Charles Patricius

Clear of the attackers at last, Yugi hit the ground rolling with a deep exhale. That was far too stressful for a first fight against monsters, but he supposed there was no avoiding the mental fatigue in the beginning. One thing that could clear it all, however, would be appearing while he heaved and righted himself...

[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]

Three enemies down, three levels acquired. Yugi no longer had need of Miko's veil, as the levels recovered him just as they had before. More to the point of that veil... it appeared Yugi hadn't fully escaped the shock from those Prowlers. The veil itself had actually taken the damage, but was now fading for one reason or another. Was he in good condition? Miko asked, but Yugi first had to rise to his feet. "Ye─" he thought of saying yes, but caught himself just before doing so. When he spoke further, he did so while looking Miko over again. "I may have suffered extreme psychological damage and an unknown, alien dick injury that requires deep inspection from a healer. Also..." He paused again, looking behind Miko toward the fading monster bodies and his fallen, now jagged sword. "My sword's fallen and probably busted. I need emotional and sexual support." With that said, Yugi watched absently as the Static Prowlers were reduced to measly items that, if approached, would register in the System.

[SYSTEM — IDENTIFICATION]

[LOOT ACQUIRED]

Static Pelt ×3
• Grade: E
• Effect: None (Basic crafting material)
• Value: 12 Gold

Crackling Fang ×4
• Grade: E
• Effect: Faint static charge; used in low-tier weapon mods
• Value: 5 Gold

Deteriorated Wiring Scrap ×2
• Grade: E
• Effect: None (Junk-tier enhancement component)
• Value: 3 Gold

Static Gland ×1
• Grade: D
• Effect: Can store and release a mild electrical pulse
• Value: 30 Gold

Prowler’s Ear Token — Scout Variant ×1
• Grade: D
• Effect: Proof of elimination; used for reputation and bounty exchanges
• Value: 50 Gold

Faded Skill Rune: Static Jolt ×1
• Grade: E
• Effect: Grants skill ‹Static Jolt› when consumed
• Value: — (Unsalable)

The attackers were downed completely and Miko was also alerted to that fact given her own screen telling her of the 'Level Up' which was always nice to know. It could also easily be noted that activities completed together seemed to give something of an absolute experience share mechanic, even though Miko herself had done little physical interacting with the creatures in question. With this in mind, she'd definitely be making a marked effort to make sure she did everything possible to help, given her own current lack of combat usefulness. "I guess that means the experience is shared even if someone isn't doing all the physical stuff," she murmured as she approached Yugi.

Upon getting to him, it seemed the veil was fading and with her own healthy status returned she had no need to cast another one herself. "Oh, it resists status effects too. Very nice♪~" she murmured. What wasn't nice however was the logic of Yugi, who almost agreed that he was alright only to come up with an entire list of things potentially wrong with him. Miko processed his words and even knowing he'd just gotten levels she fell right into his shenanigans. "If you've suffered like that, then we'll definitely have to do a full inspection, physical mental, spiritual... we can't go falling out of resonance♪~" she chimed in as if absolutely serious about checking him for injures. "Let's see about making sure you have all the proper emotional and sexual support you need. Also," she paused that staff of hers going back to the inventory as reached otu to begin inspecting his form for these 'injuries', "Nice job out there♪!~" she offered with a grin. She'd never be one to not appreciate the efforts of others when they benefited her directly. The notification of loot drops was something she glanced over. Given what she'd managed with the trash loot from the shop, she imagined they'd be able to put together a few decent gear upgrades at least. "You may want to sacrifice and purchase a new weapon though... that one isn't going to make it. Condolences." she offered with a little bit of snark.

Their experience was shared between them. Miko had a comment about that, but Yugi disagreed. What she said about not doing the 'physical stuff' was a notion he couldn't get behind. "Well it was your shield that apparently kept me from being electrocuted ten times harder than earlier, and your water that enabled the kill in the end. I stabbed one, but all I did for the other two was play decoy," he argued. Knowing Miko's veil allowed some resistance to status effects was a boon as well; they'd get a lot of use from that one. More importantly, it seemed they would find much purpose in pretense for sexual reasons as well. Miko fell right into the act of bullshitting through a justification for deviance, even reaching out with no hesitation. "Hell yeah! We need to... resonate!" Yugi agreed. Naturally, the administrator was still watching as they diverged from the beaten path yet again. “Fascinating… truly fascinating. They stand over the still-crackling corpses of creatures that should have torn them apart, and their instinct is not vigilance, but flirtation. Humans—so fragile, so reckless—yet when desire ignites, they forget even the scent of ozone in the air. They may rise or fall by that impulse alone… passion as armor or as their undoing. Either way, they are endlessly entertaining to watch.”

The administrator's musings were ongoing, but so too were the dealings of the "Players". Yugi's weapon was now worthless. On the other hand, he did see something interesting among the loot. That Skill Rune reminded him of something, just as the Prowlers themselves did. "I didn't like that sword anyway. I want something badass, you know? Buuut... I could use that Rune there. I know you're the mage here, but I'd like some spellsword action. The Rune, one wiring and two fangs? I'll give up the pelts, tokens and gland. Hell, if you want, I'll even work through crafting something for you in exchange," he offered, looping back on the discussion thereafter. "Oh, and yeah, you killed it back there too! I think it's gonna be a good run."

Miko was simply resigning herself to putting forth her absolute best effort to make sure that wasn't a burden given she was still receiving all the experience even when she wasn't in technically active danger. Oddly enough, Yugi argued his point against her thoughts, claiming that she'd done more than her fair share by example even. "If you say so... I won't worry about it♪~" Miko murmured. She'd actually gotten through all of that without spazzing out, which is what she would have congratulated herself on, if she'd been bothering to think about it. Whatever the case, they were moving on, into more flirty behavior and the need to resonate. "Mm-hm♪~ I like the way that sounds♪~" Miko mused. Having reached out for the lad her hand would be making contact with his chest first. While they flirted another observed but there was more to be done by the pair.

Like the division of loot. After the offer of condolences, Yugi claimed he'd not liked that sword of his anyway. He wanted to use the Skill Rune that dropped even though Miko was the mage, as a person Miko wasn't the type who'd care which loot she'd gotten. They were sharing and given this she wasn't one to be upset about the division if there was a good idea in mind. "Hm, if you have an idea, go for it. I'm a mage, but I'm not going to monopolize spell use or anything," Miko mentioned quickly. "If you want to make me something I'll take it. But you don't have to for the Skill Rune. If we're going to be on this for a while, we might as well open share and condense and split loot as needed. It'll get annoying if we're always deciding what piece goes where or who earned what..." Miko insisted. She wasn't the type to go crazy or demand all spells first or anything like that. If she had an idea she wanted the freedom to go for it, and she wanted him to do the same. "Arigatou♪!~" Miko chirped out happy to be noticed for her good work. "I also think we're going to have a great time!" Miko claimed. She could see their fun building up overall.

Flirting, delving headlong into sex acts on a whim, dividing loot. Perhaps the itinerary kept by the Players was beyond strange. Alas, they obviously wouldn't be stopping without a great reason or a greater excuse. As for the division of loot, Miko took no issues with his desired choices. Even if he believed she should have first claim of magical things, she didn't agree. Yugi had no problem with her suggestion of sharing, though. It was something that would save them a great deal of time in the near and distant future alike, but there remained one issue he had based on some assumptions about the lass. "That'll do. But that means you don't get to hold back on using something just because you think I might want or need it. If you want it, take it. If I also want it, that just means it's grind time. The inverse should apply as well. We good?" he asked.

Whatever the pair got into from that moment onward, their decisions would eventually lead them properly into the forest. Having recently crushed his newly-acquired Skill Rune, Yugi was looking into his left palm as electricity gently cackled within it. "Ugh! I didn't expect it to suck this hard! I want full Raikiri shit, but there's a full ten levels to Skill mastery? That kind of shit is what combining should be for!" he complained. All the while, Yugi's eyes were darting to one place after another. Nothing incredibly strange was taking place in the forest... but that, itself, was an oddity. Something was definitely here. "Guess I'll have a reason to spam it for EXP while we're out here. You picking up anything? I think Perception is trying to tell me there's a threat."

There was something uniquely chaotic but equally harmonious about the way that Miko and Yugi interacted. A switch of subjects from immaterial division of loot, to flirting could happen in just a moment. In this case, something a lot bigger than simple loot sharing was technically being discussed. Yugi had an understanding of Miko's behavior that many didn't have even after years of knowing her. She'd easily give up things for other people, but she wasn't the type to take for herself. It seemed like this was something that Yugi understood enough to comment on it. Apparently, if they both wanted something they'd just grind to get enough for both of them, but she wasn't allowed to let go of something just because he wanted it too. Was she okay with that? Oddly enough the answer would be, "Yes♪!~ Daddy♪!~" If both were to be fair about things, she supposed she could find it in herself to give and take in equal portions.

Moving on, to whatever such a statement would cause... they'd eventually be found entering the forest, while Yugi played with his newfound spell, their walk into the forest was oddly quiet. "Given what the item thing looked like, Skill Combination would have given something very different. Still, it will be fun to see if you can combo it. I wonder if I can combo magical stuff after it's maxed out? That'd be pretty sweet♪~" Miko claimed. As they continued walking she could hear something... her ears were picking up a slight noise, but it didn't seem to be approaching them. No it seemed to be moving around, "My Perception is a bit higher and I can hear them moving around," Miko confirmed. Hers pricked and her eyes were drawn around to a small creature moving about in the roots of the forestry. "There..." she whispered quietly, while pointing to the creature which the System would identify.

[SYSTEM — IDENTIFICATION]

Creature: Mossling Tender
Rank: E
Type: Beast / Plant Hybrid
Description:
A small, moss-covered creature that protects and nurtures nearby flora. Moves quietly through damp forest floors and can emit a mild sedative pollen.
HP: 320
Mana: 50
Strength: 8
Endurance: 10
Agility: 12

Behavior: Passive unless threatened; can attempt to ensnare attackers with vines or pollen.

As they traversed the forest, the pair's conversation became about Skill acquisition. Yugi wasn't satisfied at all with what he had. Though he understood such things had to start weak, he would have settled for something... flashier. "I did some looking while you were trying to find out where your bra went. Combining things doesn't seem possible after the Skill is already acquired, but it is possible to feed a new Skill into an existing one. I figure it'll give a Skill new shape, or added effects instead of just... you know, blending them," he explained of some searching he'd done through System info. "I've got some ideas for what I want this thing doing, but it'll be a while. You'll definitely have to shake your ass a lot more for it to work," he added. Why was such a thing necessary for his Skill evolution? Well... because he wanted it to be, of course.

The danger Yugi sensed was also registered by Miko. She had a better way of locating anything they might need to be wary of; Yugi himself only had his eyes and the sixth sense of the Perception stat. In a matter of moments, she pointed out the target. That mossy little critter didn't seem like a threat at all. In fact, he should have seen it and known it was the thing he sensed... but Yugi couldn't imagine it being a dangerous beast of any sort. "... Really? Those things? I mean, it's pretty cool that we've got plant creatures too... but it looks more like a..." Yugi paused there, his eyes widening as that lightning magic disappeared from his hand. The System notice told him everything he needed to foster a bit of hope. Perhaps, if he was lucky, things would turn out interesting yet again. "... Episode six? It might be episode six," he said somewhat cryptically. Of course, Yugi's thought process involved ever so casually stepping aside to ensure Miko was closer to the Mosslings, which seemed to number about five or so in the area. "Hm. Life's interesting, I think."

Their conversation about Skill acquisition was one with greater detail. While Miko looked for her lost article of clothing, Yugi had apparently been peeking around in the system. "Oh? Is that what you found. I thought you got pretty quiet. Still that's good information to have... speaking of, you can send stuff back to the Inventory even if it isn't on your person. It's how I finally got my bra back," she shared all the information she'd forgotten as they began moving again. But if she could change the shape or effects of a few things she'd have a bit of fun with the new things regardless. Moving on from that apparently, Yugi knew what he wanted out of his low-level electrical ability in the future and claimed Miko would need to shake her ass. "Waaah♪~ Why's ass shaking required?" she wondered almost earnestly, but that utterance of hers said she wasn't against the idea with any kind of firmness, it'd simply taken her by surprise in some way.

Soon enough though they were identifying some different creatures. This time some mossy little creatures were the targets of their Perception. She didn't think they looked particularly dangerous either, but they registered as potentially dangerous, "I also think they look pretty cool. Though I am not directly worried plants can be problematic..." Miko mentioned while she paused her forward momentum. She wouldn't notice that Yugi had once again stepped back leaving her to the mercy of some new kinds of creatures. Still, Yugi was doing a bit of quiet rambling and Miko had begun to notice when he did that, that something she'd not noticed or known about was taking place, "Episode six of what?" she questioned immediately. He spoke often in references and she did much the same so... maybe she'd gain some insight or maybe... she wouldn't need to. No... the five little creatures took note of them and immediately a few would puff some spores into the air around Miko, she couldn't help her initial breath which would put it in her lungs. "Seda...tive. Don't breathe... and, careful they're..." she didn't need to finish it as a set of vines had grabbed her ankles and strung her upside down by the ankles as the vines themselves kept growing up around her body. "Tasukette♪!~" her voice was drowning out as she felt sleepy.

"... Really?" Yugi questioned. Being able to return items to their inventory was an interesting thing. He immediately began wondering if it were possible to return things Miko was currently wearing. Could he just... send her panties back to storage on a whim? That was something worth trying later. Ah, but there were two other things of greater importance: his Skill development and Miko's ass. She would question the latter of those two things, wondering how ass-shaking was involved at all. "Because... motivation? Shake enough ass in front of me, and it'll eventually turn me into a god," he said, completely deadpan.

Also deadpan was Yugi's eventual observation of their newest threat, if it could be called such. He didn't see the animosity in those things, and neither did Miko. In fact, she thought they looked cool. The question of what Yugi meant by 'episode six' in his initial observation would receive no answers. No, he neither wished to give it, nor found it necessary. They'd both soon find out if episode six was upon them soon enough. Five of those mossy creatures were upon her, releasing some druglike pollen that she immediately inhaled. She called it a sedative, warning Yugi against breathing. Well, that was par for the course. Already having that knowledge from reading the System alert, Yugi was ready to hold a hand in front of his face and produce that new lightning Skill from it to effectively 'burn' away the spores before they reached his nose. "Careful, they're... what?" he asked as if unconcerned. A cry for help was made, but a move to do so was not. No, no... Yugi intended to watch whatever happened here. If things became dangerous, he'd surely step in... but this didn't seem like that type of danger at the moment. "What was that? You're becoming a little hard to hear~"

"Yep!" Miko confirmed her happy finding. Regardless of what the information would be useful for but she share it nonetheless. Still there were more important things. According to Yugi, shaking ass in front of him could make him a god, to be used as motivation. "I suppose that information is good to have, but isn't it a weakness?" she wondered. If shaking ass in front of him could motivate him towards his goals, such a thing could also be used to motivate him to do things not within his own goals. If she were more manipulative she might have thought to use something like that, but one didn't have to be manipulative to exploit a weakness handed to you. That was just called using the information to complete a task.

Oh well, it would be a while yet before they could continue that aspect of the conversation. Why? Mostly because she was currently being assaulted for the second time today. First a slime, got all the way into her pants, and now some strange little creature was trying to drug her and had her strung up in the air with rapey vines. The were sliding under her clothes already wiggling against her exposed skin. "Noooo. Not again!~" she chimed as she tried to wake up. Well, at least she wasn't dumb, she still had access to her own magic at least, but it didn't seem like a good idea to water the plant creatures per se. Instead she'd be casing her magical barrier spell to give herself a bit of resistance to the sedation. "Lumen Veil," she tapped her own thigh the magical layer spreading and clearing up her senses a little bit. "Goddamnit, Brainface... if I get assaulted by one more wild animal I'm gonna rape you!" she shouted at the sky above. Meanwhile, those creatures didn't seem too violent. Though they'd were still moving her around it would seem that most of their intentions were to cause her to lose consciousness. "I know you heard me! Are you going to watch me get molested by something else today?!" she questioned directly. Still as those vines progressed she had less and less limb based freedom.