[OP-F24] Valentines Tournament Arc - Slumber Party

[Baldur 0]

Rules:

Spoiler

1. Remember, this site is PG-13, and this is a public thread and all posts in this thread are for public consumption.
2. Please feel free to make spin off threads for private conversations, and therefore, feel free to "leave" and "re-enter" the thread as often as necessary, just please remember to do it so that we can try to keep track of some kind of fluid time
3. Remember to post your character stats in this thread, specifically your character level and any paragon levels so that we are kind to the staff who are closing these massive threads for us.
4. Once the sun sets, Baldur "locks the door" so to speak. People can leave, but new people cannot enter the island without Baldur unlocking the front door, so to speak
5. Remember that Baldur's home is not a safe zone, Baldur does not have NPC staff, but rather a handful of NPC players, or currently inactive members of Jacob's Ladder/Baldur's Household/Baldur's Dojo

OOC: This thread follows Observation thread 2. Observation thread 2 takes place during the second round of fighting on the first day of the Tournament, and the luau thereafter. These two threads bleed together and overlap each other to an extent, but the luau takes place at Sunset, and the Slumber party takes place after it's fully dark. The luau will continue to run for a few days. You do not need to finish what you had in the luau to post here. This is intended to be a clean start for people who have lost track of where the observation thread 2 went.

Baldur once again stood up upon one of the central bridges that would allow his voice to carry over the water and reach as many people as he could with a large, bellowing voice. It was much deeper than he usually spoke in, but he had learned long ago how to make his voice carry, and that was before it needed to be heard over a battlefield. He clapped three times again to get the attention of everyone over all of the conversations being had, and hopefully reach those in the gardens as well. He would likely need to repeat the message from several other places for everyone to hear him clearly.

"Thank you everyone for attending my, and Aincrad's first, Valentines day tournament day 1."

He looked around at all the faces still here, many showing smiles, some still a bit uncomfortable being in a crowd, but none-the-less, trying to meet and make merry.

"As you all know, the fighting shall resume tomorrow with the first two fights before lunch, and the final round after. Each fight shall be done in sequence, rather than all at the same time as we have done so far."

He took a sip of the sake he had saved for the occasion of this tournament. His thought wasn't sore or dry, that simply didn't happen in SAO, but as many times as he had addressed crowds of this size, and bellowed this loud, his brain told him he needed to drink to save his vocal cords.

"I know it is quite the hike home for many of you, and the seas are bit more dangerous in the evening. Therefore, I have teleport crystals available for anyone who needs one to get home. Also, I have several rooms here and in my guild hall which are unoccupied, and any who may wish to stay the night are welcome. It can be Aincrad's first slumber party as well." Laughed followed his words, amused at his phrasing. He had hosted many parties, and had intoxicated friends stay over at his home, both in Japan and in America, as well has having done so himself, but that was never phrased as a slumber party. However, many of these were little more than children. No, that makes light of their sacrifices. They had that childhood stolen from them, perhaps a bit of fun, levity, and youth restored would do us all a bit of good.

"For everyone's safety, I have locked the torii gate that brings people up here to the island. It does not prevent anyone from leaving, but any new arrivals will need my permission, or the assistance of a member of Jacob's Ladder to enter. I take my role as host seriously, you shall all be as safe as I can make anywhere here in Aincrad."

He gestured up behind his home. There was a rise of gardens that went towards the back of the island, as far as you could get from the crowds. It was not a large island, but it was far enough away from the din of conversation at either Baldur's home, or the Guild hall. There were paths one could walk around in, and the gardens were dense enough you could feel like you were getting lost, even if it was not quite so large to be able to do that.

"If you would like a private room, I have them available at the guild hall, The Dreamer's Temple. I also have large bedrooms and my livingrooms cleared away with several futons laid out in each for any who wish to have a slumber party, I only ask that you replace any pillows that have their durability reduced to 0 from any fighting." He gave another broad smile, "There is also a rotenburo, open air Onsen, towards the back of the island for any who wish it. Please, enjoy your time here, and let me know if there is anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable."

With that, Baldur gestured to open his hud, navigated a few menus over, and hit a button. Suddenly, the grounds lit up. Paper lanterns on strings illuminated among the buildings, stone lanterns throughout the gardens and the estate lit up, and floating paper lanterns appeared on the waters of the pond, floating slowly from one to the other under the bridges.

[Xena 0]

(Well fine if no one is gonna go first I guess I will-)
Xena had been sitting on a row of steps by herself at the time, simply enjoying the rising moons presence, one of the few celestial bodies she cares for the moonlight always had a particular beauty to it she couldn't explain. It wasn't until now that she got a ping on her menu, seems her friend finally finished that outfit she requested, though a bit late it didn't matter that much. It was sent via player mail, with a message that simply stated. 'Couldn't get in, looks like whoever owns the zone locked the teleport gate, enjoy the festival though!' With a shrug Xena sighed, it didn't matter too much, that friend typically was extremely busy anyway and wouldn't of been able to stay longer then 30 minutes most likely. With a press of a few buttons in the menu due to the solitude of the place she figured changing was fine, and with literally a single button press that was over. Changing in this games a lot faster then real life, saves everyone the embarrassment at least. What she wasn't expecting was it effected most of her body, adding markings to her hair among other things. She sighed and with a few movements of the menu her usually long flowed out hair was put up in a tail or sorts. She wasn't much of a hair person, she barely did anything more then brush it usually, so she did her best to make it look at least presentable, the outfit itself was perfect in her opinion red and white paired with tiger stripes, something really only Xena herself was of relation too, at least as far as she knew. Coming to a stand she wasn't exactly used to this kind of outfit, she's worn kimono's once or twice in the real world. But those were so few and far between, she'd just have to deal with it. (Current Appearance) It seemed Baldur was making a speech, his voice was carrying over most of the island and though his voice carried over most of the island, she could only barely hear him, and was unable to make him out completely, so with some movement she only had to leave a bit from the dark nature side of the island to hear him.

Among everything he said 3 things had stuck out to her, 1 there were free teleport crystals should you wish to return home, she'd likely take one for later, she just could not managed another boat ride across that water, it made her skin crawl just thinking about it. 2 He had in fact closed the gates making it not possible to enter, but possible to leave. How that worked only people who owned these kinds of houses knew she imagined, she didn't even own a house merely a shop. Maybe she should work on that, apparently houses give you buffs so maybe that'd be nice. And finally the third thing was that if you wanted to stay for the night you could, that was something that had been brought up a few times during the luau but has now been made official, so long as you pay for any damages you may cause which was fair, some people do get a bit rough housie, as Xena walked over her menu opening she had to unequip her claws, after all two big metal gauntlets with clawed tips kind of ruined the outfit now didn't it. She begrudgingly had finally reequipped her vanity items in the form of tiger ears and tail, if only to complete the look. Finally walking up Baldur had released dozens of lanterns into the sky, much like a lantern festival back home, it was a beautiful display, the many lights filling the sky, the moon behind them shimmering as usual. The night was young, and for once it seemed like everyone was in a good mood, at least those she could see, there was likely those who weren't happy. But then, there was always those kinds of people, the kinds who were upset for reasons they couldn't specify, the best you could do with this general vibe is try to get them to enjoy themselves, though with what Baldur had said it was likely people were about to start rushing to find a place to sleep or find a teleport crystal to go home for the night, frankly Xena was used to sleeping on concrete so she'd likely just find a corner to curl up in when the time comes to go to sleep, but, the night was young, so she would enjoy it for some time, or at the very least she'd try too.


(Item used, Yui's Grace)
Xena | HP: 360/360 | EN: 54/54 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 32 | EVA: 2 | BH: 7 | LD: 4 | BLD: 24 | REC: 4
 

Spoiler

Xena,
Level: 18
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 360/360
EN: 54/54

Stats:
Damage: 13
Mitigation: 32
Evasion: 2
Battle Healing: 7
Loot Dice: 4
BLD: 24
REC: 4

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Beasts Claws
Armor: Beasts Cloak
Misc: The Fierceness of Grass

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Claws R5
Cloth Armor R5
Battle Healing R2

Active Mods:
Untraceable
Athletics

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Nimble

Active Extra Skills:
Hiding R2

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions (50 HP) x3

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Xena

[Morningstar 0]

Baldur's voice rang through the gardens, signaling the beginning of the promised slumber party. He was quite the host, Morningstar thought. He had put in a fair bit of thought into the event, even going as far as offering teleport crystals for those in need. It was admirable.

After the speech, the blonde returned his attention to Astreya and Astralin—the girls he had been chatting with. "While I enjoyed this dinner date," he joked, "I'm afraid I have to ditch you for the Onsen now."

He stood up, adjusting his robe. "Talk to you later," he said, smirking.

The trail back to the dojo was lit up by warm lanterns. They were, in a way, soothing to walk past. The day had felt more like a week. After two fights, plentiful conversations, and a magnificent dinner, Morningstar was exhausted. He trekked past the building where the fights had taken place and searched for the Onsen. Recalling the speech, it was located somewhere at the back of the property. A tiger-lady sat on a set of stone stairs, alone. He smiled at her.

"I like your hair," Morningstar said in passing.

His arrival at the Onsen seemed perfectly timed. Nobody else had ventured over quite yet. He split off into the men's room, picking up a towel at the door. As expected, it was empty. He switched out of his green robe and into a pair of black swim shorts. He wore them fitted; about five inches in length. Slinging his towel over his shoulder, Morningstar entered the hot spring.

A strong belief he had was that firsts were always the best. The first bite of a meal, the first lift of a workout, the first dance at a party. The first step into the hot spring was no different. Warmth enveloped his foot as he touched the floor of the pool. He took step after step until eventually, he was waist-deep. He took a seat at the edge of the pool and reclined into the water. The comfort came instantaneously.

The perfect way to end the day.

Spoiler

Morningstar | Lv. 21 | HP: 420/420 | EN: 60/60 | DMG: 17 | ACC: 4 | MIT: 39

Gear:

• Beginner's Straight Sword | Uncommon
  +1 DMG
• Beginner's Light Armor | Uncommon
  +9 MIT
• Lexa's Light | Perfect
  +3 ACC

Skills:

• Two-Handed Straight Sword | Rank 5 | Precision | Stamina | Ferocity
  +9 DMG
  +1 ACC
  -2 ENG per attack
• Light Armor | Rank 5
  +30 MIT
  -2 Stealth
• Searching | Rank 5
  +5 LD
  +5 Stealth Detection

Combat Mastery:

• Damage
  +6 DMG

Combat Shift:

• TECH Specialist
  +4 to multipliers
  +3 to ENG cost

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Morningstar
remove yui's grace consumable because i don't actually have one :0 oops

[Snow 0]

The chill of the evening fell over the Baldur estate. The last rays of light washed the far horizon in a deep red and purple as their guild leader's voice boomed through the still air. From her spot at the table where Baldur took his notes for the entirety of the tournament, Snow looked outward over a quiet arena. The last of Baldur's words rang out and with three claps, the dim light of the evening ignited into a blaze of orange. Stone lanterns light with flame and from unknown positions around the grounds, paper lanterns took to the sky. Dim orange and red filtered into the estate from the eves and danced along the tatami floors. Tea cold, air chilled, and the chaos now but a whisper, Snow rose from her spot.

Her crystalline blue eyes swept over the last echoes of the luau and many of the faces she had recognized scattered to the winds, likely to return home for the night. The thought of returning to her own abode crossed her mind, but the room she claimed here at the guild was just as much a home as the one on the third floor. The difference between her home and here at the moment, was the mess left behind by the observers and participants. Some of the initiates would likely come by later and clean up the remnants, but Snow always harbored guilt for leaving a space tattered and worn.

Instead of breaking away to her room, enjoying a soak in the onsen, or taking a moment at one of Baldur's ponds to enjoy the night sky, Snow busied herself with the task of cleaning up. She began with her own table-- tidying up Baldur's notes, picking up their empty vessels of tea, and returning them all to the kitchen. For the notes, she set them aside to place on Baldur's personal desk for tomorrow. She returned to the area of the luau and began collecting plates, cups, rogue bits of food that fell to the floor, and returned them all to their lavish kitchen. There, the aroma of ramen lingered, but signs of Cordelia were no more.

I have time, she reminded herself as she worked. I'll be sure to get some relaxing in before tomorrow.

Spoiler

Housing Buffs: || Rested || Relaxed || Clean || Tasty || Angler || Hard Working ||

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by Snow

[Jomei 0]

  

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 32 | Paragon: 64 | Tier: 4(10)  Jomei: 880/880 HP | 126/126 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 4 | BH 48 | HLY BLS 19 | BLD 48 | FLN 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. equipped Nihilim's Wrath  Vestige of St. Patrick Alatreon's Will battle-ready inventory // skills Spoiler Skills Saber R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit MA R2 Extra: Concentration (x) Survival (x) Meditation (x) Parry Forgotten King's Authority Hiding R.4 Mods Athletics (x) Vanish (x) Addons Stamina (x) Ferocity (x) Precision (x) Nimble (x) data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Housing Buffs:  Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat     Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)     Dining Room: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Living Room: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

 

The excitement of the day's events simmered as the sun continued to set, bringing with it a chill to the air as darkness spread over Baldur's teardrop island and the rest of the floor with it. Even as the combatants and observers began to finish their plates, there was an air of curiosity at what would happen next. Their minds did not have to linger on the thought for long, as Baldur drew the attention of the masses once again. Conversations came to a halt as Baldur's voice carried over them. Once again, their host thanked them for their patronage once again and offered up his home to others, removing the need to travel to and from their own homes the next morning. This 'slumber party', as Baldur comically put it, was also a way for the players to continue enjoying the festivities and each others company. 

Jomei, for one, would gladly take the opportunity to not travel back to his quiet home on the eleventh floor. It was cozy, and it was a place he could call his own, but there were too many memories linked to those four walls. He would prefer at least one night to take a break from reminiscing on what was, what could have been, and what was no longer. The rotenburo that Baldur offered up for the players to use sounded like a great way to wash away the mixed emotions of the day. Finally, as if to light their way to either their rooms, the onsen, or wherever their hearts would take them, the island was illuminated once more with lanterns. 

Taking to the path leading to the hot spring at the rear of his island, Jomei stopped by @Baldur. Placing a hand on the mans shoulder, he gave his friend a genuine look in the eye, "Thank you." Not taking up too much of the samurai's time, Jomei continued up the path to the split hut that served as changing rooms for the men and women. Stepping through the sliding doors of the proper side, Jomei switched out of the robes he wore and equipped his swim trunks, which were white with a grass like pattern. Grabbing a nearby towel, he also wrapped it around his waist before opening the opposite door that lead to the open air onsen.

The heat rising off of the water combated the night chill as the ginger stepped from the changing room and onto the ground that surrounded the springs. The pool was quiet, save for the gentle trickling of fresh water that fell into the pool. Only one other individual currently occupied the space, @Morningstar. "Guess I'm not the only one who wanted to beat the crowds." the ginger said with a smile as he dropped the towel on the rocks beside him and slowly lowered himself into the pool. Every ounce of tension, stress and worry exited his body with a long exhale as the hot water cradled his body, continuing to dip himself into the springs until the water line rested just below his shoulders. Reaching his hands out of the water, Jomei would push his bangs back out of his face and tie them back into a small ponytail at the back of his head. "If I knew this was back here, I probably would have snuck off during the second round." 

 

[Astreya 0]

The conversation with Astralin and Morningstar had been nice and relaxing, and Astreya had been enjoying herself, but amidst the chatting (and admittedly it was certainly nearing its end) Baldur suddenly called out, the host of this whole get together, tournament and all, and had began to announce his own words to everyone present, showing a genuine appreciation for their attendance, and their willingness to join him in this series of firsts. First Valentine's Day Tournament, first sleepover, and so forth, and Astreya couldn't help but to smile up at the fellow amused at his words and excited despite herself, before the man began to reach the end of his little spiel, beginning to set up the more 'evening' mood.

"Oh wow!  How cool!" the girl cheered, clapping her hands in excitement, before she glanced to Morningstar, who had indicated that he had found the end to their conversation, and Astreya couldn't help but to give him a teasing little shove as he moved to head out past them.  "Enjoy the onsen!" she called after him, waving slightly.  She wasn't so sure that she wanted to go in there, at least not yet.  Maybe later on into the evening, but at least for the moment, she didn't... really think that she should jump right in.

All the same, she wasn't quite sure what to do now, and glanced to her friend.  "I'm gonna go like, wander a bit.  You can come with if you wanna," she offered, giving her a grin before she turned, beginning to head out toward the main area, where most of the eating had been done.  They'd wandered around inside for a bit during their conversation... but she kind of wanted to check out the outside with the evening lights that Baldur had provided.

"Wow..." she spoke, mostly to herself as she looked around, before noting a blonde-haired woman beginning to work through the act of cleaning up.  Astreya watched her take one trip before returning and ever the busybody, she couldn't help but to step in as well.  "Hey!  You need any help like, getting all this stuff all like, picked up and junk?" she offered, even as she began to gather a few of the plates up as well, beaming a sunny smile onto the woman.

@Astralin@Snow

Astreya Info-
 

Spoiler

Level: 32 | P12 | 
Will fill in rest later

 

[Astralin 0]

A sleepover? That sounded like it could be fun!

Morningstar ended the conversation in...an unexpected manner. "Wha-? Wai-? H-how-?" Astralin stuttered as her eyes widened.

"YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS WAS A DAAAATE????" Came the inevitable reaction. Maybe at this point, she should have realized it was a joke. How embarrassing...

Well, too late for that now.

@Morningstar

 

Astreya would reveal that she intended to wander, and Astralin could come with if she was interested. "Sure, I don't mind." She responded with a smile.

As the two walked around the property, they marveled at the sights of the area around them. Maybe it really was a nice date setting...but of course, Astralin would have to pick and choose someone if she won. The building itself was very nice, and to Astralin, it would be considered exotic, for she was more west, and this was definitely east, so to speak. The sight of the stars, while not as good as the sights in Floor 22, was still an incredible view. "I know, right? It's incredible..." Astralin added to Astreya's spoken thought.

Soon, the two saw another blue-eyed blonde in the middle of cleaning up a mess. Maybe she could use some help?

Astreya beat her to the punch when it came to offering help, but that wouldn't stop Astralin from at least getting in a word or two. "I wouldn't mind spending time to help out someone else. If there's something you might need me for, go ahead and say it." She said with a light smile on her face.

@Astreya @Snow

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Level: 32

Paragon Level: 9

Paragon Rewards:

Lv. 5 - Laurel Wreath (Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread)

 

Battle Stats:

HP: 660

Energy: 84

Base Damage: 23(MA Rank 5[7], CM: DMG[12], MA Ferocity[2], Athletics[1])

Mitigation: 0

Accuracy: 3(Amulet of Aknossoth, Zero Degree Chill)

Evasion: 2(Alkarina's Resolve)

Loot Die: 0

 

Additional conditions:

[None Yet]

 

Equipment:

[T3] Glowing Embers(Burn)

[T3] Zero Degree Chill(Freeze, Accuracy)[Equipped]

[T1]Alkarina's Resolve(2 EVA, 1 REC)[Equipped]

[T3]Amulet of Aknossoth(2 ACC, 1 REC)[Equipped]

 

Consumables:

(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

Teleport Crystal x1

 

 

Skills:

Martial Arts Rank 5(30 SP)

Combat Mastery: Damage(13 SP)

Cloth Armor Rank 5(30 SP)

Quick Change(8 SP)

 

Extra Skills:

First Aid Rank 5(30 SP)

 

 

Mods:

Athletics(4 SP)

Energize(5 SP)

Barrier(6 SP)

 

Addons:

Martial Arts Ferocity(6 SP)

Martial Arts Stamina(4 SP)

Nimble(6 SP)

Field Medic(6 SP)

 

[Yona 0]

A slumber party? Yona wondered why he thought that was a safe bet, but the place was guarded and all, so maybe it was fine. There was also the mention of an onsen...wasn't that like....a hot spring?

She needed a break, she needed a chance to relax. She was gonna head for the Onsen. She made her way through the island in search of it, and once she found it, she went straight for the Women's changing room to get changed, grabbed a towel, and left the changing room.

 

Stepping into a hot spring was often a slow process, meant to avoid causing a temperature shock for the body. She started with her left foot, slowly submerging it. within about ten seconds, however, she'd gotten herself into the water. Normally she'd close her eyes, but she wasn't alone. There were two guys in the hot spring, one blond, one ginger. No other girls were in sight....was something going on. "Fancy seeing you fine gentlemen here." Yona began. "I might have come here to relax and all, but....am I just early or something? I for one, thought girls loved hot springs...I mean, I say this for me, at least, being a girl myself..." She remarked, wondering why there weren't any other females here, despite that a place like this might be wondrous...unless they were worried that a bunch of guys being around would be a dealbreaker?

Well, Yona didn't mind, as long as the guys didn't get too close without her consent.

@Morningstar @Jomei

 

Onsen Attire:

Spoiler

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Level: 12

 

 

HP: 240

Energy: 42

Base Damage: 14(CS R5[7], CM: Damage[6])

Mitigation: 18(Moonshard Veil[6], Cloth Armor Rank 2[12])

Accuracy: 0

Evasion: 2(MoonShard Veil)

Loot Die: 3(Thuban's Eye)

 

 

Additional conditions:

[None Yet]

 

 

Equipment:

[T1]Sharpened Wakizashi(Curved Sword, 2 DMG)

[T1]Moonshard Veil(Cloth Armor, 1 MIT, 2 EVA)

[T1]Thuban's eye(Trinket, 3 LD)

 

 

Consumables:

Teleport Crystal x1

 

 

Skills:

Curved Sword Rank 5(30 SP)

Cloth Armor Rank 2(8 SP)

Combat Mastery: Damage(13 SP)

 

 

Extra Skills:

[None]

 

 

Mods:

[None]

 

Addons:

[None]

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by Yona

[Snow 0]

Quote

 "Hey!  You need any help like, getting all this stuff all like, picked up and junk?"

"I wouldn't mind spending time to help out someone else. If there's something you might need me for, go ahead and say it." 

Two voiced broke out from behind Snow as she tended to a particularly messy table with a spilled drink and signs of a picky eater who rather removed the food they didn't like from the plate all together. A bit of relief settled in to the girl and she called out in reply.

"I tried to help out so there wasn't as much for you to--" Snow's sentence cut short when she turned around, arms full of dirty dinnerware and trash. These two weren't Baldur's students nor were they members of Jacob's ladder. For a moment, she struggled to find the words. As her pause lingered, one of the two girls already began to help.

"Uh, I'm sorry," Snow finally began with a shake of her head. "Uh, yes. Um, I was just cleaning off the tables and picking up a little. If you want to help, we can just bring this all to the back and we can handle the rest of it in the morning before the tournament."

The young blonde felt a smile crawl across her face. Despite her expectation to pick up after everyone by herself, she was pleasantly surprised to find a little company. Arms full, she returned to the kitchen and dropped off the dishes. The trash itself turned to fragments in the disposal bin. Snow peaked her head out of the kitchen toward the other two. Happiness beaming on her face, she added, "I'm Snow by the way! Thanks for offering to help! Maybe after we're done we could go relax in the onsen? The chilly air and hot water is a really nice combination."

@Astreya@Astralin

[Lessa 1]

꧁༺Lessa༻꧂   Lessa, Guardian of Aincrad Level: 31 Paragon Level: 54 HP: 820/820 EN: 120/120 Stats: Damage: 28 Mitigation: 142 Accuracy: 4 Battle Healing: 45 H.M.: 8 HLY: 8 REC: 8 THRNS: 72 Equipped Gear: Weapon: Arcael's Might (T4 THSS - DMG DMG DMG HLY) Armor: Empress Armor (T4 HA - HM HM THNS THNS) Misc: Neutron Star Necklace (T4 TRINKET - ACC ACC REC REC) Skills: Straight Sword R5 Heavy Armor R5 Battle Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit Charge Active Mods: Impetus Emergency Recovery Justified Riposte Addons: Iron Skin Ferocity Stamina Active Extra Skills: Parry Survival Battle Ready Inventory: Teleportation Crystal x5 Mass HP Recovery Crystal x2 Housing Buffs: Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down) Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [1/1] Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll Guild Hall Buffs: Helping Hand: Lowest-leveled guild member receives +10 bonus Exp at the end of the thread. At least half of the thread's participants must be guild members. Limit one use per month, per character. [1/1]

The closing of Baldur's announcement seemed to usher in a wave of excited chattering. Players spread in all directions, some keen to grab more food, while others hoped to snag the best sleeping locations. Lessa watched them go as she polished off one cookie, then another. By the time the third had disappeared from her plate, it appeared most had settled into their evening plans. That was fine, she decided as she carefully set her empty plate beside others like it on the table. It was good that everyone was so eager to get involved, and take part in something unrelated to combat for a while. Sure, the duels remained at the heart of the event, and her upcoming bout with NIGHT weighed like a stone. But that was for another day. Tonight, she could relax, sleep, eat, and just exist for a while. Maybe even find someone to braid her hair or paint her toes. Ooh, I wonder if anyone's playing spin the bottle or truth or dare...

Smiling at her own silliness (and maybe at the visual of a few particular partygoers kissing), Lessa drifted toward the path to the onsen. A soak in the hot water would surely do wonders to calm her sore muscles and her frayed nerves. Even if she had walked away from Alkor feeling better about everything, the process had taken the life out of her. Then there were the duels to consider... No, snagging some time in the steam before everyone else made their way there sounded like the best bet.

The path to the onsen shimmered beneath the light of the lanterns. The cool night air seemed to hum with life, sweetened by the smell of flowers and the laughter of other Players. Something in that sound held such innocence, such purity, that goosebumps climbed Lessa's bare arms. When had she last heard such joy in so many people? When I see Baldur again, she mused, I'll have to tell him how much this event meant to all of us. Baldur, yet again, was doing the lord's work.

When the blonde slipped into the women's changing room, she found it unoccupied. Not that it mattered, of course, as she could change directly from her kimono into her swimsuit, but she appreciated the privacy. Still, when the sound of voices carried from the pool, she didn't find herself disappointed, either.

"Is everyone decent?" she called around the door, seconds before stepping through herself. Her gaze quickly tracked between the onsen's occupants, and only after ensuring they were all dressed did she cock a goofy grin. "Oh, you are. That's too bad."

@Jomei@Morningstar @Yona

[Morningstar 0]

Fiery hair and a familiar face appeared shortly after Morningstar had become accustomed to the heat of the onsen. He ran a wet hand through his blonde locks and chuckled at the man's observation.

"Being the first one in has its perks. For starters," he leaned back, his arms extending out over the rocks, "I picked the best spot here."

The rocks formed a sort of barricade that blocked any potential wind coming from behind him. The addition of the space he had around him made it the perfect place to relax. Shortly after Jomei's entrance, a girl he didn't recognize joined them in the hot tub. And then another called out from the women's change room, teasing them about their decency. The onsen party was growing and Morningstar imagined that the peaceful night from before would soon turn chaotic. He laughed at the blonde's joke as she turned the corner.

"It's still too soon for us to be getting that wild," he smirked.

Four was a comfortable number of people for the onsen. He wondered how he would feel when it hit eight, ten, or twelve. The hot tub was big, sure, but he loved small crowds—especially in pools. The onsen was illuminated by the same lanterns that lit up the rest of the estate. There was a certain beauty to them that he had trouble describing. He struggled to pick words that adequately portrayed how they made him feel. Homely, perhaps? Cozy?

Unwound. The combination of dim lights and steamy water loosened and relaxed him. It was all in preparation for an eventful night.

"I'm Morningstar," he told the girls. "I'd swim over to greet you but I'm comfortable."

@Lessa @Jomei @Yona

[Jomei 0]

There were plenty of comfortable looking spots in the spring, some more secluded, some with a better view -- whether it was the scenery or other occupants. Even where the ginger decided to park himself was a pretty prime spot, but as he shifted to get a better look at where Morningstar sat, the rocks behind him allowing the man to recline as if he were sitting in a La-Z Boy chair.. perfect spots for his arms and all. "Seems your right, guess you've got quite the eye for premium seating in an onsen" he said before laughing at how ridiculous he sounded. Jomei wasn't able to lean back as comfortably as Morningstar, but the ginger did let his back rest against the rocky wall behind him. "All that's missing is a cold drink.." He took a quick gander to see if there was anything of the sort near them.. but remembered that this wasn't some resort hot tub, rather a traditional Japanese onsen.

The ginger turned in his seat to address the unfamiliar voice who greeted them.  A small chuckle escaped him before her responded, "Definitely early. Baldur has a bit island here.. I'm sure some people went to go explore or check out the sleeping arrangements first." With his attention still on Yona, he would nod his head in Morningstar's direction, "Like Star said, gives us early birds better choice seating... Jomei, by the way." he introduced himself with a smile, "You're Yona right? I remember seeing your name on the brackets. You had quite an exciting fight against Lessa in the first round." 

As if she was waiting for her name to be spoken to use as her cue, the voice of Lessa called out to the three of them to make sure they were fairly dressed.. or with her sense of humor, jokingly hoping they weren't. "Speak of the devil." Jomei said, turning to look over his shoulder at the woman, the flush on his cheeks from the rising heat doing a decent enough job at masking a blush. "Yeah, save the crazy antics for later. Isn't that what sleep overs are all about? Wait for all the adults to go to sleep before we start talking about boys and playing truth or dare."

@Yona @Morningstar @Lessa

 

[Yona 0]

The ginger replied, saying the answer was that Yona was definitely early, and he introduced himself as Jomei. However...he recognized Yona, but not in a way that she preferred...

Yona's smile faded when Jomei said he recognized her from the fight against Lessa. If only she'd beaten that soft-handed blunet, she'd have something to bring herself back up. ...But no, there were only downs. She lost, therefore she risked being seen as "weak".

...And weakness is not something that should be shown unless those around could be trusted, and from what she knew, weakness leads to one taking control of the other...something that Yona wouldn't tolerate for herself. She couldn't trust anyone to treat her fairly if she was under anyone, but she could trust herself to treat those below her as though they were equals. Kindness was ideal to show to the lesser, while assertion and strength would be necessary to show to those "above" as to avoid being under them in any way.

Yona turned her face away from Jomei, her expression leaking some irritation. Thankfully, there came a voice that would change the subject. It was Lessa, asking if everyone was decent. Upon the blonde's reaction to them all having some form of attire(even if Yona's seemed thin enough to be semi-translucent), Yona had something to respond to. "Oh, you tease." Yona responded, with a smirk on her face and her arms loosely across her chest. "Of course, we'd have to get to know each other better if we ever wanted something like that..."

Yona would have to like them first, but she'd also have to trust them beforehand. Don't be hasty, one might say...

Jomei would give a remark about sleepovers. In all honesty, this was going to be Yona's first time sleeping over at another person's home, so she knew little of sleepovers themselves...however...the way he'd spoken it... "Are you stereotyping?" She questioned. She still had a mild grin on her face, as she was only curious.

The blond male introduced himself as Morningstar. He said he'd swim over, but that he was comfortable. "And why would you swim over, hm? You weren't thinking of moving too quickly, were you?" She teased.

Yona didn't know what to think of this situation just yet, but damn it she hoped she'd get lucky after all that she went through.

@Lessa @Jomei @Morningstar

[Lessa 1]

Lessa grinned at the stranger, lifting a hand in both greeting and reassurance. "No, don't worry about it. Stay comfy. I get it." And she did, every cell in her body giving a collective sigh of contentment as she eased into the warm water. "This is heavenly," she breathed, closing her eyes to simply savor the moment. When it had passed, and her eyes had popped open once more, she swung her gaze to Jomei.

"I saw Baldur on my way over," Lessa explained, shifting to position herself a few feet away from her red-haired friend. "He didn't have his PJs on, so I don't think he's sleeping yet. But once he is, we should definitely do something wild and crazy. Truth or dare sounds like a great idea." She lifted a hand from the water, pausing to watch the steam rise from her slick skin. Then she flicked a few droplets in Jomei's direction; they shimmered like diamonds in the lantern-light. "Can we count on you to go first?"

Finally, she turned to Yona. The woman seemed far more at-ease than she had during their duel. Time, or more likely the hot springs, had appeared to soothe her frayed nerves. "Truth or dare is a great way to get to know each other," she informed the brunette. Her eyelids dropped once more, as if they were simply too heavy to remain open. Then Lessa sank into the water, tilting her head back so only her face broke the surface. "Honestly," she drawled, "it just feels amazing to finally relax for once. Relax, and have some fun. It's been so long."

@Jomei @Morningstar @Yona

[Jomei 0]

Oh, touchy topic I suppose... 

The ginger grimaced slightly and turned his attention away from Yona for the moment. Her lack of response and hidden expression was all Jomei needed to understand that she still wasn't exactly feeling too thrilled about her luck in the tournament. Water rose a bit closer to his neck as he allowed himself to sink further into his seat, clearing his throat as a sort of reset to the conversation.

His own emerald gaze shifted to meet Lessa's as she continued on this train of thought regarding a 'wild and crazy time.' Apparently, to her, the 'adult' in question was Baldur.. seeing as this was his home and all. "Was that a crack at Baldur's age?" the ginger cut in with a crooked smirk and a hum of a chuckle. Knowing the blonde, of course it was... she'd probably say it to his face if he were sitting in the onsen with them. 

"Hah" Jomei let out a small scoff as he looked back to Yona. Guess she didn't hold any hard feelings against the ginger for bringing up the fight. "Absolutely I am. But all in good fun. Even though its a stereotype.. you've got to admit.. all the fun stuff and juicy gossip comes out at sleep overs." 

"Hmm." The ginger sat upright, small streams of water trickling off of his shoulders and chest as he pulled them from the hot water and exposed them to the night air. A single arm followed, resting it on the rocky surface just behind his shoulder. "Its been awhile since I've cut loose, sure. Just be careful what you throw my way.. because I won't show you any mercy back." he added with a sly wink in her direction. "How about you Morningstar.. Yona.. You guys in? I'm sure we can grab a few more people." 

 "Though.. probably would be best if we played somewhere else. I don't think Baldur would be too happy if we disturbed the peace of the hot springs."

@Lessa @Morningstar @Yona

[Astreya 0]

"Oh yeah, totally!" Astreya called, giving another wide smile toward the other woman.  She and Astralin were both fairly outgoing, helpful individuals so it just stood to reason that they'd both be willing to help with this.  Of course, Astreya had already managed to pick up a few dishes before the other woman could speak and she wondered if maybe she'd overstepped her boundaries (this wasn't her home or her party at all, of course) but the other woman seemed to relax after a moment, advising them to just take stuff to the back and they'd deal with it tomorrow.

Given that this was, in fact, a game world, there was an interesting concept around 'cleaning up' in what was actually needed, but as she went to the back, Astreya began to pick up a few more things, the girl humming to herself as she followed along, approaching the back before Snow (as she identified herself) popped out afterward and Astreya couldn't help but to give a beaming smile in response.  "Hey, nice to meet you!  I'm Astreya," the girl called out, still balancing several dishes.  Astralin wasn't too far behind  her, and while Astreya didn't mind introducing her too, she knew that Astralin was about as bubbly as she was, and she made the decision to let Astralin introduce herself as she handed the stacks of plates to Snow.

"I've never been in an onsen before but like, I think that could totally be pretty fun, right?" she verified, looking between the two she was with.

@Snow@Astralin

[Astralin 0]

The woman accepted the offer for help, and Astralin would gather up a sizable pile of dishes. Practicality would suggest that she take one pile in each hand, but she didn't have the actual strength to do that, despite being able to carry and pull against significantly more weight in combat(yeah, Astralin hasn't figured out why that is either). The load she carried might not have been much in comparison to the other two, but the fact that she could help at all in this regard was nice. 

The woman soon introduced herself as Snow. Astreya would then introduce herself in response. "I'm Astralin, nice to meet you, Snow!" Astralin added as she placed her pile with the others. Snow would suggest that the three players go to the Onsen after this was finished, and Astreya seemed to be on board with the idea. "That sounds like a really great idea! If I remember correctly, an Onsen is similar to a hot spring, right? It should be pretty relaxing, I'd guess." Astralin added with a smile. There were things regarding onsens that had to do with culture, or, more specifically, Japanese culture...but for the moment, Astralin couldn't recall them all. For the moment, it just sounded like a warm, relaxing experience...which it probably would be.

@Astreya @Snow

[Astreya 0]

Between Snow and the Astr-girls, it didn't take too long to pick up the leftover dishes and trash from the main area, and before long it was looking rather nice once more.  Everything was cleaned up, leaving Astreya and Astralin without much direction on where to go next.  While the two seemingly had no problem in helping Snow continue to clean things up, once the majority of the work was done, she had shooed the two girls off to go enjoy the Onsen while she finished tidying a few other things for Baldur and bid them to go and enjoy themselves as guests here.  While there was some pushback from the blonde and brunette, before long they had agreed to just go and have some fun.

"Okay, like, maybe we'll see you later!" she called to the woman as she oriented herself on her new task, leaving the two girls to their own devices.  "So then like...onsen?" she asked, glancing to the other girl and beaming a grin toward her, even as she began to wander to where Snow had indicated they'd find it.  "And do they have like...bathing suits or are we just going in like, skinny dipping style?" she asked, mostly just seeming to think aloud rather than to have any actual investment in either side of the outcome.

@Astralin

[Astralin 0]

It wasn't long before Snow suddenly gestured for Astralin and Astreya to head over to the Onsen. With most of the work finished, it kind of made sense that the rest could be taken care of easily by one person. "Guess we'll see you again soon, then!" Astralin called out to her.

Then came the trip to the onsen itself. Astreya seemed to ask if that was indeed what they were gonna do. "Why not? Let's do it!" Came Astralin's response. Then Astreya asked a question that Astralin didn't expect...like, at all. Her face reddened slightly at the latter alternative. "I-I....Um....I-I-I dunno about that....I mean, taking a dip in a hot spring is one thing, but..."

Astralin was extroverted enough to be comfortable with various activities, even with strangers, as long as they were able to be nice instead of suspicious...but the highly suggestive possibility at the end? She didn't know if she would be comfortable going in with a bunch of strangers while she's-

"No, no, it's not likely to be that, this game's rated...huh, now that I think about it, I don't think I remember what rating this game had...but I'm pretty sure things wouldn't get too steamy, r-right?" Astralin thought aloud. Then again, this is a player's property...but that hidden option might apply to individual rooms, rather than an open-air part of a property. Maybe Astralin will be fine. "...You know what, I shouldn't be getting worried about it, I'm sure it'll all turn out fine..." Astralin decided, her oddly placed smile having a hard time concealing the fact that she was trying not to mentally panic at this moment.

@Astreya

 

Astralin, upon arriving, would find where she needed to go in order to change, and went in to do just that.

Spoiler

 

Astralin would emerge from the changing room and advance towards the Onsen. Yona was there, too, as well as the woman she lost to. "Hi!" She calmly said with a smile as she waved to the other players that were already in the hot spring, before getting in herself.

The warmth of the waters was a pleasant feeling for Astralin. As simulated as it was, it at least provided a soothing feeling for her and relieved the tension within her avatar. She took a deep breath, then let out a deep sigh. "Whew...it's been too long since I've taken a relaxing break like this..." She remarked.

@Yona @Jomei @Lessa

[Yona 0]

Both Lessa and Jomei confirmed what Yona was thinking. This...this was gonna be good, one way or another.

Jomei seemed certain that they could grab a few more people, but should probably do it somewhere else. "But just this moment here first," Yona suggested. "It does usually happen after supervision's gone to sleep, right?" 

Then Yona looked and saw Astralin heading into the changing room. "Not like any of us would wanna miss the best parts of this experience..." She muttered and trailed off, definitely speaking of the warm relaxation of the hot spring. When Astralin came out of the changing room to enter the onsen, Yona honestly didn't know what she expected. Not that she was disappointed, of course.

Astralin would get settled into the hot spring, and she began to ease up. Yona, of course, was hoping to continue the conversation. "It sure is nice to just relax for at least a good long moment..." She thought, not realizing she didn't speak it out loud. "Big..." She muttered, not realizing she's actually said that. Astralin opened her eyes. "...Hm? I'm sorry, did you say something?" Astralin asked, confused.

It was that moment when she knew, she fudged up. "Ehe, w-we were talking about playing Truth or Dare later on before going to sleep for the night!" Yona exclaimed as her eyes immediately darted in a different direction, despite the fact that she was managing to hold an inside voice. "I was wondering if we'd end up with a big group or a small group when playing it, not that it would matter in the end as long as we all got to have fun with it, right? Eheheh..." She continued, scratching the back of her neck as she explained, hoping nobody caught her unintentionally staring.

@Lessa @Jomei @Astralin @Astreya