no one is normal and sane here

[dissimulative]

Who • Oriade, Vogel, 0koto
What • Dungeon run!
When • August 26
Where • Great Superior Night Moon
Content Warnings • None for now. Will be updated later if there's any.

Your party heads off to Great Superior Night Moon in search of treasure and adventure. You gate in and find yourself in a snowy tundra stretching as far as the eye can see. Located within the heart of the field is a forest dungeon lush with treasure and crawling with monsters.

On your adventure, you encounter several strong foes, Sky Fish, Mugai Wyverns and Smiley Rays among them.

After carving a path through your foes, you finally make your way into the dungeon.

The dungeon run seems to be progressing quite smoothly. As you reach the end of your adventure, you hear a gentle, quiet voice whisper to you... "Welcome, weary traveler. Allow me to bless you before you depart."

The disembodied voice has blessed you! A pair of wings sprouts from your back! You'll enjoy the freedom of flight and be able to get to places in Areas and towns that no one else can. This blessing will wear off after 24 hours.

Comments

[worldbent]

["CES Tech"......?]

[Matoba doesn't know what exactly that is, but he's surprised that Oria would bring up something like this right in front of him. From context, it seems that these two are acquainted outside of the game.]

[How interesting.]

[Scooping pudding into his mouth, he quietly glances towards the two and then away, seeming disinterested as he listens in. "Samjo", huh.......]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria had been bothered by this for so long that he's kinda sorta forgotten Matoba is there. Sorry, ojisan. At least he's kinda keeping it down low and not loud?

But he quirks an eyebrow. ]

What the hell. You guys stood out so bad like you were a group of bodyguards or something.

[ What kind of clerk teams wear long trench-like coats?? Like with gloves and all? ]

[insinning]

[Avoiding. Oria's gaze. He's a bad liar, but he's an especially bad liar when Oria is concerned. Oria's not wrong but]

Is that what we really looked like? It's just the standard company work clothes for all of us since we have to go out into the field a lot...

[Nevermind that Mister Heathcliff stood out with all his scars and all and no one was dressed consistently amongst all of them but]

You seemed really mature in your suit though.

[Sorry Mister 0toko, Sinclair's forgotten about you. Mostly. He's keeping it quiet too though]

[worldbent]

[Matoba is just sitting here, worrying his tongue over his spoon, lips sealed over it.]

[Trenchcoats and gloves. Like bodyguards, huh? Just who was this kid's employer?]

[....Well, it wasn't common to recruit young for wetwork, so it wasn't that surprising. Not even surprising that he works for a tech company.]

[Moreso just that they would go out like that to an apparent public tech expo.]

[That answers why Sinclair had that look in his eyes, though. How about Oria...?]

1/2

[dissimulative]

I wear suits all the time. Had to order another set because the last one drowned in the rain. And if I can't at least look mature, no one's gonna listen to a brat at the podium until said brat says the promised s-word because everyone's always hungry for money.

[ Sponsorship. ]

[dissimulative]

But it's whatever.

[ He stretches. ]

Let's get going again! Did you eat all your pudding yet, Koto? Nice break, huh?

[insinning]

Maybe they just needed to see you with another box of hair gel to find you persuasive.

[Oria's poor hair. Sinclair finds it funny though. And then ah, the subject is changing again. No matter. He didn't even get to see most of the event anyway. They had walked on through, sat through a meeting and Sinclair had a grim realisation that the shiny corporate world he once wanted to join was deeply horrifying on every level.

He glances at Matoba, brushing himself off. Like this, it's almost like the look on Sinclair's face earlier was an illusion. Funny that, huh?]

We didn't take too long did we?

[fret fret]

[worldbent]

Hm?

[Matoba breaks out of his reverie, scraping pudding from the bottom of the cup, as if he had just idled the game or been multitasking or something of the sort. He turns to shoot them one of his bright, fake smiles. Nothing amiss, just the usual, vaguely shady 0koto.]

[Business matters, huh. Earning respect as the young leader; he knew that struggle well.]

Oh, no. I'm not bothered. [He discards his empty pudding. All healed!] ... By the way, and please forgive my meddlesome opinion, but those who need to be "persuaded" by more than just the clear facts of mutual benefit are not generally worth making longterm deals with.

Are you ready to continue?

[dissimulative]

[ He just... looks at Matoba blankly for a second. He heard everything. He won't even assume what parts Matoba must have heard--just everything.

There's really no backtracking out of this now... ]

Well, yeah. That's my opinion too, but some people are just the way they are, and I can't change that.

[insinning]

[Freezing a little. It's not like they said anything too important about Oria but. Ah. That's more than he said about his life to anyone who wasn't already in the know]

Mm. I-If we're ready to go--[What if he just keeps going on ahead, this is a perfectly normal reaction] Um. Has anyone tried exploring the ponds in this area to see if they have anything?

[worldbent]

[Matoba's head inclines lightly.] You are right about that, I suppose.

[It seems like he has more to say that he isn't. But instead, he simply nods and rolls up to stand, taking his grimoire back up from his hips.]

[Sinclair- and his reaction, get the barest quiver of a smile. There's the light of interest in Matoba's eye, but he doesn't comment on it.]

[For now.]

I actually have not explored the ponds, [Matoba hums, rubbing his chin.] An interesting idea! Shall we check them out, then? Perhaps there will be chests at the bottom of them.

[insinning]

[Exhaling softly as they go deeper into the forest dungeon, away from the forest fire and to the pond. No enemies yet.

Watching Oria wander off to collect materials Oria really didn't like anything to do with water, huh? and Sinclair reaches into his inventory to take out some

Stew!]

I've been wanting to try using this on different areas to explore, but this is the first one with deep enough ponds to try.

[worldbent]

[The forest sure is quiet now that they've razed half of it to the ground, huh?? Matoba feels like it's actually sort of relaxing, now. There's a calming feeling to tromping through the wilderness, and it's nostalgic, too.]

Oriade-san sure has taken a shine to the new mechanics, huh? [He comments cheerfully as the other boy goes deeper into the woods. He'll be fine on his own; Matoba has confidence in his strength.] I still find myself a little lukewarm on it, but...

[He turns and glances back to Sinclair, raising a curious brow at the ??? bowl of stew?]

[They're at a pond... Is he going to dump it in...?]

I see...? And what do you intend to do with it?

[insinning]

Oriade enjoys mastering all the mechanics I think. [Please don't bring back more monsters than they can handle, Oria!!!]

--and we drink it. If you want. It helps us breathe underwater.

[There's a couple of portions! One goes to Matoba if he wants one--in a magically appearing bowl, don't question it. And Sinclair drinks the other portion slowly. Because it's still warm. How??

Don't question it. But if Matoba doesn't want to go into the pond, Sinclair will go in.]

[worldbent]

In the interests of a game with mechanical depth, I can understand this, [Matoba chuckles.] That reminds me, I should bring up the idea of a DPS calculator again. I think that it will come in handy for our bouts of PVP....

[He glances down to the stew being handed out to him, and eventually takes it. Oh, an underwater-breathing blessing?? That would have come in really handy about a week ago.]

[Matoba knocks it back with a slow slurp like he's draining a ramen bowl, and licks his lips.] ...Hm. Mellow, flavorful. They did alright this time, I think. What do you think?

[The empty bowl vanishes, and Matoba dips a toe into the pond waters- any monsters in there, waiting to attack.......? He seems to wait until Sinclair is jumping on in before he takes the plunge himself.]

[insinning]

It does taste a little more realistic than usual.

[Very seafood-y! Lots of layered flavours. Sinclair is a rich boy and has a rich boy's palette, but poetry about food is not one of his strengths when you consider he doesn't actually eat a lot to begin with!

Into the water below. He'll just let himself sink without fear, taking a few deep breaths. Can they talk under water? Who knows.

But when they reach the bottom, if they're not busy catching fish they'll find all sorts of old tools and things, remnants of a long lost society:

they'll find tools that are meant for shovelling and manoeuvring lots and lots of snow!! those tools will be pretty rusted over and grimy and covered in algae... basically what happens to old stuff that's under water for a long, long, long time. there are also some tools for whittling and carving wood as well, and they seem to be as old as the stuff for the snow. and speaking of whittling wood... there's some old wooden ducks down there. they're cute. well, as cute as wood carvings that have been degraded by what lives in the water can be

]

[worldbent]

Haha, I don't eat Western cuisine that often, so I can't say.....

[Ah, but in we go! The second time Matoba is swimming in a questionable lake in as many weeks. He'd unequip his eyepatch and sandals if not for the worry of monsters attacking, but he keeps them on as he easily dives himself down to the bottom, ignoring fish and plants.]

[What a mysterious collection of odds and ends down here, he thinks, blinking into the inky darkness and carefully picking up the handle of a rusted carving knife. He turns it over in his hands carefully, glancing to see if Sinclair was looking, and lets it drift into the darkness of his kimono sleeve if he turns away.]

[The wooden ducks, he picks up next. If Sinclair looks over then, he'll see Matoba is trying not to grin so wide that his mouth opens underwater, but he's quite charmed by them. He holds one out in his direction and flaps his hands like a beak. Quack, quack.]

[dissimulative]

Hey, guys I'm back--

[ Oria comes back and there is no one. Where did they go?? He tries peeking into the pond and then... sees their usernames floating around. Wow. Even better if it's the title. Good thing they're all such good friends that stick together, huh!!

He'll just wait outside the body of water. ]

[insinning]

[Oh.

Oh no. Sinclair isn't nearly as interested in the shovel that he finds. But that duck is so cute...

Not that Matoba can see hear him, but he's clearly laughing a little as he digs around and finds--another cute duck! It's a little decayed but that's ok.

Time to swim back up---and grabbing a nearby fish at the same time. Whoa. That was easy]

[worldbent]

[Watching Sinclair start to swim back up, Matoba gives a little kick off the bottom and follows after, taking the duck with him. He's not nearly as interested in the fishing aspect; he'll leave the sushi-making to the folks going the chef route.]

[He pops back out of the top of the water with a short puff of breath to get the pondwater out of his orifices, blinking as he sees Oria pouting on the shore. Ah, back already? Matoba wades up to the edge and pops his elbows up onto the snowy grasses, a waterlogged sleeve splashing out of the water to hand Oria--]

[--A slimy green duck.] Quack! [Matoba grins up at him as he places it into Oria's lap, a cheerfully soaked madman. Oof, brrr, now he's kinda freezing.....]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria shrieks when Matoba hands him the slimy green duck. Ew!

He immediately throws that at Sinclair's face, even though he didn't aim. He just threw it away out of panic. Sorry. not sorry ]

[insinning]

[Emerging from the pond, happy with his findings when he gets a slimy duck to the face for his troubles]

Ack-!

[Ow??? That does a 1 hp of damage???

For that, Sinclair yelps and throws the fish he's holding at Oria in turn in a fit of panic. Hope you can catch it Oria
]

[worldbent]

[His duck..............]

[Matoba frowns with genuine consternation as he watches the duck go flying, slap Sinclair in the face, and sink back down into the murky waters again; and in turn, the fish that goes flying back towards them.]

[...]

[He's gonna swim down again and get his duck. BRB. Leaving Oria to his fishy fate now--]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria catches the fish... with his face.

He screams again. ]

[insinning]

[...

He squelches out of the water, looking sulky. Maybe a little pouty]

You did that on purpose.

[Don't send his fish back into the water, Oria.

It's too cold...]