[[PP-F24] Soul Sisters

[Mari 1]

It was nice…having finally been able to talk to Baldur and Macradon again…even running into Freyd on the 29th floor - and realizing that you can get drunk. Very drunk in Aincrad. God…where was that ability years ago? Ever since Mari’s return - things had been going…smoothly. Almost too smoothly, Mari kept expecting something to go awry. Someone to decry her - attack her. Or for her to slip up into old habits and push everyone away. But thus far…nothing of the sort had happened. Mari felt calm. Albeit a little lonely..but calm - and satisfied with where she was currently. That kind of serenity...almost scared her. Was she allowed to feel this way? If you had asked the woman two years ago, Mari would have told you no, and done everything in her power to make herself miserable. But not anymore...that was changing.


Mari was now resting against a tree - about a 10 minute walk from Baldur’s estate. A part of her wanted to go and rest there, but she didn’t want to feel like she was intruding. Mari already knew Baldurs place was always open to her - but - there was just something else about sitting in the wild. It hit different. A different kind of peace and solace that a home just couldn't quite offer. And this floor - the air was always warm, and the scent of the ocean was ever present outside his abode. The wildlife, the chattering of birds - it was all so comforting to Mari. She wanted to be out and about, as much as she possibly could. For too long she was trapped in the smallest possible place.

 

So there she sat; a player killer of all things - looking like a tranquil painting. She wore a blue kimono adorned with bright orange koi fish, and her legs were curled up to the side. The woman didn't wear any armour - nor had any telltale weapons at the ready. To any onlooker she was simply enjoying the picturesque scene. Her fiery hair had been cleaned, brushed - and plaited over her shoulder. To her side sat a small tea set with two cups. Although she was only one person. It was ornate; with blue pictures depicting koi fish strewn across it. Clearly, she had a penchant for the creature.

“This is nice…” She breathed - leaning her head back against the tree trunk and closing her eyes. Allowing the wind to gently pick up tendrils of her hair. Mari bought the cup to her lips, blowing on it before taking a sip. Jasmine tea.

She never had anything like this in prison.

Moments like these.. She’d be fine if they lasted forever.

 

Spoiler

Name: Mari
True Tier: 9
Level: 34
Paragon Level: 53
HP: 920/920
EN: 126/126

Stats:
Damage: 21
Mitigation: 30
Accuracy: 5
Evasion: 2
Battle Healing: 51
Stealth Rating: 3
AA BLI: 32/-20
ENV-O: 32
PARA-V

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket:
- Paralytic Contagion | T4 | Absolute ACC I | Paralytic Venom I | Envenom OFF I | Blight 1
Armor/Trinket:
- Infernal Shadow | T4 Perfect LA | EVA II | Holy Blessing
Shield/Armor/Trinket:
- Glasses | T1 | ACC: 3

Combat Mastery:
- Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
- AOE Shift

Familiar Skill:
- Rending Familiar

Custom Skill:
-

Skills:
- Battle Healing R5
- Charge
- Energist
- Light Armor R5
- Polearm R5

Extra Skills:
- Survival
- Hiding R5
- First Aid R2

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
- Focus
- Precision
- Resolve
- Stamina

Mods:
- Meticulous
- Surpise Attack: Trickster
- Untraceable
- Vanish

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:
- Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
- Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:
- Alchemist[exp] R10
Gathering Profession:

 

Edited June 23 by Mari

[Acanthus 0]

“I’m sorry to bother you. Do you know of a man that lives out this way? His name is Baldur.”

Acanthus had, against all odds, become hopelessly lost. The system map was excellent for finding quests, or towns, or dungeons, or a number of other things. But player housing remained elusive. Perhaps there was some filter that would assist her, but she had not found it.

Rather than tinkering with the map, she decided to stop and ask a nearby player. Acanthus’ rare desire to converse with a stranger was borne in part from the girl’s picturesque backdrop. She reclined against a beautiful tree in a dark blue kimono, sipping on tea with an air that exuded contentment. It was an air that enthralled Acanthus.

As she approached, her eyes flashed up and then back down to the tea set. An orange player, and a place setting for two. Her mind wandered to Pinball and his orange marker. His cat is named Pinball. I wonder where her name comes from.

Concluding it would be rude to ask about the obvious blemish, Acanthus moved on from the thought without comment. ”I see you have a second tea setting put down. I don’t mean to intrude for too long on your relaxation. I was hoping to stop by Baldur’s estate today. We had discussed traveling to the Coliseum to fight Piashuon, and I wanted to see if he was available. It’s a bit spur of the moment, so he is probably busy.”

The truth of the matter was that she did not want to visit his estate today; Acanthus had put off this outing so long, she was terrified that Baldur would be furious. Acanthus silently hoped the girl would know nothing about the man, and Acanthus could say she had tried before returning home to sample the new case of assorted alcohol Argent had pawned off on her. “An assortment too strange even for my clientele.” She had no idea what the tavern keeper meant by it, but she was curious to find out.

Her mind returned to the girl under the tree, freshly bothered by Acanthus’ array of questions. “Ah, I am being rude. My name is Acanthus. I will not trouble you for long.”
 

Acanthus | Lvl  77 (34/43) | No Stats (RP thread)                                                                                                            

[Mari 1]

“I’m sorry to bother you. Do you know of a man that lives out this way? His name is Baldur.”

Mari had taken another long sip - then when the voice of another broke the silence she unceremoniously started to cough, and gag. So much so that her eyes watered, and whatever remnants of tea she had in her mouth had dribbled out the side of it. Mari held up one hand in a sign of pause to the woman. The other beat her chest two, three times.

“S-Sorry…” Mari breathed. “I-cough- hang on.” Another series of coughs before Mari finally drew breath.

Looking upon the one who had approached Mari had to take a moment. Her hair, a warm golden brown that took on a honeyed sheen in the sun was tied up in a neat ponytail. A fringe framed unsure features. A soft face. She was pretty. A pretty lady was talking to her. Mari cleared her throat.

“You’re looking for Baldur?” Mari had already placed her cup down amidst her coughing fit. “He-a fellow guild lea…” Mari paused. Was she even considered a guild leader anymore? Was she even considered part of Jacobs Ladder still? Her words paused, and her eyes shifted away. Mari shouldn’t make such assumptions right now. “I mean..yeah. I know him. He’s a dear friend. So…any friend of his - would be a friend of mine. If you’re willing.”

Mari pushed herself up to a standing position and brushed blades of grass from her attire. “Oh…no the second tea setting wasn’t for anyone…its just…these things normally come in a set for two.” Mari gave an awkward laugh as she tugged on her own fringe. “I guess they don’t factor in for people like me.”

Mari fell silent as the other woman continued to speak - explaining away things that really didn’t need to be said. A sign of nervousness? Mari couldn’t blame her, she was a stranger, and a PKer at that. Her words were spoken quickly, and quietly - and a part of the way she held herself made Mari want to swathe her up in a blanket and offer her a hot chocolate. Despite the fact that she was a whole head taller than Mari.

“I’m not sure if he’s busy or not, but I know he’s always welcoming and wanting to help people. If you’ve already discussed going - then I’m sure he’d be happy to take you whenever you were free. That’s…just the kind of person he is.”

“Ah, I am being rude. My name is Acanthus. I will not trouble you for long.”

Acanthus

One of the more unique names Mari had come across. Mari returned her introduction with one of her own. “Hey, Acanthus. Mari. I’m Mari.” She offered, reaching out a hand. 

 

“And really, you’re no bother. I’m kinda sick of being alone lately.”

Edited June 23 by Mari

[Katoka 0]

Taking her time to explore the floor this time, Kat had finally began to see the appeal of the area. The last time she had been here was just to hut the stupid rhino for its horn. Now she could stop by the beach and watch the waves roll in and out. She could taste test the various foods in each town, though she had really grown to like the grilled meat on a stick and ended up getting one on more than one occasion now. The samurai had decided to take some time off, hoping that she could rest before she returned to the frontlines. Unfortunately she had felt to restless to lay around her home all day and instead took the opportunity to explore a place she rarely visited. Currently she was following a path that wound through a particularly shady bunch of trees, her eyes settling on a pair of what looked to be players conversing under one of them.

As she grew closer she recognized one to be Acanthus, the auburn haired knight that she had seen once or twice now. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Maybe she would stop a moment to say hi to her. Her eyes flicked to the other woman and she nearly froze on the spot. With cursor as orange as her hair the woman appeared to be unarmed, however Katoka knew better than to assume anyone in Aincrad was truly unequipped for a fight. Reflexively she felt her left hand rest on the hilt of her katana as she continued her approach.

The two seemed to be having a friendly enough conversation, neither one looked to be in distress or ready to fight. This calmed Kat's nerves ever so slightly. What caught her off guard was how pretty the orange haired woman was, and in all honesty Acanthus was nothing to stick your nose up at either. Her heart began to race for a whole different reason now as Katoka came within speaking distance of the other two women. "H-Hey there Acanthus, fancy meeting you here." she spoke, nearly biting her tongue. Get a grip, you don't have to get flustered talking to two pretty ladies. she thought to herself.

Turning to the other woman she smiled, "Hi, I'm Katoka, nice to meet you! I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

----

Spoiler

Name: Katoka, The Cerulean Storm True Tier: 7
Level: 34
Paragon Level: 30
HP: 840/840
EN: 118/118

Stats:
Damage: 23
Mitigation: 78
Accuracy: 5
Evasion: 1
Battle Healing: 46
Stealth Rating: -2
REC: 8
FLN: 16
HLY: 16
Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket:
- Muramasa's Legacy | T4/Demonic/Katana | Holy II, Fallen II
Armor/Trinket:
- Oni Haori | T4/Demonic/Light Armor | MIT 2, REC 2
Shield/Armor/Trinket:
- Aquamarine | T4 Demonic Trinket | ACC III, EVA I

Combat Mastery:
- Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
- ST Shift

Familiar Skill:
- Rending Familiar

Custom Skill:
-

Skills:
- Battle Healing R5
- Energist
- Extended Weight Limit
- Katana R5
- Light Armor R5

Extra Skills:
- Survival
- Concentration
- Parry
- Forgotten King's Authority
- Photosynthesize

Inactive Extra Skills:
- Frozen Hide

Addons:
- Ferocity
- Precision
- Resolve
- Stamina

Mods:
- Meticulous
- Vengeful Riposte

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
- Crystal of the Blood Dragon Horde | Mass HP recovery 10% x4
- Rhino's Horn | 235487c x5
- Teleportation Crystal x1
- Tincture of Recovery | HP Recovery 15% x5
- Trolls Blood | 235486c x1

Housing Buffs:
- Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
- Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
- Basic Kitchen: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
- Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
- Attic (Storage): +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
- Slime Farm: +5% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

Guild Hall Buffs:
- Trading Hall: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters and Rank 4 merchants/performers receive +1 crafting/identification attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters and Rank 5 merchants/performers receive +2 crafting/identification attempts per day.
- Treasury: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:

 

[Acanthus 0]

She had startled the poor girl! Acanthus waited patiently as the woman coughed and composed herself. Acanthus looked away politely until she was ready to talk, and shook her hand as it was offered. Mari mentioned her relationship to Baldur and how the tea setting was not for any particular person. Acanthus thought the other girl seemed a bit morose.

Quote

“And really, you’re no bother. I’m kinda sick of being alone lately.”

Acanthus was crestfallen at the woman’s sad remark. Living the game was already an alienating experience, and being an orange player exacerbated that, no doubt. She took a seat next to her, in front of the empty tea setting.

“Do you mind if I rest here for a bit then? I don’t have any of my own tea to share, but it looks like you have some already. Smells like a wonderful green.” Acanthus poured a small glass and enjoyed it quietly before talking again. “I told Baldur I would go kill field bosses today. But truthfully, I don’t want to. I don’t know why. I think maybe I’m just… tired. Every day, I wake up and have to kill something, or fight something, or survive something. I just want a day where I don’t have to pull out my sword or fear for my life.”

The words shocked her as they escaped. It was a lot to dump on a stranger. Too much. She held up her hands apologetically. “It’s not all bad. I shouldn’t complain to a stranger. It’s unbecoming.” She took another sip of tea, hoping the silence would spare her from her own rambling.

Relief arrived in the form of a third person. Katoka had arrived. She had met the Samurai at the last raid, but hadn’t been able to talk with her much.

Quote

"Hi, I'm Katoka, nice to meet you! I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Acanthus smiled and waved to her. “Katoka, it’s nice to see you in a situation that is not life threatening. Mari, I don’t suppose you have a third cup for her? If not, I think I can manage something.” Without waiting for a response. Acanthus dug through her inventory for something that would suffice, and settled on a spare blue teacup from a set at the villa. As for the beverage…

“I think I may have drank the last of Mari’s tea. I’m so sorry; I didn’t realize we would run into anyone else. Let me see if I have something…”

Acanthus thumbed through her inventory, this time for a drink. Embarrassingly, it was almost entirely alcohol. She found one of the assorted bottles Argent gave her.

“Let’s try this: it looks promising. Argent told me this was a ‘green tea mixture,’ saying it was a mix of whiskey, peach liqueur, and soda. Not as good as green tea, but I hope it will do.”

As Acanthus poured the teacup full of liquid, a strange thought crossed her mind. Had Kat also received the strange “debuff” from the quest on Floor 29? Should she ask directly? For some inexplicable reason, Acanthus felt uncomfortable admitting that she could, in fact, feel the effects of alcohol. I suppose the best way to find out is to simply watch her reaction.

“Do you drink? I mean, even though you can’t get drunk in Aincrad. I’ve known some people who refuse on principle, regardless.”

[Mari 1]

Arcanthus took a seat next to Mari, something that shocked the woman. Who just blatantly sat right up all cozy like next to a Pker, and take their drink? Mari blinked.Then when Arcanthus remarked about it being a wonderful green all Mari could do was slowly nod, then slowly bring her own cup to her mouth. Finishing off its contents.  What an odd woman.

Mari allowed her to talk, about how tired she was. Mari could relate to that, on a deep, emotional, borderline traumatic level. “Mmm…” Mari said quietly, her eyes lowering to the small cup in her hands. “That’s…how a lot of people tend to lose themselves in this place. They slowly take parts of themselves, and give, give, give. To the greater good. To escaping, but - is it worth it, if you can’t even look at yourself in a mirror anymore? Baldur is an understanding man, I am sure he won’t mind if you take a rain check on today - just let him know.” Mari offered the woman a grin. “Better yet, let him know you’re with me.”

Her smile faltered slightly. “If anything though…” Mari said quietly. “It’s better to complain to a stranger. Realistically, you don’t know me. I don’t know you - so there is no prejudice there. No expectations.” Mari reached out, almost as though she were to push auburn strands behind the womans ear but hesitated. Mari didn’t know this person, she didn’t know if she even wanted to be touched. Even if the action was meant to comfort her.

 

“Katoka…” Mari repeated the blondes name as she approached the two. Why were all these pretty women approaching Mari?

"Hi, I'm Katoka, nice to meet you! I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

 

Mari shook her head. “No, neither of you are interrupting anything.”

Arcanthus seemed better at socializing than Mari, she was already on the hunt for a third cup. Mari was thankful for that, she didn’t have a third. When Arcanthus pointed out there was no more tea Mari quickly shook her head, trying to show that it was fine. Mari didn’t need anything else. “Oh- N-no. Its fine I don’t want to be a b-”

Her eyes lit up when Arcanthus pulled out a bottle of alcohol. “Actually.” Mari began. “That does seem perfect. Who am I to turn down a pretty drink from a pretty woman?” She asked.

Mari allowed Arcanthus to pour her the drink and then almost immediately, almost greedily took two large sips from it. It was sweet- almost too sweet for Mari’s liking but she at least had the social decorum to not comment on it. “I have to question your friend…” Mari began with a happy sigh. “Nothing about this screams green tea. But… its nice. Thank you.”

Mari had to remember to be more thankful and courteous - she inwardly groaned at how socially inept she seemed to be.

“Katoka…right?” Mari asked.  “What brings you here? Were you seeing Baldur too?” Mari took another sip of the insidious liquid - deceptively strong. “Why does that man get all the pretty visitors…”

[Acanthus 0]

Quote

“It’s better to complain to a stranger.”

Mari began to reach out, stretching closer to Acanthus’ face. At that moment, the reality of the situation dawned on her: she was alone, in the wild, with a complete stranger. A stranger with an orange marker.

The wind picked up, and the shade of the tree danced as the branches shifted lazily. A knife flashed in the shadows cast on Mari’s hand. Acanthus recoiled for a fraction of a second, smacking her head on the back of the tree she rested against. The light had settled, and Mari looked the same as she had before.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Sorry. I started drifting off to sleep. It’s a calm day. That’s all. Sorry.” Acanthus rubbed the back of her head, silently embarrassed. She had to remind herself that she was safe. Even if she didn’t know Mari, she did know Katoka, and that was enough for now.

Moving on from her lack of manners, she returned to the Green Tea mixture. It was horrendously sweet. Wine she could handle, but this just tasted like…

“This is just fruit juice. I think Argent must have slipped something non-alcoholic into his shipment by accident. And…Cardinal mislabeled it too?” The last words left her mouth with a hint of uncertainty. But the “Green Tea” mixture did not taste like whiskey, or peach liqueur, or alcohol at all.

“I’m sorry, that was a bit of a dud, wasn’t it? Let’s try something else.” Something safe, perhaps. Acanthus reopened her inventory and procured a smaller bottle. “Sake. It’s the same kind I brought when I first visited Baldur. This should be an actual beverage. Here, have some.” Three small cups materialized, a Acanthus poured each of them a healthy cup with practiced ease.

Setting down the remaining Sake, she looked at the rest of the Green Tea mixture with a frown. She didn’t want to put it back into her inventory, only to dig it out later. But she didn’t want to waste it. Even in Aincrad, she was a penny-pincher. So, she did the only logical thing: she offered Mari and Katoka one last drink, before downing the rest of the bottle herself.

As she emptied the last few drops of the bottle into her mouth, the faint burn of alcohol wafted up through her sinuses. Maybe Cardinal hadn’t been wrong…

[Katoka 0]

It was nice exchanging pleasantries with the other women. The thanked Mari for the invitation to drink and sipped at the tea, it was pleasantly sweet yet light. She cupped her cheek and let out a delighted sigh, while she normally enjoyed tea on her back porch overlooking her yard, this was also just as nice.

"I hadn't planned on making my way to Baldur's estate today, I just happened to have been passing through." she accepted the cup of sake from Acanthus and gave her a slight bow in thanks, "It's a shame we can't actually get drunk from this stuff. It's still nice they managed to get the flavor right." she downed the drink and let out an elated sound that in the wrong context could have been taken very wrong.

Katoka smirked at Mari as she complemented both her and Acanthus. She as right, the knight had a beauty about her that was simple yet elegant. She caught sight of the orange haired woman reaching out and hesitating, the action startling Acanthus. We all have our traumas it seems, some of us scared to make connections and others terrified to receive them. The samurai accepted another drink and sipped it this time, smiling as she watched the bottle get downed in an instant.

"So tell me," Kat turned to Mari, "What brings you out here? Not every day you run into someone so striking off the beaten path like this." it was her turn to attempt to flirt. She had kept her blush hidden earlier, but this time her cheeks went slightly pink.

[Mari 1]

She flinched.

Scared.


Mari felt a pang of guilt. She didn’t mean to upset her. A pain bubbled up in the surface. Memories she had tried to forget, words hissed at her by former friends

You’re tarnished.
      Debased.
                -Deserve to be alone. Fester. Die.

Her hand shook slightly, and Mari had to curl her fingers into a ball, clutching at her tattered scarf with her hand. The other still held the cup, liquid sloshing inside. The pain, the panic lasted only a moment. A few seconds, then with a deep inhale. Exhale. It was gone. This wasn’t the same thing. There could be a hundred different reasons why Arcanthus had flinched.

“Sorry.” Mari offered quietly. She wouldn’t bring any further attention to it. Let the moment pass, let the peace continue. Please…please

“Oh, I’m sorry! Sorry. I started drifting off to sleep. It’s a calm day. That’s all. Sorry.” 

An excuse. One that Mari would accept, despite knowing that clearly wasn’t what it was.

 

“Fruit juice…” Mari mused as he shifted her eyes down to the cup. “Alcoholic fruit juice but…” Mari shifted her gaze to Katoka. “You know…we can get drunk in this game now.” Mari said as she finished the glass. The familiar warmth. The buzz, Mari had been indulging so much in alcohol lately…

Arcanthus went on to apologize, thinking it was a dud - it was sweet. Almost too much so for Mari’s tastes. But it was most definitely alcoholic. “I don’t think things are mislabeled that easily - not unless there was intent behind it. Then again…that whole quest to be able to get drunk in the first place is….incredibly buggy.” Mari’s face soured as she remembered the experience - sloshing wet rain, tentacled beasts - and a foul fishman sweeping up behind her.

 “Sake. It’s the same kind I brought when I first visited Baldur. This should be an actual beverage. Here, have some.” 

Mari smiled. The brunette was sweet, almost as sweet as the liquor. There wasn’t any tense undertones in their conversation. The way both women talked. Katoka and Arcanthus….it was simple, taken as is. Mari missed light hearted conversations like this.

Mari gratefully accepted the sake, and took two large sips - this was different. Smooth. The taste

hree small cups materialized, a Acanthus poured each of them a healthy cup with practiced ease. This batch wasn’t too dry, it was crisp - with slightly fruity undertones - but that could have been the aftertaste of the sweet liquor earlier.

“Hey I-” Mari paused as Arcanthus shoved the bottle of liquor back toward her. Mari accepted it, and took several large swigs before handing it back to Arcanthus - who finished it off.

Damn

“You uh….gonna be okay?”

Mari asked with a tilt of her head.

Mari’s eyes shifted to Katoka, she looked sweet - kind. Wisps of blonde hair framed a soft face. Rose pink lips moist with alcohol. 

"I hadn't planned on making my way to Baldur's estate today, I just happened to have been passing through." 

“I suppose he’s pretty busy lately…” Mari said quietly as she carefully swirled her sake, being careful not to spill it. “The floor boss raid is coming up soon, right?” Mari sighed as she closed her eyes. “I think he wants me to join it - but…I’m not sure I’m ready to.”

She paused as she took another sip from her glass, frowning. It was empty now. She hadn’t realised she drank it so quickly. It had gone down so smoothly. 

"So tell me, what brings you out here? Not every day you run into someone so striking off the beaten path like this."

“Hmm?” Mari lifted her eyes back to Katoka. Her clothing was loose, and the cream of her skin seemed almost dewy from the moisture of the floor. Mari cleared her throat, answering Katoka’s question. Striking?  Ah.

It must be her Player Killer status…that made sense.

“I recently got out of prison.” Mari admitted quietly. “I used to run Jacobs Ladder with Baldur, and two others - but…” She ran a finger over the rim of her empty cup. “I’m not sure what I am there anymore. I was thinking of meeting up with him and talking about it. I don’t expect to be a leader again. I just … want to give us both some kind of closure. I was MIA for two years. That’s unfair on him.”