[PP-F4-10] Devil in the Details

[Lancaster 1]

*Continuation of This

Lancaster watched on frozen to events as they'd unfold, clinging desperately to every spoken word. His bones seemed to not want to move, for within his sight was the devil incarnate. The very same he'd spat in the face of and hid from not but a couple weeks prior. Was this it? A consequence of his attempts to live a life with Amari? Staring them down, and Mari seemed to be so much more familiar with the lord then he'd ever thought possible. A desperate hand reaching out to her as she'd move in close, but his feet remaining rooted out of terror. Out of breath as the man watched his beloved move toward the guillotine, and the flames light but flicker out with such a simple gesture. A hand to the ₣₳₵ɆⱠɆ₴₴ ⱠØⱤĐ as if it were a companion. The thing pays her not a response through a blade as expected, but one of words over action. All manner of questions begin to resonate within Vincent. How did Mari know the lord? What was it to her? Why did it seem to allow her to get close when no one else could? Was the lord pruning her for Laughing Coffin? Was this always its plan, using Lancaster as the bait? Inquiry after inquiry racked through his cranium, but found no lips as the scene unfurls.

A long drawn extortion of information from Mari, one of all manner of efficiency and a lack of regret befitting him. One of pride but mixed with an addled confusion. As Addex is reduced to ash, whatever remaining courage Lancaster could muster would fight his thoughts into whatever words it could grasp on. A scowl mixed with a sadness written across his face, one of desperation for understanding.

"What is going on?" The man shrieked, his voice broken and beaten. He felt so small.

---

<<Assist System: Lancaster>>
Level: 35
Paragon: 16
Tier: 4
True Tier: 6

Final EXP reward: +0%

---

Lancaster | HP: 760/760 | EN: 114/114 | DMG: 22 | MIT:56 | ACC:4 | BRN-IM  | FL.AURA: 16 | FL.THORNS: 16/32 | BH:38 | BLI: 32/-20 | BRN: 56

Spoiler

Name: Lancaster, The Consuming Tyrant
True Tier: 6
Level: 35
Paragon Level: 16
HP: 760/760
EN: 114/114

Stats:
Damage: 22
Mitigation: 56
Accuracy: 4
Battle Healing: 38
Stealth Rating: -3
BRN-IM FL.AURA: 16
FL.THORNS: 16/32 BLI: 32/-20 
BRN: 56
Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - All Consuming Pyre - Hades [T4/Demonic/Throwing/200384n] | BRN 2, BLI 2
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Hydra Hide Jacket - Erebus [T4/Demonic/Heavy Armor] Flame Aura 2, Flame Thorns 2
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Inset Etching Tongue Piercing - Cerberus [Tierless/Demonic/Trinket] Accuracy 3, Fireproof

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - AOE Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R5
  - Energist
  - Heavy Armor R3
  - Thrown Weaponry R5

Extra Skills:

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Focus
  - Precision
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Impetus

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Anthem of Finality - Destruction [Tierless/Perfect/Debuff/Instant] Catalyst | 230758, 230778, 230779, 230780, 230781 x1
  - Anthem of Finality - Destruction [Tierless/Perfect/Debuff/Instant] Catalyst | 230782, 230783, 230784, 230785 x5
  - Resonance of the Grave [Tierless/Perfect/Debuff/Instant] Incarceration | 186790, 191009, 191013, 198351, 181560, x5
  - Teleport Crystal x4

Housing Buffs:
  - 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.

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:
  - Strong Will
Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:

 

[Mari 1]

"And I'm not the Pink PKer anymore. I'm far more than that now."

Defiance flickered in her eyes, a resolve. A refusal to be known as the Pink PKer, a monkier she had long since abandoned. Mari was all but ready to collapse; her arm burned...her chest on fire...without the glasses she felt whispers tickle her mind - screaming at her - doubts telling her Lancaster wasn't real. She needed him. Mari really needed Lancaster by her side, to keep her together. A shriek from the man, broken and small, cracking in fear caused Mari to turn...facing him. A stumble as she tried to comfort him, falling into his arms. Not yet... Mari couldn't falter yet. She had to protect him. She fought so long. So hard for this. "Mine..." A small mumble from her lips, tired in its admission as she pressed her head into the crook of his neck. Arms squeezing around his shoulders tightly.

Mari wished she had answers for him, she wished she could tell him everything...

"I ..." What was there to say? She only recently found out about the ₣₳₵ɆⱠɆ₴₴ ⱠØⱤĐ "Vincent...I only just....if I had said anything he'd have...." She swallowed. her voice growing small as she held him tighter, afraid he'd disappear, afraid he'd push her away, or think that it was all some kind of ploy to get close to him. IT wasn't...None of it was. "I just want you." She mumbled weakly. In that moment she didn't care who was behind her. Or what their predicament was.

A shuttered breath in as she tried to control herself. Was she shaking? it felt like her legs were buckling.  "I only recently...after meeting you had met them....they offered to help...." She mumbled.

"I told you..." A weak laugh. "Magic...tricks...I'd step into hell for you Lancaster. I'd become the monster everyone expects me to be."

Would that suffice? Mari wasn't sure. She shifted, still clinging onto Lancaster as her eyes struggled to focus on the Faceless Lord. For all her gusto earlier, it was beginning to crumble

 

 

 

 

Mari | HP: 1160/1160 | EN: 148/148 | DMG: 21 | MIT:143 | ACC:4 | AA  | FL.AURA: 8 | BH:64 | BRN: 56 | ENV-O: 32 | PARA-V | LD:5 |True Tier 15                                                                                                    

Edited October 11 by Mari

[Raidou 1]

The film of crimson persists through the air like a malevolent vapor draining the life from all within his confines, as a roaring streak of red scorched the souls of those it gazed upon. A feral looking creature that almost fully divorced itself from humanity despite having arms and legs, its skin a polished black ooze that dripped void like ink from its wrists and elbows. "Vincent Lionetti." It spoke in a sharp tongue, one of twin tones overlapped over one another. A duality to it, alien and unnatural. "Best not jump to conclusions as you are notorious for." It hissed as the blade is ripped clean from the stone, half the blade being unearthed by a single heavy tug. It would appear as though it was rearing to advance, but instead the lord begins to pace to the left its eyes locked to the first finger. A presence commanding, domineering...absolute.

"Amari was off limits, and yet you disobeyed. Spat in my face and assumed you understood my reasons or my intentions for her." An actor upon the stage, facts misconstrued as fiction through interpretations not corrected. "She was to be left alone, Lancaster. Too wild to control, and the result of your actions..." A glance toward Mari. "Both of your actions lead to this, yet when Amari had unknowingly held a discussion with me. She was convinced, just like you were. I saw opportunity, potential. Was I wrong?" A sinister clicking as the lord's head turns, a monster riddled with omens and death. "I have extended my protections from Amari to the both of you, to see what became of your.... infatuation, your union. I told Amari to speak not a word of our meeting, for I knew where your head would lead. But now your union has been threatened from sources outside of Laughing Coffin. I wondered if again you've chosen to become insubordinate, brash. Your weakness betrays you Vincent." The hand holding the sword sees its serrated pointed fingers uncurl and wrap tighter, like teeth on a python clinging to the throat of a kill.

A hard swallow from Lancaster is pegged by him, caught easily as the sound of their hearts beating like thrumming drums in their chest. Panic, fear, desperation. "And yet... I saw your excursion as well, how genuine you wished to protect her despite your lack of station. Amari has proven herself once again to be difficult to control. Except through you, Vincent. Understand this." The thing twists to smear the red film on its blade against its left shoulder, as a tongue sprouts from a mouth there and licks it clean. "This will not end for as long as you stand as an outlier, for as long as it appears possible that killing you will earn my favor. My demands are this to allow your union to remain, Consuming Tyrant. To allow whatever your days will bring from this moment forward. But you will reclaim your station, aid in weeding out any others that will threaten Laughing Coffin and all they stand to accomplish under my direct orders as before. Amari being finally under control...." It glances to the orange haired woman. "Is a welcome consolation prize, and will be a shadow member directly reporting to me. Those are my terms."

---

<<Assist System: Lancaster>>
Level: 35
Paragon: 16
Tier: 4
True Tier: 19

Final EXP reward: +10%

---

Raidou | HP: 760/760 | EN: 114/114 | DMG: 24 | MIT:92 | ACC:4 | AA | F-SPIRIT | EVA:4 | BH:42 | VAMP-D: 84 | LD:6

Narrative Block:
₣₳₵ɆⱠɆ₴₴ ⱠØⱤĐ | HP: 1536/1536 | EN: 166/166 | DMG: 23 | MIT:259 | ACC:5 | AA | F-SPIRIT | EVA:7 | BH:84 | VAMP-D: 169 | VAMP-O: 253 | BLI: 32/-20 | LD:6 | BIZ-DOTE: 3/3 | PROB:36 | CAIN: 50 | SAND-A | PARA-IMM                                                                                                             

Spoiler

Name: Raidou, The Red Wanderer
True Tier: 19
Level: 35
Paragon Level: 16
HP: 760/760
EN: 114/114

Stats:
Damage: 24
Mitigation: 92
Accuracy: 4
Evasion: 4
Battle Healing: 42
Loot Die: 6
AA VAMP-D: 84
Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Auric Sunlight - Finality of Faith [T4/Demonic/2HSS] +3 Damage, AA
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Red Wanderer's Resolve - Sympathy [T1/Demonic/Cloth] 2 Evasion, 2 Vampiric Defensive
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Tactician's Gaze - Ogma [T1/Perfect/Trinket]: +3 Accuracy

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Mitigation R3

Combat Shift:
  - TECH Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - Ill Omen in Red

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R5
  - Charge
  - Cloth Armor R5
  - Energist
  - Extended Mod Limit
  - Fighting Spirit
  - Howl
  - Quick Change
  - Searching R5
  - Straight Sword R5

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

Inactive Extra Skills:
PhotosynthesizeBrawlerFrozen Hide
Addons:
  - Ferocity
  - Focused Howl
  - Nimble
  - Precision
  - Reveal
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Athletics
  - Detect
  - Justified Riposte
  - Night Vision
  - Tracking
  - Vengeful Riposte

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Crippling Composition - Lullaby [Tierless/Rare/Debuff/Instant] Hypnosis 2 | [224055] x1
  - Ebon Star - Vanguard Revenant [T4/Demonic/Straight Sword]: V.O 2, Taunt, Blight 1 x1
  - Flash of Rejuvenation [T1/Perfect/Crystal] Mass Heal [200869-1][200876][200877][200878][200879] x5
  - Random Dungeon Map | [229967b] x5
  - Teleport Crystal x1
  - Vocal Augmentation - Resonation [Tierless/Perfect/Support/Instant] +15% HP [160898][161641][161642][162018][162529] x1

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 (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
  - Guest Room: Players can have one «Amenity» in a «Guest Room» and the «Amenity» cannot be recovered. Players are allowed to change which «Amenity» is in the «Guest Room». Multiple instances of the same «Amenity» do not stack. This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.
  - 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
  - Greenhouse: +2 Gathering EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to gathering 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.
  - 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.
  - Treasury: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild Totem:
  - Kumatetsu
Wedding Ring:
  - -
Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:

 

[Mari 1]

Lancaster denied a chance to reply, the overlapping voices of the Faceless Lord addressed him and Mari immediately stilled. Her grip tightening to the point her fingers would draw drops of blood, her body shaking. Mari could hear the song of steel as sword drew against the ground. Mari reluctantly let Lancaster go, only to turn - staring directly at the Faceless Lord. Ensuring she were the shield to protect him. She'd not allow a repeat of her brother. Mari would throw herself onto the damn blade itself if it meant protecting him- giving him enough time to flee.

"With all due respect..." Mari said, voice low...she had to be careful. She wasn't speaking to her friend. She was speaking to something else. "I pursued him. He walked away from me, but I sought him. Again, and again." Mari swallowed. Her stance faltered, her head lowered for a moment as her vision blurred but Mari shook it off. She had to. Had to.... Everything....was far too important for this. "Too wild? Again - you mistake me for the Pink PKer." That would have been her....once before. But not now. Not anymore. Another swallow as a hand reached behind her, splayed fingers trembling till they came into contact with Lancasters form. Mari took a deep breath. Hold...exhale...she had this... she had to keep control. She couldn't let any claim to the accusations take hold. Have reason to.

"Difficult to control?" Mari asked, a tilt of her head. Genuine confusion in her tone. What was he referring to? He thought...Vincent could control her? Mari bit her tongue. No one could....but...if Lancaster had wished it, Mari would have done most anything. So perhaps the Faceless Lord's words had some merit. Why?  "Why? You blame him for not knowing your intentions for me? Then what? What are they then? Enlighten us." Mari asked. A step back into Lancaster. She didn't get it...

Shadow Member??

Wasn't this...exactly the opposite of what Raidou wanted?
Was this his way of protecting them again?

Mari never expected to be in this predicament, wasn't it just a few months ago she said she'd never join the Laughing Coffin, and now....here she was...

"If it means staying with Lancaster. I accept your terms. But - I am not...." I'm not a killer...she wanted to say, but she just did. several more names were now upon the monument, all because of her. Her eyes shifted away from his form. What else was there to say? "I'm not going to hurt those close to me." Her voice quiet, shaking. "You're right...I'd do anything for him - but...as long as I remain Who I am. Amari Lionetti. Else...what is the point of controlling me, like you so desired?"

[Lancaster 1]

The man clung to Mari as if she was going to vanish, with her head nestled neatly in his neck her warmth all but welcome under such a trial. It felt like a court room where a prosecutor was speaking, and he was the defendant. Every word was rough and coarse like sandpaper, rubbing raw his skin and leaving him wounded beyond a simple scratch. "I believe you..." The man whispered to his beloved, allowing all of his insistent thoughts to be made false through faith alone. A gut reaction to the fact that what they had was real, not manufactured. "I want you too." he muttered weakly staring death in the face left him meek, and yet despite it clung to the only thing of value: Amari. As the thing spoke Lancaster couldn't help but get hung up on its words, trying to mount a defense against each accusation and yet it felt entirely worthless. The last time he'd misspoke he was almost killed more then once. It was even worse being in front of this thing with Mari this time.

In this moment, Mari was braver then he. Perhaps through courage or ignorance, but she held a more constant back and forth. Even trying to peel the target from Lancaster each time she spoke, and using her own body to shield him from the lord.

There was some warrant in her own line of questioning as well, given it was never elaborated as to why Mari was excluded. There were actually a few that Laughing Coffin were forbidden from interacting with, and there was never any given reason as to why. For to question was to disobey, and not many since Opal were foolish enough to do so.

"If it means staying with Lancaster. I accept your terms."

"Magic Tricks...." Lancaster quipped under his breath, running his hand across her shoulder and embracing her upper arms from behind. "The lord does not usually give reasons, mi amore." He spoke nestling his head atop her right shoulder for some semblance of comfort. "Never has for as long as I have known it. I am ready to make a deal with the devil with you anima gemalla, but I am of the same mind..." His eyes lock to the End. To the red eyes of judgement. "I will not hurt my beloved, or those that she holds compassion for. Is a promise I will not break, not even if it kills me. I accept your terms." With that Lancaster steps out from behind Mari, and kneels low bowing his head. "Perform your rite."

[Raidou 1]

The blade in hand the lord looms, heavy foot steps that portrayed a mass with weight exceeding its stature. That cool almost black blade hungers for death and dismemberment, having feasted plenty and yet still left unsatisfied. "Semantics, Vincent knows how little they matter. Isn't that right?" It barked in an abrupt scorn toward them both, twisting the blade and listening deeply to their pulse. An avatar silently portraying their discomfort like a human body, and functioning just the same. The blade raises high above Lancaster's head, who can visibly be seen flinching. Expecting the headsman's axe to fall, instead it lands gently on his right shoulder. "Vincenzo Lionetti." A sharp bite of the true name, one discovered through all manner of whispers in the dark. As if the cardinal itself was supplying it to this monster, an endless sea of the truth made for it to witness. "Until released from my command of my volition, you are to follow the orders given to you without question. Heed to the rules of Laughing Coffin as defined by me obediently. Should you fail, attempt to conspire or betray you will accept removal as the only option. To become severed directly from my hand in any manner I see fit." The blade lifts and taps gently on his left shoulder, close enough to rub against his throat.

Stealing a peek toward Mari, he smiles coyly "I am but a single finger on your hands, lord." Vincent drops diligently, as if rehearsed given this was his second time. "For my mi fiamma."

"Welcome back to the fold, First Finger. Do not disappoint me. This is your last chance." The blade slides from Lancaster's shoulder, and it looks expectantly at Mari with that familiar blade made darker with its context. It points toward her fiercely. "Kneel, and take to the creed."

[Mari 1]

The words were spoken in an abrupt bark that caused Lancaster to jump. Mari was too tired, too far gone to have that level of fear within her - perhaps...it was also because she knew what lay beneath. She knew intimately what it felt like to wear the armour the faceless lord wore. Semantics mattering little? Mari's brows furrowed at that, her jaw clenched. She wanted answers.  "I doubt that...." Words muttered beneath her breath. But questioning him further here wasn't the right way to go about it. Perhaps Mari would try to talk to Raidou later...maybe he'd never have a true answer for her. Maybe what stood before her was more Juiblex than her friend. But Mari wanted to believe he had enough control. The gentle way he had pressed hair away from her face earlier, and the insistence of her wearing his glasses, now broken on the floor...right...her friend was still there. "You're right though, Lancaster has me in my entirety." A glance to her beloved, a weak and tired smile. "And I have him, in his entirety. A terrible weakness, but perhaps - the greatest strength." A glance back to the lord -She was tempted to call out the lord, arguing that his offer of the glasses, the gentle caress of hair, all signs of that greatest strength- but that'd earn her nothing but its ire. Instead, a single word fell from her lips.

"Compassion." 

His blade twisted toward Lancaster and out of instinct Mari pulled out her own weapon, and immediately swore at herself. Stupid...She quickly threw it to the side in an attempt to show she meant the entity no harm. "Old habit...you can blame my brother for that one." She was pushing it, already showing far too much of a blase' attitude toward him. Mari kept expecting punishment, a blade in her chest - for Juiblex to consume her and for her to become something else entirely again. admittedly, there was a part of her that missed that.

Mari watched as Vincent knelt down beside her, offering her a small weak smile - a condition to rejoining that Mari hadn't expected but felt an immeasurable warmth from. He wouldn't hurt her friends. The ceremony enacted, a creed steeped in blood yet to be spilled. To be severed meant death. Mari was still, breath caught in her throat. She was defenseless, weaponless - and the miasma that leaked from the Faceless Lords maw ticked away at her health. But she was ready, she'd lunge at him and bite at him with her bare teeth if she had to. But....nothing came. A ceremony similar to knighthood. Lancaster was safe.

Her shoulders fell as Mari allowed herself to breath. Then - The entities eyes set on Mari. 

"Kneel, and take to the creed."

"I...still do not understand your intentions for me or Why you feel you need me under your control, Faceless Lord." Mari stared into his eyes for a long silent minute. Not a challenge, a question. To its credit, the faceless lord stood patient. But Mari was not going to test it. She did not remove her eyes from his, was she foolish? Or simply resolute? Mari took to her knee, and finally lowered her head. She had no clue what the rite was supposed to be. What she was supposed to say. Was she a finger? No. She was suppose to be a shadow member. Fingers were well known leaders-HIs right hand? No...that wouldn't make sense, that's what the fingers were for...so what the hell was she supposed to say in this moment. 

"I am but...." Hesitation as she wasn't entirely sure what to call herself. Should she simply say I am yours. No, those words were for Lancaster. What name did the system give her again? A slow blink, her vision was so blurry, dots danced in front of her eyes. A thought - something that both Raidou and Juiblex would notice, and be very familiar with. a reminder of what she knew, and what they shared.  "I am but your knight, My  Lord. For mi anima gemella."  

This didn't feel entirely right, her chest burned and her vision still steeped in blurriness as she struggled to maintain control of her senses. Her right arm, marred and scared with angry burns throbbed. Even if it meant her death. She would not change - never hurt her friends, the innocent, those who did not deserve such a morose and permanent punishment- but, she supposed she'd sell her soul to the devil for a chance at her foolish dream.

Edited October 12 by Mari

[Raidou 1]

The lightest tap of the blade still left it feeling heavy, on the players shoulders it would reflect the weight of that creed and the reality that it gave. In that heft they'd feel the gravity of the spoken contract and the fact the Faceless Lord would make good on his side of the bargain if he must. "Perhaps." It milled almost as a dismissal of the sentiment, in that twin tongue that spoke in orchestra. "But it is best you choose where to allot such compassion. It is only a strength when given wisely. Carelessly providing and bleeding for everything that breathes will see you back in the prison where you were kept. Amari. A lesson best learned by the experience you have undergone." The sword pivots and sees itself tucked into a space on its back, trapped there by tendrils of ink that weave together in a nest of vines. It would start away in the depths of Tartarus, where minds fought against silent assailants of horrors left unseen. The river of Stygian still in a stark red, like blood that oozed past unending.

"I...still do not understand your intentions for me or Why you feel you need me under your control, Faceless Lord."

The thing tilts to look over its right shoulder, sizing up the moxie and gall of the statement. A tap of the side of its head, the claw raking against the wet surface. "Always the rogue, the unpredictable and callous. Bordering insanity deeper then Tybalt. Reporting directly to me removes the opportunity for this brash and uncontrollable personality of yours to corrupt the others. I will not tolerate such a tone from you Vincent. She is given an allowance you are not." The man remarked sharply beneath the suit of living armor, knowing full well that appearances need to be upkept. "To allow you to claim your own station as a finger would be foolish....no. You will report only to me, will receive none of the aid that Lancaster is given. After all... You're used to being alone. In time, you will learn to obey. To fall in line. It is amusing that you are finally here, after all this time. But maybe your curiosity will be sated... with a task."

It looks back, raising an ichored black hand toward Yomi. "Addex was not alone, his conspirators a nuisance that I will not tolerate. Instead of extending the hit to Yuyang..." That arm turns and points squarely at Mari. "You will see that list of his obtained, all of his cohorts rooted out and slain. Your first obligation. Do not fail me. Leave no loose ends." A glance down to Lancaster. "Take him with you, I imagine such retribution holds no argument to either of you?" With the phrase spoken, the thing begins to trail away leaving a thicker film of red almost to dense to see. The actor had played his position just as readily as always, and perhaps in time he would elaborate further. But not within earshot of Vincent, for some of the devils secrets would damn the souls of many.

[Mari 1]

His blade prickled her skin, and it felt heavy- a strange electricity almost that vibrated from the dark weapon. It almost felt like Juiblex. But Mari wasn't sure if that was just her addled mind loosing sense of what was, and what wasn't. One thing was clear to her though, friend or not...she'd lose her head if she went against him. Well....Shit.

Mari lowered her gaze. She hated to admit it...but he was right...if she hadn't offered Addex that same compassion, that same mercy...she'd not have been captured. She'd still have her familiar. She began to question if this was actually Raidou, or if it was the other Faceless Lord....did they look the same? But - the glasses...then again, if they knew him maybe it wasn't too far stretched for them to have a pair. "I know." She said quietly in a pained admission. "I tried...terrified I'd disappoint Freyd... he'd always use my past failings as a way to..." She shut her eyes. What was the point? He was gone. To where, she did not know. "People...were supposed to be Aincrad's greatest resource - but I get now. Some are not worthy of that. What use is it to show it to those who aren't worthy of it?" Mari shook her head, then a stumble as motion caused her world to sway. Mari felt Lancasters hand on her shoulder, helping her steady herself. 

"I won't make that mistake again." Resolution spawned from a dark realization. Not everyone deserved to live.

The Faceless Lord told her she had insanity borderline deeper than Tybalt - Mari had run into the man only once but the statement caused offense. Is that what he really thinks of me? No. Mari couldn't doubt her friend. She had to remember what stood before her now was not her friend. It was the Faceless Lord. It'd do her no good to allow the two to bleed into each other. For all intents and purposes...she should have been treating them as separate people this entire time. "Callous.." Mari repeated quietly. In other words... Cruel.  The Faceless lord further explained her position. It was... afraid of her influence? Mari doubted she'd have much sway. No aid, that made sense...she was supposed to be a shadow member. Which Mari assumed meant the others could not know of her position. 

After all... You're used to being alone.

That stung.

"Hah..."

Then, came her first task. Truth be told Mari was ready to collapse there and then. She hadn't slept for four days... She was barely holding onto her vision. He told her how amusing it was...that she were here now. After all this time. Mari briefly wondered what Opal would think. Would she still be alive if Mari had just relented all those years ago? Mari would press her burnt arm, twinging over her chest as she gave the entity a low bow. She wasn't an idiot. She could hear the irritation in its tone. "I can't argue with any of that, My Lord. I suppose It is amusing..."  Mari wasn't sure how she'd be able to explain all the names that would be added to the wall by her hand, but...he was right. These people were dangerous. They needed to be dealt with. They not only threatened her beloved, but had also threatened her friends on the frontlines. Head still lowered, and body still swaying slightly she added. "I'll do as you ask now, and have Lancaster instruct me on how to contact you to brief you."

And with that the Entity had left; far enough away for Mari to allow herself a moment of weakness. She came crashing down to the earth. Unable to even brace her fall. Lancaster managed to catch her before her head collided with stone. "S-Sorry..." She forced a laugh. "G-Guess..we really are part of the same circle now huh?" She sounded weak, an exhaustion that went beyond tired. A tone she wouldn't allow the Faceless Lord to hear, refusing to show weakness in front of the entity. Tired glass-like eyes looked up at Lancaster, a shaking and burnt hand pressed to his cheek. "I'm sorry...I never told you...." She wasn't sure if he still forgave her for her prior knowledge of the lord or not. His earlier outburst cut through her heart. It hurt hearing him cowed like that.

Mari pushed herself up onto shaky feet. "We have a job to do."

Rest could come later...

Edited October 12 by Mari

[Lancaster 1]

Quickly the man darts below Mari as the lord leaves, clambering to catch her before she drops hard on the terrain. "Is the truth, strange how we ended up here. No?" Lancaster brushes a strand of hair out of her smudged face, glancing back toward the thing and back to Mari as the reality starts to sink in. All this crap really had a way of being thrust upon them time and time again, didn't it? Even the lord himself seemed to be invested in Mari, but as to why the man couldn't begin to fathom. "Is....alright mi amore, we are in this mess together. Is a far cry from before. Don't not worry too harshly, I trust... your judgement. The lord has a way..." Holding her hand tightly, scanning her glazed expression and he could feel her exhaustion. But her drive and passion was also on full display. "Of getting what it wants, whenever it wants."

Lancaster couldn't help but oblige her tenacity, sparking up a cigarette all his own as she finds the strength to stand on wobbly feet. "I suppose we do, mi fiamma. Lead the way." The orange glow of that jimmy in his mouth as he shoves his hands in his pockets, keeping an eye on his wife but not patronizing her with chivalry. He'd support her when she needed it sure, but she was strong enough to boot. Tired yet still fought her way out just as readily. The mans health still slowly refilling from the red aura shit from the lord, he'd fold to being her shadow at her side with both of them worse for wear. The guy never thought he'd be dragged back into LC's affairs and yet here he stood, with circumstances twisted but the outcome the same. He'd never escaped, that time only on borrow and now he had a debt to repay.

[Mari 1]

He had a way of comforting her matched by no other. Not like Baldurs guidance, Raidou's subtle and consistent praises, nor her brother. Not like Oscar, a sweet succor in the dead of night. This felt like something else entirely. And Mari..as selfish as she was...refused to let that go. The two standing now, Mari refused to let Lancaster hide his hands away. Shaken, in desperation and exhaustion Mari's own trembling one yanked his out of a jacket pocket and she entwined her own betwixt his fingers. Lancaster still seemed rattled...and Mari inwardly cursed herself. Knowing her next words could only make things worse. She'd offer an affirming squeeze of his hand, an attempt to both comfort him and to calm the voices that addled her still recovering mind. 

"I...don't understand what it wants from me - why it seems to..." She'd tilt her head to the side, how to play this? Mari had an incline Raidou was simply protecting her, but it still confused her as to why it insisted to have her in the Laughing Coffin. "Almost...treat me with affection? Why after all this time it...." She'd stop, pausing to plant a kiss upon his cheek. "No matter. I am with you. That's all I care about."

The two would continue to Yomi that way, an uneasy silence between them. Every so often Mari would jerk, flinching at an unseen shadow - eyes following another...she wasn't in a good state. Mari could easily survive on this floor for a week, no problem...but that was without the torture...without the mental mind games, the concoctions running through her veins. 

"Here."

Reluctantly, Mari let go of Lancasters hand and approached a large flat rock by the Western wall. "Just like he- ah..." Mari was running a hand over the surface, she knelt down to see a small hole, and in it - a pouch. Mari pulled out the pouch. In it a number of supplies - but she ignored all those for a small black book. With her hands on it Mari stumbled, allowing herself to slump against the outer wall of Yomi as she struggled to hold the book in her hands.

"S-Sorry about Addex...." Mari mumbled to Lancaster as she started to rifle through the book. Looking at names. "I should have given you a chance with him. I just...The things he... ah...hmm I need..."  Her speech pattern broken as Mari struggled to hold onto a consistent thought. She had opened up her Hud, further leaning into the wall for support.  Mari was supposed to do this alone. "Looks like there are.....were..15 in the Severed Song....and 20 in guilded veil...I..hang on...." She had to pause, eyes glazing over as she lost focus. Further sliding down the wall. She had to...keep going...just...

Just a little longer

A shake of her head to refocus. She began to type out a list of names. Utilizing her own contacts.

Mari --> Khione: I attached a list of names. Please check the monument for them.
Khione --> Mari: And why should I do that?
Mari --> Khione: Money. Enough to buy a house.
Khione --> Mari Fine...

With that she let the book drop from her hands, her back against the wall Mari slid down to the floor, closing her eyes and rubbing them as she mumbled. "Theres....a tavern inside Yomi. Thass...where the Guilded Veil are. Most should...be green." She'd nudge the book over to Lancaster. "Ya might need to cook a few guardian dragons....can you?" She would ask, eyes still closed to stop her spinning head.

 

[Lancaster 1]

His strength was ground to dust, having pushed himself far more then he had this last month or so. Slightly out of shape, and a little worse for wear going straight from 0 to 11 like he had. Vincent couldn't help but grin wide with Amari's spirits burning bright, a little vengeance went a long way it would seem. Scanning her features as she'd root around in the outer wall, tasting the place in an entirely different atmosphere. Normally he was here for an assault, not all this cloak and dagger digging around. It wasn't exactly his strong suit but it was clearly one of Mari's. The creeping thought from what was relayed, perhaps there was some truth in the fact she was more capable then he was. But instead of an ego, he took pride in it and appreciated that. As if her victories were his own. "Who knows. Gave up a while ago trying to.... figure out what makes it tick." Lancaster remarks holding the rock slab up as her arm disappears inside the cubby to prevent it from crushing her.

Allowing the thing to fall once she'd claimed her prize, he'd clap his hands together and remove the bits of grass and soil. "Nothing to be sorry about mia gemalla anima. Is just as much your enemy if not more so... I took pleasure in his death all the same." Pressing his back against the wall and sliding down to her right side, what looked like a garbled mess of characters that he couldn't even read. "Great..." He scans the page in defeat until Mari started to read it, cracking the cipher without even seeming to know she was. "35 in total? Childs play." He dropped with a minutia of honesty, finding that more often then not those numbers were paltry at best. But that glazed and winded expression Mari wore was topped with a question. "A tavern, I will manage. Take a breather...." He locks eyes with her and traces the line of her jaw. "Is easy. What's a few guardian dragons or a building of wood. Be back shortly." The man quipped using his hands to push himself to his feet.

Sparking a stone and lighting up a smoke, the guy wanders toward the gate. Paying her smile he steals a heavy drag, shoving his pockets in his jacket as he disappears from view. What follows shortly after is screams of NPC's and shouts of alert, a dragon clears the wall to the break of a chain but is caught with a stream of flame as it takes off. The thing begins to spiral and collides with the ground, crashing hard and grinding to a halt just beyond the southern most gate. Black smoke begins to billow from its hide as it burns unending, and from buildings inside of Yomi yield more of the same. Lancaster was back in his element, doing what he did best. As digital constructs flee in hurried frenzy and are stripped to bone from an sweltering heat that did not discriminate its victims. Paving a way for an interrogation..... or an execution.

[Mari 1]

It didn't take long for Khione to message Mari back, not surprising. She seemed to hang around the lower floors, and for someone sporting a green crystal... it was much easier to get around. Most everyone from the Severed Song was dead. All barring one familiar name that caused Mari to still. Her chest to sink. Why? Why was she punished for trying to be a good person?

I took pleasure in his death all the same."

A line that once would have unnerved her, but instead of concern for a so called 'fellow man' she simply smiled, tilting her head so it'd lean on his shoulder. "Then perhaps...a gift..." She mused. The one remaining player in the severed song... A man Mari had stopped but a week prior. One she had captured for trying to steal a child. One she had managed to gain information from, and then  had shown mercy. Allowing him to live, and even promising to set him free after two weeks of confinement. He must have been the one to alert the Severed Song in the first place... to what and who Mari was. How he had lied about being part of the LC in the first place. It all made sense, all began to click together. 

So ....

"I see..." Came Mari's quiet voice. A realization.  "This....entire ordeal would have been avoided, if I hadn't shown that man mercy." If she had killed KoboltBlue then and there... he wouldn't have messaged his comrades. Mari guessed that place did allow messages. She hadn't the forethought to check. 

Lancaster gave Mari the allowance of rest, as he stood to take care of business. His own way. Truth be told...Mari hadn't quite planned for it to go down this way. She had planned for him to take care of the dragon, as a distraction then she'd take care of the rest. But this...this worked too. Mari waited till she began to hear the screams of NPC and sparse player alike before she finally pushed herself to her knees.  

He couldn't do it all on his own. This was a test for her, no? Raidou wouldn't mind, but the Faceless Lord...would. Mari slipped into the city, halberd dragging across the ground, side stepping guards that ran past her - toward their main target and the cities biggest threat - the All Consuming Tyrant. Into the alley by the burning tavern, her fist victim. A player sporting the symbol written in the little black book, a bird with wings outstretched, a veil surrounding it.

"How nice of you to advertise who you are...."

The only warning the man got before his head was cleaved from his body. Mari walked through the exploding fractals, catching sight of another two players. She wouldn't take any joy from this. The only thing keeping her moving forward a determination to protect what was hers. Protect her safety, a day longer.

Another name Writes itself on the Wall
Sleepless Hollow - Player Killed by Mari

Burning hand through one man's chest as he screamed obscenities at her, decrying her for her actions. Calling her a cancer. Ironic really. How many times had Mari been called that now? "I....feel like I'm more like an antibody, don't you think?" She'd ask, crouching down by a sobbing woman with hair, deep like wine. Mari grabbed her wrist, and she screamed as it started to burn, the flames on Mari's back curled inward, surrounding them both and denying her an escape. No answer came, just a swift death as her halberd found its way into her chest. 

Another name write sitself on the Wall
GottaCatchem - Player Killed by Mari

Another name writes itself on the wall:
PersephonesKiss - Player killed by Mari
 

How many had Lancaster gotten? Pings kept going off in Mari's ear, Khione updating Mari which each death written. Mixed between obscenities, and asking her what the fuck was happening. An issue for future Mari to worry about. Stumbled steps lead Mari through the burning tavern, offering her lover a small smile as she watched him burn through the faces of two others, then out through the other alleyway. 

A sniffle caused the woman to pause, and it wasn't long till she found the source of it. A kid, no older than 17..maybe 18. He hid with his hands over his ears. Brown eyes wide. "P-please...please no..I just...I just wanted to be rich. I didn't...."

"But...you did...." Came Mari's quiet reply. She didn't kneel down. Instead, she rested the blade of her weapon against his neck. "Someone who stands by and does nothing, as his comrades murder, and kidnap children...and you'd have me let you go?"

He stilled, giving a small nod then stammering again. "I..I didn't do any of that! I just....safety in numbers and they....they promised me-"

Shlick.
 

Another name writes itself on the wall:
Hon - Player killed by Mari

This would have worked in the past....hell, his story would have worked but a week ago. Not now. Shed no tears for wolves in sheeps clothing. She...didn't really want to do that. But... she had to...right? If she hadn't....what would he have done? The flames started to die down, and Mari allowed her CS to deactivate; the wings on her back flickering away to naught but embers that danced upon an unseen wind.

Mari stepped through the ash and rubble of the tavern, she saw Lancaster - standing over a woman. Mari would step in front of Lancaster, placing a burned hand on his chest and a kiss upon his cheek. Barely flinching at the fires that burned their surroundings and licked up their legs. The skin of her arm twinged, still harboring previous burns but she didn't even notice the pain. A pass of paper to him. "Username, KoboltBlue. Real name, Mark Jeffson. Sitting in a cell. The last living member of the Severed song." A glance over her shoulder. "And soon to be...the Guilded Veil. He...may very well have been the catalyst for my capture and torture. Do whatever you want to him."

Mari would turn her back to him, hands trawling through her hair as she lifted it up off he shoulders - placing it into a high ponytail, exposing the nape of her neck. Her tired blue eyes watching the woman before her cower. With a small muttering of words - ice encased her, spike by spike till she was hidden from view. Then, came muffled screams before a burst of fractals signified a rather painful and morose death, hidden from view.

 

Another name writes itself on the wall:
Labellebelle Player killed by Mari

Khione --> Mari: That's everyone but KoboltBlue. The fuck are you two doing?
Khione --> Mari: Delete your fucking messages. I don't want anyoen to know I'm involved in your shitstorm,.
Khione --> Mari: Next time sort it out yourself.

 

"That's...the last of them."

She was...so tired. Mari barely made it forward two steps before falling to her knees in front of Lancaster. Her forehead rested on his leg. "I...need to let it know, now...right?" A trembling hand reached up to grasp Lancasters belt. "V-Vincent? A bath, after?"  She sounded so weak in that moment, trembling voice barely above a whisper. Tears she didn't know she was shedding streaking down the ash that covered her face.


@Lancaster

[Raidou 1]

Three days later. Floor 29, ??

Messages received and paid but a simple response. 'Well Done.' from a fuzzy and distorted screen that held an entirely separate list of players to contact in it. Broken and beaten rotted wood as his surroundings, tucked into a back room that had not seen a living soul for its entire existence in Aincrad. What equated to the middle of nowhere, where none would be brash enough to find him. The smell of decay and the stirring of near stagnant water, a cross wind across docks sends a hanging sign to a shrill song on repeat. A storm brewed on the horizon, and most wouldn't even notice. More letters sent out and one made its way to @Mari after giving an adequate amount of time for the dust to finally settle. A simple one, without malice or expectation.

Quote

To: Mari
From: Raidou

Floor 29 | Coordinates: X: 36.91, Y: 107.61

The man hits send then removes his glasses, placing his left hand on the table to allow the glove of living slime to ooze from it. It was rather difficult to operate two HUDs at once, but the man was more then practiced enough to do so. Like a conductor he pulled upon the hidden strings of aincrad pushing the tin soldiers along given pathways to ensure salvation and preservation of all they held dear. Ideology and happiness easily reduced to ruin should a piece be out of place, a desperate aligning of the stars to manufacture a specific outcome and increase everyone's chances of success. Cardinal creatures were one enemy, but players were far more difficult to overtake. Unless of course the game was rigged from the start, from the very moment the black book's price tag was removed all those years ago. All of their futures teetered on the brink of destruction, every bright eyed face of human children that looked to Aincrad with wonder and innocence. It would be offset by a cast iron fist of law and judgement, a stoic protector in the dark that would not allow it to be sullied. The future was manufactured, by a man with two guilds and a mind that forgot nothing.

Just like a potion...

[Mari 1]

Mari groaned, still in bed next to Lancaster when the message came through. She lifted her hand to open the message - seeing who it was from caused her to practically jump out of bed. Jostling her lover awake. 

"Come back to bed Mi Amore....outside can wait." He'd reach out to her, hands finding their way round her hips as he pulled her close. Oh how Mari wished she could. All the two had done in the past few days was eat bathe and rest...in some cases 'rest' and truth be told...she didn't want that to end. "I can't. It's business." Mari leaned down and kissed Lancaster on his forehead. He grumbled, giving her one final squeeze before relenting, letting her go. "Needs must..." He muttered.

"Please, go back to sleep, so I can join you when I get back." 

Mari would ready herself, her hair longer now so she tied it up in a high ponytail and out of her face. Upon her bedside table sat her newest acquisition from Raidou, a broken pair of glasses. Mari would pick those up too. Now dressed Mari headed downstairs. Toward the pot of coffee Mari would pour herself a large mug, then drowned it in flavoured syrups. The only way she could handle the bitter drink. 

With a clasp of her blue necklace, and a flash of input coordinates Mari was standing before Raidou. Looking better than she had the last time they met. She wore a thick dark brown jumper, and black tracksuit pants. Feet covered in ugg boots. She looked like she was ready for a day at home, rather than meeting a long time friend.

"Raidou...." Mari paused to take a sip of her coffee.

"Should I be speaking to you, or someone else?" A small smile from beyond her cup, to denote there was no malice in her tone.
 

Edited 4 hours ago by Mari

[Raidou 1]

The man remained still against a flash of blue light, an arrival planned albeit rather punctual. Cleaning the glasses on the sleeve of his red robe he'd look to her with a smile, one that recently the man had discovered how to wear. Up the bridge of his nose those glasses glare against a soft warm colored candlelight from a glowstone resting on the booth's table, in a small lantern like apparatus to provide it a handle. "That would be excessive, given you know what is underneath it. Don't you think?" He says with an extension of his hand toward the seat opposed to his, before uncapping a white cylinder of green tea to his immediate left. The rush of steam from the stuff as its poured into the cap, filled in earnest and the man brings it to his lips breathing against the heat to temper it. Unsweetened green tea, dark olive colored mix in slight transparency. Simple and yet defined him like so much else. It served a purpose despite being bitter, it wasn't sweet or something everyone could stomach. But it provided a service.

"Please take a seat. Help yourself to some elven bread, Ellsiyae packed a bit extra. Although the baker still burns them a bit." He'd crack the ice open and show her that nothing had changed. After all that had happened he would appear the exact same. "I am sure, that you have a lot of questions. I could not answer them in our past company, for some secrets are best left buried." His words reflected a meeting between the guild and ChaseR, unsure if she would make the connection. The name he was given was damn near a mirror of the kid, and it made the red wanderer wonder where the kid had ended up. He was teetering toward making the same grave mistakes, and his warning then was him trying to save his soul before it was damned to the depths of the void in tartarus. To stare into the void was to threaten to be tarnished forever by it, a fact that Raidou knew all too well. His dive within it had almost consumed him on more then one occasion and yet he was more grounded now then he had ever been before. A truth behind all idealism, a reality that most could so easily overlook. An uncaring abrasive wound that was hidden beneath the sands.

[Mari 1]

Mari would sit opposite him at the small table, the chair - old and worn creaking with her weight. "Perhaps...." Came Mari's response as she took another long drink from her steaming cup of coffee, a clean and stark white against a murky and fetid backdrop a she placed it on the table. Hands still cupping it. Tired eyes staring down into the liquid before they rose to met Raidou's gaze. "But, truth be told...I wasn't sure what to expect but..." She'd lift her shoulders in a small shrug as she fished around in her pocket, pulling out the broken pair of glasses and sliding them over to him. "Still. I trust you. Thank you for these by the way."

She'd glance at the bread, "What makes elven baked bread different?" Mari asked, picking up a roll and sniffing it. There was a distinct sweetness to it scent, and with a slight squeeze its crust began to crumble to the table. Crsip. Crunchy. "I ...do....for starters..." Mari would pull a napkin from the bread basket and place it on the table before placing the roll on it. "Having the faceless lord do such things as shifting hair from my face...it really unnerved Lancaster." Mari sighed as she reached for the coffee again, wincing as she dealt with the bitter taste.  "Weren't you trying to avoid me having any part in the coffin? And now I'm a direct contact? Who is to know of this aside from us three?"  Of all else, that was the one thing that confused Mari the most. Anything else she could explain away - him having to play the part. 

"And those people...." Her eyes shifted down to the table. 

"I...there was a player, KobaltBlue....about a week ago I caught him dragging a kid out of Taft. I - stopped him and imprisoned him. Jomei saw. Had questions. Still...I let the man live. I thought, maybe, if he had a few weeks to sit in a cell and think about his actions. It'd set him straight...but instead, it set him to send his companions after me and I...." She'd pause, hands squeezing her mug tightly. "I was tortured for it." She added quietly. "If I hadn't...shown him that compassion in the first place...hadn't allowed Addex the chance to walk away. None of this would have happened. People would be alive."

What was worse.... Mari didn't regret her actions. What did that make her?

Edited 3 hours ago by Mari

[Raidou 1]

Watching as Mari began to dissect the bread, somewhere deep down he knew that would be her first response. Always curious, something that Juiblex had boiled straight to the surface as a dominant trait. "It wasn't my first choice. But clearly even with Lancaster severed his attachment to the guild ran deeper then I realized. If I had scrubbed him...." He got caught on the sentence, choosing instead to take another sip. "Anyway, the point is it was made clear that there would be some that would come after Lancaster or by extension you to get to him. Desperate to claim his station, and to rectify that I needed to bring him back into the fold. With that, to attack Lancaster now would mean they are violating the rules that are set and would paint a target on their back." He spoke as he pegged the broken glasses as they are slid over, opening them up and watching a sliver of glass drop out of one of the rims. Another one bites the dust... The man thought adding it to a mental tally, without even the slightest change in expression.

"Elven bread is a filling travel meal. A single bite will fill you up. So please refrain from eating too much, otherwise your going to have an accident." Slightly off topic but it was an exchange between friends, not everything had to be heavy. "It was to get your attention, and to show you I was still entirely in control. When I wear that mantle it isn't like when you or others do. It was once upon a time, but our union is less a battle of wills. Its a melding of intention, and Juiblex is my companion. The fact that Lancaster was unnerved helped stave his response, it would have proven.... troublesome if he believed I meant you any harm." Stated as a fact, the reasoning on full blast. Raidou was a far cry from speaking in rhymes and riddles, in poetry that was nearly impossible to decipher. A testament to teachings of near endless roads that continued to this day. "Moreover, I do not want Lancaster to begin shutting you out or trying to face these foes alone. You have faith in him, confide in him and make him want to be a better man. He cannot do that if he is trying to protect you from this, and I know that he will not undermine the Faceless Lord. If you are in the same mess he is and he knows it, and to block you out would mean he was defying me....The answer speaks for itself." There it was, his heart on his sleeve again. Compassion even while wearing the guise of a monster.

The cup in his hand becoming bone dry, sharing what equated to coffee with an old friend had left him to consume quite a bit. Refilling it as he listened to her, he'd hang and perk an ear. "Ah, yes, KobaltBlue. He has been dealt with, or will soon enough. It seems his prison break was orchestrated by Addex, and they were trading information. Hard to keep tabs on someone in a jail cell 24 hours a day. Same reason I wanted Gabrandr killed, now you know why... There will always be more like them, that will not change their ways. What you have done and will have to do will be what I have done time and time again. Aincrad is only a safe place for us if we make it that way, and there are some that deserve to live and some that don't. As long as the reasons behind that bloodshed are valid, and the judgement was of sound mind and body then it will not trouble you. Recognize the wolves from the sheep, discover the difference and shed no tears. Compassion is something to maintain, keep and nurture. But spend it wisely, for there are those that will see it stolen from you. I know you can kill when you need to, Mari. That you have the strength to do what most cannot bring themselves to. We do not have the luxury of hoping like the APD we can handle all that would line a jail cell. How many guilds or attempts have there been? To incarcerate or imprison those that would do you harm? Its foolish, but I will not fault the spirit of it. What I am asking Mari, is to do what I do. In a world without justice, become a judge. Weigh them, find out if they are human or a monster. You're more then smart enough to make that call. The Faceless Lord will not have you kill without reason, without grounds. Find evidence, learn their character, and when the time comes...." Raidou's eyes flare crimson red and he draws a line across his throat with his thumb, denoting the grim meaning behind the result of such a study.

[Mari 1]

"If I had scrubbed him...."

"Nothing would have changed, Rai. Except the fact that you would have robbed him of a chance of truly, and I mean truly working toward a change." She watched as he picked up his broken pair of glasses, this set - to no fault of her own. Mayhaps, they would stop breaking if he had a pair for her smaller head, anything he would wear simply slid off her own. She listened to him talk about the Elven bread and Mari was glad she didn't outright take a large chunk from it.

It was to get your attention

Mari snorted, "Well. It worked. I do admit, parts of me questioned how much of yourself was in control - but, to be fair, I was barely holding it together either." Raidou was right...she wasn't sure what Lancaster would have done if he thought the Faceless Lord intended to harm Mari. Actually....no...she knew. Because Mari's reaction, whilst less brash wold have been the same. Mari listened to Raidou's words quietly, how easy it was to talk to him now...she wished she had that a few years ago. "I'm sure you've already seen the changes in him, Rai - he's not as quick to anger....he takes his time with things. well...most things. He's even trying to make outings - Did you see him at that beach event?" A warmth to Mari's smile as she recalled his attempt. VIncent had been so terribly uncomfortable but an attempt was made. More than enough for Mari.
 

"-become a judge. Weigh them, find out if they are human or a monster. You're more then smart enough to make that call."

Mari...didn't regret what she did because ....she was angry, and hurt. Those people essentially betrayed not only her morals but her trust. "When I...first came back from my reprieve, I had people like Baldur take me under his wing. People like Shield and Beat." She'd let her thumbs graze over the rim of her cup. "You know....back then I carried so much guilt, and so much pressure to do better. I wanted to die."  Something she didn't admit often, it was hard to do. Even to people like Raidou. Who was fully aware of her mindset.  "I was told to suck it up. The only way I could atone for the lives I took was to forge ahead and ignore myself. And - we both know what that lead to..."

Her imprisonment. Two years alone, away from the world in a dark and dank place. With her only reprieve been the ill omen in red...ironic really...

"Being alone like that...gave me so much time to realize I shouldn't hold so much guilt. Many of those lives, I had been defending myself, or others. For so long I had been forcing myself to see a world of black and white, when my own world was steeped in shades of uh grey, I guess?" 

Mari paused to rip a piece of the bread off, only a small piece, chewing it. Swallowing. "THen....Freyd was so set on having me act a certain way too. He was one of the few people who believed in me, but since that day I've been rattled. I see now our ideals are different. He treats every person as something precious - like I once did. But now...." A pause and swallow. "Now I know. Some people cannot and do not deserve that." Her eyes, tired as they were stared up at Raidou with a determined resolution. 

"I used to say I'd be the monster so those I care about can live, a cancer that infected Aincrad - but - Now, I simply think I'm more like an antibody. Or, in your words - sure. " 

Mari raised her coffee mug to Raidou with a tilt of her head. "I'll be the Arbiter of the Faceless Lord."