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[PP - F05] A Fish Out of Water <<The Traveler>>


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"Too hot..."

Merlin was sipping a bottle of water as he wandered around the settlement of "Fortaleza". He was out of his element here, coming from a cold area in real life. But he wanted to explore the lower levels, and the design of the blade did hail from a region in the desert. However, that didn't make the heat any better.

Trying to avoid being fried, he entered into one of the many taverns in the area. Letting out a sigh of relief from the cooler temperature, he found himself at a bar stool. Hoping that outside drinks were allowed, he let himself enjoy the comfort of the bar and the protection from the sun.

Relaxed, he glanced around and took note of a hooded npc at one of the back booths. Curious, he resolved meet them after his drink. But as he slowly drained his bottle, Merlin felt a little lonely. He's only talked to NPC's for his two years, with only brief questions to other players for research. Shaking off that depressing thought, he continued to sip his drink.

[Declared Inventory]

Spoiler

 

» The Devil's Suit [2x Loot Die]

Spoiler

 

Name: "The devils Suit"

Your Profession: Tailor

Your Rank: 4

ID: 85958

Roll: 10+1

Item Type: suit (clothing)
Tier: 1

Quality: rare

Enhancements: Loot Die (2)

Description: Just look at the picture ^^. A dark suit that looks very well.

Post Link: (Self-Explanatory)

 

» Paralyzing Blade [2x Paralyzing - 1x Accuracy] 

Spoiler

Name: Paralyzing Blade
Your Profession: Blacksmith
Your Rank: 9
ID: 104576
Roll: 11
Item Type: Curved Sword
Tier: 1
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: Paralyze 2x, Accuracy 1x
Description: Made for self defense, this blade looks to stun the target and incapacitate them. The blade is modeled to look similar to Shamshir-e-Zomorrodnegar for fun.
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/1065-shop-f1the-blazing-typhoon-rank-10-grand-master-blacksmith/?do=findComment&amp;comment=555327

» 3 Bread

» 3 Water 

» 2 T1 Health Potions of Uncommon Quality (+40HP)

 

[Declared Skills]

Spoiler

 

Non-combat:
» 

Passive:
» Search and Detect (Rank 1)

Combat:
»

Weapon skills:
» One-Handed Weapons (Rank 1)

 

[Consumed 1x Water]

@Froppy

Edited by Merlin
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Tsu had been exploring more of the lower floors lately, trying to wrap up quests in each one of them. The remaining quests in floors 1 through 4 were mostly for higher levels, so Tsu moved on to floor 5. It was a super hot floor as Tsu expected, so she simply dressed lightly and wore a baggy white shirt along with black shorts. Walking around, there was mostly NPCs, as most players didn't like this floor, but Tsu liked it so far because of that. After getting tired quicker than usual from the heat, Tsu stepped inside one of the taverns to cool off.

Looking around, Tsu could only spot one other player in the area, so she sat down next to him, as he also seemed to be having heat trouble. "Hello, ribbit. What brings you to this floor? It is rather hot in temperature out here, rrrrrribbit." Tsu asked, leaning against the bar and looking at him. To cool off a little bit more, Tsu slipped her shoes off to give her feet some cool air as well. It was relaxing in the bar, although she had to some quests to do, so she couldn't stay for long.

Spoiler

Tsu's Stats:

Level: 12 HP: 240 Energy: 24 DMG: 1

 

Edited by Froppy
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His attention was shifted from his glass to next to him. Unsure whether the ribbits he heard were caused due to dehydration, he took her greeting in stride. Taking a glance at her demeanor, Merlin began to relax. Loosening the tie around his suit and rolling up his sleeves, he smiled as the tavern's shade cooled him down. He raised his bottle as a greeting to Froppy.

"I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't dressed up for this type of place. But I've stayed on floor one for a few years now, and it's time to move on. You?"

While waiting for Froppy to answer, Merlin continued to sip his drink. It was lukewarm by this point, but he didn't seem to mind as he finished up his drink, listening to her all the while. Though, in the back of his mind, the hooded figure still remained and his gaze would wander between Froppy and the back booth.

 

 

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Tsu collected her thoughts and relaxed a little bit when this player turned out to be at least somewhat friendly. He had said he spent a few years on floor 1, and it was quite apparent from his choice of clothes that he wasn't fit for here, and most certainly had no knowledge of the temperature beforehand. "I studied up a little bit on all the floors, so I know what to wear, ribbit. You'll catch on each floor soon. Don't worry, rrrrribbit." Tsu reassured, before ordering a drink herself, to which the bartender slid a drink down the counter and Tsu caught it with her tongue. Tsu grabbed the cup from her tongue with her hand and took a sip while her tongue went back into her mouth. "I've been living on floor 10 for about a year and a half now, ribbit. Although lately I've been travelling more now, trying to switch things up a little bit, rrrrribbit." Tsu answered his question, before taking another sip. Tsu then held her hand out to shake, looking at the player in the eyes. "I'm Tsuyu, but my friends call me Tsu, nice to meet you, ribbit." Tsu introduced herself, a smile almost forming on her face.

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Merlin hummed in thanks for the support. Going through his inventory for another water, he was interrupted by the sight of her tongue. Doing a double take, he confirmed to himself that this wasn't a illusion. However, instead of a normal reaction, Merlin's eyes glimmered in curiosity. Yes, he placed studying magic and by extension the supernatural on a back burner for the sake of exploration, but that didn't stop his thoughts from wondering.

"They're are either curses in this game, or in real life. Though from her demeanor she's lacking the "Going Insane" part of most curses. Maybe a spell? Or just born with it?"

For the moment, he placed his thoughts down and accepted her handshake. Meeting her eyes, the glimmer of interest still hasn't faded from his pupils. Breaking the handshake, he gave her a smile, perhaps trying to make up make up for her almost formed one.

"My name is Aden, Merlin in game. Likewise."

 

 

 

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Tsu saw Merlin's curious reaction to her tongue and blushes a little bit. "Sorry about the tongue, ribbit. I try not to let people see it. It's just a part of me, rrrrrribbit." Tsu apologized, not sure if the curiousity was out of disgust or interest. Regardless, it was a little embarassing she had just let a random player see her tongue so soon. He shook her hand and introduced himself as Aden, Merlin in game. "Nice to meet you Merlin, ribbit. I take it you're just travelling here for your first time? I can stay close by if you want, I'm decently levelled, rrrrrribbit." Tsu offered, not really wanting to see anything happen to this seemingly nice guy. Considering he had been on floor 1 for so long, there was no way he was very experienced. "Were you planning on taking some kind of quest, ribbit? I can come along if you need a frog buddy. I'll heal you too, rrrrrribbit." Tsu added, a slightly curious look on her face as she looked Merlin up and down to try and pinpoint what level he was.

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He waved her off when she apologized about the tongue, paying no mind to it other than interest.. As Froppy brought up level, he took a glance at his level in the corner of his eye. Displayed in white was "Level 5". Though he was unsure what decently leveled entailed and if he fell into that group, he responded nonetheless after she finished.

"Yes. For next time, I'm bringing my casual clothes. Now that you mention it, there is a npc that I wanted to talk to. Specifically, the hooded person sitting..."

Shifting his gaze, he realized that the cloaked woman was standing behind them. She gives her quest spiel and the notification appears in front of Merlin. He was about to press yes, but he stopped, remembering something. Opening up his menu, he sent Froppy a party invitation, and a small grin appeared on his countenance.

"Up for searching for this?"

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Tsu was glad that Merlin had simply waved off her whole tongue thing, not really pressing her for questions. Merlin then answered her question by saying he would dress more casual on this floor next time, adding that there was a quest he wanted to do. Sure enough, the quest NPC for said quest was already behind them, going through the usual dialogue for the quest before Merlin got the quest offer. So it was the traveller quest it seemed, and Tsu was looking forward to it. It was a rather easy one, with no combat, so Tsu didn't have to worry about Merlin dying at all. He sent a party invite to Tsu after getting the offer and asked if she wanted to go, and Tsu immediately accepted, tapping the check mark with her tongue. "Sure, ribbit. I was mostly just planning on exploring this floor. But now I can just explore and do a quest, ribbit. I recommend that we should leave now since we are on a bit of a time limit, rrrrrrribbit." Tsu said, getting off of the bar stool, walking over to the tavern door and holding it open for Merlin. "Humans first, rrrrrribbit!" Tsu joked, a smile once again almost forming on her face.

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Accepting the quest for both of them, Merlin followed suit and stood up. He rolled his eyes at her comment, but his smile didn't fade as he stepped through the doorway. Until the heat hit him once more, and making him groan internally. Despite that, he was in a good mood meeting Tsu. Following a path out of town, he came to the sandstone gates of "Fortaleza". That is when he heard the sand storm brewing outside of the walls. They were protected in town, but outside...

He felt a moment of hesitation, but it was dispelled. Determined to not let dust blowing around get in the way of his exploration and by connection his research, he hailed one of the guards standing around to open the gate. The sight lay before them was hued in orange, with the sharp rocks jutting out of the land being ominous shapes in the distance. Merlin stepped through the gate and pulled his collar over his mouth.

Before treading further, he would wait for Froppy till he took the next step.

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Tsu followed Merlin out of the tavern and headed towards the desert they would have to go through. The heat was really kicking in, and Tsu was dreading how things would go once they walked outside into the sandstorm. "This heat is miserable, ribbit..." Tsu muttered as they approached the gate that went out of town. Tsu was already getting sick of the flies that started to buzz around them, so Tsu caught them all quickly with her tongue, eating 6 of them. Looking out at the desert, the orange landscape combined with the ominous rocks in the distance made the whole thing seem dangerous, even though the only real threat was the sand. "Are you ready to go, ribbit? I am ready whenever you are. As long as you're not level 1, this quest is super easy, rrrrribbit." Tsu said, already knowing how much damage the sand did, which was enough to 1 hit kill a level 1 player.

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Agreeing with her complaints, he continued to listen to her. Admittedly he was distracted by Tsu using her tongue to catch flies, and started to believe she had the spirit of a frog placed inside her. Clearing his mind of his stray thoughts, he pulled down his collar to reveal a smile.

"I refuse to back out now. Let's head out.

Turning back around, he took his first steps into the sandstorm. Bracing himself, he pulled up his collar again. Pressing into the desert, he realized that the winds weren't as bad as they looked. Mumbling thanks, he continued to press onward. While trekking through the storm, he kept a close eye on both his and her health, and his level caught his eye once more. His next words were muffled, though still discernible through the winds.

"From your words, this should be a simple quest as I'm level five. On that note, what is yours?"

[Sandstorm Damage]

ID: 104835

CD: 9 [Success]

Edited by Merlin
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Tsu followed Merlin and walked beside him on their path to find the cargo, and wasn't too surprised that the sandstorm didn't do any damage to her or Merlin. It picked up at some points, but that was a rare occassion. What was not rare was the heat bearing down on them, which Tsu still hated. Merlin asked what level she was, stating that he was level 5. "I'm level 12, ribbit. Both of us will be fine. Even if we get hurt, our health regenerates on it's own, rrrrrrribbit." Tsu answered, glad that Merlin was pretty much guranteed not to die. Tsu was now getting hotter by the minute, so Tsu slipped off her shirt and started using it as a rag. She had on a green bra underneath that revealed a bit of her big chest. "I can't wait for this quest to be done with, ribbit. I have been dreading doing this one. The heat is really kicking in here, rrrrrrribbit." Tsu said as she let her tongue hang out about a foot out of her mouth.

ID: 104838

CD: 7 (No Damage)

Edited by Froppy
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Reassured by Tsu, Merlin began to believe that this was similar to one of his normal wanderings, just with a hint of spice added. Continuing to listen, he was impressed by her level and began to wonder about floor ten. Hearing her complain again, he turned next to him to check on her.

For a moment, he believed that he was hallucinating. But after a second glance, he tried to rationalize the situation. Reasoning to himself that if there was a frog spirit laying within her, it wouldn't concern itself with clothes. Though he began to counter that argument with the fact that she wore clothes in the first place.

As he waged an internal conflict, he realized that he was staring and looked away. Further loosening his tie, a new source of red bloomed on his cheeks. Attempting to relax, Merlin began to focus at the task at hand. Turning on his "Search" skill, he looked around for anything which stood out. Seeing a peculiar rock formation, he changed his course towards it. Now relaxed, Merlin started to chat.

"I would also prefer if we can talk without sand getting into our mouths. This quest, what are the rewards?"

[Sandstorm Damage]

ID: 104839

CD: 8 [Success]

Edited by Merlin
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Tsu noticed that Merlin's cheeks had turned a shade of red, and Tsu didn't really get why. "What's wrong, ribbit? Is the heat getting you that bad? Here, wipe yourself with this, rrrrrribbit.Tsu said as she slipped off her shorts, revealing her green panties. She handed her shorts to Merlin before following him over to the peculiar rock formation. "It feels nice now, ribbit. Clothes really weigh you down in heat like this. Just I like not having to wear clothes as much as others, it frees me a little in the heat like this, rrrrrrribbit." Tsu said as she looked at the rock formation, finding it a bit interesting. As she and Merlin looked, he asked what the rewards for the quest were and Tsu answered quickly. "This quest gives you a skill that lets you not take terrain damage, ribbit. Ironically, this is one of the only quests that it's actually useful on. The skill is only really helpful for helping others, rrrrrrribbit." Tsu answered, having a short giggle about to herself, trying not to smile still. 

ID: 104840

CD: 6 (No Damage)

Edited by Froppy
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Observing the formation, he realized that this was a land mark for travelers. As he studied it further, his focus solely remained on the rock. When offered her shorts, he thanked her and used it to wipe his brow before comprehending what she gave him. His attention was placed fully on her. He focused on her eyes and dared not to look down. Though from the corner of his eye, he noted that her under wear matched. Continuing to distract himself, he spoke up.

"Yes, however heat isn't my only concern... It does seem pointless. Though if there was a skill that could nullify all this dust blowing around it would be welcome, especially for exploring."

Unsure what to do with her shorts, he handed it back to Tsu. His eyes began to wander, though not for normal reasons. Merlin was wondering how all of that sand wasn't irritating her bare skin. At any rate, he was starting to accept the nudist tendencies of his companion, though that didn't make it anymore distracting. Prying his gaze away, he began to look around for anything that may lead them to the abandoned caravan.

[Sandstorm Damage]

ID: 104841

CD: 8 [Success]

Edited by Merlin
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Tsu noticed that now Merlin still wasn't really looking at her much, seemingly embarassed by something. Tsu handed the shorts back to him before starting to walk away from the rock formation. "You can hold on to them, ribbit. But how come you are blushing? Did I do something wrong, rrrrrrribbit?" Tsu asked, turning around and walking backwards while facing Merlin, her boobs now bouncing with almost every step due to the ground becoming more soft with sand. Merlin gave his own insight on the skill from this quest and said it would be useful for exploring, to which Tsu nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess it could be helpful for whenever I have to gather ingredients, ribbit. Sometimes my errands can get a little dirty, at least for human standards. A skill that just blocks that out would be nice, rrrrrrribbit." Tsu said in response, finding her own use for the skill. "From what I've heard, this caravan is so far from town that we have to camp out for the night, ribbit. That's why we have such a long period of time to find it. So are you fine with camping out here, rrrrrrribbit?" Tsu asked, making sure Merlin was okay with all of this.

ID: 104843

CD: 9 (No Damage)

Edited by Froppy
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Running his hand along the rock, Merlin attention remained firmly on the rock. Needless to say, he missed the physics engine acting on Tsu. Though he was facing away from her, he was listening to her. His blush momentarily grew as she began to question him about his reactions towards her. But he swallowed his embarrassment once more. After she finished her piece, he would begin to search for the side of the rock which protected them from the winds.

"It is simply the heat. I lived in a cold area outside of the game, making me vulnerable to these temperatures."

Finding a area where they were partially protected, he settled down and leaned against the rock. His gaze wandered to the sky, where the sun was beginning to set. While never personally experiencing the desert night, he has studied meteorology to find out the perfect place to cast rituals. Hoping that this game mirrored real life in this instance, he held her shorts out to her.

"Yes. Keep it, it will help against the cold of the night."

[Sandstorm Damage]

ID: 104888

CD: 4 [Success]

Edited by Merlin
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Tsu started to get tired of walking, so she went back to her normal form of moving which was her frog hops. She kept the same pace as Merlin, so it wasn't really too much of a difference than walking. The heat was finally starting to disappear, so Tsu put her shorts and shirt back on to not get so chilly. "For me, I don't like how dry it is, ribbit. I grew up in an... often damp place, so I'm more vulnerable to dry places like deserts. The heat isn't too bad honestly, rrrrrrribbit." Tsu said, responding to Merlin's explanation for his blushing. The sun was setting, so she knew that they would have to set up camp soon. Possibly it would be a good idea to set up camp near the caravan just so the next day would be a simple walk back to the town. "So is there anything you wanted to talk about, ribbit? We're going to be out here for a while, so I figured that we get to know each other. Anything you were wondering, rrrrrribbit?" Tsu asked, looking up at him as she hopped alongside Merlin. The sand still wasn't doing anything to Tsu, and it seemed as though the winds were dying down a little bit at night.

ID: 104890

CD: 9 (No Damage)

Edited by Froppy
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Continuing along, he saw a object in the distance that alerted his "Search" skill. Changing his course once more, he took a brief glance at Tsu, breathing a sigh of relief when she became decent. Seeing her hop along, his previous curiosity was sparked once more, especially when she spoke of her environment back home. Wondering if she was truly a frog spirit, her next question was a gift.

"When you joked earlier at the bar, you referred to me as human. Do you not see yourself as one?"

The object he was traveling towards became clearer, revealing itself to be the abandoned caravan. Goods wrapped in cloth and tied together with rope lay around them. He gave a smile in relief, and let out a small cheer. Sitting down, he pulled down his collar and opened up his inventory. He passed a bottle to Tsu, and began to sip from the remaining one. 

[Sandstorm Damage]

ID: 104911

CD: 5 [Success]

[Traded 1x Water]

[Consumed 1x Water]

 

Edited by Merlin
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Tsu saw the caravan in the distance and continued hopping alongside Merlin as they made their way towards it. When Merlin asked if Tsu saw herself as a human, she paused for a little bit. "No, ribbit. Even if it's only 14% of me, that amount is still enough to seperate me. Growing up, most people never saw my family as human, so I got used to it after a while, rrrrrrribbit." Tsu answered, now looking at the caravan, glad that they finally reached their destination. Tsu grabbed the bottle that Merlin gave her and took a sip, finding it refreshing. "Thanks for letting me come along, ribbit. It would have stunk trying to do this quest alone. Although we should start setting up camp now, rrrrrribbit." Tsu said, opening her inventory and getting out her usual exploration tent, setting it up next to the caravan. "Setting up camp is a lot easier in SAO with how things are already prepared, ribbit. I say we head inside to stay away from the sand while we wait for night to fall, rrrrrribbit." Tsu said as she hopped into the tent, sitting down inside.

ID: 104916

CD: 10 (No Damage)

Edited by Froppy
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