Floor 11: Taft's Spring Festival COMPLETE

[Kiru 0]

[Loot 8: no mask for Kiru yet :/]

After letting go of Manta's hand I looked back at Zelrius. He wasn't wearing his normal combat uniform, he even looked a little out of place in front of me. Although in our last couple exchanges the boy had been wearing strange outfits, it was this one that looked the most unusual, yet familiar. In fact, without the gear and helmet he normally wore I realized that this wasn't just a random pick from his seemingly millions of suits. Upon closer inspection I noticed that it was the suit I had commissioned for Zelrius' birthday. Internally I felt myself be overcome with pride, as it was the first time I'd actually seen him wearing the custom piece. But even with this sense of accomplishment I was struck with concern as I saw the body under the suit. He was uncharacteristically tense and from the looks of it he was pretty uncomfortable. Maybe it was the suit? Anyhow, this underlying detail of sudden, yet hidden, anxious actions made me feel confused. 

To make my brain even more confused, Zelrius addressed me formally, bowing even. "It is isn't it?" I stated, unsure if I was supposed to respond to him. After returning to normal posture he quickly explained that he was in fact on a "spur of the moment date," with Manta Gaul, and left before allowing me to speak further. As he walked off, holding her hand, I felt an unnerving pressure. "What was that?" I questioned and drew in a deep breath. I watched as he and Manta had faded out into the distance, leaving me alone in the middle of the empty street. Memories began pouring into my head; Keith's name disappearing from my list, Daeron's smiling face as he jumped off the edge, and Zelrius leaving out of the guild doors. Once again, like all those times, I was left alone. "Hah..."  I laughed slowly, in chopped segments of short breath. I was trying to get a hold of myself but it just was not working tonight. Suddenly a tear ran down my cheek, followed by a few others. I wiped them quickly and walked over to a nearby bench because quite frankly, I need a break from this right now. I was supposed to be having fun alone, so why was I so unhappy when left to be with myself? 

 

Edited March 5, 2016 by Kiru

[Azide 0]

"Why are we here?" came the inevitable question.

"Well, I reckon it's mostly on account of that Kayaba fellow," answered McGonagall, who'd uncrossed an arm to rub at his chin, as if he'd just delivered unto the world a truly illuminating nugget of wisdom. He'd delivered something, of course- he always did. But it'd be a cold day in hell before those somethings were of use to anyone.

Folded arms held taut against his chest, tawny eyes twitching just the slightest bit, the young man stood his ground firmly nonetheless. Vaguely aware of his tightening grip, he made an effort to relax his fingers, letting them slacken as a deliberate breath eased its way out of him. To call his laughter subdued would be somewhat of an understatement; personally, he felt as if his uneasy chuckle had resembled that of a man being held hostage. Still, he supposed it wasn't unreasonably to cut this man some slack, all things considered.

His lips adopted a brittle smile as he turned to his much larger associate, who bore no hint or shadow of irony across the entirety of his mug. "Oh, silly me," said Azide, bringing a hand to clasp the back of his head. "Thank you for enlightening me, McGonagall. To think that all this time, I'd been at a loss as to how we came to find ourselves here in Sword Art Online."

A resounding belly laugh came from the red-headed man. As the fit came to an end, McGonagall planted his hand atop the shorter player's crown, ruffling the caramel locks which topped it. Naturally, the action had elicited from Azide a rather dirty look- but if the man had noticed the annoyance in his expression, then he sure hadn't shown it. "Don't go beatin' yourself up about it, kiddo. Used to be pretty stupid myself, back in the day. That darn roller coaster of youth," said the man, a dreamy look in his eye. "Er, not that I'm callin' you stupid or anythin'." He scratched at his nose rather sheepishly, washing his hands of the matter.

Azide sighed, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Oh, don't you worry about me. I was only wondering just now how you managed to make it off of that coaster in one piece," said the youth, glancing off to the side. He thought he'd spotted a familiar face or two in the distance, only to snap his head back as something rather sopping and unpleasant poked him in the shoulder. As it turned out, it was a net which had done the prodding, albeit the man at the end of the instrument was of no surprise. "Would it be out of line for me to ask why you're doing that?" asked Azide, snatching the wooden pole from the other man's grip. Surprisingly, he found that it hadn't been a very difficult feat at all.

The man grinned from ear to ear as he took a step to the side, revealing the booth stationed in front of them. He pointed to the large tank which sat beside it. "Goldfish scoopin'. You and me, kiddo. Loser pays for lunch, no questions asked." Over his shoulder rested the hollow bamboo pole of a second scooper. Emblazoned across the base of the device was a stylized engraving of what appeared to be the man's very own smiling face. Fingers curled tightly around the wooden length, McGonagall gave the pseudo-lever a couple of quick pumps as he planted his opposite hand atop the booth's countertop, drawing the attention of the booth's NPC attendant. "So? Are we doin' this or you chickenin' out?"

Up until now, he had to admit that he'd forgotten all about the other man's profession of choice. He wondered if perhaps a fisherman might hold some sort of field advantage in a festival game like this. Even so, he found himself cracking a smile in spite of himself. "Make that lunch for the next week and you've got yourself a deal."

 

McGonagall

 

Edited March 5, 2016 by Azide

[Oikawa 1]

Events unfold in the most extravagant of manners on the days you least expect. The unknown beginning and the even more elusive end are all dynamics that make up these events. This excerpt of thought manifested within the blonde, as he strolled throughout the festival of Taft. His most recent musings begged the most annoying of questions; that would need eventual answering. Why? He often wondered. How did things get to where they are now? Why did this transpire? Yet no matter how many excuse ridden answers he gave himself, the answer remained the same. It wasn't the same. The feeling at the time was euphoric. Something he only ever dreamed about achieving, yet; here now, in place like this, he found himself regretting the whole thing.

No, regret was much to strong a word for this, but rather, disappointed in that he let things slide out from under him. Catching him up in ways and things that never used to concern him. His shoulder released the built up tension they had drawn as he delved deeper into his own thoughts. Oblivious to the familiar faces that swarmed around him. Whether on dates, enjoying the company of others that weren't dates, or even down right enjoying themselves alone. All of it background noise to him as he pondered over his latest decision, the exiting of Azure.

His mind had been made up for quite sometime. The decision to leave that is, but how did it come to that he wondered. He worked backwards as events spiraled about in his mind. The absence of two of his favored Commandants, his A.W.O.L. moment and displacement in Rank, the addition of players he believed unworthy to bear the title Azure at the time, the creation of a guild that was then stripped from them within a months time...the list seemed to drag on, yet he still seemed unsatisfied with those reasons why. They weren't reasons, they were just rainbow icing on a cake that was keen on being nasty from the start. Though, with that in mind, surely joining Azure wasn't meant to be the situation for him that it became. No, the initial intention was much happier than that. Yet here he was - alone, guild-less and not so happy.

Bangs shook from left to right, as his head swiveled from side-to-side. He scanned his new environment. Nothing seemed familiar in the sense that mattered most. While familiar with the setting, the place itself was nothing more than another unfamiliar travel site for the blonde. As azure eyes shifted from sight to sight, they suddenly stopped as a scene unfolded before him. One that left a plethora of questions turning the gears within his own mind yet again. Although his mind couldn't process what exactly had happened, his body moved more so on impulse than ever before. His steps had brought him to someone he was just becoming to lose hope on seeing again, as her last appearance had already stemmed close to three months ago.

Dual tone hair, a trademark of someone he admired in more ways than one, bobbed ever so slightly as the pants of crying echoed beneath her bangs. Stopping before her, he pulled a handkerchief from the inner lining of his cloak as he kneeled down to the seated girl. Offering her the woven cloth, he searched for her eyes and locked them with his own. His lips moved but whether she heard what they had to say was rather unclear.

[Takneil 0]

"Oh god why?!" Stumbling out of the teleporter the boy weakly shambled around the grounds of the main square, to many he must of looked like he was drunk...or just flat out insane. Taking a deep breath he slowly slid down the side of a tree, letting his hands rest against his churning stomach he sighed. Of course they wouldn't be wrong, ever since he got dunked into the death game he had developed some sort of mental defense?. Truth was he didn't even know what to call it, it just was it. Nothing more, nothing less. Fighting the nauseating feeling he looked towards the festival, he could see a few familiar faces and a few new ones. Some Sad, Some Happy, one in a tree...

Standing from the dirt he brushed the filthy marks off of his black trench coat, he figured everyone here would prefer if he kept the <<Eternal Melody>> in his inventory. While it was great for combat it wasn't much of an icebreaker for a conversation. Checking his balance he nodded as he found his stomach had settled, it was time for him to relax. Walking through the crowd of Player's and NPCs alike Takneil smiled, it was a peaceful setting, something he could enjoy while relaxing. He never really planned on coming to the festival in the first place, but he had missed so much already. Plus it might be good for him to do something other than fight. 

'Excuse me Sir!, would you be willing to take part in this wonderful game?' an overly excited voice called to the monochrome haired boy from a nearby stand. 

"Hmm?" Giving a glance the boy raised a questioning brow, why pick him out of all the other people?. Shrugging he approached the decorative stand. "What are the rules?" he asked. Though he could guess from the many ringed board with a red circle in the middle. 

'All you have to do is see how well your accuracy is and if you get it in the red I'll give you neat prize!' he stated handing a dart to the player.

ID# 50190 results: Battle: 3 Craft: 5 Loot: 5 MOB: 9

Grabbing the awkwardly shaped dart Takneil frowned as he did his best to aim, it was hard to coordinate a right hand to a left eye when throwing something. "Alright, Here we go!" he spoke as he threw the projectile at the board. letting out a sigh he only felt annoyed as the dart landed a few rings away from the target. Looking up he offered an awkward smile. "Redo?"

Edited March 5, 2016 by Takneil

[Kiru 0]

This didn't make any sense. I didn't even come here to speak with the yellow haired commandant, so why was I so upset? Was it that he looked unhappy to see me? That he was accompanied by another player? When it came down to it, I was shocked and jealous and hurt that for one of the first non-guild related events he chose to go with someone I didn't even know. Zelrius never went to go have fun, like me two months ago he was so battle focused and training all the time to maintain a high reputation. Although it had serious positives, it also had it's major downsides. For example, a topic brought up between Zelrius and I internally was that with a high level and power came people who liked you merely for your strength. Now that I wasn't up to par with him was I unwanted now? That probably was not the case but I couldn't but to keep it in the back of my head, for later questioning if I would even see him again. Nowadays I learned that was everywhere and nowhere with no heads up. Leaving me for the second time in a row was seriously degrading and to be quite honest, very irritating.  Not even that, it's that he just treated me as though I was nothing. Like I hadn't been the only member from the beginning that hasn't stuck with him. Like I wasn't the only one who left Azure even when things with the other members got bad. This only brought more anger into me as I sat on the park bench under a single light post.

I wiped my right eye with the sleeve of my sweater and looked out. To my surprise, Oikawa was now kneeling in front of me. I hadn't even heard him coming, which made me wonder, had he seen the entire exchange? As his eyes locked onto mine I saw him speaking, but could not hear him. I was probably still in shock to even register simple things like hearing. I shook my head and accepted the cloth, wiping my eyes with it. "Oikawa...I uh couldn't hear you." I sniffled and smiled. It was too late to just brush off his attention and claim nothing had happened. "Thank you." I whispered quietly to him and laid the cloth in my lap. This time, someone was here for the aftermath, and I was grateful. 

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru smiled as Ariel had finally noticed him. She had seemed to be in some sort of trance. He looked to where she was looking and starting to look over to, but he wasn't exactly sure who it was, since they were surrounded by both players and NPC's. He smiled and she came over and looped her arm in his, and it made a small smile on her lips. She looked truly beautiful, and he felt lucky to have such a beautiful girl with him on such a beautiful night. She said that it had 'Took him long enough' and a small laugh escaped his lips

"Ah, well it's difficult to go against the flow of people, plus you know i'm not that well at explaining areas." He said with a slight laugh. She leaned in and told him that she wanted him in some 'more proper clothes' and he looked to see that he was still in his armor, which was full black. He gave a slight nod, but didn't understand what she meant. He gave her a look, but nodded in agreement "Well.... Alright, I suppose..." He said, unsure of what was to come

[Oikawa 1]

"I said it's alright, let it out," recited the blonde as she followed up her inquiry with a weeping thanks. His lips curled into a smile as she begin to wipe the tears away. At least for now,this event was to have a much better elusive end than its equally compelling beginning.

Rising to a stand, he gestured to the bench. "May I?" Yes or no, he would answer the non-verbal question he knew the noir-bluenette was asking herself. "I think I saw most of it... I..." He wanted to say more, but words pretty much escaped him as he was unaccustomed to this situation. His glance just danced back and forth between her and the floor. A wave of in-assurance washing over him, as he fumbled over what to say. So rather than speak, he nudged her a bit and had her look him in the eyes. "I'm here to listen. I don't know the extent of the story behind you and Zel and I won't pretend that I do. But judging from how that took place, anyone could understand that him dismissing you and leaving you within seconds was the most devastating thing he could've done to you. So if you want to talk, I'm here to listen."

His smile unsure, beamed nonetheless as he offered her his ear. 

[Baldur 0]

Baldur shifted on the bench, raising his right leg to lay it flat and set the ceramic jug of sake into his lap as he continued to converse with Opal. He was equal parts happy and surprised at her words. She had a similar ritual to what he was planning to do, but her way was a bit more honest. He was preparing this ceremony as a means to absolve his feeling of guilt, and to help him move on, while paying respect to those who had fallen, and those he felt he had failed by not helping the front line team. For his own sanity's sake, he needed to move forward, and this had been his plan for step one. Still, it made Baldur feel better that there was someone else who did something similar.

"Yes, I visit the Monument of Life often." He just conveniently left off that he was making sure names didn't appear crossed out, rather than checking on the ones that had. He was fortunate in that regard.

She then turned to look out into the crowd, watching people mill about as he was want to do from time to time. It was more comforting to him to be a stranger in a crowd, than in the crowd. That had been a considerable change to his character in the past year. He used to love being surrounded by friends; now he was haunted by the thoughts of their looks.

"Hmm... yes... that's part of why I'm trying to return to the front lines..." He hesitated, then glanced over his shoulder at her for a moment, his blue eyes weighing her. She seemed to be a kindred spirit, so he didn't mind sharing with her a bit more. "For them, and for our families on the outside. We aren't the only ones who are suffering."

It had startled him how little thought he gave to what their friends and families on the outside might be going through. Thinking about them gave him the push he needed.

"My pick of any woman?" Baldur smiled ruefully at the thought, disregarding the thought that he could have his pick of any woman and that idea that he would want to.

Baldur should his head, "I have no such plans or aspirations. I came here to get this," He gestured to the ceramic jug, "and to try and absorb some of the atmosphere. We all need a break... a reminder of what we're fighting for... and if we can, some beautiful memories. Me... I'm here to try and draw on everyone else's joy." There was something about the lanterns and the snow and city... it eased a little bit of that tightness in his chest.

[Macradon 0]

Macradon sighed as he didn't seem to find anything that was interesting for Macradon, nothing he found that attracted his attention. He would take his hair pin and leave, having it for later as a gift or just sell it at some point. He would walk back to the warp plaza and get back down to his room and sleep. This spring festival didn't seem that great as he had anticipated, though it seemed like it would be fun if you were with someone. Macradon would lay down into his bed and go to sleep.

-Macradon leaves thread-

[Shizuka 0]

Shizuka looked around and saw that the festival was becoming very, very lively. Indeed, she was sure that the festival was quite popular around the younger players yet almost everyone was either older than her or the same age as her. Doesn't matter to Shizuka though, she was going to enjoy herself at this festival and win some of the most rumored prices that the festival game provided for the players. Indeed, this was supposed to be a lively festival so Shizuka was able to assume that she wouldn't be able to become frustrated. She knew that the requirements for getting some of these good prices were little and she was sure that she would be able to obtain a price from some of the games that the festival provided. "Hey, Lowenthal. Look, there's a lot of games around. Sorry Himeko, I'm gonna steal away Lowenthal for a while so go play on your own, 'kay?" Shizuka said as she clung to Lowenthal's arm and pulled him away in delightfulness. It was then that Shizuka noticed the waves of NPCs that were wandering around the area had a mask on and Shizuka was immediately interested in obtaining one of those masks. She had seen a game booth which had that item for a reward and she was sure that she could beat the game easily and get the price, especially since she had some looting and luck bonuses.

"Alright, Lowenthal. Let's get some Kitsune Masks!" Shizuka said with excitement as she looked at the game booth. Alrighty then... Shizuka thought, observing the what the game's objective was. Shizuka smiled, indeed, it should be a simple game. The objective of the game was to throw a yellow ping pong ball into a row of glass bottles in the middle of the booth. It was a generic game that Shizuka could definitely beat within two tries. Shizuka sighed and held out her ball carefully and with a quick movement, sent the ball flying.

ID: 50211
LD: 1+3=4 [No Reward]

It was then that Shizuka managed to slip immediately after having thrown the ball. The ball ended up going way over where she wanted it to have gone. Instead of doing what she wanted, Shizuka had fallen to the ground with a flop sound and stayed there, rubbing her head in surprise. Geez... and hence, she looked up with an embarrassed smile. "Haha... I guess I didn't expect that to happen." 

Edited March 5, 2016 by Shizuka

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal smiled brightly as Shizuka somewhat cuddled up to him, and tugged on his arm. Seeing her smile, and get giddy over the stalls and the prizes. "Of course. I'll catch up with you later Himeko." Lowenthal politely said before walking away with Shizuka. When Shizuka suggested that they get maks, he obliged. He didn't really want a kitsune mask for himself, but if Shizuka wanted one. Well, he'd at least try to win her one should she fail. Lowenthal smiled, and watched her try to throw a ball, but she had gotten over zealous, and had fallen over. Lowenthal chuckled as he helped up the haired woman. "Here. Let me try." Lowenthal said, picking up a soft ball. He pulled his arm back, and the ball glowed a soft orange in his hand. He threw the ball, and was able to knock down the bottles with ease. He grinned, quite happy. He looked at Shizuka. "You pick one, beautiful." Lowenthal said absentmindedly as he smiled at Shizuka.

ID: 50213 LD: 11 Kitsune Mask of Shizuka's description

Edited March 6, 2016 by Lowenthal

[Snow 0]

 ID# 50214: [] LD: 16 []

After a few moments of watching other players, Snow's eyes fell upon one of the many stands. Decorated with bamboo and several little ornate fountains, a small pool laid on the floor. In it, several small fish swam freely in the shallow waters. Snow tilted her head as she watched another couple. The male walked up to the pond and exchanged words with the NPC running the stall. With an exchange of smiles, the NPC handed the couple a pair of small paper paddles. The knelt over the pond and dipped their wands into the water. Quickly, they swept under a fish and pulled it from the water. The fish flopped on top of the paper just once before tearing though and splashing back into the water. The boy shrugged to the girl who returned to him an upset expression. He held her by the shoulders and said something that made her blush. Then, the two continued down the streets, the girl clutching at her arm.

"Hmm..." Snow mumbled.

She stood from her bench and strode over to the stand.

"Hello!" she mentioned to the NPC.

"High, young miss," the old man replied. His eyes were seemingly shut and the white hair around his mustache and chin were woven into a long, wiry braid.

"May I try?" Snow asked with a smile.

"Certainly, miss!"

The old man handed her a paper paddle. Snow looked it over, and realized how incredibly thin the paper was. He then handed her a small cup filled with water.

"Try to get the fish into the cup and you get a prize," the old man commented.

Snow nodded and took care kneeling as to not expose herself accidentally. Snow watched the fish as they swam in chaotic circles, some more placid than others. Snow focused on a small, white one with little black spots. She took a deep breath and hovered the paddle over the water. The fish swam quickly for a moment, then calmed gain. With breath held, Snow dipped the paddle in, scooped her cup close to the surface and lifted the fish out just in time for it to jump into the cup.

"I did it!" Snow cried out.

Her face lit with excitement.

"Well done miss, here you go." The old man held out his hand for the fish and wet paddle. Snow nodded and handed them over. In exchange, the old mand handed her a really ornate and beautifully decorated <<Kitsune Mask>>.

"Thank you!" Snow called out, taking the mask.

The old man nodded and Snow stood back up with her mask in both hands. She smiled at it, remembering better times until her stomach rumbled.

"Time for a snack," the blonde concluded, enjoying her time at the festival.

[+1 Kitsune Mask]

Edited March 5, 2016 by Snow

[Zero 0]

Freya watched the stalls as she walked by the stalls, noticing a game of Ring Toss. She stopped in front of the stall and glanced at the prizes, Kitsune masks, finding them to be to her liking. Her hands brushed over the three metal rings as she turned to the stands owner. “Excuse me sir, but could I participate in this game?” She gave the vendor a flirty smile and picked up one of the rings. “I’d really appreciate it, I want to get one of those Kistune masks really badly.” She grabbed one of the rings and spun it around her finger.

The stall owner smiled at Freya and nodded happily at the request. “Sure thing young lady, go on ahead and try your hand, you have three chances to win so make your shots count.” The owner warned before smiling again and stepping aside so the young lady could play.

“Seems simple enough, though I’ve never played this game before.” Freya grabbed the ring she had been spinning and aimed carefully, tossing it at the metal rod only to miss it. “Guess it’s not as easy as I thought, still have another two rings.” She gripped the ring lightly and carefully aimed the ring up to the rod, confidently tossing the ring. It hit the rod with its backend and managed to slide onto the rod. “Guess I win.” She giggled and spun the last ring on her finger, setting it back down in order to receive her prize.

The vendor walked over to the prizes and grabbed one of the masks. “Here you go young lady.” The vendor carefully placed the mask in her hands and went back to their spot, allowing Freya to move along her merry way.

 

~Kitsune Mask Acquired~

 

First Try: ID# 50216 LD: 6

Second Try: ID# 50220 LD: 11

[Kiru 0]

"Oh...oh." I chuckled, a voice ridden with sadness. He had told me to "let it all out," but, what exactly was there to release? There was nothing there in the first place, or so I thought. If I knew that my encounter with Zelrius would be so distressing I wouldn't have just put myself through that emotional damage. Knowing that, would I have wanted to meet him in the first place if I knew how this spiral of even would turn out? I probably still would for the experiences, the positive and fun ones at least. The memories of hugging, dancing, laughing, and fighting together. Not the fighting, the falling, or the crying.  Surely anyone would want to just skip over the bad parts of their life, but the truth was none of could. We were, in all seriousness, virtually trapped in a game that was killing us one by one. And that's exactly the reason why we all needed these horrible experiences; to grow. Even if we were hurt in the process we all needed lessons, and it sucked, but we had to face it. 

I nodded, scooting to my left a little to allow Oikawa a portion of the bench. I closed my eyes and looked away from him. It was embarrassing, for someone whom he used to look up to, to cry. Especially now that surely he was above me in level I could really look him in the eye as he began. He told me what I assumed, he saw what happened. He didn't know what to say, and neither did I. It was weird in a way. I mean, what would I think if I was the situation? I certainly would assume that there were internal issues between Zelrius and I. But, I decided to let Oikawa continue so I could hear exactly what he had to say. First however, he nudged me, obviously wanting me to look at him. For a moment, I didn't agree with this. I didn't want him to see my blotchy and tear streaked face. 

Finally, I took in a deep breath and turn my body towards him, giving my full attention. He wanted to listen. Calrex also wanted to listen to my problems. Tristan was ardent on me letting out everything in front of him. What was different about all of them? Tristan and I were once in a relationship and quite frankly have been down a rough path from there. After things got better I now felt that I couldn't bother Tristan to spill my heart out to him, he didn't deserve to be troubled by my problems. Calrex on the other hand, had been there to see everything leave me. He was the first to comfort me when Keith let, the first to see me when Daeron jumped of the edge of Aincrad without saying anything, and now I didn't want him to be doing anymore comforting for me. After all, he had a Tearye to look after. And now, here was Oikawa. There was something different about how he would respond, and I knew it. He wouldn't try to tell me to calm down, or that I was revealing enough. I felt like he would do as promised and just listen. Oikawa was once a "student" of Keith and I's, mostly Keith's though. He listened to us both back then, so I had a feeling that he would be the same now. 

His smile was contagious. Soon, my countenance lightened and smiled back at the blonde. "I uh, sorry, I don't know how to explain exactly what just happened," I ran my fingers through my black and white hair and continued, "he's pretty difficult you know? Zelrius I mean. One moment you're in the middle of a party having a ball, and the next you're in the middle of the street alone while he's running off. It's not that I'm jealous that he's been on a date, I just feel kind of like leftover pizza or something. Like, I was fun to be around but as soon as I was left alone to fend for myself I wasn't pleasant to be around. Zelrius is such a fragile person on the inside, I swear, but sometimes he forgets that by closing himself off to his only "family" in this game he is practically stabbing me. And with other holes in my heart I'm afraid that if this keeps going on that I won't have any hear left for him to poke at." I frowned and looked down at my hands. I was probably making no sense to someone who wasn't there for Zelrius and I's conversations. Even knowing this, I kept going now that everything was flowing out. "It just stings, a lot. He probably doesn't even think of me highly anymore, seeing as though he's been choosing other's over the one person who would stick with him. Gosh, if he turned orange and everyone in Aincrad was after him I would protect him and stand along side him- I'd turn orange because he means just that much to me. I just can't say that he would do the same for me..." I trailed off, whispering at the end.  

Edited March 6, 2016 by Kiru

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Seeing as he nodded to her little proposition, the blonde looked around them. DIssatisfied with what she saw in terms of tailor shops or any form of clothing vending shops she brought up with her right hand her HUD shop inventory and maximize the window so that Hikoru could see too. With her left arm still intertwined on his she brought up two very distinct pieces of formal wear. Well it was a bit of an understatement to call them pieces as one was a complete formal western suit used for elegant parties with a slim black necktie, while the other one was a traditional dark blue japanese kimono with a discreet flower pattern that is barely visible in the light.

"Which one do you prefer?" she asked with glee. It didn't took long for her to reach for these two from  the existing stock. In times like this she gave thanks to her strict categorization skills. She wouldn't show it but she'd wanted him to complement her kimono with the dark colored one in the left, secretly wishing they would look more like a couple that way. A small blush tinged her cheeks at the thought. 

[Sinful 0]

"A festival? This is perfect!" The enthusiastic young man shouted as he surveyed the area before him, seeing the beautiful decorations in every direction. Perhaps he could give some bread out to the children who need it, or just have fun, win some prizes, and give those out to depressed kids. That'd be a good idea, at least for now, he had other things in mind such as the plotted murders of his worst enemies in SAO, but that could wait. An NPC rushed hurriedly past him, dropping a couple of fireworks. Sinful took note of this quickly and picked them up and chased the NPC, "Hey! You dropped some of these!" After catching up with him, the NPC graciously thanked him and told him to keep one of the fireworks. Sinful only looked at him in shock and said "But sir, you make an honest living with these, you should keep it." He smiled, but the NPC only shook his head. "I'm old now, and you're young. You could make more use out of it than me, please do take care young man." With firework in hand, Sinful watched as the NPC left with wide eyes; what an easy catch, now his master plan is one step closer to being complete.

+1 Firework

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru looked at the two attires that Ariel had pulled up in front of him. Both of them were nice, and his eyes were locked onto the suit. It fit him well, and it was something that he wouldn't mind wearing everywhere, including on dates and everyday battle. But as he looked over to Ariel, and her eyes seemed locked on the kimono that she had also picked out. He looked at it for a moment. It was a very nice shade of black, and he liked the look of it, but it wasn't his style of clothing. But by the look that she was giving, and how much she kept looking at the kimono, he knew that she wanted it, then so should he. He pointed to the kimono with a small smile

"I kinda like this one. it's still the same color as my armor, but it does look more festive." He said with a small smile. He looked at her and gave a warming smile, then nodded as he looked at the Kimono one more time, smiling as he tried to imagine him wearing it, and hoped that it would be somewhat comfortable.

[Jomei 0]

Jomei grinned at Zandra when she told him just what she had in mind for an activity to partake in at the festival. A round of carnival games could be a bit of fun, "Alright. Sounds good to me. Lets go find it!" he said with a grin, before continuing with his pace down the aisle of tents. He saw plenty of different types of games; ring toss, knocking down milk jugs, balloon popping with darts, pretty much everything you would see while walking through a carnival or festival like this. He wondered if the game she wanted to play was here.. and hell, just how to play it in that case. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he noticed a couple of players holding small nets, facing towards a lit up stand. As he brought Zandra closer, it turned out it was exactly what she was looking for. Jomei turned around and walked behind Zandra, placing his hands on her shoulders. He gently led her forward, "Alright Zan, show me what you've got!" 

As he walked Zandra up to the game, he noticed at the end of the row of tents, a tall cherry blossom tree with large roots poking out of the ground in a beautiful manner. On the largest root, nearest to the tree, sat a woman with long brown hair. She wore a pink kimono that flowed onto the ground quite elegantly. In her hands, she was crafting something out of one of the cherry blossoms. Jomei looked back at Zandra, "You play your game.. I'll be right back." 

Jomei hurried down the lane to where the woman was standing, a smile on his face. He now had a better look at what she was making, a hair pin. He figured it would look quite nice on Zandra. He leaned his body forward towards her, "Hello there lass.. That cherry blossom looks incredible. You really are quite talented with that craft." The beautiful woman looked up at Jomei and smiled, "Well aren't you sweet. If you'd like, I could give you this one. Here." The cherry blossom accessory disappeared from her hands, and appeared into Jomei's inventory, an info box in front of his face confirming so. Jomei bowed his head, "Thank you. Thats very kind of you."

+1 Cherry Blossom Pin

Making his way back over to the girl who was still playing the fishing game, he took out the flower from his inventory. Once he stood behind Zandra, he brushed his fingers through her hair a couple of times before attaching the pin to her hair. He chuckled, "Surprise. I hope you like it." 

-1 Cherry Blossom Pin (Given to Zandra)

[Lycan 0]

Lycan joined the crowd of players, feeling slightly uncomfortable in his Haori. He preferred the loose fit of his cloak over the fine silk and tight fit of the eastern wear. Regardless, he made his way through the festival. He saw some people making their way to the stands and playing games of chance. He saw them being handed masks as rewards, and began to assess which mask he wanted most. The fox with the blue accents? The fox with the red accents? The fox with the...

Then, the young teen staggered after catching his foot wrong on a root. He barely managed to save himself from falling on his arse by gripping at the trunk of a large, central cherry tree. His weight shook the boughs ever so slightly, but enough to send a rain of cherry blossoms cascading down. Lycan looked up as one landed in his hair to watch the rest fall. It looked... beautiful.

"You look good with a flower in your hair," a woman's voice mentioned.

Lye looked down to see an elderly woman weaving several blossoms into ornate hair decorations.

"No, no," Lycan commented, fetching the blossom from his hair. "I'm not much for hair accessories."

"Shame," the woman replied as she continued to craft.

"Hey," Lycan began as he approached the elderly woman. "What are those?"

"Festival pins, made from the Springs first fallen blossoms." The woman tied a chain of sparkling gems to the base of a blossom and wove it together with a fine twine cured with wax. 

"They're very nice," Lycan replied.

The woman looked up, pointing to the blossom in his hand. Lycan looked to it, then back to her.

"That's quite a fine blossom," she remarked. "If you like, I could craft it into a most beautiful pin for you."

Lycan grinned.

"No thanks, but I--"

His words cut off when he witnessed a young blonde girl at a fish catching game. In her hands, she held a <<Kitsune Mask>>. As he watched her with the mask, the woman began to chuckle.

"You could give it to a lovely young lady," she commented.

Lycan just quietly handed her the blossom. The woman took it and busily worked, tying in a strange of blue gems to contrast the soft pink hues. When finished, she held it out to Lycan, prompting an item accept window. He hit accept.

"Thank you," he commented only to have the woman nod.

"Now go find yourself a lovely girl to introduce yourself to. The festival is young, as are you."

"I will, thank you."

 

+1 Cherry Blossom Pin

[Jevi 0]

The purplette's body materialized onto Floor Eleven, a slightly nervous look on her face. As she stepped off of the platform the warp ring was seated on, the wooden sandals  she wore on her feet clicked against the pavement, followed by the bottom of her white kimono hovering just above the ground. The clothing she had on represented both her, as well as KoTB's colors, a white robe with purple lining and designs, and a crimson cape over her shoulders. She crossed her arms as she continued to walk forward into the crowded streets where the Spring Festival was being held. Her golden eyes darted back and forth, looking for anyone that she knew, but of course for one man in particular. Grave had invited her to come to the Festival with him, and she did not want to deny him that offer. However, it seemed as though she had showed up a bit early. She looked down at her clothes ~"I hope that idiot likes that I'm wearing this..." she mumbled to herself before sighing. I guess I do look decent in it.. well, might as well go enjoy the festival a bit before Grave comes. She slowly walked past the stands, just looking at all of the different things she could do alone.

Spoiler