[CLOSED] The Hidden Cure

[Kaori]

"The trees have ears...we can't take our chances" ☒ @anyone ✐ 000 ✉ Kaori Lv1

Availability: Open to anybody, 2 slots open, will reply to self every 24 hours if no one answers.  Location: Smog hangs low in the eerily lit forest. The path ahead is hard to see with thick brambles and twisting branches.     It seemed as if she had been walking for years. The mist was so thick that she would slowly place her feet on the earthy floor feeling for any tree roots or brambles. A howl echoed through the forest and her hairs on the back of her neck prickled. This place gave her the creeps...she shook it off. Being quite fed up with her unfruitful search, she sat down on a tree trunk and fiddled with her spear. Perhaps she had been tipped off by the wrong information?      You see, she was on a quest. She had been in Horunka and seen a woman sobbing in the center of the square. Kaori did a little fist pump. There's got to be a quest there. Nevertheless, this NPC was crying, so she'd better show some respect. "Are you okay?" she earnestly asked. She was right; there was a quest involved.     The woman's little daughter had been suffering from a parasitic disease which could only be ridden with a brew made from the ovules of a Little Nepent's flower. Unfortunately, Little Nepents that actually spawned with this flower were rare. She had heard of this rare monster being in the forest, but evidently she had not had much success thus far. The quest had been quite well heard of around town so players had become paring up in three's. Kaori, not knowing anyone there, decided that she might as well try, so off she went into the forest.

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[Relsialle]

" Sometimes things are more fun with your life on the line…" ☒ @kaori ✐ 000 ✉ If a Relsialle falls in the forest... Relsialle Lv1 Relsialle blinked a bit, her eyes narrowing in a bid to see anything through the thick fog bank that had descended on the place. Her fingers were resting on her blade, not so much the relaxed stance that she normally took when she walked, but more of a heightened sense of awareness that was required due to the situation she had found herself in. She had been sleeping that morning, the tree branches offering just enough darkness during the day and the ambient sounds of the forest to offer one of the more comfortable places to rest in the game for her. The thief shook her head as she regretted her decision to rest a while longer, this dreaded fog greeting her when she had awaken. She considered dropping into stealth mode for the time being, but ultimately decided against it, needing all of her senses to find herself out of this mess…not to mention the fog kept her hidden as well as she ever could do on her own. The loud crash of the Irish woman hitting the ground shattered that illusion rather quickly, with several colorful curse words and rants leaving her mouth in her thick accent as her face impacted the ground. The rogue could imagine the root she tripped on laughing at her, forcing her to clench her teeth as her face throbbed from the impact. Relsialle stood up quickly, looking around to see if anyone had seen her embarrassment out of reflex, the girl reaching down to dust of the few twigs and leaves from her newbie clothing.

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[Kaori]

"The trees have ears...we can't take our chances" ☒ relsialle ✐ 000 ✉ Kaori Lv1

THUD!!! A distinct rustle of leaves sounded through the bare trees to the ears of the restless teen. Kaori cautiously stood up, eyes gleaming with anticipation. Could it be? She brushed back her emerald hair. Finally, things were working in her favor. Seizing her spear, she peered attentively behind the trunk making an effort to remain unseen. Perhaps the thick fog could be used to discreetly attack this unsuspecting creature. Still, with her vision as clouded as this a swift critical hit would be near to impossible. She observed her surroundings desperately trying to muster up a strategy. Maybe she could...I mean, it was rather far-fetched, but worth a try. A silhouette could just be made out alongside a twisting oak. What was the worst that could happen?     Clambering up the ancient tree, the young girl climbed higher and higher above the fog, resembling a wobbly spider battling against the uneven surface. The targeted branch was just a couple feet away, so using her <<Acrobatics Skill>> she threw her body towards it, embedding her fingers into the grooves of the bark. Then with a strong swing, she was perched right above her prey, ready to strike.     Just before pouncing, she noticed something peculiar. Is that....pink? Her eyes focused onto the creature. It's like a...a weird cotton candy monster. Puzzled, she began to reason with herself. Well, you've never seen a Little Nepent before, but it doesn't look like a plant. She leaned forward. I just need a better look.  She bent over further. Just a bit more. Her hand slipped. "Eeeek!" Clawing her hand into the bark, she managed to not fall. Crap! Could it have notices?

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[Relsialle]

" Sometimes things are more fun with your life on the line…" ☒ @kaori             ✐ 000 ✉ The hunt begins! Relsialle Lv1 (-2 HP: Enviromental Damage!) Relsialle blinked as she saw her HP bar reflect a -2 due to environmental damage…it seemed that the game didn’t forgive her clumsy travels as much as the world did. The girl shook her head, the mass of bright pink locks swaying side to side as she cursed her misstep. “If it weren’t for that fucking root and this fucking fog, I would be out of here by now!” The girl cursed, letting off another loud and colorful expletive fueled rant, followed by a loud growl, reminiscent of a spoiled teenage girl throwing a tantrum. The thief sighed a moment, finally forgiving herself from her carelessness and calming herself, finally picking off the last leaf that clung to her thigh and tossing it into the air, the object fluttering a moment before settling to the forest floor. The girl looked up suddenly, hearing the sounds of bark scraping above her, her sky-blue eyes darting from branch to branch in an effort to spot the red diamond of a hostile monster. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, the normally relaxed and fun-loving girl quickly changing into the street-wise young woman that lay underneath her carefully crafted demeanor. She lacked any sort of detection skill, a choice that seemed to haunt her numerous times despite her own antagonistic relationship with it since the very idea of it put her stealth mastery in question. The Irishwoman dropped down into a low stance, drawing her weapon…her avatar fading in the darkness that the shadow of the forest provided, her stealth skill activating just for safety’s sake, leaving her ready for whatever stalked her.

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[Kaori]

"The trees have ears...we can't take our chances" ☒ relsialle ✐ 000 ✉ Kaori Lv1

Damn it! Whatever had been there had completely disappeared. If only she had just trusted her instincts and jumped. Now there was a definite danger lurking among the suspicious shadows. Kaori scolded herself, grabbing the roots of her hair in frustration. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her. 'Curiosity is what killed the cat' seemed ironically realistic at this point.      What was certain is she couldn't stay here forever. The mysteries of the fog were a one-way trip to hell and staying until it cleared wasn't a chance she'd take. She would rather fight for her life than wait for disaster, so the girl nimbly leapt off the branch. As she dropped from the safety of trees, she felt herself being once more engulfed by the suffocating mist. Kaori coughed and squinted her eyes. Her spear served as a blind man's cane as she tottered around."Fog, you are really pissing me off," she muttered to herself.       The spear hit something. These stupid brambles! She prodded her spear at it and then felt whatever ever it was move. Her eyes sharpened. "Whatever you are, I will defeat you!," she roared.

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[Relsialle]

" Sometimes things are more fun with your life on the line…" ☒ @kaori ✐ 000 ✉ *seeing stars* Relsialle Lv1 Relsialle breathed deep in the mist, the humidity clearing her lungs…She turned her head quickly in the direction of the crash of branches and the sudden eventual thud of Kaori landing nearby. The ever present mist made getting a lock on whoever or whatever it was nearly impossible, the girl crouching down and hoping for an opening, or at least a small chance of springing her trap. Whatever it was, it was close…the sounds of muffled speech nearly on top of her, the blasted fog thick enough to obscure even her own dagger in front of her face. Out of nowhere, she would be seeing stars… WHACK!!! The wood of the spear impacting the back of her head…”Bloody Hell!” The girl cussed suddenly, reaching back to rub where the shaft of the weapon impacted, stinging her prior wounds and her pride deeply. “Fucking careful with that damn thing!” The punk rocker raged, her Irish accent emphasizing the curse words dramatically, the young woman clenching her teeth, waving her hands up in down comically. Relsialle’s avatar suddenly appeared from stealth, fading back in with a soft crescendo. She held her head a moment, rubbing the impact sight, turning to the direction from where she was hit…The thief now glared at Kaori, looking like a furious cat about to pounce. (-0 HP, Non-Lethal Damage!) The alert appeared above her head, the green icon now clearly in view. Kaori would see a young woman raging furiously, sporting a drawn dagger and newbie armors. She appeared to be several years older than her but with long bright pink hair and a tattoo, all of which clearly made her look younger with an alternative flair.

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[Kaori]

"The trees have ears...we can't take our chances" ☒ relsialle ✐ 000 ✉ Kaori Lv1

It was a woman. A woman with bright pink hair raging in the midst of the fog. This was so much scarier than a monster. She was afraid that steam would come hissing out of the young woman's nose she looked so angry. God, maybe Kayaba Akihiko was playing some sick joke on her. Kaori withdrew her spear and nervously laughed. She tried to formulate a decent sentence about how she had thought the lady was a monster. The girl tried to say some words, but stumbled on what she should address the seemingly Irish woman as. The woman looked younger and older than her at the same time. NOTHING IS MAKING SENSE, she screamed in her head. Come on just apologize.       She eventually sputtered out some words. It came out as a line of gibberish with the phrases "thought were monster" and "I'm sorry" and "on quest". God, I'm being such a git. I mean, I did slightly hit her, but still I didn't know.

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[Relsialle]

" Sometimes things are more fun with your life on the line…" ☒ @kaori ✐ 000 ✉ Stabby Stabby ^_^ Relsialle Lv1 Relsialle ranted for a few more painful moments, most of which was clearly inaudible as her accent re-doubled, most of the words clearly not meant for young ears. She rubbed the bump on her head softly, before finally offering a sigh as she calmed herself, cursing the moment she decided to fall asleep in the forest. “God, what a day…I’m my own bloody worst enemy in this place…” The girl shook her head, finally taking the time to sheath her dagger, the metal of the weapon sliding into the scabbard with a soft click as the handguard tapped the cap on her belt. The Irishwoman turned once more to look at her reluctant assailant, narrowing her eyes once more before offering a deep breath to soothe her boiled-over fury. “Its fine sis…no harm done…just point that damn thing somewhere else ok?” The thief suggested, motioning to Kaori’s spear…finally resting her free hand on her hip, her left foot digging into the soft ground a bit to steady her stance for the time being. A dead leaf rolled up onto the side of her boot, the movement catching her attention before turning her bright blue eyes once more to her new-found acquaintance. She wasn’t aware of a quest in the area, news of which peaked her interest suddenly, evidenced by the lifting of her thin brow at the sudden ramblings of the terrified teenager. “Trust me girlly…if I were a monster you would have way more troubles…” The young woman said confidently, allowing a reassuring smile to escape her before reaching up to straighten her bright pink locks, matted slightly from the humidity and reflexively nursing her wound only moments before. “Seeing as how you go around knocking people in the head…I’d say you owe me then…” The thief added with a snide grin, her tone obviously teasing, “So what’s this about an area quest?”

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[Kaori]

"The trees have ears...we can't take our chances" ☒ relsialle ✐ 000 ✉ Kaori Lv1

What on earth? Things had escalated incredibly quickly and then de-escalated in half the time. Kaori had a feeling this woman was a roller coaster wrapped up into a spunky Irish woman. It must be so freeing to just blurt out whatever you like, she thought to herself. Her face beamed as her muscles gradually relaxed from the previous tension.      She began to answer the strange woman's question. "Well, it's a popular one from Horunka. The quest, I mean, and players are really psyched since the tasks seem very difficult to complete from what I've heard, so the pay-off has to be pretty good. Why would anyone else bother otherwise? You have to get a flower off of a Little Nepent. Most people have been going to the plains, but I figured that with so many other players I would barely stand a chance all by myself, so I came here since not many dare to venture into the forest. I probably should have seen that as a red flag and all this damn fog is definitely getting on my nerves," she exclaimed with exasperation. Just get to the point, you've irritated her enough as it is.      "It's a special medicine for an NPC's daughter that I'm looking for. Anyways, I didn't even introduce myself. Name's Kaori."

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[Relsialle]

" Sometimes things are more fun with your life on the line…" ☒ @kaori ✐ 000 ✉ We're all crazy here! Relsialle Lv1 Relsialle bounced slowly on the pads of her boots, her aching head seeming to sooth just enough for her previous energy to return, her brightly colored bangs moving with her. The prospect of another quest gave her a moment’s comfort knowing that it would serve to keep her away from the dreaded grind for a few hours longer, and in particular Kaori seemed intent on completing her goal rather than dropping it at a moment’s difficulty. The thief lifted a thin finger to her lips, playing as if she was pondering her next move…almost exaggerating the gesture…but mentally one could tell she was counting out the future coins that such a quest would net her, the dollar signs clearly marked in her crystalline eyes. The Irishwoman nodded sternly to herself, “I haven’t heard of it…at least not yet, but I can say that I haven’t spotted one of those creatures…so they must be pretty few and far between…” She added, offering a slow blink to the teen, finally allowing her face to shift into a warm smile, “No telling with this fog though, blasted weather changed on me right when I woke up…” The punk rocker continued, hinting at her recent nap, finally lifting her hands over her head in quick stretch, her shoulder joints popping audibly. She dipped her head slightly in greeting, extending a hand to the younger woman prompted by Kaori’s introduction, “Nice you meet ya…call me Relsialle…and as long as you promise to keep the pointy end of that thing away from me for a while longer, I wouldn’t mind helping you find your creature…” The girl said with a blink, her accent still flavoring her words, her tone almost musical in its ebbs and flows, her hand motioning to the girl’s spear that served to introduce them…

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[Kaori]

"The trees have ears...we can't take our chances" ☒ relsialle ✐ 000 ✉ Kaori Lv1

Kaori shook her new acquaintance's hand tilting her head to expose her neck flashing her black tribal tattoo. She'd better toughen up after that embarrassing introduction. Stop kidding yourself. You only got that tattoo to scare Mum... The girl recalled those tedious days where her mother would pretend everything was normal except she would never speak to her, apart from yes and no. Perhaps she reminded her of her dad. In a cry for help, Kaori snuck out one night grabbing £200 from her mother's purse and headed for the nearest tattoo parlor. Her mother was furious the next day, yelling and shrieking. Still they talked for the next few days and that was pretty sweet. You're far away from that now, it's all good. She grimaced. I can't think that way and stay in this game forever.         The teen snapped out of her bubble of thought. Relsaille seemed like the perfect companion to track down the Little Nepenthes. "If my spear gets near you, you have full permission to slap me or I'll just buy you a drink or I-- I mean, I'll just owe you," she babbled on. "I haven't had much success in this area, but as I came down here I saw a tall peak. If we climbed up there, we could spot the creature."

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[Relsialle]

" Sometimes things are more fun with your life on the line…" ☒ @kaori ✐ 000 ✉ notes Relsialle Lv1 Relsialle chuckled as she caught sight of the black tattoo, her sharpened features softening as she mulled over the English girl for a moment, finally shaking her head. Kaori almost reminded Relsialle of her youth, the lost nervousness and lack of confidence, not to mention the cries for help that society refused to answer for the most part. The thief blinked a moment shifting an eyebrow at the girl’s babbling speech, offering a wide grin of her own as the Irishwoman snapped out of her own delve into memory…almost like her…almost… The thief nearly burst out laughing as Kaori suggested the series of consequences for any other weapon mishaps, the bump on her head occasionally throbbing from the reminder of the events occurring only minutes before. “Naa, I wouldn’t worry about that sis…any more bumps on my head from you and you’ll be walking back to Tolbana broke…” The Irish woman said, a giggle escaping her, her tone just serious enough to keep the teen guessing as to the nature of the threat... The older girl blinked a moment as she looked up in the distance, not aware of any nearby mountain, especially given the plains aesthetic of the first floor. Relsialle shrugged, knowing that there was too much that she hadn’t seen yet, flicking her wrist to the side to pull up the darkened outline of her map, mulling over the blank spots with a serious look glazing over her crystalline eyes. She smiled finally, breaking the sudden tension that seemed to settle over her, swishing her thin wrist to the side to close the map, “Well then sounds like a good bit of fun...shall me step off?”

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[Kaori]

"The trees have ears...we can't take our chances" ☒ relsialle ✐ 000 ✉ Kaori Lv1

The two girls had been walking for a while. The fog was thinning slightly and Kaori was keeping her eye out for the the peak she had passed earlier. Well, it was more of a mound than a peak. Perhaps some players had accidentally knocked down the trees in a fight or maybe it was intentional, but there was now a tall hill of broken trunks and dry mud.      When they arrived, Kaori immediately began climbing the somewhat unstable structure, carefully balancing her weight. The top was not too far off and there was already an overhead view of the black forest.        It was refreshing to gaze at the beautiful scenery, the mist floating through the tree tops. "You know, sometimes I forget it's all a game..." The girl's sea-green eyes widened in wonder. Not too far from the mound, there seemed to be a pack of Little Nepenthes just visible under the fog.

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[Relsialle]

" Sometimes things are more fun with your life on the line…" ☒ @kaori ✐ 000 ✉ *party invite* Relsialle Lv1 Relsialle’s feet ached as she spent the last several miles dodging holes and the occasional root that attempted to repeat the events of earlier. Her HP gauge had long regenerated, but it was her pride that bared the brunt of her mishap, not to mention Kaori’s zealousness…all of which make the side of her forehead ache none the less…even if the symptoms were purely psychosomatic. She was thankful that the fog was beginning to lift, the heat of the day finally taking hold to dry up the ambient moisture that hung in the air. Beams of sunlight drifted in through the holes in the black forest’s canopy, giving the place an almost ethereal quality, a vision that brought a soft-hearted smile to the young woman’s sharp features. “I think we all forget from time to time…Life is meant to be enjoyed, even if our life is now here for the moment…” The girl mused, seemingly in response to Kaori, her philosophical nature appearing just as sudden as her presence did. Her crystal eyes turned as she observed the large hill that Kaori had lead them to, rolling her eyes at the memory of the girl’s mention of it being a mountain, snapping her out of her existentialist musings. “Well, some mountain…” The thief teased playfully, lifting her foot to prod and one of the larger tree branches that appeared to be rotting away on the damp grass. The Irishwoman looked up, catching the movement of the green icons signaling the presence of Kaori’s monsters, a smile gracing her features as their now shared goal appeared to be in sight. (Little Nepenthes L1– 20 HP) (Little Nepenthes L1– 20 HP) (Little Nepenthes L1– 20 HP) A flick of her thin fingers opened up her console, rapidly tapping out a party invite to her younger counterpart, “Can’t have you getting the whole reward can we?” Relsialle asked with a wink, the party invite flashing its presence in front of Kaori.

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[Kaori]

"The trees have ears...we can't take our chances" ☒ relsialle ✐ 000 ✉ Kaori Lv1

Kaori let out a chuckle due to Relsaille's cheekiness. "No, that wouldn't be fair," she assured smiling. "But I'm not holding back. When it comes to monsters, I won't back down from a good brawl." She tapped the accept button for the party request. "I guess it's time to get down to business." A buzz of sheer energy spread through her body, her fingers tapping on her spear.  The girl impatiently scampered down the tall hill of rotting trees, tumbling off of it in a poof of dust. Be careful, dimwit. Save your HP for later!      Her feet felt the pounding vibrations of the creatures. She believed they were heading for the mound. Out from the spidery branches and shrubs, appeared the three towering beasts.      The fuck, she voiced in her mind in astonishment. She knew that they were plant monster, but their images were absurd. They were gruesome monstrosities with coiling roots for feet covered in the grime of the forest. Their bodies were bulging white root-like things, but it was their mouths that were most peculiar of all: massive human lips painted with rouge with chomping white teeth in between. Seriously, were they high when they designed this plant thing!? I mean, it's terrifying, that's for sure, but it's just so...weird.     Kaori had recalled there being at least three beasts, but only two were present and neither of them had red flowers atop their heads. One did have a ripe looking fruit on its head, but either way, they were going down. The spirited teen hoisted her spear above her head and with a war-like charge and a flying kick, she vigorously slashed the monster. She retreated quickly by springing off of the creature's protuberant belly, skidding into landing.

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