[F3 - PP] The Bistro, The Garden, and Beyond | <<Nature's Treasure>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Remembering her promise to visit the small restaurant that Bismuth had opened up, Nari stepped off the teleporter pad and onto the main walkway of Floor 3’s main town. Although she’d been here before, the general overgrowth that held the town caught Nari’s eyes – so different from her own home. She could understand why Bismuth had found a home here – even if it was just temporary, or for his business. Smiling slightly to herself, she began the small trek down through the settlement of Aruyt, passing a few other players on her way – but keeping to herself. She had thoughts enough to keep her preoccupied on her walk, and as she left the settlement proper, she felt herself delve into them.

A lot had happened in the last few days; between the horrid dinner, the re-grouping for the second quest, and the talk with Koga. She had more than enough to consider, thinking things over and wondering to herself what had happened. She had certainly made mistakes, but was she the only one at fault? The question seemed to echo through her mind, as she tried to figure everything out.

As she passed through the outer walls, she began her typical search for materials – those shiny metallic bars that always proved so beneficial to her, and yet somehow also so reluctant to appear when she really needed them. ‘Well, Bismuth did say he wanted to visit Nemo’s garden…I wonder how he’ll fair against the dragon? At least I’ll get to play my role as protector this time…’

Koga had been nice enough about it, but he truly hadn’t needed her help defending against the many beasts and few dangers found in Little Eden – she was sure he could have solo’d it all if he’d so wanted. But he had put away that pride, and welcomed her without hesitation – something she knew she would never forget.

Time quickly passed, and soon she found herself entering the small village of Flora – quaint, reminding her of a few smaller villages she had visited in the real world, so long ago now. The soft smile returned to her face as she saw the small, hand painted sign marking The Bistro. She had to admit, it had a slight welcoming feeling to it – something homely about it. Walking to its door, she noticed the closed sign, signifying that it wasn’t open for business yet. Knocking slightly, she called out, hoping Bismuth would hear her.

“Bismuth? It’s Nari…I got your message about wanting to do the Nature’s Treasure quest?” She waited patiently, glaive tucked into her left elbow, her body in a relaxed position as she glanced around the area.

ID203822 | LD: 1 + 1 = 2 | CD: 9 + 1 = 10 | Material Search | Failure [+5 EXP; 282/299 EXP] Rank 3 - Adept Forager

Nari's Statblock

Spoiler

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Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 32 | P. 0 | HP: 700/700 | EN: 82/82 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 3 | REC: 8

EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG]

Tier 4

Equipped Items

Dark Fox Tail [Tier 4; Polearm [One-handed Glaive]; Perfect] Standing at 150cm in length from pommel to blade tip, the glaive was crafted with a shaft of intertwining sky blue and dark violet polished wood. The blade, a mere 7cm in width and 45cm in length is a thin dark red colouring. Where the shaft connects with the blade is a metal seating, circular in design and black in colour. Twin tassels hang from the seating, intertwining sky blue and dark violet colours dancing as they move. Upon both sides of the blade, just above where it connects with the shaft, is a small curled white fox.  | Enhancement: Bleed [1 Slots] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 (1 slot) or natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 (2 slots) deal (12 * Tier) unmitigated bleed damage each enemy turn for 2 turns. Bleed damage does not stack, but can be refreshed. The highest tier of Bleed damage overrides lower tier versions; cannot be overridden by lower-tier versions. | Enhancement: Accuracy [2 Slots] | Effect: Gain +(1 per slot) to the BD when attacking. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit.

Dark Fox's Vengeance [Tier 4; Heavy/Plate Armour] Forged to be shapely, this piece appears thinner than most pieces of heavy armour - leaving what appear to be openings towards the neckline, and the sides of the torso. Smaller shoulders leave limited protection towards the neck, but allow for greater movement. Coloured a dark violet, the edges of the piece outlined in a dark forest colour, and upon the front's centre stands a white fox, slightly cured with fangs barred. | Enhancement: Recovery [1 Slot] | Effect: Before your post action, make a separate CD roll. On a natural CD7+, regain (1 per slot * Tier) additional energy. This CD roll may also apply to activating the effects of Vamp-Def. | Enhancement: Thorns [2 Slots] | Effect: Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (9 * Tier) unmitigated damage to the attacking enemy. Only activates on damage dealing, melee attacks.

Dark Fox's Retribution [Tier 4; Celtic Shield] Similar to a wall shield, this piece stands nearly 137cm tall, and nearly 76 cm wide - easily covering the form of a shorter individual. Tapered on the sides, the shield seems to bend inwards slightly on its edges, a perfect opening for an outwardly weapon to be levelled through. The top and bottom edges slightly bend inwards, giving the impression of a less than straight appearance. Coloured in a dark violet, with edges of dark forest green, a white fox, slightly cured with fangs barred is emblazoned on its centre, appearing as if ready to strike.  | Enhancement: Recovery [1 Slot] | Effect: Before your post action, make a separate CD roll. On a natural CD7+, regain (1 per slot * Tier) additional energy. This CD roll may also apply to activating the effects of Vamp-Def. | Enhancement: Thorns [2 Slots] | Effect: Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (9 * Tier) unmitigated damage to the attacking enemy. Only activates on damage dealing, melee attacks.

Battle-Ready Inventory

Teleport Crystal {3}

Arrowhead Brooch | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | Accuracy III

Music Box | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | LD III

Starter Healing Potions {5} | Heals 50 HP

Super-Duper Anti Snake Sauce (Salve) | Antidote 2

Pure Unadulterated Rage (Meals) | Mitigation 3

Combat Skills

Battle Healing Rank 1 Passive Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.

Weapon Skills

Polearm Rank 5 Passive Effect: +7 DMG

Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Stamina Passive Effect: Reduces EN of all attacks by 2.

[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Precision Passive Effect: Gain +1 ACC.

Rank 5 Weapon Addon] <<Weapon Type>> Focus Passive Effect: Decreases minor critical threshold by 1. Also reduces DoT thresholds by 1. Players cannot use Focus and Ferocity at the same time for the same Weapon Type.

[Rank 5 Shift] TECH Specialist Passive Effect: For TECH Sword Arts, +4 to multipliers, +3 to EN cost. No other Shifts may be taken.

Sword Arts

[x12] ST-I (12 EN) | A single-target sword art.

[x15] ST-II (15 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.

[x20] ST-B (20 EN) | A devastating single-target sword art. Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll.

[x11] AOE-I (11 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.

[x14] AOE-II (14 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A powerful sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.

[x12] TECH-A (13 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.

[x12] TECH-B (12 EN) | DELAY | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Delay] on the enemy. [Delay] is a status condition that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn.

[x12] TECH-C (12 EN) | COUNTER | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, places [Counter] around the player. [Counter] reduces the final damage taken by its user by 25% (rounded down) for one turn.

[x8] TECH-F (8 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE STUN | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. All struck targets are stunned for one turn.

[x3] RAW-A (10 EN) | THORNS | A single-target sword art that utilizes the [Thorns] of the individual against the enemy. Other types of enhancements that apply damage upon contact with the individual are also considered in improving the damage of this sword art (eg. Immolation Potion, Flame/Frost Aura, etc). Outgoing damage is considered mitigatable.  Must have a weapon equipped to activate this sword art.

Armour Skills

Heavy Armor Rank 5 Passive Effect: MIT + 35. You can only benefit from one armour skill at a time (the respective armour type must be equipped). Your evasion is capped at 1 enhancement slot and you take -1 to Stealth Rating per rank.

[Rank 5 Heavy Armor Addon] Iron Skin Effect: Gain +15 Mitigation and +15 * Tier HP

Extra Skills

Parry Active: Post action Energy cost: 9 EN Cooldown: 3 Turns Effect: Apply the energy cost upon proc, not activation. Reduces the final damage of the next successful attack against you by 50% (rounded down) and negates stun/paralysis effects of that attack. If hit by multiple attacks, only apply parry to the first attack against you. Parry lasts for three turns. Cooldown starts when the player activates the Skill. If the player is hit when using Parry, the cooldown is reset to 3 turns.

[Parry Mod] Vengeful Riposte Passive Cooldown: 4 Turns Effect: A successful Parry also returns 50% (rounded down) of the raw damage that would be dealt to you back to your opponent. The reflected damage can be mitigated by the opponent.

Block [Requires two Extra Skill slots] Passive Effect: Requires an equipped shield. User’s evasion cannot be greater than 0 (can still be negative). Grants additional mitigation: Rank 5: 25 MIT

Combat Mastery

Combat Mastery: Mitigation [Expert] -> Rank 3 Passive Effect: Gain +6*Tier Mitigation per rank. Ranks of this Skill apply to Mitigation enhancement caps.

Spoiler

Word Count: 444

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice roll results / Statblock

[Bismuth 0]

Bismuth was in his cramped and messy room, working on all of his charts and maps like he always did, taking notes on things that he had already taken notes on to make sure that they were worded the best they could be and held as much detail as he could manage. Bismuth planned on publishing all of his research someday into one big compendium, a large manifest of everything that he had been able to learn throughout his time in Sword Art Online. hearing a knock on his door downstairs Bismuth blinked, taking the focus away from his writing made him realize that he hadn't slept again, and could feel it in his eyes and mouth, that has to be Nari he thought walking over to a window that overlooked the street below he threw it open, leaning out of it precariously far in order to shout at Nari in the street below him "It's not locked, come on in and make yourself comfortable, I won't be long." Bismuth's hair fell around his face, not held back by his usual ponytail, similar to the time that the duo had first met.

Bismuth left the window open as he went back to the desk, finishing up the last few lines on his chart before opening the door into the upstairs hallway of his house, turning to the end of the hallway where there was a washroom he could use to wake him up a bit. A large basin sat in the corner, filled with water, Bismuth splashed some of it on his face to wake himself up, before tying his hair up in a bun, something a bit different then normal. Walking downstairs Bismuth could see Nari waiting in the main room of his tavern, a new sword hung at his hip, the very same one that Nari had made for him, and the bags under his eyes had noticeably darkened since there last encounter, but otherwise Bismuth was exactly the same. A smile lit up his face as he saw his friend "Thankyou for coming, I figured I could make us breakfast and we could talk, before heading out." the smile on his face growing as he thought about the adventure that was to come.

Spoiler

Bismuth,
Level: 13
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 260/260
EN: 44/44

Stats:
Damage: 8
Mitigation: 20
Evasion: 4
Accuracy: 1
Loot Dice: 6
BLD: 24

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: T2 P OHCS <Tempest> BLD 1, DAM 2
Armor: T1 P Cloth Armor <Ryuusou> EVA 3
Misc: T1 P Trinket <Hikei> LD 3

Skills:
Curved Sword R1
Cloth Armor R5
Searching R2
Lock Picking R1

Addons:
Nimble

Active Extra Skills:
Hiding R2

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions x3
T1 P Trinket <Koumi> ACC 3 x1
T1 Uncommon Health Potion x5
T1 Rare Health Potion x1

Loot Dice:
Gathering: 6
Looting: 6
Finding Chests: 6
Looting Chests: 1
Finding Dungeons: 6
Finding Labyrinths: 6

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Bismuth

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari’s eyes glanced towards the sword on the man’s hip – the sword she had crafted for him – and she felt a small smile spread across her face. With everything that had happened over the past few days, seeing this was a nice welcome. It filled her heart with a moment of pride and joy, and she couldn’t stop the emotions from playing across her face.

“Breakfast would be lovely. I would offer to help, but… truth be told I’m awful in a kitchen…at least, in the game, that is.” She cast her eyes around the room as she spoke, taking in the scene before it. It had an almost… medieval appeal to it, as if a tavern from a roleplaying game, or a renfaire. She had to admit, it was cozy, and although the outside spoke of more… quaint settings, she had to admit, Bismuth had managed a fine job in decorum. “Have you been… sleeping? You don’t look so good. Has something been keeping you up?”

She glanced back at Bismuth, noticing the disheveled appearance that he was, a complete difference from when they had first met. She knew it was possible he’d run into challenges – they all had, hadn’t they? – but she wanted to make sure he was taking care of himself. She eyed him, waiting for an answer, feeling a bit odd being so… protective, of someone else.

Spoiler

Word Count: 231

 

[Bismuth 0]

Bismuth chuckled at Nari's straight forwardness about her lack of skill in the kitchen "Don't worry, I myself don't have much skill, honestly, I just like it because I can make myself buffs." Bismuth winked as he walked through the half door that separated his cluttered kitchen from the main dining room, gesturing for Nari to follow as the door swung softly from being moved through. Truthfully, Bismuth wasn't the biggest fan of cooking in the real world, he had always loved to paint though, and because that wasn't really a profession he could have he had practically chosen cook at complete random when he realized that appraising may not have been for him.

Bismuth looked back towards Nari, the sound of creaking coming from the wooden half door as a somewhat awkward silence filled the Bistro before Bismuth smiled warmly "Oh you know how it is, too much work going on to sleep much." Bismuth was trying to reassure his friend, although it wasn't a full lie, it was definitely not the complete truth, but telling that to anyone wasn't going to happen, so this was an easier option. "So what are we thinking for breakfast?" Bismuth looked around his kitchen to see if anything would come to him at seeing all of his ingredients.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Glancing around the kitchen, Nari will shrug at the question – not really sure what possibilities there were in this world. She had noticed his attempt to deflect her question, and although he clearly hadn’t lied – he was holding something back. She could feel it, even though she may not know him all that well yet. Walking to the counter, leaning against it, she’ll cross her arms, giving him a stare that she hoped was serious looking.

“I…will leave the decision to the cook. I’m not really sure what’s good and what’s…not. And even if you’re busy, you really should get some sleep – this maybe be a game, but it’s still not a game. Lack of sleep could lead to mistakes, and mistakes…” Her voice dropped off as she bit her tongue. She didn’t want to bring up those memories, nor to scare the poor man. He had already shown some hesitation when it came to combat – although clearly not due to a lack of skills by any means.

“Just…promise me you’ll try and get some rest going forward, yeah?” She shifted on her feet, uncomfortable at requesting things so forwardly. But…Astreya had said… “You’re no good to us if you’re asleep in the field, right?” A soft smile, to try and relieve the otherwise tense situation that had arisen in the kitchen.

“But for now – how about that breakfast. Your kitchen looks amazing, and I want to see a professional at work!”

Spoiler

Word Count 242

 

[Bismuth 0]

It wasn't like Bismuth didn't try to sleep, it was just that even if he did, he would be awoken after only a few hours at most, and finding sleep after that point was harder then finding it in the first place. Bismuth looked everywhere in the kitchen except for Nari's eyes "I will do my best. And as for breakfast, why don't we stick with what I know?" It was less of a question than it was a statement, but he was still hoping it suited Nari, though he thought maybe she wouldn't know what he was good at "By that a mean, Japanese style." Bismuth had never introduced himself, and not being completely Japanese it could be hard to tell where he came from. He was born in Japan to a Greek mother and a Japanese father, and he took more after his mother, or so he had been told, it wasn't like he had ever met them. 

It was at this point that Bismuth began prepping for their meal, starting with the fish, which he was planning to simply cook in a pan over the fire, with a skilled hand Bismuth began his work, cutting the fish into two large chunks, and prepping all of the vegetables, and tofu for the miso soup. "Do you like fish?" Bismuth was putting rice into a somewhat water filled pot with a lid and placing it in the fire, this breakfast sort of hinged on the fish, which he had already prepared, so he didn't know what to do if she said no. Everything was chopped, so Bismuth began on the miso soup that he planned to pair with the vegetables rice and fish. Nothing took very long though, and Bismuth had a full traditional Japanese breakfast prepared for them in no time.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari smiled as Bismuth asked the question – did she like fish? She was aware of cooking enough to know that by that point; it was far too late. Even if she had said no, he had already begun the processing of preparing everything. Watching as he moved across the kitchen, dancing around in a way that bespoke of someone who took to their craft without hesitation.

“I grew up on the coast of my home country, fish was a major part of our diets – and I loved it. Especially fresh. We had a little sushi…” The words stopped as she remembered the shop. Pain shot through her heart and she quickly changed her words, hoping the slip wouldn’t be noticed – or at least ignored. “Fish is an excellent choice, and I love trying dishes I’ve never had before.”

Settling out of the way, she decided that she would simply watch as the man went to work. She hadn’t forgotten his avoidance of her own question, but…he had agreed to try, and that was as much as she could hope for. She knew that she would have to keep an eye on him though…

‘Here you go…acting the protector…’

“So, have you attempted the Nature’s Treasure quest before?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 207

 

[Bismuth 0]

Bismuth smiled at her admonition towards liking fish, Bismuth grew up in Japan, and fish was a huge part of his diet, and was something that he was very good at making. "I'm glad, it's really all I know how to make right now, but when I get better I plan to branch it out more." Bismuth made quick work of everything in the kitchen and it didn't take long before the food was ready, a completely traditional breakfast. Bismuth led Nari back to the main dining area, and placed the food down on the table, a bowl of miso soup, paired with pan fried fish, steamed vegetables, and sticky rice. 

Taking his place opposite his friend, after pulling a chair out for her to sit in Bismuth put his hands together, bowing his head slightly before looking to Nari "I hope it tastes alright, getting the proportions right in the game is a lot harder than in real life." With that he began eating, not surprised by Nari's next question. Truthfully he had already done the Nature's Treasure quest with Astreya, and not even that long ago, but he was more using it as an excuse to pay back Nari for all of her help with the first lessons, Bismuth wasn't skilled with a blade, which Nari was, and without her it wouldn't have gone quite as well. "Yeah, I did it with a friend a few days ago, but I can't take anything in the dungeon on on my own, so I need help. I figured who better to ask then one of my strongest friends." bismuth didn't add in the part where she was really the only friend he had other than Astreya. Freyd was more an acquaintance than anything, and NIGHT and Koga, well Nari knew how that went. Smiling Bismuth kept at the food, it was okay, it tasted just about what one would expect, and it was something that Bismuth was used to, but he had still missed it, and being able to recreate this, was a dream come true in this game for him.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari felt herself blush at the man’s words. She was sure there were others, more powerful than herself…but still, it felt good hearing the words. Smiling at the man, she began with her meal – pausing almost immediately as she took the first taste of the soup. “Is…is that Miso?! I haven’t had Miso in forever!”

In an almost fervour, she devoured the remains of it, staring sadly at the empty bowl after she had finished. ‘I’m coming back here a lot.’

Aloud, she tried to steer the conversation towards Nemo’s garden, focusing on the task at hand – as much as possible, while thinking about the fact her bowl was empty. “Well, at least then we won’t have to actually face Nemo. Although I’m certain I can handle him…avoiding that would be nice. I’ve done the quest a few times now, and originally…well, let’s just say that I would’ve given a lot to end him. Now though…it’s almost heartbreaking to listen to his words. You’ll see what I mean, soon enough.”

Her voice fell silent for a moment, as she thought back on the last time she had visited Nemo’s garden. Something in her attitude towards him had changed, hearing those words…Shaking herself, she glanced across at Bismuth, smiling again. “As soon as you’re ready, we should head out. He doesn’t stay in one place for too long, and it would be nice to catch him while he’s here.”

Spoiler

Word Count: 238

 

[Bismuth 0]

"I'm glad you liked it, for now it's all I can really make, but someday I will be able to make you a real meal." Bismuth stood his chair scraping slightly against the hard wood floor smoothing down his tabard as he does. "That sounds like a good idea, I would hate to miss out on that treasure trove." Bismuth didn't bother grabbing the dishes that were left on their table, as he turned towards the door, "Well then, you are the expert this time, care to lead the way?" Bismuth wasn't quite sure how to find Nemo, and while he was probably good enough out in the wild to have found him on his own, but Nari was capable as well, even if her specialty wasn't exploration like his was, and he was sure that putting himself in her hands with this wasn't going to steer him wrong. 

Bismuth opened the door, the bright morning sun glinting off of  his glasses, noticeably wincing at the light Bismuth took a step outside, he had been working inside for the last few days, and since he had everything he needed inside, he hadn't found himself making it outside very much. "So, I never had a chance to ask, what happened between you and NIGHT, if you don't mind my asking?" Bismuth asked curiously, hoping that his question wasn't too intrusive, but from what had happened in the second lessons, and all of the semi aggressive comments, that something had happened. 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari felt her steps falter for a moment as Bismuth asked about the situation between herself and NIGHT. She had known the question was likely to come, but was hoping that this far into the conversation, she had maybe avoided it. Her face flushed slightly at the thought of the entire encounter, and her mind raced as she felt herself tightening her grip on the glaive.

“It…uh…happened. It’s…Hey, that breakfast was pretty good. I wouldn’t mind coming back for more.” It was the worst distraction she could possibly have dropped, but she didn’t care at the moment. Her face burning, she quickened her steps, trying to get ahead of Bismuth.

Her mind wandered back to the night as her steps continued leading her out, heading for the edge of the village, hoping to get to Nemo quickly so that they would be distracted from the entire encounter. A shift in the distance caused her eyes to look upwards, spotting Nemo standing at the edge of the village.

“Huh…that’s twice now…” Shaking her head, she motioned to Bismuth, calling him onwards. “Nemo’s here! Come on, let’s go get some nice loot and relax a bit, yeah?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 195

 

[Bismuth 0]

Bismuth noted the way that she very obviously avoided his question, but it wasn't his place to push, and he wasn't going to do that "I am glad you ended up liking it, I would love for you to come back, I can make something even better next time."  Bismuth followed behind Nari as she took the charge, it was weird, when he had first met the woman she had been a bundle of nerves, almost incapable of talking to another living person, but now she was taking the charge, it was a good change. "What do you like to eat? Maybe I can make it for you next time?" Bismuth was pretty excited for a relaxed day of just gathering, especially since he knew Nari could take anything they encountered in the dungeon, the last few days had been rough, and getting out and just gathering would be a perfect change of pace. 

At the exclamation that Nemo was here Bismuth smiled, going back to the wonderland that was Nemo's dungeon would be amazing, and he made sure that he had replaced his charcoal pencil for a fresh one, this time he would make sure that he got some quality sketches from the adventure. "Well then I guess we should probably hurry it up." Bismuth smiled at Nari as he took off, running to reach the exit "Last one there has to pay for dinner." Bismuth hoped that Nari would be willing to join him in his run, he was in a better mood then earlier, especially at the site of Nemo.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari smiled to herself as Bismuth rushed off ahead, enjoying the moment of pure bliss – so different from the days she’d spent recently with others, and herself. It was an enjoyable change – one she knew she wouldn’t easily forget. One she hoped would return to her often, even in those dark times. The smile slipped for a moment, before she shook the dread off, forcing herself to run after Bismuth.

“Only if you’re the one cooking it!” She called out with a laugh, switching the glaive’s angle to allow her to run more easily. She was much slower than Bismuth – with all the heavy armour and armament, her speed took a major hit – but the chance to just…enjoy the moment, was far too much to pass up. “And it better be some decent sashimi! I haven’t had any in forever.”

She enjoyed the wind in her face – what little there was, just from running – and the general pump of blood through her body as she did something other than fight. It felt…freeing in a way. She knew, this was good – this was something she wanted to feel more often. ‘Perhaps meeting with Bismuth is much better for me than I thought…I should do this more often…’

She gave another, wider smile at the thought, pushing herself to try to catch the man, even though she knew it was futile. Her dark days drifted away, for the moment, and she relished in the simplicity of it all. She could hear in the distance as Nemo chattered away – mostly to himself at this point. She didn’t care too much, as she let her eyes roam the edges of their path, looking for those goods that they had come out to find – never too early to begin her search, after all.

ID204273 | CD: 6 + 1 = 7 | LD: 3 + 1 = 4 | Failure [+5 EXP; 307/499 EXP]  Rank 4 - Master Forager: Successfully forage for materials on a LD 11+.

Spoiler

Word Count: 298

 

Edited February 27, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Bismuth 0]

"I can definitely do some sashimi." Bismuth slowed down after a bit, letting his much heavier armored companion catch up, it was an unfair race, and Bismuth didn't want to just be ahead of her the entire way to get to Nemo, which didn't take long. "Heya there Nemo, How's it been?" Bismuth didn't hold a grudge against the man at all, after all he had just been protecting what was his home, a place they had invaded, and taken for granted. Today's mission wasn't for the material per say, but rather for the cataloguing that he was going to be able to accomplish in Nemo's garden, with all of the rare materials that were there. "The Garden is thriving, care to join me?" Nemo's response was simple as the pair reached him, and the invitation was quickly accepted by Bismuth. 

"It's nice to get out, with all the work, I haven't been able to go out like this, thankyou for joining me." Bismuth smiled over at Nari, the tired eyes seeming a bit brighter, but still more dim then when Nari had first met the man. Bismuth looked around as they passed through the edge of the Town of Flora, it didn't have any fences or walls, and just sort of slowly petered out, being surrounded by nature beyond it's borders. "I can never get over how stunning it is here. This floor has always been my favorite. The peace and serenity of nature, a humble village life, everyone has their place." Bismuth stared around them, finally looking up at the sky, the stars weren't visible, but Bismuth imagined them all the same. "Here the Night sky is the most beautiful, all the stars are more vivid then you could ever imagine. Sometimes when I can find the time, I will come out here and I will just watch the stars." Bismuth looked over at Nari, a hard to pinpoint on his face, seemingly about to ask a question before lightly shaking his head and looking back forward, seemingly content with his monologue. 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari nodded a slight getting to Nemo as they caught up to the NPC. She wasn’t sure that she would ever truly forgive him for what he had done to her upon their very first ever meeting, but Nari was feeling far less animosity towards the NPC. She knew in her mind that what he had done was simply what he was programed to do – he truly had no choice in it all, and yet… it still stung, enough that she still wasn’t able to smile at the NPC as they came together.

Her thoughts were distracted as Bismuth talked about his love of the current floor, about why he had made it his home. Nari listened attentively, smiling at the man’s obvious connection to the floor and everything it had to offer. “I myself find my own home to be… exactly that. Some players say the perpetual darkness on twenty seven is depressing, but… I find it so relaxing. It welcomes me and reminds me that even in our darkest times, there are always lights to help us see.”

Her gaze seemed to shift to another time or place, her eyes glazing over slightly in memory and thought. “When I first moved up there it was because I myself was full of darkness, but… with time I think I’m…overcoming some of it.”

A sudden memory of mere days ago hit her, a familiar voice scolding her. Almost immediately the blissful expression disappeared, replaced by momentary frustration and anger, before an almost fake smile was forced into her face. “Come on, let’s go hit up the garden.”

Spoiler

Word Count: 267

 

[Bismuth 0]

Bismuth was glad that Nari had been able to work through some of her issues, he didn't really know what happened, and hadn't seen a lot, but in their second lessons he could definitely tell that she had changed a bit, and seemed darker than she had in their first meeting, though it wasn't bad enough that he even noticed it at the time. The animosity that she had seemed to be entirely aimed at NIGHT, but this implied that there was probably something deeper there, and while Bismuth craved that knowledge, he wouldn't pry. "I haven't made my way up there just yet, how dark is it?" Bismuth made idle chit chat as Nari's mood seemed to change, it seemed like she was thinking about something she didn't want to be, and Bismuth understood that, and so was trying to keep her mind off of it. 

The trek to the edge of the floor where Nemo's dungeon was located, was not a very long one, and it was a safe one at that, the third floor not having much in the way of outwardly aggressive mobs. Nemo seemed to be the key to making it into the dungeons, because what had previously seemed like an unpassable wall of trees was now an opening that seemed to lead ever deeper into a wonderland of colors and plants. "I don't think i will ever stop being amazed at the sight of this place Nemo, it's always so beautiful." Nemo looked way at the compliment, seeming almost shy "Oh, I don't do much, the garden practically takes care of itself." It seemed like the dungeon was capable of moving around, or there were different ones for every floor, because this one was familiar but still, different somehow.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“It’s always amazing how similar… and yet different this place is. I’ve come here a few times, each time on a different floor, and although the general layout and appearance is similar…” Nari will pause to pull a lilac towards her, letting the flower gently run through her fingers before allowing it to spring back into place. “There’s always something unique about it.”

Turning to look at Bismuth – purposefully avoiding looking at Nemo, she still wasn’t fully able to forgive him, but her hatred had more than died off. “So… what did you want to do here today? I’m down to do a bit of foraging, or to fight some of the creatures that roam the fields here…”

Her gaze roamed over the garden, taking in the numerous plants, animals and other creatures to be found here. She always found the garden somehow peaceful, lulling her into an almost passive mood.

Spoiler

Word Count: 151