[PP-F7] Armored Up - Grandmaster Thread

[Mack 0]

OOC: Let's do this... I want to GM my heavy armor before the F15 Boss. Also, surprise! I've spiked the drinks again! Enjoy your kitty ears and tails, tonight everyone's a Cait Sith, even though this isn't ALO!

Compared to many of the other floors in the world of Sword Art Online, like the hideously hot and disgusting fifth and sixth floors, Mack had done a fair amount of exploring on the seventh floor. Which explained how he had come to discover a seemingly random tavern and inn that was, quite literally, carved directly into the mountainside. The only parts of the tavern that weren't actually a part of the mountain where the heavy oaken front door and a simple sign and lamp post just outside the tavern. The establishment itself was, in truth, almost never populated with anyone other than the computer generated inn keeper, which meant that it would serve the needs of the evening quite well. The main floor of the tavern was dominated by a huge fireplace that was set into one wall while a few small tables filled the room with one large table along the wall opposite the fire place that was filled with various food and drink items, including a spiked punch bowl with a note that demanded everyone drink it. Once people drank the punch they would sprout feline ears on top of their heads and tails. Mack, for his part, was sporting black furred ears on the top of his head and a very impressive tiger-striped tail.

"And make sure you ask Takao about the Gnoll Chieftainess," Mack rumbled in a low tone, one arm wrapped around Samriel's shoulders while the other hand held a mug of stout beer. "He'll act like he doesn't want to tell that story, but it really is one of his favorite tales," Mack continued, taking a pull from the foamy mug filled with a liquid that was almost black. Meanwhile, Magda was elsewhere in the room, Mack wasn't quite sure what his twin was up to, but with such pleasurable blonde company, who could blame him?

[Samriel 0]

Samriel had been cordially (and by cordially she meant insistently) invited by Mack to yet another get together of his. She was starting to wonder if the man just liked any excuse for a party since this time he seemed to be celebrating achieving Grandmaster rank in his heavy armor skill. Impressive enough of a feat, though she wondered if that was really a reason to throw a party. It was more of a small get together though, apparently not as grand as what he had done at the hot springs. And this was definitely different than the hot springs. Sam had never had reason or opportunity to explore this high of a floor and seven seemed fairly interesting. One thing was the same as the other party though, there was still a bowl of punch with a note insisting everyone drink from it. Raising an amused eyebrow at Mack, the blonde shrugged and poured herself a mug and drank. She saw the results on the blacksmith first and laughed at the odd sight of him sprouting feline-like ears atop his head and she even spied a tail flicking behind him.

Without her realizing, ears and tail that matched her blonde hair materialized on her form as well even as she cocked her head in curiosity at his words. "Gnoll Chieftainess?" The young woman wondered why he was so...close, for lack of a better word and felt a little awkward while in the company of of his twin, though not unpleasant. She was just glad that this wouldn't be as big of an affair as previously. Just a few friends gathered together to relate about the good old days. Which begged the question... "So... We're supposed go around swapping stories right? I haven't known you for long though. Don't really have any stories to tell about you. So why invite me?" She liked him and all, but felt out of place among his older, closer friends.

[Magda 0]

Magda had seen the effects of the punch before she drank it. After that glittery nightmare of a drink he'd concocted back at the hot springs she just didn't trust anything he asked her to drink. When he sprouted ears and a tail though she literally fell over laughing. Magda rolled around a bit kicking as her boisterous laughter echoed throughout the inn. Gradually she calmed down and stood up. She wiped away a few tears and said, "Oh I really needed that." Magda didn't see any harm in looking like a cat, so she filled  cup and downed its contents down and as she turned around to see Samriel her expression changed. "You're," she started to say and her eyes grew wide. Ears appeared on her head the same crimson color as her hair and a long bushy tail popped out from between her black skirt and teal tunic. The same clothes she commonly wore. Her tunic was rather form fitting so it showed off her ample chest. Her black skirt hugged her hips and thighs but spread out farther down her legs for added movement. It ended just above her ankles where a pair of black leather boots could be seen. Suddenly she finished what she meant to say. "So adorable!" Never the one to be shy Magda reached out and ran her fingers along the blonde's left cat ear. Then she suddenly stood back as her tail flicked back and forth. "How do I look?" Her gaze shifted from Samriel to Mack and finally down to the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders. Oops. A wide grin spread across her face as she gave her Shield Sister a wink.

"Goblin Chieftaness," she echoed. Magda looked around the room to see who all had arrived so far.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Magda

[Piera 0]

Piera entered the mostly empty establishment behind Opal, feeling small and yet safer next to the more curvaceous woman, acting as her plainer shadow. The only reason she even came was because Opal had so generously picked her up and escorted her. Clad in a plain ensemble of green sweater, rough brown skirt that reached her ankles and leather boots, the brunette fingered her Healing Heart as she looked around the inn's bar. It seemed that they weren't the first ones here, but neither were they the last. At least she didn't think so. A slight frown appeared when she realized that besides the host and innkeeper, there were nothing but women here. Sighing to her companion she asked in a low tone, "Doesn't Mack have any guy friends?" To be honest, she didn't recall seeing him with any other male besides Xion, but even then that was for the failed alliance meeting.

Giving up the thought process as a pointless endeavor, the brunette focused in on the bowl of punch with narrowed suspicious eyes. No doubt spiked just like the last time. Trying to remember what he had sold him, she vaguely remembered a potion that half transformed the drinker to turn into some sort of animal...and of course the nefarious alcoholic potion. Not wanting to take her chances, Piera poured herself a cup and turned away from the other group to surreptitiously poke and test the liquid before nodding, satisfied at her findings. Leaning towards the platinum blonde she informed her, "Just makes you a cat person."  She could handle that over being publicly intoxicated. Especially considering what happened the last time the trio had last drank together. Taking a sip, the alchemist swallowed with a thoughtful expression. She couldn't quite determine if she really liked the taste, but supposed it wasn't horrible.

Brown tabby ears and tail began to materialize on her avatar as she approached the blacksmith. "Congratulations on your second Grandmastering." Then turning to the other two women, she bowed her head politely and greeted, "Hello. I'm Piera, nice to meet you again. And you as well." Holding out a hand for first Magda and then Samriel to shake. Seeing the large tan arm on the blonde woman's shoulders, the brunette was becoming more and more convinced that he was simply a ladies man. Unless this woman turned out to be yet another sister somehow.

[Takao 0]

Tired. That was the perfect way to describe his mood. Just... tired. Sleep had eluded him for some reason or another, even after his exhausting excursion through the floors with a certain red-haired behemoth of an antagonist. He hadn't even had the energy to delve into the menu and change into his usual gear, and instead wandered toward the tavern in his usual lounging clothes, with the addition of a green hoodie stylized to fit Aincrad's setting. He was also sporting a few dark rings under his eyes, and inwardly cursed the level of detail that his digital prison went into. Even if he hadn't gotten a semblance of sleep, he would've much preferred to be in bed. Takao pushed open the Tavern doors and stopped in front of the spiked bowl of punch, green eyes wearily staring at the request-- or rather, demand-- that it be consumed. His eyes rolled before reluctantly complying, knowing fully well that there would be an undesirable effect to the drink.

As he dragged his feet to the closest chair, a pair of ash-brown ears and a matching tail sprouted from his clothing. Either he hadn't noticed or he didn't have the energy to spare, for his only reaction was to scratch his side as he slumped down into the seat. It was wooden and not even a fraction as comfortable as his bed, but it was better than expending whatever remnants of his energy by standing. He managed to keep his head up for a few grueling moments before he finally succumbed to his exhaustion and fell forward, the table rumbled with a hollow thump as his forehead dropped down onto its wooden surface. The slight force of his slumping onto the table proved to be sufficient enough for an "Immortal Object" sign to appear and linger over his head

[Opal 0]

"You'd think that since most of the guild is comprised of men." Opal could only shrug as she took lead in front of the woman as they continued their step towards the intended destination. They had arrived at a punch bowl, Opal eyed the mystery liquid and to her companion behind her as she prodded the juice before making any assumptions on it. Opal lifted her hand and waved, "If he wanted to poison us, I am sure he could with how much [censored] we drink from these bowls. But if you say its fine, I'll trust you. I'm not really into the neko look though." Moving her hand forward, the Vice Commander lifted a cup, poured the contents within and shivered lightly as the liquid potion started to take effect. She gave a small burp and exhaled slowly as the defining features of a cat-person became visible. The ears twitched along with a snappy tail flicking back and forth, unable to control the appendage, Opal quickly took hold of it and smoothed it out with her palm as if trying to keep it from breaking any of the decorations. 

"Great, another embarrassing story to add to Mack's Wall of Shame." Opal thought, holding one hand on her temple and the other from the curious tail of hers as it seemed to want to move on its own. Opal walked side by side with Piera as they entered the larger room finding Mack to be comfy cozy with an arm around yet another woman? Opal could only shake her head as the introductions were made to the strangers, "I'm Opal." she gave a curt wave to the blonde haired girl and smiled to the equally busty redhead, Magda. "Oh! Hi! Good to see you here, but then its not surprising since your siblings. Is Michiko around here as well?" Opal didn't see the younger sister, but dismissed the thought as she heard something of a crash behind her accompanied by a dull thud. Looking over her bare shoulder, the woman saw a brunette clearly passed out with the blinking "Immortal Object" right over his head where it crashed to the table, was that Takao? The woman gave a soft frown to the player, perhaps an odd side effect to the punch they had all drank? 

Looking to Mack, "Hey! Why are your guests falling asleep already, Mack? What did you do to the punch other than the catty appendages?" Opal only looked at him with a glare before dismissing it yet again. Opal had found the liquor as she moved her hands through the beverages and grabbed herself a strong drink. Placing herself down on the couch, the woman shifted one leg over the other and sipped, waiting for whatever nonsense to expose itself from this so called party. 

-
Casually dressed Opal

[Mack 0]

"I would have thought, sister mine, that by now you'd have figured out that Samriel nearly always looks adorable. That was how you put it, right? And you look like a giant ginger tabby. At least I got tiger for mine," Mack rumbled, quirking an eyebrow at Magda even as he led Samriel over in the direction of the fire place that dominated one wall of the room. Settling himself on the ground before the roaring fire, and being careful to make sure that his twitching tiger striped tail didn't find its way into the flames, Mack waited for the blonde to join him in front of the warmth generated by the dancing flames or not, as she chose. "As for you, we have plenty of stories. Like vanquishing the giant bats and killing the Queen Bee." Mack shrugged his broad shoulders and took a pull from his mug as others began to filter in.

"Evening Piera, Opal," the blacksmith answered, greeting both of the women and casting each of them an undeniably wary look as they both sprouted cat ears and tails. "And what's wrong with being a neko for a night, Vice Commander," Mack asked, seriously, his tail twitching out behind him. "Michi should be floating around somewhere and this is Samriel," Mack continued, gesturing to the blonde. "She's embarked on the path of the healer and I've been trying to convince her to join the Knights of the Blood Oath while power leveling her since we have far too few healers on the Front Lines," the ginger man continued, smirking as he watched Opal try to control her twitching tail while Takao slipped quietly into the tavern looking somewhat worse for the wear. Before long the brunette had thumped down face first onto one of the tables.

"And the only thing in the punch is the feline potion I bought from Piera," he continued in a somewhat hurt tone. "Why would I want to poison any of you? Least of all my own twin and the best dungeon sniffing scout in all of Aincrad? Tell you what," Mack rumbled in a low tone, beckoning Opal closer. "I'll let you go wake him up. It's real easy, just lean over and whisper in his ear, 'Gnoll Chieftainess loves you long time,'" Mack said with a smirk, knowing full well that if anything would snap the bard to full wakefulness it would be that very phrase. "It's harmless and I guarantee it will work."

[Samriel 0]

Samriel smiled over at Magda who was once again cracking up at her twin's antics, though all he was doing was sitting there...flicking his tiger tail... Chuckling lightly, the blonde turned to look up at the red haired woman as she focused on her and blinked for a moment, observing the ears and tail that appeared on her Shield Sister's form before flinching when she very much felt her newly acquired feline ears being touched. "Gah!" Sam's face warmed slightly in embarrassment and her ears swiveled back, pressing down against her head. "Th-Thanks, heh. You look pretty cute yourself. Kind of like a red maine coon." If the long haired player hadn't been blushing before, the wink that Magda gave her after Mack put his arm around her shoulders definitely did, not to mention accompanied by his insistence that she always looked adorable. The blonde ducked her head and fussed with her braid, muttering something about 'insufferable twins' to herself even as she followed Mack over to the fire, sitting next to him since she doubted she knew anyone that would be coming here besides him and his sister. She didn't sit too close, though their knees brushed slightly due to her positioning.

When the blacksmith attempted to say that she had stories to tell as well, like the first two quests he had helped her and Magda complete, Sam rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, such great tales of heroism." Sarcasm bled from her tone before her gaze was drawn to a brown haired man that came in and immediately sat down and faceplanted the table he sat down at. Raising an eyebrow as her ears swiveled forward and tail twitched, the healer glanced sidelong at Mack. "Is he gonna be okay?" She considered going over and just asking the man herself, but a shapely woman entered and immediately her eyes couldn't really go anywhere else.

Everything about the woman was eye catching, from her platinum blonde hair and crimson streak, heavy makeup, skimpy clothing to her full length body tattoo. The first thing that popped into Sam's mind was, 'so even women like that play games like this'. The second thing was her wondering if this woman tried to play as a man in the beginning like she had before rudely getting cheated out of her choice by their evil overlord. Though she was familiar...wasn't this one of the woman she had seen Mack with at his party at the hot springs? And then suddenly there was another woman wearing glasses that had appeared from under the first, though really she had simply been standing behind her. Samriel realized that they were both the women she had seen Mack with and noticed his wariness at their appearance. Hadn't he invited them though? Was he expecting a fight? So many questions...

Watching the exchange and congratulations being given, the blonde then blinked as the women introduced themselves to herself and Magda. Nodding at the taller woman, she then shook hands with the one with the glasses and took note of Mack's use of the title 'Vice Commander'. So the tattooed woman was his superior in his guild? That was curiosity piquing. The focus seemed to be on Magda now though as both women were very interested in her, apparently they hadn't really met her officially before, which Sam thought odd. The twins seemed inseparable from what she had seen. Had that not always been the case?

But the blacksmith seemed to be determined to drag her into the limelight, introducing her to his two friends, to which she gave a somewhat shy but friendly wave before her ears flattened slightly at his boasting. "I've still got a waaaays to go though, so... Who knows how long it'll take before I reach your guys' level. It's, uh, nice to meet you both though." Glancing over at Takao's crumpled form as Opal drew attention to the matter, questioning his drink choices, the blonde was a little concerned considering she drank the punch as well, but Mack steadfastly denied 'poisoning' them. Giving the blacksmith a dry look at his suggestion to his superior concerning the 'best dungeon sniffing scout in all of Aincrad' (which was quite a title) she commented, "It's a wonder you have any friends to invite to these parties."

[Magda 0]

The redhead could only grin as Samriel returned her comment about being cute and how she looked similar to a red maine coon. She could only giggle in response and scratched the back of her own ear to see if she could feel her newly acquired looks. Strange enough she could. Mack commented about how Samriel was always adorable which prompted the redhead to turn and lean in a little closer as if to get a better look for herself. A playful grin spread across her lips as she leaned back and nodded. “Ain’t that the truth.”  When the next two guests arrived Magda turned to look at them. She recognized the Vice Commander and only recognized the woman in glasses from the party Mack had thrown at the hot springs. Mack seemed to greet them with indifference and didn’t broach the topic of what had transpired back on the fourth floor. He further explained who Samriel was and how she planned on becoming a healer. Mack also declared his intent to one day convince the blonde cutie to join up with their guild. It was an idea Magda was in favor of since Samriel was not only her Shield Sister, she was also the first friend Magda made here.

The woman in glasses congratulated her brother and then turned towards Magda and bowed her head. The redhead quirked and eyebrow as she thought, "So proper."  Glasses then went on to introduce herself. Her name was Piera. Magda felt some satisfaction that she now had a name to go along with the face, but it only increased her desire to know just what had transpired between her, the Vice Commander, and her twin brother. Piera seemed to be a genuinely nice person which really surprised Magda. She just didn't seem like the type of woman she pegged her brother for going after. She had a certain look about her and Magda couldn't quite put her finger on what it was at first. When she did figure it out a soft smile played across her lips. Piera reminded Magda a lot of what she pictured a librarian to be like. When Piera offered her hand in greeting, the redhead's gaze lowered for a brief moment before she looked up and locked her gaze with the woman's. Her dark eyes were reflected back at her from Piera's glasses while she reached out and firmly shook Piera's extended hand. “Likewise,” she said in response to the greeting. Magda's tone relayed the genuine feelings she felt for finally getting introduced to some of the people that knew Mack prior to her arrival.  “I’m Magda.” When Piera adverted her gaze to Mack it wasn't lost on Magda. The redhead didn't know what the glasses wearing woman had thought or that she looked at Mack's arm while it was wrapped around Samriel's shoulder but she let her own imagination feel in the blanks. For better or worse.

Before she could focus on that something else of interest had caught her attention. Her ears twitched slightly when Opal said she wasn’t really into the whole neko look. Magda's eyes slowly grew wider as her busy tail twitched behind her. The overall look was like a cat that was ready to pounce. The moment never arrived and the comment about poison wasn’t really addressed by the redhead because she knew her brother would never resort to such a thing, especially when he was among friends and family. Opal spoke of Mack having another embarrassing story to add and that make Magda quirk an eyebrow. Now that sounded like something she would be interested in hearing. “Oh? Do tell,” she said with a wide grin. When Opal smiled at her Magda’s grin only widened. “It’s good to see you too, and I like your outfit." Magda's gaze lowered to take in the attire the Vice Commander chose for the occasion.  "Michiko is around here somewhere.” Far as she remembered Michiko had arrived with them but that girl had a way of losing herself in a crowd that actually impressed Magda.

The sudden sound of a crash drew her focus so she didn’t get a chance to say much more to the Vice Commander. Someone had fallen asleep evidently which made Opal very suspicious of her the drink her brother had provided. She had to blink several times as she thought she’d seen a message appear of the sleeping man’s head but she dismissed it as a trick of the light and turned to focus on the group once more. Opal then disengaged from the conversation, grabbed what looked to be a strong beverage and plopped down upon a couch. Magda grinned as she was amused with the situation and offhandedly considered joining the Vice Commander for a drink before she heard Samriel hint at her doubt about how long it’d take her to reach the same level as the others. Magda walked over and patted her on the head before she ruffled the blonde's hair. “Oh don’t you worry about that! We’ll be able to show the others what we’re capable off before long.” Magda gave her a confident grin and another playful scratch on the ear. “Just you watch.”

With that said though her gaze settled over the room until she found Piera. Magda recalled Opal's reaction to what happened at the hot springs so she reasoned bringing it up here wouldn't be very wise. After all she had no idea what the woman was like after she had alcohol in her system. Piera ont he other hand... Magda briskly walked over towards her. “Piera right,” Magda asked in a sweet town that was accentuated with an innocent smile. If her brother wasn’t going to address the situation then perhaps it was time to do a little sleuthing on her own. Magda waved her to follow her over towards the opposite side of the bar. She wanted to talk but she didn’t want her overly watchful brother to hear too much of it. The redhead snatched two chairs from a smaller table and dragged them towards the large table with the food and drinks. Once she had them positioned Magda patted the char across from her as if to ask Piera to sit and join her. If she did the redhead would grin and ask, “So tell me. How long have you known Mack?”

[Piera 0]

Piera hummed at Opal's statement that it was surprising that Mack didn't have more male friends since apparently their guild had more men than women. Smirking slightly at the buxom woman's statement that their troublesome friend could easily poison them should he have the mind to. Nodding reassuringly, the alchemist stated, "He bought that glitter potion and this feline potion from me. The only ones unaccounted for is a...dog potion? And um..." Glancing at the others she leaned towards her friend as she finished in a low tone, "A batch of that 100 proof potion that we tried before. But I don't think this has any of that in it! I hope..." That was the last thing she needed right now...

Seeing Opal's feline traits heightened her sensual nature in the brunette's opinion, though she tried not to let her gaze linger too long, not wanting to be inappropriate. After greeting Mack and his other two female guests, Piera kept her expression neutral even under his wary scrutiny. Instead she focused on the blonde that had been under his arm as he introduced her and told a little about her. If the brunette's interest hadn't been piqued before, it certainly was when he stated that she was a healer, her eyebrows raising in mild surprise, feeling a little impressed. "There are indeed." Agreeing with his statement concerning the lack of front line healers.

Seeing Samriel's bashfulness as she immediately downplayed the man's optimism, the bespectacled young woman smiled sympathetically, "It'll be hard, but I'm sure with a powerful guild such as the Knights that you'll be able to level up in no time. Just...don't take things too fast." She advised with slight concern. She had heard of the two players that had been killed in the last raid against floor fourteen's boss, one of whom she knew from passing and the other she had heard was much too low leveled. As she stared off, her gaze was unintentionally brought down to Samriel's chest, which she blinked at before looking away...and then seeing Magda's...and then Opal's. Crossing her arms in front of her own meager bust, the alchemist's tabby tail flicked mildly in agitation.

Focusing back on Mack as he protested Opal's insinuation that he spiked the punch with something more potent, her attention was drawn to the 'immortal object' flag over the form of a young man hunched over a table. Stepping closer to him, Piera asked in mild concern, "Takao? Is that you? Are you alright?" But when she heard the axe wielder's proposal to his Vice Commander, the bespectacled woman glowered slightly at him. "If it was harmless, then it wouldn't work, don't pick on the poor man." Her tone was that of a chiding school teacher. She was about to go over to the other front liner and ask how he had been. She wasn't exactly friends with him, but it was hard to forget the player that had given her the biggest pile of materials she had ever seen. And he was 'the best dungeon sniffing scout in all of Aincrad'? Before she could approach him further though, someone else approached her.

Blinking at the tall form of Magda, Piera was never more sure that the two were related, though wondered if the younger sister was perhaps a half sister. Realizing that she had simply been staring, the brunette started and nodded hurriedly, "Oh, uh, yes, that's me. It's nice to see you again under better circumstances Magda." She only hesitated a moment before following the tall woman over to the other side of the bar, sitting down opposite of her after she had set up the seating. The brunette felt just a little uncomfortable since they were positioned strategically away from the others and glanced back at Opal, feeling a little apprehensive around the comparative stranger.

But at the abrupt and pointed question, Piera's eyes were focused back on Magda's even as she blinked behind her glasses. "Um...let me think..." Frowning for a moment as she counted in her mind she guesstimated, "Around nine months perhaps? We met in passing a couple months after the game began. He was asking for help with a small floor dungeon from passerby's, myself being but one of them." Chewing on the inside of her lip for a few seconds, the brunette then made an inquiry of her own. "Is...Is it true that- And please don't hesitate to tell me if it's none of my business, but.... Is it true that you and your sister," Piera then lowered her volume exponentially as she finished, "Are...new to Aincrad?" Her expression carried nothing but frank curiosity and concern.

Edited April 2, 2016 by Piera

[Magda 0]

Magda was actually happy Piera accepted her invitation to head over towards the other side of the room. The last thing she needed was for Mack to overhear the conversation and try to interfere. That was one of his specialties after all and he always seemed to know when she was up to something. Magda bit her lower lip as she leaned closer to listen. The brunette appeared at least a little surprised by the blunt question or at least that is how Madga perceived it. Despite that Piera answered the question nonetheless. She was a little surprised that they’d known each other for almost a year. Her curiosity was definitely peaked. While she leaned closer to Piera her crimson hair fell forward and framed her face. Idly she reached up and brushed some of her hair back behind her right ear before she rested her cheek on her hand. When Piera actually asked her own question she defied that intensely shy librarian vibe she had going for her.

The brunette leaned closer and spoke in a soft voice. The question didn’t seem to affect the redhead in the slightest. Her eyes closed and with a wide grin on her face Madga spoke with a seemingly carefree attitude. “Sure did.” From her tone and body language it could easily be misconstrued that she was actually proud of that fact and maybe she truly was. Magda certainly didn’t doubt the course she’d taken in order to ensure her brother’s safety. “Both of us found copies of the game that were never used along with the necessary gear.” The busty redhead leaned forward and held up a finger to garner the brunette’s full attention. “And I’ll have you now that it wasn’t easy to get that stuff.” She leaned back once more with a warm smile on her face. If there was one thing she respected was the guts it took to just ask the questions that plagued the mind. Piera seemed to be a bit timid but she asked her question. Magda could respect that.

“Alright now that you’ve asked your question I have another.” There was a slight mischievous look in her eye as she leaned even closer. Without moving her face away from the brunette Magda’s eyes shifted to look over at Mack to ensure he wasn’t showing any interest in their conversation. “What’s the story behind what happened at the hot springs?” The grin that was so often present upon her face wasn’t there but she still radiated a certain giddy demeanor. She didn’t want to make the woman relive any painful memories but she wanted to know what her big oaf of a brother had been up to all this time. 

[Mack 0]

"My bravery against the bats was legendary, Samriel. I survived vampirism, and you got to see the truly dramatic parts of Aincrad... where the game engine ninja plucked my parrot and turned it into a bat before I vowed revenge," Mack said easily. "And Takao will be fine, you should have heard him complain about sleep during our epic dungeon crawl day. Fifteen dungeons in one day, we both leveled up about ten times," Mack said with a chuckle as he gazed around the room. Magda, Samriel, Takao, Opal, and Michiko was wandering around somewhere. The ginger man as a bit surprised that a few others hadn't turned up, but he shrugged his shoulders. Oh well, it was their loss. The gigantic man took a long pull from his mug, settled an arm around Samriel's shoulders again, and decided it was time to get things going. Especially since Magda and Piera had wandered off and he did not want his twin pestering the alchemist for backstory.

"Alright," he called, his voice cutting easily through the din. "You all know why we're here and it's because the game engine, in it's infinite wisdom, decided that in order to grandmaster a skill we have to re-tell stories of gory glory and adventure," Mack rumbled. "So, everyone gather around, it's time for a fireside chat about all the times I've been punched, slashed, stabbed, impaled, scritched, scratched, maimed, and otherwise suffered the grizzly effects of injury and dismemberment while living in Aincrad. Also, someone wake up Takao... seriously, just whisper Gnoll Chieftainess love you long time, in his ear. I promise, it will work. So, which story should I tell first?"

[Piera 0]

At Magda's answer, and her attitude, Piera frowned deeply, brow furrowing. She stayed silent however, listening to the explanation of how exactly such a thing was possible. Shaking her head in dismay, the brunette asked, "Why?" Glancing over at where Mack was conversing with the rest, the alchemist then focused back on his twin. "You knew what you were getting into. Why would you put your brother through that? Bring your little sister into this?" Her opinion of Magda was nosediving quickly. Perhaps if it had been their little sister stuck in SAO and her older twin siblings had snuck in to rescue or help her, that would be understandable. But surely they knew that their brother was a capable man. So why? Even so, Piera realized that her questions might have pushed a boundary she shouldn't have, especially given this was their first real meeting with each other.

When the redhead turned the tables on her and asked another question, the brunette's expression became carefully blank, but for a subtle pursing of her lips as she looked away. "I don't want to speak ill of Mack behind his back. Perhaps you should ask him yours-" Before she could say anything further, her twin's voice rang out in the inn's tavern. Glancing back at Magda, Piera ducked her head before standing and meandering over towards where most had gathered. She chose to sit over by Takao, opposite him across the table he was slumped over. Not particularly hungry, she stuck to the punch, sipping as she listened to Mack explain what was going to happen, likely for the ones who hadn't done this before. When he told the room at large to wake up the other man in the room, the bespectacled woman glanced at said man before tentatively leaning forward. There was no way she was whispering that though, she was pretty much convinced that it would provoke a violent reaction and she wasn't quite in the mood for Mack's 'fun and games'. "Takao? Did you want me to get you anything?"

After seeing to the scout's wants, Piera would glance back at the host and think for a moment. They hadn't honestly did much adventuring together. Nor had she heard of his other exploits other than the few spoken of at the party celebrating his previous Grandmastering of the two handed great axe. But it didn't have to be on in specific, or at least not one that she knew about. The brunette's eyes narrowed slightly behind her glasses before calling out, "Tell us about the time your health reached the lowest it's ever gotten." She had honestly never seen Mack's health bar ever get into the yellow, but then again she didn't regularly fight with him. The question might seem a little cruel, but it likely held an interesting story, one that others might be curious about, and more importantly, inform his sisters what they were in for. What their brother had gone through.

Edited April 4, 2016 by Piera

[Magda 0]

Magda quirked an eyebrow at Piera’s reaction. The grin on her face slowly started to face while she echoed her question. “Why?” Her tone was one of confusion at first. Her confused reaction at that question was only further demonstrated as she scratched her fingers along the back of her neck. Before she could collect her thoughts Piera continued to speak. Magda's brow furrowed further and her grin completely vanished while she adopted a blank expression. She sat there and listened until there was a long enough pause to speak. This wasn’t the first time someone had questioned their decision to enter SAO to look for their brother. In truth it was Michiko who originally approached Magda about the plan to enter the game. The sting of their first encounter with Mack on the fourth floor was fresh in her mind. He'd expressed how distraught he was that Michiko had brought Magda along and that bitterness resurfaced as the memory got dragged up. Magda’s expression softened as sorrow lit her face. She took a slow breath to steady herself so she could better explain what had happened. Their reasoning for doing this was sound. When family was involved it was better to be together rather than sitting idly by. She didn't doubt for a moment that Mack would have done the same thing. With the three of them here they had something to lose and when a Mack had something to lose they fought all the harder for it.

Piera's mention that she didn't wish to speak ill of her brother behind his back revealed the nature behind the situation at least. Magda simply nodded in response and decided to respect the brunette's decision and even admired her for it. She already knew what Mack would say if she approached him about it. Once she'd gathered her thoughts she went to say something but she never got the chance to speak as her brother suddenly called the meeting to order. A forlorn look crossed her face as the brunette bowed her head then walked away. Magda let out a dejected sigh as sorrow flashed across her face with the memories that resurfaced as she thought back to the days that preceded her entry into SAO. Magda propped her elbow on her knee and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. Her gaze lingered on the floor as she focused her mind but paid little attention to the conversations that spread through the room. The emotions that welled up within her over that singular word continued to mount. Why? She had a very good reason as to why but it was accompanied by quite a number of painful memories. The brunette's sudden departure left her no way of explaining things and allaying those emotions short of walking over there and telling her. Magda didn't want to make a scene out of it so she'd just sit in the back of the room near the food table as she worked at grounding those emotions and regain her composure.

[Opal 0]

Slap!! 

The sound came from out of nowhere, as Opal gave a mighty swat to Magda's thigh. Her face a rosy red as Opal held what appeared to be a nearly empty bottle of strong beer, "Hey~ You look a little out of place with that frown. I usually see you with a face full of that smile. Whatever you and Piera spoke of, don't think too much on it. We've been in this game for a long time, there are just some things that are difficult for us to talk about to others especially people we don't really know. But you are a good woman, Magda. In time, people will be all over you. Haha...innuendo..." Opal snorted to herself, finishing off her bottle and moving onto another fresh and cold brew, "You drink, Maggy?" a new pet name for Mack's sister, Opal had already downed maybe three or four so far and she was getting a good buzz going on. The room seemed to shift with talk of adventure now and Opal didn't want to get left behind in the tales, she had a few to say as well. 

"Come, let us get you a drink and me like six more and some of this grub. Better not let this stuff spoil, and with as much as I can drink, I am gonna need something to soak up all this alcohol." Opal took a mighty swig of her beer and gathered a plate and picked off pieces of food that seemed easy enough to eat without proper utensils. A side of the Vice Commander in her casual get up only fully stemmed that she was like any other person in reality, perhaps a bit too much casual as she skirted towards Magda with her exposed cleavage and her tank top strap clearly falling several times as she attempted to reach over and get some of that wonderful and delectable chicken, "Out of all the people here, Magda. You are the strongest, you know Mack's weaknesses, and you know childhood stories we don't know. So it would be awesome if we can get you to say a little something about that to embarrass the [censored] out of him, " Opal snorted with a small laugh and gestured the busty woman to follow as she cradled her plate and her beer to the table, "Hey Mack, tell them about that fight against Tagas." 

[Samriel 0]

"O-Oy, quit!" Samriel's ears were warm as her Shield Sister specifically walked over just to ruffle her hair and thus newly sensitive feline ears. Flattening the hair that had been messed and feeling awkward at the sensation of the extra ears. Humphing as she looked up at the towering woman, the blonde still smiled past the slight pout she had. It was hard to stay even a little bit mad at the high spirited woman. She watched as the redhead drew the attention of the woman with glasses and they went to speak alone across the room. Tilting her head in curiosity, her attention was then taken by Mack as he continued his boasting over his bravery...against bats. Pointing her finger at him warningly she stated with arched eyebrow, "Just because you don't burn in sunlight doesn't mean you survived vampirism. I won't feel safe until I go through holy water, crosses, garlic and mirrors." She was a stickler for old school vampires, but couldn't help but chuckle at his crack concerning his 'parrot' and his revenge. The image of how his 'parrot' met its end was still emblazoned in her memory.

When the blacksmith mentioned an epic dungeon crawl with the man that was currently collapsed, Sam's eyebrows rose into her hairline at the amount of dungeons they covered as well as the amount they had leveled up. "Fifteen dungeons?! Ten levels?!" The healer's tone was coated in awe and disbelief. She knew from other games that the higher ones level was, the harder it was to gain experience to level up more. So that they had leveled up by ten more times was quite telling. Shaking her head in amazement, the blonde glanced over at the burly man's drink as he settled his arm over her shoulder. Glancing around, she saw that there was food laid out now and that others seemed to have partaken so she was taking that as her cue that it was officially okay to begin digging in. Standing and letting his arm slide from her shoulders, Samriel padded over to the nearest table that had food on it and began making herself a plate.

Glancing over to where Magda was at, she wondered what they were discussing. Did she know this Piera chick? Whatever they were talking about, she didn't like the expression on her Shield Sister's face. Once she had towered it to an appropriate height, the blonde turned around at the sound of her friend's rumbling voice call out to the room at large. Apparently it was story time. Guests gathered around the fire and Sam sat back down next to Mack, though a little bit farther away and turned to face him so she could better see and hear him as he spoke. She chuckled slightly as his persistence about someone saying the odd sentence to his napping friend and wondered if anyone was going to do it.

Munching happily on a piece of meat that tasted deliciously like ham, the healer's chewing slowed at the first suggestion for a story. Staring at the brunette woman, Samriel was starting to like her less. Not that she particularly liked her before, since she had only just met her and all, but who wanted to talk about a likely depressing or dire situation at a party? At least she thought this was a party. Swallowing as the woman in the shorts and tank top called out another suggestion, the blonde then threw in one of her own, "Don't forget what you did to Polly!" It was a short and humorous story, but one she was sure not many could fail to enjoy. Content that this night should prove to be interesting, Sam took a long sip of the sweet ale she had poured.

[Takao 0]

At some point, Takao had come to realize that a cold, hard surface like a wooden table wasn't exactly the most comfortable location to fall asleep. His cat-like ears twitched as the gathering carried on with their conversations around him, picking up bits and pieces of what was being said to form a jumbled up mess. Piera's voice being directed at him offered some semblance of an outlet to focus his attention. A low, guttural groan rumbled in his throat as he raised his right hand, mustering up a slight wave of his hand as a gesture of his acknowledgement to her concerns. He was fine, in some sense of the word, just dead tired-- and definitely feeling like he was leaning more toward dead.

Takao's head slowly raised and glared in Mack's direction. The simple act of location dungeons was not an intrinsically tiring activity. "You'd be complaining 'bout sleep too if you had to kill three hundred some'n monsters in a few hours." He said, words leaving his tongue like venom. Unable to muster up the energy or willingness to hold his body upright himself, he reclined against the chair and kept himself from falling by hooking his arm over the back. "But nooo, all you had to do was get all touchy feely with the creepy naked dog lady." Takao continued, gesturing openly at the large red-haired man sitting by the fireplace while his body sank down into the chair slightly, only barely held upright by his arm across the back of the chair.

His offhand moved to his face and rubbed vigorously. A bit of his energy had been replenished from the retorts he made, momentarily affording him enough awareness to notice Piera had taken up the seat across from him at the table. His warm smile returned, accompanied by an otherwise exhausted countenance. "I'm alright, just a bit worn out s'all. Thank you though, I appreciate it." Takao said, easing his head into a slight dip as a gesture of gratitude.

Jade eyes found themselves wandering over to Mack once again. "How 'bout you tell everybody 'bout the time you paraded some girl over your shoulder 'round the first floor 'cause she kicked you in your business?" He quipped, one of his eyebrows quirked upward while the rest of his expression flat lined.

[Mack 0]

"One at a time, one at a time," Mack rumbled, holding up his hands as everyone gathered around and began to press him on all sides for information and stories. Last time people hadn't been quite so gung ho for storytime with the ginger giant by the fireside. "And you're welcome to try whatever you like," Mack rumbled in a low whispering tone as he leaned over a bit closer to Samriel to speak directly into her ear just before she wandered over to one of the tables that was heavily laden with food and made herself a plate. The humongous axe man frowned slightly, though only for a second, when the blonde returned and didn't seat herself close enough to him for him to be able to slip his arm around her shoulders again. So, she wanted to play hard to get, that was just fine. To the worthy hunter went the spoils. Taking a long pull from the mug in his hands, Mack returned his attention to everyone else.

"The lowest my health ever got," Mack rumbled musingly, deciding to begin with Piera's story. After all, she had asked first. "Well, it wasn't exactly a full health bar that time I got swallowed whole by a dragon, but you and Opal have already heard that story. I guess, the most recently, the lowest my health has gotten was when I took the Cerberus Quest solo," the soldier said, deciding on a story and warming to it. "Up on the ninth floor, there's several quests in that place. Also, that's where our little scout friend tricked me into charging directly into an immortal object. You should ask him about that one, maybe he'll share. Anyway, for the quest, you have to defeat several hell hounds and then fight Cerberus himself. I took down the hell hounds, no problem, and I one hit Cerberus with a big AoE attack. But, the slobbering, mangy, stupid, tri-headed pooch got me first. Three critical hits in a row, from each of his heads. My mitigation wasn't nearly as impressive then as it is now. Tossed me from one to the next to the next like a chew toy before finally spitting me out," Mack said at last, conveniently omitting the fact that the quest took a whopping four days to complete because of the travel time required to reach Cerberus' cave and then travel back to town. After all, he had plans to take Samriel on that quest if she'd consent to complete it with him.

"I need a refill now before we get to the next story," he declared, throwing back his head and draining what remained of the mug of beer before standing up and heading for the barrels of stout beer in one corner of the inn's cozy room. Refilling his mug, Mack returned to his place by the fire and seated himself by Samriel, every bit as close as they had previously been sitting as the other guests arrived, though he kept his arms to himself. "Now, I think Tagas was our next request, right," Mack asked, turning his intention to the woman who was steadily becoming more intoxicated, Opal.

[Magda 0]

Magda nearly jumped out of her seat when the Vice Commander swatted her leg. She’d been so engrossed in her memories that she failed to notice her approach. Although the Vice Commander was practically a ninja with the way she was able to practically meld with darkness so she didn’t feel too bad about it. Magda could only offer a slight smile as the woman went on about how a frown looked out of place on her face. She also said that Magda shouldn’t dwell on what was said. When the Vice Commander called her a good woman and that people would be all over her Magda’s eyes widened. The comment about innuendo caused the redhead to giggle. Magda let out a snort of her own at the woman’s question. “Do I drink? I’ll have you know I can drink with the best of them.” She had a wide grin on her face by that point.

Magda was further surprised when the Vice Commander told her to get a drink and some food before she took one heck of a swig of the beer she had.  She took a plate and gathered up some food and if her casual nature as she skirted too close to Magda the redhead certainly didn’t show it. The exposed cleavage certainly drew her eyes momentarily and Magda was too boorish to try and hide that fact. The look was only in passing though as she turned around and picked up a plate. It was quickly piled high with grub as the Vice Commander referred to it. Magda’s gaze lingered on her face when she said that Magda was the strongest here. Though her reasoning behind it wasn’t quite what Magda might have hoped for she shared a mischievous grin with the Vice Commander. “Oh I may have a few stowed away. Let me think on a good one, but that’s best saved for later.” The redhead offered the Vice Commander a sly wink.

 When she was gestured to follow Magda shrugged and figured what the heck. She quickly grabbed six more beers and tucked them under her arm with her plate of food balanced in her left hand. In truth she preferred whiskey over beer but it’d do the trick in a large enough quantity. Once she was seated at the table Magda placed the plate on the table and lined the drinks around it. Her gaze was quickly drawn away from the food though when Samriel expressed something about fifteen dungeons and ten levels. Her dark eyes widened as she tried to figure out what she’d missed when she tried to share a private conversation with Piera. While her gaze rested solely upon her shield sister Magda’s thoughts drifted back to her comment about putting Mack through all the trials and tests for vampirism and she had to suppress the urge to chuckle. She was truly happy she met that blonde woman, she was Magda’s first friend since she arrived here and had proven to be a steadfast ally.

When Takao finally spoke Magda was just about to take a large bit out of something that heavily favored a turkey leg. Her teeth were just about to sink into it when he said that they’d fought against three hundred monsters. Her gaze shifted over towards him in wonder. When he talked about Mack parading some girl over his shoulder for kicking him in his business her expression twisted as she nearly lost it. Instead she picked up one of the beers and popped the lid off it. The bottle was held out to tap it against the Vice Commanders in a sort of toast so long as she was forthcoming. Then she’d place the rim of the bottle to her lips and tip it back as she guzzled the opaque liquid down. When she finally set the bottle down it was empty. She’d gotten off to a slow start so she needed to play a bit of catch up.

While Mack went into details about his conquests Magda didn’t miss the fact that he didn’t comment on Takao’s request. For now she sat back and plotted while she set about devouring the leg of meat which actually tasted amazing. There cat-like ears twitched and her crimson bushy tail flicked back and forth behind her as if the appendage had a mind of its own.

[Piera 0]

Piera smiled sympathetically, had already having figured that Takao had been having a tough day, but when he told Mack just why he was tired, the brunette's eyebrows rose clear over her glasses, though the surprise in her face morphed into utter bewilderment as he complained that all the blacksmith had to do was 'get all touchy feely with the creepy naked dog lady'. Mouth open slightly, she gave Takao a wildly inquisitive stare before shaking her head, not sure that she even wanted to know. "Jeez Kayaba seems to be cranking up the sadism the higher you guys go." 

Nodding at his thanks for her concern she offered, "Just let me know if I can get you anything." He looked too tired to even move, she was surprised that he was here. Ignoring the other calls for stories, she remained focused on the scout with genuinely concerned furrowed brow, "Why are you pressing yourself so hard?" As soon as the question left her mouth, she looked down at the table as her ears lowered slightly and realized how tactless it must sound. Though the front liners had just cleared a floor, there were still over eighty more to go and one of their members had died in the last fight. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that. Just, try not to push yourself too hard." Sinking slightly lower into her chair, the alchemist wondered why she couldn't get her foot out of her mouth tonight. This was why she preferred staying home even before all that mess happened.

Glancing over at Magda, she had noticed that she was still somberly silent, at least until Opal went over and chatted her up and bringing her spirits with it. At least there was that, she thought while taking a sip. When Takao suggested that the squad leader tell the story of when he 'fought' Shirosu and she 'cheated', Piera snorted into her drink before clearing her throat with a strained amused smile. "I wish I'd been there for that." Her expression lost some of it's amusement when she wondered what ever happened to the white haired girl.

When Mack began to speak, the brunette glanced over the selection that was on the table that she and the other brown haired player were sitting at, picking at a dish that had some mushrooms on it and nibbling at the sauteed fungus as she listened. A brief smile flashed over her expression at mention of him being tricked into charging an immortal object and the alchemist glanced at said scout before looking back to the storyteller. She hadn't heard of the quest before, but it certainly sounded interesting, if not fun. Piera didn't want to think of the slobber that fighting that boss would entail. After he finished and said that he needed a refill, the young woman leaned back in her chair, snatching another mushroom and munching on it as she wondered if he would remember to tell the story Takao suggested.