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Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason)

"Tenkou mitsuru tokoro ni ware wa ari, yomi no mon hiraku tokoro ni nanji ari..."

0 · 2,027 views · located in Chapter 5 - Stolen and united

a character in “Antiva Chronus Online”, as played by Asher MstrImmortalis

Description

Nickname: The Voice of Treason
Real name: Asher Damons
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Appearance: Asher is white skinned, 5”11’, and has short black hair with blue eyes. He has a slight muscle build, but still slim. He is normal weight, maybe 100 lbs. In real life, he usually wears blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a black hoodie, whilst listening to his music on his iPhone10 with headphones. In the game, his eyes become icy blue, and his hair turns white and a little longer, kind of like Dante Sparda’s hairdo.
Personality: Asher is friendly to all and hostile to enemies. Asher loves his friends and likes to keep them close. He would protect those important to him with his life, is necessary. Asher isn't the wisest or the smartest, but he is still above average. You won't see him boasting about it, though. In fact, Asher isn’t one to be in the spotlight, or become a leader. However, he can teach people, and if he can’t help it, lead a group.
How Asher fights is simple: Lay back and be in defense to analyze the enemy. Then, Asher would adapt to pick on the weaknesses of said enemy. Asher isn’t one to charge in and barrage. In fact, Asher only uses 3 skills before going back on defense. Because of his skill, Asher can easily counter attacks, and he won’t make a mistake (usually). Unless you can trick him up, Asher is not going to fall for a little deception. Asher prefers faster and weaker spells than stronger yet slower spells, so he can be able to cast multiple spells in succession.
Asher has a calm attitude most of the time. Being a black belt, it’s hard to piss him off. Asher loves to be around his friends, and he loves to have a friendly duel.
Real Life:
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In-Game:
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Biography: Asher had a normal life until he was locked inside the game. He went to school, became an above average student, went to high school, and enrolled into all the honor classes. Asher also took martial arts. Currently, he is a 1st degree black belt as well as an instructor in his school. All in all, he was pretty much an average Joe.
Asher liked to try new things from time to time. That included video games, especially the β€œInsitus Gear.” However, Asher never let the game take over his life, unlike most people. He was deeply saddened by the fact that most of the students in the martial arts academy were too sucked into the gaming system. When the new Insitus Gear came out, Asher finally bought it along with the Antiva Chronus, just to curb his curiousity in the game. However, he too was trapped in the game, like every other player.
Asher was… well, disturbed that all this was happening because of the people being sucked into the game so much. He hoped that the person who did this will rot in hell, and that justice will be served for all the people who died in this game. Asher is surprisingly calm about it (then again, he was always calm), and has a lot of determination to beat the game with all the closest people to him in this game.

His username came from the fact that Asher has a very persuasive voice. One time he was able to disband a club, and the leader branded him "Voice of Treason." Instead of taking it as an insult, Asher kept it as a personal "title." It stuck around, so Asher used the title as his username.

Equipment:
Mysterious Cloak: Asher wears this to conceal his equipped weapons and belongings. It’s hard for bandits and thieves to get anything valuable from him because of this cloak, and overly-confident newbies won’t know what to expect when they challenge him.
Bladed Sheathe: A normal sheathe, but made of strong material. It’s sharpened to act like a sword. However, it’s also sheathed in another layer, so that anyone holding it wouldn’t cut open their hands. Asher uses this with his skill, second later or not. The second layer is more fit for defense. The sharp layer is more fit for offense. Any new challenger wouldn’t see the second β€œblade” coming.
Raven Wings: Black wings that sprout from the user's back without damaging any clothes that it might normally pierce. Only used for decoration.
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Darkened Dawn: A black and red scythe that Asher uses sometimes for long reach and to get through the defenses of enemies.
Blazor Edge Abyssion
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Element: Fire
Atk: 1250
M. Atk: 750
Special Ability: It slightly raises the attack stat of the user depending on how many enemies he/she had killed whilst equipped.

The Devil's Eye Blade

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Attack: 2750
Magic Attack: 3000
Description: A blade hated by many humans because of it's unique ability to allow the user to quickly memorize the skills of his/her opponent and use it back at them. While it isn't evil in itself, people still shunned it for being too much of a nuisance when facing it in battle. It can seperate into two seperate swords, and comes with it's own sheathe.
Special Ability: Allows the user to have up to 3-5 slots to copy an opponent's skill- depending on the level of the weapon. The skill must be seen and used in battle by the opponent, and the user must meet necessary requirements to use said skill. It currently cannot copy passive abilities.
Copying more abilities than the sword can handle would result in deleting a previously copied skill.

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(Costume also includes a Fedora)
Dark Enforcer Armour
A set of clothing, thick and durable. It used to be worn by a lone vigilante who went after higher-ups who abused their power. It is said that the want for justice of the original wearer flows through the current wearer.
Defense: 1500
M. Defense: 1250
Resistance: Darkness
Weakness: Light

Magic abilities:
(Added in Chapter 1:)
Fireball: Basic fire spell. Four words
Chant: Burn by my hand!
Wind Blade: Command the wind to strike in front of the user like it was a sword. Basic wind spell. 7 words.
Chant: The silent breeze will cut you down!
Icicle Rain: Basic ice spell. 7 words.
Chant: Rain down frigid wrath upon thy enemy!
Eruption: Cause flames to erupt from the ground in a small area. Basic Fire spell. 7 words.
Chant: May hell rise up and take you.
First Aid: Basic Healing spell. 3 words.
Chant: Healing Power come!
Indignation: Ultimate lightning spell. 23 words (plus some unnecessary wording; Currently locked because of the level reset.)
Chant: I, standing in the full light of the heavens, call upon thee who opens the gates of hell! Thy Lord’s wrath, come! Indignation!
(Added in Chapter 2)
Critical Heart Break: Send lightning at the opponent in a form of a spear. If it hits the chest area, 1.75x damage. Intermediate lightning spell. 8 Words.
Chant: β€œFeel your heart beat for the last time…”
(Added in Chapter 3:)
Scarlet Sign: Nightless Castle: Slam the ground, creating a flame that takes the shape of a cross when viewed from the right angle and distance. Intermediate fire spell. 12 words.
Chant: β€œWhen the stars no longer exist, and the eternal sun draws near…”
Bloody Howling: Chant and open a gate to darkness. A beast within roars, and enemies near the gate become paralyzed and get damaged. Intermediate Dark Spell. 11 words.
Chant: Oh roar that shakes the very foundations of the earth, resound!
Absolute: Call on an iceberg to appear via flash-freeze. Advanced ice spell. 15 words.
Chant: Rest in a merciless embrace, and freeze from a hell colder than the devil himself.
(Added in Chapter 4:)
Royal Flare: Advanced fire spell. Creates a giant ball of fire that can be thrown at the enemy. Can separate into multiple fireballs as well. 22 words.
Chant: See the great power of an inferno, condensed into a giant ball of flame! Let’s see you try and come out unscathed…


Special abilities:
Passive:
(Added in Chapter 1:)
Sword-Sheath: Allows the player to wield a sheath in battle, and thus use it as a companion to a sword.
Scythe-Wielder: Allows the user to fight with a scythe. It cannot be dual wielded.
Mana Blade: Allows the player to combine magical attacks with physical attacks at full power. Some of the attack is changed to combine the magic and physical skills.
Close Combat: Allows the player to fight with his/her hands or feet. Asher uses this in combination with the scythe, sword, sword-sheathe, and magic.
(Added in Chapter 2:)
Endangered Threat: When the health bar is lower than half, physical and magical attack strength is raised.
Regenerate: Automatically heal over time.
(Added in Chapter 3:)
Survival Tactic: Deception: When health bar is lower than a third, defense is raised for physical and magical attacks.
Critical Moment: When health bar is lower than a quarter, critical rate rises by 10%
Survival Tactic: Pressured Strategist: When health is lower than a quarter, intelligence is raised.
Survival Instincts: When health bar is lower than one tenth, all stats are doubled. Does not stack upon other skills that raise stats from low health.
(Added in Chapter 4:)
Dual Wield: Gives the player the ability to wield two swords.
Devil's Eye: Plagiarism: Gives the user the ability to mimc a limited number of skills.

Active:
(Added in Chapter 1:)
Devil Lance (Sword only): Throw the sword into the air, then jump and kick the sword so it flies straight at the enemy.
Soul Harvest (Scythe only): Spin the scythe in a 360 motion.
Tempest: Front flip midair many times and slash the enemy.
Tempest Reversal: Back flip midair many times and slash the enemy upward with each flip. (Shorter range, but more damage compared to Tempest)
Assault Slash: Jump high into the air and slam your weapon down into the ground. Works best with scythes. Also works best on downed enemies.
Savage Wolf Fury: User suddenly moves extremely fast around the enemy, and slashes multiple times before landing a final hit. (Locked from level reset)
(Added in Chapter 2:)
Ghost Wolf: Quickly dash through the target and slash from behind.
Heavenly Tempest: Send the target high into the air and slash it upwards in a multi-hit combo. Then, horizontally spin-slash at the enemy and send it back down to earth with a final slash.
(Added in Chapter 3:)
Roundtrip: Throw the currently equipped weapon at the opponent. The weapon spins and orbit around the target to slash it. The user can equip another weapon and attack the enemy while the first weapon orbits the target. The user can also throw another weapon in his inventory, and attack with the currently equipped weapon.
Guardian Field: Stab the ground and make a magic circle, causing any allies in it to heal and enemies to become damaged.
Shining Dragon Swarm: Spin the weapon on the user’s hand, slashing the enemy. Then, make a downward-slash-spin-hook-kick-repeat combo.
Clearing of the Six Senses: The user clears out all worldly distractions of taste, sight, smell, feel, hearing, and thought. The user concentrates on slashing at the opponent without thought, only acting on instinct. The user slashes at very high speeds, running around the target. The path in which the user would leave a glowing lotus shaped-mark on the ground. Then, the user sends the target sky-high, and slams him/her/it down. The lotus disappears on the impact of the sword. It takes a lot to get out of that state once the skill ends, and even more to stay in the state the user should be in to use the skill.
Savage Wolf Fury: The user circles around the enemy. Occasionally, the user slashes at the enemy. The user gets progressively faster and more aggressive. Eventually, the user slashes one after the other from different directions, just being one image of when he/she slashes. The user finally ends with a final five hit slash. Also, it is the only non-mana blade skill to have an incantation. 20 words.
Chant: O brilliant blade as cold as steel, rend the infinite darkness and crush my enemies to nothing, Savage Wolf Fury!
(Added in Chapter 4:)


Close Combat Skills
Windmill: Spin and kick every enemy surrounding the user. Easy to use, hard to master.
Drop Kick: Jump, flip, and force all your energy into your feet, and send it at the enemy through a drop kick.
Somersault Kick: Spin three times, kicking the enemy in different target areas. The user’s foot is engulfed in flames.
(Added in Chapter 3:)
Shoryuken: A reference to a former famous video game character. Jump spinning flame uppercut
Respite: Rest a little bit in battle, recovering a little bit of health and mana.


Mana Blade Skills:
Blaze Dragon: Jump high into the air and slam your weapon into the ground. The flames that rise up form a dragon rising from the ground. 7 words.
Chant: Face the burning rage of the dragon!
Indignation Judgment (Sword only): 5 slashes, then throw the sword above the target. The sword comes down moments later, charged with lightning, as well as several bolts of lightning itself. 28 words. (Locked form Level Reset)
Chant: I, who stand in the full light of the heavens, call upon thee who openeth the gates of hell! Come forth divine lightning! Receive your judgment mortal sinner!
Grand Cross: The user charges an opponent, and does a slash through the enemy using the momentum. The user leaves a trail of light. The user then drops from the sky and does a slash that makes a light trail that intercepts the first trail. The trails make a cross, with the enemy in the center. The user, still dropping from the sky, stabs the enemy and the cross, causing an aura of light to rise and damage the enemy even more. 24 words.
Chant: Oh holy power, grant me your strength! Aid me in my battles, and help me to win over my enemy, no matter the adversary!

Other Skills:
Blacksmithing: Rank 2
First Aid: Rank 1
Cooking: Rank D
(Note: This is going by Mabinogi Rankings. F, D, C, B, A, then 9 to 1. F is the lowest, 1 is the highest.)

Extra:
Theme Song:Emiya- Guitar Version

So begins...

Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason)'s Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Kahlan Yuzuriha Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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With his one job of charging in to clear the path with all the <<Helpers>> attention on him, everyone had taken major advantage of it, pulling out incredibly flashy moves from their arsenal, Kahlan her shining finger sword, <<Aeon>>, Marius his <<Lightning Dervish>> that he yelled out rather loudly, the vermillion girl with <<Phantasmic Killer>> cutting and crippling all <<Helpers>>, Refa, finally revealing herself threw in a relentless strike at <<Santa>> that was just incredible, Asher himself finished off the <<Boss>> with a devastating combo. Instantly, their screen popped up with the rewards from the victory and the <<EXP>> they gained was tremendous. For once, Shineda felt a little jealous that he still didn't have a <<Unique Combat Skill>> of his own...

Sheathing his Katana with the traditional samurai way, he conjured up his inventory and peered at it for a short while before finally nodding. He prodded an item and <<Crossing Field>> was replaced by <<Burning Heart>>, a blazing sword in his hands. He gave it a few swings and was satisfied with the balance. After all... it was a sword he, the only proper <<Weaponsmith>> crafted out of rare items. With bonus stats from his expertise, the sword was utter perfection, and yet...

"Hey." he tossed the sword over to the red haired Refa and <<Crossing Field>> reappeared again, strapped to his waist. "Keep it... I didn't really need it, and it suits you anyway."

"...It was a good fight." he bowed to the other <<Players>>, before disbanding from the party with a few prods. "I'm off."

He wanted to go check up on the kid, after all... he promised him. He departed, a fairly relaxed atmosphere settling around him. Peace... for now.

(OOC: Damn, ignore Sil. I accidentally tagged Sil.)

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Kahlan Yuzuriha Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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#, as written by Ageha
After Refa's strikes, the player with name The Voice of Treason had successfully finished off the poor fat Santa. A prize window popped up showing that Refa had earned quite an amount of EXP and an evolving item. At first girl was excited but the instant she read item's description she froze up. "What the hell?! IS Yoshihiro mocking me!" Refa thought to herself as she quickly closed item window. There's no way she is ever going to use something so bizarre! Not in this game at least.

"Hey," The Shadow Rival suddely tossed sword over to Refa. "Keep it... I didn't really need it, and it suits you anyway."

Carefully she picked up the sword called "Burning Heart" which was far more impressive than any sword Refa has ever seen. It seemed that the flame itself was living in this sword. And no wonder, as Refa checked closer, she found out that sword was forged from <<Cerberus>> materials. Refa chuckled to herself a replaced Fire Dragon Sword with Burning Heart. It made her feel like Fire Queen, like all the flames would listen only to her.

"...It was a good fight," he bowed to the others, before disbanding from the party. "I'm off."

He wanted to leave again, but Refa won't let it be that way. "Great fight, everyone! I must go now as well! See ya all later!" Refa quickly waved and followed The Shadow Rival into Pine Forest. He's not getting away, not this time. With Kyuu-chan's help tracking him wasn't a problem even with his identity hiding cloak on.

"You're not going away alone this time!" Refa exclaimed as she finally caught up to him. "I promised to protect you so I'm going to do it! Like it or not, you're now stuck with me until we beat this game! And don't try to run or hide because Kyuu-chan will find you!" Red-head said with big smile that revealed little cheek dimples that can only be seen when she smiles. Those little cheek dimples were actually quite hard to get onto Refa, however she wanted to have something in common with her real self no matter what.

"I'm coming with you whenever it is you are going!" Girl confidently called out and showed yet another smile. Refa wasn't quite sure why she wanted to go with this guy, but somehow she knew it was the right choice. As if remembering she continued while awkwardly scratching her head. "Also could you please tell me your name? I've been calling you The Shadow Rival in my head for bit too long!"

The setting changes from Chapter 3 - Christmas to Chapter 1 - Beginning

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Kahlan Yuzuriha Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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#, as written by Mat_z6
So it was done. The "Victory!" window popped in front of her face and she brushed it away, deciding to deal with it later. Kahlan sheathed her sword and slowly made her way to the others, taking small careful steps still exhausted from fatigue. Though she had taken that fight WAY to seriously, she couldn't help it. It was a good fight none the less. As she stumbled into the group of players, it seemed like the spoils of war were being passed about as the cloaked boy threw the prize sword to Refa who gladly accepted it.

"...It was a good fight," he bowed to the others, before disbanding from the party. "I'm off."

Kahlan instantly frowned. He was just leaving? What was this. Suddenly a massive deja vu rocketed through her mind. Someone had said something like that before. It couldn't be. She shook her head. He couldn't just leave like that! Refa seemed to think the same as she made a quick farewell and ran off after him.

"That was an amazing fight everybody. Thank you. Sorry but I have to go as well. Meet me back at Pruina Marius and bring those two with you if they want. Drinks on me."

Kahlan took off after the two breathing hard. She still hadn't fully recovered and she struggled to get her bearings. Finally she caught up. Approaching the boy, she caught hold of his cloak.

"Oh no you don't. I'm not letting you two run off like that. First of all, you have no right to just go off like that without introducing yourself. Second, I want to talk to Refa. I haven't seen you in a whole year. You think I'm just going to let you speed off into the distance again without a friendly hello?"

The setting changes from Chapter 1 - Beginning to Chapter 3 - Christmas

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Kahlan Yuzuriha Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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Marius watched as Refa smashed into the boss with a speed that rivaled his own. She had certainly come a long way. Finally, the Voice of Treason finished the battle, as the victory screen appeared. Marius couldn't help but let out a laugh. Despite it being the most difficult and ridiculous boss fight yet, he couldn't help but feel good. After all, Marius played games for the challenge anyway. As the still cloaked figure headed off suddenly, Marius couldn't help but feel this was familiar some how. Suddenly, he had the sneaking suspicion of where he knew this guy before. Refa must have thought so to, as she ran after him before Marius could even get in a "Nice seeing you again."

Refa must have thought the same thing, and told him to meet her in Pruina for drinks. Marius would have followed after anyway, but two things held him back. First, he was sure Refa and Kahlan could set this guy straight without him. Secondly, if it was who Marius thought it was, Marius wasn't so sure he wanted to talk, as he hadn't entirely forgiven him for certain choice comments after the first boss fight. So instead, he nodded his head and replied to Kahlan "Fine, but only if I get to buy you one too. Give Refa my regards." As he turned around to address the other two, a sudden thought struck him. Marius hadn't steadily grouped with anyone in his time trapped in ACO. He had always gone from one group to the next, helping a variety of people. In the end, if there was one person he had met in ACO who he wanted to be partners with, it was Kahlan. On the spur of the moment, he turned back to Kahlan before she got to far away and called out, "Kahlan! You and I are officially partners in crime now. No buts! We can discuss it over drinks."

Turning back to the other two players he said, "Sorry about that. I don't think we have been properly introduced yet. A bit difficult to do that in the heat of battle. I'm Marius. So how about it? You guys up for some drinks?"

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Kahlan Yuzuriha Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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Canon watched excitedly as the rest of the group quickly moved in to attack the boss. Although she'd been preparing to jump in and assist with her own close-range skills, this was, evidently, unnesecary. One by one, the other <<Players>> began breaking out their best attacks. Although most were Sword Skills, one girl, who'd been cloaked before the fight, was actually using a flurry of her own creation, attacking with non-skill slashes that she simply seemed to make up on the spot, much like Canon had briefly done in the cavern where she'd lost her arm. Having attempted something similar before, she had to appreciate the girl's technique for doing so well. She didn't land many major hits, but she attacked with almost no delay between her strikes, seamlessly fusing blow after blow into an endless string of slashes and cuts. Canon had to wonder if she was a Kendo or Iajutsu practitioner in real life, although it would be rude to actually ask this. She seemed awfully skilled at swordfighting, in any case.

The one who dealt the finishing blow, however, was Asher, who broke out the same massive multi-hit, almost instantaneous combo he had attempted to use on her before. The <<Slash of Eternity>> was a powerful skill indeed, since it didn't seem to require the same high speed stats as her own combos - and, apparently, the combos of the legendary <<Blur,>> if his own attack just now was any indication - did, but it dealt just as much damage with just as much speed. The only way she'd found of blocking it was to plant swords around her to intercept each of Asher's slashes as he attempted to carve his magical sigil with the lines left by each stroke, then to counter with her own swords, using the knockback effect to delay her companion until he became visible. It was a technique she'd attempted several times, but had only succeeded at today. Even still, he'd blocked her <<Scarlet Soul>> afterward, and in mid-air, no less, with speed boosts and spells interspersed with the actual attacks... And now he'd finished off this difficult event boss so easily... Canon had to admit, she envied his incredible skill. Even she, with her countless swords, could never seem to keep up, although this might have just been her lack of any self-esteem speaking to her in a moment of doubt.

Speaking of her swords, she really needed to pick them up. The one Asher had tossed to her had landed next to her, so, sheathing her two active weapons, Tempest and Gale, she swiftly picked this up and deposited it in one of her throwing weapon slots, using a shortcut by sweeping out her haori and sliding the blade into it. Next, she had to go about the lengthy task of collecting the dozens of swords now stuck in the ground where the Helpers had once stood. Walking into this area, she decided it would be easier to pick up and re-equip them than it would be to pick them all up then re-equip them manually. So, one by one, she began gathering up her fallen swords, checking them for damage - so far, all seemed like they were fine - and then returning them to the inside of her seemingly bottomless haori.

Once this task was done, the loot window had appeared, and so she finally consulted it. When she did, a look of slight surprise came over her face, for there, as well as XP and several rare crafting items, was something she'd never seen before. A strange, golden object appeared in her hand, and gazing down, she realized after a few moments what exactly it was: a large, old-fashioned golden pocketwatch. Opening the item's stat window, she began to read.

Santa's Pocketwatch: So as to be able to deliver presents all across the world within a single night, Santa uses this. Although it's handy for telling time, it also has another function: that of a stopwatch. When the stopwatch is activated, time within ACO will stop. When the stopwatch is deactivated, time will begin to flow again. The stopwatch function begins at noon. Every minute, the clock's hand will advance another hour. Once a full revolution has been completed, and time has been stopped for twelve minutes, the item will be impossible to use again save as a means of telling time. In addition, the player's life bar will be depleted bit by bit while time is stopped. If the player stops time too frequently, or for too long, they will die.

An item that could stop time? It seemed impossible to believe. And yet, Canon couldn't help but be greatly amused by the prospects of using this item, even if it was quite obviously something that wasn't to be taken lightly. Stopping time... Hmm, the knives will be easy enough to come by, but where am I going to get a steamroller? I suppose I'll just have to use something similar instead. But the life depletion seems problematic. If I'm not careful, I might end up like Rolo. Eh, what am I even thinking? I'd be too embarrassed to do something like that, no matter how fun it would be. Maybe if I was alone...

Shaking her head slightly as though trying to rid herself of her inner anime fangirl, Canon quickly snapped back to reality. There would be time to ponder the possibilities of stopping time later, when there weren't so many people around. In any case, she was still a little curious about the watch, so, on a whim, she flipped it open and glanced down at it. At once, however, to her slight surprise, there was a quiet click, and a song began to quietly play, a small music box built into the face of the watch starting up the moment it was opened. Canon smiled happily. It was really a pretty song. Even discounting the watch's special ability, she already greatly liked the item.

Continuing to listen to the tune, she glanced about to the others, seeing what they were doing. It seemed the red-haired girl and the other cloaked player didn't want to stay - they were solo players, after all, so she supposed she wasn't entirely surprised. The others, however, seemed not to have left yet. Although they might just have been perusing their loot, preparing to go, one of them - the knight lady who had said her name was Kahlan - had asked for her name, and she'd have felt really rude if she had never introduced herself. But, on the other hand, what was with people always giving their real-world identities? Canon felt rather uncomfortable speaking about her own name. That old fear rose up within her. What if some of the people here somehow happened to know her? If she said her name was Kanna, then surely the almost identical appearance would allow them to realize who exactly they were speaking to. She didn't want to risk being mocked, in any case, so, closing the watch, she decided she'd just play it safe and use her ingame name. Turning her eyes - which were now purple once again - upon the other two players, she placed the watch in her inventory and, scratching her head nervously, she began to speak.

"E-erm, sorry about not answering you earlier. I g-guess I got a little caught up in the fight," She stammered, smiling sheepishly. The manner in which her personality had seemed to take a full 180 likely wouldn't be lost on them. Although she'd been confident, resolute, and even somewhat eager before, now she seemed like she wanted nothing more than to fade into the ground, or, barring that, to hide behind Asher and to let him handle the conversation. "I-I'm Canon. I-it's nice to meet you, Miss Kahlan!" She bowed sharply in a manner that made it look almost as though she'd been pushed, before rising nervously. Nothing more to say, she began to furtively glance toward her partner, hoping he'd break the silence when she was too shy to. Having attracted so much attention to herself, she wanted to get out of the spotlight, so to speak, as quickly as possible.

Fortunately for her, it seemed the others had no intention of staying, either, since the woman to whom she'd just spoken responded only with a hasty goodbye, then left to follow the others. This hurt Canon's feelings a bit, since it seemed a little like her introduction was being snubbed. But, she was used to people treating her like she didn't exist. She just sank down a little, and shuffled towards Asher' side, trying to hide how embarrassed she now was. The other player, however, to her surprise, seemed not to leave. Instead, he turned back to them, introduced himself, and invited them for drinks. She had to admit, it seemed tempting, although, she was a bit underage, actually. Even if it was a game, was it alright for her to drink alcohol? She decided not to comment, since she seemed to have messed up last time, and left it to Asher to answer the request, not wanting to seem rude by accepting without permission, or denying out of hand.

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Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Marius
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For a while now, Asher rested himself, on the floor with his eyes closed and his mind somewhere else. Asher was also looking at the spoils, trying to see what he had obtained from the recent victory. Asher was now probably one fight away from leveling up, and Asher had obtained a new title and armor: The Dark Enforcer. He also obtained a new weapons, an evolving weapon was it? Blazor Edge Abyssion.

Image
Blazor Edge Abyssion
Element: Fire
Atk: 1250
M. Atk: 750
Special Ability: It slightly raises the attack stat of the user depending on how many enemies he/she had killed whilst equipped.

Image
(Costume also includes a Fedora)
Dark Enforcer Armour
A set of clothing, thick and durable. It used to be worn by a lone vigilante who went after higher-ups who abused their power. It is said that the want for justice of the original wearer flows through the current wearer.
Defense: 1500
M. Defense: 1250
Resistance: Darkness
Weakness: Light


[b]"Sorry about that. I don't think we have been properly introduced yet. A bit difficult to do that in the heat of battle. I'm Marius. "
The statement just now had interupted him. "Huh?" Asher looked up to see the dual-blade wielder.

The Voice of Treason smiled. "Oh, hello. It's you again." Asher stood up and stretched his arms a bit before talking to Marius again. "You can call me either 'Blade Slizer' or 'Vee.' If you want to call me by my real name, just ask, alright?"

"So how about it? You guys up for some drinks?" Marius asked him and Canon. Asher pondered about the decision for a while, mainly because his mind is choosing between discipline and letting loose because of the high risk of dying. Screw it. Might as well. "I won't mind coming with you. What about you, Canon?" Asher asked Kanna, after answering Marius's offer.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Kahlan Yuzuriha Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO)
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"You're not going away alone this time!" Refa exclaimed from behind him. "I promised to protect you so I'm going to do it! Like it or not, you're now stuck with me until we beat this game! And don't try to run or hide because Kyuu-chan will find you!" Red-head said with big smile that revealed little cheek dimples.

'Hooo, dimples.' Shineda thought with an amused expression.

"I'm coming with you whenever it is you are going!" Girl confidently called out and showed yet another smile. Refa wasn't quite sure why she wanted to go with this guy, but somehow she knew it was the right choice. As if remembering she continued while awkwardly scratching her head. "Also could you please tell me your name? I've been calling you The Shadow Rival in my head for bit too long!"

Shineda reached up to poke both of Refa's dimples. "Shadow Rival? It's AtuobuuO. Art of War to be precise."

He heard a new pair of footsteps crashing after them and Kahlan appeared, panting rather hard. Approaching the boy, she caught hold of his cloak.

"Oh no you don't. I'm not letting you two run off like that. First of all, you have no right to just go off like that without introducing yourself. Second, I want to talk to Refa. I haven't seen you in a whole year. You think I'm just going to let you speed off into the distance again without a friendly hello?"

"...I didn't mean to be rude. I just had some errands to run. Now if you'll excuse me." he turned around again and headed for Pruina. "Have fun talking!"

The shadows of the forest seemed to embrace him with their hidden warmth as he journeyed his way back to <<Pruina>>. He could hear hushed whispers from the <<Players>> who were still hoping to get a chance to fight the now defeated <<Santa Claus>>. With nothing much to say, he made his way untouched back to the inn. Knocking on the door, he was relieved to hear the child's voice asking who it is.

"It's me." he answered.

"Big bro! Come in, come in! Uhm, uh, door unlock?" the child spoke up, causing the door to click and swing open. Shineda stepped in and saw the child healing up rather well.

"I thought you weren't coming..." the child said almost dishearteningly. Shineda laughed and held out his pinky finger before wiggling it.

"I promised didn't I?" he joked. 'That's right...I'll keep my promises now. One step at a time... small ones.'

"Yea...yea you did." the child brightened up, then he looked curious. "Did you defeat <<Santa>>?"

As if to answer, Shineda pulled out a unique item from his inventory.

γ€ŒSanta's Present」

"I couldn't get anything better." Shineda said sheepishly.

"But at least you beat it didn't you?" the boy smiled, to which Shineda nodded.

"I beat it along with some other <<Players>>. They're stronger than I am." he admitted. "Say...I never asked for your name."

"I'm Tatsu. But in this I'm called OnyenNaito. What about big bro's?"

"Shineda. But it's AtuobuuO in this world." Shineda replied, sitting down on the bed. "Tatsu...take this present. I guess you could say it's my Christmas present for you."

Tatsu received γ€ŒSanta's Present」 with wide eyes, looking at Shineda and then to the present.

"Do you know what it does Tatsu?" Shineda asked, to which Tatsu shook his head. "Read the item description."

Tatsu read it and his eyes widened until it seemed like they would pop at any second. Just what was it that was so shocking about this item?!

"Does this mean...?" Tatsu asked hesitantly. Shineda nodded and patted the his head.

"Yea. And I'll help you."

γ€ŒSanta's Present」- A rare one-of-a-kind item that cannot be found anywhere else. When opened, the user is under the <<Christmas Present Effect>>. THREE <<Bosses>> must be defeated. When the requirements are met, the <<Player>> will be freed from the game, but all game data will be deleted.

(OOC: CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP, tagged wrong charry again.)

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Marius
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Although Canon herself was rather reluctant when it came to socializing, especially after her failure a few moments before, and so, Asher's agreement to the proposal came as being just a little disheartening to her. She wasn't particularly keen on going drinking, in any case. Although she'd never seen the effects of alcohol firsthand save in fiction, she'd heard some very unpleasant stories about what drunkenness did to a person. Considering how realistic ACO was, she had a feeling that, even in this virtual world, those same effects would be present.

But, what was worse was the fact that she'd now be stuck in an extended social situation, something she'd never been good at outside of the arena of battle. With these people, and drinking no less... She had a feeling that it was something she wouldn't be able to handle. But, Asher wanted to go, and it would be rude to deny him, especially after he'd agreed. And so, reluctant, and yet seeing no other option, Canon was forced to agree.

"A-alright," she stammered quietly, trying to be as unassuming as possible as she quickly shuffled ever-so-slightly behind Asher, the confidence she'd shown a moment before almost completely crushed. "J-just give me a moment. H-have to m-message Mr. Ream," She explained, opening a message window and quickly typing up her missive, explaining that they'd defeated the boss but met some players along the way and would be busy for a short while, so she wouldn't be able to show up immediately for the deal they'd arranged before the battle. Sending the message, she gave a slight, nervous nod up at Asher, and then prepared to go, allowing the others to lead the way. Still, it was pretty clear that she was far from comfortable, for as she walked, she made sure to stay tremendously close to Asher, as though she was hanging off of his arm rather than striding along by his side. A tinge of embarrassment and worry shown plainly upon her face, and, more often than not, her gaze was taken up entirely by the ground. Although it was too late to turn down the offer now, Asher might well have reconsidered his decision, seeing her expression.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Marius
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Marius was about to walk off with Canon and Vee in tow, but he realized he still hadn't looked at his spoils screen. For some reason, Marius had the bad habit of not immediatly looking at spoil screens after boss fights. Taking a look, he saw an item that he certainly liked the looks of. It was called <<Hermes's Boots>>. While most boots usually boosted agility, this pair did as well, but also gave an aditional boost to movement speed, and a very large one at that. The trade off was that it didn't boost any armor at all, but that was no concern to Marius. He was of the mindset that if you couldn't be hit, you didn't need armor.

Heading off towards Pruina through the woods, he couldn't help but once again be reminded of his life long guilty pleasure, Les Miserables. The woods reminded him off the scene in which Cosette sings the song, "Castle on a Cloud". In his head, he heard the melody in the ever so haunting voice of his sister. He absentmindedly started whistling to it himself, but shook himself out of it. If he kept remembering that, he would go insane with guilt.

Attempting to get his mind off of his sister, he grabbed a clump of snow from the ground, made it into a snowball, and through it at a tree. Surprisingly, Marius triggered his throwing weapons skill, which he never used. He said in surprise, "I never knew that snow balls counted as throwing weapons....." Suddenly realizing the implications of this, he slapped himself on the forehead. "I am an IDIOT!" he said. "I just figured out how I could have solved that doppleganger problem! Ah well, can't be helped now. Come on. We have to get to Pruina before Kahlan does so I can buy her a drink."

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Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Marius
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Asher stared as Marius did a sudden slap to the forehead. "Um... What's wrong?" Asher asked.

"I AM AN IDIOT! I just figured out how I could have solved that doppleganger problem! Ah well, can't be helped now. Come on. We have to get to Pruina before Kahlan does so I can buy her a drink." Marius responded.

"Um... okay then..." Asher muttered. He shrugged and followed Marius through the woods. "How far is Prunia from here, anyway?"

(Sorry about the short post. I don't have any other ideas, and I'm not in the mood to pull up a surprise attack by a generic enemy.)

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Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Marius
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"It shouldn't be to much farther." Marius responded. "Its probably only a few more minutes walk now." Sure enough, the lights of Pruina finally came into view beyond the forest. "Follow me." he said. "I know of a good place to get drinks. It's a tavern by the name of The White Stag." After a short walk through town, they reached the tavern. It was a smaller building, but Marius knew from back when he explored this region that it had quite good food. He held the door open for Vee and Canon, and followed them in.

Marius saw an empty table that could hold about 8 people. "Let's grab this one." Marius said. "That should cover any extra people who show up." Sitting down, he asked Vee and Canon, "Now, what would you two like to drink? Kahlan said that she is buying, but I intend to buy it instead. My treat."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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#, as written by Ageha
As the trio finally reached the tavern, Refa saw that Marius and two other to her unknown players were already there. No sign of Kahlan though. Seemed like they had already ordered some drinks, but Refa however wasn't sure if it was such a good idea. She has always been shy, especially in bigger crowds, making her want to hide behind some adult safely where nobody would bother her. Only thing that made girl keep her composure was the fact that in this game she was Refa - ruthless and powerful warrior and not Reena - weak and vulnerable girl.

"Hey, everyone!" Refa greeted everyone with a forced smile. "Where's Kahlan, we can't start our party without her!" Red-head exclaimed and awkwardly scratched her head. Why did she even come here? Oh that's right, she wanted to see Kahlan scold the mighty Atoubu and then laugh in his face. Though now she was considering that it wasn't quite worth it. Ever since that time she went to the party with her classmates, she had hated them. Everyone there was drinking, flirting and guys only wanted to get girls into beds. Weirdest thing was that all the girls were fine with that. Refa barely managed to escape from the party and get home safely. Ever since then she always avoided going to such events, she didn't want to see people lose their composure and act that low.

Refa just sat down at corner off table and started swirl her hair around the finger. Hopefully soon Kahlan will come to break the tension because red head didn't know what to say or what to do.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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Canon had followed the others closely, largely remaining completely silent. Lingering by the side of her companion, she seemed distant, always trailing along in the back as though she was trying to hide behind Asher and disappear. This was largely the case, actually. She simply didn't know how she should interact with other people, especially not famous ones. Especially not this one, since <<The Blur,>> Marius, was a player she'd always admired. Even before the reset, when she'd been faster than ever before thanks to her one of a kind gear, she had only managed to, at best, become the second fastest player there was. Perhaps she hadn't even reached this level. But, at any rate, the young man Marius was someone she'd always envied and never managed to match or exceed. He, like Asher, was someone superior to her, someone she could never hope to catch up to. While she was honored that he had actually been willing to bring her along, she couldn't help but feel ashamed and intimidated by him, and by the company he kept. The young knight Kahlan, for example, was a renowned player whose achievements far outshone Canon's own. A legendary organizer and front-liner, she'd defeated dozens of bosses, at the very least, and was one of the most famous players in the game. And, by this time, the perceptive girl had realized that the person Kahlan gone to fetch was probably the mysterious <<Black Reaper,>> someone just as famous as the others in the group, if not moreso. And that red-haired player... she'd heard a bit about her, as well, and, judging by her skill, she was at least on a level with Marius, Kahlan, and the unknown <<Player.>> Her own companion, Asher, was pretty well known for his feats, and could probably hold his head high even in such esteemed company. Herself, on the other hand... She was just Asher's support, wasn't she? Sure, she was a fairly well-known Alchemist - actually, she was the highest leveled alchemist currently in the game, and one of the best weaponsmiths as well, thanks to Ream's support, but she didn't think of herself that way, to say the least - and had done a few special things, and even had her own Unique Combat Skill, the <<Blademaster>> ability, but the <<Vermillion Sparrow>> was someone much less famous than any of the people with whom she was going to meet. She couldn't help but feel ashamed, or somehow inadequate at the thought of it.

They arrived, soon enough, at their destination, a reasonably large establishment known as the <<White Stag.>> Canon, as usual, simply followed the others, allowing them to choose the table they wanted. Naturally, the moment they'd selected this location, Canon had quickly seated herself in the back corner of a booth, from which she could see everyone else, but, if someone larger than her sat next to her, she'd be less noticeable. She tugged slightly on Asher's sleeve as she chose her seat, a silent plea for him to get the hint and stay next to her, so as to provide the cover she needed. Maybe if people paid less attention to her, she'd be able to just sit in the back and not have to talk overly much.

When the one who had invited them also sat down and asked what they wanted, Canon made something of a show of opening the store's menu screen and consulting the drinks section for quite some time, as though not exactly sure of herself. She grimaced slightly. As she thought, almost every single drink on the list was alcoholic. But, even though she could have just chosen water or something of the sort, she felt like the others might laugh at her. So, reluctantly, she decided she'd just go along with things, not wanting to draw attention to or to embarrass herself by being noticeably different from the others. Eventually selecting a light mixture of some type of fictional gin she'd never heard of and fruit juice, Canon pointed to it, and, looking up, simply gave a nervous nod. "I-I'll have this..." She stammered quietly. However, her voice was nearly drowned out by a loud voice from the door as several more <<Players>> approached. The lead one was that red-haired girl from before, but there were two more behind her that Canon had never seen before - a somewhat frighteningly stern looking boy, and a more cheerful looking young lad. Her friends? No, wait... The hilt of the intimidating man's sword looked familiar. She wasn't sure, but it seemed like that was the same weapon as the mysterious cloaked <<Player>> had been using in their battle against Santa. Then... this was the <<Black Reaper>> without his trademark shroud? Canon couldn't tell for sure, but his eyes seemed to fall upon her, and she decided it would be best to avoid his gaze. Even if he probably wasn't trying to be, in her opinion, he was more than a little scary. She sunk into her seat a little, and scooted slightly closer to Asher, gazing down at the table with only partially masked unease and even slight fear. It was pretty clear that she was made very uncomfortable by the loud conversation beginning all around her.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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Asher blindly followed Marius through the changing sceneries. To him, one second it was a snowy forest, then next being a well-populated town. His thoughts were somewhere else as the whole group walked. I wonder... What's going on in the real world? How is my family? My friends? ... Sensei? Asher twitched an eye at the word Sensei. After all, what did his teacher think of him? "I have told you many times, Asher, that everyone should stay away from the new Insitus Gear. While it is amazing that virtual reality has become possible, I always have had the feeling that something equally horrible is going to happen to those who buy it." Asher could picture those exact words exiting out of his teacher's mouth as the image of Sensei staring at Asher's hospitalized body, numerous tubes sticking out of various body parts in order to keep Asher's body alive and healthy.

His thoughts were cleared out as the group neared a building named The White Stag. Marius opened the door for him and Kanna, and Asher followed Kanna inside with Marius taking the rear. The small party took an 8 seat table, and waited until a server asked for drinks. Pulling out a menu, Asher flicked it until he found what he was looking for: Doom Equis X Factor (OOC: Cheers for those who know where this came from!). Asher smiled, and answered last with Doom Equis X Factor as his choice. "Thanks Marius." Asher thanked him for telling Asher and Kanna that he would be paying.

Suddenly, the doors opened to reveal four newcomers, at least one of which Asher recognized as the person from the Santa Clause battle. The second and third newcomers were younger than her, both of whom Asher had never even met. The fourth one, Asher really had a feeling that he met this guy before. He couldn't place a finger on it, but Asher knew that this person helped him.

Asher then felt someone go closer to him, and Asher turned to his left. Kanna had inched closer to him, the word "Nervous" written all over her face. The Voice of Treason sighed as he realized why she's so uncomfortable, and inched towards her as well. His left arm (assuming that Kanna is to his left) went around Kanna's back as Asher brought her into a hug. "Relax. It'll be fine..." Asher whispered to Kanna.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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Marius only took a quick glance at the menu. He already decided on his drink to be his favorite from this locale: a Juniberry Gin, which was only made in Pruina, as Juniberry's only grew in the Northern Pine Forest. He recieved his drink quickly, as The White Stag was known for its good service. He only had to wait for a short while before the door opened again. However, it was not Kahlan, as Marius expected. It was Refa, the cloaked warrior from the fight, and a kid. He called over, saying "Hey Refa, come sit down with us!" As Refa asked where Kahlan was, he laughed and said "I was about to ask you. She went running after you in a hurry. I would have thought that she would get here before you. Well, since she isn't here yet, I'm buying everyone drinks. Sit down and join us."

Marius turned to the kid, as the cloaked swordsman likely already knew who he was. "Nice to meet you, kid." he said in a friendly manner. "I'm Marius." Turning back to the cloaked guy, he said humorously, "Well, go ahead. Take off the cloak. Stay awhile, and get comfortable." After getting a quick chuckle out of this, he said "In all seriousness, I have my suspicions of who you might be, but only in a description that Refa and Kahlan would recognize. Can I take a guess?"

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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Entering the tavern, Shineda lifted his hood back a little to peer around the place. He had never been to places like this before. Even in the real world. Shineda was a spoil sport when it came to drinking in bars, simple fact: He never participated. He was rather fond of drinking, but he preferred to do so in the safety of a house. The scent of alcohol was rather thick in the air and so was the chatter. From the outside world that was so serious and tense, it was a huge change inside here, where everyone was having friendly chats with each other. He replaced his hood and followed Refa wherever she went, keeping a gentle protective hand on Tatsu.

Now that they were at the table, Shineda recognized the three current <<Players>> sitting there. <<The Blur>>, <<The Black Raven>> and <<The Vermillion Sparrow>>. All three of them, he had met and all three had made names for themselves. He kept particularly close observation on <<The Vermillion Sparrow>>, remembering the time she was missing a hand. Seeing how the girl was hugging onto the guy, and the black-clad swordsman putting a protective arm over her, his intimidating facade began to relax and give way for a rather boyish smile to appear. He was glad to see that those two were fine and doing well. It was hard to believe.

While Refa and Marius conversed about where Kahlan was, Shineda lifted up Tatsu without much resistance and plopped his down on a chair, making it easier for the child. He himself, settled down next to the child.

"Get your drink. Are you planning for alcohol?" Shineda questioned Tatsu, who guiltily nodded. Instead of saying no, Shineda nodded his approval. In an instant, Tatsu made his order and had the drink set down before him without much delay. Shineda, popped in his own order, an All Blue. The four layered, different shades of blue drink was set in front of him and he took a small sip before talking.

"<<Black Raven>>, people've started calling you that, did you know? I'm sure it's due to the wings you can conjure from your armor. Either way, it's good that you're doing well." he began with the black-clad swordsman, before turning to the shy girl. "And you, <<Vermillion Sparrow>>, your title is being said by many now. Both of you have made it big. It's good to see that the crippled <<Sparrow>> is healed and extending her bladed wings into the air again."

"It's been rather long." Shineda murmured quietly, before Marius questioned him on his identity.

"..." Shineda shrugged, before stirring his drink, causing the 4 shades of blue to form a beautiful blu-ish hue. "...If you know then I suggest it's better to just respect that I don't want to be known. But if you wish to reveal who I am, no one is stopping you."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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#, as written by Ageha
Atoubu put little Naito onto the seat and protectively sat down next to him. "He's bit too overprotective," Refa thought to herself and relaxed as she saw everyone slowly open up for discussions. Then something threw Refa into instant outburst. Atoubu offered alcohol to the Naito!

"What the hell are you doing, you stupid Atoubu!" Refa jumped onto her legs angrily and glared at the guy. "How the hell can you offer kids alcohol! It's bad enough that you later will lose all your pride and jump around making out with all the girls in this tavern, but I'm not letting you spoil this sweet, innocent boy!"

With that red haired girl moved over and seated herself between Naito and Atoubu, pushing bigger guy aside. "That's why men shouldn't take care of children," Refa said and angrily glared at Atoubu. Refa has seen her father get drunk sometimes and she had absolutely hated that. He was really nice to her, however she knew that none of that kindness was real making it terrible. Once she was offered alcohol for first time, Refa had expected something really sweet and great tasting, but it was a real disappointed because it was bitter. She had tried different drinks but each new one was nastier then previous, so she had decided that alcohol was something like onion to her. Some nasty food that she wouldn't use even when necessary.

Refa turned towards the Naito, smiled and gently put her hand around kid's shoulder: "Don't listen to that dummy big bro of yours, alcohol is really bitter and nasty! Let's drink something nicer!" With that Refa took the menu and carefully looked through it until something unusual caught her eye. "Waiter, please two big cups of hot chocolate!" Girl called out without hesitating. She has been searching for chocolate in this game for a really long time, however always failed to find it. Sweets were rare and expensive in ACO and that was real problem for Refa since she mostly survived from sweets in real life.

As waiter delivered hot chocolate Refa instantly took a sip from her cup. For a while girl was silent, but then Refa hapilly squealed and with blissful expression took another sip. "Go on and drink it, Naito! This chocolate tastes so much better than that nasty alcohol!"

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Kahlan Yuzuriha Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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#, as written by Mat_z6
Kahlan flicked open her player menu and tapped on the party icon. It seems as though Marius, Sparrow, and Treason hadn't quit the party yet making them easy to find. 'The <<White Stag>>? Good choice guys.' This certain tavern was notoriously known to be top of the notch in Pruina and Kahlan knew the place well, being there more than a few times. 'Let's get going! They've waited for me long enough.'

Kahlan slipped through the doors of the lively tavern and the cheery atmosphere washed over her instantly. It was still Christmas time and everyone wanted to celebrate. Someone called out her name.

"Kahlan!!! Well well! Our ol' Paladin is here again. Merry Christmas, darlin!" Marcus, the ever friendly bartender called out to her over the noise. Marcus, to the surprise of Kahlan, had been one of the top businessmen for her father's company and the two had gotten quite acquainted with each other. It seems as though Marcus had always wanted to be a bartender and instantly started this one when he got the money for it. Since then, business had been booming and Kahlan payed regular visits to him and they talked about the real world over some liquor.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Marcus. Seems like everyone decided to start without me."

"Oh the whole taverns been like this since yesterday. Players from all over ACO decided to spill into Pruina for that here boss battle everyones been ravin about. Grants some pretty hefty prizes I hear."

Kahlan could only smile, the hearty bartender had no idea that it had already been defeated. "Say Marcus, I have a few players who came before me. Two guys, one called the "Blur" and the "Voice of Treason". I'm sure you've heard of them. And a small silver haired girl that goes by "Vermillion Sparrow". Have they arrived yet?"

Marcus pointed to a table located by the far wall of the tavern. "That them?"

Kahlan spotted them. It seems like everyone was here..... and more. The cloaked player was here along with Refa and.... a boy? She shook her head and decided that she would get answers later. Kahlan handed Marcus a small bag of money. "Here. This should take care of all of us for the night. That "Blur", his name is Marius. By the looks of things, he intends to pay for the tab. Tell him that I won't have it and don't take his money."

"Aye aye, Princess. I got your back. Enjoy yourself! I take it your going to order later?"

Kahlan nodded and approached the table.

"Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late. I'm glad everyone could make it!" Taking a seat, Kahlan turned her attention to the Sparrow. "I'm so sorry I ran off on you like that before I caught your name. I had to catch those two before they got away." she eyed Refa and the Player. "How about a legitimate introduction now."

Kahlan's eyes could not help but wander to the Player. Why hadn't he uncloaked? What nerve.....

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Kahlan Yuzuriha Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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Canon stiffened slightly as she abruptly felt a warm arm wrapping protectively around her, and heard a familiar voice reassuring her in quiet whispers. Blushing, she stared even more intently down at the countertop, seeming only more embarrassed than she had been before. Yet, despite this, she didn't try to slip out of the embrace, or to otherwise disengage herself. Rather, she simply sat there, flushed slightly and seeming quite out of her element. The expression on her face was... complicated, to say the least. On the one hand, it seemed like half of her mouth was trying to smile, but could only do so in a wry, regretful way, while the other edge of her lips were pursed tightly shut, held down by the teeth that nervously nipped at them. Her eyes were concealed by her hair, but the twin purple orbs held a somewhat pensive air, one that was more than mere unease. It was more like she was ashamed.

Which, in all honesty, she was. Here she was, seated amidst some of the most renowned <<Players>> in the Survival Game, Antiva Chronus Online, and yet she was so shy that she was finding it hard to even look up. And now, she was relying on Asher to protect her yet again. She'd long since accepted that she couldn't last without his support. Ever since she'd lost her arm, she'd perhaps grown even more dependent on him than before, and had simply given up on the last vestiges of the individualistic dream that had initially driven her to grow stronger. She'd stopped protesting when he shielded her, when he took on her burdens for her, when, through these actions, he showed exactly how weak she really was. She needed this protection to function, and she realized that. She wasn't strong enough to do things on her own, not even when those things were something as simple as talking to other people. In everything she did, she had to have help. Asher's help. She'd never get anywhere without him, and honestly, that thought terrified her. For a long time, she'd been treasuring the memories of his closeness, of his kindness to her. She could no longer deny exactly how she felt about him, couldn't persuade herself that she didn't need his affection to keep her going. But what if he didn't feel the same way? "That's what friends are for." It was something he'd said countless times whenever she protested his coddling her. Was that what she was? If she wasn't a nuisance, then was she - just - a friend? Would it be alright for her to try to go beyond that? Would it even be possible? If that was all he felt about her, then how would he react if she told him her own feelings...? Would he distance himself, try to avoid her, not wanting to deepen the longing she felt for his company? Would he get angry? Would Asher, if she told him that she loved him, reject her permanently, and leave her all alone? She couldn't risk that. If he left her, then she'd be helpless. She needed him. Without him, she was nothing. No, she was nothing to begin with. She was just a satellite, orbiting his brightly shining star and reflecting his light. She had no radiance, no redeeming qualities of her own. Without Asher, she might as well be dead. But then, what was she supposed to do? Should she simply keep her feelings to herself, and break her own heart for the sake of his company, or should she tell him, and hope he didn't shatter her first and only love instead?

In any case, just because she knew she had no other choice but to be protected like this didn't mean she had to like it. Especially when Asher's method of comforting her was so... Although normally she'd have enjoyed an excuse to be so close to him, even if it was only for a second, in front of so many people, it was rather embarrassing. This only served to deepen the shame she felt at being so pathetic in the first place, which, ironically, just caused her to clam up even more. By the time the cloaked boy, someone whose eyes she had been trying very hard not to make contact with, spoke up, Canon was already tremendously uncomfortable. His words only made this feeling of unease even worse, for, to the young warrior's surprise, he seemed to know all about her, even about events in her past she was fairly sure nobody had heard about.

"E-eh?!" She exclaimed, her eyes abruptly snapping upward, darting between the mysterious cloaked <<Player>> and her own right arm, which, although identical to how it had appeared on the very first day of the Survival Game, had once been all-too-painfully severed, inflicting upon her an agonizing disease that had nearly killed her. "H-how did you...?" She asked quietly, astonished that somebody actually knew so much about her. This thought, too, was rather embarrassing, especially considering the rather shameful knowledge that she'd been so helpless, and matters were only made more difficult for her when the Knight, Kahlan, arrived and almost immediately began speaking to her as well. Even when Asher began to speak, drawing some of the attention away from her, she felt little relief. Why was everybody so focused on her? Were they just trying to be nice and make her feel good about herself? They needn't have bothered. Canon just felt worse for their attention, a sense of being out of place growing and growing in her mind until it had almost crushed her. She simply looked down once again, trying to be as unassuming as possible, as though she thought she'd be able to simply sink into her chair and disappear.

"C-C-Canon..." She stammered quietly. "C-call me Canon..."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Asher Damons (a.k.a. The Voice of Treason) Character Portrait: Refa Character Portrait: Kahlan Yuzuriha Character Portrait: Canon Character Portrait: Yoshitsune Shineda(AtoobuuO) Character Portrait: Marius
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Marius shrugged his shoulders at the cloaked figures response. "Whatever floats your boat." he said. I guess revealing it would take away some of the fun, anyway." He couldn't help but chuckle at the scene Refa made about the kid drinking alcohol. "Chill out Refa." he said, highly amused by the spectacle. "One drink isn't going to turn him into a drunken maniac." He turned his attention to his drink, which was quickly given to him, and took a sip. Apparently, The Voice of Treason figured out where he knew the cloaked swordsman from. This guy certainly got around, if that was the case.

Kahlan eventually showed up, but it was before Marius managed to pay for the drinks. Marius, who intended to pay for the drinks before she arrived, said humorously "Curses! Foiled again! I didn't buy the drinks in time. Well, sit down then." Marius looked at the group before him, and suddenly inspiration struck. While, true, Marius now considered Kahlan his partner, he couldn't shake the feeling that if one group could break out of ACO, it was the group assembled before him. Acting on impulse, he waited for Kahlan to recieve her drink, before standing and addressing the table. "Ladies and gentlemen," he declared. "Now that we're all here, I would like to propose a toast. To the defeat of the <<Santa Claus>> boss, and to a swift and sure end to ACO. Cheers!"

cron