[OP-F2] Lakeside Fun <Open to All>

[Oikawa 1]

Selecting the thirty thousand Col, the blonde sent the trade off to @Macradon, finalizing their little transaction of sorts. With a nod, he continued.

"Yeah, I'd rather not have that type guilt hanging over me if someone was to get injured here because we can't let Opal be. She's will only be as relevant as we let. Ignoring her seems to work thus far."

Turning around, he smelled the familiar stench of smoke as he spotted the little circle of flames @Hikoru had managed to produce.

"Looks like my assistance isn't needed either," Oikawa chuckled.

Turning his attention back to the woods, he couldn't help but feel like Kiru wouldn't make an appearance today. The two-tone haired girl was often off on her own doing Kayaba-knows what whilst Opal roamed free. His worry had only grown since their last encounter and he wasn't sure the outcome of the eventual fight would be in his favor, whether it be morally or emotionally.

+1 Demonic Egg

-30,000 Col

[Lycan 0]

As the day dragged on, the patrons of the lake busied about with one another. Several monster fish from the watery depths were slain, dragged to shore and staked over an open flame. Players came and went, some sharing fresh fish over the flicker of warm firelight. Some soaked in the isolated pools with friends and lions alike. Others skulked in the shadows from the distance, extending their small moment of bliss. The faux sun spanned across the sky, peaked and began to dip into the treeline.

The bright shimmer of mid day light grew dull and orange. Airborne monsters flocked from their hunting grounds to their nests, and the crystal clear shimmer of the lake turned to the illusion of liquid gold. The soaking pools that warmed in the high sun became cool and all manners of small aquatic critters flooded their shallow waters. The songs of birds quieted to the quintet of crickets and the warm breeze turned cool.

Lycan spent his time talking with @Galilea, Jenny, and the rambunctious Kimba. As the sun dipped, they parted ways. Now, the teen donned his full combat attire to stave off the chill of evening winds on his damp skin. He stood by the beach beside the fading flames created by @Hikoru. As he warmed his hands, he chuckled at the remnants of the monster fish slain by the self proclaimed ninja and his compatriots, @Calrex, @Oikawa, @Ariel - The Crowned Lion and @Macradon.

In the bliss of the day, Lycan didn't have much time to keep an eye on @Domarus and as he enjoyed the fire, he searched for the familiar lilac hair of @Esther.

Since their first encounter, Lycan lost track of where @Raze decided to go. He heard word of a woman slinking in the shadows named @Opal, and nodded a smile toward the man known as @Itzal. Sadly, he failed to get a chance to meet @Rin, @Beatbox, @Mossino, @Seul, @Jazz and @Juzt. He did, however, have the opportunity to at least greet the familiar face of @Baldur and apologize for singling out @Zandra. He was glad she made it though.

With a stretch of his arms and a yawn, Lycan leaned back on the beach. The day had worked all the stress free of his bones and warmed his body with memories of the outside. His eyes locked on the fading sun and thoughts of a warm bed flooded his mind. With a flick of his wrist, he produced his UI and tried to tap a message to all the players within the immediate area.
 

Quote

To: <SHOUT> Proximity Players
From: Lycan
Subject: Thank you
Message:

Hey guys, I just wanted to say thank you for coming out. It's getting awfully late, so I'm prolly going to turn in soon. You're welcome to stay and enjoy the evening if you like. I'm surprised the clearing has stayed monster-free this long. Dumb luck I guess? Anyway, thanks again. Hope to see all of you again soon.

Lastly, stay safe. I look forward to the day we can meet on the outside.

~Lycan

The teen hit send and covered his mouth with another long yawn.

"Today was a good day." Lycan smiled.

(( This is the last call post. If you have anything you want to say for your exit or tie up loose ends, have at it. I'll lock this thread on Saturday or if no one posts in 24 hours. ))

[Juzt 0]

As he kept a steady pace, it wouldn't be too long until they had the lake in sight, but it would still take another five minutes unless they ran. In the meantime, he would continue to address the pest that kept trying to get back at him, "You know, not everything is about business, short stuff. Sometimes you gotta stop mixing the drinks and take one yourself, allow yourself to get loose and go out and enjoy the world." He recalled how she reacted to his speech about adventure when they first met and expected her to stop him if he continued on, "Do I actually have to remind you of that?" However, he wasn't one to pass up such an opportunity if it passed so he pushed it a little, "To be honest, the simple fact that you brought it up shows that you're showing signs of interest in joining me in business. Just because you're a little stubborn doesn't mean that you're not wise enough to consider it." He grinned as he stopped and turned towards her, "I'm sure if you gave it a shot-"

"Oh, what's this?" Yet another message had popped up on his screen and he lost his train of thought as he pulled it up, quite surprised to have yet received another one on the same day. It was from the same player that had invited them to the lake, but the news on the message was far from as good as before, "Well, looks like neither of us will get to go now." While he wasn't disappointed, it would have been nice to get the chance to see some of the other more relaxed players. He would have to take the chance to bug Jasmine about it though, "You know, if I hadn't waited so long for you, I could have made it. Now, I guess you'll have to make it up somehow." He pretended to think it over while tapping his chin before snapping his finger, then pointing at her, "Actually, I know a way. You can swing by the bar and help cook up some treats, I'll mix up some drinks, and we can host a party of our own. How does that sound?"

[Raze 0]

Raze finished his brief meal as he watched yet another gargantuan aquatic beast get slain by the front-liner in blue hair and his allies. Upon noticing that the combat had stopped and the fighters switched to an ingredient collection mission, Raze surveyed the rest of the lake.

He froze, all his muscles locked together, When did so many people get here? Why are so many people here? His joints began to feel the stress of hold his straining muscles in place. Slowly Raze freed himself of his instinctual response to social contact and slid down the rock, landing with a heavy thump in the sands around the lake. He started to leave, leaving behind the similarly haired fellow, leaving behind any opportunities that might have arisen from communication, leaving behind the fire roasted fish that carried its sweet aroma to his senses. Glancing over his shoulder, he acknowledged that stopping here wasn't the smartest thing he has done. I should know that being near more than a few people in a social setting, would end up having disastrous effects if I tried to participate. Sighing quietly to himself, he looked up at the passing leaves of the forest, as he departed from the lake, While I may not be the kind of person to enjoy talking to people I promise to serve the players, the real people of Aincrad with my life, so that they may have many more of these moments in the future. Here and inevitably on the other side. Having no doubt in his mind that Sword Art Online would get beaten, and that everyone will get to see their families again.

 

Raze leaves the lake, long before the the host's address to the players still remaining at the lake. He decided on where to go next.. I need someone to get levels with, I almost died last time I did something like by myself.  Well, I will need somewhere to rest for the night, and floor 1 seems to be the best alleyway for me....

[Calrex 0]

With all of the group's effort, it seemed that finally prepping the fish for consumption went through fairly quickly. Time seemed to fly by, and now Calrex had found himself simply sitting on a nearby rock surrounding the fire, munching on a hunk of the loin from the monster fish. Oddly enough, even though the creature was a aquatic creature, there were hints of other flavors that were mixed in, tastes that seemed accentuate the flakiness of the meat, "Only in SAO can something like that be pulled off without adding much of anything to it."

Gazing at the group he was sitting with the bluenette gave a small smirk before looking back at the fire again, "I wish that Teayre could have made it out to this. Sometimes I can't tell where the heck she's at, and other times she's so close I can see her on the map. Of course I was originally out here fishing, so I guess it wouldn't be a stretch that she's at the Amethyst Boutique working on crafts."

After finishing off the hunk of met he tossed the stick into the flames, the skewer vanishing into crystals upon contact. Getting to his feet he gave a stretch, grapsing his hands behind him as he pushed outwards, feeling his shoulders stretch back and opening up his chest. Releasing the stretch he swiped on his menu, returning back to his casual combat clothing. The night was certainly starting to chill the temperature lower, and being in just a pair of swim trucks would not exactly have been a comfortable thing to do.

[Takao 0]

"Ignoring Opal doesn't seem like the best idea," Takao said, having overheard the conversation whilst nonchalantly and inconspicuously wandering the area. He hadn't any notable skills in stealth nor did he intentionally try to keep himself hidden, he just had a way about him that kept wandering eyes and misplaced attention elsewhere. "She was more or less ignored when the Zel and Dom situation happened, and look what happened there. She loves attention, 'n if we ignore her, it'll only be a matter of time before she does something drastic to stay relevant." He continued, ultimately rather unsure of where in his intrusion into the conversation lied a solution. He was much more a connoisseur of idle conversation than he was one for offering cut-and-dry solutions to situations of such nature, so perhaps no such solution had even existed in the first place.

"Sorry for buttin' in on the conversation. I was just passin' by and it caught my ear, figured I'd throw in my two cents, considerin' how the last fight went. It'd be nice to get through a few raids without any unneeded casualties. 'specially none from our own ignorance or inaction, y'know?" He flashed a brief smile and dipped his head before continuing on his way. There was nothing like a bit of unsolicited drive-by commentary and minor eavesdropping to end a nice lakeside soiree.

[Macradon 0]

Macradon shrugged his shoulders at Takao's comments. Sure, either giving him attention or waiting for her to force us to give us attention, the former was probably what was best at this situation, but Macradon ignored it for now. "It's getting quite cold ..." he would mutter for himself as he stood up after eating his delicious meal, still only sporting his bathtowel. Now that the small partying was done, Macradon would head back home to sleep. He would don upon himself his armor, white and red, like his hair and eyes. His helmet would be kept off as he would love to get used to not wearing a helmet among these people, there as nothing to hide, there never was. Looking over at Oikawa, their small trade was well made, Oikawa got what he wanted and Macradon got more money for his School to be built. He hoped that it would be worth the money he would pile into this, he hoped that this would help the people of Aincrad.

Gazing upon the setting sun and back at the friends and fellow frontliners that were present upon this small event, Macradon smiled a lot. "It's actually nice to know this many people, even though we're in here, I'm glad I'm in here with you guys" he said. He raised his hand clenched in a fist, straight up into the sky. "I would pose a toast, even though I have nothing to drink, to @Lycan. Thank you for hosting this beautiful event. Thank you for taking the initiative. Thank you for strengthening the bond of Aincrad's citizen" he said with a wide smile on his face. If people even listened to him or not, he would be happy that he got the words out. He would lightly say to himself "For the people of Aincrad!" as he would begin to wander down to the shore water and look at it. Waves pushing up and draggin itself down again.

[Baldur 0]

Baldur smiled as he watched the setting sun from the shore of the lake. Even though the temperature dropped with the setting of the sun, he still wore only his suit and haori, and kept his feet submerged in the water of the lake. It was not big enough that there would be waves or a tide, but the water felt good on his feet and it often made him miss home. Perhaps, somewhere on this accursed tower, would be floor that was all beaches and ocean, and Baldur could build a house there. Something to remind him of the outside world.

A little ways off, Baldur saw the remaining people begin to gather around the fire and the remains of the giant fish they seemed to be cooking over the fire. He smiled as he saw everyone talking, and laughing, and Macradon making a toast. He was too far away to hear much, but the actions brought a smile to his introspective face.

It was a good day. A day of rest and camaraderie. It felt like something that those of the floating castle needed. A day of peace, and friendship, and relaxation. A day to rejuvenate the spirit. He smiled once more at the setting sun, before he turned to walk around the lake one last time before heading home.

[Esther 0]

The lilac haired woman blinked as she received a message - thin brows furrowed as she breezed over its contents. The day was coming to an end, and she had yet to spend time with everyone she had wanted to. Her green eyes drifted up to Domarus, who seemed to be putting on an act for Baldur. Esther didn't question it, nor bring it to light. She knew better than that. Domarus had his way of doing things, and she had hers. Esther reached out, her hand fell onto his bare shoulder. She dragged it gently down the length of his arm, her fingers dancing between the curves and concave of his muscles before her hand nestled neatly into his hand. She gave it a tight squeeze. "Domarus, it's been lovely- but I want to go find Lycan, and at least wish him goodbye."

With that she turned and headed toward the shoreline, pulling herself out of the water to gain a better vantage point. It didn't take long to  find him, he was wearing his battle gear again. Esther padded over toward him, reaching out to grasp his arm. "Lye...." Her voice was filled with a myriad of worry, regret and relief. "I'm so sorry...time escaped me, I really wanted to spend more time with you." she said, speaking to his back. "Can...can we meet up soon, and do this again?" She offered him an unseen smile. 

"I'll even bring special coffee, to make up for everything, sound good?"

[Teayre 0]

The message came up on Teayre’s display  flicking  through looking at the recipients she noticed that it was sent to everyone. “Should I go?” The girl questioned herself.  Gently gripping the curved blade at her hip, she runs her hand along the blunt side of the blade. Would they all be there? She didn’t know. The muramasa, now in the hands of the azure chevalier and Akuma’s Vein in the hands of the Feint. Swallowing, her hair flicking around her as she made her way down to the second floor. Uburus could be seen clearly and Teayre made her way. As she started to get closer Teayre moved around the edge of the lake, watching the festivities from afar. Settling down at the foot of the mountain her fingers rapping on her knees, curling her hair, she squinted. “Can’t blame them for having fun, as limited fun as it is.”

[Domarus 0]

Domarus felt Esther's hand and turned to her nodding when she said she had to go.  He saw a message pop up in his inventory and rather than checking to see what it was during the conversation he simply assumed it was a 'get out of here I want to go home' message.  He smiled at Esther.

"This was fun for me to!  Let's get together again sometime eh?"  He let Esther go see Lycan, whom he wasn't sure he liked.  The teenager seemed overly suspicious and that could prove dangerous for Domarus.  However if he played his cards right then he could remove the need to do so.  Lycan was a teenager and thus he didn't trust anyone.  At least he had that excuse.  However Domarus wasn't sure if he would make a decent follower or not.  He turned to Rin and Baldur.

"Well I suppose I should head out too.  I'll see you both later then!"  He waved goodbye to them as he walked away from the scene, grabbing his shirt as he exited the water.  When he was out of sight of any players for certain, even some who might be sneaking about, his face changed back to his normal stature.  He moved over to the teleporter and warped to the first floor.  When he arrived he headed over to the meeting spot with Keres.  Rin was a possible follower though her shyness would be an issue.  Nothing he couldn't get past though.  Baldur and his guild would be dangerous and he'd need to get to know them all on a more personal level before he had tools he could use against them as a safeguard.  Lycan obviously wouldn't be a follower any time soon but perhaps in the future...  Alisa of course was a target and Domarus was hoping to see how well her relationship with Beatbox went.  Who knows?  Maybe the blonde haired boy would one day join his forces.  Then there was Macrodon and unfortunately he didn't have too much information on him.  In the end he simply had names he needed to learn more about.  Specifically, Macrodon, this Calrex player, and Lycan.  He spotted Keres who immediately stood up with a mischievous grin.

"How did it go master?"

Domarus has left the thread

[Calrex 0]

Calrex got to his feet with a small sigh, putting a free hand into his jacket pocket, "I should probably go check and see if I left anything back at my original fishing spot. I stowed the fishing pole, but it's possible I might have left my catch box or some other stuff over there."

"Be back guys. Just gonna make sure I put away all of my gear before that monster fish battle, heh."

Grabbing a couple of the grilling pieces of fish he began to make his way over, "Still...it would have been nice for her to show up. It's been a while since we've done anything other than fishing monsters and the like. I wonder what happened to those days before, when we would actually explore the landmarks and themes of the floors."

"Maybe I just haven't made time to do so."

Scratching the back of his head with his free hand the bluenette glanced over in one direction, stopping for a second as he thought he saw the familiar redhead. But from the distance it was hard to make out, "Maybe I'm delirious from inhaling too much flame fumes of something..."

Continuing to make his way around the lake he made it to the spot where he thought he had set up his gear before, kneeling down and beginning to rummage around. As he had guessed, there was nothing he had left behind. With another small sigh he walked over to the lakeside, sitting down on a nearby rock and looking at the sky, beginning to munch on one of the two pieces of fish he had brought with him.

"...or I wonder if it's possible those days are gone..."

[Lycan 0]

Reward Summary:

2+ Posts: 6 SP, 100 Col

(Everyone except Teayre and Takao)

Less than 2 Posts: 1 SP, 200 Col

(Teayre & Takao)