{F1-PP} Fish Are Friends, Not Food <<The Fourth Lesson, Is Actually Free>>

[Pinball 1]

With a tight, anxious grip on his spear, Pinball took his first few steps out of the inn he had holed himself up in since completing the Third Lesson. After his nearly fatal meeting with King Croaksworth, he wasn't entirely keen on tackling the fourth and final lesson of the questline. However, he knew that if he hid in the inn the entire time, he wouldn't get anything done, let alone the questline. Pinball had taken his time to talk to some of his guild members before he left the inn, and, after adamantly refusing any offers of help, he made sure that he was going to the right place. He was supposed to take the package the Artisan had given him, and deliver it to someone named Ol' Pete. Pinball stopped at the gate, taking in a deep breath. He had had a brush with death in his fight, but only one born of his foolishness. It was something absolutely avoidable, and he wouldn't make the same mistake again. Besides, he had much better gear now, and even if he did manage to fight something worthwhile on this floor, he would be able to handle his own. Using his spear as a walking stick, Pinball began his journey to the lake, his free hand stuffed in his pocket.  

Player Stats: 

Spoiler

Pinball 

Lvl: 14 | HP: 280 | EN: 28 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 3 | DMG: 6

Equipped: 

• Leather Armor of the Amatuer Duelist: 3 EVA {3 Slots} 
• Warrior's Focus: +3 ACC {3 Slots} 
• Naughty or Nice Blade: +2 Freeze, +1 Phase, Cursed {4 Slots} 

Skills: 

• 2H Assault Spear ~ Rank 3
• Fishing 
• <<Empty>>

Battle Ready Inventory: 

<<Empty>>

 

Edited March 3, 2018 by Pinball

[Calypso 0]

Spoiler

Level: 10
HP: 200
DMG: 10
MIT: 9
ACC: 1

Skills:

Weapon/Armor skills:
»2H Straight Sword [23/50] (Rank 3: Expert)

Extra:
»Familiar Mastery: Fighter [0/18] (Novice)

Inventory:

Equipped:
»[Rare] Polished Claymore (+2 DMG)
»[Uncommon] T1 Light Armor (+9 MIT)
»[Uncommon] T1 Ring (+1 ACC)

Battle Ready:
»(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)
»5 Tier One Health Potions of Uncommon Quality  (+40 HP)
»1 Tier One Damage Potion (+1 Damage)
»1 Tier One Over-Health Potion (+50 Temp. HP)
»[Quest Item] Snowfrost (1/2 Burn DMG for 1 battle)

"So you don't do much questing?"

Callie raised a brow as the girl beside her seemed to be full of questions. She couldn't tell if she was just trying to keep up idle conversation, or if the nudges were an attempt at being friendly with her. Regardless, and despite her personal disinterest, she continued with another polite response. "No, not really. Work has been slow, even on a few of the higher floors. I guess I just started doing this chain out of boredom." She admitted with a shrug. The answer allowed Kirana's violet eyes to turn back forward, and the noirette had to stop herself from visibly scowling. How long had they been trailing behind this person?

Callie hadn't made comment, and was trying not to pay any mind to the dark-haired boy in the distance. Curiosity had led her to wonder if they might have the same destination, but she already had one person tagging along with her. She wasn't the type to go out of her way to make something into a group activity.

@Pinball

Edited February 3, 2018 by Calypso

[Pinball 1]

As Pinball got closer to the lake, he started to get a bit anxious. He had grappled with the idea of death his entire walk here, and the appearence of the two players walking the same path behind him didn't help the situation. Every now and then he would look back, trying to make it as unapparent as possible. Leaning against his spar as he walked, Pinball's head jumped to the worst of conclusions. Could it be they were following him? Would they attaack him? Pinball stopped looking back, his head locked in front of him. Should he try to talk to them? Would that be weird? Pinball took a second to actually think, and came to the assumption they were here for the same quest he was. If that were true, would it be best for him to try and group up? But there were already two of them, and if they were anywhere near as suspicious as Pinball was, they wouldn't want to. He sighed, but kept on track, the lake getting closer and closer with each step. "This might be a problem," he mumbled to himself, tightening his grip on his spear. 

[Calypso 0]

Drawing closer to the water's edge, it was becoming apparent that they shared the same destination as the black-haired boy walking ahead of them. Callie frowned, wondering just how awkward an exchange might get if there was any conflict in completing the objectives at the same time.

As the unlikely duo would reach the bank shortly after the boy, Callie could spot a single rowboat above the water's surface, the captain of which appeared to be working to make his way over to them. Determining that must be the NPC that Hannah sent them to seek out, and seeing as how it would obviously take a minute or two for them to even be able to interact with the quest-giver, the woman with cerulean hair was only able to focus on the thick, awkward air hanging between the three players now in a bit closer company. 'Come on, don't be rude.' She mentally urged herself before taking on her usual polite smile.

She turned her head to address the boy standing a short distance to her right. "I take it you're here for the same quest?" She prompted, holding up the parcel that Hannah had entrusted to them.

[Pinball 1]

The Old Fisherman began approaching them, and the distance between him and the other two players was closed. Not nearly as big as the ocean, he thought, thinking back to the oceans back home. When he got out of this game, that's what he would do: visit the Floridian ocean. East Coast, preferably. He'd get to see the sunrise again. The real sunrise. The girl behind him asked him a question, and Pinball jumped a bit. He hadn't expected her to talk to him for some reason. The teenager's anxiety caused him to tighten the grip on his spear, but he forced a bit of a smile and nodded. "Y-yeah," he replied, and in a few quick, tense motions, he materialized his own parcel. It had been placed in his inventory, and he caught it with his free hand as it spawned in. He backed up a bit, not sure what he should do. For a moment, he didn't realize that he was still smiling. He quickly corrected this by looking away, at the fisherman not too far away now. 

[Calypso 0]

Kirana's violet eyes were trained on the boy, watching his movements and catching the stammer in his voice. It didn't take her long to come to the conclusion that the player wouldn't pose any threat to her plan, and so she averted her attention back to the body of water in front of them. Callie, on the other hand, mentally shrugged off what sounded like a somewhat forced reply, and she dropped the parcel she held down to her side.

"Ahoy there!" The old fisherman's voice called out to them. Several seconds later and his tall boots splashed into the water at the side of the rowboat while he waded the rest of the way to the shore where the three players stood. He gave a nod to each of them, going on to thank them for bringing Hannah's delivery with a scripted reply. "Now then, as 'ya might've expected, I need some help from you kind young folks." Ol' Pete explained his own task of reeling in and defeating the elusive Swordfish that lived in the impressive lake, and he turned to give the solid wooden planks of his boat a couple of pats. "She don't look like much to some, but there's plenty 'a room for everyone. C'mon, all aboard!" He urged, and a rectangular quest prompt appeared in front of Calypso and Pinball.

Callie froze for a moment, her left hand soon finding the nape of her neck. She was afraid of this. The woman turned her head back to Pinball, trying to gauge the teen's level of discomfort compared to her own, and threw out an offer. "Oh, err, you were here first. If you'd rather go solo," She left the sentence half-finished, motioning towards the boat with her free hand.

[Pinball 1]

He was a bit surprised when the fisherman suddenly caught up to them, since he had spaced out for a moment. He shook his head, snapping himself out of it. He looked back to the small group nervously, tapping his spear on the ground. He was going to offer for them to go first, but one of them beat him to it. "Oh! Uhh, oh. Thanks," he managed, taking a step towards the boat. He stopped. That's not quite right, is it? He gripped the edge of the boat, mustering up the courage to speak. Do it. That's not cool, doing it without them. You shouldn't waste people's time. Pinball cleared his throat. "N-no, it's fine. You can go." He looked to the old fisherman, not knowing if he should even trust the players to the NPC. He didn't know if they could directly attack players, but jolly people always gave Pinball the impression they had a few screws loose. Ask. "We... we could do it at the same time, I think? Get it done quicker. It'll be faster." He looked away, letting out a small sigh of relief. Good. Now get it done fast, so you can leave these guys to whatetever they need to do. 

[Calypso 0]

Callie's brow turned up in slight concern. The more the boy spoke, the more nervous and anxious she could tell he was feeling. She felt an inward sigh threaten to spill out of her lungs, but gave a half-smile in return when he compromised to have all of them go as the NPC fisherman had first suggested. The man in question had been standing on the other side of his boat all the while, watching the players with programmed patience until at least one of them had settled inside of the boat. "Alright, if you're okay with it." The woman replied, turning her head to glance at the noirette beside her. "You coming? You said you needed to do it too, right?"

"Mmhm, yeah." Kirana confirmed simply. After the two had climbed into the boat and taken a seat, Callie kept one hand on the edge, as if for stability, and turned her attention back to the teen when he had joined them. The fisherman was last to push them away from the shore and clamber back into his boat, and all the while she was weighing whether or not she should try to push conversation with the stranger.

"I'm Calypso, by the way." She made her decision, glancing over once again to the girl beside her. "This is Kira. We ran into each other on the last quest in this chain." She explained, her chin the turning down towards her shoulder. Nearly blending in with the lighter hues of her basic equipment, the woman's familiar lay across her shoulders as always, either sleeping or terribly uninterested in what was going on around him. "And this is Danesh. Err, do you like animals?" She tacked on the question, keeping in mind to avoid introductions with the dragon-hybrid if the boy seemed any more put-off.

[Pinball 1]

The boat was pushed into the water, and Pinball was left with the two strangers. He sat rather stiffly, his hands tapping his lap in turns. He looked out at the water, the boat rocking gently as it glided across the liquid surface. The boy's head snapped to meet the stranger's when she introduced herself and her companion. "H-hey, hi" he managed, "I'm Pinball. Nice to meet you." Calypso's name brought him back to days in his home, reading The Odyssey in his room, his cat sprawled across his lap. Calypso is an interesting choice, he thought passively, not giving it much thought. His eyes shifted to the side again, but Calypso's voice snapped him to attention once again. "Danesh," he echoed, and when Calypso asked if he liked animals, Pinball nodded. "Yeah, where did you... umm, where did you find him? Her? It." He smiled sheepishly, craning his neck to get a better view of the familiar. You need to find one for yourself soon, he reminded himself. Pinball closed his mouth tightly, looking away for a moment, and wondering when they were supposed to start fishing. He looked back to the two strangers, and, trying to make conversation, stammered, "S-so, uhh, when did you guys start the questline?" 

Edited March 5, 2018 by Pinball

[Calypso 0]

What an odd choice for a username. Or at least, different from the many others she had seen or heard thus far. Quickly deciding that 'odd' certainly didn't equate to 'bad', she took on another half smile. Callie picked up a hand and scratched lightly at the top of Danesh's head, tousling the short, unruly fur between the tiny horns that protruded from his skull in order to stir the creature. His beady eyes blinked open, and his head lifted from the woman's shoulder in order to survey his surroundings. "I don't know if the game had a gender in mind," She admitted with a small chuckle, "but I just refer to him as a boy." She tilted her head to the side and gave a roll of her shoulder, nudging the familiar off of his perch. He gave a quick shake, the longer strands of dark grey hair that made up a mane of sorts whipping side to side, before he jumped from Callie's shoulder and into her lap, casting an inquisitive gaze towards Pinball. "I found him on the seventh floor. I probably shouldn't have been up there," She gave a small shrug, alluding to her own low level, "but a sweet girl, Hestia, helped me out while we were outside of the safe zone." She explained.

"Hmm, probably a couple days ago now? I'm not actually big on questing, so I've been doing one every day or so. I just ran into Kira here at the end of the last one." She cast a sidelong glance at the quieter girl beside her, who blinked as she was drawn into the conversation, giving a nod. "Oh, yeah. I've just been doing them all today."

(ooc: I don't mind starting to roll whenever, so I'll go on my next post at least, if that's cool with you)

[Pinball 1]

((OOC: Sorry for the wait, I thought I had posted ;-; Also, yeah, you can start rolling) 

Pinball scratched his neck, his smile uncomfortably wide, as he wasn't sure when was polite to stop grinning. In the end, he stopped when his mouth started to hurt. He cast a quick glance at his hands, but his head lifted once again to meet the face of Calypso. He nodded in understanding. The game probably didn't designate certain monsters as certain genders. They had already done so much to create the world they were trapped in, though, and Pinball wouldn't have put it past them. "Yeah, yeah," he replied, nodding again. He watched the dragon hop from off her shoulder, where it sat in her lap. He wasn't sure whether or not to be threatened by the stare that followed. "The seventh floor," he echoed. Then added, "No, as long as you stay away from the dangerous parts, you'd be fine." He would know, having walked those parts in the past, even though his level was significantly lower than the average player exploring that floor. "And if you got help, it's even better," he said, his voice a mumble. Pinball stopped talking, then without thinking about it, stuck his hand in the water. "Do any of you... uhh, know what type of fish we're supposed to catch?" 

[Pinball 1]

Picking up the fishing pole that had been laid on the side of the small boat, Pinball sat back down, trying not to tilt the thing. Pinball's hand ran across the fishing rod, and, whistling, he examined it. It didn't seem too special; in fact, it didn't look too different from the pole he himself used for his fishing. He shuddered, remembering in vivid detail his fight with King Croaksworth. Swordfish, swordfish, he hoped, prepping the line, swordfish, swordfish. Pinball stood, praying for two things: that he didn't capsize the boat with two other people in it, and that his Fishing skill didn't somehow trigger and accidently fish up a boss. With that out of the way, Pinball cast his line, watching as the hook soared for a few feet before plopping gently into the water. Pinball slowly sat down, waiting. For the next four minutes, he sat in silence, before finally, his patience wore thin. "Whelp, second time's the charm," he said, reeling in his empty hook.

Fishing for Swordfish: ID# 100489  CD: 2 (Nothing) 

Edited April 29, 2018 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

The quietness of the lake was oddly peaceful. It wasn't as hot as he thought it would have been; quite cool, actually. Pinball found himself once more bending over the side of the boat, and running his fingers through the water. He sat back up, grabbed an oar, and pushed the boat further out into the lake. The gentle splashing of lake-water, the tranquility of the scenery; both of these things added to the overall tranquility of it all. After rowing the boat for about a minute, he put the oar aside and once again reached for his fishing pole. His spear was leaning against him, always - the weapon wouldn't leave his body. Ever. Squeezing the shaft of his spear in his armpit as he stood, Pinball cast the line, though his posture was stiff and awkward because of the weapon. Because of this, the hook did not soar as it had in the previous attempt, before Pinball's weapon was equipped. Instead, it kind of just flopped off the side of the boat, forcing him to reel it back in. With a sigh, he sat back down. 

ID# 100505  CD: 2 (Nothing) 

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Should I unequip the weapon? Pinball's musings added to the silence of the lake. He sat there for a moment, silent, staring out into the distance. He considered his options. On one hand, if he had the weapon equipped, he could attack the fish he pulled up immediately. Without it, he'd probably end up getting slapped in the face by it as soon as combat started. Knowing your luck, that is, he sighed. Another moment passed as the boy's internal struggle continued. Then, suddenly, ending as quickly as it had started, he gripped the pole, stood, holding the spear in one hand, and cast his line with the other. That was a simple solution, he thought contentedly. Though it's probably going to be hard reeling it back in. Just as those thoughts crossed his mind, he felt a sharp tug at his line. "Oh, damn it!" Pinball grabbed the pole with both hands, his spear safely tucked away in his armpit, and reeled it in. A very large Swordfish burst from the lake, sending up droplets of water as it wiggled in the air. Pinball dropped the pole as the boat rocked, hefting his spear in both hands. "Alright! Here we go!" 

Fishing for Swordfish: ID# 100506  CD: 7 (Success!) 

- Combat - 

Action Taken: [Fishing] 

Swordfish attacks Pinball! 

ID# 100506  MD: 8-3= 5 (Miss!) 

- Players - 

Pinball: 280/280 HP |  28/28 EN | 6 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA 

- Enemies - 

Swordfish: 35/35 HP | 5 DMG (50 on FA) 

Edited April 29, 2018 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

The swordfish jet around, sending ripples through the calm lake's water. Pinball held his spear out, waiting for the Swordfish to leap forward or try to attack him. It was then, he knew, that he'd lash out with his spear. And if you're lucky, you won't flip the boat over in the process. The swordfish jumped in the air to the front of the boat before submerging again. Pinball narrowed his eyes. Then, in an instant, it leapt over the boat, looking to impale the squishy spearman. Pinball leaned back, the swordfish sailing past him; and in that instant, he unleashed Fatal Thrust, a single stab diverting the fish's course. A blast of cold wind followed, and the monster was frozen solid. Its frozen body fell to the ground, hit the side of the boat, and then flopped over into the water with a plop, where it floated in the lake like an icecube. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Combat - 

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Fatal Thrust] Hit! [-3 EN] 
Swordfish: ID# 100507  BD: 9 (Crit+1) MD: 8-3= 5 (Miss!) 

Swordfish attacks Pinball - Miss! 

Pinball attacks Swordfish - Hit! 
6+1= 7*3= 21 DMG + FREEZE

- Players - 

Pinball: 280/280 HP |  25/28 EN | 6 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA 

- Enemies - 

[Frozen] Swordfish: 14/35 HP | 5 DMG (50 on FA) 

Edited April 29, 2018 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball leaned over the edge of the boat, using his spear as a makeshift cane; meant to hold him in place in the off chance he were to fall over. He raised his eyebrows at the frozen fish floating in the water, and poked it gently with his spear. It didn't react. Pinball laughed to himself, then, picking up the oar and moving closer to the fishy icecube. Once he was close enough, he activated Fatal Thrust once more, and unleashed his sword art. With a single jab of his spear, the fish shattered into pieces, the frosty gust of wind that followed the attack nearly freezing some of the lake-water at the surface. Pinball winced to see the chunks of fish floating about. He was supposed to be fishing for Ol' Pete, not killing them. Right? Pinball couldn't quite remember, but there was no helping it now. With a smile, he scooped up the bits of floating swordfish. 

---------------------------------------------------

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Fatal Thrust] Hit! [+1 EN, -3 EN] 
ID# 100508  BD: 3+3= 6 (Hit!) MD: 5 (Miss!) 

Swordfish is FROZEN. 

Pinball attacks Swordfish - Hit! 
6*3= 18+12 Frz= 30 DMG 

- Players - 

Pinball: 280/280 HP |  23/28 EN | 6 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA 

- Enemies - 

Swordfish: 0/35 HP | 5 DMG (50 on FA) 

Edited April 29, 2018 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Dropping the chunks of ice down in between the seats, Pinball sat back down on the boat's bench. With his boot, he pushed the fishing pole to the side, reminding himself to give it back to the old man when he was finished. Pinball leaned forward, his spear still clutched in one hand, and picked up the oar. Looking between the two items, Pinball sighed. With a flick of his wrist, he opened his menu, and unequipped the weapon. It vanished in a flash of blue light. Then, with his hands both free, he took the oar, holding it like he would a spear, and started to row the boat back to the surface. The boat sailed across the calm lake, leaving furrowed water behind it. He nervously thought about how the man would react when he saw the absolutely butchered and frozen carcass of the monster he had slain. 

 

Edited June 22, 2018 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

As they neared the edge of the lake, Pinball sped up. Hopefully, he wouldn't wreck it. The boat hit the shore hard, the nose of it shooting a good ways out of the water, and dragging across the dirt before coming to a stop. Tossing the oar to the side (leaving it in the boat), he hopped out. He ran in front of the thing, dragging it across the dirt. "I forgot if he had a dock or not," Pinball said to himself, then pushed the thought to the side. They were a ways away from the man, and he left the boat beached in the dirt. If he was lucky, the man wouldn't care too much about where he chose to leave his boat... or the state the swordfish was in. Running back around, he picked up as many of the frozen bits of swordfish he could carry, and made his way back to where he thought Ol' Pete was. 

[Pinball 1]

Running towards Ol' Pete with a raised hand, ice falling from his arms, he called out, "Hey! I killed the thing for you!" Pinball slowed to a jog as he approached the weathered fisherman. "Here you are." Pinball held out the armful of chunks of ice, bits of swordfish still encased in ice. "I- I didn't ask ya ta bring it back ta me, ye know," Ol' Pete began carefully, adjusting his hat. "I appreciate the kind gesture though, son." Pinball frowned. "Right," he said, a bit disappointed. He took a step to the side, then hurled the icecubes into the lake. Seconds later, they shattered into the translucent polygonals that all things ended up when they were destroyed. "Well," Ol' Pete said finally, puffing his chest, "You've done me a mighty favor, boy." He nodded to the other two players as well. "The lot of ye." Pinball smiled, then took a few steps back, throwing him a thumbs up, waiting for the "Quest: Complete" notification. 

[Pinball 1]

After receiving his reward for completing the Fourth Lesson, and bidding farewell to his companions for the quest, Pinball started to walk off, enjoying the quietness of the afternoon. He made his way towards the Town of Beginnings, and within the span of a couple of minutes he found himself standing in the fields most players made their first bit of loot. Pinball gazed about the fields, which were practically vacant spare the occasional roaming boar. He stood there silently, letting himself be consumed by the memories of his first day in Aincrad. Two whole years ago, Pinball thought in amazement. 

The sound of singing steel caught his attention. Pinball's head whipped to the side, where he saw a lone player. Her sword gleamed in the sunlight as she brought it down, cutting a Frenzy Boar's tusk clean off. The squeal of the monster made Pinball flinch. The girl was surrounded by what looked to be a herd of boars, though at this distance, it seemed as if she were fending them off just fine. That was until, at least, he heard her scream. Whether it was out of anger or distress, he couldn't tell. "Don't just stand there! Help me!" Pinball turned around, expecting to see another player across the field or behind him. A party member, perhaps. Maybe a guild member. "Yes, you! You dense... God!" She kicked one of the Frenzy Boars back, before slashing at one that had crept up behind her. "Hurry, damn it!" Pinball winced. "R-right!" Pinball ran towards the girl and the group of mobs, equipping his spear as he ran. 

Edited April 30, 2018 by Pinball