[PP-PT-F26] Imitation and Flattery

[Mari 1]

The 26th damn floor...

Mari had gone to the store since Arcanthus had recommended it to her; but was it really worth going up so many levels - and traversing a safe zone? Mari wasn't sure. Time would tell if the kid would be useful or not. If he wasn't, Mari would simply not bother returning. The weather was nice, and the floor itself posed no problems. Beyond the fact it was the first time she really explored the place.

Maybe Mari should, it'd take the a while to appraise the items. Mari told herself she'd do a lap of the perimeter of the city; maybe check out the nearby forest as she waited. Mari was already heading toward the treeline when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"The Laughing Coffin."  Atticus said coldly.

That made Mari pause. She turned on her heel and gave him an inquisitive look. How did he make that conclusion? Furthermore, what the hell was he doing here? "What?"

The man seemed to think he struck gold. He held his hands out wide, gesturing to the group of 5 players around him. Mari couldn't help but notice Ben was absent. Good. The only one of them who had a solid head on his damn shoulders- and it was because he was too much of a coward. Cowardice meant you lived in this place. "I'm right aren't I? You're with them."

Oh...

Mari scratched the back of her head. "Uhm...No. I'm not. But if you throw that name out there like that, they might actually come after ya." It wasn't a lie. The Coffin knew of this group. Knew the group was investigating them. Last encounter they had Mari implored them not to keep sticking their noses where they didn't belong. It seemed that her warnings continued to fall on deaf ears.

"Awfully sure of that, for someone not part of them."

Mari sighed as she stuck her hand into her satchel. Atticus went to charge at her - knowing full well what she had planned. He was trying to close the distance between them so she couldn't attack from afar, but that just made it easier to...

prick

In went the syringe to his neck.

"G-Get her!" He managed to call out before crumpling to the floor. Mari didn't bother to catch him. She had already thrown a glass ball at the nearest player - one she didn't recognize. Black hair, blue eyes - he screamed as the glass broke against his torso and an angry swarm of wasps started attacking him. 

"BEes! BEeEeS! The bitch WEAPONIZED BEES!" He screamed as he ran away, back to the safety of the town.

Two down. Three to go, and Mari hadn't even drawn her weapon. The other three had yet to move - Andrew...the bald man with a handlebar mustache (Mari swore the mustache had grown at least twice its size since their last encounter) was now leading the charge. "I was serious last time." She muttered, voice lowering. "Keep this up. You will die. I have little interest in taking a life. You're lucky, if you had tried this a few years ago you'd already be long gone but..." Mari sighed. She had made a promise to Freyd. Every life was important, he'd say. Each player a precious irreplaceable resource. But goddammit - what do you do when a group of people constantly stalked you and would not leave you alone? Even with Alkor interfering last time, it didn't seem to do much good. At least Ben seemed to have gotten the hint. Why couldn't the rest of them. "Maybe you need that brush with death."

Mari pulled on her Garrote, a thin wire that was pulled from a leather glove on her right hand. Another one of the players, one she did not recognize but still wore chain mail with a bright sun pierced by a sword on it charged at her.  Andrew tried to stop the man but it was too late. Mari had flung her wrist, the wire wrapping around the mans arm as he tried to strike her down. The thin wire dug into his arm tight as Mari pulled. Then with a snap of her fingers "Bang." A flame licked up the wire- burning his arm. The man screamed in pain, falling to his knees, begging her to make it stop. 

"Oh?" Mari took no joy from this. If anything... it hurt. Her chest ached to do this to actual players. But she was so very tired of them hunting her. "I don't know you, but you clearly joined the Knights of the Sword and Sun...you listen blindly. You see the world in black and white." The flames died down, but the damage was done- he could no longer pick up his sword. Mari kicked it away for good measure. "You think you have safety in numbers, but its clear you've never attempted to hurt anyone before. Don't." 

Three down.

Mari turned her attention to Andrew. "Care to tell me why you assume I'm part of a notorious Pker gang, when I've done nothing but show you the opposite?"
 

The bald man faltered, clearing his throat. "Well... some of ....Atticus said that -"

"Don't throw that name around without concrete evidence." Mari hissed. A final warning as she pulled a small glass ball out from the satchel at her waist, Andrew recognized it and took several steps back, signalling the other player do the same. "I'm serious. This is the last time. Next time - I will draw my weapon. And I only draw it when I have the intent to use it. So take your unconscious friend." Mari kicked Atticus' unconscious form. "And fuck off." 

Mari wouldn't turn her back on them, she would walk several feet back, and watch as Andrew retrieved his friend. The amount of times this group would fall to the same things baffled Mari. You would think they'd learn. Mari waited till they'd head back into the city, and it wasn't till several minutes after - that she finally relaxed. Her shoulders slumped.

If this was where that damn order were holed up maybe it wasn't a good idea to go back to that kids store...

 

Mari | HP: 1040/1040 | EN: 142/142 | DMG: 21 | MIT:44 | ACC:4 | AA  | EVA:4 | BH:57 | BLI: 32/-20  | ENV-O: 32 | PARA-V | LD:6  | True Tier 13                                                                                                             

Spoiler

 

"Name: Mari
True Tier: 13
Level: 34
Paragon Level: 91
HP: 1040/1040
EN: 142/142

Stats:
Damage: 21
Mitigation: 44
Accuracy: 4
Evasion: 4
Battle Healing: 57
Loot Die: 6
Stealth Rating: 5
AA 
BLI: 32/-20 
ENV-O: 32
PARA-V

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Paralytic Contagion | T4 | Absolute ACC I | Paralytic Venom I | Envenom OFF I | Blight I
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Infernal Shadow-Redemption | T4 | EVA III | MIT I
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Glasses | ACC III

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - AOE Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - Rending Familiar

Custom Skill:
  - Squabble Up

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R5
  - Charge
  - Cloth Armor R5
  - Energist
  - Polearm R5
  - Searching R5

Extra Skills:
  - Survival
  - Hiding R5
  - Disguise

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Focus
  - Nimble
  - Precision
  - Reveal
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Athletics
  - Detect
  - Night Vision
  - Tracking
  - Untraceable
  - Vanish

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Hellstorm Potion x5
  - Overhealth Crystal II x5
  - Teleport Crystal x4

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
  - Dining Room: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread.
  - Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
  - Attic (Storage): +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
  - 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)
  - Ornate Fishing Pond: +2 Fishing EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to fishing attempts.
  - 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:
 - Alchemist[890exp] R7
Gathering Profession:
 - Artisan[0exp] R1"       

 

                                                                                                                    

Edited August 15 by Mari

[3ulogy 0]

The sound of his shop door opening might be Eulogy’s least favorite sound in Aincrad. So when a stranger opened the door with a thundering force, he nearly dropped dead on the spot. There was no time to slip the mask on.

“ffUCK ME, WHAT on—”

Orange. Not just the girl. But the marker. The mask slid into place quickly.

"Arcanthus sent me, said you did fast appraisals?"

“Yea. Yea, of course.” He was being rude—her eyes were down there. But he couldn’t help himself.

"Hey. So there are 10 here. I'm looking for something with Flame Aura, and Mitigation. You do good with this and I'll come back for ya."

“Sure thing, boss.” He tried sounding chipper, but his mind still lingered on the marker. His voice ended up a hair too nonchalant.

A dozen questions flitted through his mind. How many people did she kill? How did she do it?... Did she enjoy it?

His mind had wandered for too long. The woman had already disappeared. That wouldn’t do at all. He slipped out the front door, eager to see a day in the life of an orange player.

“Laughing Coffin…”

A spasm rippled down Eulogy’s back. Excitement. She was part of *the* Laughing Coffin? Today was about to get interesting.

Eulogy watched as she dispatched each of her attackers in bizarre and nonlethal ways. A syringe to the neck, a few choice strikes, and a jar of wasps. All fascinating. Eulogy wanted to open his interface to take notes, but the noise would probably tip her off. He needed to be *sneaky*. Eulogy prepared to move from cover, adjusting his stance ever so subtly...

His foot went clear through a rotten crate. It exploded into splinters, and threw him into the middle of the street. In clear view of the PKer.

“Ah, fuck me.”

[Mari 1]

The sound of a crate snapping and a sudden exclamation.

“Ah, fuck me.”

 

There were more of them? Mari instinctively threw the little yellow sphere in the direction of the sound. It landed just before what looked like …Oh shit. It was the kid who was supposed to be appraising her stuff. Was he done already? Was that why he was here?

Mari’s eyes darted to the town gate; she had been too close - two guards were running toward her. “Shit..” Mari pulled her plague doctor mask out from her inventory, darting toward the kid she shoved it over his head. “Keep that on.” She hissed.

The chlorinated gas was already burning her throat, and her eyes, but Mari didn’t have time to focus on that.
 

With a flash Mari had drawn her weapon, a halberd with an axe Head, the silver and chipped metal dripped with black miasma that hissed as it hit the floor. She swung it over the boy's head and it collided with one of the guards, lopping his head clean off.

“You dumb shit!” Mari called out to the kid. “You’re gonna get yourself killed!” Another swing as her blade tore through the second guard. That was it. For now. NPCs weren’t players, She’d cut them down a thousand times over with narry a care.

Mari was sure more would come; she was right outside Taft after all. The guards would still attack her. A quick glance over her shoulder at the youth. His crystal was still green. Good.

Good

Mari grabbed him by his collar and practically dragged him away from Taft with her. They couldn’t stay here. Too many eyes. Too many ears. “If those wannabe knights see you with me…they’re going to assume we’re associates. They’re going to start harassing you.” She didn’t say anything further, still dragging him behind her by the cuff of his shirt till they disappeared past the forest line. It was only then Mari would let him go, and in another motion she’d swipe her plague mask off of his head - shoving it quickly back into her inventory.

“What are you doing?” Mari asked, her eyes reddened and her voice strained. Of course from the toxic smoke she’d done her best not to inhale. Mari was trying her best to not snap further at the kid. “Do you work that quick? Tryin’ to deliver my items? Is that it?” What other reason could he possibly have for following her out here like this? For getting wrapped up in this hot mess?

“Do you have any idea what you almost got yourself involved in?”

 

[3ulogy 0]

Face first on the cobblestone road, 3ulogy caught the whiff of something truly acrid. The girl had lobbed a small sphere at him, hissing and leaking a yellow gas. What a pain. Maybe it is time to level up the stealth skill. He began to plan his escape back into the city, where the Orange Player would be harassed by guards if she followed.

Instead of attacking him, she tossed him a strange device. He recognized it only after picking it up. “You can’t just make these with a normal shape? Cosplay really isn’t my thing.” Despite the jab, he was quick to slide the mask over his face. Making a few final adjustments to the mask, he looked up in time to see Mari’s halberd burst from the yellow fog, right at his head. He yelped and dove to the side, and heard the yells of two men behind him.

Quote

“You dumb shit!” Mari called out to the kid. “You’re gonna get yourself killed!”

“Yea, because I’M the one throwing gas bombs and killing guards!” He shot back. A jerk from the collar of his shirt lifted him momentarily from the ground; Mari began to drag him away from the town. “Hey, ease up on the grip bigfoot! I can walk!” But her patience had apparently worn thin, and so 3ulogy grumbled petty insults until the two had disappeared into the forest.

Mari ripped the mask from 3ulogy’s face and asked with a strained voice, "what are you doing here?”

Well, obviously we aren’t going to tell her that we were just following her because it would be fun to see her start shit and maybe kill people. So we lie then. But about what?

“Well…” 3ulogy cleared his throat. “Well, I just had a few more questions about the appraisals and decided that direct observation would be the best course of action. I feel like I do better appraisals when I know the person I’m appraising for.” The girl might buy it; she might not. But the words “I feel like” were the perfect way to start a lie, because you couldn’t ever really disprove how someone else feels. “So when I get new customers, I try to sit them down and get their story in full. But you just kinda barged in and ran out, so I was trying to track you down and ask a few questions.” Nevermind the whole “watching you from afar” thing. Let’s just ignore that.

Quote

“Do you have any idea what you almost got yourself involved in?”

Dumb is probably the best angle here. “Not at all, but that kinda makes it fun, don’t you think? I heard something about laughs and coughs—is that orange player terminology? You have to teach me how all the orange players speak!” A trace of genuine excitement snuck into his voice. “And how you all fight, those weird little bombs—I’ve never seen anything like it—and your long axe is really interesting, seems like a good way to keep your distance—” 3ulogy caught himself. “So it’s all very necessary for the appraisals. That’s just how I work. And don’t worry about me.” His eyes, once dull, gleamed while he spoke the words. “I may not fight as well as you, but I can certainly handle myself.”

[Mari 1]

 

"Guards are nothing." Mari hissed at the kid. She meant it, with every breath, every syllable. NPCs meant nothing to her. Now more than ever. Hell - they almost got a kid caught up in their blind pursuit of an orange marker. Mari wasn't happy, her throat felt like it was torn in two. Her breathing ragged. Hair tousled and messy. He had even gone as far as to insult her mask. Granted...it was an awkward shape, but that wasn't on her. "That mask saved you from breathing in what's essentially Aincrads version of mustard gas." Mari said as she would pull out a bottled water, tag a swig then spit it out to the side. Washing away the acrid taste from her mouth. "So a thanks would be nice."

By the way she spoke, it was clear she was having trouble speaking. That every word hurt. Mari groaned as she found the nearest tree and slung her back against it - sliding down to a seated position opposite the youth. She didn't even know his name. Yet he followed her. Mari waited patiently as he explained things to her. It seemed like a weak excuse, one Mari didn't buy. How would he know the appraisals would be for her, and not a friend? Any half decent merchant would know not to assume that. As the kid continued Mari opened up her messenger.
 

Quote

Mari --> Arcanthus: Your recommendation stinks
Mari --> Arcanthus: the kid followed me, whats his deal?

"You don't got many customers, do you?" Mari asked, tone dripping with annoyance. There was no way what he was saying was true. The world wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, people didn't just sit down over a cup of tea and share their life stories with someone simply to get something appraised.  "You suck at lying." Mari said simply.  "The lie would work better for say, a cook - or blacksmith, but you're just identifying items bought to you. You don't need to sit down and get a life story."

Mari would cough to clear the pain in her throat. Then, another item pulled out from her inventory, this time hard whiskey. She took three large gulps, enough to quench her thirst and have the alcohol dull the pain with a different kind of burning.

"Fun?"

This kid was an idiot, an absolute idiot, either that or he was naive, which in Mari's books - was just as bad. "You been livin' under a rock?" She was wary of him. Wasn't sure if he was trying to pull her leg or not. The appraisal thing was a clear lie but him not knowing about the Laughing Coffin? How could he not? Was he really that foolish? He seemed like it, so Mari couldn't just assume this was another lie.

He peppered her with compliments. Her fighting style, and the tools she used at her disposal. They say flattery gets you everywhere, and whilst it didn't open all the doors with Mari, it ignited a small flame of pride to know someone enjoyed seeing it. "I craft these things to help fight off players that attack me, its best I don't draw my weapon against people so readily." He seemed to have a fascination with her - and Mari couldn't understand why. "It's a way to preserve the lives of the foolish. Much like yours." She said as she would gesture toward him with a slight lift of her bottle.

Mari paused, taking a small chance to call him out - see if he'd falter. Or if she was simply wrong, but Mari was astute. She was used to people lying to her face. She dealt with it daily. She had friends betray her, lovers betray her. This kid? He was nothing compared to them.

"So. Why were you really following me?"
 

[3ulogy 0]

A response from Acanthus was almost instant.

Mari, I’m sorry about him. He’s never done that before—he usually behaves for other people. I think that means he likes you? I can’t really get a read on him. But I promise he’s harmless. 3ulogy just has a preference to end up in trouble. Don’t tell him, but he reminds me of my brother sometimes. I think that’s why I put up with him. P.S. If he does a poor job with the appraisals, let me know. I’ll send them over to Morningstar instead. And then have a talk with 3ulogy. He owes me enough col that he’ll listen.

"You don't got many customers, do you?"

“Hey, I get plenty, alright? They just don’t break down the shop door without so much as a ‘how’s it goin.’” They also don’t have orange markers.

"So. Why were you really following me?

3ulogy rolled his eyes. “Fine, you got me. I was bored, and I was out of appraisals for the day. So I was going to have to wait to get around to your stuff anyways. I decided I wanted to have a little fun and follow you around for a bit. And *yes*, I think it’s fun. I think you’re stupid to not think all of this is fun.” 3ulogy looked around them in the forest with a vague sense of glee. “I mean, we’re literally stuck in a video game! What’s not fun about that? You spend every day running around fighting guards and inventing sick-as-hell war crimes instead of boring real-life shit. No one is making you do laundry or go to school or eat vegetables. You just do whatever the hell you want in here. And you want to tell me it isn’t exciting?”

“And seriously, stop worrying about me. You think I made it through two years of this game at a low-level by being an idiot? I know when to run and how to run. What I want to learn now is how to fight. And honestly, your kind of fighting seems right up my alley. I wanna hear how the mustard gas works, and all the other cool shit you have going on. I mean, anything you want to share. I’m sure you’d rather keep some secrets, right? But please, please please please let me tag along for a little bit. I won’t get in your way at all.”

[Mari 1]

Mari closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
He's a child
     He's just a child.
        He's just a kid stuck in a game.

Mari opened her eyes to see a message from Arcanthus. She read over it. Eulogy...so that was his name. Arcanthus gave her word that he was harmless, so Mari would try to give the kid the benefit of the doubt. Mari figured she'd reply to Arcanthus later, she closed her HUD with a flick of her hand. The kid did not like being called out on his lie. He gave her the biggest eyeroll she had seen in a long time. Is this how teenagers act? Lord help me. Mari thought to herself. Out of Appraisals for the day? So had he gotten to hers? or chose to follow her instead of doing his job?

"Eulogy." Mari began with a low tone - as he called her stupid for not liking this. She couldn't exactly get mad at him for being excited about being in a game. Hell - a part of Mari didn't want to leave here either. Here she could do so much more than she could out there, and parts of it were fun. Most parts that involved Lancaster at least. Other parts, not so much. "Yanno..." Mari began, coughing to clear her throat. She had to try and find some kind of common ground with him. "I didn't say things couldn't be fun or exciting. Aspects of it can be. But fighting for my life? Not so much." Mari would extend her right hand and splay out her fingers toward him - showing off her leather glove. Not that he'd see how it'd work with such a motion. "You're right. I couldn't make something like this -" She'd pause to pull out the thin garrote wire. "Or do this-" With a snap of her fingers the entire thing lit up in flames - and the metal slowly melted between her fingers, landing on the floor in hot hisses. 

He was young, impressionable  - and Acanthus would call him something like a brother, so Mari was trying to play nice, despite her wanting to call her items a net loss and walk away from the kid. Mari wouldn't tell him she had no plans of leaving this place. She wouldn't tell him the horrors of prison. "I don't get the luxury of doing what I want. I do what I need to do so I can survive another day."

Mari would fish another orb out of her satchel, this one filled with a clear, very flammable liquid. The last one she had on her. "I'm not the only one to make things like this. Others do, others who mean to cause harm. I don't care if you're having fun here Eulogy. Enjoy it, you have a right to. But this?" She asked, sloshing the liquid around. 

"Things like this are too dangerous for me to just share. You want to learn how to fight? I know a gaijin samurai who runs a dojo. What I do isn't exactly fighting." 

Mari would ignore the pride she felt when he complimented her fighting style, it felt kinda nice to have someone practically idolize her - if not a little scary. The last man who did had his arm burned off. "I do these things so I can avoid having my name on the wall again. To avoid the unnecessary loss of life." Mari would stand at this point, and placed a flat palm against her chest.

"I'm Mari." She said, introducing herself. 

She was unsure if her name had any weight for the kid. If he knew of the rumors of the famed pink Pker, of her name plastered over the wall 10 times. A hermit of an alchemist who would make terrible concoctions and potions. A woman who practically solo'd a floor boss. Mari had a lot of rumors attached to her name, most completely exaggerated. Others having stemmed from truth. Whatever he knew, didn't matter to her. The past was smoething she moved past long ago.

"You've already gotten in my way twice." She said simply. "One, you were very close to becoming a casualty when those guards were chasing me, and two - you shirked your duty to follow me. Still..." When was the last time Mari allowed someone to follow her? Chaser? That didn't really end well...did it?

Still

"You won't hear how any of my gases work, Eulogy." A stern statement. "So I'm not entirely sure what I can offer you. I'm a Pker - I'm not welcomed in towns. I'm barely welcomed at events. Following me attaches you to my name, and that's a dangerous thing." She gestured toward the city with a jut of her chin. "You saw those men." Mari didn't bring up the fact they thought she was laughing coffin, especially since the kid didn't seem to know what they were. "That's a common occurrence for me. People like that? They'll assume you're in cahoots with me, it places unwanted targets on your back." Mari normally wouldn't be so harsh or matter-of-fact with her words, heck she'd forge her own relationships with others, but they were adults. Frontliners.

This kid didn't seem to have that same experience.

And it was a very big concern that her name was now being attached to such a guild - even if there was truth to it, she had been banging one of their main members.

She wasn't sure she should let this kid get wrapped up in that.

[3ulogy 0]

“A garrotte? That’s fucking sick. I didn’t even know you could get those in the game. What’s it like fighting with one? I feel like it’d be really hard to get into position.”

Quote

“I don't get the luxury of doing what I want. I do what I need to do so I can survive another day.”

Needs versus wants. 3ulogy was starting to place a few of the pieces. She was an orange players, but she didn’t like being an orange player. And that was fine. 3ulogy wasn’t keen on becoming one himself. Not that it would be the end of the world. He just enjoyed the protected status of being green, even if it cost him a little bit of the fun.

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"Things like this are too dangerous for me to just share. You want to learn how to fight? I know a gaijin samurai who runs a dojo. What I do isn't exactly fighting." 

“Yea, but I like what *you’re* doing. I didn’t stumble into a LARP with stakes to be some samurai. I wanna throw bombs and knives, and a garrotte and all those other cool things.”

Quote

"I do these things so I can avoid having my name on the wall again. To avoid the unnecessary loss of life."

Maybe it was time to level a little more. Not tell the truth, exactly. But lie a little less.

“I’m also really fascinated by all the non-lethal options here in Aincrad. I’ve seen a lot of people that are way more creative than just swinging swords and axes, and I think that’s awesome. I’ve even picked up on some rumors about a pink-haired girl brewing up potions and poisons that aren’t in the database. That's the kind of stuff I like learning more about. The ways to fight without fighting."

Quote

"I'm Mari."

“3ulogy.” he offered a quick handshake. Her name didn’t ring a bell. But if she was an orange player, there was a chance her name would be on the monument downstairs. He hadn’t ever gone down to check. People no longer in the game didn’t hold his interest much. But now maybe he would. Information never hurt, at least.

“Hey, I’m glad you’re warning me about all these ‘targets’ and ‘hunts’ and other dramatic things, but I’m an adult, alright? Besides, I’m sure I could be useful. I’m a green player, so I can move in and out of cities easily enough. And other than being seen with each other right now, no connections whatsoever. And if I’m in the way… well, just teach me how to be out of the way. Ditch me if I’m too slow, for all I care. That just means I couldn’t keep up in the first place. But I bet I can.”

“So tell me what I can do to make your life easier. Other than leaving you alone.”

Edited August 17 by 3ulogy

[Mari 1]

A garrotte? That’s fucking sick. I didn’t even know you could get those in the game. What’s it like fighting with one? I feel like it’d be really hard to get into position.”

Mari snorted, he really was a kid. Was this what Atan or Lancaster felt like when she was gushing over their contraptions and inventions? Was she this childish? Not that...it was entirely a bad thing. "You can't get them." Mari said as she held out his hand toward Eulogy to get a closer glance at it. "I made it myself. Through a lot of trial and error, and basic knowledge of contraptions, gears- and the like." Mari would pull her hand away before he had the chance to rip the glove from it - she felt like he almost would try. He was practically ready to burst with excitement.

He insisted on doing what she did - "Hmmm...." Mari wasn't really keen on letting some gun-ho kid run around with weapons of mass destruction, that's literally the thing her brother warned her against. "Throwing knives is doable." Mari said quietly as she scratched her chin. "There's a projectile weaponry skill - and you could theoretically use that - and have your little throwing knives, or bows, or what have you. You could be creative with it really. Hell even those glass balls could be considered a projectile weapon if you have that skill."

The difference being; Mari didn't have it - the way she fought wasn't intended to be lethal. She wasn't sure she could really teach him the lethality of it. "Pink haired...." Mari sighed as she ran a finger through her hair. "That's...that's old information. I don't do that anymore." It seems her reputation still followed her, even after years of being within the game. A lot of that stuff, the system actually no longer allows - probably a good thing. That shit was terrible.  "I dabble in a little here and there, but nothing like the past, I did my homework. So my chemistry knowledge certainly helps." She stressed the work, this wasn't something you could just magic up with Aincrads assist systems, you needed to know what you were doing. She'd rather just tell him straight up it wouldn't be as easy as that.

Something still didn't sit right with how he was acting with her; and the words he was using - and Mari couldn't pick why. Maybe she was just too distrusting, after having people want her help in the past - only to quite literally stab her in the back - or to misconstrue her words and cause trouble with her brother. Or to straight up die. "You can....certainly be more creative though, Eulogy." Mari would at least try to help him with that.

But I bet I can

The temptation to take him up on that was tempting, but not right now - not with the knights of the sun and sword poking around still. He was boastful, painfully so, that kind of attitude killed people. He was barely an adult. He didn't even know who the Laughing Coffin was. "You may be an adult, but your experience and knowledge is severely lacking. You wanna follow me? But - what exactly do you want from me? For me to teach you how to create and use these tools? To...as you put it fight in a non lethal way? Why?" Mari asked. "Why do have the need to fight players in the first place?"

[3ulogy 0]

"Why do have the need to fight players in the first place?"

I don’t see why you care so much, were the words he caught on his way out. But he got the feeling she wouldn’t like that response, so he tried cooking up another thought on the fly. One that wasn’t entirely untruthful, but skewed a little more towards what a non-lethal orange player might expect.

“I… I’d like to be able to defend myself. And there’s a lot about the Cardinal system I don’t understand. I’ve been stuck on the lower floors because I missed so much of the initial experience in the game. I tried sticking with all the traditional stuff: daggers, light armor, a healthy amount of scouting skills to make sure I wasn’t walking into traps or trouble. You know, all the safe things. But sticking to the safe things left me in the dirt, while people like you were picking up all the experience. So I’m done playing it safe.” He gestured to the disappearing city behind them. “I wanna throw bees at people. What’s it going to take?”

He hoped the response would be enough to keep her considering the options. He pressed a little more, eager to move away from the finer points of *why* he wanted to learn all of these non-lethal methods. “C’mon, just give me a chance. Worst case scenario, I end up dead. And that’s a best case scenario for you, right? Because then I’m not hounding you for secrets anymore.” He offered Mari a big, toothy smile. “I’ve been cooped up on the first floor for so long, I’ll take a chance of death over running errands for Mayor Dorian until someone else clears the game.”

[Mari 1]

Mari sighed. 

"Is that so..." She began, her tone turning cold. She was done trying to placate the child, especially since he seemed to continually lie to her. Just moments ago he was boasting about being an adult, knowing what he could do. Yet now? He was doing a complete 180. Stating that he barely stepped foot out of the first floor. "Funny... that.... you've been cooped up on the first floor for Soo long" It had been a hot minute since Mari lost her temper like this. She had been doing such a good job too. But his constant backtracking bothered her. It reminded her of Chaser. It reminded her of Lowenthal.

"You know who you remind me of?" Mari asked as she tilted her head to the side approaching him, encroaching on his personal space. There was a reason why she was once the most feared Pker. When she got serious she had that look in her eyes. The weight of many deaths. The steely resolve that others never quite managed to maintain. Even she struggled to some days. "You remind me of a friend named Lowenthal. He would say things just like you - only to turn around and..." Mari reached out with her finger and drew it across the kids chest. "Try to kill me, and can you take a guess where he is now?" Mari asked. "On the monument. So. Eulogy."

Mari took a step back, "I'd rather you not pussyfoot around. Im a busy woman. Dealing with things you say you don't know about. Laughing Coffin. Pk Hunters. Potions and serums."  She had told him he was the 'pink haired player' he was talking about, but she wasn't quite sure he had absorbed that bit of information.

"You seem to be doing pretty well...for someone stuck on the lower floors, considering you have a store all the way up here on the 26th." Mari would turn on her heel at this point. Moving away from him.

"I was heading back down to the 10th floor - to collect some regents for my potions. Maybe if you're a good lil' boy and tell the truth I can help. We could get you some throwing daggers dipped in venom - or a paralytic agent if you oh so desire. But I don't have time for those who are so terribly bad at lying. So make your choice Eulogy. You can follow, and we can get you throwing bees at people. Or you can stay All the way up here. cooped high up on the 26th floor."

If he'd follow, she'd help him. Making the long trip all the way from the 10th floor from here, the Pker way wasn't exactly a short one. SHe'd do her best to answer his questions, but only if he chose to follow, and only if he stopped lying and switching up his story.

"Honestly..." She'd give him one glance. "I don't know what your eagerness is, to follow someone like me, but I won't question it anymore."