[PP - F9] Boiling Over [Alkor]

[Lessa 1]

It was her first time on the ninth floor. The large metal buildings towered over her, and she found herself a bit put-off by their appearance. They had very little character, and the mixture of metal and rock made her feel a bit like she was in a prison. She shuddered, but kept walking. Though this was a far cry from the sprawling meadows and warm colors that she was used to, she should still give the floor a chance.

Lessa stared in wonder at the NPCs as they wandered about the village. Never before had she seen such interesting attire. The people seemed to be outfitted in chunks of metal, like hastily made, flimsy suits of armor. She figured that some might consider this high-fashion, but she thought the whole thing was a bit like a circus.

On the matter of clothing, Lessa briefly considered doing a bit of shopping. She had accumulated quite a bit of col over the past month, and the thought of spending it excited her. True, the woman had never been a shopper back home. But in SAO, the simple act felt so natural, and she thought it would be a welcome break from the battlefield.

She entered the first tailor shop she happened upon, deciding that there was no better place than the ninth floor to shop. Lessa would rather not run into anyone she knew while modeling different outfits, and the highest floor possible would be the safest place to hide. The door closed behind her with a soft thud, and Lessa moved deeper into the shop, searching for its owner.

[Guest]

When the shop gave him the soundless alert that someone had entered, Alkor called out from the back where he was working. "Welcome!" He called, "feel free to have a look around. I'll be right with you."

While he wasn't used to having customers, something inherent in his code told him how best to deal with them. Alkor was far from great at it, but he wasn't the worst, either. He finished up stitching the embroidered pattern on the trousers he had been working on- good practice, mostly, because people enjoyed their intricacies- and laid them down to head out into the showing area.

"Clothing options are to the left, over here," he indicated with a brief motion of his hand, "and if you're looking to decorate for your shop or hom..." he stopped short when he looked up and saw Lessa. "Oh," he stammered. It was entirely unexpected, and it caused him to blink several times in rapid succession. "Lessa. How can I help you?"

He fidgeted uncomfortably behind the counter, not entirely certain how to handle this situation. There was nothing in the cue cards for "someone I know comes in unannounced to shop." It was something entirely new, and it left him guessing. Alkor decided the best thing was to just let her talk, for now.

[Lessa 1]

She knew that voice.

When he finally turned to look at her, her stomach plummeted. She was right. It was Alkor. Her face flushed, not because she was unhappy or upset to see him, but because it was entirely unexpected. "Hi, Alkor," she replied gently. It had been weeks since she had seen him. The last thing she remembered was a tired boy standing in the doorway of the room he had bought her. When she had woken up, he was gone. A few times, she had considered messaging him to check in, but something always stopped her from sending the note. Their last engagement had been an emotional, and she wondered if maybe he just needed some time away from her. She would understand if that were the case.

But now, he stood before her, clearly as surprised by her presence as she was of his. "I was just looking around," she continued, motioning to the nearest rack of clothes as if to demonstrate. "This is my first time on the ninth floor, so I figured I'd explore the shops a bit."

[Guest]

"Ah," he affected with understanding.

"Well, you're free to browse," he told her, "and if nothing catches your eye, you can ask me and I'll try to make you something more to your liking." He was being nice, but sounded more like a shop owner than a player at the moment.

He walked out from behind the counter and walked toward the door. With a quick glance out and up at the ashen sky, he spied the sun on its daily ascent through the volcanic fumes. Mostly shielded from the toxic affects of the volcano below, the town still smelled of sulfuric, molten rock, and ash. Mostly, he stayed for the fire. It was warm here, more than any floor lower. It reminded him of summertime.

"The mobs are a little more dangerous," he offered conversationally, "but the field boss is cleared, so you won't have to worry about getting ambushed and dying that way." He recalled word from the last raid on the boss, something about a monster with many heads and made of flame. No word had come back since, but Alkor wanted to start another raid. If he got the chance to join in a front line raid and clear a floor, he'd jump for it. "Just stay toward the inner areas of the floor," he warned, "the dungeon is too dangerous for anyone our level. At least, by ourselves."

[Lessa 1]

"Mhmm, alright," she responded, nodding along as he spoke. But truthfully, her desire to go shopping had completely left her. The thought of having the the strong, battle-hardened Alkor sew her a sundress made her a bit uncomfortable. It was no fault of his, but she just had a difficult time seeing him in that role. At the same time, she knew that she would feel guilty going elsewhere.

As he moved toward the doorway, the blonde followed closely. "Thanks for the information. I don't know a whole lot about this floor, but when I heard what it looked like, I figured it would be a great place to find materials." She glanced up at the sky, and wondered again how anyone could find beauty in a place ash blocked out the sun. "I think I'll go out and explore then," she told him, finally. Moving her gaze to meet his, she added, "but I will stay away from the dungeon. For now, at least." She took on a dreamy expression, as if her thoughts had gone elsewhere. "I'd like to be a part of the group that finally clears it out."

[Guest]

"You and me both," he grunted as he walked back to the counter and grabbed his needle. The thread tied to it was still the brilliant gold he'd used for the embroidery on the pantaloons, but now, he prodded it through a new material, and it began to take form.

As he worked, Alkor stared intently down at the piece, shaping it with his hands, cultivating it with his mind. "I haven't had any other customers," he said conversationally. "Guess that's what I get for choosing a floor no one else wants to stay on, huh?"

It wasn't necessarily that it bothered him. As a shopkeeper, it really should have; as a player, of course, Alkor was Alkor. "If you want, I'll close up shop for the day and show you around," he offered. It might be safer for two of them together.

[Lessa 1]

She watched him work from the doorway, arms crossed against her chest, blue eyes focused on his fingers. Lessa was truly impressed by his skill, and more than a little bit surprised that he knew how to use a needle. She should have figured that Alkor would not half-ass anything, especially when it came to his profession. Despite that, had a difficult time comprehending what it was she was seeing. It makes sense, considering the armor he uses, her common sense reminded her.

"Sorry you haven't seen more business," she replied, still watching his fingers move nimbly across the fabric. "Though I imagine that you get a special sort of people way up here." She was refering to the level of the floor, and she figured she should not say what she really thought. Up here on this hot, dirty floor. If Alkor had chosen to set up shop here, it must have meant that he liked the place. She would not spend her time complaining about the floor, just to give them something else to argue about.

When he mentioned exploring with her, she immediately perked up. "Sure. If its not too much trouble, that would be great."

[Guest]

"Special. Right." He snorted a laugh and finished the first touches on the item he had started to craft. It was far from done, but that didn't stop it from looking aesthetically pleasing. In a quick motion, he dropped his needle and turned to face Lessa. "Alright," he said, "material gathering, was it? Not boss battle?" He grinned and pulled up his hood. The heat had never really bothered him on the fourth floor.

Ushering her out the door so he could close up shop, Alkor flipped through his menu and selected "temporarily close," then turned to look Lessa over. Without any words, he gave a shrug and toggled his equipment into their proper, ready slots.

The sword materialized at his hip, same as it always did; for now, Alkor had nothing in his third slot. He was waiting for a good drop, or at the very least, to craft something worthwhile. "So," he asked, "what do you want to hunt first?"

Leading her out of the safe zone in several fast paced minutes, Alkor pointed out on the horizon. The hot ground was sand covered and rocky, and the air was so dry that it almost hurt to breathe. "Salamanders are pretty tough," he suggested. "Or maybe something harder?"

[Lessa 1]

"Ohhh no," Lessa replied, wagging her finger at Alkor. "Remember what happened last time you took me material gathering? Biggest boss battle of my life." The golden haired girl grinned, then shook her head. "I suppose it doesn't matter what we set out to do, we always find ourself in combat. Which is fine by me."

Watching Alkor equip himself reminded her to do the same. She brought up her map, and made a few selections. In a brilliant show of lights, her silver and pink armor appeared on her chest and hands. Her similarly colored claymore materialized on her back. She reached back and ran her her hands through her hair, situating it around the hilt of her sword. She did not want her long hair to get in the way of drawing her weapon, but she also didn't want it to be yanked every time she turned her head. The animes she used to watch certainly made it seem easier to fight with long hair.

She followed closely behind Alkor as he walked, looking out over the land. The atmosphere was not improving. In fact, it seemed to be growing worse. Lessa took a deep breath, and was startled by the dry heat that filled her lungs. It was like sandpaper, and she coughed a few times.

"Eh, we can do salamanders," she replied, wiping at her mouth with her gauntlet. She felt another cough coming about.

[Guest]

"Breathe slow," Alkor told her, "let your nose adjust to the searing heat. Otherwise it'll keep burning when you breathe in." He had spent a lot of time in saunas when he was training back in the real world. He remembered breathing through his mouth, and how it dried out his throat and made him choke the first few times.

The safest area to farm Salamanders was a few kilometers out from the central hub, and Alkor knew the quickest path to it. He led her over about ten yards of dune and pointed down into a valley that seemed to branch out around a small oasis.

"Don't rush in," Alkor warned. "There." He pointed to a lone, convex shape in the sand just outside the perimeter. "There's one off on its lonesome. Let's take that."

[Lessa 1]

"Uh, right," Lessa croaked back, her voice strained. The heat seemed to clog her throat, making it difficult to breathe and even harder to speak. Before SAO, she had done a few sessions of hot yoga. The temperature had been over one hundred degrees, but this was nothing like that. In the studio, the humidity was just as high. She had still been able to breathe. What hung around her now was a cracked, dry heat. Closing her eyes momentarily, she did what Alkor had suggested. Breathe slow. Through your nose. Let your body adjust. It still bothered her, but she figured that there was nothing else she could do about it. Just hope I don't suffocate before I even reach a monster.

The young woman followed Alkor's finger as he pointed into the distance, and she gave a small nod. "I see it," she replied. Of course, she used the term "see" briefly. They were not close enough to make out the specific details, but she could make out the general shape. "I'm ready. I'll follow you."

[Guest]

"You see it, huh?" he muttered as he strode forward, breaking away from her to draw the mob's aggro. "Not yet you don't." There was a dissonance in Alkor's voice as he got further away from her, and his blade found its way into his grip.

In a sudden blur of motion, Alkor surged forward at a system aided speed that came from the sprint skill, which allotted him greater mobility than a player who had invested no points into the passive skill. The creature burrowed beneath the sand responded rapidly, popping free of the grainy prison and howling it's rage at being disturbed toward the heavens.

It was easily twice Alkor's size, and its arms spanned wide enough to envelope him in a deadly embraced if it had any such intention. Razor sharp fangs and claws on the reptile glimmered with a sheen that set them apart from generic enamel. Their natural weapons were obsidian. Fire red bodies only slightly stood out from their surroundings.

Alkor took the split second between the beast popping out of the ground and training is attention on him to slice expertly toward the beast's belly. The creature swiped both angry claws toward him in retaliation, but he slipped narrowly away before any damage could be returned.

Rolled a 10 on the d10 (battle) dice.

Rolled a 4 on the d10 (mob) dice.

Rolled a 9 on the d12 (craft) dice.

Rolled a 6 on the d20 (loot) dice.

Alkor deals 7 damage. (Super Critical)

Salamander deals no damage. (Miss)

Alkor: 19/19

Lessa: 19/19

Salamander: 38/45

[salamander deals 5 damage flat; it has the skill <<Flame Breath>>, which deals damage x2 if if hits and inflicts burn for 2 turns, cooldown three turns]

[Lessa 1]

"Whoa!" Lessa exclaimed, hardly able to contain herself. The beast was much, much larger than she had anticipated, and she was shocked by the raw anger that seemed to roll off of it in waves. Her gaze never wandering from the salamander, she drew her heavy sword. Alkor certainly had a knack for introducing her to bigger, better monsters.

Alkor's first attack dealt serious damage, and Lessa figured mimicking his movements may just yield similar results. She honed in on the creatures stomach, and as soon as Alkor was out of her path, she flew forward.

Unlike her companion, she did not have any sort of speed skill. Furthermore, her heavy weapon and armor weighed her down. There was no possible way for her to be as fast as Alkor, but that did not matter. She was still able to gather the necessary speed. And besides, the punch she packed made up for her lack of speed.

The blonde raked her big, pink blade across the salamander's stomach. The creature gave a snarl of anger as she danced out of its reach, and when she saw how much damage she dealt, she gave a satisfied grunt. The salamander, though angered by her attack, was unable to land one of its own.

{Battle: 10. Mob: 5. Loot: 2.}

{Lessa deals 7 damage - base, +2 critical, +2 Hell Rose, +2 two-handed skill.}

Alkor: 19/19

Lessa: 19/19

Salamander: 31/45

((I'm just going to list my rolls in that format. I'm mobile, so it is easier than trying to copy and paste. Hope that's okay.))

[Guest]

With its attention tuned on Lessa, the Salamander was powerless to detect Alkor coming from behind. It let out a wail of surprise mixed with pain as he stabbed his blade viciously in, then kicked the creature to pry it free.

Though the physical strike dealt no damage (Alkor lacked the martial arts skill to turn his actual body into a weapon), it dent the creature sprawling forward from pure momentum. With a vicious roar, the large creature rounded on the small, dark clad player and raked its claws at him to no avail.

Alkor glanced over to Lessa. "If we keep alternating attacks like this, we may never need to worry about its aggro." He meant it more as a joke, to lighten the mood, but he knew Lessa was going to chide him about going after large creatures again.

Rolled a 6 on the d10 (battle) dice. (Hit)

Rolled a 4 on the d10 (mob) dice. (Miss)

Rolled a 5 on the d12 (craft) dice.

Rolled a 18 on the d20 (loot) dice.

Alkor deals 5 damage.

Alkor: 19/19

Lessa: 19/19

Salamander: 26/45

[Lessa 1]

Lessa met Alkor's gaze as he spoke, and she rolled her eyes. She knew he was trying to soften her up, and help her forget the fact that he kept throwing them into dangerous situations. But the truth was, she could not be too upset with him. He was the exact partner that she needed if she wanted to improve, and he was her only shot at becoming an effective one-liner. Besides, she felt safe around him. It would be a lie to say she was not scared, but deep down, she always felt he would get them through it.

"Let's hope," she finally replied, once again copying his actions. Just as Alkor's had, Lessa's attack found its mark. She buried her blade in the salamander's back, tore it free, and moved out of the angry monster's range. Again, her gaze found Alkor's. "Your move."

{Battle: 6. Mob: 1. Loot: 11.}

{Lessa deals 5 damage - base, +2 two-handed, +2 Hell Rose}

Alkor: 19/19

Lessa: 19/19

Salamander: 21/45

[Guest]

Alkor whipped his blade around as the Salamander turned its attention on him, and he grunted as he held up his blade to block its powerful attack. The dip in his health wasn't immense, but it was substantial enough to leave a chunk of his HP bar depleted. He let out a groan.

"Nice claws," he growled, "now, try mine." In a burst of motion, Alkor swatted away the Salamander's claws and ripped his blade through, leaving another red gash of data streaming from the beast's leg.

Alkor let out a huff, still clearly displeased that he hadn't been quick enough to avoid that last hit. With a shrug, he let the frustration flow away.

Rolled a 6 on the d10 (battle) dice. (Hit)

Rolled a 9 on the d10 (mob) dice. (-3, 6, hit)

Rolled a 12 on the d12 (craft) dice.

Rolled a 18 on the d20 (loot) dice.

Alkor deals 5 damage.

Alkor: 16/19

Lessa: 19/19

Salamander: 16/45

[Lessa 1]

"Careful," Lessa called out to Alkor. She did her best to keep her tone light and joking, but deep down, she did truly did worry a bit every time Alkor was struck. The girl already understood that taking damage was all part of the game, but she still hated to watch Alkor's health bar dip. It always make her a bit queasy.

It was her turn. As Lessa moved to make her next attack, she felt her throat tighten suddenly. Oh no, she thought with a frown. Another coughing spell. She nearly doubled over as her chest tightened, and she gasped for breath. She was still adjusting to the cruel heat and dryness of the floor. When she finally came around, she realized the salamander had moved in on her. She had not expected to make the adjustment to defensive so quickly, and all she could do was dive out of the way as a sharp claw came down over her. Lessa growled. She had not been harmed, but she had not been able to deal any damage either. A wasted turn.

{Battle: 1. Mob: 1. Loot: 10. Attack misses.}

Alkor: 16/19

Lessa: 19/19

Salamander: 16/45

[Guest]

A real challenge at last. Alkor's eyes lit up when the creature raked its sinister claws across his person, truly dealing a heavy amount of damage to his health. When he thrust his own blade through the Salamander in response, his lips curled into a dark smile. "Looks like we traded, that time," he laughed, though it was hardly funny. To anyone else, he might even sound psychotic.

With a harsh shove, Alkor pushed himself back from the beast and took a breath. "Can't dodge everything," he said, making light of the situation. The reality was, he dodged most things. It was only the really dangerous enemies he had to watch out for.

"Your turn," he called over to her, dispelling the tension that had no doubt mounted when she watched him get hit. It bothered him, seeing just how much a scratch could make her worry. He was sure that he would be fine.

Rolled a 7 on the d10 (battle) dice.

Rolled a 9 on the d10 (mob) dice.

Rolled a 9 on the d12 (craft) dice.

Rolled a 13 on the d20 (loot) dice.

Alkor: 12/19

Lessa: 19/19

Salamander: 11/45

[Lessa 1]

The girl clasped her hand over her mouth, smothering the cry that had tried to spill out. The salamander had dealt a lot of damage, but Alkor had acted as if it did not affect him at all. That doesn't matter, a voice in the back of her mind chided. 0 HP is 0 HP, regardless of how well you take it. You're still dead.

She frowned, but gave her companion a small nod when he tried to make light of the situation. "Focus," she growled softly, tightening her hold on the hilt, and looking over the salamander. Its health was dwindling, but that was often the most dangerous time to attack. Monsters grew unpredictable in their weakened, enraged state. She had to be careful.

Lessa lunged forward, bringing her sword up across her body, and preparing to bury it in the beast's side. As she brought the blade down, she was startled by a sudden clang of metal. The salamander had blocked her sword with its claws, and he swatted her away effortlessly. She let out a frustrated cry, but realized she had not put 100% behind the attack. Her mind was still on Alkor. If you want to keep him from getting hurt, you need to focus, and actually deal some damage next time.

{Battle: 3. Mob: 5. Loot: 5. Attack misses.}

Alkor: 12/19

Lessa: 19/19

Salamander: 11/45

[Guest]

This time when the creature swiped for him, Alkor threw himself into the air. In confusion, the beast stared up at him, even as it's hulking weight pulled it through the committed strike, though it scratched only at air.

His sword split through the space between the Salamander's eyes, causing it to reel forward and let out an agonized yelp. Alkor landed his somersault on the monster's back, then proceeded to run down its still quaking tail and slide off.

When he touched down, he smirked at Lessa. "But, like I was saying," he reassured her, "I can dodge most things."

He left the low HP enemy to Lessa, scratching at the back of his head. "We might try looking for a few, smaller monsters after this," he said, looking everywhere but at the woman, who seemed rattled and furious at the same time.

For some reason, she just got so uncomfortable when they were in these situations. Alkor couldn't imagine why.

Rolled a 8 on the d10 (battle) dice. (Hit)

Rolled a 8 on the d10 (mob) dice. (-3, miss)

Rolled a 1 on the d12 (craft) dice.

Rolled a 3 on the d20 (loot) dice.

Alkor: 12/19

Lessa: 19/19

Salamander: 6/45