[Event - F1] Mid-Summer Fireworks Festival

[Corvo 0]

These events were fantastic.

He heard "fireworks," and Corvo hardly cared that anyone else was involved.  Summer back home meant warm weather, sunny beaches, and pretty girls- all things this game could simulate, but never really give to the man. He settled for what he could get, considering.

Corvo stoked his pipe, took a long drag, and stared into the starry sky. There was nothing better than a cool, clear summer night, and Aincrad offered phenomenal settings for that. His darkened breath returned to the air rhythmically as he leaned back against a lone tree and ignored the rest of the world.

Soon enough, the sky would be able, and none of them would be wasting their time talking anyway.

With another deep inhalation of smoke, the redhead closed his eyes and rested his hands behind his head. There was a time when he would have spent these precious nights with a loving, tightly knit family. He hadn't had that luxury in a very long time, now.

He was starting to forget what that felt like.

Corvo was starting to forget a lot of things. The manners of a southern gentleman disappeared behind the cold mask of a rogue. His desire to be around people bled away as he increasingly wanted nothing to do with this false reality. The people may have been real, but they weren't his people.

But these events were fantastic.

[Teion 0]

Teion wasn't sure how long she'd been standing still, back pressed up against the stone wall of a closed shop. A frown took over her features while she willed her legs to carry her forward. 'I wonder what he's doing...' She thought with a tiny sigh. She might as well walk around the main plaza and see what there was to offer.

As Teion walked past the various stalls that were set up on either side of her, quick sideways glances giving her an idea of what the festival had to offer. Lots of food, some games, and supposedly a fireworks show. She missed watching fireworks. The colors and patterns were simply mesmerizing as the night sky would light up. She only wondered if the replication from the game would be anywhere close to the real thing.

With her hands swinging lightly at her sides while she walked, Teion was a bit relieved that the city streets weren't as crowded as they could have been. When she had reached the main plaza, the blacksmith stopped in front of the massive booth that seemed to hold a wide variety of carnival prizes. Her cobalt eyes scanned over the different types of items on display, losing herself for a moment.

[Hidden 1]

Hidden entered the town of beginnings, via the plains. The beginning plains were a large and peaceful area, and she occasionally spent some time alone there. She liked being alone, it reminded her of home, but then she thought, was she actually happy back at home. She loved it here, no laws,no rules, and if anyone thinks they are better than others.... She moved into the area, and noted that the guards didn't seem to be at their usual posts, indicating that player killers could just walk on in. She moved on in towards the center and found a lottery even that appeared interesting to say in the least. The man at the booth stood and said, maximum of five purchases, five-hundred col for one, and get a chance to win ten-thousand col! She nodded. She could use the extra money, and had plenty of money to do this. She  walked forward, putting in 2,500 hundred col. Hopefully, she was the winner. The jar appeared to be empty so far, so she kept moving along. Perhaps she would go and play a game, and see what else she could earn from tonight.

Spoiler

@Teion ~ Bought 5 Level 1-29 Tickets.

-2,500 Col - Extracted from Journal as of 8:57 AM, 8/1/2017

 

[Pinball 1]

Pinball exited the NPC'S house he had been using to sleep in. It was rather cheap of him to do something like that, but the NPC's of the First Floor didn't seem to care much. As he stepped out, the smell of cooking food and the sound of voices, player and NPC alike met him. The City had been turned into a festival, seemingly influenced by Japanese culture. Pinball wandered the streets, keeping an eye out for any players. He didn't have any festival attire, only his starting cloth armor. He decided it didn't matter too much. He was more concerned with finding someone to talk to. Being alone for the most part had taken it's toll on him. NPC's weren't the greatest conversationalists, and even if the game was all an elaborate simulation, the players were real. With any luck, you'll meet someone, Pinball thought, rather desperately. I'm going to talk to the first person I see, he decided. Pinball started jogging, his head on a swivel, searching the streets for any sign of a green cursor. 

[Corvo 0]

The red headed deviant took one last drag from his pipe before he noticed it. A young kid in a hurry to get some place, running toward him and looking everywhere but straight ahead. He raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to call out, but it was too late.

The kid was moving too fast. Corvo lifted an arm and held it out, connecting with the shoulder of @Pinball as he barreled into the redhead. "Oughta watch out for what's ahead of you if yer plannin' on running through a crowded area."

Not that he cared, of course. Corvo only spoke up because he was the one who took the impact. He grunted as he pushed the boy gently away. "Not everybody's as nice a guy as me round here," he added, "might be you coulda ran up on someone who decided to hunt you down later. Being careful could save your life down the line."

As he finished speaking, the assassin pried the pipe from his teeth and turned to leave.

"That's all for the free advice," he added as he began walking away.

[Hidden 1]

Hidden moved about, silently moving through the carnival. She really was not a carnival person, and Sey wasn't with her enjoying it. This made a bit of a boring experience by herself. She moved through the area, moving towards the West side of the Festival. For a festival, she wasn't seeing too many players here. She came to nother station, this one with a target and a rifle loaded with a cork. She took a look at the NPC behind it and walked forward. A notification asked her to pay 50 col and she obliged. Her hand grasped the gun and she fit the stock into her shoulder and took aim. She took a deep breath and fired the gun, sending the cork blasting towards the target. The cork sped away towards the target, but veered to the side, missing the target completely. She heard a chuckle from the NPC as he walked over and picked up the cork. "Too bad, better luck next time. With that bad of a shot, I am not even sure if you want to embarrass yourself even more" She glared towards the man and detected his reverse psychology. He won it out though. She would try again.

87517 BD:1... That is really sad

Edited August 5, 2017 by Hidden

[Morgenstern 1]

OOC: No worries, I am coming to save you!

The blond strode into the first floor. He perferred to not come here as it reminded him and every other player  of the first day they were stuck here. The day their lives were torn apart. For some, the memory was happy as they did not have to go back to the real world, and were now able to permanently escape it. He just wanted some time away, not to be trapped here. When he got back, he sooo was not giving this game a five star rating. He wore casual clothes, Jeans and a White jacket. His Sword was strapped across his back and he was moving through the roads of the festival. NPC  children ran around with sparklers, some players were here and there. Apparently, many players weren't a fan of this particular event, but instead decided to not show up. So far, awards weren't obvious except some sort of lottery event. He was not going to purchase a ticket, in fact, he was here to just to tae a small break from the frontlines and getting his mind off of Chaos. The grind to destroy him was real, and he was going to just keep on doing it. He was going to have to invite a few other players to help him grind, and eventually invite the low levels to join him to grab some easy experience.

@Hidden you can go now!

[Jomei 0]

Jomei listened to his friend speak on the status of him and his wife. It sounded as though the two were fairly busy, but it had always been that way. Jomei smiled softly knowing that the two's relationship was doing well and was in a constant state. It was nice to hear that someone's love life was going well in a world surrounded by chaos such as this. "Thats good to hear, sounds like you don't get too much time with her, but at least the two of you are making it work." Calrex then reverted the question back to Jomei, though it was on his living conditions rather than his love life. Jomei rubbed his arm with his hand as his eyes shifted. "It was nice for awhile but..." he let out a long sigh, "Piera and Lee seem to have disappeared for a bit again without any word. Not sure if something happened, or if they are just taking some sort of a vacation out of the house. And staying in a large mansion by myself was very.. very lonesome" Jomei shrugged his shoulders, letting his arms fall back to his sides, "So.. I packed up my things and moved out. Considering possibly opening my shop back up and living out of there again for the time being." The man looked down at his feet for a moment, realizing how much of a wreck his life was at the moment. He felt the sudden surge of depression, spreading out from his mind like water flowing from a broken dam. However, with a large breath in through his nostrils, Jomei retracted the feelings. "I'm sure I'll figure it out." he said with a fake smirk.

@Calrex

Edited August 7, 2017 by Jomei

[Calrex 0]

Hearing Jomei's current living and social situation Calrex gave a calm nod, listening to the redhead complete his recount. "Weird that Lee and Piera suddenly decided to up and disappear again. Hope those two are doing alright. I was starting to take a few double-takes, since I feel like I recognized Lee from somewhere. Guess I'll have to come back to that when I see them again."

With a casual smirk he gave the man beside him an encouraging shoulder bump, "Sounds like when I found Oikawa holed up in his shop, although it is kind of weird being surrounded by bunches of equipment, at least compared to instruments. Well if anything just let me know if you need someone to talk to every now and then. Don't want you going insane hanging out there all the time, heh. We can go grab a drink or something again, and hopefully nothing really crazy happens, like waking up in some random creature's cave or something."

Returning his hands to his jacket pockets the bluenette stepped back, "Too bad we couldn't take advantage of their absence and throw a small party or something, and make use of all that space, heh."

@Jomei

[Hidden 1]

With a glare, she paid him another fifty col and allowed herself another turn at the Cork Gun game. She took a deep breath, her hands sliding up the handle of the gun which was made of a cool medal and hard plastic. She took another breath before thrusting the gun forward like a dagger, giving er a sword art as she fired it, her gun becoming a melee weapon. The cork hit the bullseye this time and the NPC man frowned. "Man, I thought I was gonna get you to play all day before you won. Now, I'M the one that is going to have to pay up" He gave her back the crk which she plugged back into the gun and pointed it at the man. "Yeah, Don't underestimate me, I always win in the end" He threw  anumber of tokens on the table which vanished into her inventory. She  twirled the gun on her finger before setting it back down on the table. With that, she walked off.

87605 BD:8+3

Results

-100 Col Total
+10 Tokens

Edited August 7, 2017 by Hidden

[Crozeph 0]

"A festival huh?" Crozeph muttered as he walked to the venue. He was a bit off with the whole "under-the-rock" status he had and knew that a crowd of people, even if it was too much for his erratic head, was a nice remedy for his paranoia. Crozeph buttoned his coat and pulled his hood covering his head and leaving on his black eyes and raven-black fringes to be seen. Less attention was what he aimed but the thought of running into someone he knows from way back would be much nicer. He walked and walked slowly but not in a shuffling way but in a more gentleman and formal way, his hands on the pocket of his coat. Crozeph hid his weapon into the inventory, unequipped, he didn't want any players notice his seemingly white weapon. Crozeph looked at the stalls and booth, the wares that are being sold and the crowd that has been increasing as he walked around the area. The bright lights from lanterns seem to calm him down, like the lanterns he put up in his shop "I do have some renovating or redecoration to do" he said to himself. Crozeph looked at the players, most were new, probably didn't know him and most probably can't notice him because of his black coat. "I guess events like this have some fireworks to top it all up like strawberry on a cake" he told himself. Crozeph then stood a few feet away from some booth and moved in to eavesdrop or observed but he quickly moved back as a player walked away from the booth "whew, close call..." Crozeph moved back a few steps "gotta be careful next time" he thought.

[Aoda 0]

"I guess you won't be joining me then? You're lame." Aoda chuckled, turning away from a man, who sat up against a large rock with his eyes closed and a smirk along his face. "You need something to wear? I'll let you borrow my jacket if you want." The man ran a hand through his slicked-back white hair as he opened his two blood red orbs. A bold gesture, one that the noirette may have accepted, if his friend had a shirt for him to wear under it.

"I'll be fine. I picked something out for this the other day. And no, it isn't a kimono, idiot." Aoda responded, opening his inventory with a swish of his hand to find the outfit he had bought for the firework festival.

Suddenly, he switched out of his swim shorts and t-shirt into a more casual set of clothing. A grey shirt and pants which were a much darker shade of grey. He wore black boots that reached up to the top of his ankles. Over top of his shirt, there was a dark jacket. He wore something similar to it quite often in the real world. To finish it all off, a large, grey scarf. It was darker than his shirt, but not quite as dark as the pants he had on. "I'll see you later." He shot a quick wave to the man, who returned a chuckle and a hand gesture that Aoda assumed was another way of him saying something like "Adios."

After some time, Aoda arrived at the safezone where the event was being held. It sort of reminded him of old Japanese architecture, which is likely what it was intended to be. During his time in Japan, he hadn't had the chance to see a lot of temples and ancient buildings. Mostly because he hadn't been there long. Instead he was dragged inside of Sword Art Online. He continued inside the festival, examining all of the lanterns and stalls and booths. The noirette was sort of excited, it being his first SAO festival and all.

Where do I start.

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

First a beach party now a fireworks festival. This place was starting to look a lot more like your typical Japanese summertime village. Not that the blonde was complaining about this. With this festival, she had the chance to look through her dusty wardrobe and pull out the blue themed kimono she had since the last festival.. or social event. Something along those lines anyway. The blonde couldn't remember the last time she went to the noob floor but most likely it wasn't out of her own desire to explore the place. But today, at least the center plaza looked like a different place entirely. All kinds of stuff caught Ariel's eyes, so many stuff she wanted to try. 

However she despised going to social event on her own so she had PMed a certain alchemist that had been holed up in his lab for a long period of time, if he would like to join her. He offered some bland affirmative reply but... "I guess he couldn't make it." muttered the blonde as before her stood a tall brunette figure clad in a butler's attire that let out a dejected smile and shrugged to her remark.

"I'm sorry milady... lord Dracul also sends his deepest apologies for not being able to come and instead send me to escort you around the festival grounds." said the butler known to few as Darius, with a hint of blush in his cheeks. The blonde let out a sigh and put her hand on his shoulder saying: "I know he doesn't like me that much and I commend you for covering up for that prick. I hope he's smart enough to realize how lucky he is with you two around taking care of him." To which Darius let out a nervous laugh, not denying nor confirming her statement. He straighten up and offered his arm saying: "I know I can't reach milord's level but I hope you'll be satisfied with the extend of my abilities. Now then, shall we?"

"It's good to see you cracking out of your shell and showing some confidence. Girls usually find that attractive." said the blonde as she linked her left arm with his and the two started walking around the place. Almost instantly the word 'Lottery' caught the blonde's attention and she discreetly pointed out their first destination to her partner. Darius made a small nod as he adjusted their course. As they stopped in front of the stall, the blonde hastily read through the rules and raised up her free hand with all her fingers extended:

"Five high level Col Lottery tickets please!" (@Teion) then she turns towards her companion and slightly tilting her head to the side, she asks. "Do you also want some?" to which the brunette let out a small nervous laugh and shake his head repeatedly "I'm not a very lucky person in general and I think I consumed all my luck just by being here instead of the shop" almost immediately realizing afterwards how that sounded out loud, he slightly blushes and looked to the side. "That looks interesting!" he added as he pointed towards the west side of the plaza at the Cork Gun stall. 

Squinting her eyes to see where he was pointing, the blonde noticed a gun of sorts and some targets and nodded: "Sure thing D. Show me your marksmanship skills." she said with a laugh as they made their way there. Darius let out a small smirk as he ordered one round and after picking up the gun, he showed fluid moves while checking it and preparing to shoot. He didn't take long to find its target and with a sniper's precision the foam cork knocked down the target with little difficulty. 

"Woooooooo!" came a loud cheer from his side.

---

ID# 87751  BD: 9 (nat.)  
Hit! 10 Tokens Gained!

-50 Col

[Ashrah 0]

He stood in the middle of the festival, staring blankly up toward the sky. The fireworks had started, or would soon start- either way, they reminded him fondly of a time outside Aincrad, and it felt as though the game were mocking him. He gripped the cork gun firmly in hand and held it out, aimed directly for the target.

Vanguard exhaled softly, peered down his arm and along the toy, and pulled the trigger. It popped loudly, the way such toys were wont to do, and the cork flared toward its intended target. It toppled over like he had kicked it himself.

He dropped the weapon, and the Col on the booth and accepted the tokens with his hand outstretched, palm up. As he walked away, Vanguard said nothing to anyone. It was as though he were not there at all, and the things he did were inconsequential.

He pocketed the winnings and headed deeper into the heart of the Town of Beginnings, where he could watch the sky light up in silence.

ID# 87788 results:

 Battle: 6(+2)= 8 hit!

10 tokens gained!

-50 Col

Edited August 13, 2017 by Arc

[Hei 0]

Close to Hei was another player, enjoying the fireworks that just started as the sky went dark. He gripped a cork gun, and without much difficulties he shot one of the targets. Hei had been trying all day long and he hadn't been successful once. The stranger doing it so easy made him want to show that he could do it too, so Hei grabbed the gun once again, and closed his eyes. He had to concentrate all his aim at the target, and the fireworks behind him wouldn't help him with that.

When Hei was sure he pointed all his attention at the target, he lifted the gun, aimed at it and while exhaling slowly, pulled the trigger. The moment the cork flew off with the typical plop sound, Hei was sure it would hit the target. It felt the same as a well executed swordskill felt, and so he smiled when the cork hit the target, making it fall down.

The NPC looked at it, smiled and put 10 Tokens on the counter, which Hei quickly took.

+10 Tokens
-50 col

 

Spoiler

ID# 87879
Battle: 5+3 = 8 -> hit

 

Edited August 15, 2017 by Hei

[Ryo 0]

Ryo rubbed his eyes as he walked through the city of beginnings. He had woken up later than his norm, and had spent the entire day lazing about. There was a beach party being sponsored by another guild that seemed interesting, but it was so far up on the floors that he didn't bother with trying to go. He was too low a level, or better a leveled player who didn't have any decent gear. You fall asleep under a tree one time and some level one comes along and sleep trades all your gear and col. But the sound of music drove Ryo to investigation. A festival of sorts was being held tonight. Various musical instruments played, filling the air with a wondrous tune. Lights of all shapes and sizes radiated warm colours throughout the streets. It was nice, to see that the city could do something nice, despite its trials putting the general populous in fear for their lives.

Ignoring all distractions, Ryo headed further into the festivities. The aroma of well cooked, and seasoned food wafted through the air, inviting him to visit at least every booth along his way. His only issue was his lack of funds. He stood in the middle of the road, staring at his now barren inventory. Fortunately the starter gear was always free to get and he was at least clothed. But he was more than sure that he was the only level nineteen player in that set. He let out another sigh when he saw that his Col had also been emptied by that would be sleep thief. No col, meant that he couldn't buy any of these delicious looking treats. His stomach growled, begging for food and Ryo let out an aggravated sigh as he closed his menu.

Sounds of bells ringing, and people cheering meant at least one thing. Enjoyment. He'd go visit that next, if only to escape the tantalizing smells of the food stalls. Going in a back way, Ryo could make out several machines and stalls filled with games. A booth filled with rifles that fired corks at targets, the classic goldfish catch, and a personal favorite of his the hoop toss. He was never good at it, but it was a favorite nonetheless. Investigation showed that some sort of festival token was needed to play the games and that either prizes or tickets were awarded. And with no money, he couldn't get a single ticket. He'd have to go back to farming on the floor for materials again, just to replace the gear he lost, and miss out on all of the fun this year. Ryo cursed himself, and that sleep-thief. He'd at least have a looksie, and see what he'd miss out on by the prize corner.

Arriving there he saw that a small crowd was already there. He peered over them as best as he could, looking at the items. Mostly just cosmetics for familiars, but there was a few items that could be useful depending on the situation. Another lavender haired player was staring at the prizes. "Hey." He said, wanting to engage in conversation. "You look like you're a bit bored. Would you mind if I try to alleviate that?" He asked the woman.

Edited August 16, 2017 by Ryo

[Teion 0]

A voice beside her caught Teion's attention, causing the woman to look towards the source of the sound. A man with magenta-colored hair stood beside her, an inviting expression on his face as he spoke to her. The blacksmith took a moment to process his words, perhaps a bit surprised that someone had approached her. "Oh, uhh..." She thought for a moment. She had been waiting for Beatbox to arrive, but she hadn't heard anything back from the blonde for hours now, and she was beginning to wonder if he would be attending at all. After mulling the thought over, Teion turned her attention back to the stranger in front of her. "Sure?" The slight upward inflection in her voice expressed her confusion more than anything. What did this person have in mind? Was he just trying to make friends, or was she walking into something completely different? The violet-haired woman obviously wasn't too worried about the latter, and so she gave a glance around the large booths lining the plaza before returning her attention to the man once again. "What do you mean?" She decided to ask, wondering what Ryo could have in mind.

@Ryo

[Ryo 0]

(phone post inbound)

The woman turned, and seemed to be startled. She then made a sound, then disappeared into thought before returning to speak to him. She answered in the form of a question, one of the type of answers that Ryo enjoied the most. Ryo now figured bow would be a time to make an impression. After all, the future hero if aincrad needed to have a positive influence on the people, and where better else to start than a festival. "Allow me to introduce myself." Ryo said,taking a step back and giving a formal bow. "I am Ryo, and you must be an angel sent from the heavens to bless this sad and forgotten world." Ryo said, returning from his bow. "And for what I mean. I meant a small outing. See that sights, partake in some food, perhaps a game or two." Ryo suggested. After all it was a festival, no reason to stand around like a wall flower. This was a joyous occasion, one should be out and around enjoying the moment.

@Teion

Edited August 17, 2017 by Ryo

[Teion 0]

Teion felt herself stiffening at the man's exuberant introduction. She was taken off guard by his almost theatrical flattery and casually charming demeanor. The woman blinked a couple of times, letting his words settle into a brief silence before at least giving her own name in return. "Teion." She replied simply. Then his explanation of his earlier invitation had her thinking again. Was he really asking her to accompany him throughout the festival? Her eyes drifted towards the sky as she mulled over the idea. 'Still no reply.' She thought, referring to her empty message inbox. The man before her, Ryo, didn't seem like the type of personality that would mesh well with her own. She wondered for a moment if he would get bored with her before the night's festivities would be up. Trying not to put too much thought into it, Teion returned her attention to the present and offered the man a faint smile. "Yeah, why not." She calmly accepted his proposal.

@Ryo

[Ryo 0]

Ryo let the name mull around his head for a few seconds, as if trying to commit it to memory, or if he had heard it before. Nothing coming immediately to mind he shrugged it off. "Teion huh?" He said with a wink. "What a fun name that is!" He said happily, complimenting the woman. She was quiet for a long while, for several seconds or moments. The sounds of the festival and patterning of Ryos blood filled his ears, awaiting her response. After her response he let out a small laugh. "Phew, for a second there I thought you were gonna say no." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. He turned in his heel and began to stroll. "This way m'lady. There's an entire night ahead of us, let us make the best of it." Ryo cheered.

After a few moments of walking, Ryo tried again to make conversation. "It's a shame that your date decided to flake out. I'm sure he's got reasons." Ryo hypothesized. He didn't know if she was stood up, or even if she enjoyed the company of men. "But still." He missed to himself. He spun around to face the woman following him, continuing his pace. "Say, what would you like to do? I'm light on coin, and content with walking all night if you so wish." He asked.

@Teion

Edited August 17, 2017 by Ryo