Oikawa

"Anytime, young man. Anytime." Docking the ship, the NPC allowed the two passengers to exit before tipping his hat and pushing back into the waters. Puzzled, Oikawa questioned him. "Not going to wait to see if I can get the ship back or not?" The older man shrugged. "Not much my concern. I'm just suppose to bring you here. Nothing more. Nothing less," he said with a chuckle. "Good luck adventurer! We shall await your return." "That's rather cold," thought the brunette as he watched him depart. In moments, he would be gone. A mere silhouette at sea. Turning, Oikawa motioned for King to follow. The ship was visible on the other side of the dock, but the aforementioned thieves were nowhere to be found. A low growl emitted from the cub as they approached the ladder leading further up the pier. A tent colony of sorts laid just above in the rocks and seemed like would be where they could find the culprits. "You ready King?" The cub nodded before leaping up to the dock. "Lets retrieve a ship then."

[Equips Eye of Horus [+2 Accuracy | +3 Recovery]]

"Quite the lucky haul there, lad," explained the older man in a congratulatory tone. "You may as well open it. Were about to dock soon." Nodding his head in agreement. Oikawa had King move to the opposite side of him as he began to try and dismantle the chest. Unlike the times where he had Shield use one of his handy keys, the brunette realized he'd just have to open it the old fashioned way. "Well, here goes nothing," he said as the lid flew open to reveal three thousand plus Col, some materials, a perfect unidentified light armor, and two rare unidentified tier three materials. "Interesting," he mused as accepted all the items into his inventory.

"Well if nothing else, this chest was worth the trip".

As they neared the docking area, Oikawa re-equipped his <Eye of Horus> and stowed away his eggs and fishing rod. "Thanks for the ride," he chimed.

He didn't expect the NPC to understand,; however, he was surprised the old man had insight to offer on the topic. "From what I know, Chests, Sub-Dungeons, and now even Fishing with this event are very beneficial to those that hold professions. Investing in Searching, Gatherer, and Picking would make excellent use of your of skill points for the time being at least." The old man wasn't wrong, but Oikawa didn't nearly have enough skill points to do such a thing. At least not at the moment. His gaze then switched to the pier looming in the darkness. At long last they were approaching its shores. Taking one last look at the waters, he let his rod hand out until they docked. Surprisingly, the line twitched with life as the hook snagged something from below. Cranking the reel back, Oikawa managed to haul the <Treasure Chest> on board safely. "Well speaking of chests eh?"

"Quite so," responded the uncle as he turned the boat further north. "It is safe to assume that we will be arriving shortly. I imagine you must be quite strong if you plan to take them all on yourself however." Oikawa's amber gaze glossed over the uncle. "Well I won't be completely alone, I'll have him with me," Oikawa gestured to the cub that suddenly materialized behind him. "King ups my damage and given my weapon of choice, I should fair quite well against these pirates." Confident in his response, his attention was captured by King who begin eyeing the bobber that was suddenly dipping below the surface. "Ahh perhaps more eggs," exclaimed the brunette as he began to reel in his next haul. He was right on the money as half a dozen eggs filled his lap alongside an ore the fish happened to carry. "I should really invest in Searching again. Chest hunting was all the rage a few moths ago."

The uncle continued to push the boat further and further into the deep. He paused only briefly to answer the brunette's question. "Well for starter's that kid is an idiot. Why he would take up such a big job in these waters I will never understand. Supposedly the thieves caught wind of the shipment and sought out to steal it before dawn. Unfortunately for my nephew they were armed and had numbers. He never stood a chance I reckon." Oikawa shifted in his seat to address the man further. "So are they notorious for being around this area? Why would he put himself in that much dang-?"

"Hold that thought," Oikawa stated as he wrestled with his line again. This time he was in luck. The flopping scaled critter held four eggs for him to collect before tossing it back into water. "I imagine we should be approaching soon no?" Oikawa questioned.

The old man simply watched on as they rowed out further. Oikawa hadn't been on many quests where he actually had to interact with the NPC's for an extended amount of time. Normally he would just receive the quest, kill the problem, retrieve the answer and return it to the quest giver. This one was far different. Though it didn't bother him to sit in silence. Except for this time. Swapping out his <Eye of Horus> for the <Gate of Babylon>, he questioned the NPC.  "So how did he lose his ship exactly. I mean I know it was stolen, but given the goods why didn't he have more help?" He let the question hang for a moment. His line, previously slack, had suddenly tightened beneath him and he was sure he had managed a good-sized catch. However, he was wrong. A bushel of seaweed was all that was wrapped around his hook as he snatched from his line and tossed it over the boat. "Well that was a waste," he noted.

Nodding towards the uncle, Oikawa glanced back at the sailor. "Seems easy enough. I will reclaim your ship and be back by nightfall as you requested." Glancing towards the uncle, he motioned for him to get a move on. "You are with me foolish sailor's uncle." The withered man simply nodded and prepped the boat for departure. "Thank you adventurer," exclaimed the sailor. "Thank me in rewards when this is over, " retorted the frontliner as he pushed past the sailor and headed for the makeshift rowboat. "I'm not good at rowing so I expect you to get us there safely 'uncle'."

"Aye," responded the older fellow as he gently pushed them from the docks and began rowing them out east. "Since this looks like it'll take a little bit, I should fish on our way there. "Even on quests like these, there are eggs to be found. And if I'm to be prepared for what is to come on Floor 25, I'll need to get my gear in order first." Retrieving the fishing rod from his inventory, he let the line drop into the waters below. 

"I shall help you, foolish sailor. Now, how might I find your stolen ship?" Oikawa asked. The frantic sailor scrambled to his feet before pointing eastward across the darkened waters. "M-my ship was last perched n-near <<Ill Man’s Cove>>. I-It be the rundown pier with two decrepit shacks built into rugged cliff face o-over yonder. It is rather noable f-for its shady dealings." "I see," mused the brunette. "What do the thieves look like? How many?" he questioned further. "W-Well there is a few deckhands, maybe five or so, a couple of boatswains and Burlock himself," muttered the sailor in disdain. "H-He wears a stupid Ca-aptain's Hat and is rather large. Ya' can't miss em." Shuffling towards Oikawa, the sailor enabled boat tracking and marked his map where he could find it. "You can use my uncle's rowboat to get there," explained the Sailor as his uncle suddenly emerged at the docks. "That's fine by me," explained the brunette as he adjusted his items.

[Equips Gate of Babylon: +3 LD]

Eerie. The docks were eerie to say the least. Clad in his signature white robes and gold jewelry, Oikawa made his way to the quest giver known for having his boat stolen. Last he had heard the NPC kept to themselves near the end of the docks, over looking the murky waters. Approaching the end of the dock, a figure came into view. A few figures to be exact. As the wood beneath his feet creaked, the NPC turned and began his prompt. "Y-you there! Have you the heart to aid a foolish sailor? You see, this shipment is due for departure come morn… and my ship’s been thieved! It’s those purloinin’ pirates, Greybeard’s lot or something-or-other. I would lead an effort to retrieve it but folks round ‘ere pay no mind to the business of others. Don’t suppose you could lend a hand?” 

Seeing as how that was the reason he even sought the man out, Oikawa clicked accept at the quest prompt.

"So a date?" questioned the brunette with a smirk. Glancing over to Shield to see what he had to say about it, he was met with his usual stoic expressions. Though Oikawa swore for a moment his look towards Mari was that of 'you're on your own with this one'. Shrugging it off, Shield returned his focus to his fishing. Returning his focus to Mari, Oikawa stifled a laugh her next comment. "When you word it like that, it sounds like..err..oh...nevermind aha." Straightening his face, he raised a brow in thought for a moment. "I'm not quite sure why it happens to be honest with you. Maybe you just have that attraction about you," a sly grin appearing. "But enough of that talk Snowflower. Tell me about your date? Is it with the fisherman or another fellow?" he asked directly.

Turning to Shield, he responded to his previous comment. "It's tragic how right you are," confirmed the brunette to Shield as they both launched their lines again. "It is interesting how such a niche play style can yield so many more rewards than that of a traditional build though. Was that your goal when you initially logged in or was it a result of observation?" he would ask to the tank as he himself reeled in another eight eggs.

@Shield @Mari

Oikawa stifled a laugh as Mari recounted whatever silly thing Shield had her do as a result of their last competition. "And what pray tell, might that have been?" he questioned. She wasn't wrong about the floor treks however. It wasn't often he became tired from those, especially after traversing for this long. That said, he had been feeling a lot more exhausted these days and it could be that the stress and depression was affecting him more than normal. He sighed, dismissing the thought in the process and focusing on the line ahead.

"You're right, perhaps I just find you...comfortable," he managed to squeak out as he reeled in another half dozen eggs. Glancing over to everyone else's piles, his brow furrowed in disappointment. "Man that nap really set me back. It's nearly impossible to stay ahead of you two now. Hopefully one of you fishes up another chest instead of more eggs." Not that fishing up chests were bad by any means. Heck most players would be ecstatic to get one these days with how much better gear there was to be had on higher floors.

@Mari @Shield

Reassurance. The singular word to describe the feeling he felt from this camaraderie among frontliners and friends. Though they had only met a few times previously, Oikawa nodded in Shield's direction with his proclamation. It was a weird feeling knowing that they had his back, even though it should come as no surprise from the other two. After he had been through thick and thin with them both and even after he lost it in the forest with Azide, they still remained his close friends anyway. In a way, he was blessed with to have this group. Even if was short a few key people. His mind wandered to the like of Ariel. A self-imposed rival of his since the early days. She even went as far as to create a guild to oppose Square One and dawned the same weapon as him before he made several changes to get his current weapon of choice. Then thoughts of Jomei, Takao, Teayre, and many others swirled about. "What ever happened to them," he whispered aloud. Though any who heard him would likely be confused due to lack of context.

Shrugging it off, Oikawa reeled in his line as it tugged on him once more. Retrieving the small collection of eggs and materials from the fish harboring them, Oikawa realized that he still hadn't said anything notable out loud. Rubbing the back of his neck, he offered them his gratitude. "E-erm, thanks guys. It's reassuring to know that at minimum I have you lot on my side." It wasn't much of a thank you, but it'd have to suffice. Deep down he still felt it was undeserved, but fighting it was pointless. "I guess that's what it's like to have good friends," he reasoned in his head.

Oikawa had only briefly had this discussion with Mari before. He would never be able to feel the pain or loss she had, the way she had. Nor would he be on the same level of concern as Shield, not because he didn't care or couldn't empathize, but simply because he wasn't like them. Judging from Mari's words, Oikawa could only assume that in some capacity Shield was a parent too. If not to his own, maybe a guardian of sorts? He kind of knew what that was like, but he only ever cared for his younger siblings as an older brother who had to raise them sometimes. Nonetheless, it wasn't the same. He let their conversation run its course. He would be sure to check with Mari about it another time, as it seemed she wanted to change subjects for the time being.

Unsure what to say, he figured it was best to keep the topic somewhat lively. Snapping in another few eggs and materials, Oikawa spoke aloud to no one in particular. "Hmm, if you two keep dawdling, I'll end winning your little rivalry in no time." He didn't want to implicate the previous topic wasn't important, but he did want to ease the transition to something less painful for her. "As for putting me to sleep? Hardly. Climbing back and forth between all these floors is tiresome to say the least." Looking out for more chests, Oikawa readjusted in his seat. "I imagine that all the chests Snowflower here has shored up already? I haven't seen one in a little while."

@Mari@Shield

The brunette mulled over their words. It seemed that if he wanted to help, the most beneficial route was to continue as is but offer support in the form of support items. Something he wasn't entirely opposed to as it stood. At the mention of healing items however, it reminded him of the Banner he still held captive in his inventory. "I wonder if the that old Banner of Support is still useful. I believe I still have three charges on it," he explained as he watched his line for any signs of life.

Ironically as if on cue, the line jerked, causing Oikawa to take action and reel the haul in. On the opposite end lied a rather large fish bursting at the seams with eggs. "Hmm, fishing is truly the most efficient way for this. I'm convinced."

Then Oikawa's brow raised as Baldur then mentioned Hestia; a name the brunette was only vaguely familiar with but knew she knew his very well. "The only thing I know about that woman, is that she spent a lot of time running her mouth about Opal and I after we killed Zelrius and Ssendom." He sighed. Calrex seemed the most optimistic about his return. "I think you're the only one who feels my presence would be welcomed," explained the brunette with a chuckle. "But that's fine. I'll play it by ear and should I choose to participate I'll ensure I bring some healing for the paperweights."

STAT SHEET

INVENTORY

DEMONICS

WEAPONS

ARMOR

ACCESSORIES

CONSUMABLES

GIFTS

"That,"

The string of words to follow stirred the brunette from his impromptu slumber. Hazily, he adjusted to a more upright position. Whatever seemed to be going on, Oikawa could guess that conversation resolved around Mari's past. She seemed perplexed over whatever they were on about, though given Shield's apology Oikawa could almost reason the tank felt as strong about it as she did.

Lifting his hands to sweep the crust from his eyes, Oikawa chose not to comment as he felt whatever it was, it wasn't his place to add his two cents without hearing the full conversation. Locating his rod, he lazily looked over to see if he had magically acquired more eggs in his sleep. "That would be a resounding no," he mused. A little more awake, he offered @Mari a soft nudge. "Thanks for not pushing me into the waters below, despite my using you as a pillow at some point. Though I'm beginning to realize falling asleep around you is becoming more common," he explained with a light laugh. Glancing over to @Shield and his egg count, Oikawa's eyes widened. "I see you must have taken a break from chest opening if you've surpassed me now," reasoned the brunette.

Casting out his lure out, the familiar tug of a haul gripped his line in caught his attention. Spinning the line back, he managed to drag in a couple more eggs for his stash. "And just like that we're even," he said as tossed the hook out once more.

To be honest it didn't. The brunette felt no better being in their company then he did being alone; at least not in that sense. An amused look crept across his features as Shield joked about being the new Azure Brigade alongside Baldur. "That name has long since become tainted. You'd be remisced to want that kind of title," he explained. "Baldur should know that better than anyone," he said rather coldly. He realized they hadn't decided that for himself, but the thought was annoying regardless. His gaze then shifted to the tugging from his line. Muscling up some energy, Oikawa managed to reel in quite another haul, though his enthusiasm wasn't there to show it. After all that talk of the past, his head began to hurt.

Placing a hand over his head, he grabbed the hood of his cloak and pulled it over his eyes. "I-I think I'm gonna nap for a b-bit," he murmured before rolling over. In a sense, familiar company was a good thing for him. He didn't fear dying when around them. Though if his death came, surely it was deserved and he would think no less of them for it. "It'd be a fair way to go if nothing else," he mused as he succumbed to the exhaustion he felt.

Though not intentional, Oikawa found himself napped against Mari. The smell of snowy flowers engulfing him as he thought back to that night. It wasn't the same as before, but dreams tended to warp familiar scenes for the better...or worse...

"Hey to be fair that's a really good deal for us," he responded with a grin. "But I'll say it louder for you this time. I think I'm about to SURPASS you in egg count SIR," this time making sure his voice was well above the sounds lapping waves and echoing off the cavern walls. A little embarrassed, he focused on the clutch of eggs drifting near his lure. Inching his line over, he secured the half-dozen eggs and dragged them to the bank. "Hmm well if Mari didn't rig the watering hole with chests, she sure rigged with eggs for everyone else except herself." Casting the line back out, Oikawa watched as Shield teased Mari with Lilith. A soft smile finding its way to his lips. These moments tended to remind him of his days in Square One. A guild renowned and yet forgotten just the same. It was simpler back then, that much he was sure of. The thought was nice, but what he heard next wasn't.

Oikawa winced at the mention of Zelrius. You would think it wouldn't bother him as much, but the name alone was quick to bring up memories of his deceased friend and deepest regret. He glanced at Mari, she caught herself and apologized and though he knew she meant it, the reminder of Zel's tendencies wasn't wrong; but that didn't make it hurt any less either. Brushing it off, he offered a quick "you're fine and right. His actions were not exemplary to say the least. His penchant for words only revolved around stroking his ego or that of Azure's. I think when dealing with most people, actions was all he knew."

"Shield would be correct on this one. Associates that favor the same company if you will," Oikawa stated in agreement. It was true that aside from their select few encounters on the frontlines and the visit to his shop, the two had spent more time near each other the last few days than they had since having first met. Chiming in, Oikawa felt his line pull. "Unfortunately after receiving this," he said while pointing to the orange crystal above him, "I was forced to move my shop. So I figured why not a place that offered the ultimate seclusion. A place of self-connection and reflection. After all, I didn't deserve to be around people then. Not that I feel like I do now..."

Shaking his head, he lets those thoughts fall to the wayside. "But don't mind me. I think I'm about to surpass you in egg count Sir," he explained as he reeled in another eight eggs. "Hmm, seems you guys are falling behind already huh? And as for the bet, I don't intend on losing Snowflower," Oikawa stated with a cocky grin aimed at the ginger.

@Shield

His small trance was broken however as Mari reassured him it wasn't him, but rather previous circumstances that made her uncomfortable with his nicknames of sorts. He offered her a reassuring grin of his own and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not your past Mari; however, I do understand! And good to see you too." Resting his hands back onto the rod outstretched before him, he came to a better conclusion."How about this..would Snowflower be a much more fitting nickname then?" The name was more of an inside joke alluding to their last meet up more than anything, but he hoped it would bring a smile if nothing else.

Again his line tugged, drawing his attention the water. The bobber suddenly appearing to try and save itself from drowning which to Oikawa meant that he had a good one on the line. Wrestling the fish up, he procured eight more eggs himself and added them to his collection. A smirk fixated itself, as Oikawa peeked at the other's respective stashes.

The brunette would be lying if he were to say he wasn't intrigued by their little competition. They both seemed be stacking about sixteen eggs each. Leaning forward, he offered a wager. "Hmm it would seem we're all about even right now. I bet by the time we're done here I can outpace you both!" The confidence beamed from his amber gaze, as he cast his line out once more.

If Mari had responded, it had fallen on deaf ears as the brunette's lid were long closed. His chest would rise and fall steadily. The faintest of snores slipping out as, the heat of the Kotatsu enveloped his wary frame. He wasn't deserving her hospitality, least of all a warm place to sleep when he wasn't even sure if she made it to bed herself. But his body was much too tired to check and his mind was much too relaxed to enforce it.

Dawn broke soon enough. Amber eyes snapping open as he sat up to the faint smell of snow, albeit water now, and flowers. Dazedly, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Finally remembering where he was and what had transpired the night before. Looking up to the fireplace, which was little more than a smoldering flame now, he spotted Mari curled near the fireplace with little more than that the clothes she had worn earlier. Shuffling around the Kotatsu, he retrieved a quilted blanket and gently laid it over her. 

Managing to find the milk in the kitchen, he warmed the kettle and poured her some and set the Kotatsu as it was when he arrived. Placing a few biscuits on a plate, he placed them and the milk on the Kotatsu before making his way to the fireplace. Prodding the embers, he revived the flames enough to warm the room again. Re-adjusting his cloak, he drafted a small message to Mari thanking her once again for her kindness.

"Stay warm, Mari," he whispered before slipping out the door and into the frosted forest.

@Mari

"I see," responded the youth as he settled into his seat. "Well like I stated before, if you ever feel the need or want to talk, I'm all ears." He wasn't sure at what had her shaken up, but he didn't want to add any more undue stress to that situation. As she resumed questioning Shield about their friendly competition, Oikawa offered a small "my apologies," before inching a little further to give her some space.

Accepting Shield's offer, the brunette held back a slight chuckle. "The consumables and materials are plenty. I'm a smith by trade, so perfect gear is rather easy to come by and I imagine you could get more use out of them for unique identifiers. You know Shield, we haven't interacted much before but your demeanor is very different from when we initially met. I know this crystal above me played a role, but I imagine if you can get along with her," gesturing towards Mari, "we should get along just as peachy. Oh, and thank you," he assured with a grin.

With a slight flick of his wrist, Oikawa launched his lure out. The sword theme bobber bouncing a few times before plopping just beyond six feet out. The line gently dipped however as it seems the hook had already caught hold of something near the surface. Giving the pole a solid yank however, dispelled any notion of the catch being anything worth while as a boot flopped back into the watery depths. Giving Shield and Mari a side glance, he extended his line once more. "My chests have scattered... but yes a prime fishing spot nonetheless," he muttered under his breath as he tossed his head back. It had only been a few days since his last encounter with the redhead, but his mind was a little more at ease about the situation. And frankly, he didn't want to think about it right now when they had eggs to collect.

The sounds of rather familiar voices caused amber eyes to look up from his normal perch at the mid-way point of the river-bend. Ever since this event, his home floor had become a hotbed for cave fishing. What was once a secluded area now regularly houses most of the frontliners trying to fish up as many eggs as possible for the ridiculously named triplet NPCs. Tossing the ragged rod of his shoulder, the brunette began to haul the chest he had just hefted from the pond Gods to the source of the noise. "If I recall correctly, that sounds like Shield-d...and-d...Mari?"

The perplexed look on his face gave way to the confusion as the tank and ginger seemingly bickered over who was gonna collect more eggs.

"Oi, you lot, mind keeping it down. Your scaring all my chests away," he exclaimed a half cocked grin beaming as he tossed the chest down to them. Leaping down to them, he picked the spot on the opposite side of Mari and planted himself there. "You were suppose to visit next time you were on this floor love," he mentioned to @Mari before leaning back to address Shield. "I see we will being seeing each other a lot more during this time eh?" @Shield

The samurai managed to stifle a laugh as he attempted to answer their questions. It was apparent that whatever was happening on the frontlines wasn't too good despite the information that this might be the first time the whole raid party would be doused in buffs. Oikawa was unfamiliar with the man named Oscar, but whomever he was, he deserved praise. That being said, the current issue seemed to lie in the fact that there wasn't enough tanks or support players to funnel into the raid this time. With how the game was edging out, the brunette was quite familiar with the focus of everyone being DPS rather than the other roles. Rightfully so he might add, given the lack of options for the other roles.

"Ahh I see, " he mused as he rubbed his chin. "If I could refund my skill points I'd definitely help out in that department. I'm far from being a top 10 DPS player anymore, I'd be better off serving a role we were short in. The glory days are behind me so to speak," he admitted with a soft grin. The moment was quickly dispelled however as his line jerked from left to right. Digging his heels in, Oikawa slapped the reel in reverse as he tugged and pulled until the fish unveiled itself from beneath the surface. Depositing a few more eggs and materials into his hand, Oikawa glanced back over to Calrex and the others at the mention of the next raid boss being found.

"I wonder if it's too soon for me to come back to the frontlines after that incident.."