[Event - F1] Mid-Summer Fireworks Festival

[Crozeph 0]

Bright lights, they mean little to Crozeph. Not that he didn't enjoy any of what's happening but he could at least try to observe everyone around him. Crozeph walked a few steps around the festival, trying to gain a vantage point where he could see most people. His attention was first caught by a man who calls himself Ryo. CRozeph slowed down walking and listened as he watched him talk to a violet-haired woman which turned out good so far. The guy was courteous with a bit of confidence in his words "wow didn't see that coming" he thought which was followed by a chuckle before taking a few steps away from the two "better leave the guy to his craft" he said to himself. The raven-haired boy continued to walked around, his hood covering his head and his coat buttoned. He was not much of a person who engages in conversations first but Crozeph tries his best not to be too much of an aloof guy to a lot of persons. 

Croeph eyed the booth where players try to shoot targets with some makeshift gun with a cork for a bullet. All using their accuracy to hit and gain prizes. Crozeph just watched and stood a few feet away from the booth. He didn't have col but using something to improve accuracy was something that crossed his mind. "well I'm completely broke" he said to himself before pulling his hood. As he continued to watch, a familiar face was seen also trying to take part on the game that is going on. "well if it isn't the Ariel..." Crozeph looked around "...that Pumba or Simba lion might just be around" he thought as his eyes darted left and right. Ariel's familiar had taken a little liking to him and licks his face and hair. Crozeph kept his head down and hoping that the cub won't use its innate tracking skills and sense him "I could at least enjoy the fireworks to lessen the nervousness" he added.

[Hei 0]

After finally hitting for the first time and earning a few tokens, Hei was happy. Even though it was just a game in a game and nothing important had been on stake, he felt relieved, that he finally got it, and now he would go and have a look for all the other stuff around here. When he turned around and left the cork gun stall, finally actually looking at the nice fireworks they got. The sky looked like some kids had fun with it, sprinkling colours everywhere. When a huge firework exploded and made the whole sky green, fading into orange, he couldn't other than loudly "Ouhhh" in bafflement. When he had seen enough of this, he had a look at the other stalls around, which weren't to many, as he had walked to the outskirts of the festival. There only was one other stall close by, which was a ramen stall. - Maybe I should eat something, it's getting late and I don't want to have bread again, but I'm not sure if ramen is what I'd like to have. -

So Hei decided to not go and have ramen, but rather went ahead, back to the centre of festivity. There he would find something more exquisite he hoped. He walked by a big stall, selling all kinds of fireworks, but he was not interested, as the daily fireworks display was quite enough for him, the next stall he saw was the prize corner. It was twice as big as the other stalls, and he could see al kinds of different Items in display there. So he had a look at them, and his pocket, containing 10 Tokens. So what could he get for that was the next question, and just as he was about to leave, as he hadn't found anything of interest, he saw a goldfish bowl, which was exactly 10 Tokens. He quickly exchanged his Tokens with the item. "Thank you, this'll look great in my shop. Now I just have to get some fish" he said to the NPC who had just handed him the bowl. Just as he wanted to leave, he remembered something about a lottery, and so he asked the NPC "Well, before I leave, I have one last question. Do you know where I can enter the col lottery?" and the NPC quickly answered him, telling him that he could buy tickets right here. "Nice, then I'll take two low level col lottery tickets" Hei said, sending the col over.

@Teion
-1000 col
+2 col lottery tickets (1-29)

 

Edited August 19, 2017 by Hei

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

"You didn't tell me yo were so good with a gun." Said the blonde in a jubilant tone as she patted the marksman, in butler suit, on the back wholeheartedly. In return Darius let out a small smirk as he brushed his nose with his thumb, feeling a bit embarrassed by her slightly exaggerated congratulation. "Well, it is only natural that a butler of milord's family would at least be able to do this. It was custom of me and my sister to escort and assist the family when a hunting party was organized." He put down the cork gun and leaned closer to the blonde. He looked around them and after making sure that nobody was eavesdropping, he said in a low tone. "Let's just say that in those times, I hit more targets than I led milord to believe."For the young butler, such a claim was something he attributed close to betrayal, so it spoke mountains of the trust he'd put in the blonde by making that statement. This would imply that the relation between them was something more than just two people that barely knew each other.

[Teion 0]

Teion still hesitated for half a second before following after the magenta-haired player. As long as they stayed inside of the city, the woman supposed she could shrug off any suspicions she might have and simply take the man at his word. While she wasn't necessarily thinking he was up to something, perhaps she was just unfamiliar with a personality such as Ryo's.

The man spoke up again, and Teion felt her head tilt slightly to one side. 'How does he know...?' Her thought trailed. Did she look like she was waiting for someone? She never made an attempt to approach anyone else, so maybe it was natural to assume that she was there to meet another person. She was about to shrug it off and reply with something generic when Ryo's figure turned to face her, his pace unchanging. The motion caught her attention and she looked back at him curiously as he asked her what she would like to do. Admitting that he didn't have money to spend on the festival, the blacksmith gave the question a few moments' thought. What was she planning on doing here in the first place. "Mmm..." She mused quietly, her eyes drifting down to the stone walkway in front of her. It had been so long since she had been to any kind of event like this, considering her uneventful life in the real world as well. The allure of fun and games felt more and more tempting. "I guess...we could check out the games?" She suggested in a quiet voice, almost feeling embarrassed by the choice. "I have money, so don't worry about it." She added on.

@Ryo

[Ryo 0]

Ryo mused in his mind. She didn't bother to correct him, so he was either right or hilariously wrong. But she wasn't smiling, or giving any other sort of tell. She was probably fed up, waiting for someone then he just swoops in and tries to make moves. Curse his stupidity! Why hadn't he seen this coming! If he had just thought for a second, he wouldn't be in this situation. He took a deep breath as Teion mentioned games. "Aha~!" He exclaimed. "A wonderful idea from the ever impressing, Madam Teion." He said, giving a wink to the woman before him.

Before him stood his favorite game, at least of the one's presented. The 'throw the tiny ring onto a bunch of bottles and hope for the best' game. Or the 'hoop toss' for short. He motioned for Teion to step up front, and pay. He made a mental note of how much that she paid, so that way he'd pay her back. The barker presented him with a few rings, and Ryo lined up his shots. The tiny plastic rings bounced from bottle from bottle, making a self-satisfying high pitched 'dink' noise, before falling in between the bottles. A sharp pain, entered through Ryo's mind. Crap, make the woman spend her money, then waste it all away. Idiot! He stared at the bottles, cursing them for mocking him now in his defeat. He slapped his forehead. "Ah well, that's just how these fastival games work!" He said, bolstering a laugh. "I'm sure it's all to chance. Why not give it a shot Teion." Ryo said, offering the lady his place.

@Teion
ID:87967 LD: 8 (failure)

Edited August 18, 2017 by Ryo

[Teion 0]

'He's...strange.' Teion kept the thought to herself after the man's lively response to her suggestion. Maybe strange wasn't the best word. Perhaps engaging or even just friendly were more suitable descriptions for the player. He seemed excited at the mention of games, or maybe he was just exaggerating a reaction for her sake. Teion was doing a lot of assuming since meeting Ryo, and the night was far from over.

Her unfamiliarity with social interactions aside, Teion soon found herself in front of one of the many game booths set up throughout the festival. 'Ring Toss?' A quick glance to a sign propped up above the booth read 'Hoop Toss'--close enough. She gave a small nod and handed over the right amount of col to the NPC to pay for two people. With the plastic rings laid out before them, Ryo took a shot, only for the ring to disappear amongst all the glass bottles. He seemed dismayed, although Teion was again unable to tell if that was the man simply being more expressive than most. She stepped up after him, taking a ring in her hand. She aimed a moment before giving an underhand toss towards the objective. She must have thrown harder than she anticipated the ring to travel, however, and the item simply bounced off the top of a single bottle before falling to the floor on the other side of the display. Teion blinked as she realized how far off she had been, quickly feeling the dissatisfaction that came from losing. She hesitated a moment, unsure of what to do, when she spoke up again. "Wanna try again?"

If Ryo accepted, Teion would pay for another round, stubborn and not wanting to walk away after both of their unfortunate attempts.

ID:87970 LD: 3+3=6 (failure)
-100 col

@Ryo

[Jomei 0]

Jomei shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah. Would have been a good idea.. But then again, thats what these events are for." Jomei looked around at the other stands around the two before looking up at the sky. It had gotten much darker than before, meaning the fireworks were coming sooner than he thought. After that, this event would most likely end. That being said, he decided he should take a look at the rest of what the festival had to offer. Jomei turned to look at Calrex once again, "Well, I'm off to check out what else is around here, maybe try some food or one of the games around here.. And I will definitely take you up on that offer for a drink." he said, pointing at the man. "I'll see you later then." he gave a small wave before walking off in the opposite direction. 

The ginger walked around, still seeing all unfamiliar faces. The thought of most of his close friends being gone creeping up on him again. He let out a sigh, and then looked straight forward again to see a stand selling skewered chicken just off in the distance. Jomei stepped up to the tent, where an NPC was seen cooking chicken. "I'll take one Yakitori please." the Irishman said. "Sure! 50 col!" the cook replied, and a small purchase option appeared in front of Jomei. Drawing his hand up, Jomei tapped the button agreeing the the purchase, and the box disappeared. In his hand, materialized a tall skewer with chicken on it. Taking one piece off, Jomei bit into the chicken and his face relaxed. He missed the taste of festival food.

-50 col

+1 Yakitori

[Ryo 0]

Ryi watched as Teion took her ring and held it aloft. Teion tossed her ring, well more so launched it. It plunked off a bottle and then shot up over the rest missing the rest of them completely. The ring fell behind, and clattered on the ground. The Barker told them omething about 'bad luck'. "Fret not Teion." Ryo said. "It happens to the best of us." He said, trying to raise her spirits. She asked if he wanted to try again. He'd be honest with himself, he did want to try again, but not at the expense of Teions wallet. "I'm quite fine actually." He said, waving the notion off. "In fact, I'd love to just walk around some. See the sights, get to know each other a bit better rather than just names." He said, before continuing. "If that is to your liking." He finished. He hypothesized that she would check her inbox first, seeing if her date had responded back. And if not she would say yes, of only out of politeness. But, she could also say no, and they would part ways there. Either way, Ryo would be content. He had met someone new, and had gotten to know her. If only a little bit.

@Teion

Edited August 19, 2017 by Ryo

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Ariel in return, while partially understanding what he meant, let out a loud giggle despite wanting to stifle it. For a second, the brunette had considere if it was wise of him to place his trust in the blonde before him that kept mocking him. Seeing his hurt puppy expression only added more fuel to the blonde outburst, negating all her efforts to keep a straight face. Waving her hand dismissively, she said:

"Sorry, sorry... please don't get upset. It's just that after all the build-up that you did, I was expecting some bigger reveal. Not this." after a short break in speech, in which she took a couple of deep breaths, she continued: "Listen, its OK to be proud of your particular set of skills. But if is that troubling for you, I promise I won't tell the rich kid what you told me, deal?" A small grin with a hidden message formed on her expression afterwards.

[Teion 0]

Teion had to hold herself back and prevent a frown from taking over her expression. Perhaps Ryo had only wanted to give it a shot, or he didn't think they had any chance of winning such a game. At least it wasn't suspicious in that he wasn't goading her to spend her money on them. And so she didn't try to argue or insist, but instead cast a glance down the street towards the main plaza they had been standing in a few minutes ago. "I wonder if the fireworks are starting soon..." She thought aloud in a quiet voice. Pulling herself back to their conversation, and Ryo's suggestion, Teion gave a small nod. "Yeah, that's fine." She had all but given up on waiting for the blonde swordsman to show up. She just about resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn't even be receiving a reply message before the night was over. A tinge of worry took over her before she took a moment to tell herself that everything was fine. Beatbox could take care of himself.

"So... Is there anything here you wanted to look at?" She was a bit unsure of how or where to start, but did her best to break the silence.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo looked at the woman in front of him, she looked distressed. Probably upset about her date stiffing her. He could hear something under her breath. Something about fireworks, maybe? It made sense, this was a festival after all. Ryo put his hands into his pockets, and took the lead again. "Come madam Teion. Let's go find someplace to relax. I'm sure the night show is going to get started soon." He said, wearing the same smile. Just what was going through her head? The thought bugged him, he figured it had to be more than just boy troubles. Women in the real world would be up in arms about it. They's scream, and shout, and let everyone know just how unloyal their man was. Unless, they had already cancelled, or had an important job. But what job did people have in aincrad? Sure there were tailors, and blacksmiths. But the most busy ones were alchemists, and that job was mostly reserved for women. Men gravitated to the strong sounding jobs, blacksmithing mainly. It was either that, or front lining. Her question broke his train of thought. He looked up at the night sky. "Yeah, there's someplace I wanna visit. But it can wait until after the fireworks." Ryo said, answering. "Besides, he wouldn't want me missing out on any fun on his behalf." Ryo said, before letting out a laugh. He lead them to a large hilled area, fenced off from the rest of the crowds and lights. He held up the rope for Teion. "Alright, m'lady. Just through here, and we can wait for the fireworks to start. This area is designated for guests and what not, I take it that we're just a bit early is all." He said, entering the area himself. As he escorted Teion to a spot of her choosing and sat down beside her. He couldn't but feel like he should ask something but what. Like, hey sorry your boyfriend didn't show up where's he at anyway? 

@Teion

[Hei 0]

As Hei had now traded in his Tokens for a goldfish bowl, he now needed goldfish to put in it, and he exactly knew what he was searching for. He had seen it in some stuff he had read and watched before he came to SAO, that there was a tradition to catch goldfish with a piece of paper on festivals like this. So he walked around, looking for the stall where he could do that, but before he found it, he was distracted by a super sweet smell. - Uh, it smells so good, my stomach is growling by just thinking about the food. I should definitely get some of whatever it is that smells so good -  And so he suspended his search for the goldfish stall to find the source of the smell. In the northern part of the festival he was successful and found a stall, where he could buy Taiyaki. "Hello, I'll take one of those" he said, pointing at one of them.

When he had gotten the food, he continued looking for the goldfish stall, to catch himself a fish, but it took quite some time, as the booth was at the opposite end of the festival. After walking around and eating for half an hour he finally arrived at the goldfish catch. He had seen it before, but he had no idea how difficult it would be, so he just took one of the poi and tried. The moment the paper touched the water, it broke and the goldfish Hei was trying to catch just swam through the poi. But he couldn't let this be the end, so he tried another time. This time he at least got the goldfish, but when he raised it out of the water, it once again broke. "Damn, that's hard" he said, before trying a third time. This time the poi was stable and he pulled the fish out of the water and into a bag, so ha had at least one fish for the bowl.

+1 <<Goldfish in a Bag>>

-200 col

Spoiler

First attempt

ID# 88050
Loot: 1

Second attempt

ID# 88051
Loot: 8

Third attempt

ID# 88052
Loot: 15

 

 

Edited August 22, 2017 by Hei

[Teion 0]

Her head tilted ever-so-slightly in curiosity at his answer. Left to wonder where it was that Ryo wanted to go, Teion simply gave a small nod and followed after him as he led the way to their next destination. His words confused her, but she tried not to let them bother her. It sounded like she could expect to go to wherever this place was, and perhaps he would explain what he meant at that time. She shook her head lightly as she walked behind the man.

When they had arrived at their destination, the woman ducked her head to slip under the rope that designated one of the viewing areas in town. She hesitated a moment when left to choose a place to sit--she had forgotten how she had originally been uncomfortable in the yukata she was wearing. Most types of dresses would nudge her outside of her comfort zone, but perhaps she had managed to forget about something so trivial while wandering the festival streets. She ended up folding her legs under her, sitting asymmetrically and placing her right palm on the ground to lean slightly on her arm. Ryo had placed himself beside her shortly after.

Silence washed over them, and for once it had begun to make Teion feel a bit uneasy. She would normally be content with getting lost in her thoughts or simply not wish to engage in idle chatter, but something was a bit different. Ryo had approached her with what seemed to be nothing more than friendly interest--no want for col, a quest partner, or her blacksmithing. In an event like this, he had simply been kind to her. As the thoughts swirled around in her head and mingled in the silence, Teion began to feel uneasy. "So... Do you, uhh...have a profession?" She struggled to think of something suitable to say, and of course of all things a profession would be her choice topic of conversation.

@Ryo

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Partially regaining faith in the blonde after her comment, he was still a little embarrassed. Reaching for the cork gun he let go off just a minute ago, he picked it up and shoved it in Ariel's face saying: "Now you try it!" A bold move that took even the blonde by surprise. After hesitating for a few moments she took the gun muttering something in the lines of: "I never used one before." Thing that could be clearly seen by the way she was holding it. "You point it like this?" asked the blonde gingerly as she rested it against her shoulder, looking through the open sight. And while looking for confirmation, she turned towards Darius changing the aim towards his face as well.

The younger butler let out a yelp and dodged his head to the side while grabbing the barrel of the gun and gently pushing it to the side. "Never do that again milady. Not even with a toy gun like this. You could seriously injure somebody!" he said in a alarmed tone. He didn't want to be authoritative by any means but nonetheless it sounded that way for the blonde. Usually she would react with some degree of displeasure towards anybody who would use that tone on her but now she simply looked at the ground after lowering the 'weapon'.

[Ryo 0]

Ryo sat down, then moved into a lying position. He crossed his hands behind his head, and began to relax. The two sat in silence for a moment. The silence interrupted by Teion's question. Seemed as though Ryo forced her to speak. Dammit. She asked about a profession. He thought about it for a second. "Well, I don't have one yet." Ryo admitted. "Never really saw a need for one until now really. Does, frontlining count as a profession choice?" Ryo asked back. He looked up at the sky, and he wondered about a lot of things. Perhaps it was the drab mood of Teion that was bringing it up. Ryo gave a grin and looked over at Teion. "What do you do for a living? You front line?" He asked, knowing a bit about the front liners from news articles he would read. He tried to bring the mood up, but this Teion woman was an expert of draining the mood.

@Teion

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

"OK..." she muttered like a scolded kid, a sight that Darius didn't believe the blonde was capable of. "Um... its.. don't worry about it.. I shouldn't have said that..." he tried to reply, a sense of guilt welling up inside him. "Try to shot the target." he added with a smile as he pointed towards the interior of the stand. Repeating her previous monosyllabic statement, the blonde seemed to be in better spirits after being shown a target and pointed the cork gun towards it, trying to center the shot as well as she could. She wouldn't be able to hit all the targets like her companion did but nonetheless, her competitive spirit urged her to try do her best.

Unsurprisingly, her best shot was a little off so the cork passed by the target and into the wall behind it before it came to a complete stop on the ground. While watching the shop owner pick it up and then reloading the gun, the blonde bit her lip and said: "Another one!"

---

ID# 88153  BD: 7 (3+4)  
Miss!

-50 Col

[Teion 0]

Teion gave his question a moment of serious thought. She had just considered opening her mouth to reply when his voice reached her ears again with another pair of questions. She looked to the side, at Ryo's grinning face as he lay beside her, and blinked. For a while now, that was the easiest question anyone could ask of the woman. And yet, she found herself hesitating to answer. "I'm a blacksmith." She answered simply while her attention turned back to the night sky. "On the fifth floor." She added, wondering if Ryo would think it as strange as anyone else to hear of a forge located in the desert.

She looked higher, spotting the twinkling lights that were meant to represent stars. She seemed to still be giving the topic a great deal of thought. "I want to, though. Be a frontliner." She felt as though she was stating a goal that she doubted would see the light of accomplishment. "There are...some shoes that need filling, and I think it's only fair that I try." She hadn't stopped to consider the serious or somber blanket her words might have draped over the mood.

@Ryo

[Ryo 0]

Ryo listened carefully tot he woman beside him. A blacksmith, on the fifth floor. That was, a desert floor wasn't it? If it was, which he was sure that it was, then itcould be passable. Heat and the sand made the forge easy to maintain heat and pressure. But the heat. He couldn't even begin to fathom the amount of sweat that Teion poured into her work. But, that would explain her figure. He shook his head clear, trying to focus on conversation instead. "That sounds, hot." He said, the thought of working in that kind of heat making him dizzy.

Teion looked up into the sky, probably reminiscing something. She mentioned the front lines and how she wanted to be a part of it. "Big shoes, huh." Ruo said, looking up into the stars himself. "I think I feel the same way." He said, before smiling wide. "I'm gonna become the best frontliner that ever lived. Because someone once told me that I could do whatever I put my heart to." Ryo said. He thought of Lowenthal's words, before they had departed for the last time. About how anyone could achieve greatness. "I think you can do it too." Ryo said, looking at Teion.

@Teion

 

Edited August 29, 2017 by Ryo

[Teion 0]

Teion felt the corners of her mouth turn up into a small smile. There was something endearing about the way Ryo spoke, full of confidence and optimism. She almost thought his words sounded a bit childish, but she had no intention to insult the man. Instead, she voiced a different thought that entered her mind. "That sounds...brave." She said, taking just a moment to find the right word.

Normally Teion wasn't one to shy away from combat. She went into fights against quest monsters and field bosses without much thought. She told herself that she had wanted to work her way up to the frontlines, but fear had been intertwined with that decision. Perhaps it was a feeling that would melt away as she increased her levels and found her stats on-par with those of other frontline players, but she couldn't be sure.

She gave a start when a loud popping sound rang out through the sky. Teion's head snapped forward in reaction, but she was able to relax when she caught sight of the sparkling colors in the sky. The fireworks had begun, and Teion simply say in awed silence as they burst and twinkled against the darkness.

@Ryo

[Ryo 0]

The first firework came as a surprise to Ryo, making his body clench in surprise. He let out a loud laugh as his nerves calmed, and more fireworks went out into the sky. Each one seemed more vibrant than the last, each one just a bit more impressive then the one before it. Ryo looked over at Teion, to see her smiling. Finally, about time she felt a twinge of happiness. Ryo himself felt happy, and turned his attention back to the festivities before he was caught staring.

Ryo wondered where he be in the near future. Then the far future. Would he be the hero he wanted to be, or would he always be like he was now. Just the helpful guy who roams around helping random people with no effect. No, he'd be that first option. And so.ehow, being with Teion made him even more determined than before. But for now, he'd lie down and enjoy the fireworks beside her.

@Teion