[PP-F5] Alive in Death Valley «Blood in the Sand»

[Lessa 1]

 

Closed to Oscar

A breeze would be nice, Lessa found herself thinking as she crested yet another dune. The sun, that giant ball of gas and death, seemed to beat down on her with extra ferocity. She spared a glance toward it, blue eyes mere slits behind heavily lidded eyes, just long enough to curse it. A breeze would at least cool her down a bit, drying the sweat that clung to her brow, leaked down her back, and pooled... well, everywhere. As if in answer, she was suddenly buffeted by teeny bits of glass. "Oh come on," she choked, managing to inhale a bit of the sand that the wind kicked up as she turned toward her companion. The wolf had his big, shaggy head turned into her leg, protecting his nose and eyes from the mini barrage. So not what I meant.

When the coast was finally clear, the pair continued their trek deeper into the sea of sand. The woman hated this floor. She hated the grime sand and sweat left on her skin, and the bits of dirt in her teeth, and the endless thirst. While it was true that her <<Survival>> skill protected her from taking actual damage, the place still majorly sucked. "We find the shark," she assured Riker for the tenth time, "we kill the shark, and we're out of here. Quick and easy." In response, the familiar heaved a massive sigh. With each step, he lifted his paws a little higher to avoid burning them on the scorching sands. Poor guy, Lessa mused. If she didn't depend on his damage mitigation so much, she might have left him at home. "Almost there," she assured him, though she had absolutely no idea if it were true or not. "Don't worry."

Spoiler

Level: 35 | HP: 700 | Energy: 70 | Base DMG: 11 | Base MIT: 72 | Acc: 1 | Eva: 3 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1
2HSS [5] | Heavy Armor [3] | Protector Familiar [3] | Survival | Howl | Precision
Jigoku rÅzu [+3 DMG] | Rose Gauntlets [+2 Thorns/+1 HM] | Hovering Cloak [+3 EVA]

 

Edited August 25, 2019 by Lessa

[Oscar 0]

"Fudge me it's HOT," Oscar exclaimed as he climbed one of the many, many sand dunes. He hated the heat. He hated the sand. He hated the no water. The desert absolutely sucked. Oscar reached the top of the sand dune and put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Leeroy & Jenkins both looked positively haggard. They hadn't even left the city that long ago and Oscar was already sweating. It was so hot that he was even taking damage from the heat. Ten damage every few seconds that was quickly regenerated by his passive health regeneration. Combat would be especially dangerous here. He would take a guaranteed 10 damage around that he couldn't regenerate from. He sighed and looked down the slope of the sand dune.

At the bottom, he saw a woman and her familiar walking towards something. "HELLO-OOOO CRAAAP!" As he called down to them, the sand beneath his feet shifted. He went tumbling down the dune, picking up speed every passing second. His trajectory had him on course to crash into the stranger and her wolf if they didn't notice and get out of the way before he reached the bottom.

 

Spoiler

Oscar - HP: 320 | Energy: 32 | DMG 7 | MIT 18 | ACC 2 | EVA 3

[EQUIPPED] <<Bloody Howl>> - Bleedx2, DMG
[EQUIPPED] <<Librarium Overcoat>> - EVAx3
[EQUIPPED] <<Azure Tights>> 18 MIT, Savvy

<<Inventory>>
Battle-Ready
  3 T1 Healing Potions
  T1 Overhealth Potion

Equipment
<<Gloves of Caerus>> +3 LD
<<Najarala>> Paralyze, DMG, Keen

 

Edited August 28, 2019 by Oscar

[Lessa 1]

Lessa and Riker heard the sound at the same time. In tandem, their gazes swung upward toward the source. The wolf's hackles rose instantly, a warning growl rumbling from deep within his chest. Seeing her familiar shift to spring forward, she gave a sharp command. "No!" Confused, Riker threw his weight the opposite direction, nearly tumbling over backward as Lessa stepped in front of him. The absolute last thing that the woman needed was for her protector to "protect" her from a clumsy player. She could only imagine the chaos that would surely ensue, and likely, Riker or the stranger would walk away injured. Not worth it.

Instead, she changed her own position on the shifting sand. Lessa knew standing in his direct path would lead to disaster; were this an anime, they would continue to snowball together to the dune's eventual end. But standing just out of his way would allow her to reach forward and grab him, potentially slowing his descent. Just as he barreled past, the woman's hands thrust out like twin vipers, grabbing onto some piece of loose clothing. With a great heave, she threw her weight backward, attempting to counter his forward momentum. "Hold on!" she bellowed.

[Oscar 0]

Oscar felt himself being yanked back and drove his feet into the sands hard. He skidded for a bit, almost falling backwards. Thankfully, Leeroy & Jenkins came barreling down the dune past him. Then, the mutated Cerberus wheeled around and dashed straight at Oscar, driving its shoulder into his chest. Oscar felt the wind being knocked out of him but, thanks to both the pushing and the pulling, his forward momentum was stopped. He dropped down to his knees, sputtering and spitting grains of sand out of his mouth. He couldn't "vomit" in this digital world, but he could certainly feel like he was. The burning of bile in his throat caused his eyes to water and his cheeks to become puffy. He started sweating even more than before and shuddering as if he was chilled to the bone. When it all finally subsided Oscar rolled over onto his back and gasped for air. He held his hand up and his familiar walked up to be petted. The azure-clad samurai scratched the dog behind his ears and smiled weakly.

"Good boys. That was smart thinking."

Oscar looked up at the person who had helped him out. He was surprised to see that it was a lady who had pulled him back to safety. All 200 pounds and nearly seven feet of him, to be precise. The woman must be wicked strong to be able to not only keep herself steady, but also not be pulled along for the ride. Oscar rose to his feet, towering over the woman. At least he would provide some sort of shade as thanks for helping him out. "Hi there. You really bailed me out of a sticky situation there. I'm Oscar. Sorry about the entrance."

[Lessa 1]

"Uh, yeah," Lessa replied dumbly, still reeling herself. How was it that the man who had tumbled down the dunes had recovered more quickly than she had? But his sudden appearance, plus his trembling and sweating, had thrown her off her stride. Not to mention the bizarre familiar that was now receiving head-pats as if he weren't some beast of mythological fame. Lessa's blue eyes blinked rapidly, and not because of the sand in them. Finally, she blew out a breath, shook her head, and fought to regain her composure. "I'm, uh, glad I could help. Right place, right time, I guess." She smiled timidly at him, tilting her head back to meet his gaze. Lords, was he tall.

At her side, Riker's tail was bristled to twice it's usual size. His hackles were up, and a warning growl rolled from his chest. His amber eyes, not entirely unlike the sun blazing overhead, were glued to the Cerberus. Without thinking, Lessa extended her own hand, and dropped it between the wolf's ears. "Settle down," she told him in a low rumble of her own. But he refused to back down, clearly as concerned with the sight as his companion had been. "It's nice to meet you, Oscar," she replied, finally. "I'm Lessa. This macho man is Riker."

Edited August 25, 2019 by Lessa

[Oscar 0]

Leeroy and Jenkins bristled as well upon seeing a potential rival. They crossed in between Oscar and Riker and hunkered down, ready to pounce on the other canine if it did anything they didn't like. It was truly an intimidating sight. If not for Leeroy. Leeroy looked like an excited puppy, straining his neck to try and go meet Riker's acquaintance. Jenkins was the one who wanted to fight. Leeroy yipped playfully and half of the Cerberus' body pitched forward. The other half, however, remained firm. Oscar whistled sharply. Two quick bursts captured their full attention. Their ears perked up and Jenkins turned his head back to look at Oscar. "Make friends now."

Oscar's command was simple yet firm. The exasperation on Jenkins' face was palpable but, eventually, he relented. This left Leeroy free to bound over to Riker and roll over on his back. Showing his belly in such a non-threatening way was a good way to take the wolf off its guard and help it relax. Either than or they'll see it as an opening and attack his Cerberus. Oscar turned his attention back to Lessa as his familiar did their utmost to win Riker over. "That's Leeroy and Jenkins. They're harmless, I promise."

[Lessa 1]

Riker, in many ways, mirrored Jenkins; even after Lessa told him to take it easy, his suspicion was plastered across his expressive face. It wasn't until the other familiar rolled onto his back and exposed his belly that the wolf ceased his growling. In fact, he took a startled step backward, and glanced toward Lessa as if to say 'is this guy for real?' The woman only smiled, shaking her head before turning back to Oscar.

"That's a really unique familiar," she told him. "I imagine taming him was quite an experience? Especially with that split personality issue."

Another breeze swirled sand about her feet, and she lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "I really hate this floor," she mused aloud. The sweat that trickled down her back was incredibly uncomfortable, and she shifted a bit in a vain attempt to peel her shirt from her skin. "What has you out here, anyway?"

[Oscar 0]

"Easier than you would think. They both love steak and I'm a cook," Oscar said with a grin. He wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed deeply. He really, really hated the heat. He was so out of it from both the tumble and the sweltering weather that he hardly registered that Lessa was asking him what he was doing out here. It took him a minute of staring out into the dunes with a slack-jawed expression before he snapped himself back to reality. "Oh! Um. I heard that there was a shark out here. I figured it would cough up some decent experience. What about you?" It didn't even occur to him that she might be way out here for the same thing. It was too hot to think, honestly. It was also too hot to notice the dorsal fin poking out of the dunes. The fin circled around them once before disappearing into the sands. Leeroy and Jenkins immediately hopped up and bristled, both heads growling in unison as they tracked something that Oscar couldn't see. That immediately got Oscar back into game-face mode. His hand moved to his sword as he scanned the area, unable to make out anything unusual.

"What is it guys? Is something out there?"

[Lessa 1]

At the same moment Leeroy and Jenkins reacted, Riker did as well. The wolf's back curved, lips pulling back into an ugly snarl, ears lacing to his skull. Lessa had seen that pose many times before, when an enemy was near, and a battle was eminent. In response, she brought both hands to her back, and drew her massive sword. The blade of the silver and pink weapon glowed harshly in the bright sunlight, glimmering as she shifted into a ready stance.

"Oddly enough," she began, not turning to look at Oscar, "looks like we've got the same reason for being out here." Her gaze scanned their surroundings, every shift of sand sending up red flags, and setting her heart racing. It took a moment for her to glimpse the dorsal fin, and she grimaced when it ducked below the surface once more. "Alright, Bruce, show yourself," she snarled in challenge, trying not to slip as she brought her body lower, and hefted her weapon. "I'll let you take the lead, if you're up for it," she informed Oscar. "Just holler when you're ready for a switch, okay?"

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

<<SAND SHARK>>
125 HP
50 DMG

Oscar saw the dorsal fin just moments before a hulking creature with jaws wider than he was tall leaped from the sands and made an attempt to swallow him whole. Thinking fast, he drew his blade. Three blows thundered down upon the creature in rapid succession. First a horizontal slash, then a punch to the snout, then a final follow-up slash. Oscar leaped back as the Sand Shark fell onto the sands, flopping around helplessly as his stun took effect. This was the perfect opportunity for Lessa to swing in and get some solid damage in. Perhaps, if they were lucky, they would be able to dispatch the creature in one round. Oscar imagined that such an enemy would be annoying to fight if it went on too long. Best to get it done quickly and head back to town where the heat was at least somewhat bearable. "Alright Lessa! You're up. Hit it really hard and I think we can go home!"

Spoiler

Lessa - HP: 700 | Energy: 70 | Base DMG: 11 | Base MIT: 72 | Acc: 1 | Eva: 3 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1
Oscar - HP: 320 | Energy: 32-8=24 | DMG 7 | MIT 18 | ACC 2 | EVA 3

ID: 122978 Oscar uses Ra Setsu[x6, stun]] on Sand Shark (concentration used). BD5+3. Deal 42 DMG.

Sand Shark HP 125-42=83 | DMG 50 is Stunned.

Edited August 29, 2019 by Oscar

[Lessa 1]

"Sounds easy enough," Lessa replied without hesitation. Compared to the beasts on the higher floors, this shark was hardly a blip on the radar. Likely, she could take it on entirely by herself, but there was no need to brag about it. It was better to let Oscar take the reins, maybe snag some experience; likely, he needed it more than she did. While Lessa was unsure what level her companion was, he handled himself very well. The triple staccato attacks, accented with the punch to the nose, was quite impressive. Guess he can hold his own, she mused. But she still preferred to kill the thing so she could get out of the desert.

As Lessa lunged forward, intent on carving away the last of the shark's health, her foot slipped in the sand. She gave a soft 'oof,' as her position shifted, and her Sword Art failed to activate. "Well," she muttered, offering a tight-lipped, apologetic smile. "Looks like you'll be doing the honors today."

Spoiler

Lessa - HP: 700 | Energy: 70-2+1=69/70 | Base DMG: 11 | Base MIT: 72 | Acc: 1 | Eva: 3 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 (HM activated for next turn.)
Oscar - HP: 320 | Energy: 32-8=24 | DMG 7 | MIT 18 | ACC 2 | EVA 3

 ID# 123180 results: Battle: 4+1=5 Craft: 10 Loot: 6 MOB: 5 
Calamitous Tragedy fails. It's tragic.

Sand Shark HP 125-42=83 | DMG 50 is Stunned.

Edited September 2, 2019 by Lessa

[Oscar 0]

Oscar noticed his companion was having trouble with her footing. The shifting sands were pain and a half to deal with. It was unfortunate, but sometimes it happened. Nothing to be too upset over. Especially considering that his Gen Getsu shaved off another third of the creature's health in a single slice. His stun had worn off and the shark made and attempt to sink its fangs into Oscar's shoulder. Such an attack would likely take his entire arm off, judging from the size of the creature in comparison to Oscar. But this was a video game so he assumed that level of gratuitous violence was, in fact, frowned upon. The thing missed Oscar by a mile though. He honestly didn't even have to move. Oscar watch the sand shark sail harmlessly past him with a confused expression on his face. He blinked twice as the shark disappeared beneath the sands once more. He was silent for a moment before finally opening his mouth to speak.

"Lessa are you seeing this? I can't believe that thing missed me. It was like right there!" He shook his head in disappointment and made ready for round three. He was thankful to have not suffered any damage, but still. It was crazy how a shark right next to him couldn't take a plug out of his shoulder.

Spoiler

Lessa - HP: 700 | Energy: 70-2+1=69/70 | Base DMG: 11 | Base MIT: 72 | Acc: 1 | Eva: 3 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 (HM activated for next turn.)
Oscar - HP: 320 | Energy: 24-5+1=20 | DMG 7 | MIT 18 | ACC 2 | EVA 3

 ID# 123197 BD3+3. Deal 42 DMG.

Sand Shark HP 83-42=41 attacks! MD3-3. Miss. Savvy Activates.

Edited September 2, 2019 by Oscar

[Lessa 1]

The woman gritted her teeth. Nothing was going right. Blame the sun, or the heat, or the shifting grains of sand, but she was an absolute mess. Cheeks flushed with warmth and frustration, beads of sweat trailing down her back, she muttered an impressive line of curse words. Her first failure had been embarrassing enough, and she had opted for an easier Sword Art the second time around. Somehow, that fact made her second failure even more humiliating.

Lessa forced a hard, uncomfortable laugh at Oscar's declaration. At least someone was having fun. "Looks like that shark and I have the same trouble today," she admitted, wondering if she could actually find humor in the situation. The woman let her sword drop, resting its massive weight in the dune before her. Not that it would do her any good anyway. The other player had this fight in the bag, and maybe she could make herself feel better by simply celebrating his achievement. "He's all yours," she told Oscar.

Spoiler

 

Lessa - HP: 700 | Energy: 69-2+1=68/70 | Base DMG: 11 | Base MIT: 72 | Acc: 1 | Eva: 3 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 (HM x 2 activated for next turn.)
Oscar - HP: 320 | Energy: 24-5+1=20 | DMG 7 | MIT 18 | ACC 2 | EVA 3

 ID# 123251 results: Battle: 2 Craft: 10 Loot: 10 MOB: 10
Astral Hell fails. What the hell.

Sand Shark HP 83-42=41 attacks! MD3-3. Miss. Savvy Activates.

 

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by Lessa

[Oscar 0]

Oscar, for his part, was busy attempting to track the beast under the ground. Eventually, the dorsal fin popped up out of the sand, coming straight for him. Oscar readied his blade and waited until it reared its ugly head out of the sand. Then, he struck. Quick as a flash, his blade traveled in a wide arc and cleaved straight through the shark's neck. The shark fell to the sand and floundered for a bit before finally shattering, its myriad fractal shards being scattered to the wind. Oscar exhaled slowly and sheathed his blade. Once his lungs were devoid of air, inhaled sharply and turned back to face Lessa. She was probably feeling embarrassed by her performance in that fight. But everything was A-ok. They'd killed the shark and neither of them had suffered a point of damage. That was a win in and of itself! "It's hot here. Let's go find somewhere cooler and celebrate our victory. Do you like hot dogs?"

Spoiler

Lessa - HP: 700 | Energy: 70-2+1=69/70 | Base DMG: 11 | Base MIT: 72 | Acc: 1 | Eva: 3 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 (HM activated for next turn.)
Oscar - HP: 320 | Energy: 20-6+1=15 | DMG 7 | MIT 18 | ACC 2 | EVA 3

 ID# 123252 BD6+3. Deal 42 DMG.

Sand Shark is defeated.

Edited September 2, 2019 by Oscar

[Lessa 1]

There was a part of her that wanted to pout, if she were being honest with herself. She had made a complete mess of the battle, never landing a single hit against what should have been her easiest foe in months. One hundred and twenty five health? She could deal that with one single Sword Art. Or, at least, she should have been able to. What the heck, she thought to herself, gritting her teeth in frustration. How was such a giant screw-up possible? And wasn't it just perfect that she'd waited until she was in the company of another to make it.

Oscar's sudden announcement caught her off-guard, and jarred her from the pity-party she was just setting up for herself. "Oh," she began blinking back at him through eyes gritty with sand. "Uh, yeah, that'd be great. I really hate these desert floors." At his mention of hot dogs, she cut him a quizzical glance, but still nodded. "I do, yeah. Do you know of somewhere we can get some?"

[Oscar 0]

Oscar beamed wildly and pointed to himself with his thumb. "Rank seven Cook, right here. Come on, we'll go back to my place. I don't feel like walking all the way back to my shop."

A gust of wind blasted him with even more sand. Some even got in his mouth. He sputtered and hacked, trying in vain to get the sand out. But his mouth was so dry that such an act was futile. He finally resigned himself to having sand stuck in his mouth for the foreseeable future and headed back to town. The prospect of the cool mountain air of Deepedge was invigorating enough that he was able to march back to town at a faster pace. He only slipped on the sand twice! Each time, he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and kept going. Once back in town, Oscar turned to Lessa and cocked his head to the side. The gravity of the words "we'll go back to my place" just dawned on him. He was absolutely mortified. Chalk it up to the desert heat, but he definitely didn't want Lessa to be uncomfortable or misread him. That would be the misunderstanding of the century.

"So, uh. I think the sun baked my brain a little bit. We can go back to my shop if you'd be more comfortable there. I was just thinking that Floor Seven would feel so nice after all of this arid, desert nonsense."

[Lessa 1]

Lessa couldn't contain the laugh that escaped her at Oscar's hasty comments. It was rude, perhaps, but watching him scramble to cover himself somehow made all of her mistakes less significant. Sure, she had completely botched a beginner-level quest, but he had inadvertently invited her back to his place. Then he had made it infinitely worse by drawing attention to his  wording. How could she help but find humor in the situation, even despite the awful heat and the troublesome sand?

"I can't say I've ever been invited back to someone's place quite so quickly," she ribbed him, but the smile she offered was good-natured. "Teasing, of course. Sure, floor seven sounds nice." Her boots slipped and slid on the sand while she stalked beside him. Riker lagged a bit behind, as if the heat got to him as well. The cool mountain air would absolutely be a relief from this toasty hell.

"So you're a cook," she began conversationally, swatting some of the sand from her face as she walked. "That's pretty neat."

[Oscar 0]

Honestly, he was happy when he heard her laugh. It had a way of defusing awkward situations, such as the one Oscar had landed himself in. He laughed along, at his own expense. It wasn't the first time he'd gotten the taste of a foot in his mouth. It certainly wouldn't be the last. "I can't say it's ever worked this quickly either. You musta been swept off your feet with how I dealt with that shark." He stuck out the tip of his tongue and gave her a playful smirk. It was nice to find someone who could find humor in themselves. It was the first step to self-awareness, which was a really powerful weapon to have in your arsenal. He stepped onto the platform, waiting on Lessa to join him. When he did, his voice rang out loudly, "Deepedge!"

In a flash of light they were off. The change in climate was immediate. The cool breeze of the mountains fell upon his sweat-laded skin, cooling and refreshing him. He let out a contented sigh. The first thing he did was make a beeline to a stream he passed nearly every day. Once there, he splashed water in his face and rinsed his mouth out before scooping multiple handfuls of water to soothe his parched throat. He assumed Lessa would be appreciative of the opportunity to get rid of at least some of the sand. Then it they were homeward bound. Oscar's boots stepped upon the grey stone path to his front door. He turned and gave Lessa a bright smile, the expansive manor towering over him in the background. "Welcome to my home! Mi casa, es su casa. Please feel free to make yourself at home here. I'll be insulted if you don't."

[Lessa 1]

“Swept off my feet is one way of putting it.” Lessa scowled a bit at the reminder of the atrocious fight, but then gave a small shrug. “Your shoulders are probably aching from carrying the team. Can’t say I’ve ever needed quite so much help. Guess that’s a good incentive to start training again.”

After a much needed and much appreciated stop at the river, the pair approached what Lessa had to assume was Oscar’s house. That, or a five star hotel. “This is stunning,” she commented, a little breathless, as she stepped inside. She spun a tight circle, gazing at everything the house had to offer. It really was massive. “You really went all out. That’s so cool.” The house was a style completely unlike her own cozy log cabin, but she could still marvel at the decorative choices the man had made. “How long have you lived here, then?”

[Oscar 0]

"Not long," came Oscar's response as he headed for the front door. "I really had only saved up for a much smaller house. But I got really lucky on the price. Apparently it was owned by a couple and the husband, unfortunately, died. The wife was basically giving it away." Oscar frowned for a moment. "Truth be told, I didn't want to take advantage of the situation, but the wife was crying and I'm a dude. We don't know what to do with crying women. So I bought the place. I can see why she wanted to sell it. It's kinda lonely living here by yourself." Oscar unlocked the front door and held it open for Lessa. Once she entered, he closed the door behind them.

"Feel free to wander around while I make dinner," he said as Leeroy & Jenkins rushed towards the kitchen. With a polite nod, Oscar excused himself and began preparing their meal. It only took him a few moments - cooking in this game wasn't very time consuming. He plated the food and set the table. His familiar and Riker were fed porterhouse steaks, placed on platters in the floor. Meanwhile, the two of them had a T-Bones and roasted vegetables. "I know I promised Hot Dogs, but I figured this would be a little bit better." They ate and talked for quite some time. Just random stuff. Opinions, favorite movies, weird childhood stories. But then Lessa had to go. He bade his new friend farewell and watched her walk down the granite path and disappear around the corner.

"Well that was nice."