalgic warmth. "If it weren't for him...I doubt I'd have ever bothered to make it for myself. It's my favorite floor. Although...I've never really made a snowman before."

Snowmen...right...that night.

"Hey...Life..." Mari asked as she turned her head to him. "Have you managed to catch up with Alkor yet? Is he okay?"

@Life

[Life 0]

Cooling down in the shade really was a great a idea, while he considered her point about the heat he rubbed some sweat off his chest and put the top of his Yukata back on. "Well going from extreme cold on floor four to extreme heat on this one certainly wouldn't help the situation." Life pointed out. He pulled down his inventory menu and spawned in some regular bottles of water, throwing her one casually before drinking some of his own. He watched her closely as she began to mumble to herself, something that he was completely out of the loop on, though he drank his water and listened anyway not really sure how to respond.

That was until she mentioned Alkor. He wasn't really sure what to say on that front since he did run into him after Mari told him he was alive. He was almost the same as the day he left, he looked different.. but his personality was still true to himself. Perhaps It'd be better if Life just told her all she needed to her, or at least, what she wanted to hear. In both cases it was still true. "Yeah.. I ran into him killing a bunch of elves and we did treant rivalries. He's doing ok... definitely not a ghost like I had thought. Though what about you? Been up to anything exciting?" 

@Mari
 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Life

[Mari 1]

He's okay.

Mari turned her gaze toward the now abandoned arena - she watched as clouds of sand were picked up by whispering winds, dancing soundlessly across the barren landscape. "I'm glad...he hasn't really responded to my messages - but I can't blame him. I want to be his friend but it still hurts when I think about him. I guess his distance is his way of letting me get over that. It's all I really wanted to hear. So if you're telling the truth, thanks." It was melancholy, in its own way. Mari was very aware of how it began to hurt less and less, in a way it was almost scary - letting go. It felt like he was slipping through her fingers much like the sand she sat upon. She was scared of loosing him, not as some unrequited lover - but as a friend, and as a person. If she acknowledged this acceptance would he disappear completely? 

"Me?" Mari asked, thankful for the question, it drew her attention way from her inner thoughts.  "Mmmm...not really..." She said. Mari didn't think too much of herself, or what she had done. "I've just been hanging out with someone named Macradon. Getting things ready for the Floor Boss... I guess. Beyond that I can't say much has really happened."

@Life

[Life 0]

Life didn't really believe that things had been that uneventful for her, but it wasn't like he could tell either way. First Baldur, now Macradon, neither players he knew, he was really out of the loop. Though thinking on her lack of interest towards everything so far, maybe she was just so indifferent to the things going on that it didn't really matter to her or at least she didn't matter to her. It bothered him. She wasn't just hurt that Life was back, she also had to deal with Alkor leaving. She had a lot of emotions to handle, and to be honest he thought she was taking it well. Life closed his eyes before casting his gaze off to the side. He felt like he should probably tell her that she had a lot to fight for, to reassure her that things would be ok. That she didn't just have to be on the front lines because that's what was expected of her. But it didn't feel like the right time or place. Currently she was putting up with his presence and just opening up. Maybe another time. He thought.

"I wonder what things are like out in the real world... do you ever think about what our real bodies are like, just sitting in the place we left ourselves? With the amount of time that's passed, we'd have to be on life support right now... how much time do we really have left..." Life didn't know what came over him when he said that. It was a random thought, but much more disturbing then he intended. He was trying to avoid a difficult topic and ended up on probably one of the heaviest ones, at least for some people it would be. 

@Mari

Edited March 9, 2020 by Life

[Mari 1]

"Dunno." Mari pushed herself off the wall at that. "I don't really think about it if I'm honest." Mari lifted her arms, straight and high over her head as she bent her back - stretching it till she felt a few audible and satisfying cracks.  "I mean, I'll either go to jail or die, right?" Mari knew her words sounded morose, but she was okay with them. She had come to terms with everything long ago. "I don't exactly have anyone waiting for me out there - I wouldn't be surprised if they just flipped the switch one day whilst I'm still in here...but I mean - we're all I guess a bit of an oddity, so I guess maybe they won't - we're all like some sort of strange scientific phenomenon after all."  Mari offered Life a wry smile. "I wouldn't dwell on that sorta thing, it'll drive you mad. Just think of it this way, they'll do whatever they can to keep us all alive - because if anything - we're a great big ass experiment for them. Loosing that data is worth more than any of our lives." Her heavy words were carried with an alarmingly carefree tone.

She shifted her gaze to the sky, the sun would be setting soon. "I should probably get going. I want to leave this floor before nightfall; and it'll be almost that by the time I get to either boss room floor." Mari rubbed the back of her neck, feeling frustrated. "It's really a sh*tty way to get around..." She muttered as she lowered her hand.

What do you say now? Goodbye? See you Later? Did she want to see him later? Mari...wouldn't exactly mind that - but she wouldn't exactly go seeking him out either - she wasn't ready to have his name floating on her friend-list as a constant reminder either. Mari turned on her heel to  glance down at Life. "Mmm...well, bye." It was awkward, it was terribly awkward - but Mari was never really eloquent with words. She took a few backwards steps before turning her back on him and heading toward another floor; happy to be able to rid herself of the sand that stuck to her body.

@Life

[Life 0]

End up in prison or dead? Life didn't know how to take those words. Sure in the real world murder was punishable, and the orange crystal was proof that she ended real lives.. but.. With the amount of hysteria and confusing that came with being trapped in a game with those features designed, can you really hold someone accountable for that? The were many player killers that refused to believe that people really died and just Pk'd because it was a feature of the game. Sure that could just be an excuse for them to kill, but how could you distinguish between them? Our lives were just data for them? Life stood there, taking in her words. On the outside it seemed like her was listening, and just playing it cool. But on the inside he was beginning to crumble again. What was the point this? No. He was adamant that it wasn't the case. The reason they kept them going was so that they could come out of it alive. Because their lives inherently held value. It didn't matter what your circumstance was, whoever you were you still deserved to live, you still deserved a chance at life. 

Life steadied his gaze, looking back up to retort Mari. He'd tell her exactly how he felt and tell her exactly what he thought her life was worth. That she deserved to keep living and she wasn't going to be punished for going a little crazy in completely unique situation. Life was just as much to blame for the deaths of players as she was, and he wouldn't be punished because his crystal was green? Unjustified. Life opened his mouth to speak, but she was already gone. He hadn't noticed that she had just walked away while he was lost in thought. "Yeah... be seeing you." He snorted to himself. With Mari gone he had no reason to stay in the devils sandbox and play around in the heat anymore. "I need to get out of here." Life took the last swig of his water, letting it dissipate into fine pieces of data and evaporate before turning towards the direction of the portal. Time to go.