PT-PP-F21 TKO, FTK <<Betrayal of the King>>

[Lysette 0]

<<Betrayal of the King>>

Home ownership suited Lydia. It was so nice to have a place to call her own. Abellio and Oscar had insist that she take a small loan from them to buy her first place. It was more Col than she'd seen in years of dancing for the denizens of the Town of Beginnings. Her place hadn't been anything massive. Just a small studio apartment nestled in the trees. Her favorite part had been those high windows that gave her a perfect view of the forest. She found that she spent most of her time there, working. Muffled music could be heard on the air, notes flowing freely from her apartment. Since she'd bought the place, she'd done little more than install a small workshop. A chair and a mix table, headphones and all of the instruments that she could ever want. It was her perfect little retreat. A place to simply play music and be without having to think of anything else.

She sat in her little swivel chair, headphones blocking out the world while she turned knobs and dials, mixed and remixed whatever music she'd made that day. She would occasional provide the vocals, if she made an instrumental track that she thought was good enough. Finally content with it, she removed her headphones and lifted her arms skyward to stretch out the tension of being huddled over that deck for so many hours. She sat awkwardly, feet resting against the edge of the chair and her knees to her chest. They, too, felt tense and numb. But she would need to walk it out.

She let her arms rest against the edge of the table, fingers drumming upon it as she gnawed on the inside of her cheek. The music was good, but it wasn't perfect. Maybe if she adjusted the pitch. Lydia reached for those headphones again, ready to get back to work. She jumped when she heard staccato knocking on her door. She leapt to her feet and took a step only to immediately fall flat on her face.

"AHHH," she exclaimed as she slammed into the wooden floors. Her legs were jelly after sitting for so long in such an awkward position. She shot back to her feet, pins and needles searing up and down her legs. She wobbled for a bit, stepping over an abandoned violin as she carefully walked to the door. "Coming!"

The knocking continued unending, filling her home with the rapid-fire sound of knuckles on wood. Finally, she flung open the door, revealing Abellio looking off to the side as his knuckles continued their motion without realizing the door had been moved. Finally, it caught up with him that he wasn't knocking and his head swiveled towards Lydia.

"Hey! I got a new sword! Come help me try it out!"

Spoiler

"Name: Lysette
True Tier: 2
Level: 11
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 230/230
EN: 40/40

Stats:
Damage: 1
Accuracy: 4
Evasion: 4
Loot Die: 1
Stealth Rating: 5

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - 
Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<glasses>> T1 Perfect Trinket | 3 ACC
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<seafoam>> T1 Perfect Trinket | 3 EVA

Combat Mastery:
 -

Combat Shift:
  - 

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Unhindered

Extra Skills:
  - Hiding R5
  - Leadership R5

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:

Mods:
  - Surprise Attack: Trickster
  - Untraceable

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

 

Edited 14 hours ago by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

Abellio didn’t really know what possessed him to go this long without getting a proper weapon. Maybe it was because he was rocketing through the Tiers and didn’t want to bother with it. Of course, that required that he had some future plan sorted out. He didn’t. Skills were bought simply off of the merits that they sounded cool. He accidentally on purpose wound up with a somewhat functional character build.

So it was at that point that Abellio decided to actually get some gear.

Holding his new sword, he made a beeline for Lysette’s place. He hadn’t seen much of her since Oscar and he had given her the loan to get her own place. Of course, she’d also just opened that shop on Floor 1 so he imagined that she was pretty busy working on some stock for the place. That being said, he wanted to go on an adventure and try out his new weapon.

A good excuse for wanting to see her.

He’d had fun on their last outing, even if Oscar had done all of the heavy lifting. And he got the sense that she had too. So it made sense that a repeat was in order. Walking up to her apartment nestled in the trees, he could hear the melodies well before he could see her front door. Abellio wondered what her next song would sound like all put together. And as he began furiously banging on her door, there was a glimmer of a thought that maybe he shouldn’t disturb her. It would just delay her next creation.

He pounded on her door for a long moment until the music stopped. He heard a crash and a small scream, then her voice - flustered and hurried - through the door. Abellio found himself taking in the sights as she flung the door open. And he was distracted for just a moment, until he noticed that he wasn’t feeling the feedback from the wood on his knuckles. He turned, meeting her gaze with a bright smile.

“Hey! I got a new sword! Come help me try it out!”

Lysette merely blinked. Then she let out a heavy sigh. She clearly wasn’t dressed for an adventure in her dark too-large tee and sweatpants with no shoes. An issue that was easily rectified with some quick menuing. It was crazy how she went from loungewear to stunner at the push of a button. She grabbed a pair of round shades that were hooked on the outer pocket of her jacket and slid them onto her face.

“What are you thinking, then?”

 

Spoiler

"Name: Abellio
True Tier: 3
Level: 21
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 465/465
EN: 60/60

Stats:
Damage: 26
Mitigation: 64
Accuracy: 3
Battle Healing: 5
Stealth Rating: -5
BLD: 36 
PARA
Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<Vanguard's Bastard Sword>> T3 Perfect OHSS | BLD II, PARA I
Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<Comfy Socks>> T3 Perfect HA | MIT III
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<glasses>> T1 Perfect Trinket | ACC III

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - AOE Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R1
  - Heavy Armor R5
  - Straight Sword R5

Extra Skills:
  - Forgotten King's Authority
  - Lady Luck
  - Assault Mode

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Ferocity
  - Focus
  - Iron Skin

Mods:
  - Impetus

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:
  - 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.
  - Master Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
  - Master Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
  - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
  - Dining Hall: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed. Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread.
  - Mega Slime Farm: +10% 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:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

Spoiler

Azrael Dog taken from Guild Storage +3 DMG, -45 MIT
Focused Dog taken from Guild Storage + 2 ACC
Azraelade taken from Lysette +3 DMG
Yui's Grace 3/5 used +200*Tier EXP upon closure
Mega Slime Farm used - +10% EXP upon thread closure, next use 8/21/25

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

‘HEY OSCAR IT’S US!”

The bell over the door to Oscar’s shop was drowned out by Abellio’s bellowing. Oscar turned his attention from the fryer to the door, smiling widely as he saw his two newest Guild mates walk into the restaurant. Oscar wiped his hands on a towel and stepped out from the back, leaning against the counter as they stepped up.

“Well this is a nice surprise. What brings you two all the way out here?”

Oscar had been rolling mostly solo for a while. Social calls had been few and far between. It was an odd feeling, he had to admit, to have people swinging by so often. But he wasn’t about to complain. Abellio was clearly coming into his own and Lysette…

Well the fact she wasn’t running screaming for the hills after that fight with Terra Firma was a good thing.

“I got a new sword! Was wondering if you could help Lysette with that Forgotten Time King dude. I think I could really help out this time!”

“And uh, I picked up those Leadership skills. I didn’t like being dead weight.”

“Impressive,” Oscar said as he opened up his menu to equip his combat gear. He tried not to sound condescending - and he really hoped that he wasn’t. Oscar was quite happy to see that his two newbies were coming into their own. Which reminded him of another that he hadn’t checked in on in a while. “Sounds like you two have it all figured out. I'll tank it for ya. Let’s go grab one more to round out our party. I really don’t want to need to make this trek again, honestly.”

 

Spoiler

"Name: 
True Tier: 10
Level: 34
Paragon Level: 65
HP: 1000/1000
EN: 132/132

Stats:
Damage: 26
Mitigation: 212
Accuracy: 6
Evasion: 1
Battle Healing: 55
Loot Die: 5
Stealth Rating: -5
PHASEREC: 4
HLY: 16
BLI: 32/-20 

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<DIVINE RANCOR>> T4 KATANA - HOLY/HOLY/PHASE/BLIGHT 
Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<TACTICAL UNDER ARMOR>> T4 HEAVY ARMOR//MIT/MIT/MIT/REC
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<IVORY GOLD LEAF RING>> T1 TRINKET//ACC/ACC/EVA/EVA

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - AOE Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R5
  - Charge
  - Energist
  - Extended Weight Limit
  - Fighting Spirit
  - Heavy Armor R5
  - Howl
  - Katana R5
  - Quick Change
  - Searching R5

Extra Skills:
  - Forgotten King's Authority
  - Meditation
  - Parry
  - Survival

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Ferocity
  - Focused Howl
  - Iron Skin
  - Precision
  - Reveal
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Detect
  - Impetus
  - Night Vision
  - Tracking

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - <<CRYSTAL OF DIVINE LIGHT>> ID: 236066 x1
  - <<DARK SERAPHIM>> T4 HEAVY ARMOR - VAMP.D2/HOLY BLESSING 2 x
  - <<GLOVES OF CAERUS>> T1 LIGHT ARMOR//3 LD x
  - <<IMUGI'S INSPIRATION>> MASS HEAL x
  - <<Kyūketsuki>> T4 KATANA//ABS.ACC/PHASE/VAMP2  x
  - <<RHINO'S HORN>> ID: 236068 x
  - <<SANCTITY'S RUIN>> T4 KATANA - FROSTBITE/BLEED/BLIGHT/BURN x
  - <<TELEPORTATION CRYSTAL>> x
  - <<TIGER'S BALM>> ANTIDOTE x

Housing Buffs:
  - 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.
  - Storage Closet: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
  - Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
  - Attic (Bedroom): +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cannot boost a skill without ranks, or increase a skill past its maximum rank. Cannot boost a skill the user has not learned yet. Ranks obtained using this buff will make the mods of that rank available for purchase. Mods obtained this way are unusable if this buff is removed until the skill is returned to the appropriate rank by way of SP purchase.
  - Basement: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
  - Master Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
  - Master Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
  - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
  - Ornate Fishing Pond: +2 Fishing EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to fishing attempts.
  - Dining Hall: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed. Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread.

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:
  - Tanos
Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

Spoiler

Gungir's Shard - T4 Mit Feast used, consumed
Liquor of Light Consumed
Focused Dog consumed

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Oscar

[Warren 0]

Warren’s shop on Floor 7 was meticulously kept. It was a force of habit. When you generally worked with explosives, it was a necessity to keep certain chemicals away from one another. The living quarters off to the side were similarly kept. A total bachelor pad. Just a bed, a table, and one chair. Warren didn’t have people over for dinner and he preferred it that way. He was busy tinkering with beakers containing different colored liquids when he heard the door to his shop open with a loud chime. That also never happened.

Turning away from his work, he saw a trio of people standing in his entryway. Only one of them he knew. The man stood up from his work, pulling a smoke from his breast pocket and lighting it once he was well away from the chemicals. It had been ages since his benefactor had darkened his doorstep.

“Oscar,” he said curtly, taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke out of the corner of his mouth. Away from his guests. Always away from his guests. “What’s up?”

Oscar merely shrugged. “Wondering if you’re bored. Taking these two out on a pretty lucrative quest. Wanted to see if you were down to soak up some experience.”

Warren looked back at his workshop, then towards the door. He realized that he’d been cooped up for quite some time. But details.

“Who’re your friends?”

The red-head cut in first. He stepped forward and held out his hand in greeting. Warren merely started cooly at the offered hand, taking a long drag from his smoke with his other arm crossed over his chest. If the kid took offense, he didn’t show it. “I’m Abellio,” he said as he retracted his hand. One would think someone would feel a little sheepish after being denied so curtly, but Abellio kept that dumb grin on his face. Stupid or impulsive? Maybe both?

“Lysette,” the woman offered. She didn’t seem quite as bombastic as Abellio nor nearly as obstinate as Oscar. Warren appreciated that. He regarded her presence with a slight nod and turned his attention back to Oscar.

“Like the real life pop star?” Warren asked. His gaze narrowed, leaning forward as he scrutinized her through the smoke. "No shot. You performed for my battalion way back when. Autographed my shirt. How did you get stuck here?"

"Um..." She shifted uncomfortably. Warren realized that perhaps he might have said too much.

"No, wait. My mistake," he said. "Think I got a little excited. She had blue eyes." Warren turned his attention to Oscar. "I could use a walk. Where to?"

Spoiler

"Name: Warren
True Tier: 2
Level: 11
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 220/220
EN: 40/40

Stats:
Damage: 1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - 
Armor/Trinket: 
  - 
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - 

Combat Mastery:
  - 

Combat Shift:
  - 

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:

Extra Skills:

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:

Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:
  - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
  - Mega Slime Farm: +10% 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.

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

Floor 21.

These two were going to be the literal death of her.

Floor Five was bad enough but FLOOR 21???

Lydia tried her best to appear unbothered by the development. After all, they were moving in a group. And she’d seen what Oscar could do. He took the helm, leading them through the subterranean caverns. Occasionally, the odd spider would drop down from above them. Only, they didn’t seem drawn to any of the low levels. They skittered straight towards Oscar who would dispatch them with a powerful punt that both broke the sound barrier and sent the creature sailing off into the darkness.

“Old rivalry,” Oscar said.

What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

But Oscar and Abellio led them through without incident. The red-head was positively vibrating. He was so visibly excited that it was hard for Lydia not to be as well. The walk was long and it had her wondering just how different her life would be right now if the gremlin hadn’t snatched her up and pressganged her into something she had no business doing.

Probably more of the same.

And she loved it, but she also didn’t mind this so much. It was good to have companionship, she realized.

Warren kept up the rear with her, looking almost bored despite being in roughly the same predicament. They walked shoulder to shoulder as Oscar and Abellio dispatched any mobs that came their way.

“Hey,” Warren said quietly. “Sorry for outing you like that. It was just a little unbelievable.”

Lydia looked up at him and gave a small nod. “It’s ok. It just put me on the spot. I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret.”

Warren breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Good, I'm glad. Wouldn't forgive myself if I aired out someone's business."

 

Spoiler

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 60/60 | DMG: 26 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA
Oscar | HP: 1000/1000 | EN: 132/132 | DMG: 26 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 3000/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Edited 10 hours ago by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

Abellio was back for round two. It almost felt like a grudge match after the last time. True, he still had Oscar there to take all the hits, but he wasn’t going to be sitting on the sidelines either. He was bouncing off of his heels as he always did. And to anyone else, it would look like his normal excitement.

But he was fucking terrified.

Abellio was throwing himself into the deep end. Forcing himself to face the fears that he’d never once vocalized to anyone else. This thing had almost killed him. Coming back here to fight it made about as much sense as jumping in front of a car after almost getting struck moments prior. His fingers twitched. His hands trembled as he made his weapon manifest. It was a gorgeous thing. The craftsman who made it certainly didn’t pull his punches.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Abellio exchanged looks with Oscar. And without words, he knew that Oscar realized what game was afoot here.

“Make sure you keep up. You’re gonna have exactly one turn to show out while I get Hate. After that, you’re gonna need to work for it.”

Oscar gave him a smile and leaned in close to whisper. “Don’t let me embarrass you in front of the girl, eh?”

The blood rushed to his cheeks as he leaned back to catch Oscar’s gaze again. The man had a sly grin on his face, giving Abellio a simple shrug as he readied his own weapon.

“What are you talking about,” Abellio asked as he took a step forward. He dropped into a runner’s start, draping his blade over his hands. His vision narrowed, eyes falling upon the king on his throne. Abellio took off like an arrow, blazing straight towards the Forgotten Time King.

He was throwing himself into the deep end. He was.

There was no other way to handle this. 

He needed to win.

He needed to prove to himself, more than anything, that he could fight.

His weapon struck true and stuck fast in his target. The boss came to life at the first sign of aggression, raising his weapon to strike his would-be assassin. Abellio tried to pry his weapon free but failed tremendously.

Off to a fantastic fucking start.

 

Spoiler

Post Action -> AOE-I vs Forgotten Time King -15 EN
ID: 248189 | BD: 5+3, hit
CD: 10, ST-B Active
Deal 290 DMG

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 45/60 | DMG: 26 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA
Oscar | HP: 1000/1000 | EN: 132/132 | DMG: 26 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 2710/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3

 

Edited 9 hours ago by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Well Abellio was certainly stuck in. Literally. The fight wasn’t off to the greatest of starts if his weapon was caught in the boss’s armor right as it was winding up its attack. This was personal for Abellio. It was obvious, at least to him. This boss carried a lot of trauma, as close encounters with death always did. And that was why Oscar was here, he surmised. A safety net. Aid so that Abellio wouldn’t have to face his demons alone.

The closest thing to therapy Oscar had given anyone since he got trapped here.

God knew that every single mother fucker here needed it.

Except maybe Warren. Oscar could never get a read on the guy. But it was apparent that the man had been through some shit. Probably slew his own demons a long-ass time ago.

Oscar strode forward, calm as could be. It was a dangerous situation, but if he panicked, Abellio would panic. His maneuver was two fold. He disappeared from his previous position, a blinding charge placing him behind Abellio. He grabbed the man by the scruff of the neck, pulling him back sharply. The momentum wrenched his weapon free. As he pushed the kid away, Oscar snapped his fingers.

Blue light pulsed over the boss, crawling over the terrain and the boss and the walls.

“Over here, big boy.”

 

Spoiler

Post Action -> Focused Howl +5 Hate - 4 EN

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 60/60 | DMG: 26 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA
Oscar | HP: 1000/1000 | EN: 132/132 | DMG: 26 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab1, Os5, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 2710/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3

 

 

Edited 9 hours ago by Oscar

[Warren 0]

Warren couldn't really say as he'd ever seen Oscar fight.

And seeing it now, he had to admit it was pretty damn impressive. Warren hadn't been a slouch in a scrap, but those two guys made him look positively lackluster in comparison. The speed alone was blinding. But the way Oscar intervened so casually and responded so quickly to the fight going sideways for Abellio was a thing of beauty. And of the four of them, Warren was the only one who had ever seen any real action.

Maybe.

One didn't just develop Oscar's calm in the face of the shit overnight. If you'd been through the shit, you learned how to tell when someone else had been through it too. And brother, Oscar most certainly had. And it wasn't deserts and IED's for him. But, of course, this was all just guesswork.

Warren winced as Oscar took a hell of a blow from the boss. He looked over at Lysette, surprised that she didn't seem to be the least bit worried about their frontman. He cocked an eyebrow and lit a smoke. He was useless here, but he wasn't about to let the opportunity to witness a master at play pass him by.

Spoiler

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 60/60 | DMG: 26 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA
Oscar | HP: 937/1000 | EN: 132/132 | DMG: 26 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab1, Os5, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 2710/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3

FTK Attack vs Oscar
ID: 248190 | BD: 6+3-1, hit
Deal 63 DMG

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

She had been worried at first, when Abellio's sword got stuck. But it had only lasted a moment. Before Oscar had even moved, really. She knew that the man would have their backs. He'd proven that in their last outing. Earned her trust, at least as far as it came to keeping them all alive. Truth be told, he didn't know enough about the man to say that she truly trusted him. And she felt a bit guilty about it. He'd literally thrown himself into the jaws of the beast on their behalf and she couldn't even really bring herself to give him the full benefit of the doubt.

Better safe than sorry, though.

She'd received plenty of charity from people who she thought were acting out of the place of kindness. Only to turn around and demand their pound of flesh. Her flesh to be more specific. And it had happened so much and so often that without her hangers-on goading her into it, she would be damned if she would be taken advantage of like that again. Which is why she wanted to make herself useful this time. She didn't want to owe Oscar or anyone anything at all.

Light flashed to her fingertips. Her hand swept through the air, leaving lingering staves and clefs in their wake. Surging through the air like ribbons, the scores wrapped around Abellio and Oscar. <<Press the Attack>> would bolster their damage into the next round of the fight.

Spoiler

Post Action - Press the Attack -10 EN
+3 DMG for Abellio
+4 DMG for Oscar

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 60/60 | DMG: 29 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA
Oscar | HP: 937/1000 | EN: 132/132 | DMG: 30 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab1, Os5, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 2710/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

Oscar intervened at the last moment, pulling him out of the way and taking the hit that the boss had intended for Abellio. The red-head swore under his breath as he staggered backwards, stumbling as he tried to stop his backwards momentum. His foot drove against a stone, providing him enough leverage to stop himself. He took a moment and checked his footing before pushing off of the rock and throwing himself back into the fight. Oscar stood with his back to Abellio, the king's spear cutting into his shoulder. Abellio's hand clamped down on the opposite side, launching himself up and over Oscar's head in a leaping strike. He flipped forward, bringing his sword down to mirror the king's attack. The force of the blow caused the king's right knee to buckle, slamming into the ground as Abellio followed through with his attack.

He landed lightly on the ground, flinging his foot up and off to the side. His leg hooked under the king's spear, the kick ripping the blade out of Oscar's body. Again, he followed through, the momentum carrying his leg up and over as he performed a hands-free cartwheel to fling himself out of the way of Oscar's follow-up.

Spoiler

Post Action - ST-B vs FTK -20 EN
ID: 248191 | BD: 6, hit
Deal 480 DMG

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 30/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 28/60 | DMG: 29 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA
Oscar | HP: 937/1000 | EN: 128/132 | DMG: 30 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab1, Os5, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 2230/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar grinned as Abellio returned to the fight. The man was locked-in. His first fight and he was already performing feats of acrobatics that took Oscar longer than he would care to admit to learn were even possible. He leveled his blade with the boss, readying himself to strike. Two items were flung from his inventory - the Rhino's Horn and the Crystal of Divine Light. As he sliced through the air, the arc of his weapon would pass through both items. The Rhino's Horn imbuing him with more strength, the Crystal activating and empowering Divine Rancor's innate powers. The blade roared to life, electricity running down the length of the blade and sparking from the edge, the tip. The weapon made contact and as it did, all of that in-built power went critical. From on high, his attack was punctuated with heaven's wrath. How the smiting divinity managed to reach this far below ground, Oscar had no clue. But what he did know was that the single attack dropped the Forgotten Time King's health bar firmly into the yellow.
 

Spoiler

Post Action -> AOE-I vs FTK
ID: 248192 | BD: 9
Free Action -> Rhino's Horn +3 BD
Free Action -> Crystal of Divine Light +8 HLY
Holy, Phase, Blight Activate
Blight Nullified by Forgotten King's Authority

58 Base Damage * 15 = 870-50 MIT = 820 DMG


Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 30/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 28/60 | DMG: 29 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA
Oscar | HP: 937/1000 | EN: 128/132 | DMG: 30 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab2, Os7, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 1410/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3 |

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Oscar

[Warren 0]

Well that was certainly something.

Abellio was doing a whole gymnastics routine and Oscar - apparently - had God on speed dial.

Even the girl had something to bring to the table. Meanwhile, Warren was sitting in the back chain smoking. He had to remind himself that Oscar had invited him. And the man had to have known that Warren was not even remotely high enough level to make himself useful at a time like this. So no one could bitch if Warren stood back and sat pretty.

Still, it was pretty emasculating to know that Lysette - the only one close to him in level - had the presence of mind to bring something to the table that was even remotely useful to the task at hand. Leadership Arts? Might have been a good idea. If only he'd thought of it. But then again, to even think of it, he would have needed to know that he was going to be here in the first place. He'd have to make a note of that for the next time - if even there was a next time - so he would at least have something to do other than kill his digital lungs.

Spoiler

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 30/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 28/60 | DMG: 29 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA
Oscar | HP: 866/1000 | EN: 128/132 | DMG: 30 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab2, Os7, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 1400/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3
FTK Attack vs Oscar
ID: 248193 | BD: 4+3-1, hit
Deal 126 DMG

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

Abellio should have listened when Oscar said he was going to give him one round to get going before he came out swinging. How the fuck was Abellio supposed to keep up with his entire fucking utility belt? Not to mention that sword. He'd seen what it did to Terra Firma. He shouldn't have been surprised to see it in action again. And he might have said something about it, were he not so focused on the fight. Adrenaline was funny like that. Abellio couldn't keep himself focused on a single fucking thing. But right now, you wouldn't be able to tear his eyes away from this boss. He stepped back in as soon as the light from Oscar's attack faded. He gave no quarter. Hot off the heels of that smiting wrath, Abellio was back in the boss's orbit. Inside his guard, where it would be impossible to angle his spear properly to counterattack. He thrust forward, driving his weapon into the king's chest. Then, his feet left the ground, vaulting up and over the boss and landing squarely behind him. His weapon followed his trajectory, carving a bloody path through the king's chest, neck, and head before finally being wrenched out of his back.

Spoiler

Post Action -> AOE-I vs FTK
ID: 248194 | BD: 8+3, hit
Deal 335 DMG

 Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 30/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 16/60 | DMG: 29 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA
Oscar | HP: 866/1000 | EN: 128/132 | DMG: 30 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab2, Os7, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 1075/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

It was a surprisingly brutal maneuver from Abellio. Oscar was too goddamn young to be this goddamn nostalgic. But it didn't change matters any. It still reminded him of the first time that he had really clicked with the combat in this game. When he found that he could use the mobs to vent frustrations and deal with their mechanics with raw ultraviolence. He supposed that Cardinal wasn't prepared for people to be willing to brutalize the denizens of the game. That there would be some hesitation from most - if not all - of the Players. That they wouldn't really be like that. 

And it was a fair assessment. Most weren't really like that. They didn't have that hunger - that drive - to get out of this digital prison at all costs. They didn't see the NPCs for what they were. They didn't see those small hesitations in the System where the mobs didn't quite expect that maneuver. But Oscar did. And, in the heat of the moment, so did Abellio. Either that, or he just really wanted to style on the asshole that almost killed him at level one.

Both were equally likely. Both were equally valid.

Spoiler

Post Action -> AOE-II vs FTK
ID: 248195 | BD: 2+6, hit
Deal 440 DMG

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 30/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 16/60 | DMG: 29 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA
Oscar | HP: 916/1000 | EN: 103/132 | DMG: 30 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab2, Os7, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 635/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

Lydia didn't really care for violence. Never had, never did. But there was something about watching Abellio slowly gaining the upper hand that was almost like poetry. She could see why people called it martial arts. Each time he attacked, the man followed through with more confidence. He was more self-assured. But there was something off about the way he moved. This entire time up until now, Lydia had believed that it was just a quest boss. It wasn't a big deal. Oscar had been able to handle it so easily. 

But if that was the case, why was he moving like it was so fucking personal?

Wouldn't it just be easier to stab the thing? Not stab, somersault, and cut him open from sternum to middle back?

If it wasn't a big deal, why was Abellio being so brutal? 

Lydia didn't appreciate being brought all the way out here because Abellio had an axe to grind. At least, she didn't appreciate not being told.

She would have prepared better.

Spoiler

Post Action -> Elusive -4 EN
Party Evasion Raised by 1

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 28/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 16/60 | DMG: 29 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA | EVA: 1
Oscar | HP: 916/1000 | EN: 103/132 | DMG: 30 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA: 2 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab2, Os7, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 635/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Oscar

[Warren 0]

"Oh, I get it," Warren said.

He didn't elaborate further. Didn't really need to. Everyone standing in the arena understood what was going on. Warren didn't have the details, but he'd been in enough fights to be able to tell the difference between personal and business. And this was definitely personal. There was a story there, but Warren didn't care to know it. Of course, it seemed like Lysette had read his mind.

"Abellio got tricked at level one," she said. Warren wanted to tell her that he didn't need to hear it, but she was probably going to ignore him and tell him anyway. "Was told this boss was an easy kill. It clearly isn't. He almost got killed before Oscar saved him."

"Ah," Warren added. "So that's the reason for that anime flippy-dippy bullshit." He took a drag from his cigarette. "Stupid way to fight."

"Yeah," Lysette said bitterly. "He's really, really dumb."

There was also something more there. He could tell by her tone of voice. But, again, he didn't really care to find out what it was. He was too busy mulling over a simple question.

If this was an anime, he was most definitely a side character.

And if he was a side character, was he a Krillin or a Sasuke?

Spoiler

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 28/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 16/60 | DMG: 29 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA | EVA: 1
Oscar | HP: 916/1000 | EN: 103/132 | DMG: 30 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA: 2 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab2, Os7, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 635/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3 

FTK Attack vs Oscar
ID: 248196 | BD: 2+3-2, miss

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

The final stretch. Just a bit more and his Goliath would be toppled. Abellio seized his previous momentum, spiking the King through the back with his blade. He drove his sword down to the hilt, twisted, and then ripped it out. Again and again and again. Each blow punctuated with a loud "FUCK YOU."

The warm glow had entirely faded from his eyes. His gaze narrowed to a steely edge as he vented his frustration out upon the boss. He cursed his weakness. His stupidity. Everything that had landed him at the point where Oscar had needed to jump in and save him. He had been thrown to the sharks and through sheer happenstance landed in someone's lifeboat. Abellio would never find himself in that same position again.

His hands were trembling, the boss had fallen forward onto its knees. It wasn't a threat to anyone in this state. But still, Abellio struck. Over and over and over again. Still raging. Still cursing.

This was supposed to be cathartic.

It wasn't.

It was supposed to help him get over it.

It didn't.

All it did was make him look like a damned mess in front of his friends.

Spoiler

Post Action -> AOE-II vs FTK
ID: 248197 | BD: 5+3
Deal 368 DMG

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 28/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 1/60 | DMG: 26 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA | EVA: 1
Oscar | HP: 916/1000 | EN: 103/132 | DMG: 26 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA: 2 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

Hate: Lys0, Ab2, Os7, War0<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 267/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

It had gone on for long enough. Abellio was beating a dead horse at this point. Oscar had originally thought that this whole endeavor might help Abellio turn the page. Let it go. But he didn't realize how deep-seated it all was. How well Abellio could mask it.

He strode forward and sliced his blade cleanly across the King's neck. In a shower of glass shards, the boss disappeared. Before him stood only Abellio. If looks could kill, the man's gaze would have sent his health bar plummeting straight to zero.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?"

Oscar's answer came quickly, calmly. "Because you're a fucking mess."

"SO WHAT? THIS THING ALMOST KILLED ME!"

"Almost," Oscar emphasized. "There are a great many things that are going to almost kill you. Are you going to fall to pieces then too?"

Abellio's jaw tightened. He let out a ragged breath.

"It's a fucking Quest NPC. It did what it was programmed to do. If you want closure, take it up with the dudes who sent you out here. Wait. You can't. They're no longer with us."

The Black Iron Dungeon had done what the Black Iron Dungeon was meant to do. Ground up the two killers-by-proxy and left nothing behind. Not even excrement to shit out onto the pavement. "You're raging at a wall. You're gonna just need to build a bridge and get the fuck over it. Stop being so stupid. If you want sympathy, look in the dictionary between 'shit' and 'syphilis.' I don't have any to give you."

Spoiler

Post Action - AOE-I vs FTK
ID: 248198 | BD: 4+6
Deal 290 DMG

Lysette | HP: 230/230 | EN: 28/40 | DMG: 1 | ACC:4 | EVA:4 | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 465/465 | EN: 1/60 | DMG: 26 | MIT:64 | ACC:3 | BH:5 | BLD: 36  | PARA | EVA: 1
Oscar | HP: 916/1000 | EN: 103/132 | DMG: 26 | MIT:212 | ACC:6 | PHASE | F-SPIRIT | EVA: 2 | BH:55 | REC: 4 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:5
Warren | HP: 220/220 | EN: 40/40 | DMG: 1     

<<Forgotten Time King>> HP: 0/3000 | DMG: 275 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 3 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

Lydia intervened this time. In a flurry of reds and blacks, she blazed past Oscar. A sharp slap to Abellio's face. Cursor flashing orange for a brief moment.

"What the fuck was that?"

Abellio met her gaze, the cold edge leaving his own almost immediately. He held his cheek, opening his mouth to speak. But before the first word could come out, Lydia had slapped his other cheek.

"Is this supposed to be some kind of therapy? You show up at my door, ask me to go on another quest, and just... go berserk? Why didn't you explain beforehand? We would have taken this more seriously."

"I didn't think it was such a big deal," Abellio said quietly. "And I didn't really expect... that."

"Of course it's a big deal. You almost died," Warren said abruptly. All eyes turned to him as he flicked away his smoke and approached the group, both hands in his pockets. "It's really stupid to think that you just shake that off. And you," Warren trailed off, turning his attention towards Oscar. "Really should have known better. Aren't you an actual psychologist?"

"I made a bad call," Oscar replied.

"You damn sure did," Warren said. "It doesn't take a fucking doctor to know that someone that smiles as hard as the kid does probably has some real fire in him when he's pushed to his limit. But what the fuck do I know? I just lived in active combat zones for eight years."

A pall hung over the group. No one really knew what to say. Finally, the silence was broken by Warren.

"Look, I say the best plan here is to just... not come back here. It's clearly a trigger. And you," he trailed off, gesturing vaguely in Abellio's direction. "Got some real trauma going on. It's whatever, I'm pretty sure we all do being stuck in this game. But let's not poke the T in the PTSD, yeah?"

The silence returned. But it didn't hang for quite as long. Lydia grabbed Abellio by the collar and hoisted him up, surprising herself with her own strength. "You. Are coming with me," she said before turning to jam her finger into Oscar's chest. "And you are making us dinner. Spicy burger. Chop chop."

Then she turned to Warren and gave him a smile. "And you should stop by the shop. If you enjoyed that performance a few years ago, I've got some new music you might like."

The trio started back to town, but Warren lingered for a moment.

How should he go about politely telling Lysette that he hated Pop music?

Spoiler

FTK Loot
ID: 248199 | LD: 12 - 1 Piece of Equipment Found!
Lysette Obtains <<The King's Betrayal>> | T3 Perfect Polearm | PARA II, DMG I

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Oscar

[Warren 0]

Thread Summary
Oscar | [Word Count: 5237/5 = 1047.4] * [True Tier: 10] * [Group Factor: 1] = 10474 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 1571 col
Abellio | [Word Count: 5237/5 = 1047.4] * [True Tier: 3] * [Group Factor: 1] = 3142 + 600 (Yui's Grace) + 10% = 4266 EXP
Lysette | [Word Count: 5237/5 = 1047.4] * [True Tier: 2] * [Group Factor: 1] = 2095 + 5000 = 7095 EXP, 10k Col
<<King's Betrayal>> | T3 Perfect Polearm | 2 PARA, 1 DMG | ID: 248199
Warren | [Word Count: 5237/5 = 1047.4] * [True Tier: 2] * [Group Factor: 1] = 2095 + 5000 = 7095 EXP, 10k Col

All Participants Recieve:
1 Mon
1 token

Transcript

Spoiler

    Home ownership suited Lydia. It was so nice to have a place to call her own. Abellio and Oscar had insist that she take a small loan from them to buy her first place. It was more Col than she'd seen in years of dancing for the denizens of the Town of Beginnings. Her place hadn't been anything massive. Just a small studio apartment nestled in the trees. Her favorite part had been those high windows that gave her a perfect view of the forest. She found that she spent most of her time there, working. Muffled music could be heard on the air, notes flowing freely from her apartment. Since she'd bought the place, she'd done little more than install a small workshop. A chair and a mix table, headphones and all of the instruments that she could ever want. It was her perfect little retreat. A place to simply play music and be without having to think of anything else.
    She sat in her little swivel chair, headphones blocking out the world while she turned knobs and dials, mixed and remixed whatever music she'd made that day. She would occasional provide the vocals, if she made an instrumental track that she thought was good enough. Finally content with it, she removed her headphones and lifted her arms skyward to stretch out the tension of being huddled over that deck for so many hours. She sat awkwardly, feet resting against the edge of the chair and her knees to her chest. They, too, felt tense and numb. But she would need to walk it out.
    She let her arms rest against the edge of the table, fingers drumming upon it as she gnawed on the inside of her cheek. The music was good, but it wasn't perfect. Maybe if she adjusted the pitch. Lydia reached for those headphones again, ready to get back to work. She jumped when she heard staccato knocking on her door. She leapt to her feet and took a step only to immediately fall flat on her face.
    "Ahhh," she exclaimed as she slammed into the wooden floors. Her legs were jelly after sitting for so long in such an awkward position. She shot back to her feet, pins and needles searing up and down her legs. She wobbled for a bit, stepping over an abandoned violin as she carefully walked to the door. "Coming!"
    The knocking continued unending, filling her home with the rapid-fire sound of knuckles on wood. Finally, she flung open the door, revealing Abellio looking off to the side as his knuckles continued their motion without realizing the door had been moved. Finally, it caught up with him that he wasn't knocking and his head swiveled towards Lydia.
    "Hey! I got a new sword! Come help me try it out!"
Abellio didn’t really know what possessed him to go this long without getting a proper weapon. Maybe it was because he was rocketing through the Tiers and didn’t want to bother with it. Of course, that required that he had some future plan sorted out. He didn’t. Skills were bought simply off of the merits that they sounded cool. He accidentally on purpose wound up with a somewhat functional character build.
So it was at that point that Abellio decided to actually get some gear.
Holding his new sword, he made a beeline for Lysette’s place. He hadn’t seen much of her since Oscar and he had given her the loan to get her own place. Of course, she’d also just opened that shop on Floor 1 so he imagined that she was pretty busy working on some stock for the place. That being said, he wanted to go on an adventure and try out his new weapon.
A good excuse for wanting to see her.
He’d had fun on their last outing, even if Oscar had done all of the heavy lifting. And he got the sense that she had too. So it made sense that a repeat was in order. Walking up to her apartment nestled in the trees, he could hear the melodies well before he could see her front door. Abellio wondered what her next song would sound like all put together. And as he began furiously banging on her door, there was a glimmer of a thought that maybe he shouldn’t disturb her. It would just delay her next creation.
He pounded on her door for a long moment until the music stopped. He heard a crash and a small scream, then her voice - flustered and hurried - through the door. Abellio found himself taking in the sights as she flung the door open. And he was distracted for just a moment, until he noticed that he wasn’t feeling the feedback from the wood on his knuckles. He turned, meeting her gaze with a bright smile.
“Hey! I got a new sword! Come help me try it out!”
Lysette merely blinked. Then she let out a heavy sigh. She clearly wasn’t dressed for an adventure in her dark too-large tee and sweatpants with no shoes. An issue that was easily rectified with some quick menuing. It was crazy how she went from loungewear to stunner at the push of a button. She grabbed a pair of round shades that were hooked on the outer pocket of her jacket and slid them onto her face.
“What are you thinking, then?”
‘HEY OSCAR IT’S US!”
The bell over the door to Oscar’s shop was drowned out by Abellio’s bellowing. Oscar turned his attention from the fryer to the door, smiling widely as he saw his two newest Guild mates walk into the restaurant. Oscar wiped his hands on a towel and stepped out from the back, leaning against the counter as they stepped up.
“Well this is a nice surprise. What brings you two all the way out here?”
Oscar had been rolling mostly solo for a while. Social calls had been few and far between. It was an odd feeling, he had to admit, to have people swinging by so often. But he wasn’t about to complain. Abellio was clearly coming into his own and Lysette…
Well the fact she wasn’t running screaming for the hills after that fight with Terra Firma was a good thing.
“I got a new sword! Was wondering if you could help Lysette with that Forgotten Time King dude. I think I could really help out this time!”
“And uh, I picked up those Leadership skills. I didn’t like being dead weight.”
“Impressive,” Oscar said as he opened up his menu to equip his combat gear. He tried not to sound condescending - and he really hoped that he wasn’t. Oscar was quite happy to see that his two newbies were coming into their own. Which reminded him of another that he hadn’t checked in on in a while. “Sounds like you two have it all figured out. Let’s go grab one more to round out our party. I really don’t want to need to make this trek again, honestly.”
 Warren’s shop on Floor 7 was meticulously kept. It was a force of habit. When you generally worked with explosives, it was a necessity to keep certain chemicals away from one another. The living quarters off to the side were similarly kept. A total bachelor pad. Just a bed, a table, and one chair. Warren didn’t have people over for dinner and he preferred it that way. He was busy tinkering with beakers containing different colored liquids when he heard the door to his shop open with a loud chime. That also never happened.

Turning away from his work, he saw a trio of people standing in his entryway. Only one of them he knew. The man stood up from his work, pulling a smoke from his breast pocket and lighting it once he was well away from the chemicals. It had been ages since his benefactor had darkened his doorstep.

“Oscar,” he said curtly, taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke out of the corner of his mouth. Away from his guests. Always away from his guests. “What’s up?”

Oscar merely shrugged. “Wondering if you’re bored. Taking these two out on a pretty lucrative quest. Wanted to see if you were down to soak up some experience.”

Warren looked back at his workshop, then towards the door. He realized that he’d been cooped up for quite some time. But details.

“Who’re your friends?”

The red-head cut in first. He stepped forward and held out his hand in greeting. Warren merely started cooly at the offered hand, taking a long drag from his smoke with his other arm crossed over his chest. If the kid took offense, he didn’t show it. “I’m Abellio,” he said as he retracted his hand. One would think someone would feel a little sheepish after being denied so curtly, but Abellio kept that dumb grin on his face. Stupid or impulsive? Maybe both?

“Lysette,” the woman offered. She didn’t seem quite as bombastic as Abellio nor nearly as obstinate as Oscar. Warren appreciated that. He regarded her presence with a slight nod and turned his attention back to Oscar.

“Like the real life pop star?” Warren asked. His gaze narrowed, leaning forward as he scrutinized her through the smoke. "No shot. You performed for my battalion way back when. Autographed my shirt. How did you get stuck here?"

"Um..." She shifted uncomfortably. Warren realized that perhaps he might have said too much.

"No, wait. My mistake," he said. "Think I got a little excited. She had blue eyes." Warren turned his attention to Oscar. "I could use a walk. Where to?" 
Floor 21.
These two were going to be the literal death of her.
Floor Five was bad enough but FLOOR 21???
Lydia tried her best to appear unbothered by the development. After all, they were moving in a group. And she’d seen what Oscar could do. He took the helm, leading them through the subterranean caverns. Occasionally, the odd spider would drop down from above them. Only, they didn’t seem drawn to any of the low levels. They skittered straight towards Oscar who would dispatch them with a powerful punt that both broke the sound barrier and sent the creature sailing off into the darkness.
“Old rivalry,” Oscar said.
What the fuck was that supposed to mean.
But Oscar and Abellio led them through without incident. The red-head was positively vibrating. He was so visibly excited that it was hard for Lydia not to be as well. The walk was long and it had her wondering just how different her life would be right now if the gremlin hadn’t snatched her up and pressganged her into something she had no business doing.
Probably more of the same.
And she loved it, but she also didn’t mind this so much. It was good to have companionship, she realized.
Warren kept up the rear with her, looking almost bored despite being in roughly the same predicament. They walked shoulder to shoulder as Oscar and Abellio dispatched any mobs that came their way.
“Hey,” Warren said quietly. “Sorry for outing you like that. It was just a little unbelievable.”
Lydia looked up at him and gave a small nod. “It’s ok. It just put me on the spot. I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret.”
Warren breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Good, I'm glad. Wouldn't forgive myself if I aired out someone's business."
Abellio was back for round two. It almost felt like a grudge match after the last time. True, he still had Oscar there to take all the hits, but he wasn’t going to be sitting on the sidelines either. He was bouncing off of his heels as he always did. And to anyone else, it would look like his normal excitement.
But he was fucking terrified.
Abellio was throwing himself into the deep end. Forcing himself to face the fears that he’d never once vocalized to anyone else. This thing had almost killed him. Coming back here to fight it made about as much sense as jumping in front of a car after almost getting struck moments prior. His fingers twitched. His hands trembled as he made his weapon manifest. It was a gorgeous thing. The craftsman who made it certainly didn’t pull his punches.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. Abellio exchanged looks with Oscar. And without words, he knew that Oscar realized what game was afoot here.
“Make sure you keep up. You’re gonna have exactly one turn to show out while I get Hate. After that, you’re gonna need to work for it.”
Oscar gave him a smile and leaned in close to whisper. “Don’t let me embarrass you in front of the girl, eh?”
The blood rushed to his cheeks as he leaned back to catch Oscar’s gaze again. The man had a sly grin on his face, giving Abellio a simple shrug as he readied his own weapon.
“What are you talking about,” Abellio asked as he took a step forward. He dropped into a runner’s start, draping his blade over his hands. His vision narrowed, eyes falling upon the king on his throne. Abellio took off like an arrow, blazing straight towards the Forgotten Time King.
He was throwing himself into the deep end. He was.
There was no other way to handle this. 
He needed to win.
He needed to prove to himself, more than anything, that he could fight.
His weapon struck true and stuck fast in his target. The boss came to life at the first sign of aggression, raising his weapon to strike his would-be assassin. Abellio tried to pry his weapon free but failed tremendously.
Off to a fantastic fucking start.
Well Abellio was certainly stuck in. Literally. The fight wasn’t off to the greatest of starts if his weapon was caught in the boss’s armor right as it was winding up its attack. This was personal for Abellio. It was obvious, at least to him. This boss carried a lot of trauma, as close encounters with death always did. And that was why Oscar was here, he surmised. A safety net. Aid so that Abellio wouldn’t have to face his demons alone.
The closest thing to therapy Oscar had given anyone since he got trapped here.
God knew that every single mother fucker here needed it.
Except maybe Warren. Oscar could never get a read on the guy. But it was apparent that the man had been through some shit. Probably slew his own demons a long-ass time ago.
Oscar strode forward, calm as could be. It was a dangerous situation, but if he panicked, Abellio would panic. His maneuver was two fold. He disappeared from his previous position, a blinding charge placing him behind Abellio. He grabbed the man by the scruff of the neck, pulling him back sharply. The momentum wrenched his weapon free. As he pushed the kid away, Oscar snapped his fingers.
Blue light pulsed over the boss, crawling over the terrain and the walls.
“Over here, big boy.”
    Warren couldn't really say as he'd ever seen Oscar fight.
    And seeing it now, he had to admit it was pretty damn impressive. Warren hadn't been a slouch in a scrap, but those two guys made him look positively lackluster in comparison. The speed alone was blinding. But the way Oscar intervened so casually and responded so quickly to the fight going sideways for Abellio was a thing of beauty. And of the four of them, Warren was the only one who had ever seen any real action.
    Maybe.
    One didn't just develop Oscar's calm in the face of the shit overnight. If you'd been through the shit, you learned how to tell when someone else had been through it too. And brother, Oscar most certainly had. And it wasn't deserts and IED's for him. But, of course, this was all just guesswork.
    Warren winced as Oscar took a hell of a blow from the boss. He looked over at Lysette, surprised that she didn't seem to be the least bit worried about their frontman. He cocked an eyebrow and lit a smoke. He was useless here, but he wasn't about to let the opportunity to witness a master at play pass him by.
    She had been worried at first, when Abellio's sword got stuck. But it had only lasted a moment. Before Oscar had even moved, really. She knew that the man would have their backs. He'd proven that in their last outing. Earned her trust, at least as far as it came to keeping them all alive. Truth be told, he didn't know enough about the man to say that she truly trusted him. And she felt a bit guilty about it. He'd literally thrown himself into the jaws of the beast on their behalf and she couldn't even really bring herself to give him the full benefit of the doubt.
    Better safe than sorry, though.
    She'd received plenty of charity from people who she thought were acting out of the place of kindness. Only to turn around and demand their pound of flesh. Her flesh to be more specific. And it had happened so much and so often that without her hangers-on goading her into it, she would be damned if she would be taken advantage of like that again. Which is why she wanted to make herself useful this time. She didn't want to owe Oscar or anyone anything at all.
    Light flashed to her fingertips. Her hand swept through the air, leaving lingering staves and clefs in their wake. Surging through the air like ribbons, the scores wrapped around Abellio and Oscar. <<Press the Attack>> would bolster their damage into the next round of the fight.
Oscar intervened at the last moment, pulling him out of the way and taking the hit that the boss had intended for Abellio. The red-head swore under his breath as he staggered backwards, stumbling as he tried to stop his backwards momentum. His foot drove against a stone, providing him enough leverage to stop himself. He took a moment and checked his footing before pushing off of the rock and throwing himself back into the fight. Oscar stood with his back to Abellio, the king's spear cutting into his shoulder. Abellio's hand clamped down on the opposite side, launching himself up and over Oscar's head in a leaping strike. He flipped forward, bringing his sword down to mirror the king's attack. The force of the blow caused the king's right knee to buckle, slamming into the ground as Abellio followed through with his attack.
He landed lightly on the ground, flinging his foot up and off to the side. His leg hooked under the king's spear, the kick ripping the blade out of Oscar's body. Again, he followed through, the momentum carrying his leg up and over as he performed a hands-free cartwheel to fling himself out of the way of Oscar's follow-up.
Oscar grinned as Abellio returned to the fight. The man was locked-in. His first fight and he was already performing feats of acrobatics that took Oscar longer than he would care to admit to learn were even possible. He leveled his blade with the boss, readying himself to strike. Two items were flung from his inventory - the Rhino's Horn and the Crystal of Divine Light. As he sliced through the air, the arc of his weapon would pass through both items. The Rhino's Horn imbuing him with more strength, the Crystal activating and empowering Divine Rancor's innate powers. The blade roared to life, electricity running down the length of the blade and sparking from the edge, the tip. The weapon made contact and as it did, all of that in-built power went critical. From on high, his attack was punctuated with heaven's wrath. How the smiting divinity managed to reach this far below ground, Oscar had no clue. But what he did know was that the single attack dropped the Forgotten Time King's health bar firmly into the yellow.
Well that was certainly something.
Abellio was doing a whole gymnastics routine and Oscar - apparently - had God on speed dial.
Even the girl had something to bring to the table. Meanwhile, Warren was sitting in the back chain smoking. He had to remind himself that Oscar had invited him. And the man had to have known that Warren was not even remotely high enough level to make himself useful at a time like this. So no one could bitch if Warren stood back and sat pretty.
Still, it was pretty emasculating to know that Lysette - the only one close to him in level - had the presence of mind to bring something to the table that was even remotely useful to the task at hand. Leadership Arts? Might have been a good idea. If only he'd thought of it. But then again, to even think of it, he would have needed to know that he was going to be here in the first place. He'd have to make a note of that for the next time - if even there was a next time - so he would at least have something to do other than kill his digital lungs.
Abellio should have listened when Oscar said he was going to give him one round to get going before he came out swinging. How the fuck was Abellio supposed to keep up with his entire fucking utility belt? Not to mention that sword. He'd seen what it did to Terra Firma. He shouldn't have been surprised to see it in action again. And he might have said something about it, were he not so focused on the fight. Adrenaline was funny like that. Abellio couldn't keep himself focused on a single fucking thing. But right now, you wouldn't be able to tear his eyes away from this boss. He stepped back in as soon as the light from Oscar's attack faded. He gave no quarter. Hot off the heels of that smiting wrath, Abellio was back in the boss's orbit. Inside his guard, where it would be impossible to angle his spear properly to counterattack. He thrust forward, driving his weapon into the king's chest. Then, his feet left the ground, vaulting up and over the boss and landing squarely behind him. His weapon followed his trajectory, carving a bloody path through the king's chest, neck, and head before finally being wrenched out of his back.
It was a surprisingly brutal maneuver from Abellio. Oscar was too goddamn young to be this goddamn nostalgic. But it didn't change matters any. It still reminded him of the first time that he had really clicked with the combat in this game. When he found that he could use the mobs to vent frustrations and deal with their mechanics with raw ultraviolence. He supposed that Cardinal wasn't prepared for people to be willing to brutalize the denizens of the game. That there would be some hesitation from most - if not all - of the Players. That they wouldn't really be like that. 
And it was a fair assessment. Most weren't really like that. They didn't have that hunger - that drive - to get out of this digital prison at all costs. They didn't see the NPCs for what they were. They didn't see those small hesitations in the System where the mobs didn't quite expect that maneuver. But Oscar did. And, in the heat of the moment, so did Abellio. Either that, or he just really wanted to style on the asshole that almost killed him at level one.
Both were equally likely. Both were equally valid.
Lydia didn't really care for violence. Never had, never did. But there was something about watching Abellio slowly gaining the upper hand that was almost like poetry. She could see why people called it martial arts. Each time he attacked, the man followed through with more confidence. He was more self-assured. But there was something off about the way he moved. This entire time up until now, Lydia had believed that it was just a quest boss. It wasn't a big deal. Oscar had been able to handle it so easily. 
But if that was the case, why was he moving like it was so fucking personal?
Wouldn't it just be easier to stab the thing? Not stab, somersault, and cut him open from sternum to middle back?
If it wasn't a big deal, why was Abellio being so brutal? 
Lydia didn't appreciate being brought all the way out here because Abellio had an axe to grind. At least, she didn't appreciate not being told.
She would have prepared better.
 "Oh, I get it," Warren said.

He didn't elaborate further. Didn't really need to. Everyone standing in the arena understood what was going on. Warren didn't have the details, but he'd been in enough fights to be able to tell the difference between personal and business. And this was definitely personal. There was a story there, but Warren didn't care to know it. Of course, it seemed like Lysette had read his mind.

"Abellio got tricked at level one," she said. Warren wanted to tell her that he didn't need to hear it, but she was probably going to ignore him and tell him anyway. "Was told this boss was an easy kill. It clearly isn't. He almost got killed before Oscar saved him."

"Ah," Warren added. "So that's the reason for that anime flippy-dippy bullshit." He took a drag from his cigarette. "Stupid way to fight."

"Yeah," Lysette said bitterly. "He's really, really dumb."

There was also something more there. He could tell by her tone of voice. But, again, he didn't really care to find out what it was. He was too busy mulling over a simple question.

If this was an anime, he was most definitely a side character.

And if he was a side character, was he a Krillin or a Sasuke? 
The final stretch. Just a bit more and his Goliath would be toppled. Abellio seized his previous momentum, spiking the King through the back with his blade. He drove his sword down to the hilt, twisted, and then ripped it out. Again and again and again. Each blow punctuated with a loud "FUCK YOU."

The warm glow had entirely faded from his eyes. His gaze narrowed to a steely edge as he vented his frustration out upon the boss. He cursed his weakness. His stupidity. Everything that had landed him at the point where Oscar had needed to jump in and save him. He had been thrown to the sharks and through sheer happenstance landed in someone's lifeboat. Abellio would never find himself in that same position again.

His hands were trembling, the boss had fallen forward onto its knees. It wasn't a threat to anyone in this state. But still, Abellio struck. Over and over and over again. Still raging. Still cursing.

This was supposed to be cathartic.

It wasn't.

It was supposed to help him get over it.

It didn't.

All it did was make him look like a damned mess in front of his friends.
 It had gone on for long enough. Abellio was beating a dead horse at this point. Oscar had originally thought that this whole endeavor might help Abellio turn the page. Let it go. But he didn't realize how deep-seated it all was. How well Abellio could mask it.

He strode forward and sliced his blade cleanly across the King's neck. In a shower of glass shards, the boss disappeared. Before him stood only Abellio. If looks could kill, the man's gaze would have sent his health bar plummeting straight to zero.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?"

Oscar's answer came quickly, calmly. "Because you're a fucking mess."

"SO WHAT? THIS THING ALMOST KILLED ME!"

"Almost," Oscar emphasized. "There are a great many things that are going to almost kill you. Are you going to fall to pieces then too?"

Abellio's jaw tightened. He let out a ragged breath.

"It's a fucking Quest NPC. It did what it was programmed to do. If you want closure, take it up with the dudes who sent you out here. Wait. You can't. They're no longer with us."

The Black Iron Dungeon had done what the Black Iron Dungeon was meant to do. Ground up the two killers-by-proxy and left nothing behind. Not even excrement to shit out onto the pavement. "You're raging at a wall. You're gonna just need to build a bridge and get the fuck over it. Stop being so stupid. If you want sympathy, look in the dictionary between 'shit' and 'syphilis.' I don't have any to give you." 
 Lydia intervened this time. In a flurry of reds and blacks, she blazed past Oscar. A sharp slap to Abellio's face. Cursor flashing orange for a brief moment.

"What the fuck was that?"

Abellio met her gaze, the cold edge leaving his own almost immediately. He held his cheek, opening his mouth to speak. But before the first word could come out, Lydia had slapped his other cheek.

"Is this supposed to be some kind of therapy? You show up at my door, ask me to go on another quest, and just... go berserk? Why didn't you explain beforehand? We would have taken this more seriously."

"I didn't think it was such a big deal," Abellio said quietly. "And I didn't really expect... that."

"Of course it's a big deal. You almost died," Warren said abruptly. All eyes turned to him as he flicked away his smoke and approached the group, both hands in his pockets. "It's really stupid to think that you just shake that off. And you," Warren trailed off, turning his attention towards Oscar. "Really should have known better. Aren't you an actual psychologist?"

"I made a bad call," Oscar replied.

"You damn sure did," Warren said. "It doesn't take a fucking doctor to know that someone that smiles as hard as the kid does probably has some real fire in him when he's pushed to his limit. But what the fuck do I know? I just lived in active combat zones for eight years."

A pall hung over the group. No one really knew what to say. Finally, the silence was broken by Warren.

"Look, I say the best plan here is to just... not come back here. It's clearly a trigger. And you," he trailed off, gesturing vaguely in Abellio's direction. "Got some real trauma going on. It's whatever, I'm pretty sure we all do being stuck in this game. But let's not poke the T in the PTSD, yeah?"

The silence returned. But it didn't hang for quite as long. Lydia grabbed Abellio by the collar and hoisted him up, surprising herself with her own strength. "You. Are coming with me," she said before turning to jam her finger into Oscar's chest. "And you are making us dinner. Spicy burger. Chop chop."

Then she turned to Warren and gave him a smile. "And you should stop by the shop. If you enjoyed that performance a few years ago, I've got some new music you might like."

The trio started back to town, but Warren lingered for a moment.

How should he go about politely telling Lysette that he hated Pop music? 

 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Oscar