Shizuka

Shizuka walked into a random shop on the first floor. It had been a while since she had come out into the sunlight… She had served her time in the front lines and would now much rather just stay in the villages and spend a good life with Lowenthal. However, she still had different items and equipment that she wanted to give away to a special individual. Indeed, that would be a healer that she had recently heard of… That person would receive all the remainder of the items that she has in her inventory and hopefully, that woman would stay to be active as well. This might be the last time that she will come out from the countryside ever again, and hopefully, it would be worth it. Shizuka walked into the shop, her hands lingering over her inventory button before she clicked on the button and handed Kasier of all of her possessions as a healer so she can spend time with her darling Lowenthal.

-6383 Col
-21 Materials
-1 Brigadier Plus (+1 CD during crafting)
-1 Banner of Superior Support (3/3 Charges; Heals 30 HP to four members; Refill: 5,000 Col)
-1 Banner of Command (3/3 Charges, empowers you and three other players in a party with -1 Damage for 1 battle. To refill 1 charge costs 5,000 col.)
-3 HP Recovery Crystal (2X HP Recovery)
-2 Familiar Finding Coffee (2X Vitamin)
-1 Patriarch’s Stinger (+1 DMG for 1 battle)
-1 Sand Armor Potion (+1 MIT for 1 battle)
-5 Safeguard Potion (1X Safeguard)
-1 Potion of Fallen Strength (+3 DMG, -9 MIT for 1 thread)

Shizuka chuckled. She could sense that Lowenthal still had doubts about leaving the front lines and she had no problem with that. All she wanted was for the man to be happy and if he wasn't happy out of the front lines, she will definitely wish for him to return. It mattered not to Shizuka... She was being selfish to restrict the orange haired man from being in the place that he so wished to be. It was just... Just that she couldn't bare to let him go and she knew fully well that Lowenthal was lying to himself in order to offer comfort to both him and her. She wanted to be someone that didn't cause a burden to the man.

"Lowe? In the future... If you want to return to the front lines, I just want to let you know that I support you." Shizuka said and looked down as she took Lowenthal's hand as support and stood up. The fireworks had ended and it had been fantastic, a scar in her memory, something that she will remember. Her pink hair drifted in the air as she smirked and dragged Lowenthal along as she charged down the hill in top speed. 

"Come on! Let's get some exercise in first!" Shizuka shouted in a tone of playfulness and a voice that she had not heard of in such a long time... So long that she had forgotten.

...Forgotten just how much she loved her old, shy, cheerful self.

Shizuka smiled as the man offered her himself. Indeed, he had chosen her over the front lines and for a player of Sword Art Online, the front lines were what everyone was trying to achieve. Many have tried to get into the front lines and many had failed. Those who do eventually reach it either die from it or stay alive.... Yet, most do not back down. However, Here, Lowenthal was willing to do such a thing for her.

But it was unsettling. Surely, the front lines were where a soldier wants to be. In the midst of a battle against huge bosses. Where threats and dangers blared from all sides of a man. Yet, here, the orange haired man was willing to give up all of that... All of the glory, all of the front line combat. For her.

I'm something that someone treasures... Shizuka finally realized and cuddled closer to Lowenthal as the fireworks raged on overhead.

Shizuka, no doubt, is also going to retire. There was no point of her stay in the front lines. This game doesn't have to be about hatred. In fact... A story doesn't have to be action-packed. A story with fire, weapons, and combat can sometimes be tiny when compared to a story of love, peace, and kindness. That is Shizuka's story. A story that has just begun for her... And she shall end the story eventually with peace and comfort. That is who she truly is... She wasn't fit for combat or any of that nonsense... She was Shizuka, the princess of peace and soon to be... hopefully, housewife.

"Hm. Thank you, Lowe... But if you aren't doing this to your own approval, don't retire from the frontlines. All I want is for you to be happy. And if that means fighting those bosses, go ahead and continue. But, if you are really willing to stay with me forever and be in peace... Then I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you in this game... A life of peace that doesn't involve boss fighting. I want to share a life with you... A life that is peaceful and loving. Geez... The future is brighter than ever..."

"Sure, I don't see why not. It's not like I have anything better to do... Except to stay with you."

Shizuka said, sighing and looking up at the sky. She liked the atmosphere... She liked the sky. She liked the gentle sounds of bugs and she liked the booming voice of the sky and the fireworks. Most importantly, she loved Lowenthal, how he looked, how he spoke and everything about him that made him who he is. She loved his occasional humor. She loved how he knew when to be serious and when not to be. He is perfect... in every way possible within Shizuka's eyes. He was high leveled yet funny, unlike the rest of the front liners. This is why Shizuka loved him so and this is how Shizuka wants him to stay like even if he is criticized for his strange... No, not strange, but different perspective on life.

But Shizuka loves it. Every way that he is, Shizuka loves him.

After a while of staying on his chest, Shizuka began to speak gently. She had changed her method of speaking... Instead of speaking so fiercely and coldly like she used to... She spoke with gentleness and love... Especially in front of Lowenthal. And that is how she plans to be from now on... A happy girl that everyone can turn to when they need something. "Lowe," Shizuka spoke, looking at the fireworks as they burst in the sky, "I wonder if we can be together like this forever. The last boss fight was a close one... Where both of us could've died. What if... What if..." Shizuka finished, feeling tears coming from her eyes and finding the thought of them separating unbearable.

Shizuka smiled. She had anticipated that Lowenthal shared the same feelings as she did and of course, she was pleased. However, she was still nervous when she told him of her feelings. Indeed, the time that it takes for one to speak and the time that one receives the response was a nerve wrecking one but when she finally received the answer... And the answer being everything that she wanted to hear and even more, she was happy. No, happy wasn't a strong enough word for it. The better word was probably delightful, unbelieving... Any word that could possibly be used as a synonym for joy was flooding Shizuika's emotions. Just a couple of days ago, she had been a lost, depressed sheep wandering around a cliff that could fall at any time.

Now,  Shizuka was delighted and healthy. A powerful mistress of the night sky. Her confidence was coming back... Now that she had someone to live for... Someone to be with. And he loved her just as much as she did. With a laugh, her light body was lifted up by the orange haired man and she continued laughing as she was spun from one side to the next atop the mountain in the night sky. After a while, the man calmed down and engulfed her in a kiss... A kiss that she willingly accepted. With her hands behind the man's head, she kissed him and after holding for what seemed like forever, she let go and blushed as she laid down.

"Lay next to me Lowenthal. And stay close to me please. I want your warmth and we can continue to watch the firework as we stay together."

Shizuka's eyes lit up in the night sky, her face red with embarrassment as she felt her hand being clutched from within the orange-haired man's palms. Love was something that Shizuka had experienced before yet that was not true love but rather the lust of being someone of youth that had attracted her to experiencing such a love. Yet, it was, once again, not true love. However, this might just be true love. This might be something that Shizuka can keep with her for a very long time... Well, at least hopefully a long time. Through the night, she could see fireworks shoot to the sky, blowing up and showing great images of different colors and decorations. Truly, it was a brilliant night and little did she know, the night would definitely be transforming into something of even more significance to her life.

Soon, as the two continued to walk, Shizuka swayed her arms around in excitement and kept her hand in the palms of Lowenthal's hand. With a smile, she could only keep her eyes on the beauty of the fireworks but the fireworks compared nothing to the handsomeness and attractiveness of Lowenthal. His loving gaze stared at her and as she made eye contact, her face became flushed with a blush. The next sentence that the man spoke was somewhat of a confession. Somewhat. But somewhat is better than nothing right? Lowenthal hadn't exactly been that sincere with the confession but in no way did Shizuka mind. All she wanted was some sort of sign that the orange haired man had feelings for her and it mattered not to her the tone of the confession.

Shizuka's smile widened as she heard the confession. And soon, she began to speak after stopping. "Geez... I haven't exactly been hiding my feelings very well from you have I?"  She said, embarrassed yet wanted to keep the tone light. It was then that a boom sound could be heard from the sky. It was yet another firework and this one was different from the others. It was a pink heart and it lasted in the sky for quite a bit of time before faltering. Yet, as the heart remained in the sky, Shizuka clinched and leaned onto Lowenthal's chest. "I... I love you."

Shizuka was wiping off her counters as she saw a girl walk in. Indeed, it has been a while since she had been nice to someone and here, a newbie seems to not know anything about what she is doing. With a smile, she turned to her... Knowing that she had pretty much no Col that she needed at the moment and provided it to the girl. Ten thousand Col was enough. People had helped her before and now, she was going to help others.

-10,000 Col

Shizuka was not pleased. She had not had a turn for god knows how long. The combat system was pretty screwed up and depended on luck a lot. Indeed, she had not went for such a long time and at the moment, she was just stunned, unable to move and unable to heal... Such a tragedy. Zandra is hogging up all the healing again... How lucky. Shizuka thought, with the only emotion that she could even make. At this point, Shizuka wasn't angry... Nor was she salty. She could care less about whether she dies or not. As long as Lowenthal stays alive, she can die... Her duty, sole purpose in life was for Lowenthal. However, Shizuka had yet to receive a confession from the man and until she does, she is not willing to die. Not yet... Please... Shizuka thought, still unable to move. And unable to stop her tears from falling from her pink eyes, she hid her face to stop the morale of the others from falling. I must stay strong for this fight... If I believe, there is nothing I can't do. With that, Shizuka snapped out of the stun to whip her face and change it to one of confidence. Too bad my turn has passed... Oh well, I must continue now... And try my hardest to help the players claim victory.

Before leaving the tavern to head into the depths of the downpour, Shizuka looked around once more. Truly, it was an astonishing tavern. The main tavern of the ninth floor was filled with all sorts of hyperactive, drinking people. Everyone seemed so happy with their huge bottles of manly bear being bumped against each other. The waiters and waitresses trying hard to get to everyone without anyone being frustrated from waiting and the cooks in the back trying their hardest to cook for the hungry NPC and players. Everyone seemed to be in harmony... If only the world was like this. Shizuka thought. This utmost perfect teamwork... Absolutely amazing. Shizuka looked up and her table had already been occupied by a random NPC even though it was yet to be whipped by the waiter that had taken her order. 

It was then that Grave introduced the fact that he was from London. London was a significant place. It held value within the name. It was the place that Sherlock Holmes captured many murderers within that fantastic fantasy mystery book. A hard read, but one that held a small place within Shizuka's heart and Shizuka, who has never been in the actual capital could only picture what the place was like from the many movies and from the words that described the place inside the numerous descriptive words inside the Holmes series.

One of the greats... That was how it had been often described to be. Shizuka thought and followed Grave. "London... London is a great place. A place of murder yet a place of music and art. A place of darkness yet a light was present within the darkness of the world. His name was Sherlock Holmes... Within the darkness, he exposes the crimes, within the light, he breaks them. What a person he was... If only he was real. Then perhaps peace be upon this world. Oh, oops. Sorry about that, Sherlock Holmes was someone I learned in history that I actually cared about." Shizuka said, stopping before she gets too inside the life of Holmes.

"He has not cried... Even though the sky itself cries above him, he was not influenced. 'My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know.' He would say as he roamed through the criminal streets." 

Soon, after walking for a while, Shizuka could see that there was something hidden within the darkness. It was a volcanic ogre. A red ogre that was masked within the darkness. It's eyes glowed yellow yet it looked fragile, perhaps it was weakened by the sudden downpour that had come upon it. A sad sight it was and in no condition was it willing to fight. Shizuka sighed and walked the other direction. "A weakened mob is a worthless mob. A weak player is a worthless player." Shizuka said, staring ahead with a straight face. Yet... A weak player needs to be protected from death by the strong.. And a weak mob, the same. Shizuka thought, proceeding to walk through the rain.

After a while of tedious walking, Shizuka soon found a mob that was strong. It didn't seem to be weakened by the rain, probably because it was located right next to its volcanic shelter that was releasing heat energy through the sky, causing the mob to literally glow as it noticed the two players. "Please. engage in combat, Grave. We have got a problem on our hands." Shizuka thought and turned behind Grave for any healing that needs to be done.

The man's flirty attitude seemed to have suddenly broken down with Shizuka's comment and observation of the fact that it was raining outside. It was as if something scary had went across his mind all of a sudden. Through Shizuka's observation, she realized that he was probably scared of the rain, which all makes this a lot more interesting for Shizuka. With a creepy smile, Shizuka let down her black cloak and looked around to spot a waiter in the distance. With a raise of a hand and a whistle, Shizuka signaled for the man to come and take the Col. Soon after, Shizuka walked down from the deck of the tavern and into the depths of the rain. "Well, I guess it is only right for a gentleman to lead through the darkness." Shizuka said, allowing the man to take a step outside and lead the way.

(Sorry short post)

Shizuka had no idea why she had decided to take this quest. Indeed, she was someone that always helped others in need but this... This was the fourth floor? Is Shizuka mad? Fourth floor was the floor that could not be spoken to Shizuka... Something that is too dark for the average mind of a human being has occurred here and the specifics must not be told in detail as that would certainly get the writer of this post banned from the website. Shizuka moaned in disgust as she reached the fourth floor and already felt the coldness baring through her skin. Even though she still had her Azure Brigade cloak (Because Lowenthal had yet to craft an armor for her), Shizuka's teeth were dancing up and down as she tried to carefully maneuver herself through the snow. Soon, the shy girl was able to reach the outskirts of the town and the town sure brought back lots of memories... Both good and bad.

Why am I here? This place... It's terrible. Perhaps I want to come back here to remember the memories that I have had and so I could cast it away from my mind for the rest of eternity. Shizuka thought. The next time I see that filthy girl, what was her name? Anya...... She is going to die to the wrath of my weak sword. 

Soon enough, she managed to spot the white haired girl that she was supposed to escort through the quest. 

"Uhm. Hell-" She began to say quietly as she gained ground frustratingly due to the snow. She was interrupted by a sudden gust of snowflakes and she was already regretting being here. Eh... It's nice to get to know more people. Shizuka thought, walking up a few more centimeters and trying once more... Louder this time. "Hey, you are Hakai right?"

Oh, Shiz can join along as well if you guys want.

With a yawn, Shizuka received the hot chocolate from the waiter and took a sip of the drink that never fails to provide her with a warm, fuzzy feeling on the inside. As she sat there, she soon zoned out, staring into space as there seemed to be nothing else that appealed to Shizuka inside this tavern. Of course, everyone was lively and it sure is a warm atmosphere. Unlike the Azure Brigade, once again, everyone seemed happy and jokes were thrown left, right and center. It was as if the atmosphere was contagious because even Shizuka was able to spare a smile as she watched everyone and observed everything that was going on. Shizuka then decided that she should not be setting Azure Brigade as the standard. The Brigade was a terrible place... Pretty much everyone in it was struck by depression and don't even mention the blonde kid, Zelrius. In hearing his name, Shizuka could literally throw up in disgust when she's in a bad mood. But hopefully, that doesn't happen... It sure wouldn't be lady-like.

With another sip of coffee, another person walked by and Shizuka's eyes widened as she realized that the man was Macradon. Indeed, it has been quite a while since she had seen the white-haired man and Shizuka were quite pleased to see him as well. The white-haired man was friendly and kind, even though Shizuka had treated him coldly during a period of time. Hopefully, Macradon won't be weirded out by her astonishing personality change... Changing from a cold person to someone such as she was a drastic change that definitely would not be considered normal even in a gaming scenario. Shizuka had not expected him to come talk to her as she had treated him poorly once before but it seemed like either he had forgotten or was just being friendly.

"Hello, Macradon. It has been a while eh? Well... I just wanna introduce myself to my new guild members but it sure is loud and warm in here. I don't think I can talk loudly with all this commotion..." 

Shizuka yawned. Seems like I'm a bit late. The submissive, shy girl thought as she walked into the tavern that she had been informed to arrive at. The party inside seemed to have already started without her... Not that she minded. If the party started without her, it was easier for her to blend in once she does arrive. With a sigh, Shizuka looked around and checked her cloth. She was wearing a black tank top-ish clothing with the back split open. It was something that Shizuka had possession of for quite some time now and she truly hoped that the clothing was not too revealing. Geez... I hope this doesn't get too awkward. Shizuka thought naturally and with a nervous, deep breath, opened the tavern door that held many of her new guildmates. 

The first thing that she heard was, "Light, power word, KILL. Target Chewie." Welp... Brilliant. Shizuka thought, walking in as she heard the intimidating comment from a black armored man. The guild seemed like quite a lovely, cheerful... Uhm... Hyperactive group. It was a completely different atmosphere compared to the Azure Brigade. She was starting to understand why the Brigade had pretty much no reputation in terms of user-friendliness. Everyone seemed so happy here and Shizuka naturally felt out of place. Despite the fact that Shizuka had snapped out of her depression, she was still not exactly the happiest. Still, maybe this group of people would help her cheer up. They sure seemed friendly enough.

Shizuka walked over to a stand and watched the commotion that was happening. "Waiter, may I have a cup of hot chocolate please?" Shizuka asked and as she waited, she scanned the area for anything of interest to her. Even though she had arrived, the others have not exactly noticed her. Perhaps they were too engulfed in their own businesses. Soon, after a moment of awkwardness, as she sat on the chair, Shizuka decided to introduce herself.  "Uhm... Hey, guys..." Shizuka whispered quietly and soon trialled off when she thought no one was listening to her and hence, she looked down on the ground.

Soon, the night was upon the world of Aincrad. However, even though the sky became darker, the festival only got lighter and warmer. The lanterns that were placed on the variety of game booths in the festival were suddenly light up at once, causing a beautiful rippling event throughout the whole area. Shizuka watched in delight as she watched the festival burst into life. Of course, her hand was still placed within Lowenthal's hand, even the sight was unable to take her attention away from that fact. Through the night, her blush was hidden, but it indeed was a lovely, romantic moment. Even if it was just for a moment. The fireflies flew all over the place, free from pollution, they fly upwards and dominate the sky playfully during the nightfall. Love was something complex, something that Shizuka did not understand and did not wish to understand either.

After a while of watching as the darkness only caused the world to lighten up more and more. Surprisingly, Lowenthal took her hand and took off into the middle of the crowds as if he had seen something. Sure enough, an NPC with a cargo of fireworks was dropping fireworks left, right and center. Lowenthal, of course, like the gentleman he was decided that he was going to pick up some fireworks for the man while Shizuka watched with a gentle smile. She loved it when people help others... And even though she, herself had been undergoing some drastic changes throughout the entire gaming experience, she hoped that she could stay like this for the entirety of the game. Shizuka had lost her innocence due to her experiences... But it was about time for her to see the world and mature.

It was then that the NPC gave both of them each a firework and called them a couple. With an embarrassed blush, Shizuka immediately released Lowenthal's hand in panic. "U-Uh... N-no.. There's a misunderstanding." However, it seemed like the man had failed to hear her and continued to talk before leaving. Shizuka wasn't sure if Lowenthal shared emotions with her and she really didn't want to make a relationship publically so soon after she had left the Azure Brigade and left a trail of misunderstandings throughout her period of depression. "How about we head out to the mountains... Where we can be by ourselves?" Shizuka asked, clutching Lowenthal's hand.

"I was about to say a really long 'so' followed by stunned right now, because, at the moment, I'm pretty stunned," Shizuka said, disappointed before calling out to Lowenthal. Lowenthal! Let's get some munchies after this!" With a laugh, Shizuka turned back to face the boss, unable to move anything except for her mouth, she spit on the ground and waited for the boss to make its move the next turn. Stupid boss... Why you gotta stun me and not Ebony? 

Raptor Falcon: 0/300 | Mitigation: 0 | Evasion: 4 | Damage: 85
Raptor Falcon:-0/300 | Mitigation: 0 | Evasion: 4 | Damage: 85
Raptor Falcon: 0/300 | Mitigation: 0 | Evasion: 4 | Damage: 85
Raptor Falcon: 300/300 | Mitigation: 0 | Evasion: 4 | Damage: 85
Amber Egg: 92/300 | Mitigation: 100 (-1)
Amber Egg: 92/300 | Mitigation: 100 (-1)
Amber Egg: 118/300 | Mitigation: 100 (-1)
Amber Egg: 299/300 | Mitigation: 100 (-1)
Amber Egg: 299/300 | Mitigation: 100 (-1)
Amber Egg: 299/300 | Mitigation: 100 (-1)

Shizuka was never the flirt. She had not been engulfed in a relationship once in the real world and the previous relationship that she had been in last time was not truly love. Instead, it was the lust of youth and the obsession of love that caused Shizuka to love. In a sense, curiosity and the willingness to find out the things about this world that was unknown to her was able to [censored] her away and take her into a land of love. However, she was more mature now, at least, that was the way Shizuka thought she had been. The experiences that she had been through was able to quench her of her lack of maturity and now, she was seeking more and more of the wisdom in this world. "Fine, you flirt. I guess I'll take this off for now." Shizuka said, taking the mask off and looking at it once more. The craftsmanship that was placed into the creation of the mask was absolutely astonishing and nothing could be taken away from how well decorated and colored it was. A beautiful piece of artisan creation. Shizuka thought, putting away the object into her inventory that was starting to grow full. She'd need to clean out some of that stuff eventually but procrastination was able to take away that motivation from her and laziness corporate in doing so as well. 

Shizuka smiled with a small blush as Lowenthal touched her hand and grabbed it as he started running towards a new direction. The man seemed so serious at times yet so comical at others and Shizuka did not mind at all. In fact, she rather appreciated the man. Indeed, she knew that he was only being serious at times for her sake. Shizuka did not want to be a burden for the man but the man seemed to appreciate her just as much as she appreciated him. Soon, Lowenthal obtained a pin of sorts and placed upon Shizuka's pink hair. As he was doing so, Shizuka stared at the man's face and of course, she zoned out while looking at him until he asked a question. With a sudden gasp, Shizuka snapped back into reality and prepared to answer the man. "Erm... Let's see... Well, I'm pretty sure I read about fireworks in one of those information pamphlet thing." Shizuka answered, feeling the warmth in Lowenthal's hand.

Shizuka smiled in response to Lowenthal's very own smile. He was an attractive man and his smile was contagious. Too contagious that the Shizuka from an hour ago would have definitely avoided at all costs but here, Shizuka was welcoming him into her world even with the contagious, charming smile that he so possesses. Perhaps Shizuka wanted to be happier and that was why she was using Lowenthal as a method of making her happier. Love was not real, that was something that Shizuka had learned in psychology class... In fact, love is something released from the hormones of the brain, causing one to "love". However, once someone has fallen in love, there was no way of telling themselves that love isn't real. For now, from now on, Shizuka was in love and she didn't care what anyone said about it, not her past psychology teacher, not the people in this game. They matter not to her, the only person that matters one bit would be the orange-haired man in front of her. However, Shizuka was not going to tell him that... It would only be a burden to him. If he shares Shizuka's emotions, then, that would be great. Still, if he doesn't have feelings for Shizuka, she wouldn't mind... She'll remember him and move on to not cause troubles for him. "Oi, here we are." Shizuka said, coming back to reality as she sees the familiar restaurant. "Let's go inside. I'm feeling a bit hungry." 

"Yay!" Shizuka called out without thinking as she watched Lowenthal throw the ball into one of the cups that was on display in front of her and the orange haired man. Indeed, it wasn't the cleanest throw of all times but it was definitely a throw that was right on target and Shizuka smiled widely as she saw the ping-pong ball float onto the tip of one of the cups and bounced inconveniently. Yay! Lowenthal got himself one! Now it's my turn. Shizuka thought, willing to try her hardest to get a matching one with Lowenthal. With a calming sigh, Shizuka prepared to throw the ping-pong ball once more and that was when Lowenthal stopped from from doing so by offering to give her his Kitsune Mask. It was a charming mask, in fact, it was probably the design that Shizuka had wanted. There were no masks that had the pure pink color and no other color but this would work fine. With a white background engraved upon the mask, its whiskers were purple and the rest of the mask were randomly filled with pink polka dots that certainly adds to the foundation of the mask, allowing it to stand out from the other masks and this was why Shizuka had wanted it and here, Lowenthal had offered it to her. There was no way for Shizuka to refuse his offer as one, the mask was beautiful, and two, it was a gift from Lowenthal. Shizuka took ahold of the mask and without hesitating, put it on her face and wiggled her head to see if it would fit and definitely, it fits like a charm. "Well? How do I look?" Shizuka said, allowing her head to drift into the next thing that she wanted to get. 

Shizuka looked around and saw that the festival was becoming very, very lively. Indeed, she was sure that the festival was quite popular around the younger players yet almost everyone was either older than her or the same age as her. Doesn't matter to Shizuka though, she was going to enjoy herself at this festival and win some of the most rumored prices that the festival game provided for the players. Indeed, this was supposed to be a lively festival so Shizuka was able to assume that she wouldn't be able to become frustrated. She knew that the requirements for getting some of these good prices were little and she was sure that she would be able to obtain a price from some of the games that the festival provided. "Hey, Lowenthal. Look, there's a lot of games around. Sorry Himeko, I'm gonna steal away Lowenthal for a while so go play on your own, 'kay?" Shizuka said as she clung to Lowenthal's arm and pulled him away in delightfulness. It was then that Shizuka noticed the waves of NPCs that were wandering around the area had a mask on and Shizuka was immediately interested in obtaining one of those masks. She had seen a game booth which had that item for a reward and she was sure that she could beat the game easily and get the price, especially since she had some looting and luck bonuses.

"Alright, Lowenthal. Let's get some Kitsune Masks!" Shizuka said with excitement as she looked at the game booth. Alrighty then... Shizuka thought, observing the what the game's objective was. Shizuka smiled, indeed, it should be a simple game. The objective of the game was to throw a yellow ping pong ball into a row of glass bottles in the middle of the booth. It was a generic game that Shizuka could definitely beat within two tries. Shizuka sighed and held out her ball carefully and with a quick movement, sent the ball flying.

ID: 50211
LD: 1+3=4 [No Reward]

It was then that Shizuka managed to slip immediately after having thrown the ball. The ball ended up going way over where she wanted it to have gone. Instead of doing what she wanted, Shizuka had fallen to the ground with a flop sound and stayed there, rubbing her head in surprise. Geez... and hence, she looked up with an embarrassed smile. "Haha... I guess I didn't expect that to happen." 

ID: 50175
BD: 8

Shizuka watched the rock carefully in an attempt to find some sort of weak point in which she could strike to maybe defeat the rock quicker. Indeed, the rock punching process was already becoming quite a drag and she did not approve of it at all. Shizuka sighed and charged forward with her fist held high in the air and when she brought it down, she watched in delight as she saw a crack appear within the rock and hence, she was certain that she had dealt damage this time as well to the hard-to-break rock. Good stuff. Shizuka thought and with that, she returned to where she was to wait for her turn once more.

HP List
Shizuka: 124/124
   Energy: 24/31 (-1) (+1)
Vayrin: 56/56
   Energy: 8/14 (-1) (+1)
Takneil: 56/56
   Energy: 8/14 (-2) (+1)

Enemies:
Boulder: 33/50 (-1)

"Uhm. I don't remember what I do for fun." Shizuka responded with a gentle smile and a pink flush on her creamy skin as she strolled along the primary floor. The opening floor was what it was known to be and of course, Shizuka had consumed most of her time at Sword Art Online on this floor because as a healer, she was incompetent to fight mighty mobs that were on the higher floors and because of that, she was very, very familiar with the fundamental layout of this floor. Shizuka's dawn-tinted hair trailed behind her as she trudged through the breeze of the first floor. Certainly, the area was filled with constructions that were both tall or short yet the wind was not prepared to be obstructed by the buildings that sheltered the players of this floor. Indeed, instead of her tears trailing behind, her vigorous hair seemed to have come back to live and the pinkness was enhanced as she marched on through the usually lively town. However, at the moment, there was absolutely no one, player or NPCs, that were roaming through the streets which were usually crowded and congested with different people. "You know... It's been quite a while since I have had fun." Shizuka continued with her speaking as she placed her right finger tip on her chin, "Uhm, well... I guess back then, I ate a LOT of ramen and loved to watch butterflies in the fields of the first floor. Also, I like to spend time with people so I hope we can have a... bit of fun today?" Shizuka told and having been unable to speak with as much carefreeness as she was able to today, she found it rather laborious to find the right words for such an occasion.

ID: 49983
BD: 7

Shizuka once again rushed up in fierce determination. Indeed, she was determined to strike the rock once again and bring justice onto the amount of time that was being wasted from the group trying to hit the rock. It was honestly such a trash quest idea for people to come together to punch a rock... Heck, this rock was probably harder to kill than most mobs that people fight. Perhaps this was the point of the quest or perhaps it was supposed to be more easier. Either way, Shizuka had managed to punch the rock without feeling her fist having pain. How the hell does this even work?! Shizuka thought, retreating, having dealt damage.

HP List
Shizuka: 124/124
   Energy: 24/31 (-1) (+1)
Vayrin: 56/56
   Energy: 8/14 (-1) (+1)
Takneil: 56/56
   Energy: 9/14 (-2) (+1)

Enemies:
Boulder: 35/50 (-1)

"What are you talking about? I wasn't waiting for anyone."  Shizuka said, embarrassed that the man could tell that she was waiting for him. Indeed, she had been waiting for the man but she had not wanted the man to know as that was quite an embarrassing thing. Just after Shizuka dragged Lowenthal away, a girl pounced upon Shizuka and began to hug her. At first, Shizuka didn't realize who the girl was and found it strange that someone had the urge to come by and give her a hug but soon, after Shizuka thought back, she realized that the younger girl was Himeko. She was someone that Shizuka met for a brief time in a tavern somewhere and the time was brief because right after Shizuka introduced herself, Zelrius, the blonde commandant, had appeared in the tavern and that immediately caused Shizuka to jump out of the window like James Bond. Himeko could be seen as being the complete opposite of Shizuka if it was Shizuka from perhaps a day ago. Indeed, she was definitely feeling better. Lowenthal's presence and the mood of the spring festivals were enough to boost Shizuka's emotional aspect and hence, she was definitely a lot more undepressed than before. Still, she was a calm, unenergetic girl who was gentle and afraid of hurting herself, unlike Himeko who was young, innocent, and always full of energy that caused her to bounce all over the place. "How I do my hair?" Shizuka repeated, surprised that she had been asked such an awkward question in the middle of a spring festival. "Well, back in the real world... I had my hair dyed pink due to certain wishes from my father and from different modelling companies, my hair became what it is. I used to have blonde hair you know." Shizuka said, finding that she was beginning to speak a lot more than she had done just a few days ago. Well, this is nice. Shizuka thought. It's nice to know that I can make people hate me less now. "Uhm. Let me introduce you two. Uh, this is Lowenthal, he's uhm....." Shizuka began to speak once again while blushing and looking to the ground and pointing at Lowenthal. "... A friend. Lowenthal, this is Himeko, she's someone that I met in a tavern not that long ago."

Shizuka smiled delightfully as she saw the orange haired man arrive at the scene. However, Shizuka had not expected the man to provide her with a croquette. Honestly, Shizuka found no appetite in such a food item. She had rather preferred something, uhm, more healthy even though this game was not exactly exercise oriented. Shizuka sighed and took the food item from the man anyway before slowly feeding on it and taking it down her throat. "Thanks for that." Shizuka said gladly in thanks that the man had even offered something for her. Without another second, Shizuka wiped off her mouth with the black cloak that she owns. Eventually, she would get enough Col to get a new armor but for now, she was seeking something else. "Nope! I wasn't waiting for anyone. Does it seem like I was waiting for someone? Come on, I wanna get one of those traditional kimonos. Let's go!" Shizuka said gladly in delight as she took Lowenthal's hand and dragged him along in order to get a kimono for herself.