[F29-PP] forlorn wail. <<nascondino.>>

[NIGHT 0]

quest. | (1/2)

| NIGHT  | Lv. 154 >> P. 120, Lv. 34  | Status: //  Notes:  //

Spoiler NIGHT | HP: 1466/1466 | EN: 154/154 | DMG: 22 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | FS | BH+HB: 145 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | AA | FS equipped oathkeeper. HLY II, PHASE, AA regards. EVA II, HB II signet. ACC III, EVA battle-ready inventory Teleport Crystal (3) | TELEPORT imugi's inspiration. (5) | MASS HP RECOVERY skills Spoiler mod count: 4/7 STRAIGHT SWORD | RANK 5/5 focus, stamina, precision shift: aoe UNHINDERED COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 3+1/5 BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 emergency recovery ENERGIST QUICK CHANGE CHARGE FIGHTING SPIRIT HOWL focused howl SCOUTING FAMILIAR EXTENDED MOD LIMIT extra SURVIVAL CONCENTRATION HIDING untraceable, vanish, surprise attack-t FIRST AID R3 buffs Spoiler statue MORETSUNA | +50 OVERHEALTH consumables Liquor of Light | DMG III Divinity's Wait | MIT III Beef Stew | OVERHEALTH III paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. sword arts Spoiler en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x15 -> x18 TECH-A | x12 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x12 | DELAY TECH-D | x12 | SHATTER TECH-F | x8 | AOE STUN  TECH-G | x12 | BURN misc. Spoiler housing Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat.  Relaxed | +(5 * Tier) HP per out-of-combat post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. Squeaky Clean | -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player in a thread. Skylight: Searching | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cooldown of 30 days to reassign. Multipurpose | +1 LD/Prosperity/Stealth/Detection to one post per thread. Can be applied after a roll. Filling | +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player in a thread. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. Col Deposit | +5% col from loot-minimum mobs, +10% col from treasure chests. foraging | r2 | xp: 69/150 Greenhouse | +2 G.EXP, +1 CD&LD to gathering attempts. Familiar: Profession | +2 G.EXP Demeter's Cornucopia | +1 CD to gathering attempts.

there was a first for everything.

day: im not going

this was a first.

 

it had been a while since the floor had opened up. and, night, in an attempt to be vulnerable had found herself volatile with emotion on her return home.

tl;dr: they didn't find themselves talking much thereafter.

now, it wasn't as though the fight against callisto had swayed her conviction against the climb up towards the last floor any. if anything, that skirmish highlighted how wary she was of the other fighters, that they would jump the gun about proclaiming one of their own dead than alive. that couldn't have been a mistake, she believed; someone would've had to check their party list twice for that to matter.

(and what did she tell them about the voices, again?)

but upon the morning after, she did remember to ask about her other's interest in exploring the twenty-ninth.

day's answer had been considerate. "if you're certain there won't be any other players around, then sure."

now, in hindsight, night had realized how peculiar that concern had seemed. for on most days, night was the one to be on high alert, in general contrast to her virtual counterpart.

[Demian 0]

Demian | L30. | HP: 600/600 | EN: 93/93 | DMG: 19 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 81 | BH: 30 | LD: 1 | AA Spoiler equipped sword. ACC III, ABS. ACC armor. MIT III (36) phantom. EVA III br-inventory Teleport Crystal (1) Ordsea Crystal-B | FREE ACTION: +5 HATE/THREAD Fruit Juice (5) | [23/10/20] +10% HP RECOVERY Fruit Juice (5) | [23/10/20] +10% HP RECOVERY Fruit Juice (5) | [23/10/20] +10% HP RECOVERY skills Spoiler mods: 2/5 STRAIGHT SWORD R5 aoe-shift. stamina, precision, ferocity COMBAT MASTERY DMG R3 QUICK CHANGE ENERGIST BATTLE HEALING R5 emergency recovery HOWL focused howl SEARCHING R1 extra skills: PARRY justified riposte data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Divinity's Wait (1) | TIER 3 | MIT III data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== sword arts Spoiler ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x15 -> x18 TECH-A | x12 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x12 | DELAY TECH-F | x8 | AOE STUN  data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

they often talked, and then went on their separate ways.

the day callisto had been slain, it had been no different. it was only a matter of time to the constructs to realize when the new floor was open, and that would signal the 'retainer's' return home. in the meanwhile, they had been playing cards. 'cheat' was the multifaceted game they'd both agreed upon playing, for neither had a mechanical advantage over the other. that made every theoretically psychological move a coin flip at best: and the odds showed themselves in their scores.

they were both counting. their win counts evened out over time.

being calm was usually their defacto facade. but on one of his turns, demian had noticed a shift in his opponent's eyes as the notification registered for him at the same time it did for her. it was business as usual for the man, a simple note that they could easily shrug off.

day, however, had her gaze scattered about the drink by her side.

"nines," he'd said, taking advantage of her distractedness. it had been a test, at that point -- it was obvious he had put down four cards, two of which were not of the rank he'd said, for there was one in the pile and another in her hand. yet, as he shifted his set to discard, day hadn't responded.

demian wondered if he noticed an eye twitch. day wouldn't let him call her out on it, however, noticing that she was being studied after some time. the construct warmed him with a smile.

"right." and she went back to placing down cards. two were drawn from her hand, their faces striking the table quietly. "tens."

day had been honest on her turn.

[NIGHT 0]

ID242514 | ld3+4 | -> n/a.

 

night: ???
night: why not

she waited for a reply.

but day wasn't replying.

instead, a message from someone else stole her attention and her ire away. for a moment, she wondered if bistro had anything to do with it.

because demian had sent her a heads up.

 

demian: i'm on my way.

night: ?????
night: why r u coming over
night: how do u even know where i am

demian: day sent me.

night is typing...

demian: she said she's not coming so she sent me.

 

night is typing...

night: i know that

demian: then you didn't have to ask.

night: she could'vej ust tol md e herself

demian is typing…

 

rats. goddamn. fuck.

was this her fault? she'd been taking notes ever since they last squabbled; night was sure this was the road to her own recovery -- theirs, if not just for herself. and yet day wouldn't even tell her why she wasn't going to show. night had kept her promise. no players in the vicinity. it was almost eerie how quiet it was, in the midst of the zone about the teleporter, without a safe zone present to protect her during her wait. immediately, night felt herself going on alert.

is it because cardinal had something up its sleeve, waiting for her? no — waiting for day, maybe?

well, she wasn't going to let it get to her. to them. for them. 'lovecraftian' gods be damned, night wasn't going to let them get in the way of her reconciliation with--

demian: i'm here. turn around.

[Demian 0]

ID242515 | ld4+1 | -> n/a.

she turned to stare at him, his silhouette shadowed through the fog. for a moment, he pulled out something lodged in his ear — a flood of noise but poured forth and flooded his senses when he did. scrambling his capabilities for a response. he plugged it back in, knowing not what was the result of it, simply that he needed it.

when he was ready, demian shambled forth like a ghost, a zombie, shooting night that half-lidded stare she was used to fronting, too. but that didn’t stop the player from grabbing the collar of his coat, thickened to ward against the haunting front, and she teetered on her toes, trying to gain ground to pose a threatening figure up against his face.

“what did she say.”

was that a snarl?

“what did she tell you?”

the man pulled his hands from his pockets to try and wrestle himself free from her grasp. but he was gentle about it, and it seemed that his tugs wouldn’t force night to stop questioning him. demian but sighed at the result. day had given him orders and he had obliged willingly, sure. but could he really trust her player this much?

[NIGHT 0]

ID242514 | ld4+4 = 8 | -> noise found.

as though she hadn’t been a little more than insane lately. but for what it was worth, it wasn’t easy getting her own life line cut short. what she was fighting for was her survival, dammit, not just night’s own. so when demian tried to shrug her off, she pushed him, desiring answers instead.

at the sigh, night wondered if that reaction alone was why she shouldn’t be pressing so much. had she been that intense unconsciously, still, even when she thought she had been maintaining awareness over her own stability? demian stopped trying to pry loose, and night’s grip loosened from the player’s coat.

demian never seemed to mind.

“let me be clear,” he started. “we both know about her nature, correct?”

night blinked twice. her instincts wanted to feign ignorance, because that was how they’d always been around anyone else that wasn’t a friend.

she fought harder.

“is this a joke?”

“night,” demian continued, hands raised with open palms, as though in surrender. “look around you. do you see anyone that could constitute an npc present, or did you notice any on the way in?”

she paused her interrogation at the question. considered it slow. and demian cocked his head to the side, studying her, when she wasn’t paying attention.

[Demian 0]

ID242518 | ld2+5 = 7 | astragalus anathema is running.
ID242517 | ld6+1 = 7 | demian caught him.

he hated playing with these cards. night wouldn’t look at him in the face.

“we’re going to have to operate with a level of trust here if we want to do this together,” he prefaced. “she didn’t tell me anything. just told me to be here for you in her stead.” his gaze swept the empty, the derelict, despondent afterlands, and he decided to feign insight. “she trusts me with her secret.” 

demian hesitated, wondering if he should’ve mentioned the player’s own.

“i just connected the dots.”

the icy glare shot his way all but confirmed night’s grief between her and himself. she dropped him immediately, walking off — anyone else might’ve fretted. demian hadn’t shifted, and he could see that she was pacing her anger off in circles. 

this was a new side to the subject oft of mention.

“she didn’t tell me,” was a half-gutted sentiment growled out of the would-be predator, untamed, unleashed.

demian cast his gaze aside, hands returning to his pockets. found some solace in the knowledge that he was used to this. “she hadn’t the chance. i’m just too good a guesser.”

night stopped and threatened him with a look.

“she trusts you.”

he but raised a shoulder, neutral. 

“only in so far as to protect you when she can’t.”

[NIGHT 0]

night hadn’t realized it, but she was tapping her foot, head lowered, staring daggers into him as she sized him up.

in another timeline, she would’ve lunged at him, the count of a third strike looming over her head. across both then and now, the pressure in the air around them rose. here alone, however, the anger, a hot flash, rolled across her shoulders like a storm roiling across atlas. chills that snaked down her back, then, emerged only beckoned from that wayward wind from the distance, that noisy howl and bluster; their responsibility and adventure’s call impatient. some foreign, invisible entity reminding her, only her, about the sole focus of their presence here.

night’s withheld yell came loose as shreds, a petulant grumbling as she shrugged off the message, righting her back. held herself close, shrinking into her track suit, her eyes pointed towards the horizon. let the embers within her be extinguished with heavy, careful breaths.

[Demian 0]

he watched night listless, and then watched her fold herself back into her regular composure. at every turn, knowing it was an unspoken wish of their shared associate, he’d looked at night through her eyes. came to the same conclusions that she did, even if the results hadn’t changed his mind any.

in every other version of this scenario occurring, he would’ve said this:

“look,” he started again, shifting. “as difficult as it is to believe, we both have reasons why we don’t want this secret to be out in public. between the two of us, there is an information broker that we are both acquainted with. had either of us the inclination, she would have already known.” 

night squinted at him through the gales.

“and whether bistro knows she’s connected to two separate individuals sitting on one of the bigger secrets of cardinal at the moment is a topic of discussion about irony in of itself,” said demian, with a wave of his hand. “but i digress. on this basis, i will not budge. day simply wants me to take her place in this particular situation alone.”

the player’s gaze drifted to the floor. 

“and as for why…”

demian tucked his hands into his coat and turned to the sky, eyes closed. he took in the chill of the void. in that silence, it was almost as though he could read her mind. 

“... we shall find that out together.”

[NIGHT 0]

she left that conversation behind with a turn of her back and a nod to their destination. demian held no complaints, so she settled not on their past.

they made their way towards miremore, their starting point a few paces from ilridge. despite the barren wastes that laid before them, there were still signposts with directions, scarred through and smudged off surface readability, but the players could put the route ahead together still. each lead them down woven cobbled paths, worn and neglected, and against stormy skies that felt illuminated only in the distance, she was certain they both felt an omen in the air, a ghost or curse stalking them, haunting their every footstep.

their destination had meant to be the lighthouse in the distance, with requirement for travel a boat. and, given the lack of individuals on the way there beyond themselves, night felt almost certain that, if there were anyone present, perhaps they wouldn’t mind it if they’d just borrowed themselves a vessel.

[Demian 0]

closer to the docks, there was no one there.

…

no. there was definitely someone there, demian had thought. on their walk through the settlement, the village had seemed completely still. and yet, he’d imagined there was a louder shrill that sought to pierce his earbuds through the dampeners, now. something present that was watching their every move. just as night was about to take a turn towards what he believed would lead them closer to their objective, he stopped her.

“do you hear that?” he had asked.

“hear what?”

so she didn’t. but he wasn’t certain he was wrong about that mysterious presence. there had been nothing expected, written in the fabric of reality. so demian lazily swept his gaze upon the alleyways between the buildings, hoping night would do the same.

“ah—!”

when she did, he shot a look in her direction. a trail of something blue, and a wrongness that accompanied it nearby. he could feel it where the heart was meant to be, he thought, and at its introduction there came that shriek again, almost headache inducing. he’d nearly fallen to his knees at the sound.

“—demian?”

while he wasn’t actively aware, night’s footsteps had started, and then slowed to a stop. demian groaned, quiet, and shook off the sudden dizziness with the snap of his head. his hand went to his head. “i’m fine,” he decided.

demian picked himself off the ground, starting to run after their target, head low. he noticed, darting fast, night resuming her paces after making sure he was up and moving again.

so much for upholding day’s wish, he thought.

[NIGHT 0]

they raced after the blue trail, whom night would claim to be someone, someone else in this godsforsaken town. down each road, with every turn they took, their target was already seen taking the next. and night thought of herself fast, but their target was faster, and demian caught up to her in no time.

past the next bend, she had thought they’d lost it.

their chase slowed down as they traversed down a wide brick road, empty shopfronts and homes lined close on either side. towards the end, the path split into two lanes going opposite ways.

night swallowed, just as they reached the intersection. “i’ll take the left,” she said, but demian placed a hand on her shoulder, facing towards the right.

“there’s no need.”

he pointed to the entrance of a clocktower once he got her attention.

“we’ll go up there.”

night frowned. “how do you —”

demian took off in a sprint in the same fashion she had done so initially.

night cut herself off, racing after him in alarm. “— hey, wait up!”

[Demian 0]

when he arrived at the clocktower’s doorstep, there was a bright blue puddle on the road by the front, the only saturated color against the dark and dull around them. a dry liquid in the same hue coated the wood of the door. that wasn’t for him to notice — his tell was the sounds of adjunct chaos coming up from above, the scampering sound accompanied by clicks and squeaks.

nonetheless, he barged through, the door giving way to his shoulder. demian collapsed as that shriek came through again; this time, it was louder.

they were on the right track then.

he had a hand set to his temple, beating out the sharp ringing that accompanied the shriek’s tail end just as night arrived in time, seeing him clamber to his feet. ahead of them was a narrow corridor, at the end of which was a set of stairs. the trail from the puddle outside seemed to lead them within.

a one way warning. whatever was within hadn’t backed out.

with the way demian’s frame had blocked off the tower’s entrance, he could only take the lead. night followed after, reluctantly, barking her complaints towards him. “if you mean it’s not a good idea to split up in the first place, then don’t run off like that!”

demian spared night not a glance. “you can keep up with day, can’t you?” he pointed towards the stairs with his thumb and index extended.

“besides, i think there’s only one source of danger here.”

[NIGHT 0]

night only registered the clue underneath her right after demian gestured to it. she nearly jumped, and then looked at how far down it had stretched through the corridor. but with the man’s figure shadowing the sole hanging lamp present, what came after them seemed to be cloaked in darkness.

when he passed under it, night could recognize why the other player had thought to move ahead of her instead. what was once a sight that might’ve intimidated her was instead shielded by the bulk of the man’s cloak, if not form, and light flooded the corridor once more. that was a solace night only chose to partake in quietly.

she followed behind him, careful. the limited space meant there was little room to shift without stepping on the liquid, and night realized demian’s slow pace was to prevent himself from slipping. at least, that was what her theory was as she caught up to him by the foot of the stairs.

the man clambered upwards without acknowledging her. still, night dogged him, her eyes moving up the walls of the tower instead.

their ascend would take them past several floors. on each of them, there were stacks of crates and sacks abandoned, with a number of wooden makeshift weapons stashed away. there were torch handles, arm bucklers and scattered bandage scraps; all signs seemed to point towards a fight that hadn’t happened, and yet was over completely.

[Demian 0]

he held his breath on the fifth.

the presence was definitely tangible, now. that damned buzzing wouldn’t stop, and it was as though he could hear his heart beat loud in his ears. artificial. demian’s gaze first settled on the layout of the room before he saw the entity they’d been chasing — and the moment he’d saw it, it squeaked, backing up. it threw the makeshift barricades of the room into a mess.

he held his head in a shot of pain; this time, it was more manageable than the last.

night pointed past him. “it slipped through to the back!”

so demian cleared the way gingerly, pushing aside what clutter had been blocking a path. when he was certain he could make it to their mark, he charged forth, hurried steps set through certainty towards their target.

he knew the entity would start to shift away as soon as he got close. behind the obstacles, it stuck out a boot, and the trail of silken pants white. demian moved faster, hands reaching out to grab them — his fingers, fortunate, gripped around the collar of the human. he pulled them back.

there was a shriek, and the man braced himself for the echoed shocks that were to pulse through him. he could take them in stride — but what sent him reeling backwards wasn’t the pain.

it was the abomination he’d caught and revealed.

[NIGHT 0]

things had happened so fast.

one moment, demian had sauntered forth on his errant, and grabbed the screeching figure hiding by a number of crates. the next, he’d stumbled backwards, and just as their target was about to lunge at him, night dove in and pulled him out of the fray.

moving demian hadn’t been easy, the whole ordeal occurring within a split second. for that brief window, he’d seemed to have an inertia like an immovable object, and night had that fear of his being attacked as a scripted cardinal event. nevertheless, though he had moved late to her fingers, they’d skirted out of danger’s way; now, in the light of the room, ambient warm, lamp above swaying giddy — night was subjected to that momentary freeze.

they’d been chasing a monster. what human form it took was only representative from the neck downwards; where its head was, a flower of blue and white petals remained, with the heart of it a large, glossy and unmoving eye. veins of vivid neon blue had stretched from that collision, that merge of where man ended and confusion began, digging into skin, skin that was fading to an unmistakably ghastly white.

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: TECH-A
> FREE ACTION: CONCENTRATION

ID243050 | bd10 | -> Astragalus Anathema

-(13-2) EN.

(22+16+3) * 12 = 492 DMG

ID243051 | cd3 | ld1 | -> n/a.

NIGHT | HP: 1466/1466 | EN: 143/154 (154-11) | DMG: 22 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH+HB: 145 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | AA | FS | [CONCENTRATION: 1/5]
Demian | HP: 600/600 | EN: 93/93 | DMG: 19 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 81 | BH: 30 | LD: 1 | AA

Astragalus Anathema | HP: 1008/1500 (1500-492) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 0 | [BLEED: 75 DMG] | LD6+: READY OR NOT | CD4+: RING AROUND A ROSIE | STUNNED

RING AROUND A ROSIE | Each player in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [READY OR NOT]. On a LD6+, if the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, their HP will match Astragalus Anathema’s current HP. When activated in tandem with [READY OR NOT], [RING AROUND A ROSIE] is to be resolved last. 
READY OR NOT | Each participant in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [RING AROUND A ROSIE] if applicable. On a CD4+, this ability will activate, alternating its effects for players who have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition or otherwise. If the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will obtain it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If the player has the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will lose it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If this ability activates on Astragalus Anathema’s roll, the ability’s effect is applied against the player with the highest hate. The [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition will last until it is removed or Astragalus Anathema is defeated. When activated in tandem with [RING AROUND A ROSIE], [READY OR NOT] is to be resolved first.

 

[Demian 0]

the creature had shuddered upon stumbling forward, registering its miss. and night wasn’t saying anything. rather, she quickly drew a sword the moment the — the thing — came rushing forward, and night swung her sword, and she hit it hard.

just not enough to take it down.

demian only registered this by the sounds occurring above his vision. there was this overwhelming feeling — unease, terror, a choking feeling that had him set a hand to the floor to hold himself up. all at once, it was as though his instincts were telling him to LEAVE. IMMEDIATELY.

the eye he’d hid underneath his eyepatch had felt like it was searing.

his panic was only rivalled by that of the other, their opponent, who’d started to move erratically; demian had noted it deviate from the defensive after it had been threatened. and yet, even in his calmness, derived from all he could read from their situation, their surroundings, he still shook. practiced, heavy gasps were all he could afford and still, still they weren’t helping.

no. no, he’d been alive for too long to know the human condition wasn’t made like this.

demian steeled himself, and counted the seconds. this feeling, being out of his skin, would pass. he clung on to that certainty for his dear life.

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: AOE-I

ID243052 | bd10 | cd9 | -> Astragalus Anathema

-(15-2) EN.

(19+2) * 15 = 315 DMG

ID243053 | cd6 | ld11 | -> READY OR NOT / RING AROUND A ROSIE

ID243054 | cd5 | ld14 | -> ASTRAGALUS ANATHEMA: READY OR NOT

[3] NIGHT | HP: 1466/1466 | EN: 143/154 | DMG: 22 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BH+HB: 145 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | AA | FS | [CONCENTRATION: 1/5] | [BLOOM INTO YOU]
[2] Demian | HP: 600/600 | EN: 80/93 (93-13) | DMG: 19 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 81 | BH: 30 | LD: 1 | AA | [ST-B] [BLOOM INTO YOU]

Astragalus Anathema | HP: 618/1500 (1008-315-75) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | [BLEED: 75 DMG] | LD6+: READY OR NOT | CD4+: RING AROUND A ROSIE | STUNNED

RING AROUND A ROSIE | Each player in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [READY OR NOT]. On a LD6+, if the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, their HP will match Astragalus Anathema’s current HP. When activated in tandem with [READY OR NOT], [RING AROUND A ROSIE] is to be resolved last. 
READY OR NOT | Each participant in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [RING AROUND A ROSIE] if applicable. On a CD4+, this ability will activate, alternating its effects for players who have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition or otherwise. If the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will obtain it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If the player has the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will lose it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If this ability activates on Astragalus Anathema’s roll, the ability’s effect is applied against the player with the highest hate. The [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition will last until it is removed or Astragalus Anathema is defeated. When activated in tandem with [RING AROUND A ROSIE], [READY OR NOT] is to be resolved first.

 

[NIGHT 0]

once its health bar appeared, night knew they could be safe.

the abomination rushed backwards, fleeing deeper into the room. even so, it kept its front to the players, and night never felt its gaze leave her figure.

something whispered beneath her in her approach — that touch of blue blood. she strode slow, and her eyes went to that gap by its shoulder. it was missing an entire arm.

did she do that? but the lasting, fading red was across its chest rather than its appendages. cardinal had made this thing to bleed, it seemed — and it looked as though it was on its last legs.

her first strike, however painful, had meant to be a warning — despite it, oathkeeper had seemed to demand its fall. an instruction outside of her own. so, on her own terms, she walked forward, her sword’s blade pointed backwards, watching its movements; while on the defense, she was as wary as the creature had meant to be.

it seemed to shrill and chitter by way of folding its petals; with them curling upwards, together, night could only interpret it as its fear, showing.

her deductions had made her cautious, apprehensive about making a second attack. so night lowered her shoulders, hand extended — even if cardinal wasn’t keen on allowing these decisions of mercy in the midst of an encounter unknown, if her opponent seemed as hesitant as she was, night decided she was willing to try.

it was only when the abomination had turned its single eye towards her that things seemed to go wrong.

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: AOE-I

+4 EN.

ID243055 | bd2+4-3 = 3 | -> Astragalus Anathema

-2 EN.

ID243056 | cd9 | ld4 | -> READY OR NOT: NIGHT

[4] NIGHT | HP: 1466/1466 | EN: 145/154 (+2) | DMG: 22 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH+HB: 145 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | AA | FS | [CONCENTRATION: 2/5]
[2] Demian | HP: 600/600 | EN: 80/93 (93-13) | DMG: 19 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 81 | BH: 30 | LD: 1 | AA | [BLOOM INTO YOU]

Astragalus Anathema | HP: 618/1500 | DMG: 300 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | [BLEED: 75 DMG] | LD6+: READY OR NOT | CD4+: RING AROUND A ROSIE | STUNNED

RING AROUND A ROSIE | Each player in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [READY OR NOT]. On a LD6+, if the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, their HP will match Astragalus Anathema’s current HP. When activated in tandem with [READY OR NOT], [RING AROUND A ROSIE] is to be resolved last. 
READY OR NOT | Each participant in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [RING AROUND A ROSIE] if applicable. On a CD4+, this ability will activate, alternating its effects for players who have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition or otherwise. If the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will obtain it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If the player has the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will lose it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If this ability activates on Astragalus Anathema’s roll, the ability’s effect is applied against the player with the highest hate. The [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition will last until it is removed or Astragalus Anathema is defeated. When activated in tandem with [RING AROUND A ROSIE], [READY OR NOT] is to be resolved first.

 

[Demian 0]

demian had only begun to take his first few steps out of his recovery before there was a different scream that stole away from his inward focus.

“—night!”

the man near collapsed a stack of sandbags as he pushed forward to find the player. it had been her voice, hadn’t it, that distress call? to know, upon his re-entry to their exchange that the tides had shifted so much, had concerned him greatly — because despite the large gap between their positions, night was seen clutching her head, too. demian thought that for once, these strange effects, nuisances, hadn’t been targeted solely towards himself. but what was of greater trepidation was the way the thing was still present, having fallen onto its hind in the teeter of his scurry.

he’d already known since prior it was the source of his headaches in the village.

demian, in realizing the danger laid more in the flight of their opponent causing more headaches for any other player that would show, but pulled his own blade from the ether. he followed the trail of blue blood, crossed the monster’s boundary, and stopped before this thing that was of them, of humans, that should’ve been of them but wasn’t.

this was why day had sent him, he thought. seeing it writhe before him, demian was reminded of his own gemini, the entity that begged for mercy. distraught, pity welled up in his heart like the bloom upon their sacrifice’s head.

cardinal had made it, to repulse and to die.

understanding the creature before him of unintention — no, ill-intention, he too had a duty to put the abomination out of its own misery.

so he raised his sword high and felled it.

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: ST-B

+3 EN.

ID243057 | bd3+2-3 = 2 | -> Astragalus Anathema

-2 EN.

ID243058 | cd1 | ld2 | -> n/a.

ID243059 | bd7+4-3 = 8 | -> NIGHT

ID243060 | cd3 | ld13 | -> RING AROUND A ROSIE
 | NIGHT: HP => 618.

[4] NIGHT | HP: 543/1466 | EN: 145/154 | DMG: 22 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH+HB: 145 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | AA | FS | [CONCENTRATION: 2/5]
[2] Demian | HP: 600/600 | EN: 83/93 (+3) | DMG: 19 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 81 | BH: 30 | LD: 1 | AA | [BLOOM INTO YOU]

Astragalus Anathema | HP: 543/1500 (618-75) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | [BLEED: 75 DMG] | LD6+: READY OR NOT | CD4+: RING AROUND A ROSIE

RING AROUND A ROSIE | Each player in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [READY OR NOT]. On a LD6+, if the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, their HP will match Astragalus Anathema’s current HP. When activated in tandem with [READY OR NOT], [RING AROUND A ROSIE] is to be resolved last. 
READY OR NOT | Each participant in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [RING AROUND A ROSIE] if applicable. On a CD4+, this ability will activate, alternating its effects for players who have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition or otherwise. If the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will obtain it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If the player has the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will lose it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If this ability activates on Astragalus Anathema’s roll, the ability’s effect is applied against the player with the highest hate. The [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition will last until it is removed or Astragalus Anathema is defeated. When activated in tandem with [RING AROUND A ROSIE], [READY OR NOT] is to be resolved first.

 

[NIGHT 0]

the world had ś̷̛̙͕͍̠̣͑͠h̵̪͚̜͈̆̾̍̾ḭ̶͇͉̗͂̽̾̎̂f̶̛̮̐͝t̶̫̑̾͐̏̿ė̸̬͐d̷̡̺̺̏ ̵̮̌̄͛the moment its pupil had matched hers. one moment she was holding out her hand. the next, she thought, came as a dream, a hallucination, for her vision was from an outsider’s view to her own self. there was a terrible feeling — not dread, but oppressive still, and that uncertainty laid within when she could identify her own motions despite knowing it wasn’t her.

where was s̸̰̋h̶̡̿e̴̜̒?̴̬̌ ̷͆͜ what was s̸̰̋h̶̡̿e̴̜̒?̴̬̌ ̷͆͜ doing?

sensations of an otherworld flooded her thoughts. now, s̷̛̫̦̙̖̳͍͔̔̑̂̆̅͗̽h̴̢͇̬̲͗̍͐̽́̄̿̕͝e̵̬̻̙̠̽̊̈́̍́̋ felt the curling of the petals on the man’s head, the man whom they were sent after, the man whom this being must once have been. he had only one eye, and (she) saw the world through it, and the person who she once was felt giddy, vision obscured with her own hand. (she) didn’t understand — couldn’t understand. knowing, in that fragile moment, that (her) legs were not of (her) own, she fell backwards, unaccustomed to a different body.

holy shit. what the fuck were going on with her limbs right now?

— was it still to be her l̴̳̃í̷͇̀ͅṃ̵̺́̀b̸̝̓s̶̢̐̾ͅ? 

— for how long? 

he/she/they? had a hand extended, and [their.] arm was longer than what she was familiar with. for a beat, it was out of a fear, and panic, and confusion of her predicament, her consciousness that she had done so.

the next, she saw demian rush over, shoulder crashing into the sandbags that had divided their team into two, and saw him lock eyes with [them].

behind them, she could read unwittingly a single motive — kill.

no. no no no. couldn’t he tell? didn’t he know? she was still [in] [them]; she was still present, still here — she had to tell him. something was off about this encounter, this fight and they had to stop and reassess the issue.

stop him. stop him. s̸t̷o̷p̸.

but her words only came as chitters, as clicks of a cry for help. almost in response to her fear, [their] petals wilted and closed. she trembled, each step from her ally a thunder, a promise, a threat, and [they] trembled in turn. her throat locked, and so too did [t̷͓́͒̽͐̃́̄h̶̲̥̻͌̾ȅ̴̢̠͎̦͖̞̞̆̒́̑i̸̡̟͌̌̉r̷̢̟̭̟̭̈̆̊s̵̭̑͜], and on his behalf [they] could no longer scream.

demian came so, so close, his eyes ever a blaze in that darkened light. cloaked in shadows was that man a testament to her death and [she] had wondered, truly, if this was the reason why day had asked for him to swap positions with her. there had been many, many things in the castle that had shaken her resolve ere days long gone.

nothing could compare to this. [their] health had been draining since the moment she was tapped in to his conscious, and now it was but a bright cherry red.

in desperation, she closed her eyes and begged for mercy, but no words could form through [ẗ̸͇́͠h̵͉͕͖͓͑̽͜è̵̢̖̠̳͝ĭ̵̧͖̩̰̭̖r̸̗͕̤̙̺̲͐̈́̑] lack of mouth.

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: AOE-I

+145 HP / +4 EN.

ID243061 | bd6+6-3 = 9 | -> Astragalus Anathema

-(15-2) EN.

22 * 15 = 330 DMG

ID243058 | cd5 | ld12 | -> n/a.

[6] NIGHT | HP: 688/1466 (543+145) | EN: 136/154 (145+4-13) | DMG: 22 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BH+HB: 145 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | AA | FS | [CONCENTRATION: 3/5] | [BLOOM INTO YOU]
[2] Demian | HP: 600/600 | EN: 83/93 | DMG: 19 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 81 | BH: 30 | LD: 1 | AA | [BLOOM INTO YOU]

Astragalus Anathema | HP: 213/1500 (543-330) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | [BLEED: 75 DMG] | LD6+: READY OR NOT | CD4+: RING AROUND A ROSIE

RING AROUND A ROSIE | Each player in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [READY OR NOT]. On a LD6+, if the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, their HP will match Astragalus Anathema’s current HP. When activated in tandem with [READY OR NOT], [RING AROUND A ROSIE] is to be resolved last. 
READY OR NOT | Each participant in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [RING AROUND A ROSIE] if applicable. On a CD4+, this ability will activate, alternating its effects for players who have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition or otherwise. If the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will obtain it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If the player has the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will lose it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If this ability activates on Astragalus Anathema’s roll, the ability’s effect is applied against the player with the highest hate. The [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition will last until it is removed or Astragalus Anathema is defeated. When activated in tandem with [RING AROUND A ROSIE], [READY OR NOT] is to be resolved first.

 

[Demian 0]

his blade came down heavy, slicing the creature down the pupil, splitting it in two. gently, its petals unfurled, and the form of the thing slunk down onto the boards. where he could see its health bar, demian registered it as empty.

behind him, night had collapsed.

almost immediately, he sunk the tip of his blade into the floor and wheeled around. he’d kept his word, hadn’t he? and she could keep up with day. he was sure she wouldn’t have had a matter with this, beyond the consequential existential terror, but what about her player?

it was impossible for night to have understood their issues, wasn’t it? where was that ‘strong will’? that ‘tenacity against all odds’ that day decided to follow? when demian rushed over to her side, picking the player up, he didn’t see any of it. he kept her form raised, head resting on his lap as he got on a knee. thought to take one of bistro’s antidotes out — maybe, despite all the lack of uses they had been prior, they would find a purpose now.

but night woke up on her own, slowly. when her eyes had locked with his, she’d pushed him away, harder than he’d expected.

demian fell on his back, and night clambered to her feet, all nerves.

“demian,” she whispered, her voice a strained hiss laced with fear. there was a pause in her words, long enough for him to get back on his own two feet, too. her gaze was settled upon where the abomination had died — he turned to look, too.

no fragments.

there had been an unexpected residue.

“what the fuck was that?”

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: AOE-I

+3 EN.

ID243064 | bd7+2-3 = 6 | -> Astragalus Anathema

-(15-2) EN.

19 * 15 = 285 DMG

[6] NIGHT | HP: 688/1466 | EN: 136/154 | DMG: 22 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BH+HB: 145 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | AA | FS | [CONCENTRATION: 3/5] | [BLOOM INTO YOU]
[3] Demian | HP: 600/600 | EN: 83/93 | DMG: 19 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 81 | BH: 30 | LD: 1 | AA | [BLOOM INTO YOU]

Astragalus Anathema | HP: 0/1500 (213-285) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | [BLEED: 75 DMG] | LD6+: READY OR NOT | CD4+: RING AROUND A ROSIE

RING AROUND A ROSIE | Each player in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [READY OR NOT]. On a LD6+, if the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, their HP will match Astragalus Anathema’s current HP. When activated in tandem with [READY OR NOT], [RING AROUND A ROSIE] is to be resolved last. 
READY OR NOT | Each participant in combat rolls an extra die. This die will also be used for [RING AROUND A ROSIE] if applicable. On a CD4+, this ability will activate, alternating its effects for players who have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition or otherwise. If the player does not have the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will obtain it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If the player has the [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition, they will lose it, swapping their current ACC & EVA with Astragalus Anathema. If this ability activates on Astragalus Anathema’s roll, the ability’s effect is applied against the player with the highest hate. The [BLOOM INTO YOU] condition will last until it is removed or Astragalus Anathema is defeated. When activated in tandem with [RING AROUND A ROSIE], [READY OR NOT] is to be resolved first.