[OP-F24] Everyone needs a break in the summer! Open for everyone. (Scavenger hunt have started!)

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus paused, confused by the invitation to share more. Hadn’t she already overshared? About real life no less. She didn’t get the impression he was laughing at her expense, but she hadn’t ruled out the questions as social obligations. She resolved to be much more composed this time.

“Yes, relatively new. I doubt I’ll be ready for the next floor boss, but I intend to support the frontliners however I can, even if it’s just having some performance crystals ready for them.”

She dug her feet into the wet sand, doing her best to bury them before the next wave came in. A sharp pain exploded in her left foot, and she yelped as she nearly flew off the ground. She gingerly fished a blue crystal out of the sand. “Zandra really did hide these everywhere,” she remarked. And so much for being composed. She tried to avoid eye contact with the man as she quietly pocketed the crystal. She still had aims to win, after all.

Trying to rein in her wandering sense of curiosity, she limited herself to questions about the game itself. Anything else would probably be rude, or at least unwelcome. “So how long have you been on the frontlines? Any advice for a newcomer? I’ve been thinking about trying for a ‘damage over time’ build, but those seem to require a lot of rare enhancements and abilities to make it all work. What’s your playstyle?” She was rambling—again.
 

Post Action: Dig dig dig
236396 | BD 5 | CD 9 | LD 12. One blue crystal found.

Score: 7
Crystals left in the area:
Red: 13/30
Blue: 10/15
Transparent: 3/3

Edited November 5 by Acanthus

[Cobean 0]

     Cobean was not expecting to get nicknamed immediately. He hadn't had such an interaction since he met Lisha. ...But why "Bluebean"? Was it because he was short and blue haired? It wasn't like people read spoken words instead of hearing them, right? ...Right? Regardless, the fellow blue haired player introduced herself as Adelyte. "Nice to meet you too, Adelyte." Cobean replied with a cheerful smile. Bliss stammered a little, though she remarked that Cobean's username was...cute. Cobean blushed slightly. He wasn't expecting his choice of username to be considered cute...but hey, it was a positive opinion; a compliment, so Cobean was happy to receive it and felt a bit more confident in this username he'd made up.

                    Adelyte made a remark in regards to Cobean's claim of Dexterity, nudging at Bliss with her elbow while doing so, then wondered if he must be a hit with people. Cobean wasn't really the popular kid, mainly due to being the adopted kid with a troubled past. He also failed to understand how dexterity could play a role in popularity, other than acting or performing. He blinked innocently, and his head tilted to the right. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're talking about..." He noted. Adelyte would spot something and rush over to grab it, and Cobean would notice Bliss picking up a pretty shell and slipping it into her inventory. Maybe Cobean should grab himself a nice shell too...

     Bliss suddenly wasn't looking very calm. She unlinked her arm and told the group to go on ahead, that she'd be over by the water. Bliss took off towards the water. He was worried for her, so he took off after her, but tripped over...well, something in the sand. He moved the sand out of the way to reveal a large rock. Cobean got up and dusted himself off. Before he could resume heading towards Bliss, he noticed someone else had gotten to her first(not that it would stop Cobean), and then he was approached by Adelyte, whose words didn't exactly help his mood. "I-I didn't do anything, I swear!" He reacted, waving his hands as he backed away, feeling threatened. Adelyte did not attack Cobean, instead she lightly tapped him and shook her head, revealing that she didn't see him as the type of person to do such a thing. Cobean let out a relieved sigh. "Geez, Adelyte, you don't gotta scare me like that..." He added as his breathing slowed down and restabilized as the adrenaline went down. "I'm not sure if she's ok, I was actually headed for her..." He responded when Adelyte asked if Bliss was alright. He then looked to the rock, and lightly balled fists went to his sides. "Someone should probably break this rock before more innocents trip over its deceptively sandy surface." He remarked, then he was back on his way to try and reach Bliss, hopefully without further interruptions.

             Cobean saw Bliss sitting down by the waves, the other player had only still begun his approach, though he definitely seemed interested... Cobean slowly approached Bliss. "Bliss, are you ok?" He asked, concern clear upon his face.

 

ID# BD: 3(Nothing Found)

Current Score: 2

Edited November 12 by Cobean

[Bliss 0]

The waves lapped rhythmically against Bliss's body, the cool water grounding her, calming her racing mind. She let out a shaky breath, feeling the swell of emotions she'd kept buried too long rise up within her. She didn't want to bottle them up. She knew all too well that in here, that could be deadly. With each breath, she focused on releasing some of that tension. Breathe in… breathe out. She was so lost in the sound of the ocean and the distant laughter of others that she didn't even notice the silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She felt bad for leaving the others behind but she needed a moment. A moment where she could breathe.

Then, a gentle voice interrupted her solitude, and she blinked, snapping back to the present. She looked up to see a young man standing beside her, his kind eyes warm and comforting.  Bliss still hadn't realized she was crying, the waves crashed against her, her face already damp. His presence was calming, like the waves themselves. He was adorable, his smile was pure. "O-Oh! Yeah," she stammered, her voice soft but a little shaky. "I-It is pretty beautiful out here." The man's smile seemed so genuine, so effortlessly kind, that her nerves eased a bit. She managed a small, shy smile of her own. "Hi, A-Astra. I'm B-Bliss." She felt the familiar warmth of nervousness creeping up, but somehow it was different, less tense. There was something about Astra's demeanor that set her at ease, even though she couldn't put her finger on it.

She patted the water next to her, where the waves rolled gently against her chest. "I-I wouldn't m-mind a little company," she admitted, her words hesitant yet sincere. "I was j-j-just… feeling a bit overwhelmed, so I came here to have a moment alone." She began twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers, a nervous habit she couldn’t seem to shake. "Sometimes, it's a lot to be around so many people, y'know?" she added with a sheepish smile, her gaze dropping to the waves as she let herself relax.

It wasn't long after Astra approached her that Bliss noticed another presence approaching, the familiar figure of Cobean, his expression filled with concern as he looked at her. Bliss gave a soft laugh, though it was shaky. "O-Oh. Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she stammered, still twirling a strand of hair nervously around her fingers. "I just… get real n-nervous when I'm surrounded like that." She reiterated so Cobean would be a bit more at ease. Her gaze shifted to the horizon then the water, but when she looked up at Cobean, a small shock hit her, her cheeks were wet. She only now realized she'd been crying this whole time, the tears going completely unnoticed in her attempt to stay calm. FUCK, she thought. Her face went hot as her hands immediately flew to her face to cover it. Please, please tell me no one noticed. She quickly wiped at her eyes, her heart racing from the mix of embarrassment and vulnerability. "I-I'm sorry. I... I..." Bliss was struggling to form the words. She gave a look to both of them, "I-If you wanna join me... both of you. I wouldn't m-mind."

 

Edited November 13 by Bliss

[Astra 0]

"Hi, A-Astra. I'm B-Bliss," the beautiful girl enveloped in the waves said with a shy smile. As Astra looked closely at her blue eyes, he couldn't help but notice a dampness on her face, as if she'd been crying. Bliss patted the water next to her, and expressed that some company wouldn't hurt, so Astra began to sit down in the rolling waves next to her. As he sat down he unbuttoned and took off his linen shirt. Now, with shirt in hand, he was sitting in the water next to the seemingly popular blonde-haired beauty. 

"Bliss, that's a lovely name! I like it a lot. Seems fitting," he said with a soft smile. He had just met her in this moment, but he had a feeling of comfort just sitting next to her. Maybe it was the way she smiled, or maybe it was the way her words came out with a slight stutter, but he already felt a bit of a kinship with her. 

"Here, this might help, if you'd like" Astra said while offering his shirt to her, wiping some of the wetness from her cheeks. "Sorry if that's too forward, if you want you can use my shirt to cry into. I don't mind!" 

Bliss twirled her hair between her fingers and explained to Astra that she had been feeling overwhelmed, and needed a moment alone, away from the attention and jubilee of the rest of the beach goers. It was a feeling he knew too well. Hell, for two years in Aincrad he had felt overwhelmed and stricken with a deep anxiety. It took a lot just for him to walk alongside it. 

"I know exactly what you mean. I get that way sometimes too. Taking a moment for yourself to recalibrate and take in your surroundings can really help. You made the right choice coming and sitting here." Astra looked off towards the azure sky in front of him. "You picked the perfect spot to come to, it's lovely. Just take some time, and focus on your breathing. Maybe the clouds rolling by too. You're doing great!". As he provided the words of affirmation, he had hoped that it would give Bliss some comfort. Even though he had just met her he couldn't help but feel magnetized to her, and wanted to build her up and see her smile. He looked at her once more and smiled with a genuine kindness. 

Just then a blue-haired young man approached both Astra and Bliss, and Astra recognized him as one of Bliss' companions who was locked arm and arm with her. Astra could see the concern on his face, it was clear that he cared for her as well. Maybe the two of them could provide a strong support system for her. 

"The water is beautiful, you should take a seat with us!" He said to Cobean. 

[Jomei 0]

The silent serenity of the beach, small waves crashing against the shore, the excited shouts of other party-goers behind them.. it was all broken as Acanthus suddenly shouted. Jomei turned in his place, completely taken off guard but wanting to make sure the girl is alright. It wasn't often someone felt that much pain in SAO. 

As Acanthus nursed her foot, she would dig the culprit out of the sand with her free hand - one of Zandra's crystals. Jomei would wince at the thought of stepping on one of those things.. so sharp. "Probably wasn't the best idea to hide what are basically caltrops where people are walking barefoot." he would say with a chuckle, "You alright?" The concern in his voice was genuine as he asked her, the bangs that fell onto his face shifted as his head gently tilted. He would turn his body once more to face the ocean, though his attention, and gaze, remained on Acanthus. 

"Ah, good question." Jomei smiled as Acanthus asked about his frontline experience. His eyes turned up to the blue sky for a moment. The more he thought about how long he had been fighting, the more the smile faded. "My first boss fight may have been floor twelve? Maybe thirteen? They all start to blend together." A hand rose to rub at the back of his neck. A heavy sigh caused his shoulders to drop, "There aren't as many 'veterans' left on the raid team. Still alive, most of them anyway, just retired. The constant fight takes a lot out of you." He laughed to try and make light of the situation.. but was there anything light about it? 

"My only advice is to always have a teleport crystal. There's no shame in backing out if things look dicey. We fight so everyone makes it out of this.. Alive. There's plenty of crafters on the frontlines who would be willing to help you out.. so don't be afraid to reach out. As for my build, I was DPS.. but I've actually started making the transition to a tank. I have a feeling it'll better suit me." 

[Adelyte 0]

"Go get'er, Tiger" 

With a gentle push to the back of his shoulder, she saw him off to go chase after the girl. Now about that rock..

She looked down at the stone that had made an enemy of Cobean. Tilting her head at the rock, she would step on it with the heel of her foot.

<Immortal Object>

"I don't think anyone is breaking this anytime soon, my dude."

So instead she just...kicked it - or pushed it, to be exact. Just flipped it over once or twice with her foot. Was it moved from where Cobean tripped over it?
Yes.
Was it out of the way?
Not really.

"Looks like my job here is done." she would say to herself with a smirk as she brushed off her clean hands. Wait, to herself? Taking a quick look around her, she saw that she was, in fact, by herself. Kil had gone off to search for crystals on his own, Bliss was off having her main character moment, and Cobean was going to check on her. 

"Well... shit." she cursed to herself, letting her arms drop to her sides. "Eh, let them have their fun. I'll go try and win this scavenger hunt on my own.. or find someone else to bother."

ID 237767 | BD 1 

[Eliseris 0]

                            Eliseris was on her own again. This was the opposite of what she intended for this event. Granted, the spirit of competition might play a part in it, but who's to say you can't still try to converse in hopes of making friends or allies, even in a competitive scenario such as this? Well, it was a friendly competition, so it shouldn't be that hard, she just needed to find someone else who was on their own, but not on their own volition.

     Eliseris would rather compete with the pinkette that smelled of lavender for now, so perhaps there were better options than...her. Eliseris couldn't put a finger on her as of the moment. Seemed pretty basic to her, she could be a bubbly ally or an insufferable bi-...whatever, point was, Eliseris had to have better options for finding someone to participate alongside, rather than against.
                Then, it seemed as though opportunity would present itself, through one group splitting, leaving a blue haired girl on her own. She sent one off on her own volition to go after one of the others who'd up and left, but aside from that, everyone had simply left her behind...

 

      Eliseris walked over to the girl, wondering if she would rather have someone to be near for this part of the event. "So, they all just up and abandoned you, did they?" She began. A second later she'd break into a slight smile. "I kid of course, I could see how one appeared to be uncomfortable while you sent another towards her on your own volition, only one had gotten up and left, from how I see it." She added. She then noticed she was getting an odd feeling under her foot, and looked down to where she had the foot as she stepped back, a point seemed to be peeking out, so Eliseris lowered herself to pullit out with two fingers, revealing a blue crystal that must have been unwittingly stepped over a few times before its discovery by Eliseris just now. "Don't suppose you'd prefer some company, do you? May I ask how you are faring in the scavenger hunt thus far?" She asked the blunette girl.

@Adelyte

 

ID# 238537 BD: 5(Crystal found), CD: 8(Blue Crystal), LD: 3(Found one Blue Crystal)

 

Crystals found: 2 Red, 1 Blue

Current Score: 5

Crystals left in the area:
Red: 13/30
Blue: 9/15
Transparent: 3/3

Edited December 4 by Eliseris

[Colette 0]

               Colette was now bored. So. Bored.

                              Wandering aimlessly while keeping her eyes out for crystals was no fun without someone else to do it with, or chat with, for that matter. She decided to take a look around for someone, anyone she felt like joining up with. The purple haired girl was off doing her own thing, and even found someone else first. The two bottoms had reunited, alongside someone else joining in...it would be a bad idea for Colette to intrude upon this moment. The two girls that stuck together were out of sight, and Morningstar(along with Willow and that other girl who both showed up and disappeared last minute) was nowhere to be found.

        She soon noticed the girl from the earlier conversation, the one who'd gone to dig a hole. As expected, there were now two guys in the vicinity as well.
    ...Maybe Colette should join in...but nah, she didn't bring a shovel, and besides, digging can be exhausting work...she would happily jump into the conversation, however.

                                          Colette walked over to the players at the hole(or rather, one big hole and a bunch of smaller holes). "Well, well, opened up some holes, and I see some boys are already getting into them, hmm?" She jokingly said to the girl, with a wink, no less. But in all seriousness, Colette found it strange that boys showed up to beach holes like bees show up to sugar water. What was even the point? So weird...
                 Colette spotted two crystals and picked them up. strange how they just seem to be noticed at the  most random of times...or maybe it was an attention span thing? Not that Colette had any attention span problems, of course.

@Acanthus @Jomei @Gambit

 

ID# 238541 BD: 7(Crystal found!), CD: 3(Red Crystal), LD: 14(found 2 Red Crystals)

Crystals: 5 Red, 1 Blue

Current Score: 8

 

Crystals left in the area:
Red: 11/30
Blue: 9/15
Transparent: 3/3

Edited December 4 by Colette

[Cobean 0]

                Bliss had been crying. Bliss had been crying.

       Cobean understood that there were moments when stress can drive people to tears, and based on what she explained, it fit the bill. Cobean kept silent about the tears for Bliss's sake. Bliss said it was fine if the two others present wanted to stick by her for the time being. The white haired guy offered for Cobean to sit down as well, speaking about the view. Well, he was intending to sit down anyway, so why not?
       Cobean sat down beside Bliss, and noticed that something was poking up into his avatar's leg. Cobean moved his leg and pulled out the object, which turned out to be a crystal. He dusted it off, revealing its color to be a brilliant blue. "Huh...Neat."

    Well, hopefully with this experience, he could make more friends at this event than he thought he would today.

 

ID# 238547 BD: 10(Crystal Found+Bonus), CD: 8+1=9(Blue Crystal), LD: 1+1=2(One Blue Crystal Found)

Crystals found: 2 Red, 1 Blue

Current Score: 5

 

Crystals left in the area:
Red: 11/30
Blue: 8/15
Transparent: 3/3

Edited December 5 by Cobean

[Acanthus 0]

"You alright?"

“Fine. I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” Acanthus burned with embarrassment. First she sat down and dumped backstory on a stranger like she was setting up a terrible novel. Then, she had decided to shout as she sat down on a crystal she had been too blind to notice the first time around (two more, as a matter of fact). She wanted to disappear, but she could only excuse herself so many times before she became the “weird, anti-social newbie.” It’s a quest, she reminded herself. Quests have setbacks. And sometimes setbacks are acting like someone from another planet.

She listened intently to Jomei’s advice, trying her hardest to maintain the appropriate amount of eye contact. When he started talking about teleport crystals, she frowned.

“I have to admit I didn’t realize those were a thing here. I’ve seen players use healing crystals and the like, but never one to teleport. Where can I get one of those?”

Before he could respond, Acanthus caught a splash of pink from the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw an unfamiliar player. "Well, well, opened up some holes, and I see some boys are already getting into them, hmm?" Acanthus debated repeating her entire story about her dad and his fascination with searching beaches with metal detectors, and how that had inspired her to bring a shovel to the scavenger hunt and do the same. Instead, she decided to summarize as best she could.

“My dad likes holes too. That’s why I’m here.”

Acanthus watched the girl with a sliver of hope. She seemed like the type that would enjoy talking. If Acanthus could get her conversing, she could sit back and listen for a little bit. Although the crystals come first.

“Hi there, my name is Acanthus. This is Jomei, just in case you haven’t met him yet—but I don’t think we’ve met yet, either. Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?”
 

* * *

Post Action: Searching for Crystals
238592 | BD 4, CD 7, LD 11 | 2 Red Crystals found.

Current Score: 9

Crystals left in the area:
Red: 9/30
Blue: 8/15
Transparent: 3/3

Edited December 7 by Acanthus

[Gambit 0]

Suffice to say that Gambit did not find any crystals. 

Well, he hadn't really been looking for them, either. Despite what he'd told the lady who'd (uninvited) joined him in digging his hole, Gambit wasn't in it for the rewards in the slightest. He was in it for the love of the game. The lady had left him alone for the most part, and that was just fine for him. He didn't know or even wish to know about the treasure hunt the others were embroiled in. He had greater plans. 

But greater plans would have to wait. After wordlessly toiling away at his hole's excavation, Gambit had struck rock. The harsh impact of spade on stone was all it took for the shovel to shudder and completely shatter in his hands, leaving Gambit woefully empty-handed. With a huff and a sigh, Gambit clambered up and out of the hole, leaving the steadily growing group of players behind him. 

They just didn't get it. 

[Zandra 0]

Zandras eyes scanned across the beach, the field and the nearby forest. She actually got a little surprised of how many it was that decided to join in on the hunt, searching for crystals. Seemed most have started to search the beach and digging holes to find them. Almost all of the ones she had hidden there had been found. A quick glance towards one of the tables and she did see that one of the plates tilted, like it was laying over something. There was also a faint shine in one of the trees that it seemed noone had yet to find. A smile on her lips when she remembered last time she had arranged a summer break with a scavenger hunt. That time she had hidden one of the tree rarest crystal in her pocket. There had been different opinions on her choice to doing so, so she had decided to not repeat it.

It seemed over two thirds of the red ones had been found, and about half of the blue ones. So the hunt was approaching its end. She actually thought it was kind of exciting and she looked forward to see who of the one dosen players it would end up beeing the victor. Thou she was still not sure if she would give out the price. She have not mentioned it, but it would feel good to make them happy for getting something from the hunt. Well, except her wallet. At least it would be a bit lighter after today so would be easier doing long travels with not needing to carry as much.

Crystals left:
Red: 9
Blue: 8
Transparent: 3

 

Edited Monday at 12:37 AM by Zandra