[F4-PP] The red hammer (Feeding the Enemy)

[Gaius 0]

It was still rather early, a few patrons were sitting rather peacefully in Gaius's shop as he was mild-tempered today but kept an eye on him while he was sipping on a cup of joe. They were enjoying the breakfast they had paid for that paled in girth to the one he had consumed in record time by comparison. He wondered what he should do today, his plate was rather clean of side tasks, and the guild vault still rather bulked with his wares. "Slow day." Gaius remarked shifting a scooping hand through his menu, reading through guild chat and announcements that were a rather bland absence of anything interesting. This was a simple life and it seemed that the break from the monotony seemed few and far between, who knows maybe he'd just warp to a random floor and just wander around. Maybe then he could find something to do instead of sit here, but first, he'd wake up.

Gaius Consumes:

Familiar Song: +2 LD when taming a familiar

Lemon Berry Palmier [Kitchen'd]: +4 LD

Pheromone: +1 CD when taming a familiar

Spyglass [2/3] 1 charge: -5 Post requirement for seeking familiar/dungeons

Spoiler

Gaius, The Sweeping Typhoon

Level: 18

HP: 360/360

EN: 36/36

Weapon: Dragoon's Ascent [2HA.S.] (T1/Perfect) +3 Base Damage

Armor: Familiar Lure [Trinket] (T1/Rare) +1 Expertise (Searching)

Armor: Boar Hide Belt [Trinket] (T1/Perfect) [+3 Loot Dice]

Damage: 10

Loot Dice: +11 {Familiar}, +9 {Native}

Skills:

2H Assault Spear: Rank 4 (+7 Base Damage)

Searching Rank 1

Disguise [Extra]: +1 Eva this turn, Cool down 3 turns

Battle Ready:

Dragoon's Scales [Light] (T1/Perfect) 1 Recovery, 2 Light Momentum

Dragoon's Plate [Heavy] (T1/Perfect) 1 Mitigation, 2 Heavy Momentum

 

Edited June 13, 2020 by Gaius

[Megitsune 0]

In comes Megitsune. Ever since they had gotten her familiar, she had been coming in daily to get food for Amaterasu and to eat breakfast. Dressed in a black-silken kimono, the fox takes a seat at the counter while her familiar shuffles around to the side, trying to find the food behind the counter. Megitsune's muffled, masked voice came through the porcelain cover.

"Morning. Can I get something hearty today. I'm pretty starving. This familiar eats more food at my place than it's worth." The white fox blows a small blue flame from it's nose as it looks up at Gaius, expecting something to eat as soon as possible. "You got any plans today by the way? Ever since we got ahold of my familiar, someone walked into my store with nearly 300 items wanting me to junk sell them. It took a long a** time to do and I'm wore out. I need to kill something or just get away from my shop."

Spoiler

General
Level: 19 | HP:  380/380 | Energy: 38/38

Stats

DMG: 1 |  LD: +3 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 1 | REC: 2

Skills
THBA Rank IV

Housing Buff
Relaxed, Filling(LD)

Equipment(In use)
Kitsu-mono: EVA I; Rec: II
Kitsune Mask: ACC III
Fox Totem: LD III

Equipment(Standby)
Obsidian Scythe: DMG III

Consumables:
(3x)Starter Potions

 

[Gaius 0]

The fox was being about as obnoxious as expected, but who was he to argue with an appetite like his. It seemed to enjoy medleys of berries and the like. He had happened to have about a half of a jar of blueberries from the bars he'd pressed the night prior. Unscrewing the lid and removing a section of parchment used to wrap loaves of bread he caps the jar and flips it into the napkin. Placing it onto the floor, a sniff and a yip before it grabs a corner of the paper and drags it off. "Hungry bugger." Gaius quotes as it stops in the center near the patrons and begins to toast the sheet of white and the berries with softened cinders. They lean back in their chair, the one closest shifts the seat slowly away from the creature. "Hearty..." Gaius trails into the kitchen and lights a burner. A flick of his hands around in multitasked runs of pots makes a dish in record time. A lavender infused breast of chicken, a newer recipe with spices of all sorts. It hadn't been cooked for anyone but him so far, but it met the description and would prove if it was decent all the same. A bit of purple garnish to the side of the plate, as the recipe called he set it in front of her before taking to his cup of coffee. High heat for little time, he could either burn it or make a dish in no time flat. "Not a clue, was just trying to think of something myself." with the mug in hand he watched Amaterasu begin to pick away at the now slightly charred berries.

[Megitsune 0]

Not really expecting chicken for breakfast, the fox gives him something of a questioning look, but even still this was Gaius we're talking about. The man would probably eat just about anything if you gave him a deep fryer big enough. Biting into the perfectly cooked bird, the Megitsune is continually impressed with his genuine skill in cooking. It confirmed her idea of him being passionate with literally anything he does. If he's going to do something, he'll always put 110% into it and succeed. He almost made it seem to easy.

"This is pretty good, not going to lie." She had moved her mask to the side enough to keep her face partially covered while she ate, hiding it from any other patrons. when he mentioned that he was looking for something to do, she didn't have much of an idea herself, but she didn't want to sit around anymore. "Let's just go kill something. I need to let off some steam and Amaterasu needs to stop almost accidentally setting my shrine on fire."

[Gaius 0]

Gaius looks down at Amaterasu who had just finished lapping up the last of its meal as well, leaving the blank sheet of slightly charcoaled paper behind. It licks its paws and begins to rub its snout for a moment before standing up and moving to Megitsune's side with a coo that sounded like a pout in response. "I did want to fight one of Amaterasu again, hell lets just go to floor 4 and look around a bit. Maybe we'll find something interesting in the process. Screw a goal, today we can just relax and stretch our legs. No time like the present." he hopped from his stool and took her empty dish. It took him a moment to prepare and with a fired glare at his customers, they knew instantly his intentions. They picked up the dishes and walked out without a word. "Shall we?" Gaius chuckled as he headed for the door.

[Megitsune 0]

Floor four again? Ugh, cold. The Megitsune sighed and gave in. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad this time. Just in case though.

"I'm going to run to my home and get something warm to wear then. Wait on me or go ahead I don't care." She made a beckoning sound to her familiar, who followe dher suit through the door to the Gaius's Shop. Whether or not Gaius followed her to her shrine/shop. She walked inside and grabbed a big heavy coat to wear over her kimono. It was made of some furs and dyed completely black to keep the warm in.

Once that was all taken care of she started to make her way to the teleporter. "Wonder what we'll find on Floor Four for a familiar then." What if he actually took Amaterasu as a pet? Her familiar was supposed to be rare, if not even one-of-a-kind, but he could most certainly try if that was something her wanted.

[Gaius 0]

He was not impatient enough that he couldn't wait for her return, he did, however, mean mugging the players who stared at him standing idle. He hated the feeling of people just staring at him, lunging his chest forward in a huff each time he found eyes upon him. "What you want to start something!" Gaius rant and raved, most sunk low, and stayed out of his sight. Like a bull in a china shop, he hated settlements because of all these idle hands who were too much of cowards to step outside the walls. Eventually Megitsune returns, he looks a little riled up when he looks to the girl "Let's get the hell out of here. Sounds like a plan but I just want to blow off some steam." he had packed quite the number of snacks for the road, but there was no real destination simply a journey with no defined end.

[Megitsune 0]

"Killing something is cool too. I just want something to do that isn't sit around my house waiting for Amaterasu to burn it down." As she stepped on the teleporter after Gaius, she called out her command to the random teleporter gods that somehow controlled their instant travel. "Floor 4: Snowfrost!"

With sudden flash of lights and pixels, the cold floor surrounded the two players. Megitsune took out her coat and wrapped it around her body. Still freezing, still annoying. Looking up to Gaius she nods, adjusting the coat until the cold stopped leaking in. "You're leading this time, go wherever, I don't even give a s*** at this point."

As they left the empty, freezing cold town of Snowfrost, Megitsune looked down at her own familiar. Were there any more copies of this enemy in the game? To her knowledge, only one existed and it was now in her possession. It would be cool to see if the game made copies of it, however.

[Gaius 0]

Pressing through the snow that was up to his shins, the constant weather here making it obnoxiously deep in excessive padding. It was wet and thick, thankfully the air seemed to be on the warmer side today but as a result, the downpour of white flakes was a bit thicker. The sun hung in the sky through the gray backdrop, but it did little to thin the ground coverage. Gaius shifts his weight and taking raked steps to shovel through the stuff, intentionally although he wouldn't say it to make it easier for the girl to traverse the floor. There was some traffic, shown in steps around the place, but they were buried a bit under the sleet which meant they were aged.

He was debating returning to the cavern, though he decides against it. They had already seen most of what it had to offer, and a journey into more interesting pastures was on the menu today to break up the droll afternoon. A chosen direction, heading north he comes to a frostbitten lake of permafrosted ice. "huh, who knew this was here." Gaius barked with a chuckle, getting on all fours and getting a closer inspection at the surface. It was crystal blue despite the snowfall, which was strange in of itself given the snow should have covered it.

[Megitsune 0]

As the duo moved through the snow paved floor, Megitsune was already getting annoyed with how difficult it was to move through. Especially for someone who hasn't worn shoes for quiet some time since the game started. Of course, she was wearing them now that they were here. That was when she got a stroke of genius, remembering something from back when she wrestled with Amaterasu.

With a sound of her tongue, her familiar jumped ahead of her and began breathing it's blue fire through her path. The large patches of snow melted instantly at her feet, making the path much easier to traverse, and a lot warmer for her legs. "Good job Amaterasu." She commented. The white fox cooed at the praise received from her master. 

As they arrived at the lake, Megitsune stayed in the area that would be considered the shore, having her familiar heat the area where she stood so she could sit on warm ground. "Let me know if you need Amaterasu to melt the ice for the lake. She can do that for you."

[Gaius 0]

Placing a gloved hand with the fingers exposed to the smoothed surface of the ice, it seemed almost warmer than the air around them. "Nah, it's just interesting is all." Gaius remarked as he knocked with his hand. It sounded almost hollow. He pushed down on it, and it seemed to support his weight. Gaius then uses both hands to perform a handstand. "Seems pretty solid, but it doesn't sound like it."

From behind him while he faces the girl now sat comfortably in her clearing, a feral roar at his back causes him to pause for a moment. He 'walks' on his hands rather precariously on the ice, turning to face a massive bear that had found its way onto the frozen lake. Taking a once over of the creature, about the size of the Ursa from before that proved to be quite the fighter. He springboards onto his heels, sliding a bit and wiggling to right himself. "Your no fox, but let's wrestle big boy!" Gaius barks remembering how much fun he must have missed out on when Megitsune fought her own, a cocky grin drawing from ear to ear.

ID# 153657 results: Loot: 20+11=31, Critical Success!

 

Edited June 17, 2020 by Gaius

[Megitsune 0]

Fox removed her mask as the bear had seemingly appeared from nowhere. She began to reach for her weapon until Gaius made mention of wrestling the damn thing. Well, a grizzly bear wasn't that far from what she expected him to get as a familiar. That is, if somehow has the brain to get it to listen to him. Who knows: Maybe brawn is all he needs to get it held down.

The girl sat back down in her clearing, making sure that Amaterasu was keeping the snow from sticking to the ground before she put her rear end into cold snow. The white fox took a seat next to its master to enjoy the show. Perhaps it would have a new friend to play with once this was all finished. That was, if she didn't accidentally set it on fire or something. Megitsune gave the little fox a quick rub on the head as it nudged closer to her.

[Gaius 0]

Gaius barrels forward along the slickened surface, his feet skittering for a moment before he begins to gain some footing. The beast has the same bit of trouble as it tries to spring off where it was stable. "Come at me with all you've got!" Gaius shouts at as they start to slide on the ice, keeping as much speed as they can despite the conditions. They connect and Gaius grabs a handful of fur, the beast wrapping a massive arm span around his upper half as they collide hard. The thud is even audible from a distance as both are a bit concussed from the collision. It attempts to bite at his face with massive jaws, drool foaming, and pouring around its snout. Gaius tilts his head to avoid what would have surely taken out an eye. "No biting, that's not part of this." Gaius remarks as he slides low with his legs apart out of its grip.

ID# 153691 results: Craft: 1+1, Nope!

Edited June 17, 2020 by Gaius

[Megitsune 0]

Watching the two struggle on the slickened surface was more than hilarious for the audience. Megitsune chuckled slightly as the both of them had an awful time keeping a hold on their balance. When they collided, Gaius seemed to take control of the situation before the bear could do anything dangerous, which was nice to see. She was worried the thing would actually out match him. He was too much of a thick-skulled idiot to let anything overtake him though.

The rabid animal was much more dangerous in its own way compared to Amaterasu. The white fox wasn't much of a feral, rabid animal as the bear was, but it sure as hell was something you didn't want to screw with. It's fire could melt just about anything in an instant. That bear would surely suit as a good fighting familiar, however. She wondered how Gaius would incorporate it into his battles.

[Gaius 0]

Now with his legs divided in a rather 'flexible' pose, The bear swings down a heavy club of a paw ringed with claws like nails. "Not so fast!" Gaius laughs and raises his arms as he allows himself to his back. Then closing his legs in a pincer, they connect with the beasts legs as the strike connects with the ice. He then pivots and twists his body as he pulls them tighter, ripping the beast from its feet to a slam on the ice. Gaius half expects it to fall into the frozen lake below, but to his surprise, the lake even supports this hefty boy dropping upon it. "Damn this crap is tough, thought you'd go for a swim." as he twirled his legs above his body inverted, sliding on his upper back until finds his feet like a fight scene in an action film. "You're not giving up are you?"

ID# 153699 results: Craft: 1+1=2, Failure!

Edited June 17, 2020 by Gaius

[Megitsune 0]

"Hey, that's a pretty good waltz you guys have going on right now. Play nice." The Megitsune taunted from the sidelines, hoping that it would help him wrestle the bear down and tame it. "I know you can dance better than that Gaius, come on." 

The battle of dominance continued on. Neither of the competitors could stand to let it go one way. The bear was good at resisting dominance to Gaius, but he wasn't the one to give up easily. She was sure he'd have it listening to him in now time.

Amaterasu kept the area around it's master from getting too cold. Every so often blowing a puff of fire into the air around her to keep the snow melted and the spot warm like sitting around a campfire. She couldn't be more happy to have the fox as a partner now that she has seen what the familiar was capable of.

[Gaius 0]

From the sidelines, the girl cheers him on after some heckling. "Yeah, I have some moves watch this!" Gaius remarks as he aims to go on the offensive. The bear stands and gets up on two legs, bringing the massive columns that were its arms up with it. With a roar, it swipes horizontally at the dragoon, he shifts and slides under the blow. Lifting his arms to his face like a boxer, he clocks it one upside its head. "You're not so tough." he goads it into another swing, darting under the swipe and sliding around its body. Giving the creature a reverse bear hug, it takes all of his strength to lift the monster. It crashes to the ice hard, a growl like a whine as its tongue flops out. The ice begins to snap and crackle, Gaius's face turns blank. "S***" hoping he hadn't just taken the plunge. His grip instantly shrinks down, his back slams into the surface. He turns to find the following staring back at him:

ID# 153718 results: Craft: 10+1=11, Success!

Edited June 17, 2020 by Gaius

[Megitsune 0]

Gaius's suplex cracked the ice beneath the pair. Megitsune stood from her seat, just in case she had to jump into the water and save him. Luckily, they had only cracked it, not fallen in. The pair of foxes ran over to their companion, inspecting the situation. The rabid looking grizzly bear had turned into a fluffier, and even by Chiaki's standards, cuter version of itself. She couldn't help but bust a gut as the two stared at each other.

"Hey! He's kind of cute!" She laughed, reaching down and giving the familiar a pet. "What are you going to name him?"

Her question was more of a taunt. She was sure Gaius wouldn't really want to keep something so adorable compared to what he was fighting. She was sure that she would tell it to screw off and try to find something else to tame. This was definitely worth coming to this desolate floor for.

[Gaius 0]

Gaius looks down at this small fry in disgust, it looked like a vegetable. "The hell happened, did I break it? I don't want cute." but it hit a soft spot in his heart, despite being so useless in appearance. Removing a roll from his inventory and tossing it to the thing, who wraps around it with its hands and feet. It was roughly the size of a softball in diameter, about as large as the hunk of bread. its back became round and as such as it gnawed away at the bread it was thrown. It rolls a bit as it works on the morsel with small growls. "Guess this thing may not do what yours does." he remarks scratching the back of his head, but decides to just go with the flow. "Well it was good fight, eh uh, Boris." he pulled a name from the ether, given bear wrestling was a past time in Russia it seemed a suiting name.

Edited June 17, 2020 by Gaius

[Megitsune 0]

Megitsune was actually pretty surprised. He was really going to keep the bear as a pet like her own. He gave it the name Boris, something she wasn't sure was really fitting but it wasn't her familiar so she wouldn't say anything. She reached down and gave Boris a quick pet.

"Hey, he's not that bad. I bet he'll be a real strong familiar." Her comments were still in taunt, but she was sure that it would give the same benefit as Amaterasu did. Surely not in the same exact way, but it would still be interesting to watch its development when they train them. "Welp. As these two are now, they aren't going to provide much anything past companionship for us. We'll have to get them trained so that they can help us when we're fighting. What do you say we go back up to floor 22 and do it there? It's so much better up here than it is down here."

Spoiler

Reward:

SP: 1 quest(Gaius); 1 page; 1 event
Gaius obtains a familiar.