pt-pp-f08 I Really Like You <<SotW: Ferocious Foe>>

[Abellio 0]

Simply confounding.

Abellio wasn’t the type to get bogged down by details. The hows and whys were better left to people with a proven pedigree of measured, well-thought plans. Like Warren. Or Oscar. He more or less knew his limits. Abellio was at his best when you simply pointed him in a direction and told him that thing. He didn’t stay inside of his own head. He was out in the world, inflicting everyone with his boundless energy.

So lying awake that night, staring up at the ceiling with a disquieted mind was uncomfortable in many ways.

He took stock of the facts. Over and over. Lydia had clearly kissed him. He had enjoyed it. Abellio enjoyed so many things about her. She was brilliant and pretty and insanely talented. But he was just a random guy. So why was she slumming it with him? Because she was beautiful and talented and brilliant. Lydia had enough sense to shoot her shot with someone in her own league. And it was so far above him he couldn’t even see the bottom.

So knowing all of that, could he really say she kissed him? She’d vanished, he saw nothing. Maybe it was something else. Maybe he just wanted her to.

But she had clearly kissed him, he was just some random guy.

On and on, throughout the night. Abellio swept into the current of the circular logic. Diving deep into the abyss, only to correct himself with reminders. He was exhausted. And in that exhaustion, he really started to believe it. As those dark waters invaded his lungs, drowning him that which he knew in his heart of hearts not to be true, that core of his being ceased to beat.

He misinterpreted.

Misremembered.

There was just no fucking way she saw anything real in him.

 

Spoiler

"Name: Abellio
True Tier: 3
Level: 29
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 625/625
EN: 91/91

Stats:
Damage: 24
Mitigation: 109
Accuracy: 3
Battle Healing: 31
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 R5
  - Energist
  - Heavy Armor R5
  - Straight Sword R5
  - Biting II

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:
"                                                                                                                            

 

Edited July 31 by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

She couldn’t believe she’d done that.

Why had she done that?

Lydia stared into the mirror - into the eyes of her reflection. Some part of her hoped that the image would speak up and give her the answer. Her face still burned, even so many hours afterwards. Her lips too, as if she’d stolen a chunk of Abellio’s burning brilliance. She reached up and touched her lips, fingertips lightly brushing over the soft pink skin. She was terrified that the feeling would be gone when she woke in the morning. That she would forget. 

And why didn’t she lean into it?
Clearly she’d had the courage to kiss him. Why did she not have the courage to own it? She played it off so casually. Stupid Lydia, never able to do as she pleased. Never able to feel as she pleased. She’d brought herself right to the cliff’s edge, fully intending to throw herself off of it. But she’d only taken a half-step before scrambling back to safety.

Lydia knew then what she knew now. Right down to her bones. If she’d gone through with it, threw both feet in, she had all the faith in the world that he’d have given her the wings to soar.

But then there was her baggage. Her family. So many exes. They weren’t here, but they would need to deal with that eventually. She couldn’t bring him into that mess. Couldn’t expect him to be there for the fallout. In the here and now, sure. They could just be. But there would always be that cloud hanging over them. They’d be living on borrowed time.

She climbed into bed, not even at all tired. Her thoughts were busy. Hypotheticals. What ifs. And did he even like her back? Her sleep was restless, at that point just before sleep. All night, until the sun began filtering through the trees once more. The whole night, she thought of what it would be like if he were there. Just gracing her with his presence. Simply existing together.

Spoiler

"Name: Lysette
True Tier: 3
Level: 24
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 495/495
EN: 66/66

Stats:
Damage: 25
Accuracy: 5
Evasion: 4
Loot Die: 1
Stealth Rating: 5
PARA

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<King's Betrayal>> T3 Perfect Polearm | PARA II, DMG I
Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<glasses>> T1 Perfect Trinket | 3 ACC
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<seafoam>> T1 Perfect Trinket | 3 EVA

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - AOE Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Polearm R5
  - Unhindered
  - Biting III

Extra Skills:
  - Hiding R5

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Ferocity
  - Precision

Mods:
  - Surprise Attack: Trickster
  - Untraceable
  - Vanish

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

 

Edited July 31 by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

The crazy thing was that despite it all, Abellio still wanted to see her. They had a whole quest chain to do right? That was a good enough reason to remain in her orbit, much as he wanted to fling himself from it. The thoughts were too deep. The feelings too. He couldn’t understand why she always came when he asked. What could she possibly see in him?

Quote

To Lysette:
We still have those quests to finish.

The message was typed and sent before he even realized what he was doing. Panic settled in. He wanted to call it back, frantically scrambling through his messages looking for a recall option. Her reply came before he’d even really started the hunt.

Quote

From Lysette:
That we do. Floor 8, then?

His heart leapt into his chest. The night’s questions echoed in his mind. A broken record of why. But he had pulled that trigger. Now he needed to follow through. Reeling as he was, there was no denying his entire self. If he started something, he’d finish it.

If only he could have that same confidence when it came to Lydia.

Edited July 31 by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

Lydia almost screamed when she saw that the incoming message was from Abellio. And everything else screamed at her to play it cool. But she was alright typing and sending out a message before those thoughts managed to attain a glimmer of actuality. She was already getting ready before the regret tried to set in.

Tried to set in.

It didn’t really make it very far. Lydia would absolutely never regret any amount of time she spent with Abellio. Only not spending more. She raced down to Floor 8 with a bright smile on her face. Because even if they weren’t a thing she still enjoyed every moment that she spent in his orbit. She understood, at least to some degree, what it was like to be him. Her hands trembled, her heart quaked.

She had never - not one time in her entire life - ever been so excited to see someone. And, recently, it was every single time she was faced with the possibility.

Lydia all but leaped off of the teleport platform without even waiting for her eyes to adjust. She collided with something. Hard. Pitched off balance, she fell backward. And then she stopped, feeling an arm around her waist. She blinked quickly, vision slowly coming into focus. Eyes went wide when she saw Abellio looking down at her. Lydia was suddenly keenly aware of how close they were. Her breath hitched. She started to panic.

And then she stopped. Willed herself to calm down. To relax. To smile.

“Hey,” she said softly.

 

Spoiler

Post Action -> Kuma Search
ID: 248649 | LD: 10, fail

 

Edited July 31 by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

“Hey,” Abellio replied.

The night had been long. And it had been full of thoughts that he would have much preferred not to have. They still drummed heavy in his mind, repetitions of inadequacy disguised as cold logic. As immutable fact. But it was hard to give it all any credibility when she was so painfully close. When she looked up at him like that, smiled so softly at him. All at once, those storm clouds parted. Light shone through. He felt more energized, like he hadn’t just gone without sleep for the entire night.

He helped Lydia to her feet. His hand lingered at the small of her back for just a moment. But then it dropped. Those dispelled thunderheads roared back with a vengeance. The same question cracked through his mind. Why him? What did he do to deserve it? Because he’d not really done anything out of the ordinary. He’d just been there. Tried to brighten her day like he did for everyone. Nothing extravagant.

Yet, she didn’t pull back. Didn’t seek distance or relief from his presence. Shafts of light pierced those overcast skies. He came to the realization that she was fighting a battle that she didn’t even know she was a part of. She did it so effortlessly.

And she was winning.

 

Spoiler

Post Action -> Kuma Search
ID: 248651 | LD: 14, fail

 

Edited July 31 by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

Life so very rarely gave you the opportunity to correct past mistakes. Lydia knew that better than most. Keenly so. Standing here, with Abellio, in repetition of that tiny, significant moment in that cavern was one such time. She could make it right. Actually be the type of confident self-assured woman that she was on stage. Invoke the persona that everyone around her had crafted for her so carefully.

But she was terrified. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

If he wouldn’t she would.

Lydia stepped in closer, bridging what small gulf existed between them. She pressed herself almost entirely against him, looking up at him with those gilded eyes. Her lips pursed up into a pout and she took a silent steady breath. She just needed to be Lysette for two seconds. It all reminded her of a song anyway. So it was fitting. Lydia could manage that much, at least.

“So are you gonna kiss me or not?”

 

Spoiler

Post Action -> Kumatetsu Search
ID: 248652 | LD: 1+1, fail

 

Edited July 31 by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

She didn’t give him time to pull back. And that was probably the point. She placed herself right up in his space, her presence forcing him to give her all of his attention. Not an easy task. When she posed her question - spoke her challenge - anything Abellio would have said died in his throat. He would have picked his jaw up from the floor, were he not terrified of getting to close to her as he bent over.

“Lydia, I -”

“I thought I was pretty clear,” Lydia said quickly. “Really gonna keep me waiting?”

Abellio’s mouth closed, his jaw clenched. She had to be fucking with him. There was no other possibility. Because what would possess her to go for him of all people. The idea that he was being punk’d was the only think that made sense at that moment. But despite that, he so badly wanted to.

“Why?”

He blurted the question out, unable to stop himself.

“Fucking why?” He repeated for emphasis. “Why me? What did I do? How the fuck does it make sense?”

All of his internal thoughts were released into the air in a voice more angry than he really intended. “You’re a fucking real life celebrity. Crazy talented and pretty. I mean, shit. You speak two languages!”

“Five,” Lydia chimed in.

“Five languages!” Abellio confirmed. “And I’m just a normal guy. I don’t fucking get it. I really like you, but I don’t…”

Abellio heaved a heavy sigh. “I’m not even playing the same game as you.”

 

Spoiler

Post Action -> Kuma Search
ID: 248675 | LD: 5, fail

 

Edited July 31 by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

His outburst surprised her. Abellio didn’t really strike her as the type to get bogged down in stuff like that. But it made sense, kinda. She couldn’t really hold it against him. Being starstruck was a real thing and she knew that from experience. But her temper flared when he questioned how fucking important he was. She didn’t let it show. Instead she reached up and clapped her hands down on both sides of his face.

“You’re such an idiot,” she said in the sweetest tone she could muster. “Are the details really that important?”

Of course they were. He was hurting and it upset her. She released him and took a half step back. This wasn’t the type of conversation to have while she was all over him.

“You were kind,” she began. “And fucking warm. My whole life, everyone around me was cold. They batted me around like some trophy to show off. They marked my fucking skin because it was marketable. They were so worried about my image and the money that they never stopped for one fucking second to think about how I felt.”

Lydia never thought she would be dropping all of her baggage in tandem with a confession. But there she was, tears streaking down her face as she explained her history. But she kept her eyes locked on his. It was the only way she could stay sane. Stave off that breakdown.

“I don’t want any of it. Not the money or the fame. I just wanted a quiet life where I could just dance and be happy. And they fucking stole that from me. So you know what? I decide what I want now. I’m done being a quiet passenger in my own fucking life. And you know what I want?”

She took a step forward. Lydia, not Lysette. The persona could die a long death for all she cared. “I want my apartment. I want my shop. And I want to go on stupid fucking quests and look at your stupid fucking smile and be happy for once.” Lydia grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face close to hers. She must have looked a mess, she thought. A terrifying banshee. But she didn’t care. 

“And most of all, I want you to stop being so stupid and fucking kiss me. I really like you too, Abellio.”

 

Spoiler

Post Action -> Kuma Search
ID: 248676 | LD: 5+1, Fail

 

Edited July 31 by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

Was that a meltdown? Or had Abellio gone past the limits of Lydia's patience?

It seemed like the latter and bless her, she had the patience of a saint. But she had him at her first question. The details didn't really matter. Abellio was just in his own head. He felt that she was so far above him. And he could continue to feel that way. But she was also so sincere. So direct. And if she wanted to slum it with him - if he made her happy - who was he to deny her? His sour expression returned to neutral, then that smile slowly spread across his face again. He met her gaze, the simple fondness blazing vibrantly in his eyes. He reached up, cupping her cheek. She responded by pushing into his touch. This wasn't a bit. Abellio found himself reminded now of their pact. No lies.

"Sam," he corrected her. "Ask me again. Please."

It was a silly thing, all things considered. But he so badly wanted to hear his name - his real name - on her lips. She wanted happiness and to decide for himself. He wanted a promise of permanence. That if everything went their way, that this transcended their prison. That whatever they felt for one another would follow them home. Lydia opened her mouth to speak. Abellio interrupted.

"That is a big fuck off bear," he said simply, his gaze breaking from hers and looking behind her. He pushed her behind him, placing his body between her and their rampaging target. Why was it in town? Who knew. Honey bear apparently did what it wanted. His sword flashed to his hand, clashing against the beast's razor sharp claws as it attempted to slice them to ribbons as it ran past. Would they even take damage in town? Perhaps it merely adhered to its programming.

It didn't linger for long, rushing past and heading down the path out of the sanctuary. Abellio cursed under his breath, unsure of what to do. The moment had been well and truly ruined.

Spoiler

Post Action -> Kuma Search
ID: 248677 | LD: 18, Kumatetsu found

 

Edited August 3 by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

Lydia never expected the Quest Boss to find them and not the other way around. Though, she didn't really give it much thought. She was too busy watching Abellio leap into the fray for her. Like he'd done on so many occasions. She wouldn't bring it up then, but that was what made him so far out of her league. Forget the fame and everything that came with it. He was there. Always right on time with zero hesitation. He parried the beast and froze as it bounded out of town, knocking over stalls and NPCs alike as it fled into the forest. Lydia didn't. The moment was gone and she did just say she wanted to go on these stupid adventures with him. She jogged backwards, grabbing Abellio by the wrist and spinning him around to look at her. She was beaming almost as bright as he'd just been. And she didn't beckon, at least not with her hands. They would circle back once their job was done.

She wheeled around, breaking off into a sprint as she chased after the bear. As she passed the boundary for the Safe Zone, her weapon was in her hand. And she did what always worked, vaulting off of her spear with supernatural grace and agility. Her spear found purchase at the base of Kumatetsu's skull, driving his chin into the dirt. As they skidded to a halt, Lydia used her weapon for leverage and flipped forward off of the creature while pulling her weapon along with her. She let out a pleased huff, smoothing out her shirt as she watched Abellio running towards them to catch up. Finally, she'd pulled off a maneuver without slipping or needing someone to pull her to safety.

Spoiler

Post Action -> AOE-I
ID: 249033 | BD: 6+5-2, hit
Deal 325 DMG

Lysette | HP: 495/495 | EN: 51/66 | DMG: 25 | ACC:5 | EVA:4 | PARA | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 24 | MIT:109 | ACC:3 | BH:31 | BLD: 36  | PARA

Kumatetsu | HP: 875/1200 | DMG: 155 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2                                                                     

 

Edited August 4 by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

Lydia was a hard person to keep up with. And that was saying something considering the fact that Abellio took pride in his own ability to zoom around at breakneck speeds. But even though she was kind of stealing his thunder, he couldn't help but smile. She'd only just started to dip her toes into actually playing the game. Maybe it was her trained grace as a dancer. It was probably her trained grace as a dancer. But even when she was crashing down like a bolt of lightning there was a sort of brutal elegance in the way she moved. 

It was distracting. Head-turning.

Abellio realized as his weapon carved through the bear's hide that he really wanted to see where this went. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her, after all. Lydia had a spot in his thoughts, down to his very core. Bad as he wanted to run and give her the chance to find someone on her level, he wanted more than that to be selfish. To hold fast to her and never let go. Abellio - Sam - had never had a selfish thought in his life. He was all about doing what was best for others.

But maybe he should do what was best for him.

And maybe he could, in time, be the best version of himself for her.

Spoiler

 Post Action -> AOE-I
ID: 249034 | BD: 9, Minor Crit | Para Activates, Bleed Applied
Deal 325 DMG

 

Lysette | HP: 495/495 | EN: 51/66 | DMG: 25 | ACC:5 | EVA:4 | PARA | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 625/625 | EN: 76/91 | DMG: 24 | MIT:109 | ACC:3 | BH:31 | BLD: 36  | PARA

(Para)Kumatetsu | HP: 650/1200 | DMG: 155 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 0     

 

Edited August 12 by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

This was fun.

Lydia had never been much of a fighter, but this was fun. She knew for a fact that it wouldn't be this fun without Sam. She didn't think that she would be able to deal with fighting a bear like this all on her own. It was strange how just being around him made her braver. He didn't even do anything. His glow alone inspired confidence. Confidence enough to risk her hide. Confidence enough to literally wrestle a bear. But that was just him. Silently encouraging, a stable and steady presence. It scared her, how dependent she already was on him. Her audacity too, in defiance of everything she'd been showed and told. That her feelings weren't as important as the money. Or everyone depending on her.

But that was just the thing.

He'd never made her feel less-than.

Even as he would swoop in and save her from snapping jaws or from being crushed. Or how he hit where she missed. Sam had never once made her feel incompetent or unsafe to learn and grow and slowly nudge numbers higher. Lydia had no idea what she was going to do when she reached the point where she could stand by Oscar. She certainly wasn't going to raid.

But she was going to be selfish. And she was going to rely on Sam to help her become stronger.

So that, hopefully, when this was all said and done and their prison was behind her, she would be able to tell her hangers-on no for once.

Spoiler

 Post Action -> AOE-II
ID: 249035 | BD: 10, Miss

 

Lysette | HP: 495/495 | EN: 51/66 | DMG: 25 | ACC:5 | EVA:4 | PARA | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 625/625 | EN: 76/91 | DMG: 24 | MIT:109 | ACC:3 | BH:31 | BLD: 36  | PARA

(Para)Kumatetsu | HP: 624/1200 | DMG: 155 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 0 

 

Edited August 13 by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

"You okay?" 

Lydia seemed lost in thought. So much so that she completely whiffed her attack on the helpless boss. There was a moment of panic that maybe she was realizing what Abellio thought about whatever this was between them. She met his gaze and gave him a sheepish smile that slowly morphed into a smirk.

"Yeah! Just uh... thinking about what we're gonna do when this boss is dead," she replied. 

Abellio blinked. Realization slowly set in and the blood rushed to his cheeks. In an effort to distract himself, Abellio plunged his blade back into Kumatetsu. He barely registered the fact that he left the creature paralyzed for yet another round.

"Oh," Abellio choked out. She was certainly being forward now. Clearly, she was serious about what she wanted. And, of course, his thoughts moved to a less savory place. "I guess I am now too."

Why did he say that?

Spoiler

 Post Action -> ST-B
ID: 249036 | BD: 9, Minor Crit | Para activates, Bleed Refreshed
Deal 450 DMG

 

Lysette | HP: 495/495 | EN: 51/66 | DMG: 25 | ACC:5 | EVA:4 | PARA | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 625/625 | EN: 59/91 | DMG: 24 | MIT:109 | ACC:3 | BH:31 | BLD: 36  | PARA

(Para)Kumatetsu | HP: 174/1200 | DMG: 155 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 0 

 

Edited August 13 by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

"Really?" Lydia raised an eyebrow as she drove her spear between Kumatetsu's eyes. The boss shattered like glass. Lydia stepped through the miasma, dismissing her weapon as she planted herself directly into Abellio's personal space. She looked up at him, fingers rising up his chest to fidget with the medallions on Abellio's necklace. She waited, keeping her feet planted and her eyes locked. And she struggled, trying to keep her face the picture of serenity even though her heart was thundering out of her chest. She wanted this. Him. Why was he keeping her waiting. Did she have to grab him by the collar and do all the work herself?

"Are you gonna kiss me or not?"

Her eyes went wide as his hands settled on her hips.

"I thought you were serious about it," he continued. He leaned down, imposing himself on her space. Her expression faltered. Even so, she pitched herself up on her tip-toes. Trying to bridge the gap. Leaning more into his touch. Her chest pressed against his, her body melting into him in the face of his warmth.

But then his face shifted. That smile faded. His arm moved at blinding speeds. There was a metallic clang. Then two quick thumps as a pair of daggers drove themselves into the ground beneath her feet.

"I thought you were just a noob. Looks like you have some moves."

Lydia turned around. Red cursor and a murderous sneer lingering behind the flat of Abellio's blade. He'd protected her, parried a pair of daggers meant for her back. All at once, she suddenly felt terrified. What was a Player-Killer doing this far down the floors? 

"We should run," she whispered.

"No," came Sam's immediate response. His voice was sharp. Icy. His gaze narrowed to a razor's edge, his expression blank. In that moment, she didn't know who she found more terrifying.

Spoiler

 Post Action -> ST-B
ID: 249037 | BD: 2+5, hit
Deal 425 DMG

 

Lysette | HP: 495/495 | EN: 51/66 | DMG: 25 | ACC:5 | EVA:4 | PARA | LD:1
Abellio | HP: 625/625 | EN: 59/91 | DMG: 24 | MIT:109 | ACC:3 | BH:31 | BLD: 36  | PARA

(Para)Kumatetsu | HP: 0/1200 | DMG: 155 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 0 

 

Edited August 13 by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

Thread Summary

Abellio | [Word Count: 3696/5 = 739.2] * [True Tier: 3] * [Group Factor: 1] = 2218 + 1000 = 3218 EXP, 1000 Col, 1 Mon, 1 token
Lysette | [Word Count: 3696/5 = 739.2] * [True Tier: 3] * [Group Factor: 1] = 2218 + 1000 = 3218 EXP, 1000 Col, 1 Mon, 1 token